Carrying robot

Abstract

The invention provides a transfer robot which comprises a support extending in the vertical direction, a movable chassis arranged at the bottom of the support, a stacking area formed in the support, and a stacking position arranged at the bottom of the stacking area. The carrying mechanism is arranged in the stacking area and movably connected with the support in the vertical direction, the carrying mechanism can stretch out and draw back in the first direction relative to the support, and the carrying mechanism is used for carrying the material box set to the stacking position or carrying the material box set on the stacking position away from the stacking area; wherein the material box group comprises at least one material box; the lifting mechanism is used for driving the carrying mechanism to move in the height direction of the stacking area relative to the support.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of warehousing technology, and more specifically, relates to a transport robot. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, automation technology, and information technology, the intelligence level of terminal logistics is also constantly improving. Intelligent logistics terminals are the development trend of terminal logistics. Handling robots are one of the main equipment that can realize intelligent logistics terminals and perform automated handling operations. Handling robots can reduce human heavy physical labor and improve handling efficiency. The handling efficiency of handling robots in related technologies and the logistics efficiency in warehouses need to be improved. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a transport robot to solve the technical problem of how to improve the transport efficiency of the transport robot.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is achieved in this way:

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a transport robot, comprising:

[0006] A bracket extends in a vertical direction, a movable chassis is provided at the bottom of the bracket, a stacking area is formed in the bracket, and the bottom of the stacking area is a stacking position;

[0007] A transport mechanism is disposed in the stacking area and movably connected to the bracket in a vertical direction. The transport mechanism can also be extended and retracted in a first direction relative to the bracket. The transport mechanism is used to transport a material box group to the stacking position, or to move the material box group on the stacking position away from the stacking area; wherein the material box group includes at least one material box;

[0008] The lifting mechanism is used to drive the transport mechanism to move relative to the support in the height direction of the stacking area.

[0009] In some embodiments, the transport mechanism comprises:

[0010] Two first telescopic components are spaced apart in the second direction, the first telescopic components are movably connected to the bracket in the vertical direction, each of the first telescopic components can be telescoped in the first direction relative to the bracket, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first telescopic component includes:

[0012] A first claw arm, movably connected to the bracket in a vertical direction;

[0013] A second claw arm, movably connected to the first claw arm in the first direction;

[0014] A first driving assembly, used for driving the second claw arm to translate relative to the first claw arm in a positive direction of the first direction and a negative direction of the first direction;

[0015] The claw is arranged on a side of the second claw arm facing the other first telescopic assembly, and the claw is movably connected to the second claw arm so as to be extended and retracted in the second direction relative to the second claw arm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the transport mechanism further comprises:

[0017] The camera assembly is used to collect relative position data between the transport robot and the group of material boxes to be transported in the warehouse, and the relative position data includes image data and / or video data.

[0018] In some embodiments, the camera assembly includes:

[0019] A collecting member is arranged below the first claw arm, and is used to obtain relative position data between the transport robot and a target material box in the material box group to be transported;

[0020] A connecting component connects the collecting member and the first claw arm, and the connecting component is retractable in a vertical direction to drive the collecting member to move closer to and away from the first claw arm.

[0021] In some embodiments, the transport robot further comprises:

[0022] An auxiliary mechanism is arranged in the stacking area and is movably connected to the bracket in a partial vertical direction. The auxiliary mechanism is arranged above the conveying mechanism. The auxiliary mechanism can also be extended and retracted in the first direction relative to the bracket. The auxiliary mechanism is used to limit the position of the material boxes in the material box group conveyed by the conveying mechanism.

[0023] In some embodiments, the transport robot further comprises:

[0024] The first limit member is fixed at the middle part of the bracket to divide the bracket into an upper part and a lower part of the bracket. The auxiliary mechanism is movably connected to the upper part of the bracket, and the conveying mechanism is movably connected to the entire bracket. When the conveying mechanism moves to the upper part of the bracket, the conveying mechanism drives the auxiliary mechanism to rise synchronously.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first limit member is configured as a structure protruding relative to the bracket, the auxiliary mechanism is provided with a protruding second limit member, and the first limit member and the second limit member overlap in horizontal direction.

[0026] In some embodiments, the auxiliary mechanism includes:

[0027] Two second telescopic components, the two second telescopic components are spaced apart in the second direction, the second telescopic components are movably connected to the upper portion of the bracket, and each of the second telescopic components can be telescoped in the first direction relative to the bracket; wherein the telescopic direction of the second telescopic component is consistent with the telescopic direction of the first telescopic component.

[0028] In some embodiments, the second telescopic assembly includes:

[0029] A third claw arm is movably connected to the upper portion of the bracket in a vertical direction;

[0030] a fourth claw arm, movably connected to the third claw arm in the first direction;

[0031] The third driving assembly is used to drive the fourth claw arm to translate relative to the third claw arm along the positive direction of the first direction and the negative direction of the first direction.

