JPH04272004A - Cargo handling facility - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cargo handling facility capable of easily grasping what kind of working is concretely being carried out during the time when cargo handling facility equipment is driven. CONSTITUTION:A facility equipment control device to control cargo handling facility equipment and a display device 26 are provided, a pattern to show arrangement of the cargo handling facility equipment is displayed on the display device 26 and a breakdown of a work put in practice of the cargo handling facility equipment designated by a mouse which is grasped by the aforementioned facility equipment control device is displayed. As the pattern to show arrangement of the cargo handling facility equipment is displayed on the display device 26, it is possible to concretely grasp arrangement of the cargo handling facility equipment, and furthermore, as the breakdown of the work put in practice of the designated cargo handling facility equipment is displayed at a real time, it is possible to grasp what kind of working is concretely being carried out by the designated cargo handling facility equipment.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to cargo handling equipment such as automatic warehouses that automatically store cargo, conveyors used for loading and unloading cargo, and self-propelled carts that transport cargo between automated warehouses and conveyors. This relates to cargo handling equipment equipped with

0002

2. Description of the Related Art The structure of an automatic warehouse facility, which is the conventional cargo handling facility mentioned above, will be explained based on the layout diagram of FIG.

The automated warehouse equipment shown in FIG. 5 has a shelf 3 having a plurality of cargo storage spaces 2 for storing cargo 1, and a self-propelled vehicle along a fixed path 4 along the shelf 3, and stores cargo 1 between the shelf 3 and the shelf 3. 6 sets of automated warehouses 8 equipped with a crane 5 that performs loading and unloading of goods, and two loading and unloading conveyors 6 that transport goods 1 between the loading and unloading position of the crane 5 and the loading/unloading position of the goods 1; Six self-propelled carriers 10 load and unload the cargo 1 to and from the delivery conveyor 6, and transport the cargo 1 by traveling on a loop-shaped fixed path 9; It is comprised of four sets of cargo handling conveyor devices 12 each including three conveyors 11 for loading and unloading cargoes 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, these automated warehouse equipment are connected to control devices (not shown) for each device housed in control panels 13, 14, and 15. That is, the conveyor 11 of each material handling conveyor device 12 is connected to a conveyor control panel 13, each self-propelled transport vehicle 10 is wirelessly connected to a self-propelled transport vehicle control panel 14 via a feeder line 16, and the crane of each automated warehouse 8 is connected to a conveyor control panel 13. 5 is connected to the automatic warehouse control panel 15 via an optical transmitter/receiver 17, and the warehouse conveyor 6 is directly connected to the automatic warehouse control panel 15. The control devices for each device are connected to an overall control and monitoring device (not shown) housed in the central control panel 18. Further, this central control panel 18 is equipped with a display device 19 and a keyboard 20 for operation.

With the above configuration, the central control panel 18 controls the control panels 13, 14,
A drive signal is output to the control device of each device housed in 15, and the drive is confirmed by the feedback signal.

When carrying out the cargo 1, the central control panel 18 issues a carrying-out instruction from the inventory management computer 7 (the carrying-out instruction includes the shelf position of the cargo 1 and the cargo handling conveyor 12 at the destination).
), the specified load 1 will be displayed.
It recognizes the shelf position of and sends an unloading instruction to the corresponding automated warehouse 8. When the automated warehouse 8 finishes transporting the cargo 1 from the shelves 3 to the loading/unloading conveyor 6, it sends a transport signal to the central control panel 18. Next, the central control panel 18 sends a conveyance command to the loading/unloading conveyor 6, and the loading/unloading conveyor 6 sends a completion signal to the central control panel 18 when the conveyance is completed. Next, central control panel 1
8 determines the allocation of the self-propelled transport vehicle 10 in charge of transport,
An instruction for transport to the cargo handling conveyor device 12 is sent to the self-propelled transport vehicle 10. The self-propelled transport vehicle 10 sends a completion signal to the central control panel 18 when the transport is completed. lastly,
The central control panel 18 sends a conveyance command to the load handling conveyor device 12, and the load handling conveyor device 12 sends a completion signal to the central control panel 18 when the load handling conveyor device 12 completes conveyance. Then, the central control panel 18 sends the completion of the carry-out instruction to the inventory management computer 7.

