Goods handling equipment

Abstract

There is a need for a material handling system that can smoothly transfer goods between a roller conveyor and a transport vehicle with a simple configuration while keeping the overall size of the system under control. [Solution] The article transport equipment 1 comprises a roller conveyor 2, a transport vehicle 4 for transporting articles W placed on a loading section 3, and a transfer device 5. The roller conveyor 2 is equipped with a plurality of rollers 6, with a gap 10 between any two adjacent rollers 6. The transfer device 5 is configured to change between a hoisted state T1 in which the forks 7 are housed in the gap 10 between the rollers and a protruding state T2 in which they protrude toward the first side Y1 in the width direction relative to the roller conveyor 2 by moving each of the plurality of forks 7 in and out in the width direction Y. The loading section 3 forms a fork insertion space S below the bottom surface of the article W placed on the loading section 3, into which at least two forks 7 are inserted when the transport vehicle 4 is positioned at the transfer position P.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to article conveying equipment. Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-121077 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technology related to article conveying equipment. Hereinafter, reference numerals shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] The article conveying equipment of Patent Document 1 includes a roller conveyor that conveys articles along a conveying direction, and a fork device (21) that transfers articles between the roller conveyor and a truck. The fork device includes two forks (29) that are spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction. Each fork (29) is configured to advance and retract between a position accommodated in a gap between two adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor and a position protruding in the width direction (a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction) with respect to the roller conveyor. By such advancing and retracting movement of the forks (29), a cargo to be conveyed can be transferred between a loading portion (cargo bed) of the truck and the roller conveyor. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-121077 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the article conveying equipment of Patent Document 1, the position of the fork in the conveying direction relative to the loading portion is adjusted by moving the roller conveyor and the fork device in the conveying direction. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for moving both the roller conveyor and the fork device, which causes a problem that the structure of the entire equipment tends to be complicated and upsized.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to realize an item handling system that can smoothly transfer items between a roller conveyor and a transport vehicle with a simple configuration while suppressing an increase in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The article conveying equipment according to this disclosure comprises a roller conveyor for conveying articles along the conveying direction, a transport vehicle having a loading section for placing the articles and for conveying the articles placed on the loading section, and a transfer device for transferring the articles between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle, When viewed from above, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is defined as the width direction, and one side of the width direction is defined as the first side in the width direction. The roller conveyor comprises a plurality of rollers arranged along the conveying direction and configured to rotate around a rotation axis along the width direction, A gap is formed between two rollers that are adjacent to each other in the conveying direction. The transfer device comprises multiple forks Equipped with The system is configured to change between a state in which the forks are housed in the gap between the rollers and a state in which at least a portion of the forks protrudes toward the first side in the width direction relative to the roller conveyor by moving each of the multiple forks in the width direction, The mounting section is configured such that, when the transport vehicle is positioned in a transfer position adjacent to the roller conveyor on the first side in the width direction, it forms a fork insertion space below the bottom surface of the article placed on the mounting section into which at least two forks are inserted.

[0008] With this configuration, by changing the state of the forks housed in the gap between the rollers between a housed state and an extended state, goods can be directly transferred between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle without the need for a loading platform or the like. Furthermore, since each of the multiple forks is housed in the gap between the rollers in the housed state, it is possible to suppress the increase in the size of the surrounding structure of the roller conveyor that would otherwise be required by equipping it with a transfer device. Furthermore, this configuration allows for the reliable transfer of goods between the forks, which change between a retracted state and an extended state, and the transport vehicle by forming a fork insertion space in the loading section of the transport vehicle. Thus, this configuration allows for smooth transfer of goods between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle with a simple structure while suppressing an increase in size.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the material handling equipment 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] A schematic plan view showing the entire goods handling equipment. [Figure 2] Side view of the transport vehicle [Figure 3] A schematic side view showing the arrangement of the roller conveyor with the loading section of the transport vehicle in a lowered position. [Figure 4] A schematic plan view showing the retracted and protruding states of the forks. [Figure 5] A schematic side view showing the arrangement of the fork and the mounting section. [Figure 6] A schematic side view showing the arrangement relationship between the fork and the mounting section in another embodiment. [Figure 7] A schematic side view showing the arrangement relationship between the fork and the mounting section in another embodiment. [Figure 8] A schematic side view showing the arrangement of multiple forks in another embodiment. [Figure 9] Control block diagram

