JPH11208826A - Sorting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorting system capable of enhancing operating efficiency. SOLUTION: This is a sorting system in which two or more destinations and designated quantities are memorized for each product item, and when a product is specified and manipulated by control stations 30-1, 30-2, designated quantity indicators 42-1, etc., and 42 2, etc. provided as to correspond to containers for respective destinations located in sorting areas Z1, Z2 display relevant designated quantities, and a worker packs the product in the aforementioned containers following the designated quantities followed by pressing a completion key. The control stations 30-1, 30-2 are operated to designate a next product before the product having been designated is finished with allocation to all the corresponding destinations, and display the designated quantities for the next product on the designated quantity indicators 42-1, etc., and 42-2, etc., as soon as the sorting of the former product is complete.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sorting system for sorting a large quantity of goods handled at distribution centers for supermarkets, convenience stores, chain stores and the like for each destination (store).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a distribution center for merchandise for supermarkets and convenience stores, sorting work is performed so that various kinds of merchandise can be handled according to the order from each store. Work is often performed using a sorting system.

[0003] Conventional sorting systems generally include:
A sorting controller for creating sorting data consisting of a product code and the number of instructions assigned to each product type for each chain code and flight number and for each sorting destination based on order data from each store; A control station for instructing a sorting instruction to a worker for each delivery location based on the sorted sorting data, and a sort area provided for each delivery location and temporarily storing products distributed by the worker. Prepare.

[0004] The control station is disposed at a site where sorting is actually performed, and has an input device having a numeric keypad and the like, and a scanner for reading bar code information which is attached to a product and stores various information on the product. . In addition, a plurality of containers are placed in the sort area, and a designated number display for displaying the number of products to be distributed corresponding to the containers is provided. The indicated number indicator displays the number of items to be distributed based on the sorting data transmitted from the control station. Further, the indication number indicator is provided with a completion button, and when the operator completes the distribution of the product to one sort area, when the operator presses the completion button,
The control station is notified that the distribution work has been completed.

In the above sorting system,
First, the sorting controller creates sorting data including a product code and the number of instructions for each chain code and flight number and for each sorting destination based on order data from each store. This sorting data is transferred to the control station. When sorting, the operator first operates the input device provided in the control station,
The product chain code and flight number are input, and the bar code attached to the product is scanned to input information about the product to the control station.

[0006] Based on the information input by the above-mentioned operation of the operator, the control station calls the corresponding sorting data from the sorting data transferred from the sorting controller, and displays it on the designated number display provided in each sort area. Transfer sorting data to the server. When the sorting data is transferred, each indicated number indicator displays the number of commodities to be sorted and informs the operator of the number of commodities to be distributed.

When the above processing is completed, the operator loads a predetermined number of products having the product numbers read by the bar code on a cart, and displays the carts on the designated number display while sequentially moving the carts through the sort area. The number of products is distributed from the cart to the containers provided in the sorting area. Then, every time the distribution work to each container is completed, the operator presses the completion key provided on the designated number display to notify the control station of the completion of the distribution.

[0008] The worker repeats the above-mentioned operation for one product, and when the operation is completed for all containers, pushes the empty cart to the position of the control station, returns, and places the next product to be distributed. And
Perform the above operation again. When the sorting of all products is completed by repeating the above operations, all the products required by the delivery destination store have been sorted, and the distributed products are assigned to the containers at each sorting location with the designated flight number. It is loaded on a truck and delivered to each sorting place. Such a sorting method is also called a seeding method.

