JP2010023967A - Picking system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a plurality of workers to pick in the same picking area, at the same time. <P>SOLUTION: The picking system includes: carrying-in conveyors carrying containers from the upstream to the downstream; a plurality of branch paths branching the containers from the carrying-in conveyors; ID readers respectively disposed to the branch paths and reading out IDs of the containers; and indicators indicating the quantity of picking articles based on the IDs of the containers read out by the ID readers, to freely identify the article for each branch path, on a shelf for picking the articles. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for manually picking a worker while pushing a cart or the like.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 04-125213 discloses that a display is provided on a shelf for picking, and an instruction is given from which shelf how many articles are picked. For this reason, the worker has only to pick according to the display on the display, and the work is simplified. In the picking system of Patent Document 1, a plurality of workers cannot work simultaneously in one picking area. This increases the space required for the picking system.
Actual open hei 04-125213

  An object of the present invention is to enable a plurality of workers to perform picking at the same time in the same picking area.

In the picking system of the present invention,
A carry-in conveyor for transporting containers from the upstream side to the downstream side;
A plurality of branch paths for branching containers from the carry-in conveyor;
An ID reader that is provided in each branch and reads the ID of the container;
A shelf for picking up articles is provided with a display for displaying the quantity of picked articles based on the ID of the container read by the ID reader so as to be identifiable for each branch path.

  In this way, the worker can pick in accordance with the display corresponding to the branch path he is in charge of, so that a plurality of workers can pick at the same time in the same picking area. Accordingly, the number of picking areas can be reduced and the layout of the picking system can be made compact.

Preferably, a closing means is further provided for preventing at least one of the plurality of branch paths from branching the container from the carry-in conveyor.
In this way, the number of branch paths to be used can be increased or decreased according to the amount of picking work. In addition, since the container ID is read on the branch path and displayed on the display, even if the closing means is set or released at any time, the display on the display is not confused.

Particularly preferably, a plurality of branching paths are color-coded by using colored parts or by providing a colored signboard, and a plurality of color-coded displays are provided for each shelf.
In this way, since there are dedicated display units that are color-coded according to the branching path that the worker is in charge of, a plurality of workers can simultaneously pick the same shelf in the picking area.

Preferably, the ID reader provided in the branch path is a first ID reader, and a second ID reader is provided in the carry-in conveyor so that the container ID is read on the carry-in conveyor,
Furthermore, the location of the item to be picked is biased to one of the branch paths based on the branch means for branching the container from the carry-in conveyor to one of the branch paths and the container ID obtained on the carry-in conveyor. Detecting means for detecting
When it is detected that the location of the article is biased to one of the branch paths, a control means for controlling the branching means to branch the container to the branch path on the side where the article is biased , And are provided.
When the ID of the container is read, the location of the article to be picked is found, so that it can be detected that the distribution is biased toward any branch path side. Therefore, when the distribution of articles to be picked is biased, if the branch path to be branched is determined according to the distribution of articles, the distance from the branch path to the article to be picked can be shortened, and the time required for the movement of the operator can be shortened.

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be shown.

  1 to 4 show a picking system 2 according to an embodiment. In each figure, CV1 to CV4 are conveyors, of which CV1 is a main long-distance conveyor (loading conveyor), and CV2 is a conveyor that can be rotated forward and backward provided between the conveyors CV3 and CV4. The conveyors CV3 and CV4 are branching paths for picking. In principle, one worker performs the work. The conveyors CV1 and CV2 may be power conveyors, and the conveyors CV3 and CV4 may be power conveyors or non-powered roller conveyors. The conveyor CV3 is displayed in red, for example, and the conveyor CV4 is displayed in blue, for example.

  Reference numerals 4 to 8 denote bar code readers. The bar code reader 4 reads the bar code of the container 25 on the conveyor CV1 and reports it to the controller 18. The controller 18 controls the diverter 10 based on the barcode of the container 25, and moves the container picked by one of the conveyors CV3 and CV4 to the conveyor CV2. The conveyor CV2 determines the transport direction of the container 25 according to a command from the controller 18, and moves the container 25 to either the conveyor CV3 or the conveyor CV4. For example, one worker is arranged on each of the conveyor CV3 and the conveyor CV4, for example, reads the barcode of the container 25 with the barcode readers 6 and 8, and the read barcode is transmitted to the controller 18. The container ID may be container specific data or a list of items to be picked. The barcode readers 4 to 6 are examples of the ID reader of the present invention, and an RFID reader may be used instead of the barcode, and an RFID reader may be used instead of the barcode readers 4 to 8 and 26.

  A completion switch 20 provided on each of the conveyors CV3 and CV4 is a switch for inputting that the picking of one container 25 is completed. When the completion switch 20 is pressed, the controller 18 switches the display on the display 16 described later to display the picking position and the quantity of articles for the next container. The changeover switch 22 is provided near the conveyor CV2. When the changeover switch 22 is turned on, for example, the conveyor CV4 is turned off, and the conveyor CV2 conveys the container 25 only to the conveyor CV3. Instead of the changeover switch 22, the controller 18 may monitor the amount of work so that, for example, the container is not conveyed to the conveyor CV 4.