[0011] [First Embodiment] The following describes a first embodiment of the goods transport equipment with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the goods transport equipment 1 includes a roller conveyor 2 that transports goods along the transport direction X, a loading section 3 on which goods W are placed, a transport vehicle 4 that transports goods placed on the loading section 3, and a transfer device 5 that transfers goods between the roller conveyor 2 and the transport vehicle 4. In this example, the goods transport equipment 1 further includes an automated warehouse 51. In the example in Figure 1, multiple roller conveyors 2 are provided. Here, there is a roller conveyor 2 for unloading goods W from the automated warehouse 51 (referred to as the first roller conveyor 2a) and a roller conveyor 2 for loading goods W into the automated warehouse 51 (referred to as the second roller conveyor 2b). The first roller conveyor 2a and the second roller conveyor 2b have the same structure. The goods transport equipment 1 includes multiple transport vehicles 4. Each transport vehicle 4 transfers goods W to and from the roller conveyor 2 via the transfer device 5. As shown in Figure 1, the transport vehicle 4 travels along a predetermined travel path R. After traveling along the travel path R, the transport vehicle 4 delivers the item W to the second roller conveyor 2b and then receives a different item W from the first roller conveyor 2a.

[0013] In the following, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction X when viewed from above and below is defined as the width direction Y, and one side of the width direction Y is defined as the first width direction Y1. The other side of the width direction Y is defined as the second width direction Y2. In the example in Figure 1, the side of the roller conveyor 2 where the automated warehouse 51 is located is defined as the first transport direction X1, and the opposite side is defined as the second transport direction X2.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the automated warehouse 51 includes storage shelves 83 (here, a plurality of storage shelves 83) for storing articles W, an unloading section 81, a loading section 82, and a conveying device 90. The conveying device 90 conveys articles along the front of the storage shelves 83 (here, along the conveying direction X). The conveying device 90 conveys articles W between the storage shelves 83 and the unloading section 81, and also conveys articles W between the storage shelves 83 and the loading section 82. Here, the conveying device 90 is a stacker crane. The conveying device 90 can load and unload articles W into and from a plurality of storage sections of the storage shelves 83 (the plurality of storage sections arranged in the vertical direction and the X direction and capable of storing articles).

[0015] The unloading section 81 delivers the articles W received from the conveying device 90 to a first roller conveyor 2a. The loading section 82 delivers the articles W received from a second roller conveyor 2b to the conveying device 90. In this example, the unloading section 81 and the loading section 82 are configured as conveyors, but they may be transfer robots such as a fork type, for example.

[0016] In the example of Fig. 1, the first roller conveyor 2a and the second roller conveyor 2b are arranged side by side in the width direction Y with the traveling route R of the transport vehicle 4 interposed therebetween. The unloading section 81 is adjacent to an end portion of the first roller conveyor 2a on the first side X1 in the conveying direction. The loading section 82 is adjacent to an end portion of the second roller conveyor 2b on the first side X1 in the conveying direction. The transport vehicle 4 travels along the traveling route R set between the first roller conveyor 2a and the second roller conveyor 2b in the width direction Y from the second side X2 in the conveying direction to the first side X1 in the conveying direction. After delivering the articles W to the second roller conveyor 2b, the transport vehicle 4 continues traveling from the second side X2 in the conveying direction to the first side X1 in the conveying direction. Thereafter, the transport vehicle 4 travels from the second side Y2 in the width direction to the first side Y1 in the width direction on the width-direction route R1 of the traveling route R. At this time, the transport vehicle 4 passes under the first roller conveyor 2a. Then, the transport vehicle 4 travels along the traveling route R set along the side of the first side Y1 in the width direction with respect to the first roller conveyor 2a from the first side X1 in the conveying direction to the second side X2 in the conveying direction, and receives a new article W from the first roller conveyor 2a.

[0017] As shown in Figure 4, the roller conveyor 2 includes a plurality of rollers 6 arranged along the conveyance direction X and each configured to rotate about a rotation axis along the width direction Y. The roller conveyor 2 also includes a drive device (not shown) that drives one or more rollers 6. An inter-roller gap 10 is formed between two rollers 6 adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction X (Figure 4). Note that, in Figure 1, illustration of the rollers 6 of the roller conveyor 2 and the inter-roller gaps 10 is omitted. In the roller conveyor 2, an article W is conveyed while being placed on the plurality of rollers 6. In the present embodiment, the plurality of inter-roller gaps 10 formed in the roller conveyor 2 are set to the same interval (interval in the conveyance direction X) from each other. Alternatively, the plurality of inter-roller gaps 10 may be set to different intervals as needed. Here, the surface formed by connecting the upper ends (portions that contact the bottom surface of the article W) of the respective rollers 6 is defined as the article conveyance surface 20 of the roller conveyor 2.