[0009]

As described above, in the conventional sorting system, it is necessary to input the product code assigned to the product to be distributed to the control station every time one type of product is sorted. There is. Therefore, the worker returns to the position of the control station every time the sorting of one type of product is completed, mounts the product to be sorted next on the cart, reads the barcode attached to this product, and sends the product to the control station. There is a problem that the work efficiency is poor because the product code must be entered.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a sorting system capable of improving work efficiency.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention stores a plurality of destinations and the number of instructions for each product, and when a product is designated by a product designation operation unit, a sort area is displayed. In the sorting system, the number of instructions corresponding to the instruction number indicator provided corresponding to the destination container is displayed, and the operator places the goods in the container according to the number of instructions and presses the completion key. If the next product is specified before the product is specified and the operation is completed for all applicable destinations, the number of instructions for the next product will be changed to the specified number of products when the sorting of the previous product is completed. The information is displayed on a display. Further, the present invention is characterized in that, when the display of the indicated number display is switched to the indicated number of the next product, a notifying means for notifying the operator of the change is provided.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This sorting system is provided at a distribution center that distributes goods to supermarkets and chain stores.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a communication terminal for receiving order data transmitted from the headquarters of a supermarket. The communication terminal 10 includes, for example, a modem and a TA (terminal adapter), and receives order data transmitted via a telephone line. The order data may be sent via a storage medium such as the floppy disk 12 in addition to the case where the order data is transmitted through a line such as a telephone line as described above. In this case, the content recorded on the floppy disk 12 is read by an FDD (floppy disk drive device) provided in the communication terminal 10.

A printer 14 is connected to the communication terminal 10, and when order data is received, the contents of the order data are printed. The communication terminal 10 is connected to a communication cable E such as a LAN Ethernet. The communication cable E connects the sort data creating device 20 (which is a server that manages the LAN system), the control station panels 30-1 and 30-2, and the receiving inspection device 50, which will be described later.
Various data transmitted and received between these devices are transmitted.

The sort data creating device 20 converts the order data received by the communication terminal 10 and transferred via the communication cable E into a chain number uniquely assigned to each chain and a service for sending out sorted products. Is converted into sort data for each flight number attached to the terminal, stored, and stored in the control station 30- as a terminal.
In 1 and 30-2, reading and rewriting can be performed at any time.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the sort data. Since the sort data is handled as data for each chain number and flight number as described above, it is classified for each chain number D1 and flight number D2. In the example shown in FIG. 2, “0123” is assigned as a chain number, and “01” is assigned as a flight number.

According to the chain number D1 and the flight number D2, data relating to goods to be delivered by the flight is associated. As shown in FIG. 2, the data relating to the product includes a barcode number BC, a product name NA, destination designation numbers H1 to HN, and a case quantity CA. In the example of FIG. 2, the product “OOO” with the bar code BC “4900022” is delivered to the destination A in “1” case, the product to the destination B in “2” case, and "8" cases are delivered to the destination C, and not delivered to the destination N, which means that the product is contained in 12 cases.

Control stations 30-1, 30
-2 is a product to be distributed to a plurality of containers (not shown) provided in the sort areas Z1 and Z2 based on the sort data transferred from the sort data creating device 20 and the product code input by the operator's operation. Is controlled to instruct the number of items to the operator. Control station 30
-1 and 30-2 are provided corresponding to the sort areas Z1 and Z2, respectively. In FIG. 1, the sort area Z
Although only 1 and Z2 are shown, the maximum number of sort areas is determined by the type of product, the number of delivery destinations, and the like.

Control stations 30-1, 30
The specific configuration of -2 is composed of a panel computer (in which a keyboard and a CRT of a personal computer are replaced with a touch panel), and generally commercially available hardware is used. 32-1 and 3 in FIG.
Reference numeral 2-2 denotes a hand scanner, which reads a bar code affixed to a product by an operation of an operator, and stores the product code in the control station 30-1,
30-2.

In the figure, reference numerals 34-1 and 34-2 denote journal printers.
The contents of the sort data processed in 1, 30-2 are printed. The contents printed by the journal printers 34-1 and 34-2 are attached to the sorted products, and are used to check whether or not the ordered products have been delivered for the number of orders at the destination supermarket or the like. Used for

Reference numerals 36-1 and 36-2 denote junction boxes, which are control stations 30-1 and 30-2.
-2, patrol lights 38-1, 38-2, large display 4
0-1, 40-2, and a plurality of indication number indicators 42-1,
, 42-2,... Are respectively connected, and the data output from the control stations 30-1, 30-2 is distributed according to their types.

