Automated warehouse

Abstract

This automated warehouse (100) comprises: a plurality of drive tiles fixedly disposed in a planar shape; a tray for placing a package, the tray being capable of moving on the plurality of drive tiles in a two-dimensional direction; a central control device for instructing the movement of the tray to the plurality of drive tiles; and a power box for supplying power to each of the drive tiles. The tray has, on the bottom surface thereof, magnet rows disposed in two directions. The drive tiles include: coil rows disposed in two directions; one or more detection units for detecting the magnet positions on the tray bottom surface; a control unit for forming a synchronous linear motor between the magnets on the tray bottom surface and the coils on the drive tiles by repeatedly and selectively exciting the coils arranged in a row on the basis of the magnet position information obtained from the detection unit; and a communication unit for performing communication between the central control device and the control unit.

Description

automated warehouse

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated warehouse.

[0002] As an automated warehouse capable of automatically transporting cargo, one that uses a linear motor to move cargo has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated warehouse that includes containers and a plurality of container drive tiles arranged two-dimensionally on each of a predetermined number of floors, and that moves the containers between floors using a linear motor.

[0003] Patent No. 6526446

[0004] To provide an automated warehouse capable of suitably transporting cargo.

[0005] The automated warehouse comprises a plurality of drive tiles arranged in a fixed manner on a plane, trays for placing cargo on the trays that are movable in two dimensions on the plurality of drive tiles, a central control device for instructing the plurality of drive tiles to move the trays, and a power box for supplying power to each of the drive tiles.The trays have magnet rows arranged in two directions on their bottom surfaces, and the drive tiles have coil rows arranged in two directions, one or more detection units for detecting the position of the magnets on the tray bottom surface, a control unit that selectively and repeatedly excites the coils arranged in rows based on magnet position information obtained from the detection units to form a synchronous linear motor between the magnets on the tray bottom surface and the coils on the drive tiles, and a communication unit that communicates between the central control device and the control unit.

[0006] The luggage can be transported efficiently.

[0007] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of use of an automated warehouse; 2 is a perspective view showing an example of use of an automated warehouse; 3 is a perspective view showing the bottom of a tray; 4 is a perspective view showing a drive tile; 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a coil; 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a coil; 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a coil unit; 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a linear motor; 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a linear motor; 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a linear motor; 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a linear motor; 12 is a block diagram showing the relationship between a central control device, a power box, and a drive tile; 13 is a perspective view showing both end faces of a drive tile; 14 is a perspective view showing both end faces of a drive tile; 15 is a perspective view showing both end faces of a drive tile; 16 is a bottom view showing the connection structure of a drive tile; 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power box; 18 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a drive tile; 19 is a perspective view showing a lift mechanism; 19 is a perspective view showing a lift mechanism.

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. (Embodiment) Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an example of use of an automated warehouse 100. The automated warehouse 100 includes trays 1 for placing cargo thereon, drive tiles 2 for moving the trays 1 on a plane, and a central control device 3 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) for instructing the drive tiles 2 on the movement of the trays 1.

[0009] The tray 1 is a flat, substantially square-shaped member made of metal and resin in a plan view. The shape of the tray 1 is not limited to a square. Although the present embodiment assumes that the tray 1 is flat, the tray 1 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of storing luggage, and may be, for example, shelf-shaped. Luggage is placed on the upper surface of the tray 1, and the tray 1 moves over a plurality of drive tiles 2, 2, 2... As will be described later, a plurality of magnets are arranged in rows in two directions on the bottom surface of the tray 1 (see FIG. 3), and form a synchronous linear motor together with the coil 22 on the drive tile 2 side (see FIG. 4, etc.).

[0010] The drive tile 2 is a flat, plate-like component that is substantially square in plan view. The shape of the drive tile 2 is not limited to a square. The automated warehouse 100 according to this embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of drive tiles 2 three-dimensionally. Specifically, drive tiles 2, 2, 2... are fixedly arranged in a plane on each of a plurality of stories, and each story is arranged above and below by a frame. As will be described later, the automated warehouse 100 is equipped with a lift mechanism 6 (see Figures 13 and 14) for moving the trays 1 up and down between each story, and transports the trays 1 to each story.