[0018] As shown in Figure 4, the transfer device 5 includes a plurality of forks 7 Equipped withThe system is configured to change the state of multiple forks 7 between a housed state T1, where the forks 7 are housed in the gap between the rollers 10, and a protruding state T2, where at least a portion of the forks 7 protrudes toward the first side Y1 in the width direction relative to the roller conveyor 2, by moving each of the multiple forks 7 in the width direction Y. In this embodiment, each fork 7 is shaped and sized to be housed in the gap between the rollers 10. The transfer device 5 is equipped with a drive mechanism (not shown) for changing the state of the multiple forks 7. Here, as shown in Figure 5, each of the multiple forks 7 is equipped with a base 7a that supports the fork 7 and is fixed to a lifting device 71 that raises and lowers these forks 7, a relay part 7b that can slide in the width direction Y relative to the base 7a, and a tip part 7c that is supported so as to be slidable in the width direction Y relative to the relay part 7b. In this example, the fork 7 changes state between the housed state T1 and the protruding state T2 by sliding the relay part 7b and the tip part 7c in the width direction Y. In this example, the goods transport equipment 1 is equipped with multiple transfer devices 5. Each transfer device 5 is equipped with two (a pair) forks 7. The goods W are supported by the tips 7c of the two forks 7. In this example, the transfer position P, which will be described later, is set to the side of the first width direction Y1 relative to the roller conveyor 2. Therefore, the pair of forks 7 slide from the storage position T1 to the first width direction Y1, resulting in a protruding state T2 where they protrude to the first width direction Y1 relative to the roller conveyor 2. Note that in the roller conveyor 2, the frame 21 (Figure 3) that supports the rollers 6 is formed so as not to interfere with the forks 7 that perform the extension and retraction movements.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, a group of at least two forks 7 that move in and out to transfer an item W to a transport vehicle 4 located at a first transfer position P1 is designated as the first fork group 11, and a group of at least two forks 7 that move in and out to transfer an item W to a transport vehicle 4 located at a second transfer position P2 is designated as the second fork group 12. The first fork group 11 and the second fork group 12 are located at different positions in the transport direction X. In this example, as described above, the item W is supported by two forks 7. Therefore, each of the first fork group 11 and the second fork group 12 consists of two forks 7. In addition, the multiple transfer positions P are set to the side of the roller conveyor 2 on the first side Y1 in the width direction.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 1, the first fork group 11 and the second fork group 12 are arranged on the first roller conveyor 2a. Furthermore, the third fork group 13 and the fourth fork group 14 are also arranged on the first roller conveyor 2a. These multiple fork groups are arranged at different positions in the conveying direction X. Multiple transfer positions P (here, the first transfer position P1, the second transfer position P2, the third transfer position P3, and the fourth transfer position P4) are set on the side of the first side Y1 in the width direction of the first roller conveyor 2a, corresponding to each of these fork groups. In addition, in the example shown in Figure 1, the fifth fork group 15 is arranged on the second roller conveyor 2b. Furthermore, the fifth transfer position Q1 corresponding to the fifth fork group 15 is set on the side of the first side Y1 in the width direction of the second roller conveyor 2b. Note that the multiple forks 7 may be configured to slide on both sides in the width direction Y. For example, if the transfer position P is set to the side of the second width direction Y2 relative to the roller conveyor 2, the pair of forks 7 slide from their storage position to the second width direction Y2, resulting in a protruding state that extends to the second width direction Y2 relative to the roller conveyor 2. In the illustrated example, the multiple fork groups are arranged spaced apart from each other in the transport direction X on the first roller conveyor 2a, but they may also be arranged adjacent to each other in the transport direction X. Furthermore, the first roller conveyor 2a may have areas where multiple fork groups are arranged in a line in the transport direction X and areas where no fork groups are arranged. In addition, multiple fork groups may also be arranged on the second roller conveyor 2b. It is preferable that the roller conveyor 2 is equipped with a load sensor or the like that detects whether or not an item W is placed on the transport surface 20 on which each fork group is arranged. This makes it easier to avoid double transfer (transferring item W to a position on the roller conveyor 2 where item W already exists) even if the transport vehicle 4 is not equipped with a sensor to detect the presence or absence of item W on the roller conveyor 2. In the example in Figure 1, multiple transfer devices 5 are arranged along the transport direction X, resulting in the arrangement of multiple fork groups. Alternatively, the transfer device 5 may be configured to include a trolley that travels below the roller conveyor 2 in the transport direction X.In that case, as shown in Figure 1, for example, a single transfer device 5 can move below the first roller conveyor 2a in the transport direction X, and stop at positions corresponding to each of the multiple transfer positions P, thereby positioning a pair of forks 7 in the respective gaps 10 between the rollers.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the transport vehicle 4 is equipped with a trolley 23 that travels on the floor. The trolley 23 is equipped with a plurality of wheels 22 that roll on the floor and a drive device (not shown) that drives one or more of the wheels 22. The trolley 23 supports the mounting section 3 from below. In this example, the transport vehicle 4 is an autonomous transport vehicle (here, a trackless trolley) that travels on the floor. The transport vehicle 4 may also be a tracked trolley that travels guided by rails laid on the floor. Hereafter, the state of the transport vehicle 4 positioned at the transfer position P for transferring items W to and from the roller conveyor 2 will be referred to as the transfer arrangement state. Here, as shown in Figure 1, in the transfer arrangement state, the trolley 23 of the transport vehicle 4 is in a position along the transport direction X.