Storage location and material delivery system
By setting up detection and control units at the storage locations, the problems of manual intervention and collisions associated with AGV forklifts are solved, achieving automation and safety in material transportation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TONGWEI SOLAR ENERGY (CHENGDU) CO LID
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
AI Technical Summary
Existing AGV forklifts require manual intervention in material transportation, cannot autonomously schedule tasks, and cannot detect material carrier deviation or dynamically avoid obstacles, which can easily lead to collision damage.
Detection and control units are set up at the storage location. Sensors detect the storage status of materials, and the control unit drives the material cart to automatically pick up and put in materials, realizing unmanned operation and avoiding collisions.
It has achieved automated and collision-free material transportation, reduced labor costs and loss risks, and improved transportation efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224492363U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic module manufacturing technology, and in particular to a storage location and material receiving system. Background Technology
[0002] As photovoltaic module production upgrades towards intelligent manufacturing, the demand for automated transport of high-precision, fragile materials like silicon wafers is increasing. AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) forklifts equipped with navigation systems can precisely adapt to silicon wafer transfer scenarios. By pre-planning the flexible transport path and docking points of the AGV forklifts based on the cleanliness requirements of the photovoltaic workshop, equipment layout, and silicon wafer transfer processes, the system can drive the AGV forklifts to complete fully automated closed-loop transfer of silicon wafer boxes between cleaning, cutting, and sorting processes. This achieves millimeter-level positioning accuracy and vibration-free, stable transport, avoiding the risk of microcracks caused by manual handling and ensuring silicon wafer yield and production line synchronization.
[0003] However, commercially available AGV forklifts rely on manual transmission of material handling instructions via PDA (personal digital assistant, handheld terminal), and cannot autonomously schedule tasks. They still require human intervention and cannot fully automate material transportation, thus failing to reduce labor costs. Furthermore, AGV forklifts only move point-to-point along preset paths, and cannot detect material carrier deviations or dynamically avoid obstacles, making them prone to collisions and losses. Utility Model Content
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a storage location and material receiving and delivery system to address the aforementioned technical problems.
[0005] A storage location, wherein the storage location is provided with:
[0006] The positioning unit has a material storage area;
[0007] The detection unit is located outside the material storage area and includes a first sensor, a second sensor and a third sensor. The first sensor can detect whether there is a material tray in the material storage area, the second sensor can detect whether the material tray is stored in place, and the third sensor can detect whether there is material on the material tray.
[0008] The control unit is capable of driving the material cart to retrieve materials from or release materials into the material storage area based on the detection results of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor.
[0009] In one embodiment, the positioning unit includes two limiting members that extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to enclose the material storage area.
[0010] Wherein, the first direction is the material picking direction or material dispensing direction of the material cart, and the distance between the two limiting members in the second direction is adapted to the width of the material tray.
[0011] In one embodiment, the limiting member includes a limiting plate, a mounting plate, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs spaced apart along the first direction; the limiting plates of two limiting members are disposed opposite to each other, the mounting plate is perpendicular to the limiting plate, and the reinforcing ribs are connected to the limiting plate and the mounting plate.
[0012] In one embodiment, each of the two limiting members has a guide plate at its front end, and the distance between the guide plates of the two limiting members gradually increases in the direction away from the material storage area.
[0013] In one embodiment, the connection between the guide plate and the corresponding limiting member is smoothly transitioned.
[0014] In one embodiment, the rear ends of both limiting members are provided with stop portions, and the stop portions of the two limiting members extend in a direction close to each other.
[0015] In one embodiment, the first sensor includes a through-beam sensor; and / or, the second sensor includes a diffuse reflection sensor; and / or, the third sensor includes a grating sensor.
[0016] In one embodiment, the positioning unit has a first light-transmitting window opposite to the through-beam sensor; and / or, the positioning unit has a second light-transmitting window opposite to the diffuse reflection sensor; and / or, the grating sensor is supported above the positioning unit by a support frame.