[0011] The central control unit 3 is configured, for example, by a general personal computer, but may also be a server computer, etc. As will be described later, the central control unit 3 is connected to the driving tiles 2 via a power box 4 (see FIG. 8 ) by a LAN (Local Area Network) cable, and transmits control signals for controlling the movement of the tray 1 to the driving tiles 2, while receiving status signals for the driving tiles 2 and the tray 1 from the driving tiles 2.

[0012] 3 is a perspective view showing the bottom surface of the tray 1. The tray 1 includes a plurality of magnets 11 arranged in a row, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag 12 (a radio signal transmitter), and a wheel 13.

[0013] The magnets 11 are permanent magnets that form a linear motor together with the coils 22 (see FIG. 4, etc.) on the drive tile 2 side. The tray 1 is equipped with a plurality of magnets 11 arranged in two directions. Specifically, the magnets 11 are arranged in a cross shape, passing through the bisectors of each side of the bottom surface. N-pole magnets 11 and S-pole magnets 11 are arranged alternately on the bottom surface of the tray 1.

[0014] The RFID tag 12 is a tag that transmits an identifier signal for the tray 1. The driving tile 2 according to this embodiment is provided with an RFID antenna 23 (see FIG. 4 ) that receives the identifier signal transmitted by the RFID tag 12, and the RFID antenna 23 receives the identifier signal to identify the tray 1 moving on the driving tile 2.

[0015] The wheels 13 are ball rollers fixed to the bottom surface of the tray 1 so that the tray 1 can move freely in two directions and support the tray 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, one wheel 13 is provided at each of the four corners of the bottom surface of the tray 1. The wheels 13 fit into guide grooves 24 of the drive tile 2, which will be described later, and guide the movement of the tray 1.

[0016] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the driving tile 2. The driving tile 2 includes a control board 21 (controller), a coil 22, an RFID antenna 23 (receiver), a guide groove 24, a plug 25, a plug receptacle 26, and a connector 27. Note that although Fig. 4 and other figures show the control board 21 and other components exposed, they are covered with a cover (not shown) when the automated warehouse 100 is in use.

[0017] The control board 21 is a board having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and controls the operation of the drive tile 2. Specifically, the control board 21 selectively and repeatedly excites a plurality of coils 22, 22, 22, ... arranged in a row, thereby forming a synchronous linear motor between the magnet 11 on the bottom surface of the tray 1 and the coils 22 on the drive tile 2, and moves the tray 1.

[0018] The coils 22 are coils that form part of the linear motor. The coils 22 are arranged in a cross shape on the drive tile 2, passing through the bisectors of each side of the top surface, in alignment with the magnets 11 of the tray 1, and are surrounded by guide grooves 24, which will be described later.

[0019] As described above, a high thrust can be achieved by arranging the magnets 11 on the bottom surface of the tray 1 and the coils 22 in a row on the drive tile 2. In contrast, in the invention of Patent Document 1, the magnets on the tray are arranged independently, resulting in a low thrust.

[0020] The RFID antenna 23 is a receiving mechanism that receives an identifier signal transmitted from the RFID tag 12 of the tray 1. The control board 21 identifies the tray 1 positioned on the driving tile 2 based on the identifier signal received by the RFID antenna 23.

[0021] The guide grooves 24 are guide grooves that engage with the wheels 13 of the tray 1. In this embodiment, two #-shaped guide grooves 24 are provided in each of two directions corresponding to the four wheels 13 provided at the four corners of the tray 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the guide grooves 24 extend to the edge of the drive tile 2, and when the drive tiles 2, 2, 2... are arranged, the guide grooves 24 are continuous with the guide grooves 24 of adjacent drive tiles 2.

[0022] The plug 25 and the plug receptacle 26 are connectors that transmit power supplied from the power source and control signals transmitted from the central control device 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the plug 25 and the plug receptacle 26 are provided on both end surfaces of the actuating tile 2, respectively, and are electrically connected within the actuating tile 2. When actuating tiles 2, 2, 2... are installed, the plug 25 and the plug receptacle 26 are connected to the plug receptacle 26 and the plug 25 of another adjacent actuating tile 2.

