Loading assistance device

Abstract

The present invention is a loading assistance device for assisting in the loading of an article to a plurality of support bodies (2), the device comprising: a feeder part; a work area (5); a conveyance device for conveying articles; and a control system. In a section determination process, the control system determines loading destination sections such that when loading of articles of mutually different types is performed in a plurality of work segments (4), until the number of articles of a target designation type allotted to a target support body (21) reaches a target number of designated articles, articles of other designation types are not allotted to a target work segment (40), and after the allotted number of articles of the target designation type reaches the target number of designated articles, articles of other designation types are allotted to the target work section (40).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment work support device that supports an attachment operation of attaching an article provided with identifiable identification information to each of a plurality of supports.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-025022 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique related to an attachment work support device. Hereinafter, the reference numerals shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] The attachment work support device (sorting facility) of Patent Document 1 includes a transport conveyor (14) that continuously transports the same type of articles (10) discharged from the storage shelves (15) of an automated warehouse, a printing device (20) adjacent to the transport conveyor (14), and a reading device (30) adjacent to the transport conveyor (14) on the downstream side of the printing device (20). Further, on the more downstream side of the reading device (30), a plurality of chutes (13) connected to the transport conveyor (14) are arranged. For each of the same type of articles (10) transported by the transport conveyor (14), sorting information for automatic reading (11) and sorting information for visual recognition (12) are printed by the printing device (20). Thereafter, the sorting information for automatic reading (11) is read by the reading device (30), and thereby each article (10) is sorted into a predetermined chute (13). Thereafter, the operator performs an operation of sorting each article (10) sorted into the chute (13) into a predetermined cage cart while confirming the sorting information for visual recognition (12).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, in a loading support device such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple types of goods are loaded into each of the multiple carts in the required quantities according to order information assigned to each cart. The multiple goods loaded into each cart are used at the destination, for example, by checking the number of goods of the same type or by taking out goods by type. Therefore, it is desirable that the required quantities of multiple types of goods are loaded into the carts in an order that takes into account the convenience of handling the goods at the destination. For example, when transporting goods from an automated warehouse to each cart, transporting multiple goods in an order that is pre-aligned according to the order in which they will be loaded into each cart makes it easy to load the goods into each cart in an order that takes into account the convenience of handling the goods at the destination. However, transporting multiple goods in an order that is pre-aligned according to the order in which they will be loaded into each cart requires the installation of a sorter or other device in the automated warehouse or along the transport path from the automated warehouse to the carts to rearrange the order in which the goods are transported, which tends to lead to larger equipment and higher costs. Furthermore, when transporting multiple items in a lined-up trolley, the number of trolleys that can be loaded is limited, resulting in trolleys waiting to be loaded, which tends to reduce the overall efficiency of the loading operation. On the other hand, when transporting items to be loaded onto multiple trolleys without pre-lining up multiple items in each trolley, loading operations can be performed on multiple trolleys simultaneously, which tends to improve the overall efficiency of the loading operation. However, it is difficult to load items onto each trolley in an order that takes into account the convenience of handling the items at the destination, which tends to increase the workload at the destination.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a stacking support device that can improve the efficiency of stacking goods onto multiple support structures while also enhancing the convenience of handling goods at the destination of each support structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The stacking support device relating to this disclosure is a stacking support device that assists in stacking articles, each of which is equipped with readable identification information that can identify the type, onto each of a plurality of support structures, The system comprises: a loading area into which multiple types of articles are brought; a work area where multiple work sections are set up, each with a support structure, and where the article is stacked onto each support structure; a transport device for transporting the articles from the loading area to the work area; and a control system. The aforementioned stacking operation is the operation of stacking the articles on each of the multiple supports arranged in the work area, in accordance with order information that specifies the number of articles of each type to be stacked on each of the supports. The control system executes a section determination process to determine the loading destination section, which is the work area where the loading work for each of the articles is performed. The support located in a target work area, which is one of the multiple work areas, is designated as the target support; the type of one or more articles specified in the order information for the target support is designated as the designated type; one of the designated types is designated as the target designated type; and the number of articles of the target designated type specified in the order information is designated as the number of target designated articles. In the partition determination process, the control system determines the destination partition for each item such that, when stacking work for items of different types is performed in multiple work partitions, and until the number of items of the designated type for the target support reaches the number of designated items, it does not assign other items of the designated type specified in the order information to the target work partitions, and after the number of items of the designated type for the target support reaches the number of designated items, it assigns other items of the designated type specified in the order information to the target work partitions.

[0008] With this configuration, even when multiple types of goods are stacked on a single support, goods of the same type will be stacked consecutively. Therefore, convenience can be improved at the destination of each support, for example, when inspecting the number of goods of the same type or when retrieving goods by type. Furthermore, since stacking operations for different types of goods are performed in multiple work areas, it is easier to standardize the stacking operations for each of the multiple support structures when multiple types of goods are mixed together and transported by the conveying device. Therefore, it is easier to improve the efficiency of stacking operations in multiple work areas. Thus, this configuration makes it easier to improve the efficiency of stacking operations for multiple support structures while also enhancing the convenience of handling goods at the destination of each support structure.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the stacking support device will become clear from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Outline diagram of the goods handling equipment [Figure 2] A schematic plan view showing each control block and work area. [Figure 3] Floor plan of the work area [Figure 4] Control block diagram [Figure 5] A schematic diagram illustrating the partition determination process. [Figure 6] Control flow diagram [Figure 7] Control flow diagram [Figure 8] A schematic diagram illustrating the assignment type setting process. [Figure 9] Control flow diagram [Figure 10] A schematic diagram illustrating the control of the amount of goods transported to a work area. [Figure 11] A schematic diagram showing the assignment type setting process in another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] 〔First Embodiment〕 Hereinafter, as a first embodiment, an example in which the stacking work support device 1 is applied to the article conveying facility 100 will be described based on the drawings.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying facility 100 includes a stacking work support device 1 and a warehouse (not shown) for storing articles W. A plurality of articles W shipped from the warehouse are stacked on the support 2 via the stacking work support device 1. Then, the plurality of articles W stacked on the support 2 are shipped together with the support 2. Here, the support 2 is a cage car, and the cage car on which a plurality of articles W are stacked is loaded onto a truck or the like and transported to a designated shipping destination. Note that the support 2 can be, in addition to a cage car, a pallet on which articles W can be stacked in layers, a container for accommodating articles W, or the like.

