JPH05155406A - Picking system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To improve the certainty of picking work. [Structure] A series 210, 220, 2 of picking shelves 200
It is characterized in that the ID tag 61 arranged for each 30, ... Is provided with a continuous display lamp 62 which is turned on by a work instruction in the picking cart and turned off when the work is completed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to picking systems. More specifically, when a predetermined type and a predetermined number of items are shipped as one unit from a picking shelf in which a large number of various types of items are stored in a distribution center, etc. Picking system for picking up from.
In particular, the present invention relates to a picking system that improves the certainty of work.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of picking system is
As shown in FIG. 8, an IC issued from the computer 1
When the card 2 is inserted into the picking cart 3, a display provided on the cart is instructed as to which rack is to be picked, for example, the XX column, the XX row, and the XX row. Also, the item number, lot, number, etc. of the item to be picked are instructed.

While the trolley 3 is provided with an antenna unit 4, each station 5 forming a row of shelves I
An ID tag 6 for transmitting D microwaves is provided.

When the worker pushes the picking cart and goes to the picking place indicated by the display, the antenna unit 4 receives the ID microwave transmitted from the corresponding ID tag 6 and reaches the picking place. Since it has been notified that the worker has done so, the worker can put a prescribed number of prescribed articles in the cart bucket.

[0005]

The conventional picking system described above has the following problems.

That is, since no display means for positively indicating this is provided on the side of the shelf, for example, if there is an article of the same product number in a different lot on the shelf next to the instructed shelf. However, there is a possibility that an item that is not in the designated lot may be mistakenly picked, and the certainty of the work is not always good.

An object of the present invention is to provide a picking system capable of solving the above problems and improving the reliability of work.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the picking system of the present invention illuminates an ID tag arranged on each row of picking shelves with a work instruction on the picking cart and turns off when the work is completed. It is characterized in that a continuous display lamp for lighting is provided.

[0009]

Since the picking system of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it has the following effects.

That is, since the serial indicator lamp is provided for each serial of picking shelves, the probability of accidentally picking an article from the adjacent shelf is significantly reduced, and thus the certainty of the work is improved. is there.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a picking cart and a shelf used in the picking system according to the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is a picking cart, 2
0 is a work instruction display, 30 and 31 are buckets,
40 is a console facing the side.

Reference numeral 200 is a picking shelf, and a series of the picking shelves 21.
0, 220, 230, ..., ID tags 61 are provided with continuous display lamps 62 that are turned on by a work instruction on the picking cart 10 and turned off when the work is completed.

A detailed description will be given below.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an upper frame which also serves as a handle of the truck 10, and 12 denotes a lower frame 1 provided with casters 13.
A vertical frame 4 connects the upper frame 11 and the lower frame 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the work instruction display 20 includes a liquid crystal display section 21, a cursor nameplate 22 listing work items, and the liquid crystal display corresponding to each item of the cursor nameplate 22. The cursor display section 23 is provided on the left side of the section 21.

Reference numeral 24 is a cursor, and this cursor 24
Cursor button 41 for moving and selecting work
(See FIG. 1) and a command button 42 for instructing a work selected by the operation are arranged on the left side of the handle portion 11 a formed by the upper frame 11. These cursor button 41 and command button 4
In addition to No. 2, there is a completion button that is operated when picking from one certain picking rack is completed as a button with high operation frequency. As shown in FIG. 1, this completion button 43 is a button of the handle portion 11a. It is located on the right side.

On the console 40, as shown in FIG.
A key switch 44 for turning the power on and off, and a pause button switch 4 that is pressed to save the battery during lunch breaks, etc.
5, a buzzer 46 for an abnormal alarm, a work instruction, etc., a battery display lamp 47 for displaying a state of exhaustion of the battery, and a charging lamp 48 for lighting during battery charging.
An IC card reader / writer 49 into which an IC card is inserted is provided. The battery is the control panel 15 (see FIG.
(See)).

