Abstract: A lifting device includes: a lifting mechanism configured to move up and down a placement portion on which a conveyed object is placed; a distance sensor configured to output a detection signal indicating a distance to a surface to be detected of a moving object in a state of being located above the surface; a support member configured to support the distance sensor; a movement mechanism configured to move at least a part of the support member between a measurement position where the distance sensor is located and a retraction position where the distance sensor and the support member are deviated from above the moving object; and a lifting controller configured to control the lifting mechanism such that the placement portion is aligned with the moving object at a position where the conveyed object is allowed to be transferred in a lateral direction based on the detection signal.

Abstract: An unloader includes a suction device including a suction portion, a mover, a controller, and an article detector. The controller moves the suction portion relative to a mount in a first predetermined direction to switch from a state in which a vertical relative distance is greater than a greater one of an article height or a predetermined distance and is less than a total length of the article height and the predetermined distance and in which a detection line is located in a second predetermined direction from a target article group to a state in which the detection line is located in the first predetermined direction from the target article group, and prohibits an operation to move the suction portion in a vertical direction toward the target article group when the article detector detects an article.

Abstract: A control system includes: a sway detection unit configured to detect a reference swaying amount that is a swaying amount of a mast at a detection height, which is set to be greater than or equal to a height of a lowermost part of a transfer apparatus when a lift is located at an upper limit of a lifting range; a lifting height acquiring unit configured to acquire lifting height information that indicates a lifting height, which is a height of the lift, at a plurality of points in time; and a transfer control unit configured to control the transfer apparatus. The transfer control unit converts the reference swaying amount detected by the sway detection unit into a lifting height swaying amount that is a swaying amount of the mast at the lifting height indicated by the lifting height information.

Abstract: A control device performs selection processing for determining a selected conveyor that is to be the destination of a target article. The selection processing is processing for, if a second conveyor in which an article of the same type as the target article is the most-upstream article and there is no adjacent same-type article group, and a second conveyor in which an articles of the same type as the target article is the most-upstream article and there is an even number of articles in the adjacent same-type article group, are pairing target conveyors and there is a pairing target conveyor, determining the pairing target conveyor as the selected conveyor, and if there is no pairing target conveyor, determining a second conveyor selected according to a predetermined basic selection rule as the selected conveyor.

Abstract: A supply device (4) includes a first conveyor (4A) arranged to be adjacent on a first side (Y1) in a second direction with respect to the first transfer device (30A), a second conveyor (4B) arranged to be adjacent on the first side (Y1) in the second direction with respect to a second transfer device (30B), and a third conveyor (4C) including a first connection portion (5A) connected to an end on the first side (Y1) in the second direction of the first conveyor (4A) and a second connection portion (5B) connected to an end on the first side (Y1) in the second direction of the second conveyor (4B). A plurality of articles (W) can be arranged side-by-side in a second direction (Y) on the first conveyor (4A), and a plurality of articles (W) can be arranged side by side in the second direction (Y) on the second conveyor (4B).

Abstract: A middle guide is located between a first transporter and a second transporter in a width direction in an area of a conveyor device extending in a transportation direction including a joint connecting to a support conveying device to guide a bottom middle portion of a bottom surface, and the bottom middle portion is a portion of the bottom surface between a bottom first portion and a bottom second portion in the width direction. The middle guide has a middle guide surface to guide the bottom middle portion, and the middle guide surface is located in a reference plane at the joint and inclined further downward at a greater distance from the joint.

Abstract: A transfer operation control unit changes, according to an operating state index indicating a level of an operating state of a plurality of transport vehicles (1) present on a travel path, a setting of a transfer operation such that a required transfer time (Tr) from start to completion of the transfer operation is increased as the level of the operating state is reduced, while maintaining at least one setting of a traveling speed of the transport vehicles (1).

Abstract: A picking facility includes a first conveyor for transporting a container that includes an opening portion provided on an upper side thereof and can contain an article, and a second conveyor for transporting a target article. The height level of a transport face of the first conveyor is set to be lower than the height level of a transport face of the second conveyor, and a difference between the height level of the transport face of the second conveyor and the height level of the transport face of the first conveyor is determined based on the height of the container.

Abstract: An article distinguishing system includes: an identification information acquisition unit, an image capture unit that captures an image of an exterior of a target article, a determination unit that derives a degree of matching between the captured image of the target article and exterior image data stored in a storage unit, and determines whether or not the current state is a normal state in which exterior image data for which the degree of matching is a determination threshold value or more is present, and a learning processing unit that executes learning processing if it has been determined by the determination unit that the current state is not the normal state. The learning processing is processing for storing the data of the captured image as new exterior image data in the storage unit in association with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit.

Abstract: A picking system includes a multi-tier sorting device having ports in a plurality of tiers at different levels in a top-bottom direction, and sorts and discharges each of articles to one of the ports in the plurality of tiers; a plurality of first transport devices respectively corresponding to the ports in the plurality of tiers; and a second transport device configured to receive the articles from the first transport device and transport the articles. The second transport device has a second transport surface movable upward and downward, and, in a state where the second transport surface is located at a height corresponding to a terminal end portion of the first transport surface of one of the plurality of first transport devices, the second transport device receives the articles discharged from the terminal end portion of the first transport surface and transports the articles, with use of the second transport surface.

