JPH0798578B2 - Layer stacking equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a layer stacking device for layer stacking a plurality of products.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of automatic picking devices for performing layer-by-layer stacking are arranged and a layer-by-layer stacking plan for sequentially stacking a plurality of products on the same pallet is planned by a management computer, the same pallet is used. The maximum stacking height that can be stacked in the equipment is the allowable height of the equipment including the transfer route of the completed pallets, and the allowable number of layers of the product with the highest height among the products transported by the equipment is allowable. Even if other low-height products are layered together with high-height products in search of height, only stack up to the maximum number of stackable layers of high-height products. Was doing.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional layer stacking apparatus, the number of stacking layers is limited by the possible number of stacking layers of a product having a high height as described above. Even if low-profile products are stacked in multiple layers so that they can be stacked in more layers than the allowable height, do not do so and convey at a much lower level than the allowable height. Therefore, there is a problem that the efficiency is not good.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and it is possible to efficiently stack a large number of products by stacking layers in multiple layers up to a height sufficiently close to an allowable height. An object of the present invention is to provide a layer stacking device that can be used.

[0005]

A layer stacking apparatus of the present invention comprises a shipping information input section for inputting information for stacking and shipping a plurality of types of products on a layer-by-layer basis, and sequentially stacking layers on one pallet. Equivalent by product type, which determines the relative height ratio when the allowable stacking height is 1, for each product type set by the layer product type setting unit for setting the product type to be stacked The layer height conversion unit and the relative height ratio of each product layered on the one pallet are integrated, and it is determined whether or not 1 has been reached. When 1 has not been reached, 1 is reached. Stacked on one pallet and 1 if 1 is reached
For products that have exceeded the limit, one pallet or a plurality of pallets can be formed according to the instructions of the layer stacking height calculation unit that instructs layer stacking to another pallet and the layer stacking height calculation unit. And a layer stacking command section that outputs commands for sequentially layering products.

[0006]

In the layer stacking apparatus of the present invention, in the equivalent layer height conversion unit for each product type, the relative height ratio when the allowable stacking height for one pallet is set to 1 is calculated, and the layer stacking height is calculated. In the calculation unit, the relative height ratios of the products stacked on one pallet are integrated to determine whether or not it has reached 1, and when it has not reached 1, the pallets are stacked on one pallet. If the product has been stacked and has reached 1, a command to output the product that has exceeded 1 to another pallet is output, and in accordance with the instruction from the layer stacking height calculation unit,
The layer stacking command unit outputs a command for layering products sequentially on one pallet or a plurality of pallets.

In this way, after planning the efficient layer stacking for each pallet, the management computer receives the layer stacking command from the layer stacking command section and prepares a necessary number of empty pallets, and picks the layer unit. By sequentially stacking multiple types of products as instructed by the system,
It becomes possible to efficiently stack and convey the layers.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an automatic layer picking system, which is an automatic picking device 11 for stacking in layers.
And a conveyor 1 that connects the automatic picking devices 11 with each other.
2, a bypass conveyor 13 that conveys empty pallets on the supply side, an identical product type supply conveyor 14 that supplies the same product type pallets to each automatic picking device 11, and an empty pallet supply conveyor 15 that performs layer stacking. There is.

FIG. 6 shows a package in which products 17 and 18 of the same type are stacked on the same pallet 16. The package of the high load 17 of the height B1 has a package height of X1 close to the allowable facility height A, and the package of the low load 18 of the height B2 is
It has a low packing height X2 due to poor loading stability.

The management computer 19 that supervises such a layer automatic picking system has a functional block configuration as shown in FIG.
1, a layer stacking product type setting unit 2, a product type equivalent layer height converting unit 3, a layer stacking height calculation unit 4, and a layer stacking command unit 5.

The shipment information input unit 1 inputs information for stacking and shipping products of a plurality of types on a layer-by-layer basis, and the layer-stacking type setting unit 2 sets types to be sequentially layered on one pallet. It is supposed to do.

Further, the product-specific equivalent layer height conversion unit 3 has an allowable stacking height X for each product type set by the layer-stacking product type setting unit 2.
Relative height ratio Bi of height Bi (i is an index for identifying a product to be layered) when i is 1
/ Xi is requested.

Further, the layer stacking height calculation unit 4 has a relative height ratio Bi of each product layered on one pallet.
/ Xi is integrated and it is determined whether or not it has reached 1. If it has not reached 1, it will be layered on one pallet, and if it has reached 1, it will exceed 1. For products, layer stacking is instructed to other pallets, and the layer stacking command unit 5 sequentially stacks products on one pallet or a plurality of pallets according to the instruction of the layer stacking height calculation unit 4. A control device of the management computer 19 (not shown)
It is designed to output to.

Next, the operation of the layer stacking apparatus having the above structure will be described.

As shown in the flow chart of FIG. 2, shipping information in arbitrary order units is input to the shipping information input section 1 of the management computer 19 (step S1), and the layer stowage type setting section 2 selects layers from the shipping information. Relative of the height Bi of each product when the product stacking data is extracted (step S2) and the allowable stacking height Xi in the product-specific equivalent layer height conversion unit 3 is set to 1 Height ratio B
i / Xi is obtained as the equivalent layer height (step S3).

Next, the layer stacking height calculator 4 calculates the total number x of equivalent layer heights for each shipping destination and adds the equivalent layer heights for each shipping destination (step S4). It is determined whether the total number x exceeds the allowable stacking height 1 (step S5). When the total number x has not reached 1 as shown in FIG. 3, one pallet is constructed (step S6), and when the total number x exceeds 1, as shown in FIG. The number of pallets is increased by adding 1 to the real part of x (real part + 1) (step S7).

In this way, the pallet structure for each shipping destination obtained by the layer stacking height calculation unit 4 is output to the layer stacking command unit 5,
A loading instruction is output to the layer automatic picking device 11 for each type (step S8).

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When carrying out layer stacking of multiple types by shipping destination, add the ratio of the relative height of each stacked product to the allowable layer stacking height and determine the number of pallets to be prepared depending on whether it exceeds 1 or not. Since layer stacking is performed by stacking, it is possible to transport while carrying out layer stacking of a plurality of types of products at a height close to the allowable height for layer stacking, and products can be transported efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a package appearance when the layer stacking height in the above embodiment does not exceed the allowable height.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a packing appearance in the case where the layer stacking height exceeds the allowable height in the above-mentioned embodiment and the layer stacking is performed by dividing into a plurality of pallets.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a general layer stacking device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a package appearance of a high load and a low load in a layer stacking state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Shipping information input section 2 Layer stacking type setting section 3 Type equivalent layer height converting section 4 Layer stacking height calculation section 5 Layer stacking command section 19 Management computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A shipment information input section for inputting information for stacking and shipping products of a plurality of types on a layer-by-layer basis, and a layer-stacking type setting section for setting types to be sequentially layered on one pallet. And a type-specific equivalent layer height conversion unit that obtains a relative height ratio when the allowable stacking height is 1 for each type set by the layer-stacking type setting unit, and layers on the one pallet. Relative height ratio of each stacked product is added up and it is judged whether 1 is reached or not. If 1 is not reached, layering is done on one pallet and 1 is reached. If the number of products exceeds 1, the pallet stacking height calculation unit for instructing another pallet to stack and one pallet according to the instruction of the layer stacking height calculation unit. Or a stacking command that outputs a command to stack products sequentially on multiple pallets And a layer stacking device.