The present invention relates to an automated
warehouse system which includes a plurality of automated
warehouses.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] There is known an automated warehouse which
includes racks including a plurality shelves aligned in a
height direction, and stacker cranes which transfer loads
to and from the racks by using a transfer device. This
stacker crane transfer device is provided to extend and
15 contract in a direction of the rack. As disclosed in, for
example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
7-18 7 315, a storage object is appropriately trans fer red to
the rack by adjusting a position of a slide portion while
occasionally checking the position of the slide portion
20 which slides toward a base portion.
[0003] Such an automated warehouse has a concern that,
when a stacker crane stops due to a power failure, a storage
object collapses from a transfer device or the transfer
device projects out while transferring the storage object
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and stops. When the stacker crane is automatically
restored in such a state, there is a concern that the storage
object is damaged or the transfer device is damaged. Hence,
an operator generally visually checks safety, and performs
5 an operation of manually restoring the stacker crane.
[0005] However, when stacker cranes of a plurality of
automated warehouses stop due to the power failure, the
operator takes on a heavy operation burden of checking
respective states of the stacker cranes of the plurality
10 of automated warehouses, and it requires time until the
stacker cranes are restored. In the case where the stacker
15
cranes frequently stop,
remarkable.
this problem becomes more
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore an object of the present
invention to provide an automated warehouse system which
can efficiently restore stacker cranes provided to a
plurality of automated warehouses, respectively, upon a
20 power failure.
[0007] An automated warehouse system according to the
present invention includes a plurality of automated
warehouses and a control device. Each automated warehouse
includes a stacker crane including a transfer unit which
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extends and contracts in a direction of a rack for storing
a storage object, from a lifting platform which moves in
a height direction, and which transfers the storage object
to and from the rack, and a position detecting unit which
5 detects a position of the transfer unit in the direction
in which the transfer unit extends and contracts. The
control device includes a monitoring unit which is
connected to the plurality of automated warehouses to
communicate therewith, and monitors the position of the
10 transfer unit of the stacker crane provided to each of the
plurality of automated warehouses, and a power failure
detecting unit which detects a power failure. When the
power failure detecting unit detects the power failure, the
control device causes a display unit to collectively
15 display respective states of the plurality of stacker
cranes monitored by the monitoring unit.
[0008] According to the automated warehouse system
employing this configuration, the respective states of the
plurality of stacker cranes are collectively displayed on
20 the display unit upon the power failure. An operator can
check information displayed on the display unit and
determine stacker cranes which need to be manually restored
by checking an actual situation of the site, and stacker
cranes which can be restored as is. Thus, the operator can
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immediately head to an automated warehouse which needs to
be manually restored. Thus, the present invention can
efficiently restore the stacker cranes provided to the
plurality of automated warehouses, respectively, upon the
5 power failure.
[0009] According to the automated warehouse system of
the present invention, the control device may determine
whether or not the stacker crane provided to each of the
plurality of the automated warehouses requires maintenance,
10 based on the position detected by the position detecting
unit, and cause the display unit to collectively display
results of the determination.
[0010] The automated warehouse system employing this
configuration displays, as a stacker crane which requires
15 maintenance, a stacker crane which is highly likely to cause
a problem when this stopped stacker crane is restored. The
operator can head to the site only by checking information
displayed on the display unit.
[0011] According to the automated warehouse system of
20 the present invention, when determining that the transfer
unit is at a predetermined position, the control device may
restore the stacker crane.
[0012] According to the automated warehouse system
employing this configuration, the control device can
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perform a remote operation to restore stacker cranes which
do not cause a problem even if the stacker cranes are
restored. When determining that the transfer unit is at
a predetermined position, the automated warehouse system
5 may display on the display unit a message indicating that
the transfer unit is at the predetermined position, and have
the operator perform a restoring operation or may
automatically restore the stacker cranes.
[0013] According to the automated warehouse system of
10 the present invention, the control device may determine
whether or not the stacker crane requires maintenance,
based on at least one of a position of the transfer unit
obtained before the stacker crane stops due to the power
failure and a position of the transfer unit obtained after
15 power is recovered.