[0007] Also, when carrying in the cargo 1, the cargo 1 is first set on the cargo handling conveyor device 12, and the inventory management computer 7 issues a carry-in instruction (the carrying-in instruction usually includes the shelf position where the cargo 1 is to be stored. If the location is not included, the central control panel 18 checks the availability of the cargo storage space 2 in the automated warehouse 8 and determines the storage location. After being transported, the load 1 is finally stored in the load storage space 2 by the automated warehouse 8. The central control panel 18 then sends a completion instruction to the inventory management computer 7.

Furthermore, by operating the keyboard 20, the on/off data of each automatic warehouse equipment can be displayed on the display device 1.
Display on 9.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in conventional automated warehouse equipment, the central control panel 18 can only confirm whether the automated warehouse equipment is running or stopped based on on/off data. There was a problem in that it was not possible to grasp the specific work that the automated warehouse equipment was performing while it was in operation.

[0010] The present invention solves the above problems, and
It is an object of the present invention to provide cargo handling equipment that allows one to easily grasp the specific work being performed by automated warehouse equipment while it is in operation.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the cargo handling equipment of the present invention is a cargo handling equipment equipped with cargo handling equipment, comprising: a control device for controlling the cargo handling equipment; a display; A pattern indicating the arrangement of the cargo handling equipment is displayed on the display, and by specifying the cargo handling equipment, the content of the work being executed by the cargo handling equipment as understood by the control device is displayed. It is characterized by being equipped with a display control device.

0012

[Operation] According to the configuration of the invention described above, a pattern indicating the arrangement of the cargo handling equipment is displayed on the display, so that the arrangement of the cargo handling equipment can be concretely grasped, and furthermore, the control device can grasp the specified By displaying the content of the work being executed by the cargo handling equipment, it is possible to grasp what kind of work the cargo handling equipment is specifically performing.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It is assumed that the same automated warehouse equipment as in the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 is installed, and the same components as in the conventional example shown in FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a control configuration diagram of an automatic warehouse facility which is an example of cargo handling facility in an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 21 is an equipment control device that controls the automatic warehouse equipment (cargo handling equipment) for cargo 1, and is housed in the conveyor control panel 13 and self-propelled carrier control panel 14 of the conventional example shown in FIG. 6. All or part of the functions of the control device are housed in place of the board. In addition, each cargo handling conveyor device 12
A sequencer 22 serving as a master station is provided for each conveyor 11, and is connected by a double link 24 to a control box 23 for controlling the conveyor 11 that is provided for each conveyor 11 and serving as a slave station.

When the equipment control device 21 receives a start signal from a display control device 25, which will be described later, it outputs a drive signal to a storage/unloading control device 29 that controls loading/unloading of each automated warehouse 8, and also outputs a drive signal to a storage/unloading control device 29 that controls loading/unloading of each automated warehouse 8. 10 via a feeder line 16, and further outputs a drive signal to the cargo handling conveyor device 12 via a sequencer 22.

When carrying out the cargo 1, the equipment control device 21 receives a carry-out instruction from the inventory management computer 41 (the carry-out instruction includes the shelf position of the cargo 1 and the position of the cargo handling conveyor device 12 at the destination). When inputting the following information, the shelf position of the specified load 1 is recognized and an unloading instruction is sent to the corresponding automated warehouse 8. When the automated warehouse 8 finishes transporting the cargo 1 from the shelves 3 to the warehouse conveyor 6, it sends a transport signal to the equipment control device 21. Next, the equipment control device 21 sends a conveyance command to the warehousing/output conveyor 6, and
sends a completion signal to the equipment control device 21 when the transport is completed. Subsequently, the equipment control device 21 determines the assignment of the self-propelled transport vehicle 10 in charge of transport, and sends an instruction to the self-propelled transport vehicle 10 to transport the material to the cargo handling conveyor device 12. The self-propelled transport vehicle 10 sends a completion signal to the equipment control device 21 when the transport is completed. Finally, the equipment control device 21 sends a conveyance command to the material handling conveyor device 12, and the material handling conveyor device 12 sends a completion signal to the equipment control device 21 when the material handling conveyor device 12 completes the transportation. Then, the equipment control device 21 sends a completion of the carry-out instruction to the inventory management computer 41.