[0013] In this example, there may be a case where the article W carried in from a truck or the like is directly stacked on the support 2 without being stored in the warehouse. Also in this case, the article W is stacked on the support 2 via the stacking work support device 1. In this example, the article W is a container that can be stacked in layers on the support 2. Specifically, the article W is a carton container (here, a cardboard box) in which objects are accommodated. Examples of the objects accommodated in the carton container include foodstuffs and drinking water for shipping to each store of a supermarket. Also, the objects accommodated in the carton container can be clothes, books, machine parts, or the like. Note that the article conveying facility 100 may not include a warehouse, and when stacking the article W carried in from a truck or the like on the support 2 as described above, a parking area for the truck can be provided.

[0014] The stacking work support device 1 is a device that supports the stacking work of stacking articles W provided with identification information 91 that can readably identify the type on each of a plurality of supports 2. In this embodiment, the stacking work support device 1 supports the stacking work of stacking a plurality of articles W (carton containers) on a support 2 (here, a basket truck) according to the article type. In this example, as shown in FIG. 4, a one-dimensional code including identification information 91 is pre-printed on the side surface of the article W, and a first reading device 11 (corresponding to the "reading device") described later detects the one-dimensional code to obtain the identification information 91. Note that, instead of the one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code or the like may be printed on the article W, or a label on which a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code or the like is printed may be pre-attached to the article W.

[0015] The type of the article W is a classification obtained by dividing the article W to be handled by the stacking work support device 1 according to a predetermined standard. Here, the article type is classified based on an identification code of the object stored in the article W (for example, a product identification code such as a JAN code or an EAN code). In the following, for easy explanation, the type of the article W may be represented by a type name (for example, type "A", "B", "C", etc.) instead of the identification code of the object stored in the article W. For example, when the type of the article W is "A", the article W contains an object of type "A". The identification information 91 includes information regarding the type of the object stored in such an article W. Note that the type of the article W can also be set based on a classification based on the minimum management unit (SKU) of the object (product, etc.) stored in the article W, that is, a classification based on the minimum management unit when performing inventory management.

[0016] Here, the stacking work support device 1 can support the stacking of articles W of the same article type on the support 2 and the stacking of articles W of different article types on the support 2. The specific configuration and features of such a stacking work support device 1 will be described below.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the stacking support device 1 comprises a loading section 3 into which multiple types of goods W are brought in, multiple work areas 4 each with a support 2, where the goods W are stacked onto the respective support 2, a transport device 6 for transporting the goods W from the loading section 3 to the work areas 5, and a control system 7 (see Figure 4). In this embodiment, the stacking support device 1 has multiple work areas 5.

[0018] Multiple types of goods W are brought into the loading section 3. These multiple goods W are then transported from the loading section 3 to the transport device 6. In this example, the loading section 3 is equipped with a loading conveyor 31, which transports the goods W brought into the loading section 3 to the transport device 6. In the example in Figure 1, multiple loading conveyors 31 are provided, and goods W are transported from each loading conveyor 31. In this example, goods W can be brought into the loading section 3 after being dispatched from a warehouse, or goods W can be brought directly into the loading section 3 from a truck. Alternatively, a railway vehicle may be parked at the loading section 3, and goods W may be brought in from containers loaded on the railway vehicle.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the transport device 6 includes a main route 61 and a plurality of branch routes 62 that branch off from the main route 61 as routes for transporting goods W. The main route 61 is connected to the loading section 3 on the upstream side of the goods W transport route 12. Each of the plurality of branch routes 62 branches off from the downstream side of the goods W transport route 12 of the main route 61. In this example, the main route 61 and branch routes 62 are formed by conveyors. Specifically, a main conveyor 65 is provided along the main route 61. A branch conveyor 63 is provided along the branch routes 62. The goods W transported from the loading section 3 are transported to the work area 5 by moving along the main route 61 and branch routes 62.

[0020] In the illustrated example, each of the multiple branching paths 62 is equipped with a branching conveyor 63, consisting of a first branching conveyor 63a and multiple second branching conveyors 63b. Here, the goods transport facility 100 is composed of multiple floors (in this case, two floors). The warehouse, loading area 3 (multiple loading conveyors 31), and multiple work areas 5, which will be described later, are installed on the floor of the first floor. The multiple first branching conveyors 63a are installed on the floor of the second floor. The main conveyor 65 is installed across the first and second floors to connect the loading area 3 and the multiple first branching conveyors 63a. Each of the multiple second branching conveyors 63b is installed on the first floor and is positioned to overlap with the area where the first branching conveyors 63a are located in a vertical view (Figures 1 and 2). Here, the conveying device 6 is equipped with multiple lifting devices 67, and each of the multiple second branch conveyors 63b is connected to the corresponding first branch conveyor 63a via a lifting device 67 (e.g., a lifter). As a result, the goods W are conveyed from the first branch conveyor 63a to the second branch conveyor 63b. In the example shown in Figure 1, each first branch conveyor 63a is formed in a spiral shape when viewed from above, and is configured to allow multiple goods W to be conveyed to the work area 5 to accumulate. This makes it less likely for deadlocks (for example, a state in which goods W cannot be brought into the loading section 3) to occur due to congestion of goods W in the main route 61 and branch route 62.

[0021] In addition, in the example shown in Figure 1, the transport device 6 is further equipped with a retransmission path 66, and a retransmission conveyor 68 is installed along the retransmission path 66. The retransmission path 66 connects the downstream side of the main line path 61 from the branching point with the multiple branching paths 62 (here, the downstream end of the main line path 61) and the upstream side of the main line path 61 from the confluence point with the multiple input conveyors 31 (here, the upstream end of the main line path 61). The retransmission path 66 is a path for returning the item W to the main line path 61 without transporting it to the branching path 62, for example, in the event of a marking error by the marking device 10 described later for the item W, or a reading error by the first reading device 11 or the second reading device 9 for the item W.

[0022] In this example, as described above, the main route 61 and branch route 62 are formed by conveyors, but this is not the only option. The transport device 6 may be equipped with an automated guided vehicle (AGV or STV, etc.) for transporting the goods W, and the main route 61 and branch route 62 may be the routes on which the AGV travels.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the work area 5, worker P performs the task of stacking articles W onto the support structures 2 located in each of the multiple work sections 4. Here, the stacking task is the task of stacking articles W onto each of the multiple support structures 2 located in the work area 5, according to order information 92 which specifies the number of articles W of each type to be stacked onto each support structure 2. In this embodiment, the task of stacking articles W onto each of the multiple support structures 2 is performed by worker P. The order information 92 is the type of articles W to be stacked onto the support structures 2 located in each work section 4, and the number of articles of each type, which are assigned to each work section 4. Here, one support structure 2 is located in one work section 4. In the example shown in Figure 5, each of the three work areas 4 has a support 2 with a store number indicating the shipping destination. For example, the support 2 with store number "001" has order information 92 set up so that it can hold three items W of type "A", two items W of type "B", two items W of type "C", and one item W of type "D".

