Unloading apparatus

An unloading apparatus configured to separate, from a stacked article group composed of a plurality of articles stacked on a placement part, at least one article subgroup composed of a plurality of articles belonging to at least one level,

• the unloading apparatus comprising:
• a holding apparatus configured to hold side peripheral surfaces of a holding target article group, which is an article subgroup in one level among a plurality of article subgroups in a plurality of levels which article subgroups are included in the stacked article group, in such a manner as to hold the holding target article group and an article subgroup above the holding target article group;
• a suction apparatus including a plurality of suction parts that are configured to hold a plurality of articles constituting a suction target article group by sucking upper surfaces of the plurality of articles, and are configured to operate independently from each other, the suction target article group is an article subgroup in an uppermost level among the plurality of article subgroups in the plurality of levels which article subgroups are included in the stacked article group;
• a first lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower the placement part and the holding apparatus relative to each other;
• a second lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower the suction apparatus and the holding apparatus relative to each other;
• and
• a first transport apparatus configured to receive at least one article subgroup held by the holding apparatus from the holding apparatus, and transport the at least one received article subgroup,
• wherein the unloading apparatus further comprises:
• a control device configured to control the holding apparatus, the suction apparatus, the first lifting apparatus, the second lifting apparatus, and the first transport apparatus, and
• wherein the control device performs an operation for separating a required number of articles in which the holding apparatus holds the side peripheral surfaces of the holding target article group belonging to a level below the uppermost level of the stacked article group, the first lifting apparatus separates article subgroups in a plurality of levels from the stacked article group, the suction apparatus sucks and holds at least one article in the suction target article group that is an article subgroup in an uppermost level among the separated article subgroups in the plurality of levels, the second lifting apparatus lifts the at least one article held by the suction apparatus relative to the holding apparatus, the first transport apparatus receives and transports the at least one article subgroup held by the holding apparatus, and the suction apparatus returns the at least one article held by the suction apparatus onto a stacked article group remaining on the placement part or onto the placement part,
• wherein in a case where the suction apparatus sucks and holds the at least one article in the suction target article group, and then the suction apparatus is to return the at least one article held by the suction apparatus onto the stacked article group remaining on the placement part or onto the placement part, the control device controls the suction apparatus to return, out of the at least one article held by the suction apparatus, an article that is to be located near a side peripheral surface of the stacked article group, prior to the article that is to be located far from the side peripheral surface.