[0017] In one embodiment, the storage location is further provided with an installation platform, on which the positioning unit, the detection unit, and the control unit are all installed.
[0018] A material handling system includes a material cart and a storage location as described in any of the above claims; a control unit on the storage location is capable of driving the material cart to pick up or release materials.
[0019] The aforementioned storage location and material handling system, by setting up detection units and control units at the storage locations, allows the control units to determine the status of the storage locations based on the detection results of the detection units, thereby driving the material carts to pick up or put down materials. The entire process requires no human intervention, enabling automated material handling and avoiding the risk of material pallets colliding with AGV forklifts due to improper storage, thus reducing losses. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the storage location provided in an embodiment of this application, viewed from a first angle.
[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the storage location provided in an embodiment of this application, viewed from a second angle.
[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the storage location provided in an embodiment of this application, viewed from a third angle.
[0023] The labels in the attached diagram are explained as follows:
[0024] 10. Storage location; 100. Positioning unit; 110. Limiting component; 111. Limiting plate; 112. Mounting plate; 113. Reinforcing rib plate; 120. Guide plate; 130. Stop part; 100a. First light-transmitting window; 100b. Second light-transmitting window; 100c. First waist hole; 140. Support frame; 150. First mounting frame; 160. Second mounting frame; 170. Third mounting frame; 200. Detection unit; 210. First sensor; 220. Second sensor; 230. Third sensor; 300. Control unit; 400. Mounting platform; 20. Material tray; 30. Material. Detailed Implementation
[0025] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0027] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0028] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0030] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0031] One embodiment of this application provides a storage location that can be used to temporarily store raw materials (silicon wafers, glass, etc.) and semi-finished products (cells, laminated modules, etc.) during the photovoltaic module production process. It also integrates material status monitoring (such as empty / full, quality inspection results), process parameter binding (such as size specifications), and automated task triggering (AGV scheduling) to achieve production cycle synchronization, quality error prevention, and full-process traceability.
[0032] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, storage location 10 is equipped with a positioning unit 100, a detection unit 200, and a control unit 300. The positioning unit 100 has a material storage area, where raw materials, semi-finished products, and other materials 30 of photovoltaic modules are typically stored in a material storage area using a tray 20 as a carrier. The detection unit 200 is located outside the material storage area and includes a first sensor 210, a second sensor 220, and a third sensor 230. The first sensor 210 can detect whether a tray 20 is placed in the material storage area, the second sensor 220 can detect whether the tray 20 is properly placed, and the third sensor 230 can detect whether material 30 is placed on the tray 20. As an example, the material cart can be an AGV forklift equipped with a navigation system.
[0033] The following description uses the example of an AGV forklift moving material 30 from the PC (Planned Coordinates) storage location to the storage location 10 in the guide machine room to illustrate how the control unit 300 cooperates with the detection unit 200. Both the PC storage location and the storage location 10 in the guide machine room are equipped with a positioning unit 100, a detection unit 200, and a control unit 300.
[0034] When the control unit 300 of the PC storage location detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the PC storage location is in a state where the pallet 20 is full and properly stored, it notifies the AGV forklift to move to the PC storage location to retrieve the material. When the control unit 300 of the storage location 10 in the wafer guide room detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the PC storage location 10 in the wafer guide room is empty, it notifies the AGV forklift that has retrieved material from the PC storage location to unload material into the wafer guide room storage location 10. After the AGV forklift has finished unloading material, if the control unit 300 of the wafer guide room storage location 10 detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the wafer guide room storage location 10 contains an empty pallet, it notifies the AGV forklift to retrieve the empty pallet from the wafer guide room storage location 10; otherwise, it moves to a new standby point or recharges.
[0035] As can be seen, this application sets up a detection unit 200 and a control unit 300 on the storage location 10. The control unit 300 can determine the status of the storage location 10 based on the detection result of the detection unit 200, thereby driving the material cart to pick up or put down materials. The whole process does not require human intervention, which can realize the automated operation of materials 30, and also avoid the risk of the material tray 20 colliding with the AGV forklift due to improper storage, thus reducing losses.