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, at least one work area 5 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths 62. In this example, multiple work areas 5 are provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths 62. More specifically, multiple work areas 5 are provided for each branch path 62, and the same number of work areas 5 are set for each branch path 62. In the illustrated example, two work areas 5 are provided for one branch path 62. In the example of Figure 3, a work area 5 is provided for each of the two second branch conveyors 63b that branch off from the first branch conveyor 63a downstream of the lifting device 67.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, multiple work compartments 4 are arranged within one work area 5. In this example, each of the multiple work areas 5 has the same number of work compartments 4. In the illustrated example, 14 work compartments 4 are arranged within one work area 5, but the number of such work compartments 4 can be changed as appropriate. Also, one worker P is assigned to each work area 5. Worker P loads the goods W, which have been transported to the second branch conveyor 63b, into each of the multiple work compartments 4 based on the order information 92. In the example in Figure 2, 18 work areas 5 are set up corresponding to 9 branch routes 62.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the stacking support device 1 is installed along the transport path 12 of the goods W by the transport device 6 and further includes a first reading device 11 (corresponding to "reading device") that reads the identification information 91 of the goods W. The first reading device 11 is installed along the main path 61 and between the loading section 3 and the marking device 10 described later. The first reading device 11 sequentially reads the identification information 91 of each of the multiple goods W being transported from the loading section 3 to the main conveyor 65. The identification information 91 read by the first reading device 11 is transmitted to the control device H described later. In this example, the first reading device 11 is a reader that reads one-dimensional codes and, as described above, detects the one-dimensional code pre-printed on the goods W and obtains the identification information 91. The first reader 11 may be a scanner that scans IC tags, RFID tags, etc., or it may be an image recognition device that detects characters or patterns on the surface of the item W.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the stacking support device 1 is provided between the first reading device 11 and the work area 5 in the transport path 12, and further includes a marking device 10 that marks work support information 93 on the surface of the articles W. The marking device 10 is further provided along the main path 61 and upstream of the multiple branch paths 62. In this example, the marking device 10 is provided between the first reading device 11 and the second reading device 9, which will be described later. The marking device 10 then marks the work support information 93 sequentially on each of the multiple articles W that have been transported by the main conveyor 65 and passed through the first reading device 11. Here, the marking device 10 is a labeling device (labeler) that attaches labels printed with the work support information 93 to the side of the articles W. The marking device 10 can also be a printer or the like that directly prints the work support information 93 on the side of the articles W.

[0028] In this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the stacking support device 1 is provided along the main line route 61 and between multiple branch routes 62 and the marking device 10, and further includes a second reading device 9 that reads work support information 93 marked on the surface of the articles W. The second reading device 9 reads the work support information 93 of each of the multiple articles W that have been transported on the main line conveyor 65 and passed through the marking device 10. The read work support information 93 is transmitted to the control device H, which will be described later. The second reading device 9 is a reader that reads one-dimensional codes. In the example in Figure 4, the second reading device 9 reads the one-dimensional code contained in the work support information 93 attached to the article W.

[0029] In this example, as described above, the first reading device 11, the notation device 10, and the second reading device 9 are arranged along the main line path 61 from the upstream side in this notation order. These three devices are also installed adjacent to the main line conveyor 65.

[0030] The work support information 93 includes information for transporting multiple types of goods W brought into the loading section 3 to each of the multiple work areas 5, and for stacking these goods W on each support 2 according to the order information 92. In the example in Figure 4, the work support information 93 includes the store number ("001"), the product number of the items contained in the goods W (HKU122), the number indicating the work area 5 ("ST01"), and a one-dimensional code. This one-dimensional code contains information related to the destination (work area 5, branching conveyor 63) of the goods W being transported.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the control system 7 includes a control device H. The control device H controls the loading unit 3, the transport device 6, the display device 10, the first reading device 11, and the second reading device 9. The control device H is also configured to communicate with a higher-level control device (hereinafter referred to as the higher-level controller C). The control device H acquires order information 92 from the higher-level controller C. The control device H includes an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and peripheral circuits such as memory, and each function of the control device H is realized through the cooperation of these hardware components and programs executed on the hardware such as the arithmetic processing unit. The control device H may not be a single piece of hardware, but rather a collection of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the control device H includes a setting unit 71 that executes the processes described below, an acquisition unit 72 that acquires order information 92, identification information 91, and work support information 93, and a storage unit 73 that stores this information.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, the control system 7 performs a partition determination process to determine the loading destination partition 41, which is a work area 4 where the loading of each item W is performed. Once the control system 7 determines the loading destination partition 41, the support 2 on which the items W are loaded is determined. In this embodiment, the control device H performs the partition determination process on items W being transported by the transport device 6.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the control device H first acquires order information 92 (S1). In this example, the control device H acquires and stores order information 92 for all items W to be brought into the loading unit 3 from the upper controller C. The acquisition of order information 92 can be, for example, before the start of the stacking work (e.g., the morning of the start day). Next, the control device H acquires identification information 91 for the items W (S2). Then, the control device H performs partition determination processing (S3). In this example, the control device H performs partition determination processing for items W whose identification information 91 has been acquired by the first reading device 11. After that, the control device H sets work support information 93 (S4). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the control system 7 controls the notation device 10 to indicate the information showing the stacking destination partition 41 for each item W determined by the partition determination processing as work support information 93 on the surface of the items W. In this example, the control device H sets work support information 93 based on the loading destination area 41, identification information 91, and order information 92 set by the area determination process. The control device H controls the marking device 10 to mark the set work support information 93 on the item W. Then, the item W is read by the second reading device 9. The item W is then sorted into one of the multiple branching paths 62 so that it is transported to the work area 5 where the loading destination area 41 is set.

[0035] In the following explanation, a support 2 located in a target work area 40, which is one of several work areas 4, will be referred to as the target support 21. The type of one or more items W specified in the order information 92 for the target support 21 will be referred to as the designated type. One of the designated types will be referred to as the target designated type. The number of items of the target designated type specified in the order information 92 will be referred to as the number of target designated items.

[0036] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, in the partition determination process, the control system 7 determines the destination partition 41 for each item W such that, when stacking work of different types of items W is performed in multiple work partitions 4, and until the number of items W of the designated target type allocated to the target support 21 reaches the number of designated target items, it does not allocate items W of other designated types specified in the order information 92 to the target work partition 40, and after the number of items W of the designated target type allocated to the target support 21 reaches the number of designated target items, it allocates items W of other designated types specified in the order information 92 to the target work partition 40. In this specification, "afterward" includes "simultaneously," and naturally also includes "immediately afterward."

