JPH0669844B2 - Stacker crane controller - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for a stacker crane used in an automatic warehouse, and more particularly to a control device suitable for performing picking / unloading work.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a loading / unloading operation in an automatic warehouse comprising a plurality of shelves arranged in a three-dimensional shape and a stacker crane for loading / unloading the shelving, a single package stored in one shelf is used. And the container stored in one shelf to the delivery position (home position where there is a loading cradle etc. for delivery), and manually take out a predetermined amount of small articles from the container etc. After that, there is a picking operation for returning the container or the like to the original shelf position or another shelf position.

When performing this picking work, conventionally,
It was necessary to carry out the picking work while confirming the quantity of goods issued, that is, the number of pickings described in the goods issue slip possessed by the worker.

[0004]

In the conventional picking work method as described above, the condition is that a delivery slip in which the number of pickings is written and that the delivery slip is held by the worker are required. Since the picking work must be carried with one hand in hand, the picking work cannot be performed efficiently. In addition, when an operator has a plurality of delivery slips corresponding to each of a plurality of picking operations that are continuously performed, there is a high possibility that an incorrect quantity of picking slips may be picked up due to a mistake in the delivery slip. It was

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a control device for a stacker crane that can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its features are the type of load to be delivered and the number of pickings. It is a control unit having an input section for inputting shipping data such as a display and a display, and searches a stocker address storing a load that matches the input shipping data from the recorded inventory data to search the stacker crane. A control device that uses a control unit that supplies shipping operation data such as a destination shelf address, and is input in the input unit when the stacker crane has shipped a target load to a shipping position according to the shipping operation data. In addition, the picking number is displayed on the display.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1a and 1b are shown.
Is a plurality of shelves (load storage compartments), each of which is given a shelf address 2
Is a three-dimensionally provided storage device, which is erected on both sides of the stacker crane 3 along the traveling passage 4.
Reference numeral 5 is an warehousing receiving stand, and 6 is an unloading receiving stand, which are installed adjacent to the storage devices 1a and 1b on both sides of one end of the crane traveling passage 4. The stacker crane 3 includes a traveling drive device 7 and the shelves 2 of the storage devices 1a and 1b.
An elevating carriage 9 having a running fork 8 for transferring a load between the elevating and lowering carriage, an elevating drive device 10 for the elevating carriage 9, a running fork drive device 11 for driving the running fork 8 in and out, and each of these driving devices. A crane drive controller 12 for controlling is provided,
Further, at a position convenient for operation, as shown in FIG. 3, a keyboard 13 as an input means, a floppy disk drive device 14 as an external storage means, a display (CRT) 16 as a display means, and a printer 17 are provided. Further, a control unit 15 using a microcomputer is installed.

The control unit 15 has an inventory management program for creating various inventory data including shelf addresses, product numbers, quantities, warehousing dates, and other items. Further, as shown in FIG. Connected to the crane drive controller 12 via a suitable interface,
It is possible to supply the crane drive control device 12 with the crane operation data such as whether the goods have been put in or taken out, and the position of the shelving work shelves (shelf address).

Next, the warehousing work using the stacker crane 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The control unit of the crane 3 standing by at the home position adjacent to the warehousing receiving tray 5 and the unloading cargo receiving tray 6. 15, the product number, quantity, and date based on the load to be stored on the receiving tray 5 (this may be automatically input from the clock mechanism built in the control unit 15). When the warehousing information such as is input through the keyboard 13, the control unit 15 determines from the inventory data recorded on the floppy disk set in the floppy disk drive device 14 a position that matches the set warehousing information (for example, the home. The empty shelf position near the position) is searched to determine the receiving work shelf position (shelf address). Input items to the control unit 15, the determined storage work shelf position (shelf address), etc. are displayed on the display 16. Of course, if there is no empty shelf position suitable for the input storage information, a message indicating that storage is impossible is displayed on the display 16.

When the warehousing work shelf position is determined, the control unit 15 supplies the crane drive control device 12 with warehousing instructions and operation data relating to the destination shelf position (shelf address). Therefore, by operating the crane activation operation on the keyboard 13 or the crane activation button provided in the crane drive control device 12, the crane drive control device 12 causes the traveling drive device 7, the lifting drive device 10, and the running fork drive device 11 to operate. Is operated to carry in the cargo on the cargo receiving tray 5 to the shelf 2 at a predetermined storage work shelf position (shelf address). At this time, information regarding the traveling position of the crane 3 and the ascending / descending position of the ascending / descending carriage 9 is input to the crane drive control device 12 as current position information, and this current position information and the control unit 15 are input. The information on the receiving work shelf position (shelf address) is compared, and when the two coincide, the traveling stop of the crane 3 and the elevating carriage 9 are stopped, and subsequently, the running fork 8 transfers the load for warehousing. The operation is performed, but this series of control itself is performed by a conventionally known method.

At the completion of the warehousing operation, the crane drive control device 12 outputs a stock data rewriting command to the control unit 15, and the floppy disk drive device 1
The stock data recorded on the floppy disk set to 4 is rewritten to the state after the storage operation. That is, the storage information such as the product number, the quantity, and the storage date, which have been input in advance, is written in correspondence with the storage work shelf position (shelf address) retrieved earlier.