[0036] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the storage location 10 is further provided with an installation platform 400, on which the positioning unit 100, the detection unit 200, and the control unit 300 are all installed. The installation platform 400 facilitates the installation of the positioning unit 100, the detection unit 200, and the control unit 300, and also allows the positioning unit 100, the detection unit 200, and the control unit 300 to be installed in advance, saving subsequent installation time.
[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the positioning unit 100 includes two limiting members 110. The limiting members 110 extend along a first direction, and the two limiting members 110 are spaced apart along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to form a material storage area. The first direction is the material picking or unloading direction of the trolley, and the distance between the two limiting members 110 in the second direction is adapted to the width of the tray 20. This arrangement creates a gap between the two limiting members 110, allowing the forks of the AGV forklift to extend into the material storage area along the first direction through this gap, thereby enabling the transport of the tray 20. Furthermore, by setting the distance between the two limiting members 110 in the second direction to be adapted to the width of the tray 20, the tray 20 can be limited in the width direction. In this case, the second sensor 220 only needs to detect whether the tray 20 is properly positioned in the length direction (i.e., the first direction), reducing the number of second sensors required and lowering transport costs. Throughout the text, "first direction," "second direction," and "third direction" are used in conjunction with... Figure 1 The information shown shall prevail.
[0038] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the limiting member 110 includes a limiting plate 111, a mounting plate 112, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 113 spaced apart along a first direction; the limiting plates 111 of the two limiting members 110 are arranged opposite to each other, the mounting plate 112 is perpendicular to the limiting plate 111, and the reinforcing ribs 113 are connected to the limiting plate 111 and the mounting plate 112. This limiting member 110 has a simple structure and can ensure its own strength.
[0039] The mounting plate 112 is fixed to the mounting platform 400, for example, by a snap-fit or screw-fit method, facilitating the installation and removal of the limiting member 110. As an example, the mounting plate 112 has a first slot 100c for a threaded member to pass through, the first slot 100c extending along a first direction. The threaded member passing through the first slot 100c allows the mounting plate 112 to be installed on the mounting platform 400, wherein the first slot 100c allows adjustment of the mounting position of the mounting plate 112 on the mounting platform 400. The number of first slots 100c is not specifically limited in this application, as long as the limiting member 110 is securely installed on the mounting platform 400. For example, such as… Figure 1 As shown, there are three first waist holes 100c, and each first waist hole 100c is opened between two adjacent reinforcing ribs 113.
[0040] The limiting plate 111 can be connected to the guide plate 120 by welding, integral molding or other methods.
[0041] The reinforcing rib plate 113 can be connected to the limiting plate 111 and the mounting plate 112 by welding, integral molding, or other methods. Regarding the shape of the reinforcing rib plate 113, this application does not impose specific limitations; for example, it can be rectangular, etc. Figure 1 The triangles shown are examples of this. Regarding the number of reinforcing ribs 113, this application does not impose specific limitations, such as setting it to 2, 3, 4, 5, or as... Figure 1 Six are shown.
[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, each of the two limiting members 110 has a guide plate 120 at its front end, and the distance between the guide plates 120 of the two limiting members 110 gradually increases in the direction away from the material storage area. The guide plate 120 can guide the AGV forklift's forks into the material storage area, facilitating the handling of the material 30.
[0043] The connection between the guide plate 120 and the corresponding limiting member 110 is smoothly transitioned. This design avoids sharp corners between the front ends of the guide plate 120 and the limiting member 110, preventing damage to the tray 20, the material 30, and the AGV forklift. As an example, the connection between the guide plate 120 and the corresponding limiting member 110 has rounded corners. The guide plate 120 can be an arc-shaped plate and can be connected to the limiting member 110 by means of integral molding, welding, etc.
[0044] See Figure 3Each of the two limiting members 110 has a stop portion 130 at its rear end, and the stop portions 130 of the two limiting members 110 extend in a direction close to each other. If the full material tray 20 is pushed excessively into the material storage area in the first direction and fails to fall into the material storage area, the detection unit 200 may miss the detection. To address this, the stop portion 130 is provided at the tail of the limiting member 110 to limit the material tray 20 in the first direction.