[0017] Also, when carrying in the cargo 1, the cargo 1 is first set on the cargo handling conveyor device 12, and a carry-in instruction (the carrying-in instruction includes the shelf position where the cargo 1 is to be stored) is inputted from the inventory management computer 41. , the cargo 1 is conveyed to the loading/unloading conveyor 6 in the same manner as when unloading, and finally to the automated warehouse 8.
Accordingly, the cargo 1 is stored in the cargo storage space 2. The equipment control device 21 sends a completion instruction to the inventory management computer 41.

Furthermore, since the sequencer 22 is connected to the control box 23 provided for each conveyor 11 by a double link 24, even if one link 24 between the conveyors 11 is disconnected, the system will not go down. Work on the conveyor 11 can be continued and the location of the disconnection can be monitored. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the sequencer 22 and equipment control device 21 are housed in a rack 28, eliminating the need for a control panel installed at the site.

The equipment control device 21 is also connected to a display control device 25 consisting of a microcomputer, and the display control device 25 is connected to a display device 26 and a keyboard 27, as well as a mouse 30, as shown in FIG. It is connected.

The display control device 25 will be explained in detail with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The display control device 25 includes an input section 31 that inputs operation signals from the keyboard 27 and the mouse 30.
, an input/output section 32 that inputs and outputs data to and from the equipment control device 21, a screen display section 33 that outputs screen data to the display device 26, and a screen pattern storage section 34 that stores screen patterns in advance. A data storage section 35 that stores programs and data, and a control section 36 that controls the entire system.
It consists of

The control section 36 judges the operation signal inputted from the keyboard 27 or the mouse 30 via the input section 31, and if it determines that it is an operation signal for the automated warehouse equipment, the control section 36 outputs the signal via the input/output section 32. Transfer to the equipment control device 21. Further, if the operation signal is determined to be an operation signal for the display device 26, the screen data is transferred to the screen display section 33.
At the same time, data necessary for this screen is searched for and sequentially collected from the equipment control device 21 via the input/output unit 32, and new data is always stored in the data storage unit 35. Further, when a feedback signal is input from the screen display section 33, the data stored in the data storage section 35 is outputted to the screen display section 33.

When screen data is input, the screen display section 33 searches the screen pattern storage section 34 and outputs data consisting of the pattern to the display device 26 to display the pattern, and outputs a feedback signal to the control section 36. do. When data to be displayed on the screen is input, the data is converted in accordance with the format of the screen pattern and the converted data is output to the display device 26.

With the above configuration, the display control device 25 selects a previously stored screen and displays it on the display device 26 in response to an operation signal from the keyboard 27 or the mouse 30, and also displays the selected screen on the automatic warehouse equipment using the keyboard 27 or the mouse 30. When a device operation signal is input, the signal is transferred to the equipment control device 21, and the necessary data is collected from the equipment control device 21 according to the selected screen, and the data is moved to the position set on the screen. Convert and display the data according to the format.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an equipment status display screen displayed on the display device 26 by the display control device 25. On the screen in FIG. 4, the layout of the automated warehouse equipment shown in FIG. 5 is displayed in a patterned manner, and the running cycle of the automated warehouse equipment specified by the mouse 30 is displayed in real time as indicated by the arrow. has been done. Further, in FIG. 4, the symbols of the equipment are displayed in different colors: green when the equipment is in operation, blue when it is stopped, red when it is abnormal, and yellow when it is disconnected. The operation of the display control device 25 when displaying this screen will be explained.