[0014] The automated warehouse system employing this
configuration can determine whether or not maintenance is
required, based on the position of the stacker crane
obtained at an adequate timing, and enhance determination
20 accuracy.
[0015] The present invention can efficiently restore
the stacker cranes provided to the plurality of automated
warehouses, respectively, upon the power failure.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an
automated warehouse system according to one embodiment;
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a batch display
5 screen displayed on a control device included in the
automated warehouse system;
10
15
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of
monitoring control in the automated warehouse system
according to one embodiment; and
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of
monitoring control in the automated warehouse system
according to another embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] One embodiment will be described below with
reference to the drawings. The same elements in the
drawings will be assigned the same reference numerals, and
overlapping description will be omitted. Dimension ratios
in the drawings do not necessarily match with ratios
20 described below.
[0018] An automated warehouse system 1 according to
one embodiment will be described. As illustrated in FIG.
1, the automated warehouse system 1 includes a plurality
of automated warehouses 10 (lOA, lOB, lOC, and lOD),
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and a control device 4 0 which is connected to these
automated warehouses 10 to communicate therewith through
communication means 5 such as through wired means or
wireless means, and which can manage and control each
5 automated warehouse 10.
[0019] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the automated
warehouse 10 includes a plurality of racks 11, a rail 13,
a stacker crane 20 and a crane control unit 15.
[0020] The racks 11 are parts in which storage objects
10 are stored, and are generally provided in one or two rows
(two rows in this case) . Each rack 11 extends in a
predetermined direction, and is arranged substantially
parallel such that the neighboring racks 11 and 11 face each
other. In each rack 11, a plurality of stages of storage
15 racks (shelves) 11A on which storage objects are placed and
stored are formed in the height direction ( Z axis direction)
and along a predetermined direction and a vertical
direction.
[0021] The stacker crane 20 is a mechanism which puts
20 and takes out a storage object to and from the storage rack
11A, and moves the storage object between the storage racks
11A, and is arranged in a region sandwiched by the facing
racks 11 and 11. The stacker crane 20 can move in a
predetermined direction along the racks 11 by traveling
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5
along an extending direction of the rack 11 and on the rail
13 arranged on a floor. The stacker crane 20 includes a
lifting platform 23, a slide fork (transfer unit) 25 and
a position detecting unit 27.
[0022] The lifting platform 23 is provided to move in
a vertical direction (height direction) along a mast
extending in the vertical direction.
[0023] The slide fork 25 can extend and contract from
the lifting platform 23 in a direction of the rack 11
10 (horizontal direction), and transfers a storage object to
and from the rack 11.
[0024] The position detecting unit 27 detects a
position of the slide fork 25 in the extending/contracting
direction. The position detecting unit 27 according to the
15 present embodiment detects a relative position of the slide
fork 25 with respect to the lifting platform 23 based on
a reference position. Consequently, it is possible to
grasp whether the extending I contracting direction position
of the slide fork 25 with respect to the lifting platform
20 23 is at a predetermined position (referred to as an
"original position" below). For example, the original
position may be a center position of the lifting platform
23. The position detecting unit 27 transmits position
information as to whether or not the slide fork 25 is
9 I 23
positioned at the original position, to the control device
40 through the crane control unit 15. For example, a
proximity sensor or a limit switch is applicable to the
position detecting unit 27. Further, an encoder of a motor
5 which drives the slide fork 25 is also applicable to the
position detecting unit 27.
[0025] The crane control unit 15 is a component which
performs various types of control on the stacker cranes 20,
and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read
10 Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) . The crane
control unit 15 receives a command from the control device
40, and controls traveling of the stacker cranes 20 and
putting and taking out of storage objects, and transmits
to the control device 4 0 position information of the slide
15 fork 25 sent from the position detecting unit 27 provided
to each stacker crane 20.
