JPH0344970B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse and an unloading device thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an automated warehouse that combines a pallet system and a slip sheet system, and an unloading device attached to the automated warehouse.

Various types of pallets have been widely used for cargo handling and storage. In other words, by employing pallets, it is possible to save labor, standardize, and speed up cargo handling operations, and to streamline them.

However, this palletization method has a problem in that it requires a large amount of expense for purchasing, collecting, managing, repairing, etc. the pallets. There are few problems if the pallets are recycled and used within the same business, but if the goods are transported outside together with the pallets, it becomes difficult to manage the collection of the pallets, and sometimes the pallets get stuck outside or are lost. Otherwise, inconveniences such as damage may occur. Therefore, the biggest problem is how to recover the pallets and increase the rotation rate.

Furthermore, there are also problems such as reduced loading efficiency and increased return shipping costs due to the large weight and volume of the pallets. Furthermore, repairing and replenishing damaged pallets requires considerable expense.

On the other hand, with the depletion trend of natural resources, pallets,
In particular, coupled with the rising price of wooden pallets,
In recent years, sheet pallets (slip sheets) have been developed, and the so-called slip sheet system has come to be adopted. Slip sheets are (a) low in unit price, (b) thin and lightweight, so loading efficiency is good, (c) requires very little space for storage, and (d) easy to return and collect. The slip sheet system is expected to become more and more widely adopted in the future due to its characteristics such as (e) being clean and hygienic.

Furthermore, in response to requests for efficient use of warehouse grounds for storing cargo, labor saving and automation of cargo handling operations, multi-level automated warehouses have been adopted in recent years. Automated warehouses generally store cargo loaded on conventional pallets via a conveyor and a stacker crane into predetermined cells of high-rise racks. In automated warehouses, the pallets themselves usually serve as conveyor plates, and in racks, the pallets serve as shelves.

On the other hand, in the unit load using the above-mentioned slip sheet instead of a pallet, the slip sheet is flexible and the cargo cannot be supported on the frame rack, so it cannot be directly applied to an automated warehouse system. is not possible. Therefore, when applying a cargo handling system using only slip sheets to a conventional automated warehouse for pallets, the following equipment modifications are required.

(b) Modification of palletizer Add a sheet feeding device.

(b) Conveyor modification In the case of a roller conveyor, reduce the gap between the rollers or change to a belt conveyor, top plate chain conveyor, etc.
Conventional slide chain conveyors cannot be used.

(c) Installation of shelf boards in each cell of the rack (d) Modification of stacker crane To enable cargo to be taken out from the racks on both sides, make it swingable and install a push-pull device.

Modification of such equipment requires a great deal of cost and is not practical. It is therefore an object of the present invention to combine a slipsheet system, which has a number of advantages, into a conventional automated pallet storage system without the need for such extensive modifications.

That is, in the present invention, by taking advantage of the advantages of both pallets and slip sheets, palletizing, conveyance, warehousing, and unloading are performed using conventional pallets, and the shipping department transfers cargo from pallets to slip sheets. This made it possible to ship cargo using sheets.

By adopting this method, pallets can be used cyclically within the same plant and shipped externally using slip sheets.
The advantages of both pallets and slip sheets can be utilized, and the problems mentioned above can be solved.

That is, the present invention accommodates a unit load with cargo placed on a pallet in a multi-level automatic warehouse in which the unit load with cargo placed on the pallet is carried into a predetermined cell of a rack and later taken out. A rack with a large number of cells arranged, a stacker crane that takes out unit loads from the cells of this rack, a conveyor that conveys the unit loads taken out by this stacker crane, and a rack installed adjacent to the discharge end of this conveyor. a sheet tray provided adjacent to the transfer table for keeping slip sheets on standby; a sheet feeding device that supplies sheets one by one onto the sheet tray; Then, the unit load of cargo carried out onto the transfer table is transferred from the pallet onto the sheet on the sheet table, and
It is characterized by comprising a transfer device for discharging empty pallets to the transfer table in the opposite direction to the sheet table, and a pallet rack for sequentially stacking the empty pallets discharged by the transfer device. This relates to automated warehouses.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a unit load conveyor, a transfer table adjacent thereto, a slip sheet table,
The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse unloading device equipped with a sheet feeding device, a transshipment device, and a pallet truck.

The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the illustrated example of luggage unloading.

In an automated warehouse, unit loads placed on pallets are housed in racks in which a large number of cells are arranged. When an unloading command is issued for a desired load, the palletized load stored in a predetermined cell in the rack is transferred onto the carry-out conveyor 1 via a stacker crane (not shown).

Next, the pallet 2 on which the cargo 3 is placed is conveyed as it is onto the transfer table 5 by the carry-out conveyor 1.

Existing equipment can be used for the rack, stacker crane, unloading conveyor 1, etc. Although the illustrated conveyor 1 is an example of a chain conveyor for pallets, the present invention is not limited to this.