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention provides a handling robot, which includes a bracket, a handling mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The bracket extends in a vertical direction, a movable chassis is provided at the bottom of the bracket, a stacking area is formed in the bracket, the bottom of the stacking area is a stacking position, the handling mechanism is arranged in the stacking area, and is movably connected to the bracket in the vertical direction, the handling mechanism can also be extended and retracted in a first direction relative to the bracket, the handling mechanism is used to transport a material box group to the stacking position, or to move the material box group on the stacking position away from the stacking area, the material box group includes at least one material box, and the lifting mechanism is used to drive the handling mechanism to move relative to the bracket in the height direction of the stacking area. The embodiments of the present invention use the transport mechanism of the transport robot to transport multiple material boxes on the stacking position, or to transport multiple material boxes to the stacking position at one time. The material box groups can be stacked on the stacking position of the bracket, and the stacking area in the bracket can store multiple material boxes at one time. In the process of goods entering and leaving the warehouse, the transport robot can lift multiple stacked material boxes to or from the stacking position at one time, thereby shortening the time for the transport robot to lift the material boxes during the process of entering and leaving the warehouse; in the process of the transport robot and the storage workstation, the storage workstation can lift the material box group stacked in the stacking area away from the stacking position at one time, thereby shortening the handover time between the transport robot and the storage workstation, improving the docking efficiency of the transport robot and the storage workstation, and also improving the transport efficiency of the transport robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the state of a transport robot transporting a target material box group according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 It is a side view of a handling robot carrying a target material box group according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the transport mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention in a retracted state;

[0037] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a transport mechanism in an extended state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 is a side view of a transport mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional diagram of a lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the abutment between the second limiting member and the first limiting member in the auxiliary mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the second limiting member and the first limiting member being separated from each other in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 1. Bracket; 10. Stacking area; 11. Stacking position; 12. Upper part of bracket; 13. Lower part of bracket; 2. Transport mechanism; 21. First telescopic component; 211. First claw arm; 212. Second claw arm; 213. First driving component; 214. Clamping claw; 22. Camera component; 221. Collection component; 222. Connecting component; 2221. First connecting part; 2222. Second connecting part; 2223. Second driving component; 2224. Slide rail; 23. Auxiliary mechanism; 231. Second telescopic component; 2311. Third claw arm; 2312. Fourth claw arm; 2313. Third driving component; 241. First limiting member; 242. Second limiting member; 3. Lifting mechanism; 31. Lifting motor; 32. Lifting transmission rod; 33. Lifting conveyor belt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0045] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction, for example, different embodiments and technical solutions can be formed by combining different specific technical features. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations of the specific technical features in the present invention will not be described separately.

[0046] In the following description, the terms "first\second\..." are only used to distinguish different objects, and do not mean that the objects have the same or related points. It should be understood that the directions "above", "below", "outside" and "inside" are all directions in normal use, and the directions "left" and "right" refer to the left and right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left and right directions in normal use.

[0047] It should be noted that the terms "comprises", "includes" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. "Multiple" means greater than or equal to two.

[0048] The embodiment of the present invention provides a handling robot, which is used for handling stored goods in a warehouse. It should be noted that the stored goods in the embodiment of the present invention can be carried by a material box. For simplicity, the material box is used to represent the goods. The material box does not limit the parameters such as shape and size. All the material boxes in the warehouse can be one or more standard parts; of course, in other embodiments, the stored goods can also be directly represented by the goods themselves or in other forms without being carried by the material box. Multiple material boxes are stacked in the vertical direction to form a row of material boxes, and multiple rows of material boxes can also be stored in the warehouse. The stacking of multiple material boxes described in the embodiment of the present invention means that the stacking of material boxes does not need to be supported by shelves, and the surfaces of adjacent material boxes in the same row of material boxes at least partially contact each other in the vertical direction. It can be understood that the floor of the warehouse is generally a horizontal plane, that is, the extension direction of each row of material boxes is perpendicular to the ground; of course, the floor of the warehouse may have bumps and depressions in some areas, that is, the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal, then, the corresponding vertical direction is not required to be an absolute vertical direction, and the existence of ground levelness errors and material box processing errors is allowed.

[0049] The handling robot in the embodiment of the present invention can move freely in the first area of ​​the warehouse to realize the handling of the material boxes in the warehouse. It should be noted that the handling robot in the embodiment of the present invention has two functions of outbound and inbound. Outbound means that the handling robot transports the material boxes to be outbound from the designated location of the warehouse to the storage workstation, and inbound means that the handling robot transports the material boxes to be inbound from the storage workstation to the designated location of the warehouse. Of course, in some embodiments, multiple handling robots can be set in the warehouse, and different handling robots have different functions. For example, an outbound robot and an inbound robot can be set in the warehouse respectively. It should be noted that the type of the handling robot setting will not limit the structure of the handling robot in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Workers can move freely in the second area, and they move in the second area to sort the incoming and outgoing material boxes. The storage workstation includes a conveying mechanism and a robot docking station. The conveying mechanism is connected to the robot docking station. The robot docking station is used to receive the material box group to be shipped out of the warehouse carried by the outgoing robot, and transport the material box group to the second area through the conveying mechanism for workers to sort. After the workers sort, the conveying mechanism can transport the sorted material boxes to the outgoing position for storage, so that workers or robots can carry them out of the warehouse; the robot docking station is also used to stack the material boxes to be stored that are transported by the conveying mechanism to form a material box group to be stored. The incoming robot in the warehouse moves to the vicinity of the robot docking station. After the material box group to be stored is transported to the incoming robot through the robot docking station, the incoming robot transports the entire material box group to the designated storage location in the warehouse to realize the storage of the material box.

