Method for controlling storage/retrieval device in flat storage facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464786-B2
Application number	US-201715809691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Jun 1, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A flat storage facility includes a storage/retrieval device having a Y-direction moving member that is horizontally movable at a certain height above a storage item placement plane. A carriage is horizontally movable in an X direction on the Y-direction moving member, and a storage item gripping mechanism is provided in the carriage. The storage/retrieval device performs storage/retrieval on a storage item between the storage/retrieval device and respective storage item placement points set on the storage item placement plane. The storage item placement plane is divided into a plurality of unit sections at various heights with respect to a reference plane. When the storage/retrieval operation is performed with the storage/retrieval device, the lowering distance of the storage item gripping mechanism with respect to the carriage is adjusted according to the height of the unit section to which the storage item placement point of a storage/retrieval target belongs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility which includes a storage item placement plane and a storage/retrieval device, in which the storage/retrieval device includes: a Y-direction laterally moving member that is freely moved laterally in a horizontal Y direction at a certain height above the storage item placement plane; a carriage that is freely moved horizontally in an X direction perpendicularly intersecting the Y direction on the Y-direction laterally moving member; and a storage item gripping means that is provided in the carriage so as to be freely raised and lowered, and in which the storage/retrieval device performs a storage/retrieval operation on a storage item between the storage/retrieval device and respective storage item placement points set on the storage item placement plane, the method comprising:
dividing the storage item placement plane being into a plurality of equally-sized unit sections;
measuring, for each of the unit sections, a difference in height with respect to a reference plane of the storage item placement plane;
recording the measured difference in height for each of the unit sections with respect to the reference plane of the storage item placement plane;
decreasing the size of a first unit section set for a region where a degree of unevenness is at or above a predetermined value within the storage item placement plane;
increasing the size of a second unit section set for a region where a degree of unevenness is below the predetermined value within the storage item placement plane; and
adjusting, when the storage/retrieval operation is performed with the storage/retrieval device, a lowering distance of the storage item gripping means with respect to the carriage by the difference in height of the unit section to which the storage item placement point of a storage/retrieval target belongs.

2. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a distance measuring means which is moved in the X direction together with the carriage of the storage/retrieval device;
measuring with the distance measuring means, for each of the unit sections dividing the storage item placement plane, a vertical distance up to the storage item placement plane;
computing a difference in height with respect to the reference plane from the measured value; and
recording the computed difference in height with respect to the reference plane from the measured value.

3. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 2 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to the carriage of the storage/retrieval device.

4. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 2 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to a lower end portion of the storage item gripping means of the storage/retrieval device.

5. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 4 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to a support member gripped by the storage item gripping means.

6. A method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility which includes a storage item placement plane and a storage/retrieval device, in which the storage/retrieval device includes: a Y-direction laterally moving member that is freely moved laterally in a horizontal Y direction at a certain height above the storage item placement plane; a carriage that is freely moved horizontally in an X direction perpendicularly intersecting the Y direction on the Y-direction laterally moving member; and a storage item gripping means that is provided in the carriage so as to be freely raised and lowered, and in which the storage/retrieval device performs a storage/retrieval operation on a storage item between the storage/retrieval device and respective storage item placement points set on the storage item placement plane, the method comprising:
dividing the storage item placement plane being into a plurality of equally-sized unit sections,
measuring, for each of the unit sections, a difference in height with respect to a reference plane of the storage item placement plane;
recording the measured difference in height for each of the unit sections with respect to the reference plane of the storage item placement plane;
adjusting, when the storage/retrieval operation is performed with the storage/retrieval device, a lowering distance of the storage item gripping means with respect to the carriage by the difference in height of the unit section to which the storage item placement point of a storage/retrieval target belongs;
sub-dividing a first unit section into a plurality of sub-sections when the difference in height of the first unit section is equal to or more than a predetermined value;
measuring the difference in height for each of the sub-sections;
adjusting, when the storage/retrieval is performed on the storage item placement point belonging to the first unit section, the lowering distance of the storage item gripping means with respect to the carriage by the difference in height of the sub-section to which the storage item placement point of the storage/retrieval target belongs.

7. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a distance measuring means which is moved in the X direction together with the carriage of the storage/retrieval device;
measuring with the distance measuring means, for each of the unit sections dividing the storage item placement plane, a vertical distance up to the storage item placement plane;
computing a difference in height with respect to the reference plane from the measured value; and
recording the computed difference in height with respect to the reference plane from the measured value.

8. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 7 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to the carriage of the storage/retrieval device.

9. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 7 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to a lower end portion of the storage item gripping means of the storage/retrieval device.

10. The method for controlling a storage/retrieval device in a flat storage facility according to claim 9 , wherein:
the distance measuring means is attached to a support member gripped by the storage item gripping means.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Miyoshi Kazuhiko
• Inaba Masato
• Hamaguchi Jun

Classifications

• B65G1/0407

  using stacker cranes (constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06) · CPC title

• B65G1/0421 Primary

  with control for stacker crane operations · CPC title

• B66C13/46

  Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements · CPC title

• B66C13/23 Primary

  Circuits for controlling the lowering of the load · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title