[0037] In this embodiment, the control system 7 (here, the control device H) executes a partition determination process so that stacking operations for different types of items W are performed in all work partitions 4 belonging to a specific work area 5 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "target work area 5a"). Figure 5 schematically shows an example in which three work partitions 4 are set in the target work area 5a. Figure 5 also schematically shows the types and number of items W to be stacked for each support 2 of the work partition 4 based on the order information 92. The table in Figure 5 shows the types and transport order of multiple items W that are sequentially transported along the main line path 61. The partition determination process for items W that have passed through the first reading device 11 will be described in detail below.

[0038] In this example, the control device H searches for work area 4 in the target work area 5a that has order information 92 including the item type (in this case, the target designated type) of the identification information 91 acquired from the first reader 11, and where the number of items of that type assigned is less than the number of target designated items (S31). Here, "assign" means setting up the stacking of items W of a certain type on the support 2 of a specific work area 4. In the example of "transportation order 1, item type A (hereinafter simply referred to as "A1")" in Figure 5, the control device H searches for work area 4 that includes "A" in the order information 92, and where the number of assigned "A" items is less than the number of target designated items. In this example, two work areas 4 related to the shipping destination numbers "001" and "002" are extracted as search results. Subsequently, the control device H extracts work area 4 from the searched work area 4 that have not been assigned any other types (S32). In the example above in Figure 5, since no items of type "B" to "F" are assigned to work area 4 "001" and "002", the control device H extracts work area 4 "001" and "002" as they are. Then, if the control device H determines that there are no work area 4 that have the acquired item type already assigned (S33: No), it assigns the acquired item type to one of the extracted work area 4 (S35). After that, the control device H sets the work area 4 to which the item type has been assigned as the loading destination area 41 (S36). In the example above in Figure 5, since no items of type "A" are assigned to work area 4 "001" and "002", the control device H assigns "A" to one of the two work area 4 "001" and "002". Here, the control device H preferentially assigns "A" to work area 4 "001", which has a shipping destination number smaller than "002". In this case, the control device H is set to stack item W labeled "A1" onto support 2 labeled "001". That is, in this example, the stacking area 41 for item W labeled "A1" is the work area 4 where support 2 labeled "001" is located. In Figure 5, for clarity, "A1" is written on support 2 labeled "001" and enclosed in a thick border. Thus, in Figure 5, for each work area 4, the type of assigned item W is enclosed in a thick border on each support 2.Furthermore, if there are multiple support units 2 to which the same item type can be assigned, the support unit 2 with the largest number of designated items may be preferentially selected and set as the loading area 41. Also, in Figure 5, the support unit 2 (in this case, a cart) is represented in a simplified form.

[0039] Furthermore, if the control device H determines that there is a work area 4 to which the acquired item type has already been assigned (S33: Yes), it sets that work area 4 as the loading destination area 41 (S34). In the example of "A2" in Figure 5, in the area determination process for item W of "A1", type "A" has already been assigned to work area 4 of "001". Therefore, the control device H sets item W of "A2" to be loaded onto support 2 of "001". That is, the loading destination area 41 for item W of "A2" is work area 4 of "001". The area determination process will continue to be explained below following the example in Figure 5.

[0040] In the example of "C3" in Figure 5, the work areas 4 for shipping destination numbers "001" to "003" have the type "C" in the order information 92. Here, since "A" is already assigned to work area 4 for "001", the control device H cannot set the item W for "C3" to be loaded onto the support 2 for "001". Therefore, the control device H extracts work areas 4 for "002" and "003", which do not have an item type assigned to them. Then, it assigns "C" to the support 2 for "002", which has a shipping destination number smaller than "003". Then, the control device H sets the item W for "C3" to be loaded onto the support 2 for "002". In other words, the loading destination area 41 for item W for "C3" is work area 4 for "002". In this way, the control device H does not assign the acquired item type to work area 4 that has already been assigned a different type than the acquired item type. In this example, three items W are transported to the target work area 5a in the order of "A1", "A2", and "C3". Worker P then stacks items W "A1" and "A2" onto support 2 "001", and stacks item W "C3" onto support 2 "002".

[0041] Furthermore, in the example of "D4" in Figure 5, the work areas 4 for shipping destination numbers "001" to "003" contain "D" in the order information 92. Here, "A" is assigned to work area 4 for "001", and "C" is assigned to work area 4 for "002". Therefore, the control device H cannot set the item W for "D4" to be stacked on the support 2 for "001" and "002". So, the control device H extracts work area 4 for "003", which does not have an item type assigned to it. Here, the number of target items for "D" in work area 4 for "003" is 1. Therefore, the control device H sets the stacking destination area 41 for item W for "D4" to work area 4 for "003" without assigning "D" to work area 4 for "003". Worker P stacks item W for "D4", which is transported to the target work area 5a after item W for "C3", onto the support 2 for "003". Thus, the control device H does not assign an item type to a work area 4 whose order information 92 includes an item type for which the number of designated items is 1.

[0042] Furthermore, in the example of "A5" in Figure 5, the work areas 4 for shipping destination numbers "001" and "002" contain "A" in the order information 92. Here, since "A" is already assigned to work area 4 of "001", the control device H sets the item W of "A5" to be stacked on the support 2 of "001". That is, the stacking destination area 41 for item W of "A5" is work area 4 of "001". Here, the number of target designated items of type "A" in work area 4 of "001" is 3. Therefore, when the stacking destination area 41 for item W of "A5" is newly set to work area 4 of "001", the number of set items of type "A" becomes the same as the number of target designated items of "A" (see the solid line portion "A1, A2, A5" of "001" in Figure 5). In this case, the control device H releases the assignment of "A" to work area 4 of "001". This allows the control device H to assign a new type other than "A" (in this case, "B, C, D") to the work area 4 labeled "001". In this way, when the number of assigned target designated types for a work area 4 that has been assigned one of the designated types as a target designated type becomes equal to the number of target designated items, the control device H releases the assignment of the target designated type to that work area 4. This allows the control device H to assign a designated type different from the one that has been assigned to the same work area 4.

[0043] Furthermore, in the example of "B6" in Figure 5, the work areas 4 for shipping destination numbers "001" and "003" include type "B" in the order information 92. Here, no item type is assigned to the work areas 4 for "001" and "003". The control device H then sets the loading destination area 41 to the work area 4 for "003" so that the item W for "B6" can be loaded onto the support 2 for "003", which has a target item quantity of 1 for "B". In this case, the control device H prioritizes extracting the work area 4 for "003", which does not require the assignment of type "B", over the work area 4 for "001", which requires the assignment of type "B", and sets the work area 4 for "003" as the loading destination area 41. In this way, the control device H can also prioritize setting the loading destination area 41 to a work area 4 that does not require an assignment. On the other hand, the control device H may assign a target designation type to the work area 4 that requires assignment (in this case, work area 4 of "001") and set the work area 4 as the priority loading destination area 41.