20
[0026] The control device 4 0 is connected to the
plurality of automated warehouses 10 to communicate
therewith through the wired or wireless communication means
5. The control device 40 transmits a command for
controlling traveling of the stacker crane 20 provided to
each automated warehouse 10 and putting and taking out of
storage objects, and manages position information of the
slide fork 25 transmitted through the crane control unit
10 I 23
15.
[ 0 02 7] The control device 4 0 includes a CPU, a ROM and
a RAM. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control device 40
includes a monitoring unit 41 and a power failure detecting
5 unit 4 3 which are conceptual components which execute
various types of control processing on the stacker crane
20 provided to each automated warehouse 10. These
conceptual components can be configured as software
executed by the CPU when, for example, a program stored in
10 the ROM is loaded to the RAM. In addition, the monitoring
unit 41 and the power failure detecting unit 43 may be
configured as hardware such as an electronic circuit.
Further, the control device 40 may further include a display
unit 45.
15 [0028] The monitoring unit 41 is a component which
monitors position information of the slide fork 25 detected
by the position detecting unit 27 of the stacker crane 20
provided to each of the plurality of automated warehouse
10. For example, the monitoring unit 41 transmits commands
20 for transmission of position information of slide forks to
each crane control unit 15 at predetermined intervals, and
monitors the position information of the slide forks
transmitted from the crane control unit 15.
[ 0029 J The power fai 1 ure detecting unit 4 3 is a
11 I 23
component which detects a power failure. The power failure
detecting unit 43 according to the present embodiment
detects the power failure when receiving an operation
signal transmitted from a UPS (Uninterruptible Power
5 Supply) connected to the control device 40.
[0030] The display unit 45 is a component which
provides various pieces of information to operators, and
is, for example, a touch panel display.
[0031] The control device 40 causes the display unit
10 45 to collectively display respective states of the
plurality of stacker cranes 20 when the power failure
detecting unit 43 detects the power failure. More
specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the control device
40 causes the display unit 45 to display whether the stacker
15 crane 20 provided to each automated warehouse 10 requires
maintenance (maintenance required) or does not require
maintenance (maintenance not required) (i.e., whether or
not the stacker crane 20 can be restored), based on position
information of the slide fork 2 5 monitored by the monitoring
20 unit 41.
[0032] Herein, "maintenance required" means that
storage objects collapse from a slide fork or a slide fork
projects out while transferring a storage object and stops,
and therefore a problem is highly likely to occur when the
12 I 23
stacker crane is restored, and that the operator needs to
check an actual situation of the site and manually restore
the stacker crane.
[0033] The control device 40 determines whether or not
5 maintenance is required, based on position information of
the slide fork 25 of the stacker crane 20 obtained before
the power failure. The control device 40 commands each
position detecting unit 27 to transmit position information
of the slide fork 25 on a regular basis through the crane
10 control unit 15. The control device 4 0 determines whether
or not maintenance is required, based on position
information returned immediately before the power failure
in response to the command.
[0034] The control device 4 0 according to the present
15 embodiment determines a position of the slide fork 25
monitored by the monitoring unit 41, based on whether or
not the slide fork 25 is positioned at an original position,
determines that the stacker crane 20 which is not positioned
at the original position requires maintenance, and
20 determines that the stacker crane 20 which is positioned
at the original position does not require maintenance.
[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a batch display screen 50
which the control device 40 causes the display unit 45 to
display upon the power failure. As illustrated in FIG. 2,
13 I 23
the control device 40 according to the present embodiment
causes the display unit 45 to display the batch display
screen 50 which collectively displays respective states of
the stacker cranes 20 as to whether or not maintenance is
5 required, based on the determination result.
[0036] The control device 40 can perform control to
restore the stacker crane 20 which does not require
maintenance, i.e., the stacker crane 2 0 which is positioned
at the original position. More specifically, as
10 illustrated in FIG. 2, on the batch display screen 50 which
collectively displays states of the stacker cranes 20,
restart buttons 53 are displayed at positions corresponding
to stacker cranes which do not require maintenance. When
the operator pushes or selects the restart button 53, the
15 control device 4 0 transmits a restart command to the
corresponding to the stacker crane 20. The crane control
unit 15 having received the restart command restarts the
stacker crane 20.
