JP7638740B2 - Article storage/retrieval device, article storage/retrieval device unit, and automated warehouse - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an item storage/retrieval device, an item storage/retrieval device unit, and an automated warehouse.

For example, logistics centers have introduced automated warehouses with complex operations to handle the storage and retrieval of large numbers of items.

JP 2014-133654 A

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is, for example, to provide an item storage/retrieval device, an item storage/retrieval device unit, and an automated warehouse that can avoid having a complex structure.

According to an embodiment, an article receiving and retrieving device includes a first frame, a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first frame along a first direction, and a first moving mechanism. The first moving mechanism includes a tray transport unit that is provided within the first frame and transports a tray on which an article can be placed along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a transport auxiliary unit that pushes the tray outward from the first frame along the second direction. The first moving mechanism further includes a lift unit that lifts and lowers the tray transport unit within the first frame.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tray in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment, viewed from the opening side on the -X side through which articles are inserted and removed. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the tray shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the -Y side. 5 is a schematic diagram of the tray shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the +Z side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the tray storage of the automated warehouse shown in FIG. 1 , viewed from the +X side. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of an article storing/retrieving device (first elevator) of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the support portion of the lift portion of the article storing and retrieving device of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is disposed on an upper stage. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the support portion of the lift portion of the article storing and retrieving device of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is disposed on the middle level. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the support portion of the lift portion of the article storing and retrieving device of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is disposed on a lower level. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of a tray circulation elevator (second elevator) of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a tray circulation elevator of the automated warehouse according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 . 1 is a schematic diagram showing an article storing/retrieving main transport section, an article storing/retrieving device, a tray storage, and a tray circulation elevator of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of an article storing/retrieving device, a tray storage, and a tray circulation elevator of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of moving trays using an article receiving/retrieving device, tray storage, and a tray circulation elevator in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 15 . FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 16 . 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of moving trays using an article receiving/retrieving device, tray storage, and a tray circulation elevator in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 18 . FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 19 . 1 is a schematic diagram showing an article storing/retrieving main transport section, an article storing/retrieving device, a tray storage, and a tray circulation elevator of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of moving a tray using an article storing/retrieving device of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment and an article storing/retrieving main transport section; 23 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 22 . 1 is a schematic diagram showing an article storing/retrieving device of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment, and an storing/retrieving operation for moving articles using an article storing/retrieving main conveying section; FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a usage arrangement of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of moving trays using an article storing/retrieving device of an automated warehouse according to a first modified example and an article storing/retrieving main transport section; FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 26 . 27 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving the tray subsequent to FIG. 26 . 29 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of moving items in a tray following FIG. 28 . FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an article storing/retrieving device for an automated warehouse according to a second modified example. 31 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the rails and sliders of the transport auxiliary part of the article storage and retrieval device of the automated warehouse have been moved upward from the position shown in FIG. 30 .

The automated warehouse 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 25.

Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an automated warehouse 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an automated warehouse 10 according to an embodiment.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the automated warehouse 10 has trays 12, tray storage 14, an item loading/unloading transport section (hereinafter, mainly referred to as the main transport section) 16, an item loading/unloading device (first elevator) 18, a tray circulation elevator (second elevator) 20, and a control section 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tray storage 14 is adjacent to an item loading/unloading device 18 and a tray circulation elevator 20. In this embodiment, the item loading/unloading device 18 and the tray circulation elevator 20 are positioned on either side of the tray storage 14.

In the automated warehouse 10, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is used, as shown in FIG. 1, in which the direction in which the trays 12 move horizontally is the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis is the Y-axis direction, and the direction in which the trays 12 move up and down is the Z-axis direction. In the automated warehouse 10, the +X-axis direction, +Y-axis direction, and +Z-axis direction are set as shown in FIG. 1. Here, an example is described in which the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction are mutually perpendicular, but they may simply intersect without being perpendicular.

Hereafter, in the automated warehouse 10, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is used as shown in Figs. 3 to 24. Figs. 3 to 5 are schematic diagrams of the tray 12 as viewed from the opening side on the -X side where the goods P are put in and taken out, as viewed from the -Y side, and as viewed from the +Z side, respectively. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the tray storage 14 of the automated warehouse 10 shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the +X side. Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the goods storage and retrieval device (first elevator) 18 of the automated warehouse 10. Note that Fig. 7 omits the illustration of the lifting section 114 and shows the goods storage and retrieval device unit 24 that stores the tray 12 in the goods storage and retrieval device 18 of the automated warehouse 10. Figs. 8 to 10 are schematic diagrams showing the state in which the support section 162 of the lift section 134 of the goods storage and retrieval device 18 shown in Fig. 7 is arranged on the upper stage, the middle stage, and the lower stage, respectively. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the tray circulation elevator (second elevator) 20 of the automated warehouse 10. Note that FIG. 11 does not show the lifting section 214. FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the tray circulation elevator 20 shown in FIG. 11.

The size of each tray 12 can be set appropriately. Each tray 12 is formed to have the same shape and size. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the tray 12 has a substantially rectangular bottom plate 32, substantially rectangular side plates 34a, 34b, and 34c that are integrated with the bottom plate 32 and extend upward from three sides of the bottom plate 32 to surround the three sides, and a substantially rectangular frame body 36 that is integrated with the upper ends of the side plates 34a, 34b, and 34c. The side plates 34a, 34b, and 34c of the tray 12 are provided in the positions of the -Y axis direction, the +Y axis direction, and the +X axis direction with respect to the bottom plate 32. That is, the three side plates 34a, 34b, and 34c extend downward from three sides of the frame body 36. The tray 12 has an opening edge 38 formed by the bottom plate 32, the side plates 34a, 34b, and the frame body 36 at the position of the -X axis direction with respect to the bottom plate 32. The article P can be inserted and removed from the tray 12 through the opening edge 38 of the tray 12 .
It is preferable that all or part of the surface of each tray 12 on the -X-axis direction side is parallel to all or part of the surface on the +X-axis direction side, and that when the trays 12 are moved in the X-axis direction, the trays 12 are in contact with each other and are configured so that the trays 12 can move without deviating from the X-axis direction.

The bottom plate 32 has, for example, three through holes 40 spaced apart in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, each through hole 40 is formed as a slit that penetrates the bottom plate 32 and extends in the X-axis direction. Each through hole 40 is formed so that a part of the mating conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport section 118, which will be described later, comes into contact with the item P. Note that although the top surface of the tray 12 shown in FIG. 1 is open, it may be closed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tray storage 14 is adjacent to the item receiving/retrieving device 18 in the +X-axis direction, and is formed in multiple tiers with multiple trays 12 lined up in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction) and stocked in the Z-axis direction (up and down direction). FIG. 1 shows an example in which 15 shelves (tiers) 54 are lined up in the Z-axis direction. Each shelf 54 has six trays 12 lined up in the X-axis direction. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 1, 90 trays 12 are arranged in the tray storage 14.

The tray storage 14 has, for example, four storage frames 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d, and a plurality of shelves (stock shelves) 54 that form the stages of the tray storage 14. The four storage frames 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d are spaced apart in the X-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction, and extend parallel along the Z-axis direction. The spacing between the storage frames 52a and 52b is the same as the spacing between the storage frames 52c and 52d. The spacing between the storage frames 52a and 52c is the same as the spacing between the storage frames 52b and 52d. The spacing between the storage frames 52a and 52b and the spacing between the storage frames 52c and 52d are larger than the spacing between the storage frames 52a and 52c and the spacing between the storage frames 52b and 52d. For this reason, the tray storage 14 is formed in a shape that is long in the X-axis direction and short in the Y-axis direction. The four storage frames 52a, 52b, 52c, and 52d are formed, for example, to have the same length.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, each shelf portion 54 has a pair of connecting portions 62 that extend in the X-axis direction and face each other in the Y-axis direction, and a pair of support portions 64 that extend from each connecting portion 62 to the opposing connecting portion 62. Each support portion 64 is fixed, for example, to the underside of each connecting portion 62. Each support portion 64 extends along the X-axis direction to the same length as each connecting portion 62, for example.

The support portions 64 do not support the entire bottom plate 32 of each tray 12, but support the side plates 34a and 34b of the bottom plate 32. Of course, the support portions 64 may be configured to support the entire bottom plate 32 of the tray 12. The support portions 64 are spaced apart at equal intervals along the Z-axis direction. Therefore, trays 12 of the same shape and size can be stored in each shelf portion 54.