  The controller 18 turns on the indicator 16 in the picking area 12 for the barcode read by the barcode readers 6 and 8. The display 16 displays the storage address (location) of the item picked by the worker and the quantity of picking the item. When the display 16 is provided for each shelf, the display of the location of the item may be omitted. . Each time picking is completed, the display on the display 16 is turned off by a command from the controller 18.

  The picking area 12 includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 14 and a passage 15 therebetween, and is a common area for two workers disposed on the conveyors CV3 and CV4. Then, the worker places the container 25 to be picked on the cart 24 and moves along the passage 15, picks from the shelf 14 according to the display on the display 16, reads the barcode of the picked article with the barcode reader 26, Each time the article whose code has been read is stored in the container 25, the completion switch 28 is input. When these procedures are executed, the ID of the article read by the barcode reader 26 is transmitted to the controller 18.

  When the operator completes the picking of the article displayed on the display 16, the operator returns to the conveyor CV 3 or the conveyor CV 4 and reports to the controller 18 that the picking is completed by the completion switch 20. Next, when the picked container 25 is pushed out to the main conveyor CV1, the operation per container 25 is completed. In addition to the barcode, RFID or the like may be used as the ID of the container 25 or the article ID. In this case, an RFID reader or the like is used instead of the barcode readers 4 to 8 and 26.

  FIG. 2 shows the display 16 provided on the shelf 14. The shelf 14 is an array of shelf units 30 having a plurality of fronts (stages) 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the indicator 16 includes, for example, a red indicator 32 and a blue indicator 33. The red indicator 32 corresponds to the conveyor CV3, and the blue indicator 33 corresponds to the conveyor CV4. For example, in the case of FIG. 3, the red display 32 performs two picking at the position C3, and the blue display 33 displays three picking at the position C1. May be displayed, and the display of the position may be omitted. For the color-divided display devices 32 and 33, the display itself is color-coded using an LED, a color liquid crystal panel, or the like, but the covers of the display devices 32 and 33 may be color-coded. Although the display device 16 is provided for each stage of the shelf 14, for example, it may be provided for each shelf unit 30 to reduce the number of display devices. Further, instead of providing a display for each shelf unit 30, the position and quantity of articles to be picked may be displayed for each pair of shelves 14, 14 facing each other, as in the display panel indicated by a chain line in FIG. 1. good. Also in the case of the display panel 29, for example, the display for the worker of the conveyor CV3 and the display for the worker of the conveyor CV4 are color-coded by the color display of red display and blue display.

  FIG. 4 shows a control system 18 of the embodiment. The branch control unit 40 controls the diverter 10 and the conveyors CV2 to CV4 according to the data of the barcode reader 4. When the changeover switch 22 is on, for example, the conveyor CV4 is not used, and all the containers 25 sent to the conveyor CV2 are conveyed to the conveyor CV3. Further, when the changeover switch 22 is turned on, nothing is displayed on the blue display 33 because articles are not conveyed to the conveyor CV4. Note that the display control unit 42 described later may be turned off, and all the blue display devices 33 may be turned off. When the changeover switch 22 is turned on, only one worker picks up one picking area 12, only the red indicator 32 operates, and only the display for the worker using the red conveyor CV3 is performed.

  The display control unit 41 controls the red display 32 based on the data of the barcode reader 6. When the completion of the picking is reported from the completion switch 28 provided in the cart 24, the display of the corresponding red display 32 is turned off. When completion is reported from the completion switch 20 provided on the red conveyor CV3, the red display 32 is switched to display for the next container. The display control unit 42 controls the blue display 33 in accordance with a picking command to the containers conveyed to the blue conveyor CV4, and the content of the control is the same as that of the display control unit 41.

  43 is a wireless or wired LAN, 44 is a picking command file, and 45 is a picking record file. The picking command file 44 stores the shelf address (location) and quantity of the article to be picked corresponding to the ID of the container 25, and the picking result file 45 is the ID of the picked article relative to the ID of the container 25. And the quantity. The data of the picking record file 45 is formed based on the barcode reader 26 provided on the cart 24 and the completion switch 28. The picking results for each container are determined by a completion report from the completion switch 20 provided on the conveyors CV3 and CV4. The completion switches 20 and 28 may not be provided, and picking may be completed by input from the barcode readers 6, 8, and 28.