[0044] In the example shown in Figure 5, as described above, when the control device H includes an item type with a target item quantity of 1 in the order information 92 for a specific work area 4, it sets the specific work area 4 as the loading destination area 41 without assigning the item type. However, it is not limited to this. For example, even when the control device H includes an item type with a target item quantity of multiple (e.g., 2) in the order information 92 for a specific work area 4, it can also set the specific work area 4 as the loading destination area 41 without assigning the item type.

[0045] Furthermore, in this example, it is preferable to provide, for example, a display (not shown) in each of the multiple work areas 4. The control device H can display on the display information (such as the loading area 41 and how to load the item onto the support 2) of the item W for which the loading area 41 has been set. The control device H may also display the loading area 41 as work support information 93 so that the worker P can see it. Furthermore, it is preferable that each worker P is provided with a terminal device for transmitting, for example, information about the support 2 after the loading work has been completed to the control device H.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2, 8, and 9, the control system 7 configures multiple control blocks 8 so that each contains at least one work area 5, and performs an assignment type setting process to set at least one assignment type, which is the type of item W to be assigned as the target of the stacking work, in each control block 8. In this example, the control system 7 configures multiple control blocks 8 so that each contains multiple work areas 5. Specifically, the control device H configures each of the multiple control blocks 8 so that it contains multiple (in this case, three) work areas 5. The control device H also configures each control block 8 so that the number of work areas 5 is the same as that of the other control blocks 8.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the control system 7 configures multiple control blocks 8 such that each control block 8 contains multiple branch paths 62. The control system 7 also configures multiple control blocks 8 such that multiple work areas 5 corresponding to one branch path 62 are included in different control blocks 8. In this example, the control device H configures each of the multiple control blocks 8 such that each contains multiple branch paths 62, and multiple work areas 5 corresponding to one branch path 62 are included in different control blocks 8. In the example in Figure 2, one control block 8 contains three branch paths 62. Also, two work areas 5 are provided corresponding to one branch path 62, and multiple control blocks 8 are configured such that these two work areas 5 belong to different control blocks 8. In the example in Figure 2, one control block 8 contains multiple (in this case, three) work areas 5 with different branch paths 62. Thus, multiple work areas 5 corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths 62 are included in one control block 8. Furthermore, it is possible to configure each control block 8 to contain only one work area 5, or to have different numbers of work areas 5 in each of multiple control blocks 8. The assignment type setting process will be explained in detail below.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, during the assignment type setting process, the assignment types are set so that the types of items W do not overlap among multiple control blocks 8. As a result, items W of different types are transported in each of the multiple control blocks 8.

[0049] Figure 8 shows an example of the assignment type setting process by the control device H for multiple (in this case, six) control blocks 8. The control device H performs a process to assign different types of items W from the types of items W included in the order information 92 to each of the multiple control blocks 8 (hereinafter referred to as the control block assignment process). Here, the control device H first assigns type "A" to control block 8 number "1", type "B" to control block 8 number "2", type "C" to control block 8 number "3", type "D" to control block 8 number "4", type "E" to control block 8 number "5", and type "F" to control block 8 number "6". As a result, item W of type "A" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "1", item W of type "B" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "2", item W of type "C" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "3", item W of type "D" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "4", item W of type "E" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "5", and item W of type "F" is transported to multiple work areas 5 belonging to control block 8 "6". In this way, when assigning different types of item W to multiple control blocks 8, the type corresponding to the attribute of the item W can be assigned to each control block 8 in the order of the types read by the first reading device 11 (i.e., the order of the types transported from the loading unit 3). Furthermore, for example, categories "A" can be classified as chicken, category "B" as beef, category "C" as pork, etc., and assigned to each control block 8. Alternatively, categories "A" can be classified as fresh food, category "B" as processed food, category "C" as bread and confectionery, etc., and assigned to each control block 8. In this way, when the control device H performs the control block assignment process for each control block 8, it transports the assigned item W to the respective work area 5 belonging to each control block 8. In the following, as shown in Figure 8, one of the multiple control blocks 8 will be designated as the target control block 81, and one assignment category set in the target control block 81 will be designated as the target assignment category.

[0050] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the control system 7 allows the target control block 81 to occupy the target assignment type until the loading of items W of the target assignment type is completed in all work areas 4 included in the target control block 81. After the loading of items W of the target assignment type is completed in all work areas 4 included in the target control block 81, the occupancy is released, and the same type as the target assignment type can be set as the assignment type for other control blocks 8. In this example, when the control device H performs a control block assignment process on the target control block 81, it sets the target control block 81 to transport only items W of the assigned type, and executes an occupancy process that does not assign different types. Furthermore, when the control device H receives information that the loading of items W of the target assignment type has been completed in all work areas 4 included in the target control block 81, it releases the occupancy of the target assignment type in the target control block 81. This makes it possible to set an assignment type different from the target assignment type in the target control block 81. More specifically, when the control device H releases the occupation of a target assignment type in the target control block 81, it can set a new target assignment type that is different from the said target assignment type and is not assigned in any other control block 8. The following will explain this in detail using the flowcharts in Figures 8 and 9.