[0051] The embodiment of the present invention provides a transport robot, such as Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the transport robot includes a support 1 , a transport mechanism 2 and a lifting mechanism 3 .

[0052] Among them, the bracket 1 extends in the vertical direction, and a movable chassis is provided at the bottom of the bracket 1, and the chassis can drive the bracket 1 to move in the warehouse. The extension direction of the bracket 1 represents the maximum dimension direction of the bracket 1. In the embodiment of the present invention, the maximum dimension direction of the bracket 1 represents the height direction of the bracket 1, that is, under normal working conditions, the height direction of the bracket 1 extends along the vertical direction in the absolute coordinate system. The movable bracket 1 means that the bracket can follow the chassis to move relative to the ground or other surfaces. In some embodiments, the chassis is provided with rollers on the side close to the ground, and the movement of the rollers can be driven to drive the movement of the bracket 1. It should be noted that the rollers in the embodiment of the present invention can drive the transport robot to move in the front and back directions, and can also drive the transport robot to move in all directions. After responding to the storage instruction or the outbound instruction of the target material box, the rollers can be driven to move, so that the mobile robot moves to a position close to the target material box or near the position where the target material box is to be stored according to the position information in the instruction. It can be understood that under normal working conditions, the ground or other surface on which the transport robot moves is a horizontal plane, and the height direction of the bracket 1 is a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. However, this does not mean that both the horizontal plane and the vertical direction need to be absolutely horizontal and vertical. Instead, it allows for the existence of uneven errors in the ground and processing errors in the moving bracket, as long as they are roughly horizontal and vertical under normal working conditions.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a stacking area 10 is formed in the support 1, and the bottom of the stacking area 10 is a stacking position 11. Figure 1 As shown, the stacking position 11 is used to stack a group of boxes to be stored or unstored, and the group of boxes includes at least one box. The transport mechanism 2 is movably connected to the support 1, and combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the transport mechanism 2 is used to transport the material box group to the stacking position 11, or to move the material box group on the stacking position 11 away from the stacking area 10. The stacking position 11 is used to store the material box group to be stored or to be shipped out, that is, the transport robot in the embodiment of the present invention can transport multiple material boxes at one time.

[0054] It should be noted that the stacking area 10 represents the virtual space enclosed by the bracket 1 inside, and the stacking position 11 represents the physical position at the bottom of the virtual space, that is, the stacking position 11 is the placement position at the bottom of the stacking area 10. Figure 1 The stacking position 11 in the illustrated embodiment is located on the top surface of the base at the bottom of the stacking area. The stacking position 11 is located at the bottom of the stacking area 10, and the front and rear sides of the bracket 1 are open, so that the transport mechanism 2 can be telescopic in the front and rear direction relative to the bracket to realize the transport of the material box group.

[0055] like Figure 2As shown, the transport mechanism 2 is used to transport a target material box group, and the target material box group includes at least one material box ( Figure 2 In the figure, there are multiple boxes stacked, represented by a, b, c...i respectively). After responding to the outbound instruction of the target box group, the handling robot needs to move to a position close to the target box according to the position information of the target box in the outbound instruction, and then use the handling mechanism 2 to move the target box ( Figure 2 The middle material box a) is lifted, so that the target material box is separated from the surface below, so as to further drive the target material box and multiple material boxes above the target material box ( Figure 2 There are multiple material boxes stacked in the middle, which are represented by a, b, c...i respectively) and lifted to facilitate the one-time transportation of the target material box group.

[0056] The transport mechanism 2 in the embodiment of the present invention is arranged in the stacking area 10, and the transport mechanism 2 and the bracket 1 are in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 The transport mechanism 2 can also be movably connected in the first direction (Z direction) relative to the support 1. Figure 2 expansion and contraction in the x direction as shown.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the lifting mechanism 3 in the embodiment of the present invention connects the support 1 and the transport mechanism 2. The lifting mechanism 3 is used to drive the transport mechanism 2 to move relative to the support 1 in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 The transport mechanism 2 in the embodiment of the present invention is used to carry a material box group. The transport process of the transport robot in the embodiment of the present invention is described below:

