Picking Control for Normal-Orientation Article Transfer

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional picking facilities face inefficiencies in transferring articles due to orientation changes caused by transportation vibrations, leading to increased transfer times and instability during handling, especially when articles are in overturned orientations.

Innovation Solution

A picking facility equipped with an image capture device for height and orientation determination, and a control device that prioritizes transferring articles in the normal orientation by selecting the article with the highest position and a set distance downward, using a holding portion to stabilize and efficiently transfer articles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If articles are transferred in any orientation without selection, then transfer speed is maintained, but transfer time increases when orientation changes are needed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransfer speedVSAvoidoverall transfer time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary orientation determination using image capture devices before the transfer operation. By identifying articles in normal orientation in advance, the control device can prioritize these articles for transfer, avoiding mid-transfer orientation changes and reducing overall transfer time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual or mechanical orientation checking with an automated image capture and recognition system. The control device uses image processing to automatically determine article orientations and make selection decisions, substituting mechanical inspection with optical detection and computational analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If articles in overturned orientation are held by the holding portion, then transfer can proceed, but holding stability decreases and errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransfer operation capabilityVSAvoidholding stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary orientation determination using image capture devices before the transfer operation. By identifying articles in normal orientation in advance, the control device can prioritize these articles for transfer, avoiding mid-transfer orientation changes and reducing overall transfer time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual or mechanical orientation checking with an automated image capture and recognition system. The control device uses image processing to automatically determine article orientations and make selection decisions, substituting mechanical inspection with optical detection and computational analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If articles in overturned orientation are transferred, then all articles can be moved, but transfer speed decreases due to instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearticle transfer completionVSAvoidtransfer operation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary orientation determination using image capture devices before the transfer operation. By identifying articles in normal orientation in advance, the control device can prioritize these articles for transfer, avoiding mid-transfer orientation changes and reducing overall transfer time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual or mechanical orientation checking with an automated image capture and recognition system. The control device uses image processing to automatically determine article orientations and make selection decisions, substituting mechanical inspection with optical detection and computational analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11629017B2Picking facility

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 DAIFUKU CO LTD

AI summary

A picking facility is realized that can shorten the time required to transfer an article from a first support body to a second support body. Of a plurality of articles 50 supported by the first support body 51, the article 50 located at the highest position and the article 50 whose upper face T1 is present in a range of a set distance D downward from the upper face T1 of the article 50 located at the highest position are set as transfer-target articles 50A, and the control device performs a selection control to preferentially select, from the transfer-target articles 50A, a transfer-target article 50A in the normal orientation SC, and a transfer control to control the transfer device so as to transfer the transfer-target article 50A selected through the selection control from the first support body 51 to the second support body.