As shown in FIG. 6, the tray storage 14 is provided with a stopper mechanism 70 that prevents the tray 12 from falling off the tray storage 14. The stopper mechanism 70 has a rotating body 72 that is supported on the storage frame 52b so as to be rotatable about the X-axis direction as a rotation axis, a cam portion 74 that is fixed to one end of the rotating body 72, and a cam plate 76 that is supported on the storage frame 52b and moves up and down in conjunction with the article storage and retrieval device 18 and the tray circulation elevator 20. When the cam plate 76 contacts the cam portion 74 and rotates the rotating body 72, the rotating body 72 retreats from a position facing the tray 12 along the X-axis direction. At this time, the stopper mechanism 70 can insert and remove the tray 12 from the tray storage 14. When the cam plate 76 leaves the cam portion 74, the rotating body 72 moves to a position facing the tray 12 along the X-axis direction. At this time, the stopper mechanism 70 restricts the insertion and removal of the tray 12 from the tray storage 14.

The stopper mechanism 70 is preferably provided not only at a position on the +X axis side of the tray storage 14, but also on the -X axis side, for example on the storage frame 52c.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main conveying unit 16 includes a conveyor 102 and a conveyor driving unit 104 that drives the conveyor 102. An example of the conveyor 102 is a roller conveyor. The conveyor driving unit 104 is controlled by the control unit 22. The conveyor driving unit 104 reverses the conveying direction of the conveyor 102 when the item P or tray 12 is carried into the item loading/unloading device 18 and stored, and when the item P or tray 12 is carried out from the item loading/unloading device 18 and stored.

As shown in Figures 7 to 10, the item storage/retrieval device 18 is configured as a first elevator that moves up and down relative to the storage frames 52a, 52c of the tray storage 14. The item storage/retrieval device 18 has a frame (first frame) 112, a lifting section 114 (see Figure 2) that raises and lowers the frame 112, a first moving mechanism (storage/retrieval section) 116, and a storage/retrieval transport section 118.

The frame 112 is configured as a lifting cage of the goods loading/unloading device 18 as a first elevator. The frame 112 has openings that allow the trays 12 to move between the main transport section 16 and the tray storage 14. The frame 112 is formed, for example, into a rigid frame structure that is approximately rectangular or cubic.

The lifting section 114 is provided between the main transport section 16 and the storage frames 52a and 52c. The lifting section 114 has a lift shaft 122 (see FIG. 1) that raises and lowers the frame 112 within a predetermined range, and a hoist 124 (see FIG. 2) that raises and lowers the frame 112 along the lift shaft 122.

The elevator 122 is provided at a position facing the storage frames 52a, 52c. The hoist 124 is provided, for example, at the upper or lower part of the elevator 122. The hoist 124 is controlled by the control unit 22. The frame 112 is connected to the hoist 124, and moves up and down the elevator 122 by the operation of the hoist 124 controlled by the control unit 22. Therefore, the elevator unit 114 raises and lowers the frame 112 in the Z-axis direction along a predetermined elevator 122 facing the storage frames 52a, 52c of the tray storage 14.
The structure by which the frame 112 raises and lowers the lifting unit 114 may be, for example, a combination of a pinion gear provided on the frame 112 and a rack gear that extends the lifting unit 114 in the Z-axis direction.

The frame 112 is connected to the cam plate 76 of the stopper mechanism 70. Therefore, the frame 112 and the cam plate 76 rise and fall together when driven by the hoist 124.

The first moving mechanism 116 has a tray transport section 132, a lift section 134, and a transport auxiliary section 136. The tray transport section 132, the lift section 134, and the transport auxiliary section 136 are supported by, for example, the frame 112.

The tray transport unit 132 has a pair of conveyors 152 whose transport direction is, for example, along the X-axis direction, and a drive unit 154 that drives the conveyors 152. The pair of conveyors 152 are spaced apart in the Y-axis direction and support the lower surface of the frame 36 of the tray 12. The drive unit 154 is controlled by the control unit 22. The pair of conveyors 152 move in the same direction at the same speed. The drive unit 154 can reverse the transport direction of the conveyors 152, for example, when moving the tray 12 from the -X-axis direction to the +X-axis direction, and when moving the tray 12 from the +X-axis direction to the -X-axis direction. Therefore, the pair of conveyors 152 can move the tray 12 in both directions of the +X-axis and the -X-axis with the frame 36 of the tray 12 placed on it. The drive unit 154 drives the pair of conveyors 152 to move the tray 12 in a direction to take out the tray 12 from the tray storage 14 to the inside of the frame 112, and in a direction to push the tray 12 from the inside of the frame 112 into the tray storage 14. The drive unit 154 can also move the tray 12 by the pair of conveyors 152 in a direction to take out the tray 12 from the inside of the frame 112 to the main transport unit 16, and in a direction to put the tray 12 from the main transport unit 16 into the inside of the frame 112. Therefore, the tray transport unit 132 can move the tray 12 through the frame 112 between a first position on the main transport unit 16 side outside the frame 112 and a second position on the tray storage 14 side having a plurality of shelves 54 outside the frame 112 on the opposite side of the frame 112 from the first position. The tray transport section 132 can also maintain the bottom surface of the frame 36 of the tray 12 supported by a pair of conveyors 152 in the frame 112. This position is called the third position. Therefore, the tray 12 can move from the first position to the second position via the third position. The tray 12 can move from the third position to the first position via the second position. Therefore, the tray transport section 132 can move the tray 12 placed on the pair of conveyors 152 to a position where it is placed in the goods loading/unloading device 18, a position where the tray 12 is removed from the goods loading/unloading device 18 to the tray storage 14 or the main transport section 16, and a position where the tray is taken from the tray storage 14 or the main transport section 16 into the goods loading/unloading device 18.

The lift unit 134 has a support unit 162 that supports the tray transport unit 132, a rail 164 that extends in the Z-axis direction and is fixed to the frame 112, a drive unit 166 that is fixed to the frame 112 and moves the support unit 162 up and down within a predetermined range in the Z-axis direction along the rail 164, and a pair of tray stoppers 168. The drive unit 166 is controlled by the control unit 22. The drive unit 166 can maintain the support unit 162 in a state in which it has been moved to one of three positions within the frame 112, for example, the upper position shown in FIG. 8, the middle position shown in FIG. 9, and the lower position shown in FIG. 10. The position of the support unit 162 of the lift unit 134 relative to the frame 112 can be adjusted continuously.

The pair of tray stoppers 168 are formed, for example, in a plate or block shape and are provided in the frame 112. One of the pair of tray stoppers 168 protrudes from the +X-axis side position or its vicinity and the -Y-axis side position or its vicinity in the frame 112 toward the +Y-axis side. The other of the pair of tray stoppers 168 protrudes from the +X-axis side position or its vicinity and the +Y-axis side position or its vicinity in the frame 112 toward the -Y-axis side. The upper end positions of the pair of tray stoppers 168 protrude above the upper surface of the conveyor 152 when the conveyor 152 is arranged in the middle and lower stages, and are lower than the upper surface of the conveyor 152 when the conveyor 152 is arranged in the upper stage. The width of one tray stopper 168 along the Y-axis direction is large enough to contact the frame 36 of the tray 12 but not to contact the side plate 34a. The width of the other tray stopper 168 along the Y-axis direction is large enough to contact the frame 36 of the tray 12 but not to contact the side plate 34b. The length (thickness) of the pair of tray stoppers 168 along the X-axis direction is large enough to allow the tray stopper 168 to fit between the frame 112 and the conveyor 152 on the +X-axis direction side of the conveyor 152. When the conveyor 152 is positioned at the middle or lower level, the pair of tray stoppers 168 contact the frame 36 of the tray 12 and prevent the tray 12 from moving toward the tray storage 14 and falling off the frame 112 in the +X-axis direction.

The transport auxiliary unit 136 is mainly used when the support unit 162 of the lift unit 134 is positioned at the upper level relative to the frame 112. The transport auxiliary unit 136 has a rail 182 fixed to the frame 112, a slider 184 that moves along the rail 182, and a drive unit 186 that is fixed to the frame 112 and operates the slider 184. The rail 182 extends along the X-axis direction within the frame 112 at the top inside the frame 112. The slider 184's furthest position in the -X-axis direction is inside the frame 112. The slider 184's furthest position in the +X-axis direction protrudes from the frame 112 in the +X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the support portion 162 of the lift portion 134 is located at the upper stage inside the frame 112, the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary portion 136 can abut against the frame body 36 of the tray 12 supported by a fitting conveyor 192 (described later) of the in-and-out transport portion 118. In this embodiment, the slider 184 is a pusher that presses the frame body 36 of the tray 12 supported within the frame 112 toward the tray storage 14. The drive portion 186 is controlled by the control portion 22. The drive portion 186 reverses the movement direction of the slider 184 when moving the slider 184 from the -X axis direction to the +X axis direction and when moving the slider 184 from the +X axis direction to the -X axis direction.

