Article storage facility and operating method thereof

• US 7,953,514 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Jaesook, Ueda, Toshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodríguez; Saúl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudawitz; Joshua I
• Application Number:
  US11/893,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20080044262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 901/3, 700/215, 700/226, 700/214, 318/568.13
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0421 with control for stacker crane operations

Abstract

A learning marker configured such that one of learning horizontal distance information and learning vertical distance information can be learned based on detection information from a horizontal travel distance detection device or a vertical travel distance detection device upon detection of at least one edge section of the learning marker in one direction of a horizontal travel direction and a vertical travel direction of a transfer means by a learning marker detector for detecting the learning marker, and the other of the learning horizontal distance information and learning vertical distance information can be learned based on detection information from the horizontal travel distance detection device or the vertical travel distance detection device upon detection of each of both edge sections of the learning marker in the one direction by the learning marker detector.

Claims

1. A method for operating an article storage facility, the article storage facility comprising:

an article storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections lined up in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of storage sections are lined up in a plurality of vertically layered rows of storage sections extending in the horizontal direction and a plurality of horizontally layered columns of storage sections extending in the vertical direction;

a transfer device configured to transfer an article out of and into the storage section;

an article transporting device having a horizontal travel device configured to move the transfer device horizontally within a traveling space in front of the article storage shelf and a vertical travel device configured to move the transfer device vertically within the traveling space in front of the article storage shelf;

a horizontal travel distance detection device configured to detect a horizontal travel distance in a horizontal travel direction of the transfer device from a standard horizontal position to the transfer device;

a vertical travel distance detection device configured to detect a vertical travel distance in a vertical travel direction of the transfer device from a standard vertical position to the transfer device;

a plurality of learning markers installed for each of the plurality of storage sections based on an installation setting condition for determining target horizontal distance information and target vertical distance information for each of the plurality of storage sections;

a learning marker detection device, provided on the article transporting device so as to move as one with the transfer device, configured to detect the learning markers; and

an operation control device configured to control an operation of the horizontal travel device, an operation of the vertical travel device, and an operation of the transfer device;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) controlling an operation of the horizontal travel device to move the transfer device in the horizontal travel direction along a first row of storage sections;

(b) sequentially detecting with the learning marker detection device both edge sections in the horizontal direction of each learning marker installed for each of the storage sections lined up in the first row of storage sections;

(c) obtaining detection information from the horizontal travel distance detection device upon detection of both edge sections in the horizontal direction of each learning marker installed for each of the storage sections lined up in the first row of storage sections;

(d) acquiring learning distance information in the horizontal direction based on the detection information from the horizontal travel distance detection device;

(e) acquiring learning distance information in the vertical direction based on the detection information from the horizontal travel distance detection device; and

(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for a second row of storage sections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

further comprising the step of;

prior to step (f), controlling an operation of the vertical travel device to move the transfer device in the vertical travel direction to the second row of storage sections.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second row is adjacent to the first row in the vertical direction and the method further comprises the step of:

after the step of controlling an operation of the vertical travel device to move the transfer device in the vertical travel direction to the second row of storage sections and prior to step (f), performing a turn-back operation at an edge section of the article storage shelf such that the horizontal travel device moves the transfer device away from the edge section in the horizontal travel direction along the second row of storage sections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a stop position confirmation marker is provided for each of the plurality of storage sections at a position in the horizontal travel direction and the vertical travel direction of the transfer device such that the position is detectable by the learning marker detection device when the transfer device is in the target stop position, the method further comprising;

a step of the operation control device judging that an error has occurred in a case where the stop position confirmation marker is not detected by the learning marker detection device when the transfer device is positioned in the target stop position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the learning marker has a width larger than a width of the stop position confirmation marker in one direction of the horizontal travel direction and the vertical travel direction of the transfer device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the learning marker and the stop position confirmation marker are provided on a single base attached to the storage section.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the learning marker has a trapezoidal shape.

8. A method for operating an article storage facility, the article storage facility comprising:

an article storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections lined up in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of storage sections are lined up in a plurality of vertically layered rows of storage sections extending in the horizontal direction and a plurality of horizontally layered columns of storage sections extending in the vertical direction;

a transfer device configured to transfer an article out of and into the storage section;

an article transporting device having a horizontal travel device configured to move the transfer device horizontally within a traveling space in front of the article storage shelf and a vertical travel device configured to move the transfer device vertically within the traveling space in front of the article storage shelf;

a horizontal travel distance detection device configured to detect a horizontal travel distance in a horizontal travel direction of the transfer device from a standard horizontal position to the transfer device;

a vertical travel distance detection device configured to detect a vertical travel distance in a vertical travel direction of the transfer device from a standard vertical position to the transfer device;

a plurality of learning markers installed for each of the plurality of storage sections based on an installation setting condition for determining target horizontal distance information and target vertical distance information for each of the plurality of storage sections;

a learning marker detection device, provided on the article transporting device so as to move as one with the transfer device, configured to detect the learning markers; and

an operation control device configured to control an operation of the horizontal travel device, an operation of the vertical travel device, and an operation of the transfer device;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) controlling an operation of the vertical travel device to move the transfer device in the vertical travel direction along a first column of storage sections;

(b) sequentially detecting with the learning marker detection device both edge sections in the vertical direction of each learning marker installed for each of the storage sections lined up in the first column of storage sections;

(c) obtaining detection information from the vertical travel distance detection device upon detection of both edge sections in the vertical direction of each learning marker installed for each of the storage sections lined up in the first column of storage sections;

(d) acquiring learning distance information in the vertical direction based on the detection information from the vertical travel distance detection device;

(e) acquiring learning distance information in the horizontal direction based on the detection information from the vertical travel distance detection device; and

(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for a second column of storage sections.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

prior to step (f), controlling an operation of the horizontal travel device to move the transfer device in the horizontal travel direction to the second column of storage sections.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second column is adjacent to the first column in the horizontal direction and the method further comprises the step of:

after the step of controlling an operation of the horizontal travel device to move the transfer device in the horizontal travel direction to the second column of storage sections and prior to step (f), performing a turn-back operation at an edge section of the article storage shelf such that the vertical travel device moves the transfer device away from the edge section in the vertical travel direction along the second column of storage sections.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a stop position confirmation marker is provided for each of the plurality of storage sections at a position in the horizontal travel direction and the vertical travel direction of the transfer device such that the position is detectable by the learning marker detection device when the transfer device is in the target stop position, the method further comprising;

a step of the operation control device judging that an error has occurred in a case where the stop position confirmation marker is not detected by the learning marker detection device when the transfer device is positioned in the target stop position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the learning marker has a width larger than a width of the stop position confirmation marker in one direction of the horizontal travel direction and the vertical travel direction of the transfer device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the learning marker and the stop position confirmation marker are provided on a single base attached to the storage section.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the learning marker has a trapezoidal shape.