[0051] When the control device H performs the control block assignment process (S5), it executes the occupation process (S6). In the example of control block 8 number "2" in Figure 8, when the control device H assigns type "B" to the target control block 81 (in this case, control block 8 of "2") in the initial control block assignment process, it performs the occupation process to set up all work areas 5 belonging to the target control block 81 to transport only items W of type "B". Subsequently, when the control device H determines that the loading of items W of the assigned type is complete (S7: Yes), it releases the occupation of the assigned type. In the above example in Figure 8, when the control device H determines that the loading of items W of type "B" is complete in all work areas 4 of the target control block 81, it releases the occupation of the assigned type. In this case, when the control device H receives information that the loading of items W of that type is complete from all work areas 4 belonging to the target control block 81, it determines that the loading of items W of that type is complete. It is preferable that the information on the completion of loading in each work area 4 is transmitted to the control device H by a terminal device or the like held by each worker P.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, if the number of types of items W is greater than the number of control blocks 8, the control system 7 sets the assignment types for each of the multiple control blocks 8 so that the number of assignment types set for each of the multiple control blocks 8 approaches the same value. In this example, the control device H performs the control block assignment process so that the number of assignment types set for each control block 8 approaches the same value. Here, first, the assignment types are set for each control block 8 in the order of the types that were brought in from the loading unit 3. In the example in Figure 8, the control device H assigns multiple types (in this case, 8 types from "A" to "H") to each control block 8, which is greater than the number of control blocks 8. The control device H assigns types "A" to "F" to control blocks 8 "1" to "6" in order, then assigns type "G" to control block 8 "1", and assigns type "H" to control block 8 "2". In this way, the control device H assigns multiple types, which is greater than the number of control blocks 8, in a cyclical manner. Then, when the stacking work for the item W of the target assignment type is completed in the target control block 81, the control device H assigns that target assignment type to an adjacent control block 8 (see the arrow in Figure 8). For example, when the stacking work for type "B" is completed in control block 8 "2", "B" is assigned as the target assignment type to control block 8 "3". Similarly, when the stacking work for type "D" is completed in control block 8 "4", "D" is assigned as the target assignment type to control block 8 "5". In this way, the control device H can make the number of assignment types set in each control block 8 approach the same value by assigning more item W types to each control block 8 than the number of control blocks 8. The control device H can also set the assignment of multiple types considering the time required for the stacking work of the target assignment type in the target control block 81. For example, when the stacking work for "A" is completed in control block 8 "1", "A" is assigned as the target assignment type to control block 8 "2".Here, in control block 8 of "1", if the stacking operation for "A" takes a relatively long time, in control block 8 of "2", before performing the stacking operation for "A", "H", which is a different type from "A", is assigned before "A", so that the stacking operations for multiple types (in this case, "B" and "H") can be completed. Note that the content of the control block assignment process to bring the number of assigned types set in each control block 8 closer to the same value is not limited to this. For example, in the control block assignment process, when all the stacking operations for the item W of the target assigned type are completed in the target control block 81, the target assigned type can be assigned to the control block 8 that has the fewest assigned assigned types at that time.

[0053] As shown in Figure 10, the control system 7 controls the amount of goods W transported by the transport device 6 to each work area 5 so that the number of goods W being stacked in each of the multiple work areas 5 contained in each control block 8 approaches the same value. Here, "number of goods W being stacked" may be the number of goods W without considering type, or the number of goods W for each type. In the latter case, the control device H controls the amount of goods W transported so that the number of goods W of one type assigned to the target control block 81 approaches the same value in each work area 5. In the example in Figure 10, for simplicity, it shows the case where goods W of the same type (in this example, goods W of type "A") are sequentially transported to the target control block 81 which contains multiple (in this case, three) work areas 5. The table in Figure 10 shows the order in which the goods W are transported to the target control block 81 and the types of goods W being transported. Here, the control device H transports items W of the same type (here, "A") to multiple (in this case, three) work areas 5, thereby ensuring that the number of items of the same type transported to each work area 5 approaches the same value. Specifically, items W of "A1" and "A4" are transported to work area 5 "1" (simply referred to as "area" in Figure 10), items W of "A2" and "A5" are transported to work area 5 "2", and item W of "A3" is transported to work area 5 "3". In this example, similar control is performed in each of the multiple (in this case, six) control blocks 8. In the example in Figure 2, the control device H controls the main conveyor 65, the first branch conveyor 63a, and multiple second branch conveyors 63b included in one control block 8 to adjust the amount of items W transported to each work area 5.

[0054] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the stacking support device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 11. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment of the stacking support device 1 and the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, these components are the same as in the first embodiment and are denoted by the same reference numerals; detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0055] As shown in Figure 9, the control system 7 (in this case, the control device H) performs a control block assignment process for the target control block 81 (S5), similar to the first embodiment described above, and then executes an occupation process (S6). In Figure 11, as an example of the control block assignment process, different types of items W are assigned to each control block 8. Specifically, the control device H assigns item types "A" to "F" to control blocks 8 "1" to "6" in the order listed, and then assigns item type "G" to control block 8 "1" (in Figure 11, this state is referred to as the "initial state"). Here, "A10" in Figure 11 indicates that 10 items W of type "A" are assigned to control block 8 "1". As a result, the control device H transports 10 items W of type "A" to control block 8 "1". Furthermore, the control device H will not assign any items of type "A" W to any other control block 8 until it determines that the stacking of 10 items of type "A" W has been completed in control block 8 "1". In other words, the control device H executes an occupation process to make control block 8 "1" occupy the items of type "A" W.

[0056] As shown in Figure 11, after releasing the occupation, the control system 7 sets the same type as the target occupation as the new occupation type for the control block 8 that has the fewest remaining items for the assigned type of items W until all stacking work for that type is completed, among the multiple control blocks 8 other than the target control block 81. In this example, when the control device H releases the occupation of the target type in the target control block 81, it selects another control block 8 that has the fewest remaining items for the occupied occupation type until all stacking work for that type is completed, and assigns the same type as the target occupation type released in the target control block 81 as the new occupation type for the selected control block 8. The control device H repeats this setting of occupation types within the range set in the order information 92.

[0057] In the example shown in Figure 11, when the loading of item W of type "A" is completed in control block 8 "1", the control device H releases the occupation of type "A", and immediately thereafter assigns type "A" as the new assigned type to control block 8 "3", which has the fewest remaining items until the loading of that assigned type is completed (intermediate process 1 in Figure 11). In the illustrated example, when the loading of type "A" is completed in control block 8 "1", the number of remaining items until the loading of assigned type "C" in control block 8 "3" is completed is "5". The control device H assigns type "A" as the new assigned type to control block 8 "3", and also controls it to transport 30 items W of type "A".

[0058] Then, when the stacking operation for type "C" is completed in control block 8 "3", the control device H releases the occupation of type "C", and immediately afterwards assigns type "C" as the new assigned type to control block 8 "5", which has the fewest remaining items until the stacking operation for that assigned type is completed (intermediate progress 2 in Figure 11). In the illustrated example, when the stacking operation for type "C" is completed in control block 8 "3", the number of remaining items until the stacking operation for assigned type "E" in control block 8 "5" is completed is "5". The control device H assigns type "C" as the new assigned type to control block 8 "5", and also controls it to transport 50 items W of type "C". Naturally, the number of items W to transport is determined based on the order information 92. By assigning the type of item W to each of the multiple control blocks 8 in this way, it is possible to prevent bias in the number of items transported to each control block 8. This minimizes situations where, for example, some control blocks remain unused because the loading of all items to be loaded has been completed, while other control blocks continue loading multiple types of items. Furthermore, because each control block 8 can be used evenly, all loading operations in multiple control blocks 8 can be completed in a relatively short time.