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the mounting section 3 is configured to form a fork insertion space S on the underside of the bottom surface of an article placed on the mounting section 3, when the transport vehicle 4 is positioned at a transfer position P adjacent to the roller conveyor 2 on the first side Y1 in the width direction. In this embodiment, the fork insertion space S is formed by dividing it into a plurality of insertion spaces S1. The mounting section 3 includes a plurality of mounting members 31 on which articles W are placed, and connecting members 32 that connect these mounting members 31. Here, the fork insertion space S is formed by dividing it into a plurality of insertion spaces S1 by the mounting members 31. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mounting members 31 are long members (in this case, rectangular parallelepiped-shaped members) in the width direction Y and the vertical direction when in the transfer arrangement state. The plurality of mounting members 31 are spaced apart from each other in the transport direction X when in the transfer arrangement state. The connecting members 32 are provided to connect the lower ends of each mounting member 31. With this configuration, the mounting section 3 has multiple insertion spaces S1 that open on the upper side and on both sides in the width direction Y, formed between adjacent mounting members 31 in the transport direction X. The article W is placed on the mounting surface 70, which is the upper surface of the multiple (in this case, four) mounting members 31. In the example of Figure 1, each insertion space S1 is formed to be large enough to insert one fork 7 (in this case, the tip 7c of the fork 7). Note that the fork insertion space S does not have to be formed by dividing it into multiple insertion spaces S1. For example, in the case of a mounting section 3 that includes a pair of mounting members 31 arranged spaced apart in the transport direction X, and a connecting member 32 that connects the lower ends of the pair of mounting members 31, the article W is supported by the pair of mounting members 31, and multiple forks 7 are inserted into a single fork insertion space S formed between the pair of mounting members 31. It is preferable that the mounting section 3 be provided with a load sensor or the like that to detect when an article W is placed on the mounting surface 70.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the transport vehicle 4 is equipped with a mounting section lifting mechanism 8 for raising and lowering the mounting section 3. In this example, the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 is provided on the traveling carriage 23 and supports the mounting section 3 from below. Here, the upper end of the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 is connected to the downward-facing surface of the connecting member 32 of the mounting section 3. In the illustrated example, the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 is a pantograph-type lifting mechanism. The transport vehicle 4 is equipped with a drive unit (not shown) for driving the mounting section lifting mechanism 8. Note that the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 may be a lifting mechanism other than a pantograph type. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the transport vehicle 4 is configured such that when the mounting section 3 is lowered by the mounting section lifting mechanism 8, the mounting section 3 is positioned below the lower surface of the roller conveyor 2 (conveyor lower surface 75). In this example, when the transport vehicle 4 passes under the roller conveyor 2 (in this case, the first roller conveyor 2a) in the widthwise path R1 shown in Figures 1 and 3, the mounting section 3 is positioned below the conveyor's underside 75. In the example shown in Figure 3, the conveyor's underside 75 is the surface facing the underside of the frame 21 that supports the rollers 6. This makes it possible to avoid interference between the mounting section 3 of the transport vehicle 4 traveling along the widthwise path R1 and the roller conveyor 2.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the transfer device 5 can raise and lower the fork 7 (in this case, the tip portion 7c) between a lower position U2, which is below the conveying surface 20 (dash-dot line) of the roller conveyor 2 (omitted in Figure 5), and an upper position U1, which is above the conveying surface 20, using a lifting device 71. When the transfer device 5 transfers an item W from the roller conveyor 2 to the loading section 3, it raises the fork 7 in the hoisted state from the lower position U2 to the upper position U1. As a result, the item W placed on the conveying surface 20 directly above the fork 7 in the lower position U2 is lifted above the conveying surface 20 by the fork 7. Subsequently, the transfer device 5 slides the fork 7 to change its state from the hoisted state T1 to the protruding state T2. As a result, the fork 7 (in this case, the tip portion 7c and part of the intermediate portion 7b) is inserted into the fork insertion space S. Here, the mounting surface 70 of the mounting section 3 on the transport vehicle 4, which is stopped at the transfer position P, is initially positioned lower than the fork top surface 50, which is the upper surface of the fork 7 (in this case, the tip 7c) (in this case, lower than the fork top surface 50 and higher than the transport surface 20). The transfer device 5 lowers the fork top surface 50, which is in the protruding state T2, to a position below the mounting surface 70, thereby allowing the item W on the fork top surface 50 to be placed on the mounting surface 70. The transfer device 5 changes the state of the fork 7 from the protruding state T2 to the retracted state T1. After that, the transfer device 5 lowers the fork 7 from the upper position U1 to the lower position U2. When transferring the item W from the mounting section 3 to the roller conveyor 2, the reverse operation is performed.