The drive unit 186 drives the slider 184 to move the slider 184 in the +X-axis direction relative to the rail 182. When the slider 184 is moved in the +X-axis direction relative to the rail 182, the transport assistance unit 136 assists in pushing (pushing) the tray 12 from the item loading/unloading device 18 into the tray storage 14. Also, for example, when the slider 184 is moved to the furthest position in the -X-axis direction relative to the rail 182, the frame 36 of the tray 12 supported by the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 abuts against the slider 184. Therefore, the tray 12 taken into the item loading/unloading device 18 from the tray storage 14 is restricted from moving in the -X-axis direction relative to the slider 184, that is, is restricted from falling out of the inside of the frame 112 in the -X-axis direction.

When the support section 162 is located at the upper stage, the goods loading/unloading device 18 is capable of pushing the tray 12 in the goods loading/unloading device 18 into the tray storage 14 in the +X-axis direction by the operation of the pair of conveyors 152 and the slider 184. When the support section 162 is located at the middle stage, the goods loading/unloading device 18 is capable of moving the tray 12 from the main transport section 16 side into the goods loading/unloading device 18 in the +X-axis direction by the operation of the pair of conveyors 152. When the support section 162 is located at the middle stage, the goods loading/unloading device 18 is capable of moving the tray 12 from the main transport section 16 side into the goods loading/unloading device 18 in the -X-axis direction by the operation of the pair of conveyors 152.

The inbound/outbound conveying section 118 is supported, for example, by the frame 112. In this embodiment, the inbound/outbound conveying section 118 is mainly used in a state in which the support section 162 of the lift section 134 is positioned at the lower level as shown in FIG. 10 relative to the frame 112. The inbound/outbound conveying section 118 is provided on the frame 112 below the tray conveying section 132, and delivers the item P placed in the tray 12 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the conveying auxiliary section 136 pushes the tray 12. The inbound/outbound conveying section 118 is supported, for example, by the lower part of the frame 112. The inbound/outbound conveying section 118 has, for example, an engagement conveyor 192 whose conveying direction is along the X-axis direction, an auxiliary conveyor 194, and a drive section 196 that drives the engagement conveyor 192 and the auxiliary conveyor 194. The engagement conveyor 192 is actively movable by being driven by the drive section 196. The fitting conveyor 192 extends, for example, in the X-axis direction at the bottom inside the frame 112. The fitting conveyor 192 uses, for example, a belt conveyor arranged in three rows in the Y-axis direction. The belt of the fitting conveyor 192 is formed to a size that can enter each through-hole 40 of the tray 12. The drive unit 196 is controlled by the control unit 22. The drive unit 196 reverses the conveying direction of the fitting conveyor 192 when moving the item P from the -X-axis direction to the +X-axis direction, and when moving the item P from the +X-axis direction to the -X-axis direction. The drive unit 196 drives the fitting conveyor 192 to move it in a direction to remove the item P from the tray 12 and in a direction to put the item P into the tray 12.

The auxiliary conveyor 194 is actively movable by being driven by the drive unit 196. The auxiliary conveyor 194 is supported, for example, by the frame 112 on the -X axis direction side of the actively operating mating conveyor 192. The auxiliary conveyor 194 assists in the transport of the item P between the conveyor 102 of the main transport unit 16 and the mating conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport unit 118. The auxiliary conveyor 194 uses, for example, a roller conveyor that actively rotates together with the mating conveyor 192 in the same direction as the transport direction of the mating conveyor 192 when the item P is transported.

When the support section 162 is located at the lower stage and the fitting conveyor 192 fits into the through hole 40 of the tray 12, the fitting conveyor 192 can contact the item P in the tray 12 through the through hole 40 of the tray 12. Therefore, the fitting conveyor 192 can deliver the item P to the conveyor 102 of the main conveyor section 16 via the auxiliary conveyor 194 while supporting the tray 12 with the conveyor 152. The in-and-out conveyor section 118 controls the drive section 196 to operate the fitting conveyor 192 and the auxiliary conveyor 194, and remove the item P from the tray 12 and deliver it. The in-and-out conveyor section 118 also controls the drive section 196 to operate the fitting conveyor 192 and the auxiliary conveyor 194, and take the item P into the tray 12 and store it in storage.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, at least one of the frame 112 and the loading/unloading transport section 118 has a pair of guides 198 that guide the item P to the tray 12 when the item P is loaded, and guide the item P from the tray 12 to the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16 when the item P is unloaded. The pair of guides 198 are provided within the frame 112 and spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. The pair of guides 198 do not interfere with the auxiliary conveyor 194, and are provided on the frame 112 at or near the -X-axis side, and at or near the -Z-axis side. When the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 is at the upper and middle levels, the upper end positions of the pair of guides 198 in the Z-axis direction are positions that prevent interference with the tray 12. When the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 is at the lower stage, the upper surface of the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12 is positioned lower than the upper end positions of the pair of guides 198 in the Z axis direction.

The pair of guides 198 includes an entrance guide 198a at the -X-axis side position, which reduces its width in the Y-axis direction from the -X-axis side to the +X-axis side, and an exit guide 198b at the +X-axis side position, which increases its width in the Y-axis direction from the -X-axis side to the +X-axis side. The entrance guide 198a and the exit guide 198b are formed in a tapered shape.

Although not shown, the item storage/retrieval device 18 may be used with an exterior panel that covers the outside of the frame 112 fixed in place.

11 and 12, the tray circulation elevator 20 is provided on the opposite side of the item storage/retrieval device 18 across the tray storage 14. The tray circulation elevator 20 cooperates with the item storage/retrieval device 18 to stock trays 12 in the tray storage 14 or receive trays 12 from the tray storage 14. The tray circulation elevator 20 is configured as a second elevator that moves up and down relative to the storage frames 52b and 52d of the tray storage 14. The tray circulation elevator 20 has a frame (second frame) 212, a lifting section 214 (see FIG. 2), and a second moving mechanism (storage/retrieval section) 216. The structure of the tray circulation elevator 20 has some parts in common with the structure of the item storage/retrieval device 18, but is different overall. The tray circulation elevator 20 has a simpler structure than the item storage/retrieval device 18.

The frame 212 is configured as a lifting cage of the tray circulation elevator 20. The frame 212 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape. The tray circulation elevator 20 only needs to be able to transfer the trays 12 to and from the tray storage 14 using the second moving mechanism (loading/unloading section) 216, and be able to push the trays 12 into the tray storage 14. Since the tray circulation elevator 20 does not remove items P from the trays 12, the weight of the frame 212 can be reduced by the weight of the loading/unloading transport section 118. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12 is exposed to the lower end of the frame 212.

The tray circulation elevator 20 may have a fixed cover that covers the underside of the frame 212 and also covers the underside of the trays 12. When the cover is fixed, the cover prevents the trays 12 from falling off.

It is also preferable that the frame 212 has the same structure as, for example, the frame 112 of the item storage/retrieval device 18.

The lifting unit 214 is provided at a position facing the storage frames 52b and 52d. The lifting unit 214 has a lift 222 (see FIG. 1) that lifts and lowers the frame 212 within a predetermined range, and a hoist 224 (see FIG. 2) that is provided, for example, on the lift 222. The hoist 224 is provided, for example, at the bottom of the lift 222. The hoist 224 is controlled by the control unit 22. The frame 212 is connected to the hoist 224, and is raised and lowered in the lift 222 by the operation of the hoist 224 controlled by the control unit 22. Therefore, the lifting unit 214 raises and lowers the frame 212 in the Z-axis direction along a predetermined lift 222 that faces the storage frames 52b and 52d of the tray storage 14.

The frame 212 is connected to the cam plate 76 of the stopper mechanism 70. The frame 212 and the cam plate 76 rise and fall together when driven by the hoist 224.

The second moving mechanism 216 has a tray transport section 232 and a transport auxiliary section 234. The tray transport section 232 and the transport auxiliary section 234 are supported by, for example, the frame 212.

The tray transport unit 232 has a pair of conveyors 252 whose transport direction is, for example, along the X-axis direction, and a drive unit 254 that drives the conveyors 252. The pair of conveyors 252 are spaced apart in the Y-axis direction and support the lower surface of the frame 36 of the tray 12. The drive unit 254 is controlled by the control unit 22. The pair of conveyors 252 move in the same direction at the same speed. The drive unit 254 can reverse the transport direction of the conveyor 252 when moving the tray 12 from the -X-axis direction to the +X-axis direction, and when moving the tray 12 from the +X-axis direction to the -X-axis direction. The conveyor 252 can move the tray 12 in both directions of the +X-axis and -X-axis with the frame 36 of the tray 12 placed on it. The tray transport unit 232 drives a pair of conveyors 252 to move the tray 12 in a direction to remove the tray 12 from the tray storage 14 to the inside of the frame 212, and in a direction to push the tray 12 from the inside of the frame 212 into the tray storage 14.