[0059] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the operation of stacking the articles W on each of the multiple support bodies 2 was described as being performed by an operator P, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the operation of stacking the articles W on each of the multiple support bodies 2 can also be performed by a known picking robot or the like.

[0060] (2) In the above embodiment, the control system 7 was described as having a configuration in which it sets up multiple control blocks 8, each containing at least one work area 5, and performs an assignment type setting process in which it sets up at least one assignment type, which is the type of item W to be assigned as the target of the stacking work in each control block 8, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control system 7 does not have to set up multiple control blocks 8.

[0061] (3) In the above embodiment, the control system 7 was described as having a configuration in which, when the number of types of goods W is greater than the number of control blocks 8, the number of assignment types set for each of the multiple control blocks 8 approaches the same value. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, the control system 7 may change the number of assignment types set for each of the multiple control blocks 8 according to the contents of the order information 92 (e.g., the number of goods W to be stacked, the type of goods, the expiration date, etc.) for each of the multiple control blocks 8. In this way, the control system 7 can appropriately change the setting of assignment types for each control block 8.

[0062] (4) In the above embodiment, the control system 7 was described as controlling the amount of goods W transported by the transport device 6 to each work area 5 so that the number of goods W being stacked in each of the multiple work areas 5 included in each control block 8 approaches the same value, but the system is not limited to this. For example, the control system 7 may also control the amount of goods W transported in the above manner for some of the control blocks 8 among the multiple control blocks 8 in each control block 8. Furthermore, the control system 7 may also control the amount of goods W transported in each of the multiple work areas 5 included in a single control block 8 to be different. In this way, the control block 8 can appropriately change the amount of goods W transported for each of the multiple work areas 5 belonging to each control block 8.

[0063] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which at least one work area 5 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths 62 has been described as an example, but the system is not limited to this. For example, in some of the multiple branch paths 62, a discharge area for discharging the article W can be provided instead of a work area 5. For example, it is preferable to transport the article W to the discharge area when a marking error occurs on the article W by the marking device 10 or a reading error occurs on the article W by the first reading device 11 or the second reading device 9. In this case, the retransmission path 66 is unnecessary, and the overall size of the equipment can be reduced.

[0064] (6) In the above embodiment, the control system 7 was described as having a configuration in which multiple control blocks 8 are set up such that multiple work areas 5 provided corresponding to one branch path 62 are included in different control blocks 8, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control system 7 can also set up multiple control blocks 8 such that multiple work areas 5 provided corresponding to one branch path 62 are included in the same control block 8.

[0065] (7) In the above embodiment, the stacking work support device 1 was described as having a configuration that includes a marking device 10 for marking work support information 93 on the surface of the article W, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the stacking support device 1 does not need to be equipped with a display device 10. In this case, the control system 7 sets work support information 93 from the acquired identification information 91 of a specific item W, stores the work support information 93 in the storage unit 73, and controls the transport device 6 to transport the item to the work area 5 of the stacking destination section 41 based on the stored work support information 93, and displays information related to the stacking destination section 41 on a display device provided in the work area 5. In this case, the control system 7 can also determine the position of the item W on the transport path 12 by reading the identification information 91 of the item W at various points along the transport path 12.

[0066] (8) In the above embodiment, the control system 7 was described as setting the same type as the target assignment type as a new assignment type to the control block 8 among the multiple control blocks 8 other than the target control block 81, which has the fewest remaining items until all stacking work of the assigned type of items W is completed, after releasing the occupation. However, the system is not limited to this. For example, the control system 7 may also set the same type as the target assignment type as a new assignment type to the control block 8 among the multiple control blocks 8 other than the target control block 81, which has the fewest remaining scheduled time until all stacking work of the assigned type of items W is completed, after releasing the occupation.

[0067] (9) The configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as 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.

[0068] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following describes the overview of the stacking support device explained above.

[0069] The stacking support device relating to this disclosure is a stacking support device that assists in stacking articles, each of which is equipped with readable identification information that can identify the type, onto each of a plurality of support structures, The system comprises: a loading area into which multiple types of articles are brought; a work area where multiple work sections are set up, each with a support structure, and where the article is stacked onto each support structure; a transport device for transporting the articles from the loading area to the work area; and a control system. The aforementioned stacking operation is the operation of stacking the articles on each of the multiple supports arranged in the work area, in accordance with order information that specifies the number of articles of each type to be stacked on each of the supports. The control system executes a section determination process to determine the loading destination section, which is the work area where the loading work for each of the articles is performed. The support located in a target work area, which is one of the multiple work areas, is designated as the target support; the type of one or more articles specified in the order information for the target support is designated as the designated type; one of the designated types is designated as the target designated type; and the number of articles of the target designated type specified in the order information is designated as the number of target designated articles. In the partition determination process, the control system determines the destination partition for each item such that, when stacking work for items of different types is performed in multiple work partitions, and until the number of items of the designated type for the target support reaches the number of designated items, it does not assign other items of the designated type specified in the order information to the target work partitions, and after the number of items of the designated type for the target support reaches the number of designated items, it assigns other items of the designated type specified in the order information to the target work partitions.

[0070] With this configuration, even when multiple types of goods are stacked on a single support, goods of the same type will be stacked consecutively. Therefore, convenience can be improved at the destination of each support, for example, when inspecting the number of goods of the same type or when retrieving goods by type. Furthermore, since stacking operations for different types of goods are performed in multiple work areas, it is easier to standardize the stacking operations for each of the multiple support structures when multiple types of goods are mixed together and transported by the conveying device. Therefore, it is easier to improve the efficiency of stacking operations in multiple work areas. Thus, this configuration makes it easier to improve the efficiency of stacking operations for multiple support structures while also enhancing the convenience of handling goods at the destination of each support structure.

[0071] Here, the work area is provided in multiple locations. The control system sets up a plurality of control blocks, each containing at least one work area, and performs an assignment type setting process in which it sets at least one assignment type, which is the type of item to be assigned as the target of the stacking work, in the assignment type setting process, sets the assignment types so that the types of items do not overlap among the plurality of control blocks. One of the multiple control blocks is designated as the target control block, and one of the assignment types set in the target control block is designated as the target assignment type. Preferably, the control system allows the target control block to occupy the target assignment type until the stacking work of the items of the target assignment type is completed in all the work areas included in the target control block, and after the stacking work of the items of the target assignment type is completed in all the work areas included in the target control block, the occupancy is released, and the same type as the target assignment type can be set as the assignment type for other control blocks.

[0072] This configuration makes it easier to complete the task of loading a specified number of items of a specific type specified in the order information onto each support in each work area at an early stage. Consequently, the loading of the next type of item can be started earlier onto each support, and furthermore, the task of loading the specified number of items of all specified types specified in the order information onto each support becomes easier to complete at an early stage.

