Stacking-pattern calculating device and stacking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10252870-B2
Application number	US-201715689010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A stacking-pattern calculating device including a storage portion that stores dimensions, weights, load limits, and numbers of the respective types of boxes and dimensions of the accommodating region; a smallest-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination of the boxes that forms a smallest unit, that have a constant height, and in which a bottom area becomes the smallest; a layer-combination calculating portion that calculates a combination that forms a layer in which the smallest units having the same height among the combinations of the smallest units are placed next to each other in a horizontal direction so as to have a rectangular shape in a plan view.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stacking-pattern calculating device that calculates a stacking pattern when accommodating multiple types of boxes in an accommodating region, the stacking-pattern calculating device comprising:
a storage portion that stores dimensions, weights, load limits, and numbers of the respective types of the boxes and dimensions of the accommodating region;
a smallest-combination calculating portion that calculates, by a processor, on the basis of the dimensions, the weights, the load limits, and the numbers of the respective types of the boxes and the dimensions of the accommodating region, combinations of the boxes that form smallest units that are formed of one or more boxes, that have a constant height, and in which a bottom area becomes the smallest;
a layer-combination calculating portion that calculates, by the processor, on the basis of the weights and the numbers of the respective types of the boxes and the dimensions of the accommodating region, combinations of the boxes that form layers in which the smallest units having the same height among the combinations of the smallest units are placed next to each other in a horizontal direction so as to have a rectangular shape in a plan view;
a stacking-pattern-candidate calculating portion that calculates, by the processor, on the basis of the numbers of the respective types of the boxes and the dimensions of the accommodating region, a stacking-pattern candidate by placing the layers on top of each other in a vertical direction in the combination of the layers; and
a stacking-pattern-candidate correcting portion that corrects, by the processor, the stacking-pattern candidate on the basis of the weights and the load limits of the respective types of the boxes.

2. A stacking-pattern calculating device according to claim 1 , wherein the stacking-pattern-candidate correcting portion is provided with a weight-calculating portion that calculates weights per unit area exerted on the individual boxes in the stacking-pattern candidate;
a layer-shifting portion that shifts the layer in the vertical direction so that the calculated weights per unit area become equal to or less than the load limits of the individual boxes; and
an intra-divided-block shifting portion that shifts the box in the vertical direction so that the calculated weights per unit area become equal to or less than the load limits of the individual boxes in a divided block created by dividing the stacking-pattern candidate in the vertical direction.

3. A stacking-pattern calculating device according to claim 1 , wherein the layer-combination calculating portion calculates combinations in which the smallest units having a high weight per unit area are placed close to an origin in the accommodating region.

4. A stacking-pattern calculating device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the smallest units are formed of two or more boxes, the smallest-combination calculating portion calculates the weights exerted per unit area of the individual boxes to be stacked, and calculates combinations such that the calculated weights per unit area exerted on the boxes do not exceed the load limits per unit area of the boxes.

5. A stacking-pattern calculating device according to claim 4 , wherein the smallest-combination calculating portion calculates the combinations so that boxes having heavier weights per unit area are placed at lower positions.

6. A stacking system comprising:
a control device that is provided with a stacking-pattern calculating device according to claim 1 , and that calculates, by the processor, on the basis of the calculated stacking pattern, positions of the boxes inside the accommodating region;
a transferring device that transfers the multiple types of boxes;
a robot that places the transferred boxes inside the accommodating region; and
a detecting device that detects the types of the boxes.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Kimoto Yuuki
• Nagatsuka Yoshiharu

Classifications

• B65G2203/041

  Camera · CPC title

• G06F30/00 Primary

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• B65G57/00

  Stacking of articles (B65G60/00 takes precedence; feeding, piling or stacking sheets B65H) · CPC title

• B25J9/1687

  Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement · CPC title

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title