[0058] During the process of unloading the material box, the handling robot moves to the vicinity of the position of the target material box group to be unloaded in the warehouse, and the lifting mechanism 3 drives the handling mechanism 2 to descend to the target material box in the target material box group ( Figure 2 The height of the intermediate material box a), where Figure 2 As shown, there are multiple material boxes stacked at the position to be shipped out, the bottom material box is a, material box b is stacked on top of material box a, material box c is stacked on top of material box d, and multiple material boxes are stacked in sequence to form a target material box group, and the topmost material box of the material box group is material box i. The transport mechanism 2 can transport the entire material box group by lifting the material box a at the position to be shipped out, and the transport mechanism 2 can transport the target material box group as a whole to the inside of the bracket 1. The lifting mechanism 3 drives the transport mechanism 2 to descend to the stacking position 11, and the transport mechanism 2 releases the material box a, so that the entire target material box group is stacked in the stacking area 10. The movement of the bracket 1 in the warehouse can drive the transportation of the entire stack of target material box groups in the stacking area 10.

[0059] During the process of warehousing the material boxes, the support 1 drives the transport robot to move to the position where the target material box group is to be stored, the transport mechanism 2 grabs the material box a on the bottom layer of the stacking position 11, and the lifting mechanism 3 drives the transport mechanism 2 to rise, thereby lifting the material box a away from the stacking position 11, so that the entire stack of target material box groups is lifted, and the transport mechanism 2 transports the target material box group to the position to be stored outside the support 1, and the transport mechanism 2 releases the material box a, so that the entire stack of target material box groups to be stored is stored at the position to be stored, thereby realizing the warehousing of the target material box group.

[0060] An embodiment of the present invention provides a handling robot, which includes a bracket, a handling mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The bracket extends and is movable in a vertical direction. A stacking area is formed in the bracket. The bottom of the stacking area is a stacking position. The handling mechanism is arranged in the stacking area and is movably connected to the bracket in a vertical direction. The handling mechanism can also be extended and retracted in a first direction relative to the bracket. The handling mechanism is used to transport a material box group to the stacking position, or to move the material box group on the stacking position away from the stacking area. The material box group includes at least one material box. The lifting mechanism is used to drive the handling mechanism to move relative to the bracket in a height direction of the stacking area. The embodiments of the present invention use the transport mechanism of the transport robot to transport multiple material boxes on the stacking position, or to transport multiple material boxes to the stacking position at one time. The material box groups can be stacked on the stacking position of the bracket, and the stacking area in the bracket can store multiple material boxes at one time. In the process of goods entering and leaving the warehouse, the transport robot can lift multiple stacked material boxes to or from the stacking position at one time, thereby shortening the time for the transport robot to lift the material boxes during the process of entering and leaving the warehouse; in the process of the transport robot and the storage workstation, the storage workstation can lift the material box group stacked in the stacking area away from the stacking position at one time, thereby shortening the handover time between the transport robot and the storage workstation, improving the docking efficiency of the transport robot and the storage workstation, and also improving the transport efficiency of the transport robot.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the transport mechanism 2 includes two first telescopic components 21. The two first telescopic components 21 are arranged in a second direction ( Figure 1 The first telescopic assembly 21 and the bracket 1 are spaced apart in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 The first telescopic assembly 21 can be movably connected to the support 1 in the first direction ( Figure 1The first telescopic assembly 21 is telescopic in the first direction to move the material box group away from the stacking area or to the stacking area. In the embodiment of the present invention, the transport mechanism is provided as two first telescopic assemblies 21 spaced apart in the second direction, so that the transport mechanism can transport the material box group, and the structure of the transport mechanism will not interfere with the height direction of the material box group, thereby facilitating the stacking of the material box group in the vertical direction and facilitating the transport mechanism to transport the material box group to the stacking area.

[0062] In some embodiments, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first telescopic assembly 21 includes a first claw arm 211, a second claw arm 212, a first driving assembly 213 and a claw 214. Figure 1 As shown, the first claw arm 211 is movably connected to the bracket 1 in the vertical direction, and the lifting mechanism 3 can drive the first claw arms 211 in the two first telescopic components 21 to rise and fall synchronously in the vertical direction. The second claw arm 212 is connected to the first claw arm 211 in the first direction ( Figure 5 The first driving assembly 213 is used to drive the second claw arm 212 to move relative to the first claw arm 211 in the positive direction (X direction) of the first direction. Figure 2 The direction indicated by the arrow on the X axis) and the negative direction of the first direction ( Figure 2 The embodiment of the present invention uses the first driving component 213 to drive the second claw arm 212 to move in both the positive and negative directions relative to the first claw arm 211 in the first direction, so as to realize the bidirectional extension and retraction of the first telescopic component. That is to say, the transport mechanism can transport the material box from the front of the transport robot and also from the rear of the transport robot, wherein the front and rear directions of the transport robot represent the forward and backward directions of the transport robot. The transport mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention can transport the material box group in the front and rear directions, thereby improving the flexibility of the transport robot in transporting the material box group and improving the efficiency of the transport robot in transporting the material box.