[0023] The connectors 27 are components that slide between adjacent drive tiles 2. The connectors 27 are provided on each end surface of the drive tile 2, and as will be described later, engage with connector receiving portions 28 (see FIGS. 9C and 9D) provided on each end surface of the drive tile 2.

[0024] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the coil 22. Fig. 5A shows a flat coil 22a and a convex coil 22b that are the coil 22. Fig. 5B shows an enlarged view of the arrangement of the flat coil 22a and the convex coil 22b.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 5A, the coil 22 according to this embodiment includes two types of coils 22: a flat coil 22a and a convex coil 22b. The flat coil 22a has a generally rectangular ring shape in plan view, and is a flat coil with no vertical undulations. In contrast, the convex coil 22b has a generally rectangular ring shape in plan view, similar to the flat coil 22a, but has a shape in which the long sides are convex upward.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5B, when arranging the flat coil 22a and the convex coil 22b, the multiple convex coils 22b, 22b, 22b... are arranged on the lower side with their long sides aligned, and the multiple flat coils 22a, 22a, 22a... are arranged on the upper side with the long side portions of the convex coils 22b, 22b, which are convex upward, sandwiched between the air core.

[0027] As described above, a plurality of coils 22 (flat coils 22a and convex coils 22b) are arranged in a row on the driving tile 2. To simplify assembly, it is preferable to divide the row of coils into a predetermined number of units. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a coil unit 220. In this embodiment, coil units 220, each of which has a predetermined number of coils 22, are arranged in a cross shape (see Fig. 10), thereby arranging coil rows in two directions on the driving tile 2.

[0028] The coil unit 220 includes a flat coil 22a, a convex coil 22b, a magnetic sensor 22c, and a control device 22d.

[0029] The magnetic sensor 22c is a magnetic sensor that detects the magnet 11 attached to the bottom surface of the tray 1. The magnetic sensor 22c functions as a detector that detects the position of the magnet on the bottom surface of the tray 1, and the control board 21 excites the coil 22 based on the magnet position information obtained from the magnetic sensor 22c. In contrast, the invention of Patent Document 1 does not have a magnetic sensor and is not a synchronous linear motor. As shown in Figure 6, the magnetic sensor 22c is provided at a position corresponding to the coils 22 (flat coils 22a and convex coils 22b) arranged in a row.

[0030] In this embodiment, two magnetic sensors 22c are provided in one coil unit 220, but the number of magnetic sensors 22c may be one, or three or more. In particular, by increasing the number of magnetic sensors 22c, the position of the magnet 11 can be detected more accurately.

[0031] The control device 22d is a control board that controls the excitation of the coil 22 based on a control signal sent from the control board 21. The control device 22d selectively energizes the coil 22 that generates a moving magnetic field based on the position information of the magnet 11 obtained by the magnetic sensor 22c.

[0032] 7A to 7D are explanatory diagrams showing the operating principle of a linear motor, illustrating how the tray 1 is moved by selectively and repeatedly exciting the coils 22 arranged in a row.

[0033] Consider the case where the tray 1 moves from left to right as shown by the arrows in Figures 7A to 7D. First, as shown in Figure 7A, when the magnetic sensor 22c detects the N-pole magnet 11 at the head of the magnet row of the tray 1, the control device 22d excites the first coil 22 from the left (flat coil 22a) so that the tray 1 side becomes the S-pole, thereby attracting the tray 1.

[0034] 7B, when the tray 1 moves forward and the magnetic sensor 22c detects the gap between the magnets 11, the control device 22d stops exciting the first coil 22 and excites the second coil 22 (the convex coil 22b), causing the tray 1 to be attracted and move further to the right.

[0035] Next, as shown in Figure 7C, when the magnetic sensor 22c detects the next south pole magnet 11, the control device 22d stops exciting the second coil 22, excites the third coil, and reverse-excites the first coil 22.