The transport auxiliary unit 234 has a rail 262 fixed to the frame 212, a slider 264 that moves along the rail 262, and a drive unit 266 that is fixed to the frame 212 and operates the slider 264. The rail 262 extends along the X-axis direction within the frame 212 at the upper part of the inner side of the frame 212. The slider 264 protrudes from the frame 212 in the -X-axis direction at its most -X-axis position. The slider 264 is located within the frame 212 at its most +X-axis position. In this embodiment, the slider 264 is a pusher that presses the frame 36 of the tray 12 supported within the frame 212 toward the tray storage 14. For this reason, the slider 264 is in a position where it can abut against the frame 36 of the tray 12 supported by the conveyor 252 of the tray transport unit 232. The drive unit 266 is controlled by the control unit 22. The driving unit 266 reverses the moving direction of the slider 264 when moving the slider 264 from the -X axis direction to the +X axis direction and when moving the slider 264 from the +X axis direction to the -X axis direction. When the driving unit 266 drives the slider 264 to move in the -X axis direction in response to the control of the control unit 22, it assists in pushing the tray 12 from the tray circulation elevator 20 into the tray storage 14. The driving unit 266 drives the slider 264 in response to the control of the control unit 22, and, for example, when the slider 264 is moved to the furthest position in the +X axis direction relative to the rail 262, the frame 36 of the tray 12 supported by the conveyor 252 of the tray transport unit 232 is brought into contact with the slider 264 of the transport auxiliary unit 234. Therefore, the slider 264 prevents the tray 12 taken out of the tray storage 14 from falling off from the inside of the frame 212 in the +X axis direction.

The control unit 22 is, for example, a computer. The control unit 22 includes a processor or integrated circuit (control circuit) including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a storage medium such as a memory. The control unit 22 may include one processor or integrated circuit, or multiple processors or integrated circuits. The control unit 22 executes a program or the like stored in a storage medium, etc., to perform processing.

The control unit 22 controls the operation of the main conveyor 16, the operation of the goods loading/unloading device 18, and the operation of the tray circulation elevator 20. When the control unit 22 unloads the tray 12 supported by a pair of conveyors 152 in the goods loading/unloading device 18 or the goods P placed on the tray 12 to the main conveyor 16, the control unit 22 controls the conveyor drive unit 104 and controls the conveying direction of the conveyor 102. When the control unit 22 unloads the tray 12 from the main conveyor 16 into the goods loading/unloading device 18 or unloads the goods P into the tray 12 in the goods loading/unloading device 18, the control unit 22 controls the conveyor drive unit 104 and controls the conveying direction of the conveyor 102. The control unit 22 controls the lifting and lowering of the frame 112 relative to the tray storage 14 and the operation of the first moving mechanism 116. The control unit 22 controls the lifting and lowering of the frame 212 relative to the tray storage 14 and the operation of the second moving mechanism 216. The control unit 22 controls the hoist 124 to raise and lower the frame 112 in the hoistway 122 of the lifting unit 114 so that the frame 112 can be stopped at a desired position. The control unit 22 controls the hoist 224 to raise and lower the frame 212 in the hoistway 222 of the lifting unit 214 so that the frame 212 can be stopped at a desired position.

The control unit 22 also links the tray 12 with the items P stored in the tray 12. Therefore, the control unit 22 updates the placement data of the items P in accordance with the movement of the tray 12 each time the tray 12 is moved.

Figures 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams showing the circulation operation of circulating the trays 12 using the automated warehouse 10. Figures 15 to 17 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the trays 12 using the goods storage and retrieval device 18, tray storage 14, and tray circulation elevator 20 of the automated warehouse 10. Figures 18 to 20 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the trays 12 using the goods storage and retrieval device 18, tray storage 14, and tray circulation elevator 20 of the automated warehouse 10. Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the main conveying section 16, goods storage and retrieval device 18, tray storage 14, and tray circulation elevator 20 of the automated warehouse 10. Figures 22 and 23 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the trays 12 using the goods storage and retrieval device 18 and main conveying section 16 of the automated warehouse 10. Figure 24 is a schematic diagram showing the storage and retrieval operation of the goods P using the goods storage and retrieval device 18 and main conveying section 16 of the automated warehouse 10.

The operation of the automated warehouse 10 when one tray 12a containing the item P to be removed is removed from the automated warehouse 10 will be described. The operation of the automated warehouse 10 when the item P to be removed is removed from the automated warehouse 10 without removing the tray 12a will also be described. Note that here, the trays moved by the item receiving/removing device 18 and the tray circulation elevator 20 are denoted by symbols 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, and 12f. The shelf sections are denoted by symbols 54a, 54b, ..., 54o from the top.

Here, the tray 12a is moved in sequence as shown in Figures 13 and 14.

The control unit 22 operates the main transport unit 16 as necessary while also operating the item loading/unloading device 18 and the tray circulation elevator 20. Similarly, the control unit 22 operates the main transport unit 16 and the tray circulation elevator 20 while also operating the item loading/unloading device 18. The control unit 22 operates the main transport unit 16 and the item loading/unloading device 18 while also operating the tray circulation elevator 20.

As shown in Figures 1 and 13, the trays 12 are placed on each shelf 54 of the tray storage 14 with no gaps along the X-axis direction. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, the trays 12 are placed on each shelf 54 of the tray storage 14 with minimal gaps along the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the maximum number of trays 12 are placed on the tray storage 14. In this state, an example will be described in which an item P stored in the tray 12a on the uppermost shelf 54a of the shelf sections 54 shown in Figure 13, which is the tray closest to the -X-axis direction, is shipped from the automated warehouse 10 to the main transport section 16. Note that each tray 12 other than the tray 12a from which the item P is shipped may or may not contain an item P.

The conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 of the first moving mechanism 116 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 shown in FIG. 13 is stopped while supporting the frame 36 of the tray 12b. In this state, the control section 22 operates the hoist 124 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 to position the tray 12b facing the tray 12c on the second shelf section 54b from the top, which is located closest to the -X axis direction. The control section 22 continues to control the hoist 124 to maintain the state in which the tray 12b faces the tray 12c.

At this time, in the second shelf 54b from the top, the cam portion 74 comes into contact with the cam plate 76, causing the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 to rotate, and the tray 12b moves to the +X axis direction, allowing it to be moved to the position furthest to the -X axis direction of the tray storage 14.

The conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 of the second movement mechanism 216 of the tray circulation elevator 20 is not supporting a tray 12. In this state, the control unit 22 operates the hoist 224 of the tray circulation elevator 20, and causes the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 to move the tray 12d, which is located on the same shelf section 54b as the tray 12c, to a height at which it can support it. The control unit 22 continues to control the hoist 224 to maintain this state.

At this time, in the second shelf 54b from the top, the cam plate 76 comes into contact with the cam portion 74, and the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 rotates. As a result, the rotating body 72 retreats from the position facing the tray 12 along the X-axis direction. Therefore, the tray 12d can move from the position closest to the +X-axis side of the tray storage 14 to a position further to the +X-axis side.

The control unit 22 also controls the drive unit 266 of the transport auxiliary unit 234 of the second moving mechanism 216 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to position the slider 264 at the position furthest in the +X axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 22 controls the drive unit 166 of the lift unit 134 of the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 to move the support unit 162 to the upper level within the frame 112. At this time, when the support unit 162 and the conveyor 152 are moved to the upper level within the frame 112, the tray stopper 168 does not interfere with the movement of the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136. In this state, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 and the drive unit 186 of the transport auxiliary unit 136, and drives the drive unit 254 of the tray transport unit 232 of the tray circulation elevator 20.

By controlling the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132, the pair of conveyors 152 are operated. The pair of conveyors 152 move in the same direction at the same speed. The tray 12b supported by the pair of conveyors 152 is pushed in the +X-axis direction by the slider 184 while being transported so as to be sent out in the +X-axis direction by the conveyor 152. Therefore, the tray 12b supported by the goods storage/retrieval device 18 moves from the goods storage/retrieval device 18 into the tray storage 14 in the +X-axis direction while pushing the tray 12c in the tray storage 14 in the +X-axis direction. The control unit 22 controls the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the first moving mechanism 116 of the goods storage/retrieval device 18, and continues to operate the conveyor 152 until the frame 36 of the tray 12b is separated from the conveyor 152 in the +X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 16, the control unit 22 controls the drive unit 186 of the transport auxiliary unit 136 of the first moving mechanism 116 of the item storage/retrieval device 18 to position the slider 184 at the position furthest to the +X axis direction.