  The effect | action of an Example is shown. When the container 25 transported by the conveyor CV1 approaches the picking area 12, the barcode is read by the barcode reader 4, and is conveyed from the diverter 10 to the conveyor CV3 or the conveyor CV4 via the conveyor CV2. Then, the barcode reader 6 or the barcode reader 8 reads the barcode of the container 25 to refer to the picking command file 44, so that the red display 32 or the blue display 33 is picked at the position and quantity of articles. Is displayed. Since the red display and the blue display are performed separately for the worker, the worker assigned to the conveyor CV3 only needs to look at the red indicator 32, and the worker assigned to the conveyor CV4 is displayed in blue. It is only necessary to look at the vessel 33. For this reason, a plurality of workers can work on one picking area 12 at the same time, except for the case where they are picked literally simultaneously at the same place in the same frontage, or on the same shelf 14 or the same. A picking operation can be performed on the shelf unit 30 at the same time. Therefore, the required area of the picking system can be reduced.

  The picking result is read by the barcode reader 26 and transmitted to the controller 18 by the completion switch 28. Further, the completion of picking for one container is transmitted to the controller 18 by the input from the completion switch 20, and the work result is stored in the picking result file 45. When the containers that have been picked are extruded from the conveyor CV3 or the conveyor CV4 onto the conveyor CV1, the picking in one area 12 is completed.

  When the amount of picking work is small, it is possible to work only on the conveyor CV3 side by using the changeover switch 22 so that the container 25 is not sent to the conveyor CV4 side, for example. For this reason, a plurality of workers can work simultaneously on one picking area 12 in the busy season, and one worker can work on one picking area 12 in the quiet season.

  In the embodiment, two colors of red and blue are used. For example, three colors such as red, blue, and green are used. For example, a conveyor that is colored yellow is added to the downstream side of the conveyor CV4. The display 16 may be displayed in three colors of red, blue, and green. Instead of picking for each container 25, the display for a plurality of containers located on the conveyor CV3 may be displayed on the red display 32 and picked, and sorted by container by the conveyor CV3. The same applies to the conveyor CV4. Further, instead of providing the conveyor CV2, diverters 10 may be provided on the conveyor CV3 side and the conveyor CV4 side, respectively.

  Instead of providing the bar code reader 26 and the completion switch 28 on the cart 24, completion switches may be provided on the indicators 32 and 33, and the cart 24 may be picked without setting the container 25. In this case, each time an article is picked, the completion switch of the display 32 or 33 is turned on. When picking is completed, the cart 24 is returned to the conveyor CV3 or the conveyor CV4, and the barcode of the article picked by the barcode readers 6 and 8 is displayed. You may set to the container 25, reading. In this case, for example, the controller 18 compares the reading result with the picking command file 44, and if there is a discrepancy, the completion switch 20 blinks to indicate that and is provided on the indicators 32 and 33 or the conveyors CV3 and CV4. The display shows the quantity and location of the missing goods, the quantity of articles to be returned to the shelf, the position to be returned, and the like.

  Instead of color-coding the indicator 16 with the indicators 32 and 33, when the operator presses a button such as red or blue, the indicator for the conveyor CV3 and the indicator for the conveyor CV4 are displayed as a single indicator. May be switched. In this case, if the RFID is attached to the worker or the cart 24 and read by the RFID reader provided on the shelf 14, the red and blue buttons can be dispensed with.

In the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Two workers can work on the same shelf 14 at the same time.
(2) The picking instruction is given to each worker by the red display 32 and the blue display 33.
(3) The switch 22 allows one worker for each picking area 12 in the off-season, and there is no data confusion associated with the switch 22 switching.

The principal part top view which shows the layout of the picking system of an Example The main part front view of the shelf in an Example Front view of the display in the embodiment Block diagram showing a control system in the embodiment

Explanation of symbols

2 Picking systems 4 to 8 and 26 Bar code reader 10 Diverter 12 Picking area 14 Shelf 15 Passage 16 Display 18 Controller 20 and 28 Completion switch 22 Changeover switch 24 Cart 25 Container 29 Display panel 30 Shelf unit 31 Frontage 32 Red display 33 Blue display 40 Branch controller 41, 42 Display controller 43 LAN
44 Picking command file 45 Picking result file
CV1 ~ CV4 conveyor

Claims (4)

A carry-in conveyor for transporting containers from the upstream side to the downstream side;
A plurality of branch paths for branching containers from the carry-in conveyor;
An ID reader that is provided in each branch and reads the ID of the container;
A picking system in which a shelf for picking an article is provided with a display for displaying the quantity of the picked article based on the ID of the container read by the ID reader so as to be identifiable for each branch path. 2. The picking system according to claim 1, further comprising a closing means for preventing at least one of the plurality of branch paths from branching the container from the carry-in conveyor. The picking system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of branch paths are color-coded, and a plurality of indicators are provided for each shelf. The ID reader provided in the branch path is used as a first ID reader, and a second ID reader is provided in the carry-in conveyor so that the container ID is read on the carry-in conveyor,
Furthermore, the location of the item to be picked is biased to one of the branch paths based on the branch means for branching the container from the carry-in conveyor to one of the branch paths and the container ID obtained on the carry-in conveyor. Detecting means for detecting
When it is detected that the location of the article is biased to one of the branch paths, a control means for controlling the branching means to branch the container to the branch path on the side where the article is biased The picking system according to claim 1, further comprising:

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