[0025] In this embodiment, the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 is configured to lift and lower the mounting section 3 in accordance with the extension and retraction movement of the forks 7. As shown in Figure 6, if the transfer device 5 does not have a lifting device 71, the transport vehicle 4 transfers the goods W between itself and the forks 7 by raising and lowering the mounting section 3 using the mounting section lifting mechanism 8.

[0026] In the example shown in Figure 6, the fork 7 is supported by a fork support member 77. The fork 7 is equipped with multiple (two in this case) locking members 7d that engage with the surface of the article W facing the width direction Y. The locking members 7d are members that rise up at each end of the fork upper surface 50 in the width direction Y. As described above, in the example shown in Figure 6, the transfer device 5 is not equipped with a lifting device 71. Therefore, the fork 7 cannot be raised or lowered. The fork upper surface 50 of the tip portion 7c is located below the conveying surface 20 (dotted line) of the roller conveyor 2 (omitted in Figure 6). In contrast, the upper end of the locking member 7d is located above the conveying surface 20.

[0027] When the transfer device 5 transfers an item W from the roller conveyor 2 to the loading section 3, it changes the state of the forks 7 from a retracted state T1 to an extended state T2. As a result, the item W, which was placed on the transport surface 20 directly above the upper surface 50 of the forks 7 in the retracted state T1, is pushed from the second side Y2 in the width direction to the first side Y1 in the width direction by one of the two locking members 7d (the locking member 7d on the second side Y2 in the width direction). As a result, the item W, which has moved from the transport surface 20 of the roller conveyor 2 to the first side Y1 in the width direction, is placed on the upper surface 50 of the forks. Here, the mounting surface 70 of the mounting section 3 on the transport vehicle 4, which is stopped at the transfer position P, is initially positioned lower than the upper surface 50 of the fork 7 (in this case, the tip 7c). Here, at least the tip 7c and part of the intermediate section 7b of the fork 7 are inserted into the fork insertion space S. Then, the transport vehicle 4 raises the mounting section 3 using the mounting section lifting mechanism 8, thereby scooping up the article W on the upper surface 50 of the fork. As a result, the article W is placed on the mounting surface 70. Once the article W is placed on the mounting surface 70, the transfer device 5 changes the state of the fork 7 from the protruding state T2 to the retracted state T1. Note that when transferring the article W from the mounting section 3 to the roller conveyor 2, the reverse operation is performed, but the difference is that the mounting surface 70 of the mounting section 3 is on the roller conveyor 2. The fork is positioned above the transport surface 20 and below the upper end of the locking member 7d. When the fork 7, which is in the protruding state T2, changes to the retracted state T1, the locking member 7d on the first side Y1 in the width direction pushes the article W on the mounting surface 70 from the first side Y1 in the width direction. As a result, the article W moves towards the roller conveyor 2 side (second side Y2 in the width direction) and is placed on the transport surface 20. In this way, the transport vehicle 4 can transfer the article W between itself and the roller conveyor 2 by raising and lowering the mounting section 3 in accordance with the extension and retraction movement of the fork 7. Therefore, the transfer device 5 does not need to have a device to raise and lower the fork 7, and the cost of the article transport equipment 1 can be reduced. In addition, the configuration of the transfer device 5 can be simplified. In the example in Figure 6, the fork 7 may be directly supported on the surface of the frame 21 that supports the roller 6, which faces inward in the width direction Y.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, each of the multiple forks 7 can be configured to be equipped with a conveyor (endless conveyor 9) using an endless member that transports articles W in the width direction Y. The endless conveyor 9 is supported on the base 7a so as to be slidable in the width direction Y. In this case, the transfer device 5 is equipped with a lifting device 71 for raising and lowering the forks 7, as well as a drive device (not shown) for driving the endless conveyor 9. Here, the endless conveyor 9 is a belt conveyor. In the storage state T1, the endless conveyor 9 is positioned in the gap between the rollers 10. Therefore, the dimension of the endless conveyor 9 in the transport direction X is smaller than the gap between the rollers 10. The transfer device 5 raises the forks 7 in the storage state T1 so that the upper surface 50 of the forks is positioned above the transport surface 20 of the roller conveyor 2 (omitted in Figure 7). Here, the fork top surface 50 is the top surface on which the article W is placed on the endless conveyor 9. As a result, the article W placed on the conveying surface 20 is placed on the fork top surface 50. Then, the transfer device 5 extends the endless conveyor 9 in the width direction to the first side Y1. At this point, the transport vehicle 4 is positioned in advance so that the mounting surface 70 of the mounting section 3 is lower than the top surface (fork top surface 50) of the endless conveyor 9. In the extended state T2, at least the tip portion of the endless conveyor 9 is inserted into the fork insertion space S. Then, the transfer device 5 rotates the endless conveyor 9 (in the example of Figure 7, it is driven counterclockwise) to move the article W onto the mounting surface 70. To transfer the article W from the mounting section 3 to the roller conveyor 2, the reverse operation of the above should be performed. Here, the transfer device 5 uses the fork insertion space S to bring the leading edge of the upper surface of the endless conveyor 9 into contact with the bottom surface of the article W placed on the mounting surface 70, and drives the endless conveyor 9 (driven clockwise in the example of Figure 7), thereby easily placing the article W from the mounting surface 70 onto the fork upper surface 50. In this way, by using the endless conveyor 9, the amount of protrusion of the fork 7 toward the first side Y1 in the width direction can be kept to a minimum.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the goods transport equipment 1 includes a control system 100 that controls the transfer device 5. In this example, the control system 100 includes a control device H. The control device H controls the transfer device 5, as well as the roller conveyor 2, the transport vehicle 4, and the transfer device 5. The control system 100 also controls the unloading section 81, the loading section 82, and the transport device 90 of the automated warehouse 51. The control system 100 also includes a higher-level controller (not shown) that controls the entire goods transport equipment 1. The control device H and the higher-level controller include, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as memory, etc. Each function is realized through the cooperation of this hardware and a program executed on the processor such as a computer. The control device H is configured to communicate with the higher-level controller (not shown) and performs the above control based on commands from the higher-level controller.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 1, the control device H controls the multiple items W (multiple items W transferred from the unloading unit 81 to the first roller conveyor 2a) that have been unloaded from the automated warehouse 51 to the conveying surface 20 of the first roller conveyor 2a, based on commands from the higher-level controller, to be arranged in the order they were unloaded. Specifically, multiple items (four in this case) W are arranged in the order they were unloaded at the positions where each fork group (first fork group 11 to fourth fork group 14) is located. Furthermore, when an item W is placed on the conveying surface 20 of the second roller conveyor 2b at the position where the fifth fork group 15 is located, the control device H controls the loading of the item W into the automated warehouse 51. Specifically, the control device H controls the loading of the item W from the first roller conveyor 2a to the loading unit 82.