Therefore, the trays 12 arranged without gaps move in the +X-axis direction on the shelf section 54b in the tray storage 14. At this time, the lower surface of the frame body 36 of the tray 12d closest to the +X-axis direction contacts the upper surface of the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 of the second moving mechanism 216. Therefore, the tray 12d moves from the tray storage 14 to the tray circulation elevator 20. Since the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 254 of the tray transport section 232 of the tray circulation elevator 20, the tray 12d is transported so as to be pulled in the +X-axis direction by the conveyor 152 and placed on the tray transport section 232. The control unit 22 controls the drive unit 254 to drive the conveyor 252 so as to move the tray 12d in the +X-axis direction of the frame 212 until the frame body 36 of the tray 12d abuts against the slider 264 of the transport auxiliary section 234. This prevents interference with the tray storage 14 when the frame 212 of the tray circulation elevator 20 moves up and down the elevator shaft 222.

Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 186 of the transport auxiliary unit 136 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 to move the slider 184 in the -X-axis direction. This prevents interference with the tray storage 14 when the frame 112 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 moves up and down the elevator shaft 122.

At this time, the control unit 22 updates the placement data of the items P each time the tray 12 moves. When the tray 12 is pushed from the item loading/unloading device 18 into the tray storage 14 and then handed over from the tray storage 14 to the tray circulation elevator 20, all six trays 12 move at the same time. Therefore, the control unit 22 updates the placement data of the items P on each of the six trays 12.

As shown in FIG. 14, in this state, the control unit 22 operates the hoist 124 of the item storage/retrieval device 18, and moves the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 to a height capable of supporting the tray 12a furthest in the -X axis direction of the shelf unit 54a that is the same as the tray 12a.

At this time, in the uppermost shelf 54a, the cam portion 74 abuts against the cam plate 76, causing the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 to rotate, and the tray 12a can move to a position on the -X axis side. Meanwhile, in the second shelf 54b from the top, the cam portion 74 moves away from the cam plate 76, causing the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 to rotate, restricting the movement of the tray 12b from the position on the -X axis side of the tray storage 14 to a position further to the -X axis side.

The control unit 22 also operates the hoist 224 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to make tray 12d face tray 12e, which is the tray furthest in the +X-axis direction from the position of the uppermost shelf section 54a. At this time, the control unit 22 moves the frame 36 of tray 12d to a position facing the frame 36 of tray 12e in the X-axis direction. The control unit 22 continues to control the hoist 224 so that the frame 36 of tray 12d maintains a state in which it faces the frame 36 of tray 12e.

At this time, in the uppermost shelf 54a, the cam portion 74 abuts against the cam plate 76, causing the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 to rotate, and the tray 12d can move the tray 12e, which is at the position furthest on the +X axis direction side of the tray storage 14, to a position on the -X axis direction side. Meanwhile, in the second shelf 54b from the top, the cam portion 74 moves away from the cam plate 76, causing the rotating body 72 of the stopper mechanism 70 to rotate, restricting the movement of the tray 12 from the position furthest on the +X axis direction side of the tray storage 14 to a position further to the +X axis direction side.

As shown in FIG. 18, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 254 of the tray transport unit 232 of the tray circulation elevator 20 and the drive unit 266 of the transport auxiliary unit 234, and also drives the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the item storage/retrieval device 18.

The tray 12d supported by the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 is pushed in the -X-axis direction by the slider 264 while being transported in the -X-axis direction by the conveyor 252. As a result, the tray 12d supported by the tray circulation elevator 20 moves from the tray circulation elevator 20 to the tray storage 14 in the -X-axis direction while pushing the tray 12e, which is the tray closest to the +X-axis direction in the tray storage 14, in the -X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 19, the control unit 22 controls the drive unit 266 of the transport auxiliary unit 234 of the second movement mechanism 216 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to position the slider 264 at the position furthest to the -X axis direction. As a result, the tray 12d moves from the tray circulation elevator 20 to the tray storage 14. As a result, the trays 12, which are lined up without gaps, move in the -X axis direction on the shelf unit 54a in the tray storage 14.

At this time, the bottom surface of the frame 36 of the tray 12a furthest in the -X axis direction comes into contact with the top surface of the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 of the first moving mechanism 116. As a result, the tray 12a moves from the tray storage 14 to the item loading/unloading device 18.

Since the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18, the frame 36 of the tray 12a is placed on the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132. The control unit 22 controls the drive unit 154 to drive the conveyor 152 so as to move the tray 12a in the -X axis direction of the frame 112 until the frame 36 of the tray 12a abuts against the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136. This prevents interference with the tray storage 14 when the frame 112 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 moves up and down the elevator 122.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 266 of the transport auxiliary unit 234 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to move the slider 264 in the +X-axis direction. This prevents interference with the tray storage 14 when the frame 212 of the tray circulation elevator 20 moves up and down the elevator shaft 222.

At this time, the control unit 22 updates the placement data of the items P each time the tray 12 moves. When the tray 12 is pushed from the tray circulation elevator 20 into the tray storage 14 and then handed over from the tray storage 14 to the item loading/unloading device 18, all six trays 12 move at the same time. Therefore, the control unit 22 updates the placement data of the items P on each of the six trays 12.

As shown in FIG. 21, the control unit 22 controls the hoist 124 of the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 to lower the frame 112 of the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 toward the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16. The control unit 22 also controls the hoist 224 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to lower the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to a position where the tray 12 on the lowest shelf section 54o can be placed.

22, the control unit 22 controls the drive unit 166 of the lift unit 134 of the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 to move the support unit 162 to the middle level within the frame 112. At this time, the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136 and the tray 12a are not in contact with each other regardless of the position of the slider 184. Note that when the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 is operating or when the tray 12a is about to move in the opposite direction to the desired direction, for example, in the +X-axis direction instead of the -X-axis direction due to an external factor such as an earthquake, the tray stopper 168 restricts the tray 12a from moving outside the frame 112 along the +X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 23, the control unit 22 controls the hoist 124 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18 to support the frame 36 of the tray 12a on the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132, and supports the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12a at a position slightly above the upper parts of the mating conveyor 192, auxiliary conveyor 194, and guide 198 (see FIG. 7). In this state, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the goods receiving and retrieving device 18. The control unit 22 also drives the conveyor drive unit 104 of the main transport unit 16.

The frame 36 of the tray 12a supported by the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 of the item loading/unloading device 18 is transported in the -X-axis direction by the conveyor 152. The bottom plate 32 of the tray 12a supported by the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16 is transported in the -X-axis direction by the conveyor 102. Therefore, the tray 12a containing the item P is handed over from the item loading/unloading device 18 to the main transport section 16. Therefore, the tray 12a containing the item P is unloaded by the main transport section 16.

When an empty tray 12a containing a new item P is stored in the item storage/retrieval device 18, the control unit 22 controls the conveyor drive unit 104 of the main transport unit 16 and the drive unit 154 of the tray transport unit 132 of the item storage/retrieval device 18 to reverse the transport direction of the conveyors 102, 152 and move the tray 12a in the +X-axis direction. The bottom plate 32 of the tray 12a supported by the conveyor 102 of the main transport unit 16 is transported in the +X-axis direction by the conveyor 102. The frame 36 of the tray 12a supported by the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 of the item storage/retrieval device 18 is transported in the +X-axis direction by the conveyor 152. Thus, the empty tray 12a containing a new item P is stored in the item storage/retrieval device 18. When the tray 12a is stored in the item storage/retrieval device 18, the tray stopper 168 in the frame 112 prevents the tray 12a from moving outward from the frame 112 along the +X axis direction.

The following also describes the operation of the automated warehouse 10 when retrieving the item P to be retrieved from the automated warehouse 10 without retrieving the tray 12a.

The control unit 22 adjusts in advance the position along the X-axis direction of the tray 12 placed on the pair of conveyors 152. That is, the control unit 22 moves the conveyor 152 to position the tray 12a at a position where the through-hole 40 of the tray 12 is positioned in the +Z-axis direction of the mating conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport unit 118. The control unit 22 also drives the drive unit 186 to position the slider 184 at a predetermined position relative to the rail 182. The predetermined position of the slider 184 relative to the rail 182 is the position where the through-hole 40 of the tray 12a is positioned in the +Z-axis direction of the mating conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport unit 118 when the slider 184 is abutted against the frame 36 of the tray 12a.