[0037] Next, monitoring control of the control device
20 4 0 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. 3. The
monitoring unit 41 monitors position information of the
slide fork 25 of the stacker crane 20 provided to each
automated warehouse 10 (step S1). More specifically, the
monitoring unit 41 commands the position detecting unit 27
14 I 23
of each stacker crane 20 to transmit position information
of the slide fork 25, on a regular basis, and monitors the
position information returned in response to this command.
[0038] Next, the power failure detecting unit 43
5 starts detecting a detection signal from the UPS (step S2),
and monitors the detection signal (S2: NO). When the power
failure detecting unit 43 detects the power failure (S2:
YES), the control device 40 determines whether or not the
stacker crane 20 provided to each of the plurality of
10 automated warehouses 10 requires maintenance (step S3).
More specifically, the control device 40 determines that
the stacker crane 20 whose slide fork 25 is not positioned
at the original position requires maintenance, based on the
position information returned immediately before the power
15 failure.
20
[0039] Next, the control device 4 0 causes the display
unit 4 5 to display the determination result obtained in step
S3 as the batch display screen 50 illustrated in FIG. 2 (step
S4) .
[0040] According to the automated warehouse system 1
of the above embodiment, the display unit 45 collectively
displays respective states of the plurality of stacker
cranes 20 monitored by the monitoring unit 41, upon the
power failure. The operator can check information
15 I 23
displayed on the display unit 45 and determine the stacker
cranes 20 which need to be manually restored by checking
an actual situation of the site, and the stacker cranes 20
which can be restored as is. Thus, the operator can
5 immediately head to the automated warehouse 10 which needs
to be manually restored. As a result, the present invention
can efficiently restore the stacker cranes 20 provided to
the plurality of automated warehouses 10, respectively,
upon the power failure. Further, particularly when the
10 power failure highly frequently occurs, the effect is more
significant.
[0041] Furthermore, the automated warehouse system 1
of the above embodiment displays as the stacker crane 20
which requires maintenance the stacker crane 20 which is
15 highly likely to cause a problem when this stopped stacker
crane 20 is restored. The operator can head to the site
by checking this information.
[0042] Further, according to the automated warehouse
system 1 of the above embodiment, the control device 4 0 can
20 remotely restore the stacker crane 20 whose slide fork 25
is positioned at the original position, based on position
information returned immediately before the power failure.
Consequently, it is possible to efficiently restore the
stacker crane 20.
16 I 23
[0043] One embodiment of the present invention has
been described above. However, the present invention is
not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention
can be variously changed without departing from the spirit
5 of the invention.
[0044] An example where the automated warehouse
system 1 according to the above embodiment determines
whether or not maintenance is required, based on position
information of the slide fork 25 of the stacker crane 20
10 obtained before the power failure. However, the present
invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control
device 40 may determine whether or not maintenance is
required, based on position information of the slide fork
25 of the stacker crane 20 obtained after power is recovered.
15 Monitoring control of the control device 40 will be
described mainly with reference to FIG. 4.
[0045] The monitoring unit 41 monitors position
information of the slide fork 25 of the stacker crane 20
provided to each automated warehouse 10 (step S 11) . Next,
20 the power failure detecting unit 43 starts detecting a
detection signal from the UPS. When the power failure
detecting unit 4 3 detects the power failure (step S12), the
control device 40 starts detecting power recovery (step
S13). Further, the control device 40 stands by until power
17 I 23
is recovered (S13: NO). The power recovery is detected when,
for example, an operation signal of the UPS connected to
the control device 40 is received.
[0046] When the control device 40 detects the power
5 recovery, the monitoring unit 41 commands the position
detecting unit 27 of each stacker crane 20 to transmit
position information of the slide fork 25, and obtains
position information returned in response to this command
(step S 14) . Next, the control device 4 0 determines whether
10 or not the stacker crane 20 provided to each of the plurality
of automated warehouses 10 requires maintenance (step S15).