The shipping operation is performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the shipping data such as the product number and quantity of the load to be shipped is input to the control unit 15 of the crane 3 waiting at the home position using the keyboard 13, the microcomputer 1
5 is the stock data recorded on the floppy disk set in the floppy disk drive device 14,
The shelf address that stores the load that matches the input shipping data is searched, and the shipping work shelf position (shelf address) is determined. Information input to the control unit 15 and the determined exit work shelf position (shelf address) are displayed on the display 16.
Is displayed at. Of course, when there is no corresponding load, a message indicating that the goods cannot be delivered is displayed on the display 16.

When there are a plurality of shelves 2 (shelf addresses) that accommodate loads that conform to the input shipping data, the first-out reservation processing is performed according to the first-in first-out method so that the goods with the oldest receiving date are taken out. , The exit work shelf position is determined. When the exit work shelf position is determined, the control unit 15 supplies the crane drive control device 12 with the exit command and the exit operation data regarding the destination shelf position (shelf address). Therefore, by operating the crane activation operation on the keyboard 13 or the crane activation button provided in the crane drive control device 12, the crane drive control device 12 causes the traveling drive device 7, the lifting drive device 10, and the running fork drive device 11 to operate. Is operated to scoop the load stored in the shelf 2 at a predetermined output work shelf position (shelf address) with the running fork 8 to carry out the product onto the shipping cradle 6 at the shipping position. . This series of control itself is performed by a conventionally known method, similar to the control at the time of storing work.

At the completion of the shipping operation, the crane drive control device 12 outputs a stock data rewriting command to the control unit 15, and the floppy disk drive device 1
The stock data recorded on the floppy disk set to 4 is rewritten to the state after the shipping operation.

The setting operation for the next loading / unloading work may be performed each time one loading / unloading work is completed, but the setting operation for a plurality of loading / unloading work is collectively performed in advance and the crane 3 is operated. The loading / unloading work set a plurality of times by the activation of may be performed continuously. In this case, the warehousing work and the warehousing work are alternately and continuously performed, and the operating rate of the crane 3 can be increased. Further, it is also possible to perform an order picking operation in which a predetermined number of loads are artificially taken out from the container that has been carried out to the shipping receiving tray 6 and then the container is again stored in the original shelf position or another shelf position.

That is, as described above, when the shipping data such as the product number and quantity relating to the load to be shipped is input by the keyboard 13, the product number, quantity, shipping work shelf position (shelf address), etc. are displayed on the display 16. Therefore, the worker who performs the above-mentioned order picking work confirms the load of the item number displayed on the display 16 from the container carried out to the cargo receiving tray 6 and then displays on the display 16 concerned. You can take out only the number of pickings displayed.

The inventory data recorded on the floppy disk can be printed out by the control unit 15 and the printer 17. In this case, the inventory management program provided to the control unit 15 creates not only inventory data for each shelf address but also inventory data for each product number, a record of entry / exit for each month, and records based on other arbitrary conditions, and prints. You can go out.

In the embodiment, an external floppy disk drive is used as the storage means of the control unit 15, but an internal storage means such as a hard disk can be used. Of course, as a storage medium, a magnetic bubble memory or the like other than a floppy disk can be used.
Further, in the above embodiment, the display control means for automatically displaying the necessary items on the display 16 is constituted by the central processing unit (CPU) of the microcomputer constituting the control unit 15 and the set program. It is clear that this is done.

[0018]

As described above, according to the control device for the stacker crane of the present invention, the stacker crane can be automatically operated only by inputting the delivery data such as the product type and the picking number in the input section of the control unit. The picking operator can get on the stacker crane and enter the shelf because the picked-up worker can automatically pick up the corresponding load to the exit position and perform picking work from the load carried out to this exit position. There is no need, and you can safely perform picking work. Moreover, since the number of pickings is displayed on the display of the control unit when the relevant load is carried out to the delivery position, the worker carries the delivery slip and selects the corresponding delivery slip one by one during the picking work. It is no longer necessary to check the number of pickings, and picking work can be performed extremely efficiently and accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a storage device and a storage crane.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a control unit mounting portion of the stacker crane.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method during a warehousing operation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method during a shipping operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a, 1b ... Shelf 2 ... Shelf (load storage section) 3 ... Stacker crane 5 ... Incoming cargo receiving stand 6 ... Outgoing cargo receiving stand 7 ... Traveling drive device 8 ... Running fork 9 ... Lifting carriage 10 ... Lifting drive device 11 ... Running Fork drive device 12 ... Crane drive control device 13 ... Keyboard (input unit) 14 ... Floppy disk drive device 15 ... Control unit (microcomputer) 16 ... Display 17 ... Printer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The type of cargo to be delivered, the number of pickings, etc.
A unit having an input unit for inputting warehouse data and a display
A control unit that has recorded inventory data
It stores the cargo that matches the shipping data input from the
Search for the desired rack address and go to the stacker crane Destination rack address
A control unit that supplies data such as
The control device to be used
The stacker crane delivers the desired load to the delivery position.
Picking input in the input section when stored
The number is displayed on the display.
Tucker crane control device.