With the frame body 36 of the tray 12a in contact with the slider 184, the control unit 22 stops the operation of the conveyor 152 and then moves the support part 162 of the lift unit 134 from the upper stage to the lower stage. That is, as shown in FIG. 24, the control unit 22 controls the drive unit 166 of the lift unit 134 of the goods storage and retrieval device 18 to move the support part 162 to the lower stage within the frame 112. The frame body 36 of the tray 12a is positioned below the slider 184, and the mating conveyor 192 of the storage and retrieval transport unit 118 is mated with the through hole 40 of the tray 12a. At this time, the auxiliary conveyor 194 and the guide 198 do not interfere with the tray 12a. The control unit 22 controls the hoist 124 of the goods loading/unloading device 18 to position the upper parts of the fitting conveyor 192 and auxiliary conveyor 194 of the loading/unloading transport section 118 slightly above the upper part of the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16. At this time, the upper part of the fitting conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport section 118 is in a state in which the goods P is lifted slightly upward from the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12a through the through hole 40 of the tray 12a. In this state, the control unit 22 drives the drive unit 196 of the loading/unloading transport section 118 of the goods loading/unloading device 18. The control unit 22 also drives the conveyor drive unit 104 of the main transport section 16.

The item P supported on the upper part of the fitting conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport section 118 is transported in the -X axis direction by the transport of the fitting conveyor 192. The item P supported by the item loading/unloading device 18 is transported in the -X axis direction by the transport of the fitting conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading transport section 118 of the item loading/unloading device 18, the transport of the auxiliary conveyor 194, and the transport of the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16. Therefore, the item P is handed over from the item loading/unloading device 18 to the main transport section 16. Therefore, the item P is unloaded by the main transport section 16.

When transporting and unloading an item P placed on a tray 12, the guide 198 guides the item P, for example, in the Y-axis direction (third direction) intersecting the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. More specifically, when an item P is unloaded from a tray 12 in the frame 112 of the item loading/unloading device 18 toward the conveyor 102 of the main conveying section 16, the unloading guide 198b guides the item P to the center in the Y-axis direction (width direction), and then delivers it to the conveyor 102 of the main conveying section 16 by the conveying force of the auxiliary conveyor 194.

When a new item P is to be stored in the tray 12a, the control unit 22 controls the conveyor drive unit 104 of the main transport unit 16 and the drive unit 196 of the in-and-out transport unit 118 of the item storage and retrieval device 18 to reverse the transport direction of the conveyors 102, 192 and move the item P in the +X-axis direction. The item P supported by the conveyor 102 of the main transport unit 16 is transported in the +X-axis direction by the conveyor 102. The item P supported by the auxiliary conveyor 194 and the mating conveyor 192 of the in-and-out transport unit 118 of the item storage and retrieval device 18 is transported in the +X-axis direction by the auxiliary conveyor 194 and the mating conveyor 192. As a result, the new item P is stored in the tray 12a supported in the item storage and retrieval device 18.

When the item P placed on the tray 12 is transported and stored, the guide 198 guides the item P, for example, in the Y-axis direction (third direction) intersecting the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. More specifically, when the item P is stored from the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16 toward the tray 12 in the frame 112 of the item storage/retrieval device 18, the storage guide 198a guides the item P to the center in the Y-axis direction (width direction), and then places the item P on the bottom plate 32 through the opening of the opening edge 38 of the tray 12 by the conveying force of the auxiliary conveyor 194.

When an item P is stored in a tray 12 supported in the frame 112 of the item storage/retrieval device 18, a tray stopper 168 in the frame 112 prevents the tray 12 from moving outward from the frame 112 along the +X-axis direction.

The goods receiving/retrieving device 18 according to this embodiment can raise and lower the frame 112 along the Z-axis direction (first direction) by the lifting unit 114. In addition, the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 can use the tray transport unit 132 of the first moving mechanism 116 to move the tray 12 on which the goods are placed in the X-axis direction (second direction) through the frame 112 between a first position on the main transport unit 16 side outside the frame 112 and a second position on the side of the multi-tiered tray storage 14 outside the frame 112 on the opposite side of the frame 112 from the first position. That is, the first moving mechanism 116 can transport the tray 12 by the tray transport unit 132 along the X-axis direction intersecting the Z-axis direction, and can push (push) the tray 12 to the outside of the frame 112 along the X-axis direction by the transport auxiliary unit 136. In this way, the goods storage and retrieval device 18 can perform two-dimensional operations on the XZ plane in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction to store and retrieve trays 12. When storing and retrieving trays 12, the goods storage and retrieval device 18 operates within a two-dimensional range and does not operate in three dimensions, so a complex structure can be avoided. For this reason, the goods storage and retrieval device 18 can reduce the introduction cost to a logistics center compared to an automated warehouse that operates in three dimensions.

By using the goods loading/unloading device 18, the trays 12 can be unloaded from the tray storage 14 at the desired height, and the trays 12 can be stored in the tray storage 14 at the desired height. The goods loading/unloading device 18 can move the trays 12 in both directions, toward the main conveyor section 16 and toward the tray storage 14, so that the trays 12 can be loaded and unloaded at an appropriate speed.

The goods loading/unloading device 18 according to this embodiment has a transport auxiliary unit 136 in addition to the tray transport unit 132. When the tray 12 is loaded from the goods loading/unloading device 18 to the tray storage 14, the transport of the tray 12 by the conveyor 152 can be pushed in and assisted by the slider 184. Therefore, the tray 12 can be reliably transported from within the frame 112 of the goods loading/unloading device 18 to the desired shelf unit 54 of the tray storage 14 in the +X-axis direction. Therefore, when the transport auxiliary unit 136 is used, the goods loading/unloading device 18 can smoothly transfer the tray 12 between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14. Therefore, a gap can be created between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14 to allow the frame 112 to be raised and lowered when the frame 112 is raised and lowered.

When the tray 12 is retrieved from the tray storage 14 to the goods loading/unloading device 18, the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary section 136 of the goods loading/unloading device 18 is moved to a position in the -X axis direction. In this state, when the tray 12 is transported from the tray storage 14 into the frame 112 of the goods loading/unloading device 18 in the -X axis direction, the slider 184 serves as a stopper that restricts the movement of the tray 12 in the -X axis direction by the operation of the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132. Therefore, the frame 36 of the tray 12 can be supported at a predetermined position on the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 of the goods loading/unloading device 18. Therefore, the goods loading/unloading device 18 can smoothly transfer the tray 12 between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14 by the transport auxiliary section 136. At this time, by setting the position of the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136, a gap can be created between the item loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14 to raise and lower the frame 112 when the frame 112 is raised or lowered.

The goods storage and retrieval device 18 according to this embodiment has a lift unit 134 in addition to the tray transport unit 132 and the transport auxiliary unit 136 of the first moving mechanism 116. The goods storage and retrieval device 18 can move the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 and the rail 182 and slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136 above the conveyor 152 close to and away from each other within the frame 112 by using the lift unit 134. As described above, when the tray 12 is stored in and retrieved from the tray storage 14, the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 and the rail 182 and slider 184 of the transport auxiliary unit 136 can be brought close to each other, and the transport of the tray 12 by the conveyor 152 can be assisted by the slider 184. In addition, when the tray 12 is delivered from the goods loading/unloading device 18 to the main transport section 16, or when the tray 12 is delivered from the main transport section 16 to the goods loading/unloading device 18, the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 is separated from the rail 182 and the slider 184 of the transport auxiliary section 136. Therefore, when the tray 12 is transferred between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the main transport section 16, the lift section 134 can be used to prevent the transport auxiliary section 136 from restricting the movement of the tray 12. Therefore, the goods loading/unloading device 18 can smoothly transfer the tray 12 between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14, and between the goods loading/unloading device 18 and the main transport section 16 by using the lift section 134.

The goods storage and retrieval device 18 according to this embodiment has an inlet/outlet transport section 118 in addition to the tray transport section 132 of the first moving mechanism 116. The goods storage and retrieval device 18 can fit the tray 12 into the fitting conveyor 192 of the inlet/outlet transport section 118 below the tray transport section 132. With the goods P placed on the fitting conveyor 192 of the inlet/outlet transport section 118 through the through hole 40 of the tray 12, the goods P can be transported in the -X-axis direction or +X-axis direction through the opening edge 38 of the tray 12. For this reason, the goods storage and retrieval device 18 can select, for example, to store and retrieve the tray 12 using the main transport section 16, and to store and retrieve the goods P contained in the tray 12 with the tray 12 supported in the frame 112 of the goods storage and retrieval device 18. For this reason, the goods storage and retrieval device 18 can select whether to store and retrieve the tray 12 or to store and retrieve the goods P according to the order. Therefore, the goods storage/retrieval device 18 can perform loading/unloading operations according to customer needs. When goods P are directly stored and retrieved using the goods storage/retrieval device 18, the work of removing goods P from the tray 12 using a person or a robot, for example, can be omitted. Therefore, the goods storage/retrieval device 18 can reduce loading/unloading costs. When storing and retrieving goods P stored in the tray 12 while the tray 12 is supported in the frame 112 of the goods storage/retrieval device 18, the goods storage/retrieval device 18 can use the main transport unit 16 to transport goods P directly to, for example, a container on a truck, or transport goods P directly from the container on a truck and place them in the tray 12.