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 50, 51, 52, and 53 are LED lamps for indicating a storage location, and the bucket 30,
Four LEDs are provided for each of the eight storage compartments 31.

Reference numeral 60 denotes transceivers provided on the left and right sides of the trolley, which detect an ID microwave transmitted from an ID tag 61 provided for each station on the shelf or send an ID microwave to the ID tag 61. It is designed to be sent out. Further, the ID tag 61 can receive the ID microwave from the transceiver 60 of the dolly, and when receiving the ID microwave, the continuous display lamp 62 is lit.

The continuous indicator lamp 62 is composed of an LED, and its power source is a battery built in the ID tag 61.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of the entire picking system.

In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes a host computer, which performs total inventory management, shelf management, receipt / shipment management, and the like.

110 is a computer 100 and BSC (bi
nary synchronous communication: A personal computer connected by means of nary synchronous communication control system, etc., and performs flat inventory management, flat shelf management, loading / unloading management, IC card management, shelf layout definition, etc. The shelf layout is defined by "row", "run", and "column" as shown in FIG. 7, for example.
In the case of the shelf shown in FIG. 7, there are first to ninth columns. The first row is 4 rows, the second row is 3 rows, and the 3rd to 7th rows are 2 rows each.
The rows, the 8th and 9th columns are each 4 rows. In addition, each row of the eighth column has four stages. In the case of this embodiment,
Each of “row”, “run”, and “column” can be defined up to a two-digit number.

Reference numeral 120 denotes an IC connected to the personal computer 110
A card reader / writer that writes picking work data to be performed by an operator in an IC card or uses an IC card reader / writer 49 of a picking cart to perform IC
Read the work record written on the card.

Next, a concrete working example will be described.

(1) When the power switch 44 is turned on, the initial mode screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display section 21 of the work instruction display 20. Here, if the IC card is not inserted in the IC card reader / writer 49 of the truck, a message is displayed and the input of the IC card is awaited. When the IC card received from the personal computer 110 is input, the message disappears.

(2) When the cursor button 41 is operated to select "start / end" from the work items displayed on the cursor nameplate 22 with the cursor 24 and the command button 42 is pressed to execute this work item, The start mode screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21. Therefore, the worker
See the comment display and prepare for work.

(3) When the cursor button 41 is operated to select a “block” from the work items displayed on the cursor nameplate 22 with the cursor 24 and the command button 42 is pressed to execute this work item, FIG. A plane mode screen as shown in is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21. The plane mode screen includes a layout section and a data section. The position of the picking shelf to be picked is displayed as a shaded area in the layout section. According to the shelf address definition as shown in FIG. 7, in the case of FIG.
It can be seen that there are picking shelves in the line, the 4th line, the 2nd line, and the 9th line, the 2nd line. Block 2 of the current display in the data section
The remaining work counts of the blocks b and 1 to 8b are displayed. Therefore, the number of remaining works and the position of the picking shelf are confirmed to determine the picking work route. Note that the picking route can follow an IC card.

(4) Manually push the trolley 10 to the picking shelf where the work is to be performed.

(5) When the cart 10 approaches the picking shelf, the transceiver 60 detects the ID microwave transmitted from the ID tag 61 provided for each station, and the buzzer 46 of the console sounds to pick. Inform that there is. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid crystal display unit 21 displays a screen in a state in which the carriage 10 has moved to the shelf (in this case, the second row of the fourth row), and the “right side” of the cursor nameplate 22 is displayed. "Shelf" blinks and picking is instructed. Simultaneously with this picking instruction, the ID microwave is transmitted from the transceiver 60, and when the ID tag 61 receives this, the continuous display lamp 62 is lit. In the case of FIG. 8, since the picking shelf is on the right side, the “right shelf” blinks and the right continuous display lamp 62 lights up. In the data section of the screen, the block number, an error or warning message, and the remaining work count are always displayed.