One of the patrol lights 38-1 and 38-2 is provided in each of the sort areas Z1 and Z2, and lights up during the sorting operation. In addition, the indication number indicators 38-1, 3
8-2 is provided in each of the sort areas Z1 and Z2, and displays the product name or the total number of products to be sorted and transferred from the control stations 30-1 and 30-2.

.. Indicate the number of commodities to be distributed to the workers, and are arranged in the sort area Z1 in plural numbers, each corresponding to a container (not shown). Provided. That is, the indication number indicator 42
-1,... Are provided for each delivery destination. Also, in the sort area Z2, a plurality of indicating number indicators 42-2,
... are provided.

FIG. 3 shows the indication number indicators 42-1,..., 42-.
It is a front view of 2, .... As shown in FIG. 3, the indicated number indicators 42-1,..., 42-2,.
3-digit 7-segment display unit 60 for displaying the number of products to be distributed, control station 3 after distribution is completed
It comprises a complete key 62, a cancel key 64, and an address number display section 66 for notifying 0-1 and 30-2 of the fact.

The 7-segment display section 60 lights red,
The completion key 62 is a push button type button, and is turned on until, for example, the operator presses the sort data after the sort data is transferred from the control stations 30-1 and 30-2. The completion key 62 has a lamp and a cap.

The address number display section 66 displays an address number uniquely assigned to each of the designated number indicators 42-1,... Or the designated number indicators 42-2,. As shown in FIG. 2, since the sort data includes the number of sorts for each destination, the control station 30 determines which instruction number display 42-1,... Or instruction number display 42-2,. The address number is used to determine which destination designation number to transfer. Each of the control stations 30-1 and 30-2 is provided with a flag indicating whether or not the completion key 62 has been pressed in correspondence with the instruction number indicators 42-1,..., 42-2,. Note that the arrival inspection device 50 in FIG. 1 inspects the type and number of goods to be received.

Next, the operation of this embodiment with the above configuration will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of the sorting operation performed by the worker, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the control stations 30-1 and 30-2. In the following description, the control stations 30-1 and 30-3 will be described in order to make the description easy to understand.
0-2 will be described as the control station 30. .., A designated number display 4
2-2,... Will be described as indicated number indicators 42,. When goods are received, trays 102-
The sheet is transported to the vicinity of a sort area Z for sorting by the belt conveyor 100 or the like.

The operator places the goods conveyed by the belt conveyor 100 or the like on the cart 110. The cart 110 has a product placement section at an upper stage and a lower stage, and an operator places the product placement section on each of the upper and lower stage. The control station 30 determines in step S10 in FIG. 5 whether a chain number or flight number has been input. If the result of this determination is "NO", the flow returns to step S10 and the above determination is repeated. Next, the operator operates the control station 30 to check the chain number,
Enter the flight number.

When the operator inputs a chain number and a flight number, the process of the control station 30 proceeds to step S12, and the operator proceeds to a process of inputting an operator code assigned to the operator. When the worker inputs the worker code, the process proceeds to step S14 and proceeds to the process of inputting the product code.

In step S 14, the operator first reads the bar code attached to the product placed on the cart 110 by the hand scanner 32 and inputs the product code to the control station 30. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen of the touch panel of the control station 30 when a product code is input. The control station 30 actually displays a number of indication indicators 42
Although the number of indications of different commodities can be displayed for each of the categories, here, a case where the categories are not classified will be described for easy understanding.

The operator presses the position of the button PB1 displayed on the touch panel while the display area DP1 in FIG. First, read the barcode attached to each of the products. The product code included in the read barcode is input to the control station.

When the input of the product code of one product placed on the cart 110 is completed, the display screen of the touch panel of the control station 30 is as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen of the touch panel of the control station 30 after one product code is input.

