JP7643430B2 - Transport System - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a transport system.

Patent document 1 discloses a robot that places items on a cart and transports them.

Patent No. 6413899

As a means for storing items placed on a cart on a shelf, or for placing items stored on a shelf on a cart, it is possible to provide a guide rail on the shelf and raise the platform along the guide rail. The guide rail is provided with a notch (insertion port) for inserting and removing items, and a hole for measuring the height of the platform. In this case, even though the platform and guide rail are engaged, there are cases where the engagement between the platform and guide rail cannot be detected.

This disclosure was made in consideration of these problems, and realizes a transport system that can accurately detect whether the loading platform and guide rail are engaged.

A conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A guide rail extending in a vertical direction, the guide rail having one or more notches or holes disposed along the vertical direction;
a mounting table having a groove that can be engaged with the guide rail;
A lifting unit that lifts and lowers the mounting table;
Two sensors each capable of detecting the guide rail are disposed above and below a center portion of the groove in the vertical direction;
and a control unit that detects engagement between the mounting table and the guide rail based on an OR signal of output signals from the two sensors.

This disclosure makes it possible to realize a transport system that can accurately detect whether the mounting platform and guide rail are engaged.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a transport system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram for explaining a difference between the configuration of the conventional technology and the configuration of the first embodiment. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a method for detecting engagement between the mounting table and the guide rail using the first embodiment.

Specific embodiments to which the present disclosure is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following descriptions and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

EMBODIMENT 1
Hereinafter, a transport system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The transport system 1 includes a shelf 11 and a transport robot 12. The transport robot 12 transports an item and stores it in the shelf 11. The transport robot 12 retrieves the item from the shelf 11 and transports the retrieved item.

The shelf 11 is configured to be able to store an item 2 (e.g., a mailable box). In FIG. 1, the item 2 is indicated by a dotted line. The item 2 has a protruding portion (e.g., a flange) that protrudes in the width direction. The shelf 11 has a housing 111, a support member 112, a guide rail 113a, and a guide rail 113b. The support member 112 supports the protruding portion of the item 2.

The pair of guide rails 113a and 113b extend vertically. When there is no need to distinguish between the guide rails 113a and 113b, they are referred to as guide rails 113. The guide rails 113a and 113b can engage with grooves 1211a and 1211b provided in the mounting table 121 of the transport robot 12. The mounting table 121 moves up and down along the guide rails 113a and 113b.

Each of the guide rails 113a and 113b has one or more notches 1131 (also called input ports) arranged along the vertical direction. The notches 1131 are used when inserting and removing the item 2.

The notches 1131 are also used to measure the height of the mounting table 121. The height of the mounting table 121 can be measured by detecting the notches 1131 with sensors 125a and 125b (described later) and counting the number of detected notches 1131. Also, holes may be provided instead of the notches 1131.

The transport robot 12 includes a mounting table 121, a moving unit 122, a lifting unit 123, an extendable arm 124, a sensor 125a, and a sensor 125b.

The mounting table 121 is a table on which the item 2 can be placed. Grooves 1211a and 1211b are provided on the mounting table 121. The grooves 1211a and 1211b are provided on the right and left sides in the traveling direction of the transport robot 12. The grooves 1211a and 1211b can engage with the guide rails 113a and 113b.

The transport robot 12 moves horizontally by the moving unit 122. The lifting unit 123 is provided on the moving unit 122. The lifting unit 123 raises and lowers the placement table 121. The extendable arm 124 takes the item 2 from the shelf 11 and places it on the placement table 121, and stores the item 2 on the placement table 121 in the shelf 11.

Sensor 125a (also called sensor A) is provided in groove 1211a. Sensor 125b (called sensor B) is provided in groove 1211b. Sensors 125b and 125a are provided above and below the center of grooves 1211a and 1211b in the vertical direction. The up-down relationship between the position of sensor 125a and the position of sensor 125b may be reversed. Sensors 125a and 125b can detect guide rails 113a and 113b. Both sensors 125a and 125b may be provided in groove 1211a or 1211b. When sensors 125a and 125b are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as sensor 125.

The sensor 125 is, for example, a photointerrupter or a photoreflector. In this case, the sensor 125 has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. When light from the light-emitting unit is blocked by the guide rail 113, the guide rail 113 may be detected. When light from the light-emitting unit is reflected by the guide rail 113, the guide rail 113 may be detected. The sensor 125 may also be a sensor (e.g., a contact sensor or a magnetic sensor) that detects the force received from the guide rail 113.

The transport robot 12 includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the moving unit 122, the lifting unit 123, and the extendable arm 124.

The control unit includes a memory, a processor, and the like. The control unit acquires the output signal of the sensor 125a and the output signal of the sensor 125b. The control unit detects that the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 are engaged based on the OR signal of the output signal of the sensor 125a and the output signal of the sensor 125b. The control unit also controls the height of the mounting table 121 based on the output signal of the sensor 125a and the output signal of the sensor 125b.