More specifically, the control device 40 determines that
the stacker crane 20 whose slide fork 25 is not positioned
at the original position requires maintenance, based on the
15 position information of the slide fork 25 returned
immediately after the power failure.
[0047] Next, the control device 4 0 causes the display
unit 4 5 to display the determination result obtained in step
S15 as the batch display screen 50 illustrated in FIG. 2
20 (step S16)
[0048] Even in this case, it is possible to obtain the
same effect as that of the above embodiment. Further, in
this alternative embodiment, whether or not the stacker
crane 20 requires maintenance is determined based on latest
18 I 23
position information of the slide fork 25, so that it is
possible to further increase determination accuracy.
[0049] An example has been described in which, as
illustrated in FIG. 2, the control device 40 of the
5 automated warehouse system 1 according to the above
embodiment causes the display unit 45 to collectively
display whether or not each stacker crane 20 requires
maintenance. However, the present invention is not
limited thereto. For example, the control device 40 may
10 cause the display unit 45 to collectively display states
of stacker cranes such as whether or not the slide fork 25
belongs to the original position or a distance from the
original position as the state of each stacker crane 20.
[0050] An example has been described in which, as
15 illustrated in FIG. 2, the automated warehouse system 1
according to the above embodiment restarts the
corresponding stacker crane 20 when the restart button 53
of the stacker crane 20 which does not require maintenance
is pushed or selected on the batch display screen 50 of the
20 display unit 45. However, the present invention is not
limited thereto. For example, the control device 40 may
restart the stacker crane 20 for which it is determined that
maintenance is not required, without the operator's
operation.
19 I 23
[0051] An example has been described in which the
automated warehouse system 1 according to the above
embodiment determines whether or not maintenance is
required, based on whether or not the slide fork 25 is
5 positioned at the original position. However, the present
invention is not limited thereto. For example, the
position detecting unit 27 may detect a front edge position
of the slide fork 25 in the extending/contracting direction,
and transmit this front edge position as position
10 information to the control device 4 0. Further, the control
device 40 may determine that maintenance is required, based
on this position information when the slide fork 25
protrudes from a region of the lifting platform 23 from a
planar view illustrated in FIG. 1, and determine that
15 maintenance is not required when the slide fork 25 does not
protrude from the region of the lifting platform 23.
20 I 23
WE CLAIM:
1. An automated warehouse system comprising:
a plurality of automated warehouses each including
5 a stacker crane, the stacker crane including
a transfer unit which extends and contracts in
a direction of a rack for storing a storage object, from
a lifting platform which moves in a height direction, and
which transfers the storage object to and from the rack,
10 and
15
20
a position detecting unit which detects a
position of the transfer unit in the direction in which the
transfer unit extends and contracts; and
a control device including
a monitoring unit which is connected to the
plurality of automated warehouses to communicate with the
plurality of automated warehouses, and monitors the
position of the transfer unit of the stacker crane provided
to each of the plurality of automated warehouses, and
a power failure detecting unit which detects
a power failure,
wherein, when the power failure detecting unit
detects the power failure, the control device causes a
display unit to collectively display respective states of
21 I 23
the plurality of stacker cranes monitored by the monitoring
unit.
2. The automated warehouse system according to claim .
5 1, wherein the control device determines whether or not the
stacker crane provided to each of the plurality of the
automated warehouses requires maintenance, based on the
position detected by the position detecting unit, and
causes the display unit to collectively display results of
10 the determination.
3. The automated warehouse system according to claim
1 or 2, wherein, when determining that the transfer unit
is at a predetermined position, the control device restores
15 the stacker crane.
4. The automated warehouse system according to claim
2, wherein the control device determines whether or not the
stacker crane requires maintenance, based on at least one
of a position of the transfer unit obtained before the
20 stacker crane stops due to the power failure and a position
25
of the transfer unit obtained after power is recovered.
Dated this 15th day of July 2015