In FIG. 7, the product name, the number of cases, and the like read in the above operation are displayed at the displayed position inside the button PB1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, “hand-rolled rice ball” is displayed as a product name, “(12 pieces per case)” is displayed, and a display area DP in the vicinity thereof is displayed.
The sorting operator is displayed in 2. Also, the display area DP1
Changes to "working" and displays area D
A look-ahead button R is displayed at one corner of P1.

The pre-reading button P is for inputting, to the control station 30, the product code of the product to be sorted next before performing the sorting process of the product for which the product code has been read first. Now, cart 110
Since different types of products are placed, the operator presses the position where the look-ahead button R is displayed in order to input the product code of the second product. When the prefetch button R is pressed, the display screen of the touch panel changes as shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen of the touch panel of the control station 30 when pre-reading the product code. As shown in FIG. 8, the display area DP1
"Please specify product number" is displayed. In the state where "Please specify the product number" is displayed in the display area DP1, the button P displayed on the touch panel is displayed.
The bar code attached to one product is first read by the hand scanner 32 while pressing the position of B2. The product code included in the read barcode is input to the control station.

When the pre-reading is completed, as shown in FIG. 7, the display screen of the touch panel displays "work in progress" in the display area DP1, and the read operation is carried out at the displayed position inside the button PB2. The name of the product taken, the number of cases, and the like are displayed. Further, a pre-reading button R is displayed at one corner of the display area DP1, but in the present description, the case where two types of products are placed on the cart 110 is described as an example, The sorting operation is started without pressing the button R.

When the above processing is completed, the control station 30 calls the chain number, flight number, and the sort data corresponding to the previously entered product code entered in step S10, and displays a plurality of designated number indicators 42 , ... When the sort data is transferred, the instruction number display 42,... Displays the corresponding destination instruction number from the destination instruction numbers H1 to HN in the sort data. When the designated number of destinations is displayed, the designated number indicators 42,... Turn on the completion key 62 (step S16). Also,
The control station 30 performs a process of clearing the flag. Further, the large display 40-1 or 40 in FIG.
-2 displays the product name of the product to be sorted.

When the above processing is completed, the number of commodities to be sorted is displayed on each of the indicated number indicators 42,... Start sorting work. The task of sorting is
First, looking at the number displayed on the indicated number display 42, the number of products displayed is distributed to the container 112 corresponding to the indicated number display 42, and the completion key 62 of the indicated number display 42 is pressed. The operator performs this operation with a different instruction number indicator 42.
Repeat for

When the operator presses the completion key 62, the control station 30 is notified of the fact that the completion key 62 is pressed by the instruction number display 42, and the control station 30 sets a flag corresponding to the instruction number display 42. Is set (step S18). The indication number display 42 changes the display of the 7-segment display unit 60 to "----" and turns off the completion key 62.

In the process of step S20, it is determined whether or not sorting has been completed for all destinations.
This processing is performed by the control station 30 depending on whether or not flags for all the destinations of the designated product have been set. If this determination is "NO", the process proceeds to step S22. Step S22
Then, it is determined whether or not the look-ahead key R shown in FIG. 7 has been pressed. This processing takes into account the case where the operator inputs product data to be sorted next while the worker is sorting.

If the result of this determination is "NO", the process returns to step S18. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S22 is "YES", the process proceeds to a step S24 to perform a process of inputting a product code.
This process is similar to the process shown in FIG. When the product code is input, it is stored in the control station 30 (step S26). When the above process ends, the process returns to the step S18.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S20 is "YES", that is, if it is determined that sorting has been completed for all destinations, the process proceeds to step S2.
Proceed to 8. In step S28, a process for notifying the worker that the sorting of the sorted products to all the destinations has been completed is performed. In this process, first, the control station 30 notifies the total indication number indicator 42 in the same sort area Z that the sorting of one product has been completed.

When the above notification and transfer are performed, each indicated number display 42 blinks the 7-segment display section 60 and the completion key 62 for a few seconds, and informs the operator that the displayed content is switched to the next product. Notify. This notification is indicated by the indication number indicator 4.
2 may be provided with a buzzer to notify the user by hearing. When the notification process to the worker is completed, the process proceeds to step S30, and it is determined whether or not a product code of a product to be sorted next has been input.