[0031] Furthermore, the control device H controls multiple transport vehicles 4 based on commands from the higher-level controller. After the transport vehicle 4 has delivered the item W to the second roller conveyor 2b at the fifth transfer position Q1, the control device H makes it travel along the travel path R and stop at one of the multiple transfer positions P (first transfer position P1 to fourth transfer position P4) set on the first roller conveyor 2a side. The control device H then controls the transport vehicle 4 to receive the item W on the transport surface 20 where the fork group corresponding to the stopped transfer position P is located. Alternatively, the control device H can select any transport vehicle 4 traveling on a floor surface other than the travel path R in Figure 1 and control that transport vehicle 4 toward one of the multiple transfer positions P (first transfer position P1 to fourth transfer position P4) set on the first roller conveyor 2a side to receive the item W that has been delivered to the first roller conveyor 2a. With this control, multiple items W unloaded from the automated warehouse 51 can be transported simultaneously using multiple transport vehicles 4. Furthermore, these items W can be transported by the transport vehicles 4 in any order. In addition, forks 7 may be placed in all the gaps 10 between the rollers of the roller conveyor 2 (first roller conveyor 2a, second roller conveyor 2b). In this case, the transport vehicles 4 can transfer items W to and from the roller conveyor 2 at any position on the side of the roller conveyor 2.

[0032] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the goods conveying equipment will be described with reference to the drawing (Figure 8). The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals are used, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0033] The transfer device 5 is configured to allow each of the multiple forks to move in and out independently. As shown in Figure 8, when multiple forks 7 are arranged in each of the adjacent gaps 10 between rollers, the item W is supported by any of the multiple forks 7 arranged in the transport direction X.

[0034] In this embodiment, the control system 100 selects a fork 7 from among a plurality of forks 7 that corresponds to at least one of the shape of the article W to be transferred and the dimensions of the transport direction X, and performs an extension and retraction operation. In this example, the control system 100 (here, the control device H) selects a fork 7 that corresponds to both the shape of the article W and the dimensions of the transport direction X, and performs an extension and retraction operation. In the example in Figure 8, a plurality of forks 7 (here, 5 forks) are arranged in a line along the transport direction X. Here, the control device H selects a plurality of forks 7 (here, 2 forks) that correspond to the shape of the bottom surface of the article W. The control device H raises each of the selected forks 7 from the lower position U2 to the upper position U1. As a result, the article W is supported by these forks 7. Subsequently, the control system 100 changes the state of these selected forks 7 from the retracted state T1 to the protruding state T2, and transfers the article to the loading section 3 of the transport vehicle 4. Here, the control system 100 may, for example in Figure 8, select three or more forks 7 that overlap with the bottom surface of the item W in the vertical direction to support the item W and perform the transfer operation. The control system 100 can also select the number of forks 7 to select according to the dimension of the bottom surface of the item W in the transport direction X.