[0063] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the claw 214 is arranged on the side of the second claw arm 212 facing the other first telescopic assembly 21, that is, the two claws 214 in the two first telescopic assemblies 21 are arranged opposite to each other, and the claw 214 is movably connected to the second claw arm 212 to move relative to the second claw arm 212 in the second direction ( Figure 5The claw 214 can extend and retract in the Y direction as shown. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the movement mode of the claw 214 and the second claw arm 212, wherein the claw 214 can move relative to the second claw arm 212. For example, the second claw arm 212 is connected to the claw 214 via a cylinder, and the claw 214 is driven by the cylinder to move relative to the second claw arm 212 in the second direction. When the claw 214 is close to the second claw arm 212, the claw 214 is retracted to the second claw arm 212; when the claw 214 is away from the second claw arm 212, the claw 214 is extended relative to the second claw arm 212. Of course, the claw 214 in the embodiment of the present invention is rotatably connected to the second claw arm 212, and the claw 214 is driven to rotate relative to the second claw arm 212 by a driving member to achieve the extension and retraction of the claw 214 relative to the second claw arm 212. When the claw is extended, the claw 214 can abut against the end face of the material box in the vertical direction, combined with the Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the two claws 214 are in the second direction ( Figure 2 The transport mechanism lifts the target box (box a) in the vertical direction. Since the stacked boxes are in contact in the vertical direction, the transport mechanism can lift box a and all the boxes on box a at the same time. This enables the one-time lifting of the target box group.

[0064] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of second claw arms 212 may be provided in the same first telescopic assembly 21, and the plurality of second claw arms 212 may be spaced apart in the first direction ( Figure 5 The number of the second claw arms 212 in the embodiment of the present invention can be set according to the required telescopic length and handling strength of the first telescopic assembly 21.

[0065] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, the lifting mechanism 3 includes a lifting motor 31, a lifting transmission rod 32, and a lifting conveyor belt 33. The lifting motor 31 is fixed to the bracket 1, and the lifting motor 31 drives the lifting transmission rod 32 to rotate. The lifting transmission rod 32 is provided with two synchronous wheels, and the two synchronous wheels are synchronously connected to the two lifting conveyor belts 33 respectively. Figure 1 The two first telescopic components 21 are fixed, and the lifting conveyor belt 33 can drive the two first telescopic components 21 in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 The transport mechanism 2 moves in the Z-axis direction (as shown), thereby realizing the movement of the transport mechanism 2 in the vertical direction.

[0066] In some embodiments, Figure 1As shown, the transport mechanism 2 also includes a camera assembly 22, which is used to collect relative position data between the transport robot and the group of boxes to be transported in the warehouse, and the relative position data includes image data and / or video data. It should be noted that when the transport robot transports the target group of boxes to be taken out of the warehouse or transports the target group of boxes to be put into the warehouse workstation, the transport robot needs to be aligned with the target group of boxes to be transported. The alignment in the embodiment of the present invention means that the transport mechanism 2 is aligned with the target group of boxes to be transported in at least the first direction ( Figure 2 The X direction shown) is aligned with the target bin group, and in the second direction ( Figure 2 The transport mechanism 2 is aligned with the target bin group in the vertical direction (in the Y direction shown). The controller can control the transport mechanism 2 to move to a corresponding height according to the height of the target bin, so that the transport mechanism can accurately grab the target bin.

[0067] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the specific location of the camera assembly 22. For example, the camera assembly 22 can be set on the bracket 1. The height of the camera assembly 22 is consistent with the height of a material box. During the alignment process, the camera assembly 22 is always aligned with the bottom material box.

[0068] Alternatively, the camera assembly 22 can be installed on the conveying mechanism 2, and the vertical movement of the conveying mechanism 2 can drive the camera assembly 22 to move in the vertical direction. The camera assembly 22 improves the accuracy of the conveying of the conveying mechanism 2 by aligning the relative position relationship between the conveying mechanism 2 and the target material box to be grabbed. By making the camera assembly 2 follow the movement of the conveying mechanism 2, the camera assembly 22 is always aligned with the relative position relationship between the conveying mechanism 2 and the target material box to be carried, rather than the relationship between the camera assembly and the bottom material box in the whole stack of material boxes. In the case that the conveying mechanism grabs a non-bottom target material box, the positions of the stacked target material box and the bottom material box in the first direction and the second direction may be deflected. By setting the camera assembly to follow the conveying mechanism, the camera assembly can accurately align the relative position between the conveying mechanism and the target material box, but not necessarily the relative position between the bottom material box, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of the relative position alignment between the conveying mechanism and the target material box, thereby improving the uniformity of the force applied by the conveying mechanism during the material box handling process, so as to improve the stability of the material box handling.