Abstract: An article transport apparatus includes a travel carriage, a mast, a lift, and a transfer machine. The transfer machine includes a holder and a movement mechanism. The movement mechanism is configured to transfer an article between the holder and a storage rack. The article transport apparatus further includes a receiver supported by the lift and configured to receive liquid that has dripped from the article, a collector configured to collect the liquid received by the receiver, and a liquid detector configured to detect the amount of liquid collected in the collector. The receiver is disposed to cover, from below, the entire bottom surface of the article located at a holding position. The collector is connected to the receiver. The receiver includes a receiving surface that faces upward and that is entirely inclined to extend gradually downward toward the collector.

Abstract: A control unit provided in an automated warehouse system includes a misalignment determination unit that, after storage of an article in a storage rack, determines whether or not an article is estimated to have been subjected to vibration exceeding a predetermined threshold value, and a misalignment correction instruction unit that, if the misalignment determination unit determined that the article is estimated to have been subjected to vibration exceeding the predetermined threshold value, outputs a control signal to a transport device to drive the transport device to execute a misalignment correction operation with respect to the placement position of the article.

Abstract: A pallet is housed while being supported from below by a pair of shelf-side support surfaces. The shelf-side support surfaces extend in a second direction and are separate from each other in a first direction by a predetermined separation distance. A pallet inspection device includes a first lift member, a second lift member, a raising and lowering mechanism, and an inspection unit. The first lift member has a first support surface. The second lift member has a second support surface. The first support surface and the second support surface extend in a width direction and are separate from each other in a transportation direction by a predetermined setting distance. The setting distance corresponds to the separation distance between the pair of shelf-side support surfaces. The inspection unit inspects the pallet for bending while the first support surface and the second support surface are at a projecting position.

Abstract: A control system includes: a sway detection unit configured to detect a reference swaying amount that is a swaying amount of a mast at a detection height, which is set to be greater than or equal to a height of a lowermost part of a transfer apparatus when a lift is located at an upper limit of a lifting range; a lifting height acquiring unit configured to acquire lifting height information that indicates a lifting height, which is a height of the lift, at a plurality of points in time; and a transfer control unit configured to control the transfer apparatus. The transfer control unit converts the reference swaying amount detected by the sway detection unit into a lifting height swaying amount that is a swaying amount of the mast at the lifting height indicated by the lifting height information.

Abstract: A picking facility includes a first conveyor that transports a container containing an article, a picking apparatus that takes out a target article from the container, a second conveyor that transports the target article that has been taken out, and a working space. The working space is provided on a side opposite to the second conveyor with the first conveyor being located between the working space and the second conveyor. The picking apparatus is arranged at a position that overlaps at least one of the first conveyor and the second conveyor and does not overlap the working space in a plan view.

Abstract: An article distinguishing system includes: an identification information acquisition unit, an image capture unit that captures an image of an exterior of a target article, a determination unit that derives a degree of matching between the captured image of the target article and exterior image data stored in a storage unit, and determines whether or not the current state is a normal state in which exterior image data for which the degree of matching is a determination threshold value or more is present, and a learning processing unit that executes learning processing if it has been determined by the determination unit that the current state is not the normal state. The learning processing is processing for storing the data of the captured image as new exterior image data in the storage unit in association with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit.

Abstract: A picking facility includes a first conveyor that transports a container containing an article, a picking apparatus that takes out a target article from the container, a second conveyor that transports the target article that has been taken out, and a working space. The working space is provided on a side opposite to the second conveyor with the first conveyor being located between the working space and the second conveyor. The picking apparatus is arranged at a position that overlaps at least one of the first conveyor and the second conveyor and does not overlap the working space in a plan view.

Abstract: A picking facility includes a first conveyor for transporting a container that includes an opening portion provided on an upper side thereof and can contain an article, and a second conveyor for transporting a target article. The height level of a transport face of the first conveyor is set to be lower than the height level of a transport face of the second conveyor, and a difference between the height level of the transport face of the second conveyor and the height level of the transport face of the first conveyor is determined based on the height of the container.

Abstract: An opening for allowing an object of paying of respects to be moved therethrough is formed in a wall. An inside support position for an object of paying of respects to be supported at is set at a position that is in the internal area and across from the opening and in a range over which the transport device is capable of moving an object of paying of respects. A support portion configured to support an object of paying of respects is also configured to be moved, through the opening, between the inside support position and an outside support position for an object of paying of respects to be supported at such that at least a portion of the object of paying of respects is located outside the internal area.

Abstract: A support portion on which an object of paying of respects transported by the transport device is placed is provided at the support position. The support portion includes one or more restriction members configured to restrict movement of an object of paying of respects toward the first side by contacting the object of paying of respects from the first side, and one or more guide portions configured to move an object of paying of respects toward the first side to a contact position at which the object of paying of respects contacts the one or more restriction members or to a position located more toward the second side relative to the contact position.