[0035] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the first and second embodiments described above, the transfer device 5 was described as a configuration that transfers the goods W between the roller conveyor 2 and the mounting section 3 of the transport vehicle 4, but it is not limited to this. For example, in Figure 1, some of the multiple transfer devices 5 may be configured to transfer the goods W between the roller conveyor 2 and something other than the transport vehicle 4 (such as a support stand or another conveyor).

[0036] (2) In the first and second embodiments described above, the configuration in which the first fork group 11 and the second fork group 12 each consist of two forks 7 was described as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. The first fork group 11 and the second fork group 12 each may consist of three or more forks 7.

[0037] (3) In the first and second embodiments described above, the transport vehicle 4 was described as having a configuration that includes a mounting section lifting mechanism 8 for raising and lowering the mounting section 3, but it is not limited to this. The transport vehicle 4 can also be configured without a mounting section lifting mechanism 8. In that case, when transferring the article W between the roller conveyor 2 and the mounting section 3, it is preferable to adjust the relative vertical positional relationship between the fork 7 and the fork insertion space S on the mounting section 3 side by raising and lowering the fork 7 using the lifting device 71 of the transfer device 5.

[0038] (4) In the first and second embodiments described above, the transport vehicle 4 was described as having a configuration in which the mounting section 3 is lowered by the mounting section lifting mechanism 8 and the mounting section 3 is positioned below the lower surface of the roller conveyor 2, but the transport vehicle is not limited to this configuration. When the transport vehicle 4 does not travel below the roller conveyor 2, the transport vehicle 4 may be configured in which the mounting section 3 is positioned above the lower surface of the roller conveyor 2 when the mounting section 3 is lowered by the mounting section lifting mechanism 8.

[0039] (5) In the first and second embodiments described above, each of the multiple forks 7 is provided with an endless conveyor 9 that transports articles W in the width direction Y, but the invention is not limited to this. Some of the multiple forks 7 may be provided with an endless conveyor 9.

[0040] (6) The configurations disclosed in each of the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0041] [Summary of the above embodiments] The following is a summary of the goods handling equipment described above.

[0042] The article conveying equipment according to this disclosure comprises a roller conveyor for conveying articles along the conveying direction, a transport vehicle having a loading section for placing the articles and for conveying the articles placed on the loading section, and a transfer device for transferring the articles between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle, When viewed from above, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is defined as the width direction, and one side of the width direction is defined as the first side in the width direction. The roller conveyor comprises a plurality of rollers arranged along the conveying direction and configured to rotate around a rotation axis along the width direction, A gap is formed between two rollers that are adjacent to each other in the conveying direction. The transfer device comprises multiple forks Equipped with The system is configured to change between a state in which the forks are housed in the gap between the rollers and a state in which at least a portion of the forks protrudes toward the first side in the width direction relative to the roller conveyor by moving each of the multiple forks in the width direction, The mounting section is configured such that, when the transport vehicle is positioned in a transfer position adjacent to the roller conveyor on the first side in the width direction, it forms a fork insertion space below the bottom surface of the article placed on the mounting section into which at least two forks are inserted.

[0043] With this configuration, by changing the state of the forks housed in the gap between the rollers between a housed state and an extended state, goods can be directly transferred between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle without the need for a loading platform or the like. Furthermore, since each of the multiple forks is housed in the gap between the rollers in the housed state, it is possible to suppress the increase in the size of the surrounding structure of the roller conveyor that would otherwise be required by equipping it with a transfer device. Furthermore, this configuration allows for the reliable transfer of goods between the forks, which change between a retracted state and an extended state, and the transport vehicle by forming a fork insertion space in the loading section of the transport vehicle. Thus, this configuration allows for smooth transfer of goods between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle with a simple structure while suppressing an increase in size.

[0044] Here, a group of at least two forks that move in and out to transfer the article to the transport vehicle positioned at the first transfer position, which is the first transfer position, is referred to as the first fork group, and a group of at least two forks that move in and out to transfer the article to the transport vehicle positioned at the second transfer position, which is the second transfer position, is referred to as the second fork group. It is preferable that the first fork group and the second fork group are arranged at different positions in the conveying direction.

[0045] With this configuration, goods can be transferred between the transport vehicle and the roller conveyor in both the first and second fork groups, which are positioned at different locations in the direction of transport from each other. This makes it easier to improve the efficiency of goods transport in the transport equipment. Furthermore, this configuration makes it easier to transfer items to a transport vehicle in an order different from the order in which they were transported by the roller conveyor.