[0069] In some embodiments, Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the camera assembly 22 includes a collection component 221 and a connection component 222. It should be noted that the collection component 221 in the embodiment of the present invention is used to collect relative position data between the target material box, wherein the collection component 221 can be set as a camera, a sensor, etc., as long as the collection component can collect relative position data. The collection component 221 is set below the first claw arm 211. It should be noted that the bottom represents the bottom of the handling robot in normal use. Figure 4 As shown, the collection member 221 is located below the first claw arm 211 in the Z-axis direction. The collection member 221 is used to obtain the relative position data between the handling robot and the target material box in the material box group to be handled. The target material box is the material box at the bottom of the material box group to be handled. The connecting component 222 connects the collection member 221 and the first claw arm 211. The connecting component 222 is in the vertical direction ( Figure 5 The connecting assembly 222 can be retracted in the Z-axis direction (as shown) to drive the collecting member 221 to approach and move away from the first claw arm 211. Retracting means that the length of the connecting assembly 222 in the vertical direction can be shortened or extended. When the connecting assembly 222 is retracted to the shortest, the distance between the collecting member 221 and the first claw arm 211 is the shortest. The embodiment of the present invention defines the distance in this state as a first distance. The first distance at least ensures that when the conveying mechanism 2 grabs the bottom material box on the ground, the height of the collecting member will not interfere with the claw grabbing the material box.

[0070] When the connecting component 222 is extended to its longest position, the distance between the collecting member 221 and the first claw arm 211 is the farthest. The embodiment of the present invention defines the above distance as a second distance. The second distance is at least required to ensure that when the conveying mechanism conveys the material box group from the stacking area to the outside of the bracket 1, or conveys the material box group from the outside of the bracket 1 to the stacking area, the collecting member and the connecting component will not interfere with the movement of the material box group.

[0071] The embodiment of the present invention enables the collecting piece to be telescopically arranged in the vertical direction through a connecting assembly, so that in the case of positioning, the collecting piece can be aligned with the target material box. In the non-positioning process (for example, in the process of transporting the material box), the collecting piece is lowered so that the position where the collecting piece is set will not interfere with the movement of the material box group. While improving the degree of alignment with the target material box, it can also improve the smoothness of the transport robot in transporting the material box.

[0072] In some embodiments, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the connecting component 222 and the first claw arm 211 are in the first direction ( Figure 4In some embodiments, two camera assemblies 22 are provided, and the connecting assemblies 222 in the two camera assemblies 22 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the first claw arm 211 in the first direction, and the collecting parts 221 on the two connecting assemblies 222 collect in opposite directions. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the case where the acquisition component 221 is set as a camera, the acquisition direction of the acquisition component 221 represents the shooting direction of the camera. In the embodiment of the present invention, the acquisition directions of the two acquisition components 221 are set opposite to each other, so that the two acquisition components 221 both collect the position information of the material box outside the bracket 1. In the embodiment of the present invention, by setting two acquisition components on the same first claw arm, the conveying mechanism 2 can achieve bidirectional extension and retraction. That is to say, no matter in which direction the conveying mechanism 2 is extended or retracted, a corresponding acquisition component 221 is configured to align the conveying mechanism with the target material box, thereby improving the accuracy of the conveying mechanism's grasping.

[0073] In some embodiments, Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the connecting component 222 includes two first connecting parts 2221, a second connecting part 2222 and a second driving component 2223. The two first connecting parts 2221 extend in the vertical direction and are respectively movably connected to the two first claw arms 211 in the same first telescopic component 21 in the vertical direction. The second connecting part 2222 is arranged below the first claw arm 211, the second connecting part 2222 connects the two first connecting parts 2221, and the collecting member 221 is installed on the second connecting part 2222. The second driving component 2223 is connected to one of the first connecting parts 2221, and the second driving component 2223 is used to drive the first connecting part 2221 to move relative to the first claw arm 211. Specifically, the second driving component 2223 drives one of the first connecting parts 2221 to move relative to the first claw arm 211 in the vertical direction ( Figure 4 The first connecting portion 2221 further drives the second connecting portion 2222 and another first connecting portion 2221 to move in the vertical direction, and further drives the collecting member 221 on the second connecting portion 2222 to move in the vertical direction, so as to further change the relative position relationship between the collecting member 221 and the first claw arm 211 (or the clamping claw 214) in the vertical direction.

[0074] In some embodiments, Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the connecting component 222 also includes a slide rail 2224, wherein one first connecting portion 2221 and the first claw arm 211 are connected via a second driving component 2223, and the other first connecting portion 2221 and the other first claw arm 211 are slidably connected in the vertical direction via the slide rail 2224. When the second driving component 2223 drives one of the first connecting portions 2221 to move in the vertical direction, the first connecting portion 2221 can drive the other first connecting portion 2221 to slide in the vertical direction relative to the other first claw arm 211. The embodiment of the present invention uses a slide rail to connect the other first connecting portion 2221 and the other first claw arm 211, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumed by the second driving component 2223, improving the efficiency of the movement of the entire connecting component, and improving the stability of the connection between the entire connecting component and the conveying mechanism.