[0036] 7D, when the tray 1 moves further forward, the control device 22d stops excitation of the first coil 22 and the third coil 22, excites the fourth coil 22, and reversely excites the second coil 22. By repeating this operation, the tray 1 can be moved accurately. By counting the number of magnetic poles passing through the magnetic sensor 22c, the tray 1 can be stopped accurately.

[0037] The principle diagrams shown in Figures 7A to 7D are examples in which one magnetic sensor 22c is installed, but by increasing the number of magnetic sensors 22c, it becomes easier to detect the movement direction of the tray 1 and it is possible to improve stopping accuracy.

[0038] Furthermore, when the motor is stopped, the fixing force can be increased by continuing to pass current through the coil 22. Furthermore, power consumption can be reduced by cutting off the current.

[0039] If the tray 1 is shifted from its stopping position due to an external disturbance, the magnetic sensor 22c detects this and excites the coil 22 to correct the position, thereby allowing the tray 1 to stay in the position where it should have stopped.

[0040] The number of coils to be simultaneously excited is determined to be optimal from the standpoint of the thrust for moving the tray 1, the capacity of the power source, power saving, and the like.

[0041] 8 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the central control unit 3, the power box 4, and the driving tiles 2. In FIG. 8, the paths for transmitting power and control signals to each control board 21 and coil unit 220 of the driving tiles 2 are shown.

[0042] The power box 4 is a power supply device that supplies power to each driving tile 2. The power box 4 converts AC power supplied from an AC power supply 5 into DC power and supplies it to the driving tiles 2.

[0043] The power box 4 is also connected to the central control unit 3 via a LAN cable and receives control signals from the central control unit 3 via LAN communication. The power box 4 transmits the received control signals to each control board 21 of the driving tiles 2 via bus communication. Furthermore, the control board 21 of the driving tiles 2 transmits control signals to multiple coil units 220, 220, 220... arranged downstream. For convenience of illustration, only the coil units 220 for the topmost row of control boards 21 are shown in Figure 8.

[0044] In this embodiment, a power box 4 is provided for each of one or more rows of drive tiles 2, 2, 2... arranged in one direction, for a plurality of drive tiles 2, 2, 2... arranged in a plane, and power and control signals are transmitted between them. As will be described in detail below, power and control signals are transmitted between the drive tiles 2, 2, 2... arranged in a row by connecting plugs 25 and plug receptacles 26 between adjacent drive tiles 2, 2.

[0045] As described above, in this embodiment, power is supplied to each row of driving tiles 2, 2, 2, ... aligned in one direction. In contrast, the invention of Patent Document 1 requires power to be supplied to each individual tile.

[0046] 9A to 9D are perspective views showing both end faces of the driving tile 2. Figures 9A and 9B show one end of the driving tile 2 provided with a plug 25, and Figures 9C and 9D show the other end of the driving tile 2 provided with a plug receptacle 26.

[0047] As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, a plug 25 and a connector 27 are provided on one end surface of the driving tile 2. The plug 25 has a structure that allows it to pivot up and down. When connecting to the plug receptacle 26 of another driving tile 2 (Figure 9A), the plug 25 is used as is without pivoting downward, but when transmitting power or control signals independently (Figure 9B), it is pivoted downward and connected to the power box 4 from below. The connector 27 slides outward from the driving tile 2 by operating a knob 271, and connects the driving tiles 2 together by engaging with a connector receptacle 28 (described later).

[0048] 9C and 9D, a plug receptacle 26 and a connector receptacle 28 are provided on the other end surface of the driving tile 2. The plug receptacle 26 has a structure that allows it to slide outward from the driving tile 2 by operating a knob 261, and when slid, it can connect with the plug 25 of another adjacent driving tile 2. The connector receptacle 28 is a hole into which a connector 27 is inserted, and allows the driving tile 2 to be slidably connected to another adjacent driving tile 2.