[0045] The structure of the stop part 130 can be the same as that of the limiting member 110, and may also include a limiting plate, a mounting plate and a reinforcing rib plate. The mounting plate of the stop part 130 also has blind holes for installation. The limiting plate of the stop part 130 and the limiting plate of the limiting member 110 can be connected by welding, integral molding or other methods.
[0046] In some embodiments of this application, the control unit 300 may be an I / O (input / output) controller integrating acquisition, processing, and transmission, and may be connected to the first sensor 210, the second sensor 220, the third sensor 230, and the AGV forklift wireless signal. The processing logic of the control unit 300 for the detection results transmitted by the first sensor 210, the second sensor 220, and the third sensor 230 may be roughly as follows: the control unit 300 may process the detection result of the second sensor 220 only when it detects that a material tray 20 is placed in the material storage area of storage location 10 based on the detection result of the first sensor 210; the control unit 300 may process the detection result of the third sensor 230 only when it detects that the material tray 20 is in place based on the detection result of the second sensor 220, and so on, to determine whether material has been placed on the material tray 20.
[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the control unit 300 is mounted on the mounting platform 400 via a first mounting bracket 150. The first mounting bracket 150 can be mounted on the mounting platform 400 by means of screwing, snap-fitting, welding, etc. This application does not limit the structure of the first mounting bracket 150, as long as it enables the control unit 300 to be mounted on the mounting platform 400. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the first mounting bracket 150 can be an "L" shaped bracket.
[0048] In some embodiments of this application, the first sensor 210 may include a through-beam sensor. The through-beam sensor can be used to detect the presence or absence of a tray. The through-beam sensor has a separately mounted transmitter and receiver; the transmitter emits an independent beam of light, and a signal is triggered when the beam is physically blocked.
[0049] Both the transmitter and receiver can be mounted on the mounting platform 400 via the second mounting bracket 160. The tray 20 is typically not very thick, less than or equal to the height of the limiting plate 111 of the limiting member 110. Therefore, to avoid the limiting plate 111 obstructing the beam, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the limiting plate 111 of the limiting member 110 is provided with a first light-transmitting window 100a opposite to the through-beam sensor. It should be noted that both limiting plates 111 of the limiting members 110 are provided with a first light-transmitting window 100a, one of which is opposite to the transmitting part of the through-beam sensor, and the other is opposite to the receiving part of the through-beam sensor. It should also be noted that, for the purpose of displaying the first light-transmitting window 100a on the mounting plate 112 of the limiting member 110, Figure 2 One of the limiting components 110 does not have a transmitter or receiver for the through-beam sensor installed on it.
[0050] The second mounting bracket 160 can be detachably connected to the mounting platform 400 and the through-beam sensor using screws, snap-fit, or other detachable methods, facilitating the replacement of the second mounting bracket 160 and the through-beam sensor. As an example, the end of the second mounting bracket 160 connected to the through-beam sensor has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through, and / or, the end of the second mounting bracket 160 connected to the mounting platform 400 has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through. The slotted hole allows adjustment of the through-beam sensor's mounting position relative to the limiting member 110, enabling the through-beam sensor to accurately detect whether a material tray 20 is placed in the material storage area.
[0051] Regarding the structure of the second mounting bracket 160, this application again does not impose specific limitations, as long as it can effectively mount the through-beam sensor on the mounting platform 400. As an example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the second mounting bracket 160 can be an "L" shaped bracket.
[0052] In some embodiments of this application, the second sensor 220 may include a diffuse reflection sensor. The emitter and receiver of the diffuse reflection sensor are integrated on the same side, detecting the target by the light reflected from the object's surface, without the need for a reflective plate, relying instead on the object's own reflective properties. To avoid the limiting plate 111 blocking the light beam, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the limiting plate 111 of the limiting member 110 is provided with a second light-transmitting window 100b opposite to the diffuse reflection sensor.