[0073] Furthermore, if the number of types of articles is greater than the number of control blocks, it is preferable for the control system to set the assignment types of each of the control blocks so that the number of assignment types set in each of the control blocks approaches the same value.

[0074] This configuration makes it easier to equalize the workload of the stacking operation in each of the multiple control blocks. Therefore, it is easier to improve the overall efficiency of the equipment.

[0075] Furthermore, after releasing the occupation, the control system preferably sets the same type as the target assignment type as a new assignment type for the control block with the fewest remaining items among the multiple control blocks other than the target control block until all the stacking operations for the assigned type of items during the stacking operation are completed.

[0076] This configuration makes it less likely for an imbalance to occur in the number of items transported to each of the multiple control blocks.

[0077] Furthermore, the work area is equipped with multiple such areas. The control system is It is preferable to set up multiple control blocks so that each of them includes multiple work areas, and to control the amount of items transported by the transport device to each of the work areas so that the number of items being stacked in each of the multiple work areas included in each control block approaches the same value.

[0078] This configuration makes it easier to equalize the workload among the multiple work areas included in each control block. Therefore, it is easier to improve the overall efficiency of the equipment.

[0079] Furthermore, the transport device includes a main line route and a plurality of branch routes that branch off from the main line route as a route for transporting the articles. At least one work area is provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths. The control system preferably configures multiple control blocks such that each control block includes multiple branch paths.

[0080] In this configuration, each control block will contain multiple routes for transporting goods. Therefore, even if a large number of goods assigned to a single control block are transported simultaneously, the transport of those goods can be shared among multiple branching routes. Consequently, congestion in the transport routes can be easily alleviated.

[0081] Furthermore, multiple work areas are provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths. The control system preferably configures a plurality of control blocks such that a plurality of work areas, each corresponding to a single branch path, are included in different control blocks.

[0082] This configuration makes it easier to secure a large number of branch paths within a single control block. Therefore, it is easier to alleviate congestion in the transport paths.

[0083] Furthermore, the system includes a reading device provided along the transport path of the article by the transport device for reading the identification information of the article, and a marking device provided between the reading device and the work area in the transport path for marking work support information on the surface of the article. Preferably, the control system controls the labeling device to display information indicating the loading destination section for each of the articles, determined by the section determination process, on the surface of the articles as work support information.

[0084] This configuration makes it easy to transport each item to the designated loading area determined by the area determination process, and also makes it easy to load the items onto the support structure in each loading area without errors.

[0085] The stacking support device relating to this disclosure only needs to achieve at least one of the effects described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1: Stacking support device 2:Support 3: Loading / Receiving Section 4: Work area 5: Work Area 6: Conveying device 7: Control System 8: Control Block 10: Notation device 12: Transport route 21: Target support 40: Target work area 41: Loading area 61: Main line route 62: Branching Route 81: Target control block 91: Identification Information 92: Order Information 93: Work support information W:Goods

Claims

1. A stacking support device that assists in stacking an article, which is equipped with readable identification information that allows for the identification of its type, onto each of a plurality of support structures, The system comprises: a loading area into which multiple types of articles are brought; a work area where multiple work sections are set up, each with a support structure, and where the article is stacked onto each support structure; a transport device for transporting the articles from the loading area to the work area; and a control system. The aforementioned stacking operation is the operation of stacking the articles on each of the multiple supports arranged in the work area, in accordance with order information that specifies the number of articles of each type to be stacked on each of the supports. The control system executes a section determination process to determine the loading destination section, which is the work area where the loading work for each of the articles is performed. The support located in a target work area, which is one of the multiple work areas, is designated as the target support; the type of one or more articles specified in the order information for the target support is designated as the designated type; one of the designated types is designated as the target designated type; and the number of articles of the target designated type specified in the order information is designated as the number of target designated articles. A stacking work support device that, in the section determination process, determines the stacking destination section for each of the articles such that, when stacking work of articles of different types is performed in a plurality of work sections, the number of articles of the designated target type assigned to the target support reaches the number of designated target articles, the other articles of the designated type specified in the order information are not assigned to the target work section, and after the number of articles of the designated target type assigned to the target support reaches the number of designated target articles, the other articles of the designated type specified in the order information are assigned to the target work section.

2. The aforementioned work area is provided in multiple locations. The control system sets up a plurality of control blocks, each containing at least one work area, and performs an assignment type setting process in which it sets up at least one assignment type, which is the type of item to be assigned as the target of the stacking work, in the assignment type setting process, sets the assignment types so that the types of items do not overlap among the plurality of control blocks. One of the multiple control blocks is designated as the target control block, and one of the assignment types set in the target control block is designated as the target assignment type. The stacking work support device according to claim 1, wherein the control system causes the target control block to occupy the target assignment type until the stacking work of the items of the target assignment type is completed in all of the work areas included in the target control block, and after the stacking work of the items of the target assignment type is completed in all of the work areas included in the target control block, the occupancy is released, and the same type as the target assignment type can be set as the assignment type for other control blocks.

3. The stacking work support device according to claim 2, wherein the control system sets the assignment types of each of the control blocks such that, if the number of types of articles is greater than the number of control blocks, the number of assignment types set for each of the control blocks approaches the same value.

4. The stacking work support device according to claim 2, wherein the control system, after releasing the occupation, sets the same type as the target assignment type as a new assignment type for the control block among a plurality of control blocks other than the target control block that has the fewest remaining items until all of the stacking work for the assigned type of items in the stacking work is completed.

5. The aforementioned work area is provided in multiple locations. The stacking work support device according to claim 1, wherein the control system sets up a plurality of control blocks, each of which includes a plurality of work areas, and controls the amount of articles transported by the transport device to each of the work areas, such that the number of articles being stacked in each of the plurality of work areas included in each of the control blocks approaches the same value.

6. The transport device comprises a main line route and a plurality of branch routes branching off from the main line route as a path for transporting the articles. At least one work area is provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths. The stacking work support device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control system is configured such that each of the control blocks includes a plurality of branch paths.

7. Multiple work areas are provided corresponding to each of the multiple branch paths. The stacking work support device according to claim 6, wherein the control system sets up a plurality of control blocks such that a plurality of work areas provided corresponding to one of the branch paths are included in different control blocks.

8. The system further comprises: a reading device provided along the transport path of the article by the transport device for reading the identification information of the article; and a marking device provided between the reading device and the work area in the transport path for marking work support information on the surface of the article. The stacking work support device according to claim 1, wherein the control system controls the notation device to display information indicating the stacking destination section for each of the articles determined by the section determination process on the surface of the articles as work support information.

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