[0049] In this embodiment, the plug 25 is described as having a structure that allows it to pivot up and down, and the plug receptacle 26 is described as having a structure that allows it to slide, but the relationship between the two may be reversed, with the plug receptacle 26 having a structure that allows it to pivot up and down, and the plug 25 having a structure that allows it to slide.

[0050] Fig. 10 is a bottom view showing the connection structure of the driving tiles 2. Fig. 10 shows a state in which a plurality of (four) driving tiles 2 are arranged and adjacent driving tiles 2 are connected to each other.

[0051] A connector 27 and a connector receptacle 28 are provided on each end surface of the driving tile 2. Adjacent driving tiles 2, 2 are connected by inserting the connectors 27 into the connector receptacles 28.

[0052] As described above, a plug 25 is provided on one end surface of each driving tile 2, and a plug receptacle 26 is provided on the other end surface, and the driving tiles 2, 2, 2... lined up in one direction are electrically joined by connecting the plug 25 and the plug receptacle 26. In the example of Fig. 10, two driving tiles 2, 2 lined up one above the other are joined. The plug 25 of the driving tile 2 located at the end (the upper end in Fig. 10) is connected by wire to a power box 4 (not shown in Fig. 10), and power and control signals are transmitted from the power box.

[0053] As described above, in this embodiment, adjacent driving tiles 2 are connected by the plug 25 and the connector 27. In contrast, the invention of Patent Document 1 is a plug-in type, which makes it difficult to replace a broken tile.

[0054] 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the power box 4. The power box 4 includes a gateway 41, a switching regulator 42, and a supercapacitor 43.

[0055] The gateway 41 converts LAN communication into bus communication. The gateway 41 receives a control signal transmitted from the central control device 3 via LAN communication and transmits the received control signal to the driving tile 2 via bus communication.

[0056] The switching regulator 42 is a converter that converts AC power into DC power. The switching regulator 42 converts AC power supplied from the AC power supply 5 into DC power and supplies the power to the driving tiles 2, the gateway 41, and the supercapacitor 43.

[0057] The supercapacitor 43 is a large-capacity capacitor that stores power. The supercapacitor 43 stores power under normal circumstances and instantly supplies supplementary power when large amounts of power are required. "Normal circumstances" refers to, for example, a state in which the coil 22 is not driven (excited). "When large amounts of power are required" refers to, for example, a state in which the coil 22 is driven.

[0058] 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving tile 2. The driving tile 2 includes an RFID board 230 in addition to the control board 21 and coil unit 220 described above.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 12, the control board 21 and a plurality of coil units 220, 220, 220... are electrically connected in series, and the coil units 220 receive DC power from the control board 21 and also receive control signals via bus communication.

[0060] The RFID board 230 is a board equipped with the above-mentioned RFID antenna 23, and receives the identifier signal of the tray 1 transmitted from the RFID tag 12. The control board 21 and the RFID board 230 perform serial communication, and the control board 21 acquires the identifier signal from the RFID board 230.

[0061] 13 and 14 are perspective views showing the lift mechanism 6. Fig. 13 shows the lift mechanism 6 when the automated warehouse 100 is in use. Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of only the lift mechanism 6.

[0062] As already mentioned, in the automated warehouse 100 according to this embodiment, the drive tiles 2, 2, 2... are arranged in a plane on each of multiple layers, and the automated warehouse 100 is equipped with a lift mechanism 6 that moves the trays 1 up and down between each layer.

[0063] The lift mechanism 6 includes a carriage 61, a wire 62, and an elevation motor 63. The carriage 61 is a movable body that moves between layers, and the tray 1 is placed on the carriage 61. The wire 62 is a wire that suspends the carriage 61, and the carriage 61 moves up and down by pulling the wire 62. The elevation motor 63 is a motor that pulls the wire 62.

[0064] As shown in Figure 14, the drive tiles 2 are placed on the carriage 61, and one drive tile 2 is placed on each side of the lift cage (lift mechanism 6) in each layer. As shown by the arrow in Figure 14, the tray 1 is pulled into the lift cage by the drive tiles 2. The carriage 61 then moves up and down to move the tray to the target layer, and the tray is then ejected from the lift cage by the drive tiles 2.

