Picking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807458-B2
Application number	US-201917053087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2019
Priority date	May 23, 2018
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A picking system is realized that can efficiently perform operations from collection to delivery of articles in a limited space. A picking system ( 1 ) includes: a multi-row sorting device ( 2 ) configured to sort the article into one of the plurality of rows of exits ( 21 ) and discharge the sorted article; a container supporting device ( 3 ) capable of supporting an accommodating container (B) on a plurality of rows of container supporting portions ( 32 ) until an article group that is a set of articles for the order is collected; and a transport device ( 4 ) configured to unload the accommodating container (B) in which the article is accommodated from the container supporting portion ( 32 ), and load an empty accommodating container (B) to the container supporting portion ( 32 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A picking system that collects and delivers a required article from among a plurality of stored articles, comprising:
a multi-row sorting device that comprises a plurality of rows of exits at different heights in a vertical direction, and is configured to sort the article into one of the plurality of rows of exits based on an order, and discharge the sorted article;
a container supporting device that comprises a plurality of container supporting portions provided in a plurality of rows respectively corresponding to the plurality of rows of exits, and is capable of supporting an accommodating container that receives and accommodates the article discharged from the exit on the corresponding container supporting portion until an article group that is a set of articles for the order is collected; and
a transport device configured to unload the accommodating container in which the article is accommodated from the container supporting portion, and load an empty accommodating container to the container supporting portion,
wherein a direction that intersects with the vertical direction when viewed in an arrangement direction view along an arrangement direction in which the multi-row sorting device and the container supporting device are arranged side by side is a width direction,
wherein the multi-row sorting device comprises a plurality of columns of exits at different positions in the width direction,
wherein the transport device comprises a supporting face capable of supporting a number of accommodating containers corresponding to the number of the plurality of columns of exits that are aligned in the width direction, the support face being configured to transport the plurality of accommodating containers supported on the supporting face in the width direction.

2. The picking system according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-row sorting device comprises the exits on two sides in an arrangement direction in which the multi-row sorting device and the container supporting device are arranged side by side, and
wherein the container supporting device and the transport device are disposed on each of the two sides of the multi-row sorting device in the arrangement direction.

3. The picking system according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the multi-row sorting devices are provided along the arrangement direction, and
wherein the transport device that is located between two multi-row sorting devices adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction is configured to perform both unloading of an accommodating container from one multi-row sorting device side, and unloading of an accommodating container from the other multi-row sorting device side.

4. The picking system according to claim 1 , wherein the transport device comprises a stacker crane, the stacker crane comprising:
a transfer machine configured to receive the accommodating container from the container supporting portion and give the accommodating container to the container supporting portion; and
a moving device configured to move the transfer machine between a plurality of container supporting portions.

5. The picking system according to claim 4 , wherein the transport device comprises an unloading conveyor configured to receive and unload the accommodating container in which the article is accommodated from the stacker crane, and a loading conveyor configured to load and give the empty accommodating container to the stacker crane, and
wherein the unloading conveyor and the loading conveyor are respectively disposed at positions at which the unloading conveyor and the loading conveyor overlap the container supporting device when viewed in the vertical direction.

6. The picking system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transport device comprises a transport conveyer,
wherein the supporting face is capable of supporting the same number of accommodating containers as the number of the plurality of columns of exits that are aligned in the width direction,
wherein the supporting face also serves as the container supporting portions, and
wherein the transport conveyer also serves as the container supporting device.

7. The picking system according to claim 6 , wherein the transport conveyer comprises, in addition to a first transport portion that has the supporting face, a second transport portion configured to support and transport the same number of accommodating containers as the number of the accommodating containers supported on the supporting face, a first connection transport portion that connects a first end portion of the first transport portion and a first end portion of the second transport portion, and a second connection transport portion that connects a second end portion of the first transport portion and a second end portion of the second transport portion.

8. The picking system according to claim 6 , wherein the transport device comprises a relay transport device, an unloading conveyor configured to receive and unload the accommodating container in which the article is accommodated from the transport conveyer via the relay transport device, and a loading conveyor configured to load the empty accommodating container to the transport conveyer via the relay transport device,
wherein the unloading conveyor and the loading conveyor are disposed so as to overlap each other when viewed in a vertical direction view along the vertical direction, and so as to be distanced from each other in the vertical direction, and
wherein the relay transport device transports the accommodating containers in the vertical direction.

9. The picking system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the accommodating containers that receive the article from the multi-row sorting device comprises a first set of container groups, which is a set of accommodating containers that belong to a first set, and a second set of container groups, which is a set of accommodating containers that belong to a second set,
wherein while the transport device performs unloading and loading of the accommodating containers belonging to the first set of container groups, the multi-row sorting device discharges the articles to the accommodating containers belonging to the second set of container groups, and
wherein while the transport device performs unloading and loading of the accommodating containers belonging to the second set of container groups, the multi-row sorting device discharges the articles to the accommodating containers belonging to the first set of container groups.

10. The picking system according to claim 1 , wherein an automatic warehouse that stores the articles is further provided,
wherein a plurality of the multi-row sorting devices are provided, and the plurality of multi-row sorting devices are connected in common to the automatic warehouse, and
wherein the articles included in orders that correspond to the plurality of multi-row sorting devices are supplied in an aggregated manner for each type from the automatic warehouse side, and then a required number of articles are distributed to each of the multi-row sorting devices.

11. The picking system according to claim 2 , wherein the transport device comprises a stacker crane, the stacker crane comprising:
a transfer machine configured to receive the accommodating container from the container supporting portion and give the accommodating container to the container supporting portion; and
a moving device configured to move the transfer machine between a plurality of container supporting portions.

12. The picking system according to claim 3 , wherein the transport device comprises a stacker crane, the stacker crane comprising:
a transfer machi

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Ueda Yuichi
• Miyamoto Masaya
• Iwata Masashige
• Kimura Kazunari

Classifications

• B65G1/1375 Primary

  the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck · CPC title

• B65G1/0407

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

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/065 Primary

  with self propelled cars · CPC title

• B65G1/1373 Primary

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title