At this time, the guide 198 guides the item P to, for example, a central position in the Y-axis direction relative to the item loading/unloading device 18, allowing the item P to be stored at a desired position, such as the central position in the Y-axis direction of the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12. The guide 198 also allows the item P to be handed over to the conveyor 102 of the main transport section 16 with the item P positioned at a desired position, such as the central position in the Y-axis direction of the auxiliary conveyor 194.

Therefore, the item storage and retrieval device 18 according to this embodiment can avoid having a complex structure.

In addition, in the goods receiving/retrieving device 18 according to this embodiment, when the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 is arranged, for example, in the middle or lower tier relative to the frame 112, the tray stopper 168 can restrict the tray 12 from unintentionally moving in the +X-axis direction relative to the conveyor 152. On the other hand, when the conveyor 152 of the tray transport section 132 is arranged, for example, in the upper tier relative to the frame 112, the tray 12 can be allowed to move in the +X-axis direction relative to the conveyor 152.

In the present embodiment, the article loading/unloading device 18 has been described as an example in which the tray 12 or the article P is loaded/unloaded between the main transport section 16 and the article loading/unloading device 18. The article loading/unloading device 18 may be structured to move the tray 12 between the article loading/unloading device 18 and the tray storage 14, and may be structured to load/unload the article P instead of the tray 12 between the main transport section 16 and the article loading/unloading device 18. In this case, the lift section 134 of the article loading/unloading device 18 only needs to be movable to the upper and lower positions. Also, if contact between the article P and the mating conveyor 192 of the loading/unloading conveyor section 118 is permitted every time, the lift section 134 for raising and lowering the conveyor 152 of the tray conveyor section 132 within the frame 112 may not be necessary. In this case, the conveyor 152 of the tray conveyor section 132 is directly supported by, for example, the frame 112.

In the automated warehouse 10 according to this embodiment, in the example shown in FIG. 1, 90 trays 12 are arranged in the tray storage 14. The goods storage/retrieval device 18 and the tray circulation elevator 20 can each hold one tray 12 in addition to the tray storage 14. For this reason, the automated warehouse 10 according to this embodiment configures a goods storage/retrieval device unit 24 that supports one tray 12 on the goods storage/retrieval device 18. Therefore, the goods storage/retrieval device unit 24 according to this embodiment can simultaneously use the number of trays 12 that is the number of trays 12 that can be stored in the tray storage 14 plus one tray 12. Therefore, the goods storage/retrieval device unit 24 according to this embodiment can be used efficiently in warehouses such as small and medium-sized logistics centers, for example.

When the tray circulation elevator 20 transports the tray 12 from the tray circulation elevator 20 to the tray storage 14, the conveyor 252 can assist in the transport of the tray 12 by the slider 264 of the transport assistance section 234. This allows the tray 12 to be reliably transported from within the frame 212 of the tray circulation elevator 20 to the desired shelf section 54 of the tray storage 14 in the -X-axis direction.

In addition, when the slider 264 of the transport auxiliary section 234 of the tray circulation elevator 20 is moved to a position in the +X-axis direction and the tray 12 is transported from the tray storage 14 into the frame 212 of the tray circulation elevator 20 in the +X-axis direction, even if the tray 12 unintentionally moves in the +X-axis direction due to the operation of the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232, the slider 264 acts as a stopper for the frame 36 of the tray 12. Therefore, the conveyor 252 of the tray transport section 232 of the tray circulation elevator 20 can support the frame 36 of the tray 12 at a predetermined position.

According to the automated warehouse 10 described above, identical trays 12 are arranged in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, but not in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the automated warehouse 10 can move the trays 12 in sequence by pressing the trays 12 from the -X-axis side of the tray storage 14 or from the +X-axis side of the tray storage 14, or by moving the trays 12 in the Z-axis direction.

Because the movement direction of the trays 12 is bidirectional (not one-way) within one (one-level) shelf section 54 (within the horizontal plane), the control unit 22 can output an order that is deemed to be the optimal solution when determining the order of delivery. When circulating the trays 12 within the automated warehouse 10 when delivering items P, the delivery order is adjusted according to the delivery list of the items P, and the rearrangement of the trays 12 is optimized, thereby shortening the delivery time. The placement data of the items P is updated each time the trays 12 are moved, so the control unit 22 can grasp the storage position of the items P in real time.

Also, unlike large automated warehouses installed in large logistics centers, a single automated warehouse 10 moves the trays 12 in the X-axis and Z-axis directions when entering and leaving the warehouse, but does not move them in the Y-axis direction. This allows the automated warehouse 10 to reduce introduction costs compared to those that move in three directions, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, the tray storage 14 can hold the trays 12 in contact in the X-axis direction while minimizing the gap in the Z-axis direction. This allows the automated warehouse 10 to make effective use of the space from the floor to the ceiling.

In addition, by collecting empty trays 12 that have been shipped on a specific shelf section 54, it is possible to prevent the trays 12 on that shelf section 54 from being used for tray 12 circulation. Conversely, by collecting empty trays 12 that have been shipped on a specific shelf section 54, it is possible to use the empty trays 12 for tray 12 circulation and suppress the movement of items P. As a result, the automated warehouse 10 can improve the retrieval efficiency (speed).

According to this embodiment, for example, it is possible to provide an item loading/unloading device 18, an item loading/unloading device unit 24, and an automated warehouse 10 that can avoid having a complex structure.

As shown in FIG. 25, the automated warehouse 10 can be installed one at a time or lined up in the Y-axis direction, for example, depending on the floor area of the warehouse. In this case, the tray storage 14 storing the trays 12 can easily set the length of the shelf section 54 in the X-axis direction, and the number of stages (number of shelves) of the shelf section 54 storing the trays 12 can easily be set according to the ceiling height. For this reason, the tray storage 14 can be set according to the scale of the installation position of the automated warehouse 10, such as the area and height. The tray storage 14 only needs to support the bottom plate 32 of the tray 12 from below, and the tray 12 is moved in the tray storage 14 by pushing the tray 12 out of the tray storage 14. For this reason, the tray storage 14 does not require a special mechanism and has no parts to be operated, so mechanical maintenance is not required. In addition, the stopper mechanism 70 is provided outside the tray storage 14, so maintenance is easy. Since no maintenance is required inside the tray storage 14, multiple trays 12 can be closely arranged in one horizontal direction, such as the X-axis direction, improving the storage rate of the trays 12.

(First Modification)
A first modified example of the automated warehouse 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 26 to 29.

As shown in Figures 26 to 29, the main conveying unit 16 has a conveyor 102, a conveyor drive unit 104 that drives the conveyor 102, a lift unit 106, and an in-stock/out-stock conveying unit 118. The goods in-stock/out-stock device 18 has a frame (first frame) 112, a lifting unit 114 (see Figure 2) that raises and lowers the frame 112, and a first moving mechanism 116. For this reason, in this modified example, the in-stock/out-stock conveying unit 118 is provided separately from the goods in-stock/out-stock device 18. The lifting unit 114, the first moving mechanism 116, and the in-stock/out-stock conveying unit 118 are controlled by the control unit 22.

The support section 162 of the lift section 134 of the first moving mechanism 116 is movable between the upper and middle sections. The lift section 106 of the main transport section 16 supports the in- and out-of-stock transport section 118 so that it can move in the Z-axis direction relative to the conveyor 102. The lift section 106 is movable between a position where the upper surfaces of the conveyors 192, 194 are lower in the Z-axis direction than the upper surface of the conveyor 102 (see Figures 26 and 27) and a position where the upper surfaces are aligned in the Z-axis direction with the upper surface of the conveyor 102 (see Figures 28 and 29).

(Second Modification)
A second modified example of the automated warehouse 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 30 and 31 .