[0075] In some embodiments, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the handling robot further includes an auxiliary mechanism 23, which is disposed in the stacking area 10, and the auxiliary mechanism 23 and the bracket 1 are partially vertical ( Figure 1 The auxiliary mechanism 23 is movably connected to the support 1 in the first direction (Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 1 ). Specifically, the auxiliary mechanism 23 is movably connected to a part of the support 1, but not to the entire support 1. The auxiliary mechanism 23 is arranged above the transport mechanism 2. The auxiliary mechanism 23 can also be movably connected to the support 1 in the first direction (Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 The auxiliary mechanism 23 is retractable in the first direction (X direction as shown), and is used to limit the position of the bins in the bin group transported by the transport mechanism 2. Specifically, when the transport mechanism transports the target bin group, there are multiple bins stacked in the target bin group. When the number of bins is large, the stacking height of the target bin group is high, the bins stacked at high places have high potential energy, and the stacking stability is weak. In the embodiment of the present invention, an auxiliary mechanism 23 is provided in the transport robot, and the auxiliary mechanism 23 is limited at the upper part of the bracket 1. In the process of the transport mechanism transporting the bins, the auxiliary mechanism can be retracted in the first direction to limit the position of the target bin group transported by the transport mechanism, thereby improving the stability of the transport of the target bin group. It should be noted that the limitation described in the embodiment of the present invention can be the second direction ( Figure 2 The limiting function is provided in the Y direction (as shown) to reduce the risk of the material box group tilting or offsetting in the second direction.

[0076] In some embodiments, Figure 8 and Fig. 9As shown, the transport robot also includes a first limit member 241, which is fixed in the middle of the bracket 1. The first limit member 241 divides the bracket 1 into an upper bracket portion 12 and a lower bracket portion 13. The auxiliary mechanism 23 is movably connected to the upper bracket portion 12, and the transport mechanism 2 is movably connected to the entire bracket 1. That is to say, the first limit member 241 only limits the position of the auxiliary mechanism 23, but does not play a limiting role on the transport mechanism 2. The first limit member 241 blocks the auxiliary mechanism 23 so that the auxiliary mechanism 23 can only move in the upper bracket portion 12, but cannot move to the lower bracket portion 13. Furthermore, when the transport mechanism 2 moves to the upper portion 12 of the bracket, the transport mechanism 2 drives the auxiliary mechanism 23 to rise synchronously, that is, the auxiliary mechanism 23 will not limit the transport mechanism 2 on the upper portion 12 of the bracket. When the transport mechanism 2 needs to transport a target material box at a higher position, the transport mechanism 2 moves upward, and the transport mechanism 2 can drive the auxiliary mechanism 23 to rise synchronously. In the process of the transport mechanism 2 descending along the upper portion 12 of the bracket, the auxiliary mechanism 23 will also descend with the transport mechanism 2 until the transport mechanism 2 moves from the upper portion 12 of the bracket to the lower portion 13 of the bracket. The first limit member 241 will limit the auxiliary mechanism 23 to limit the auxiliary mechanism at the position of the first limit member 241, thereby ensuring that the auxiliary mechanism 23 can always play a limiting auxiliary role for the higher material box group.

[0077] In some embodiments, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the first stopper 241 is provided as a structure protruding relative to the bracket 1, and the auxiliary mechanism 23 is provided with a protruding second stopper 242, and the first stopper 241 and the second stopper 242 overlap in the horizontal direction. Figure 3 As shown, when the auxiliary mechanism 23 moves relative to the bracket 1 to the first limit member 241, the first limit member 241 is in the vertical direction ( Figure 3 The second limiting member 242 abuts against the auxiliary mechanism 23 in the Z-axis direction as shown in the figure to prevent the auxiliary mechanism 23 from continuing to move to the lower part of the bracket, and no corresponding limiting protrusion is provided on the conveying mechanism 2. During the movement of the conveying mechanism 2 relative to the bracket 1, the conveying mechanism will not be hindered by the first limiting member 241, so the conveying mechanism 2 can move relative to the upper part 12 of the bracket and the lower part 13 of the bracket.

[0078] The embodiment of the present invention sets a first limit member and a second limit member, so that when the conveying mechanism conveys the lower material box in the material box group and conveys the higher material box group, the auxiliary mechanism can be limited in the middle of the bracket by the first limit member, thereby satisfying the auxiliary limiting function of the auxiliary mechanism for the higher material box group; when the conveying mechanism conveys a target material box at a higher position, the first limit member will not limit the rise of the conveying mechanism, so that the conveying mechanism can normally convey the higher target material box.

[0079] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the auxiliary mechanism 23 includes two second telescopic components 231, and the two second telescopic components 231 are arranged in a second direction ( Figure 2 The second telescopic assembly 231 and the upper portion of the bracket 12 are spaced apart in the vertical direction ( Figure 2 Each second telescopic assembly 231 can be movably connected in the first direction (Z direction) relative to the bracket 1. Figure 2 The telescopic direction of the second telescopic component 231 is consistent with that of the first telescopic component 21. By extending the second telescopic component in the first direction, the second telescopic component can be extended and retracted synchronously with the extension and retraction of the first telescopic component. That is, when the first telescopic component carries the target material box group, the second telescopic component can also be extended to achieve the limit of the target material box group to be carried, thereby improving the stability of the material box transportation.