The transfer device 4 has a pusher plate 6.
The transfer table 5 is a stand that receives the cargo 3 conveyed by the conveyor 1 together with the pallet 2. For example, a free roller conveyor is provided on the upper surface of the transfer table 5, on which the pallet 2 can slide. The pusher plate 6 leaves the unit load pallet 2 on the transfer table 5 and pushes only the cargo 3 on it towards the slip sheet table 8, which will be described later. Therefore, it can slide forward and backward (left and right in the figure). A pallet rack 7 is provided behind the pusher plate 6 (on the right side in the figure) for stacking the removed empty pallets 2.

As described above, the cargo 3 on the unit load pallet 2 placed on the transfer table 5 via the conveyor 1 is then transferred as shown in FIG.
It is moved onto the slip sheet table 8 by the pusher plate 6. Further, the remaining empty pallets 2 are collected into the pallet rack 7.

One slip sheet 10 is supplied to the slip sheet table 8 from a slip sheet supply device 9 in advance. The slip sheet supply device 9 may be of any type as long as it can place the slip sheets one by one onto the slip sheet table 8. In the illustrated apparatus, the topmost sheet of the stacked slip sheets 10a is sucked up by a suction slide arm 11, and then released directly above the slip sheet table 8. It is preferable that the slip sheet supply device 9 is provided adjacent to the seat base 8 in a direction perpendicular to the cargo transfer direction. By doing so, the discharge conveyor 1 and the slip sheet supply device 9
When these are connected, the two adjacent sides of the slip seat base 8 can be used for work such as a forklift, improving work efficiency.

The slip sheet 10 can be of one-tab type, two-tab type, foot tab type, etc., but when placing the slip sheet 10 on the stand 8, it should be placed so that it can be handled later by a push-pull forklift truck or other loading equipment. Put the tab 12 out towards the green side where the loading equipment will touch.

In addition, when the luggage is transferred by sliding onto the slip sheet 10, the slip sheet 10 is placed on the platform 8.
A gripper 13 is provided on the slip sheet stand 8 to hold the slip sheet 10 so that it does not slip on the slip sheet. When the slip sheet 10 is a two-tab type or a four-tab type having tabs on opposite sides, the tabs may be pressed on the side edges of the slip sheet base 8.

After the cargo 3 is transferred onto the slip sheet 10 using the device described above, the cargo is slipped onto a transport truck, container, freight car, etc. using a push-pull forklift truck or other appropriate equipment. Loaded with sheets,
Ship outside the warehouse.

On the other hand, after loading the cargo 3 together with the slip sheet 10, one slip sheet 10 is fed from the slip sheet supply device 9 onto the slip sheet table 8 in preparation for the next transfer process.

By adopting the above-mentioned measures, the conventional automatic pallet warehouse can be built without major modifications.
Can be shipped using a slip sheet,
The disadvantages of the pallet system can be eliminated and the advantages of the slip sheet system can be effectively utilized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the unloading device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operating state of the reloading device of the same device. 1... Conveyor; 2... Pallet; 3... Baggage; 4... Transfer device; 5... Transfer table; 6... Pusher plate; 7... Pallet truck; 8...
Slip sheet stand; 9... Slip sheet supply device; 10, 10a... Slip sheet.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A rack in which a large number of cells for accommodating a unit load with cargo placed on a pallet are arranged, a stacker crane for taking out the unit load from the cells of this rack, and a stacker crane for taking out the unit load by the stacker crane. a conveyor for transporting the unit load, a transfer table provided adjacent to the discharge end of this conveyor, a sheet table provided adjacent to the transfer table for keeping slip sheets waiting; a sheet feeding device that supplies sheets one by one onto the sheet table; and a unit load of cargo carried out onto the transfer table by the conveyor, which is transferred from the pallet onto the sheets on the sheet table. , comprising a transfer device that discharges empty pallets to the transfer table in a direction opposite to the sheet table, and a pallet rack that sequentially stacks the empty pallets discharged by the transfer device. Automatic warehouse features. 2. A conveyor that transports a unit load with cargo placed on a pallet, a transfer table installed adjacent to the discharge end of this conveyor, and a transfer table installed adjacent to this transfer table to hold slip sheets on standby. a sheet feeding device that supplies sheets one by one onto the sheet table; and a sheet feeding device that feeds the sheets one by one onto the sheet table; A transfer device that transfers the pallets onto the sheet and discharges the empty pallets to the transfer table in a direction opposite to the sheet table, and stacks the empty pallets discharged by this transfer device in sequence. An automatic warehouse unloading device characterized by being equipped with a pallet truck. 3. The unloading device for an automated warehouse according to claim 2, wherein the sheet feeding device is provided adjacent to the sheet platform in a direction orthogonal to the cargo transfer direction.