(6) The buzzer 46 is turned off in 10 seconds, and at the same time, the elevation mode screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 2.
It is displayed in 1. In addition, in the above (5), when there is picking on the left and right shelves, both the “left shelf” and the “right shelf” of the cursor nameplate 22 blink, so in this case,
The operator operates the cursor button 41 to move the cursor nameplate 2
Cursor 2 of the blinking "left shelf" or "right shelf" of 2
By selecting with 4 and pressing the command button 42, the buzzer 46 is turned off and at the same time an elevation mode screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the liquid crystal display section 21. Further, in this case, the display lamps are also lit on both left and right sides, but only the display lamps on the selected side are lit at the stage when "left shelf" or "right shelf" is selected.

At the top of the elevation mode screen, the product number of the item to be picked, the lot, the number of picks (AA at the end of the number of picks indicates that the unit corresponding to the item is displayed), the shelf address ( In the figure, the fourth row, second row, third row), the number of remaining works, and the operating time are displayed. In the lower left part of the screen, the picking place is displayed with a diagram (hatched portion) in addition to the shelf address. Further, in the lower right part of the screen, the storage location of the bucket in which the picked item should be stored is displayed with a drawing (hatched portion).

(7) The operator, in accordance with the instruction displayed on the elevation mode screen, takes out the designated number of articles and the designated lot from the designated picking location by the designated number of picks,
Put in the designated bucket storage. In this case, since the continuous display lamp 62 at the picking place is lit, the probability of accidentally picking an item from the adjacent shelf is extremely small. Further, since the designated storage portion of the bucket is designated by the LED lamps 50 and 51, it can be inserted without fail.

(8) After the work of (7) is completed, the completion button 4
When 3 is pressed, the above work is written in the IC card by the IC card reader / writer 49 of the dolly and the result is updated.

(9) If there is another work in the same row, the indication of picking location, part number, lot, and number of picks will change,
Return to work in (7). When all the picking work in this series is over, at the same time there is no instruction of picking place,
The ID microwave is transmitted from the transceiver 60, and the continuous display lamp 62 is extinguished. Also, the screen returns to the plane mode screen as shown in FIG. On this screen, the finished shelves are displayed in white rather than in the shaded areas.

(10) Cart 1 to other picking work shelves
Push 0 and repeat the work from (5). (11) When all work is completed, the total display of remaining work is 0.
Since it is a turn, the carriage 10 is returned to the origin. (12) When all the work of this IC card is completed, the cursor button 41 is operated to select “start / end” from the work items displayed on the cursor nameplate 22 with the cursor 24, and the command button 42 is pressed. Then, the end mode screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 21. Therefore, the operator takes out the IC card and updates the results with the personal computer 110. When the IC card is taken out, the screen returns to the initial mode. In addition, the buckets 30 and 31 are lowered to a predetermined place.

As described above, according to the picking system of the present embodiment, the continuous indicator lamp 6 is provided for each series of picking shelves.
Since the number 2 is provided, the probability of accidentally picking an item from the adjacent shelf is significantly reduced, thus improving the certainty of the work.

Further, since the battery built in the ID tag 61 is used as the power source of the continuous display lamp, there is also an advantage that construction on the shelf side for mounting the lamp is unnecessary.

In the above description, an ID tag is attached to each station and a lamp for continuous display is attached, but an ID tag can be attached to each row, that is, each shelf, and an indicator lamp can be attached.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a picking system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a work instruction display of the picking cart.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a console of a picking cart.

FIG. 4 is a system schematic diagram showing an example of the entire picking system.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a display screen of a work instruction display of the picking cart.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a display screen of a work instruction display of the picking cart.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a definition example of a shelf address in the picking system.

FIG. 8 is a system diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Picking cart 61 ID tag 62 Stationary lamp 200 Shelf 210 Station 220 Station 230 Station

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ID arranged for each series of picking shelves
A picking system characterized in that a tag is provided with a continuous display lamp which is turned on when a work instruction is given on a picking cart and is turned off when the work is completed.