The shelf 11 and the transport robot 12 may be configured as one unit. Furthermore, the transport robot 12 may not have the telescopic arm 124. The telescopic arm 124 may be provided on the shelf 11 side, and the item 2 may be transferred by a mechanism other than the telescopic arm 124.

Figure 2 is a diagram explaining the difference between the configuration of the conventional technology and the configuration of embodiment 1. The diagram on the left is a diagram explaining the sensor 20 according to the conventional technology. One sensor 20 is disposed in the center in the thickness direction of the mounting table 121. If the position of the sensor 20 is higher than the position of the lower end of the notch 1131 and lower than the position of the upper end of the notch 1131, there is a problem in that it is not possible to detect that the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 are engaged.

The two figures on the right are diagrams explaining embodiment 1. The top diagram is a diagram explaining sensor 125a. Sensor 125a is provided at a position lower than the center. When the mounting table 121 is lowered, sensor 125a can detect the guide rail 113 at an earlier timing than sensor 20.

The figure below explains sensor 125b. Sensor 125b is located at a higher position than the center. When the mounting table 121 is raised, sensor 125b can detect the guide rail 113 earlier than sensor 20.

In the first embodiment, the output signal of both the sensor 125a and the sensor 125b is used, so that the engagement between the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 can be detected with higher accuracy than with conventional technology.

If the difference in height between sensor 125b and sensor 125a is greater than the width (or hole diameter) of notch 1131, this is preferable because it can reliably detect that the mounting table 121 and guide rail 113 are engaged.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for detecting engagement between the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 using embodiment 1. Figure 3 shows the time change in the output signal of sensor 20 according to the conventional technology, the time change in the output signal of sensor A (sensor 125a), the time change in the output signal of sensor B (sensor 125b), and the time change in the OR signal. When each sensor detects the guide rail 113, the output signal is "1". When the mounting table 121 is rising, the output of sensor B becomes "0" before the output of sensor A.

In conventional technology, it was not possible to detect that the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 were engaged during time period T1. In embodiment 1, an OR signal is used, so it is possible to detect that the mounting table 121 and the guide rail 113 are engaged during time period T1 as well.

The same effect can be achieved when two sensors 125 are provided in one of the grooves 1211. However, when sensors 125 are provided in both grooves 1211, it can be confirmed that both grooves 1211 are engaged with the guide rail 113.

By the way, by using the configuration of the conventional technology, it is possible to make the height of the mounting table 121 coincide with the height at which the notch 1131 is provided. In the conventional technology, the height of the mounting table 121 was controlled so that the output signal of the sensor 20 became "0". In the conventional technology, it was only possible to know that the position of the center of the mounting table 121 was higher than the position of the lower end of the notch 1131 and lower than the position of the upper end of the notch 1131.

Depending on tolerances and installation conditions, the height of the loading port (notch 1131) may differ for each shelf. Therefore, a transport robot according to conventional technology detects the notch 1131 with a sensor 20, raises the loading platform 121 to the notch 1131, and then raises and lowers the loading platform 121 a predetermined amount (e.g., several centimeters). If it can be detected that the center part in the thickness direction of the loading platform 121 is located at the center of the notch 1131, the accuracy of controlling the height of the loading platform 121 is improved. Improved accuracy can prevent mistakes when taking the item 2 in and out of the shelf 11, and can reduce processing time.

In the first embodiment, when the notch 1131 is detected by either one of the sensors A or B, the speed of the mounting table 121 is reduced. Then, the height of the mounting table 121 is controlled so that the output signal of the sensor A becomes "1" and the output signal of the sensor B becomes "1". The control unit may control the height of the mounting table 121 based on the AND signal of the output signal of the sensor A and the output signal of the sensor B. The time period T2 during which the detection signal A is "1" and the detection signal B is "1" is shorter than the time period T1. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the height of the mounting table 121 can be adjusted with high precision.

The above-mentioned programs include instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions. The programs may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disk or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The programs may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or a communication medium include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

Note that this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

1 Transport system 11 Shelf 111 Housing 112 Support member 113, 113a, 113b Guide rail 1131 Notch 12 Transport robot 121 Placement table 1211, 1211a, 1211b Groove 122 Moving part 123 Lifting part 124 Expandable arm 20, 125, 125a, 125b Sensor 2 Article

Claims (1)

A guide rail extending in a vertical direction, the guide rail having one or more notches or holes disposed along the vertical direction;
a mounting table having a groove that can be engaged with the guide rail;
A lifting unit that lifts and lowers the mounting table;
Two sensors each capable of detecting the guide rail are disposed above and below a center portion of the groove in the vertical direction;
a control unit that detects engagement between the mounting table and the guide rail based on an OR signal of output signals from the two sensors ,
The guide rail includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail,
the groove includes a first groove engageable with the first guide rail and a second groove engageable with the second guide rail;
One of the two sensors is disposed in the first groove, and the other of the two sensors is disposed in the second groove.
Conveying system.

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