[0080] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the second telescopic assembly 231 includes a third claw arm 2311, a fourth claw arm 2312 and a third driving assembly 2313. The third claw arm 2311 is vertically connected to the upper portion 12 of the bracket ( Figure 2 The fourth claw arm 2312 and the third claw arm 2311 are movably connected in the first direction (Z-axis direction). Figure 2 The third driving assembly 2313 is used to drive the fourth claw arm 2312 to translate relative to the third claw arm 2311 in the positive direction of the first direction and the negative direction of the first direction. In the embodiment of the present invention, the third driving assembly 2313 is used to drive the fourth claw arm 2312 to move relative to the third claw arm 2311 in both the positive direction and the negative direction of the first direction, so as to realize the bidirectional extension and retraction of the second telescopic assembly. That is to say, the auxiliary mechanism 23 can limit the material box from the front of the handling robot and from the rear of the handling robot. The front and rear directions of the handling robot represent the forward and backward directions of the handling robot. The handling mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention can limit the material box group in the front and rear directions. On the basis of the high handling flexibility of the handling robot, the stability of the handling material box can also be ensured.

[0081] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transport robot, characterized in that: include: A bracket extends in a vertical direction, a movable chassis is provided at the bottom of the bracket, a stacking area is formed in the bracket, and the bottom of the stacking area is a stacking position; A transport mechanism is disposed in the stacking area and movably connected to the bracket in a vertical direction. The transport mechanism can also be extended and retracted in a first direction relative to the bracket. The transport mechanism is used to transport a material box group to the stacking position, or to move the material box group on the stacking position away from the stacking area; wherein the material box group includes at least one material box; The lifting mechanism is used to drive the transport mechanism to move relative to the support in the height direction of the stacking area.

2. The handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport mechanism comprises: Two first telescopic components are spaced apart in the second direction, the first telescopic components are movably connected to the bracket in the vertical direction, each of the first telescopic components can be telescoped in the first direction relative to the bracket, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first telescopic component comprises: A first claw arm, movably connected to the bracket in a vertical direction; A second claw arm, movably connected to the first claw arm in the first direction; A first driving assembly, used for driving the second claw arm to translate relative to the first claw arm in a positive direction of the first direction and a negative direction of the first direction; The claw is arranged on a side of the second claw arm facing the other first telescopic assembly, and the claw is movably connected to the second claw arm so as to be extended and retracted in the second direction relative to the second claw arm.

4. The handling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transport mechanism also includes: The camera assembly is used to collect relative position data between the transport robot and the group of material boxes to be transported in the warehouse, and the relative position data includes image data and / or video data.

5. The handling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The camera assembly comprises: A collecting member is arranged below the first claw arm, and is used to obtain relative position data between the transport robot and a target material box in the material box group to be transported; A connecting component connects the collecting member and the first claw arm, and the connecting component is retractable in a vertical direction to drive the collecting member to move closer to and away from the first claw arm.

6. The handling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The handling robot also includes: An auxiliary mechanism is arranged in the stacking area and is movably connected to the bracket in a partial vertical direction. The auxiliary mechanism is arranged above the conveying mechanism. The auxiliary mechanism can also be extended and retracted in the first direction relative to the bracket. The auxiliary mechanism is used to limit the position of the material boxes in the material box group conveyed by the conveying mechanism.

7. The handling robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The handling robot also includes: The first limit member is fixed at the middle part of the bracket to divide the bracket into an upper part and a lower part of the bracket. The auxiliary mechanism is movably connected to the upper part of the bracket, and the conveying mechanism is movably connected to the entire bracket. When the conveying mechanism moves to the upper part of the bracket, the conveying mechanism drives the auxiliary mechanism to rise synchronously.

8. The handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first position-limiting member is configured as a structure protruding relative to the bracket, the auxiliary mechanism is provided with a protruding second position-limiting member, and the first position-limiting member and the second position-limiting member overlap in horizontal direction.

9. The handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The auxiliary mechanism includes: Two second telescopic components, the two second telescopic components are spaced apart in the second direction, the second telescopic components are movably connected to the upper portion of the bracket, and each of the second telescopic components can be telescoped in the first direction relative to the bracket; wherein the telescopic direction of the second telescopic component is consistent with the telescopic direction of the first telescopic component.

10. The handling robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second telescopic assembly comprises: A third claw arm is movably connected to the upper portion of the bracket in a vertical direction; a fourth claw arm, movably connected to the third claw arm in the first direction; The third driving assembly is used to drive the fourth claw arm to translate relative to the third claw arm along the positive direction of the first direction and the negative direction of the first direction.

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