In the present embodiment, the case where two product codes have been input in step S14 and the case where the sorting of one product has been completed in step S28 has been described as an example. The control station 30 has another one mounted on the cart 110.
The product code of the type of product is stored. Therefore, the result of the determination in step S30 is "YES". Step S
If the result of the determination in step 30 is "YES", the operation proceeds to step S32, in which a process of reading out the product code stored in the control station 30 is performed. Step S3
When the process of step 2 is completed, the process returns to step S16,
The sort data of the read product data is transferred to each instruction number display 42, and the number of products to be sorted next is displayed.

On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S30 is "NO", the process proceeds to a step S34 to determine whether or not the sorting work on the sort data of the same chain number and flight number has been completed. If the result of this determination is "NO". Returning to the process of step S14, a process of inputting a product code of a product to be sorted next is performed. If the decision result in the step S34 is "YES", the process returns to the step S10, and a process of inputting a chain store and a flight number to be sorted next is performed.

When sorting of all products is completed, the control station 30 stores the chain number, flight number, operator code, product code, and the number of sorts for each destination as actual data. Can be specified. still,
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be freely modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, step S14 in FIG.
The pre-reading of the product code described in (1) is not limited to the next product, and may be sequentially performed on products to be sorted after the next product, and the product codes may be sequentially stored.

Also, as shown in FIG.
Inside, containers 112 are arranged in a row,
The example in which the worker performs the work while performing the linear movement along the arrangement direction of the containers 112 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be. Further, the switching of the indicated number indicator for the next product may be provided by providing a key to be operated when sorting to all the destinations is completed, and to be switched when this key is operated.

In the switching, the server may determine that sorting to all destinations has been completed by the same flag as above and instruct the control station to perform the switching. Alternatively, all controls may be performed by a stand-alone control station. Further, the storage location of the next product number that has been prefetched may be any location such as a server, as long as it can be easily read, and the corresponding sort data may be stored instead of the product number.

The timing of the pre-reading does not have to be the same as the input of the previous product number as long as the sorting of the previous product is not completed for all destinations. For example, if the quantity of the previous product is too large to put on the cart at once, perform pre-reading work when returning to the control station position to get the remaining products in the middle of the sorting work,
Alternatively, if the previous product sorting operation is performed at a position close to the control station, the operation efficiency is improved.

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention, the product specification operation can be performed on the following products at once, so that the product specification operation can be performed from the sort area every time the product to be sorted changes. There is no need to return to the section, and there is an effect that work efficiency is improved. In addition, since the number of instructions for the next product is displayed after the sorting of one type of product is completed, it is clear which product to display the number of instructions for, which has the effect of reducing sorting errors. In addition, the operator can easily know the switching of the display of the indicated number display by the notification, so that it is easy to know which product indicates the indicated number.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a data structure of sort data.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the indication number indicators 42-1,..., 42-2,.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation state of a sorting operation performed by an operator.

FIG. 5 shows control stations 30-1 and 30-.
6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of No. 2;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen of a touch panel of the control station 30 when a product code is input.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen of the touch panel of the control station 30 after one product code is input.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen of a touch panel of the control station 30 when pre-reading a product code.

[Explanation of symbols]

30, 30-1, 30-2 Control station (product designation operation unit) Z, Z1, Z2 Sort area 112, ... Container (destination container) 42, 42-1, ..., 42-2, ... (Notification means)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of destinations and the number of indications are stored for each product, and when a product is designated by a product designation operation unit, a designation number display provided corresponding to a destination container in a sort area. In the sorting system in which the number of instructions corresponding to the number of instructions is displayed, the operator puts the goods in the container according to the number of instructions, and presses the completion key, the goods specification operation unit includes: If the next product is designated before the process is completed, the sorting number of the next product is displayed on the designated number display when the sorting of the previous product is completed. 2. The sorting system according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying means for notifying the operator when the display of the indicated number display is switched to the indicated number of the next product.