First, when it is determined that the operation signal from the keyboard 27 is data requesting an equipment status display screen, a pre-stored equipment status display screen is selected and a pattern showing the arrangement of automated warehouse equipment is displayed. And equipment control device 21
The data necessary for this screen, that is, the status data of each device such as whether it is running or stopped, is collected, and the color of the symbol changes depending on this data: green when running, blue when stopped, red when an error occurs, and when disconnected. Convert and display so that the inside is yellow. Also, when the status data changes during display, the color changes in real time.

Next, when the symbol of the automated warehouse equipment on the screen is clicked with the mouse 30 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 8), and the equipment control device 21 sends data on the content of the work being executed by this automated warehouse equipment, such as whether it is online or offline, whether it is in operation or stopped, warehousing, warehousing, etc. , the number of the loading/unloading conveyor 6 for loading/unloading the load 1, the number of the loading/unloading space 2 of the shelf 3 for loading/unloading the load 1, the operation data of the crane 5, etc. collect. Thereafter, the format data of the window screen on the screen is outputted to open the window screen, and furthermore, the name of the automated warehouse equipment and the data of the work contents are outputted to display the cycle being executed. In the example of FIG. 4, the first machine of the automated warehouse 8 is the equipment controller 21.
The work is in warehousing mode from the loading/unloading conveyor 6 of number 2 to the cargo storage space 012-04 of shelf number 2, and the crane 5 is performing the scooping operation of cargo 1. It shows that. Also, if the work content data changes while being displayed,
Change the display of work content in real time. and,
Close the current window screen. Next, when the symbol of another automated warehouse equipment is clicked with the mouse 30,
Opens a new window screen and displays the content of the work being executed by the clicked automated warehouse equipment.

In this way, it is possible to realize a non-panel system, and by displaying a pattern indicating the arrangement of the automated warehouse equipment on the display device 26, it is possible to concretely understand the arrangement of the automated warehouse equipment. Furthermore, by displaying the content of the work being executed by the automated warehouse equipment specified by the mouse 30 in real time, it is possible to grasp what kind of work is being performed by the specifically designated automated warehouse equipment. be able to.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as cargo handling equipment,
The figure shows an automated warehouse facility equipped with an automated warehouse, a conveyor device, and a self-propelled transport vehicle, but the cargo handling equipment may be composed of individual cargo handling equipment, and cargo handling equipment other than automated warehouse equipment may also be used. , for example, an unmanned vehicle system, a monorail system, a linear motor transport system, or any other type of cargo handling equipment.

[0029]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, by displaying a pattern indicating the arrangement of cargo handling equipment on a display, it is possible to concretely understand the arrangement of cargo handling equipment, and furthermore, it is possible to specify the arrangement of cargo handling equipment. By displaying in real time the details of the work being performed on the loaded cargo handling equipment,
It is possible to understand what kind of work is being performed by the specifically designated cargo handling equipment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a control configuration diagram of automatic warehouse equipment that is cargo handling equipment in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a display control device section of the automated warehouse equipment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a display control device of the automated warehouse equipment.

FIG. 4 is a state screen diagram displayed on a display device of the automated warehouse equipment.

FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of equipment in the automated warehouse facility.

FIG. 6 is a control configuration diagram of conventional automated warehouse equipment.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 Crane 6 Input/output conveyor 8 Automated warehouse 10 Self-propelled transport vehicle 11 Conveyor 12 Material handling conveyor device 21 Equipment control device 22 Sequencer 23 Control box 24 Link 25 Display control device 26 Display device 27 Keyboard 28 Stores the equipment control device and sequencer Rack 29 Automated warehouse loading/unloading control device 30
Mouse 41 Inventory management computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Cargo handling equipment equipped with cargo handling equipment, comprising: a control device for controlling the cargo handling equipment; a display; and a pattern indicating the arrangement of the cargo handling equipment on the display; A cargo handling facility characterized by comprising a display control device configured to display the contents of the work being executed by the cargo handling facility as understood by the control device by specifying the cargo handling facility.