As shown in Figures 30 and 31, the transport assistant unit 136 has a lift unit 188 that supports the rail 182 and slider 184 so that they can move in the Z-axis direction relative to the frame 112. The operation of the lift unit 188 raises and lowers the rail 182 and slider 184 while maintaining the position of the support unit 162 of the lift unit 134. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the conveyor 152 of the tray transport unit 132 and the rail 182 and slider 184 of the transport assistant unit 136 may be adjusted.

In addition, it is also preferable that the automated warehouse 10 according to the second modified example has the loading/unloading transport section 118 provided separately from the item loading/unloading device 18, as in the automated warehouse 10 described in the first modified example.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to provide an automated warehouse 10 including an item loading/unloading device 18, an item loading/unloading device unit 24, and an item loading/unloading device 18, which can avoid having a complex structure, for example.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.
The following is a summary of the claims of this application as filed.
[Appendix 1]
A first frame;
a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first frame along a first direction;
a first moving mechanism provided within the first frame, the first moving mechanism including a tray transport unit that transports a tray on which an article can be placed along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a transport assistant unit that pushes the tray outward from the first frame along the second direction;
An article storage and retrieval device having the above structure.
[Appendix 2]
the first moving mechanism further includes a lift unit that raises and lowers the tray transport unit within the first frame.
2. An article storage and retrieval device as described in appendix 1.
[Appendix 3]
the lift unit raises and lowers the tray transport unit to a first position where the transport assistant unit can push the tray outward from the first frame, and a second position below the first position where the transport assistant unit and the tray are not in contact with each other.
3. An article storage and retrieval device as described in appendix 2.
[Appendix 4]
a tray stopper provided on the first frame and configured to restrict the tray from moving in a direction in which the tray is pushed in when the tray transport unit is at the second position;
4. An article storage and retrieval device as described in appendix 3.
[Appendix 5]
The apparatus further includes an in-and-out transport unit that is provided on the first frame and transports the article placed on the tray in a direction opposite to a direction in which the transport assistant unit pushes the tray, thereby transporting the article out of the tray, and transporting the article to the tray supported within the first frame, thereby storing the article in the tray.
An article storage and retrieval device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
[Appendix 6]
At least one of the first frame and the loading/unloading transport section has a guide that guides the item placed on the tray in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction when transporting the item to be unloaded, and guides the item in the third direction when transporting the item to the tray supported within the first frame and loading the item onto the tray.
6. An article storage and retrieval device as described in appendix 5.
[Appendix 7]
the first moving mechanism further includes a lift unit that raises and lowers the transport auxiliary unit within the first frame;
2. An article storage and retrieval device as described in appendix 1.
[Appendix 8]
An article storage/retrieval device according to claim 5 or 6;
A substantially rectangular frame supported by the tray transport unit;
Three side panels extending downward from three sides of the frame body;
A bottom plate provided on the three side plates and capable of placing an article thereon; and
A through hole provided in the bottom plate, which allows a part of the loading/unloading conveyor to come into contact with the article.
A tray having
An article storage and retrieval device unit having the above structure.
[Appendix 9]
An article storage/retrieval device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4;
a plurality of trays each having the same shape and size, each tray comprising a bottom plate having a through hole, a plurality of side plates provided on the bottom plate, a frame body provided on an upper portion of the side plate, and an opening edge formed by the bottom plate, the side plates, and the frame body;
an in-and-out transport section that transports the article placed on the tray through the opening formed by the opening edge in a direction opposite to the direction in which the transport auxiliary section transports the tray, thereby removing the article from the tray, and transports the article through the opening to the tray supported by the first frame, thereby storing the article in the tray;
a tray storage unit adjacent to the article receiving/discharging device, the trays being arranged in the second direction and stocked in the first direction;
an elevator that is provided on the opposite side of the article receiving/retrieving device across the tray storage, receives another tray that is pushed out of the tray storage by the article receiving/retrieving device pushing the tray in at a first stage, and pushes the other tray into the tray storage at a second stage;
An automated warehouse with
[Appendix 10]
The elevator is
A second frame that moves up and down relative to the tray storage;
a second moving mechanism provided in the second frame and configured to move the tray between the tray storage outside the second frame and an interior of the second frame;
The automated warehouse according to claim 9,
[Appendix 11]
A control unit that controls the item loading/unloading device, the loading/unloading transport unit, and the elevator,
11. The automated warehouse according to claim 9 or 10.

10...automated warehouse, 12...tray, 14...tray storage, 16...main transport section for goods entering and leaving, 18...goods entering and leaving device, 20...tray circulation elevator, 22...control section, 24...goods entering and leaving device unit, 32...bottom plate, 34a, 34b, 34c...side plate, 36...frame body, 38...opening edge, 40...through hole, 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d...storage frame, 54...shelf section, 62...connecting section, 64...support section, 70...stopper mechanism, 72...rotating body, 102...conveyor, 104...conveyor drive section, 112...frame, 114...lifting section, 116...first moving mechanism, 118...entry and leaving transport section, 122...hoistway, 124...hoist, 132...tray transport section, 134...lift section, 136...transport auxiliary section, 152...conveyor, 154...drive section, 162...support section, 164...rail, 166...drive section, 182...rail, 184...slider, 186...drive section, 192...engagement conveyor, 194...auxiliary conveyor, 196...drive section, 212...frame, 214...hoistway, 216...second moving mechanism, 222...hoistway, 224...hoist, 232...tray transport section, 234...transport auxiliary section, 252...conveyor, 254...drive section, 262...rail, 264...slider, 266...drive section

Claims (10)

A first frame;
a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first frame along a first direction;
a first moving mechanism provided within the first frame, the first moving mechanism including a tray transport unit that transports a tray on which an article can be placed along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a transport assistant unit that pushes the tray outward from the first frame along the second direction;
having
the first moving mechanism further includes a lift unit that raises and lowers the tray transport unit within the first frame.
Goods storage and retrieval device. the lift unit raises and lowers the tray transport unit to a first position where the transport assistant unit can push the tray outward from the first frame, and a second position below the first position where the transport assistant unit and the tray are not in contact with each other.
The article receiving and retrieving device according to claim 1 . a tray stopper provided on the first frame and configured to restrict the tray from moving in a direction in which the tray is pushed in when the tray transport unit is at the second position;
The article receiving and retrieving device according to claim 2 . The apparatus further includes an in-and-out transport unit that is provided on the first frame and transports the article placed on the tray in a direction opposite to a direction in which the transport assistant unit pushes the tray, thereby transporting the article out of the tray, and transporting the article to the tray supported within the first frame, thereby storing the article in the tray.
The article receiving and retrieving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . At least one of the first frame and the loading/unloading transport section has a guide that guides the item placed on the tray in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction when transporting the item to be unloaded, and guides the item in the third direction when transporting the item to the tray supported within the first frame and loading the item onto the tray.
The article receiving and retrieving device according to claim 4 . A first frame;
a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the first frame along a first direction;
a first moving mechanism provided within the first frame, the first moving mechanism including a tray transport unit that transports a tray on which an article can be placed along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a transport assistant unit that pushes the tray outward from the first frame along the second direction;
having
the first moving mechanism further includes a lift unit that raises and lowers the transport auxiliary unit within the first frame;
Goods storage and retrieval device. The article receiving and retrieving device according to claim 4 or 5 ,
A substantially rectangular frame supported by the tray transport unit;
Three side panels extending downward from three sides of the frame body;
an item loading/unloading device unit comprising: a bottom plate provided on the three side plates and capable of placing an item thereon; and a tray provided on the bottom plate and having a through hole for allowing a portion of the loading/unloading conveying section to come into contact with the item. The article receiving and retrieving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
a plurality of trays each having the same shape and size, each tray comprising a bottom plate having a through hole, a plurality of side plates provided on the bottom plate, a frame body provided on an upper portion of the side plate, and an opening edge formed by the bottom plate, the side plates, and the frame body;
an in-and-out transport section that transports the article placed on the tray through the opening formed by the opening edge in a direction opposite to the direction in which the transport auxiliary section transports the tray, thereby removing the article from the tray, and transports the article through the opening to the tray supported by the first frame, thereby storing the article in the tray;
a tray storage unit adjacent to the article receiving/discharging device, the trays being arranged in the second direction and stocked in the first direction;
an elevator that is provided on the opposite side of the tray storage to the item input/output device, receives other trays pushed out of the tray storage when the item input/output device pushes in the trays on a first level, and pushes the other trays into the tray storage on a second level. The elevator is
A second frame that moves up and down relative to the tray storage;
The automated warehouse according to claim 8, further comprising: a second moving mechanism provided in the second frame and configured to move the tray between the tray storage outside the second frame and an interior of the second frame . A control unit that controls the item loading/unloading device, the loading/unloading transport unit, and the elevator,
The automated warehouse according to claim 8 or 9 .