[0046] Furthermore, the transport vehicle is equipped with a mounting section lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the mounting section described above. The aforementioned mounting section lifting mechanism preferably performs the lifting and lowering operation of the mounting section in conjunction with the extension and retraction operation of the fork.

[0047] This configuration eliminates the need for a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the forks for transferring goods between the forks and the transport vehicle. Therefore, it is easier to simplify the configuration of the transfer device.

[0048] Furthermore, it is preferable that the transport vehicle is configured such that, when the aforementioned mounting section is lowered by the aforementioned mounting section lifting mechanism, the aforementioned mounting section is positioned below the lower surface of the roller conveyor.

[0049] With this configuration, the travel path of the transport vehicle can be set below the roller conveyor, making it easier to increase the degree of freedom in the transport vehicle's travel path.

[0050] Furthermore, each of the multiple forks is equipped with a conveyor using an endless member that transports the article in the width direction, and it is preferable that the dimension of the conveyor using the endless member in the transport direction is smaller than the gap between the rollers.

[0051] With this configuration, since the driving force from the conveyor using an endless member allows the goods to be moved in the width direction, the amount of extension and retraction of the forks in the width direction can be reduced compared to using a fork that does not have such a conveyor, and the reliability of transferring goods can be increased.

[0052] Furthermore, it is equipped with a control system for controlling the transfer device, The transfer device is configured to allow each of the multiple forks to be moved in and out independently, and the control system preferably selects a fork from the multiple forks that corresponds to at least one of the shape of the item to be transferred and the dimensions in the transport direction, and has it perform the movement.

[0053] With this configuration, even when multiple types of items with different dimensions and shapes in the direction of transport are being transported, the transfer of items between the transport vehicle and the roller conveyor can be performed stably.

[0054] The goods transport equipment relating to this disclosure only needs to be able to achieve at least one of the effects described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1: Goods handling equipment 2: Roller conveyor 3: Mounting section 4: Transport vehicle 5:Transfer device 6: Laura 7: Fork 8: Mounting section lifting mechanism 9: Endless conveyor (conveyor using an endless member) 10: Roller gap 11: First group of forks 12: Second group of forks 100: Control System P: Transfer position P1: 1st transfer position P2: 2nd transfer position S: Fork insertion space T1: Containment State T2: Protruding state X: Conveying direction Y: width direction Y1: First side in the width direction

Claims

1. An article conveying system comprising: a roller conveyor for conveying articles along the conveying direction; a transport vehicle having a loading section for placing the articles and for conveying the articles placed on the loading section; and a transfer device for transferring the articles between the roller conveyor and the transport vehicle, When viewed from above, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction is defined as the width direction, and one side of the width direction is defined as the first side in the width direction. The roller conveyor comprises a plurality of rollers arranged along the conveying direction and configured to rotate around a rotation axis along the width direction, A gap is formed between two rollers that are adjacent to each other in the conveying direction. The transfer device is equipped with a plurality of forks, and is configured to change between a stored state in which the forks are housed in the gap between the rollers and a protruding state in which at least a portion of the forks protrudes toward the first side in the width direction relative to the roller conveyor by moving each of the plurality of forks in the width direction. The article conveying equipment is configured such that, when the conveying vehicle is positioned at a transfer position adjacent to the roller conveyor on the first side in the width direction, the mounting section forms a fork insertion space below the bottom surface of the article placed on the mounting section into which at least two forks are inserted.

2. A group of at least two forks that move in and out to transfer the article to the transport vehicle positioned at the first transfer position, which is the first transfer position, is defined as the first fork group, and a group of at least two forks that move in and out to transfer the article to the transport vehicle positioned at the second transfer position, which is the second transfer position, is defined as the second fork group. The article conveying equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first group of forks and the second group of forks are arranged at different positions in the conveying direction.

3. The transport vehicle is equipped with a mounting section lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the mounting section described above. The article transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lifting mechanism of the mounting section performs a lifting operation of the mounting section in accordance with the extension and retraction operation of the fork.

4. The article conveying equipment according to claim 3, wherein the conveying vehicle is configured such that, when the mounting portion described above is lowered by the mounting portion lifting mechanism described above, the mounting portion described above is located below the lower surface of the roller conveyor.

5. Each of the multiple forks is equipped with a conveyor using an endless member that transports the article in the width direction, The article conveying equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dimension of the conveyor using the endless member in the conveying direction is smaller than the gap between the rollers.

6. The system includes a control system for controlling the transfer device, The transfer device is configured to allow each of the multiple forks to be moved in and out independently. The article transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control system selects a fork from among a plurality of forks that corresponds to at least one of the shape of the article to be transferred and the dimensions in the transport direction, and causes it to perform the forward and backward movement.

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