[0065] As described above, the lift mechanism 6 according to this embodiment raises and lowers the carriage 61 by pulling the wire 62. In contrast, the invention according to Patent Document 1 uses a linear motor to raise and lower the load, so this mechanism is limited to ultra-lightweight loads and is not suitable for heavy loads.

[0066] As described above, this embodiment allows for the optimal transport of luggage. In particular, in this embodiment, a synchronous linear motor is formed between the magnet 11 on the bottom of the tray 1 and the coil 22 on the drive tile 2, rather than an induction linear motor. This allows for the tray 1 to be positioned correctly by reversing the excitation, even if it overruns.

[0067] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0068] The matters described in each embodiment can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, the claims use a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), but this is not limited to this. A multiple claim (multi-multi claim) that references at least one other multiple claim may also be used.

[0069] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 tray 11 magnet 12 RFID tag 13 wheel 2 drive tile 21 control board 22 coil 220 coil unit 22a flat coil 22b convex coil 22c magnetic sensor 22d control device 23 RFID antenna 230 RFID board 24 guide groove 25 plug 26 plug receptacle 261 knob 27 connector 271 knob 28 connector receptacle 3 central control unit 4 power box 41 gateway 42 switching regulator 43 supercapacitor 5 AC power supply 6 lift mechanism 61 carriage 62 wire 63 lift motor

Claims

1. An automated warehouse comprising: a plurality of drive tiles fixedly arranged in a plane; a tray for placing cargo on the tray, movable in two dimensions on the plurality of drive tiles; a central control device for instructing the movement of the tray to the plurality of drive tiles; and a power box for supplying power to each of the drive tiles, wherein the tray has a magnet row arranged in two directions on its bottom surface, the drive tile has a coil row arranged in two directions, one or more detection units for detecting the position of the magnets on the bottom surface of the tray, a control unit for forming a synchronous linear motor between the magnets on the bottom surface of the tray and the coils on the drive tiles by repeatedly selectively exciting the coils arranged in rows based on magnet position information obtained from the detection units, and a communication unit for communicating between the central control device and the control unit.

2. The automated warehouse described in claim 1, wherein the tray comprises a plurality of magnets arranged in a cross shape on its bottom surface, and a plurality of wheels fixed to the bottom surface of the tray and supporting the tray so as to be freely movable in two directions, and the drive tile comprises a plurality of guide grooves into which the wheels fit to guide the movement of the tray, and a plurality of the coils arranged in a cross shape in positions facing the magnets in the area surrounded by the guide grooves.

3. The automated warehouse as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of coil units are arranged in a cross shape on the drive tile, and the coil unit has a structure in which the coils arranged in a row, a magnetic sensor which detects magnets attached to the bottom surface of the tray, and a control device which selectively applies electricity to the coils which generate a moving magnetic field based on the position information of the magnet obtained by the magnetic sensor are all arranged on the same board.

4. The automated warehouse as described in claim 1, wherein the drive tile is provided with connectors for transmitting power and control signals on both end faces, one connector consisting of a plug and the other connector consisting of a plug receptacle, the plug and plug receptacle are electrically connected inside the drive tile, the plug receptacle or plug has a slidable structure and can be plugged into other adjacent drive tiles when slid, and the plug or plug receptacle has a structure that can rotate up and down and has a mechanism that allows it to be connected from below when sending power or control signals alone.

5. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the drive tiles are provided with connectors that slide between adjacent drive tiles.

6. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the power box comprises: a gateway that converts LAN communication to bus communication; a switching regulator that converts AC power to DC power; and a large-capacity capacitor that stores power under normal conditions and instantly supplies supplementary power when a large amount of power is required.

7. The automated warehouse of claim 1, wherein the drive tiles are arranged in a plane in each of a plurality of layers, and the warehouse is provided with a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the trays between each layer, and the drive tiles for drawing in or ejecting the trays into the lift mechanism.

8. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the tray is equipped with a wireless signal transmitter that transmits an identifier signal for the tray, and the driving tile is equipped with a receiver that receives the identifier signal.

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