[0053] The diffuse reflection sensor can be mounted on the mounting platform 400 via the third mounting bracket 170. The mounting bracket 170 can be detachably connected to the mounting platform 400 and the diffuse reflection sensor using screws, snap-fit connections, or other detachable methods, facilitating the replacement of the third mounting bracket 170 and the diffuse reflection sensor. As an example, the end of the third mounting bracket 170 connected to the diffuse reflection sensor has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through, and / or, the end of the third mounting bracket 170 connected to the mounting platform 400 has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through. The slotted hole allows adjustment of the installation position of the diffuse reflection sensor relative to the limiting member 110, enabling the diffuse reflection sensor to accurately detect whether the tray 20 is properly positioned.
[0054] Regarding the structure of the third mounting bracket 170, this application again does not impose specific limitations, as long as it can effectively mount the diffuse reflection sensor on the mounting platform 400. As an example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the third mounting bracket 170 can be an "L" shaped bracket.
[0055] In some embodiments of this application, the third sensor 230 may include a grating sensor. The grating sensor consists of an array of multiple emitters and receivers forming a dense "light curtain." When an object blocks any beam of light, the sensor triggers a signal, which improves the detection accuracy of raw materials and is suitable for detecting raw materials of different sizes. As an example, the grating sensor extends along a first direction from the front end to the rear end of the limiting plate 111.
[0056] The raw materials for photovoltaic modules are typically stacked neatly on a material tray 20. To detect whether there is raw material on the tray 20, it is only necessary to check whether there is material at the bottom layer. In one embodiment, for example... Figure 1 As shown, the grating sensor is supported above the positioning unit 100 by the support frame 140, which facilitates the grating sensor to detect whether there is material at the bottom layer.
[0057] The support frame 140 can be detachably connected to the mounting platform 400 and the grating sensor using screws, snap-fit, or other detachable methods, facilitating the replacement of the support frame 140 and the grating sensor. As an example, the end of the support frame 140 connected to the grating sensor has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through, and / or, the end of the support frame 140 connected to the mounting platform 400 has a slotted hole for threaded parts to pass through. The slotted hole allows adjustment of the grating sensor's mounting position relative to the limiting member 110, enabling the grating sensor to accurately detect whether material 30 is placed on the material tray 20.
[0058] Regarding the structure of the support frame 140, this application again does not impose specific limitations, as long as it can effectively mount the grating sensor on the mounting platform 400. As an example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the support frame 140 can be an "L" shaped bracket.
[0059] On the other hand, one embodiment of this application provides a material delivery system 30, which includes a material cart and a storage location 10 as described in any of the above claims; the control unit 300 on the storage location 10 is capable of driving the material cart to pick up or release materials.
[0060] As an example, the material cart can be an AGV forklift equipped with a navigation system. The following description uses the example of an AGV forklift moving material 30 from the PC storage location (Planned Coordinates, planned storage location 10) to storage location 10 in the guide machine room to illustrate how the control unit 300 of storage location 10 cooperates with the detection unit 200.
[0061] When the control unit 300 of the PC storage location detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the PC storage location is in a state where the pallet 20 is full and properly stored, it notifies the AGV forklift to move to the PC storage location to retrieve the material. When the control unit 300 of the storage location 10 in the wafer guide room detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the PC storage location 10 in the wafer guide room is empty, it notifies the AGV forklift that has retrieved material from the PC storage location to unload material into the wafer guide room storage location 10. After the AGV forklift has finished unloading material, if the control unit 300 of the wafer guide room storage location 10 detects, based on the detection results of the corresponding first sensor 210, second sensor 220, and third sensor 230, that the wafer guide room storage location 10 contains an empty pallet, it notifies the AGV forklift to retrieve the empty pallet from the wafer guide room storage location 10; otherwise, it moves to a new standby point or recharges.
[0062] As can be seen, the material 30 receiving and delivery system provided in this application, by setting a detection unit 200 and a control unit 300 on the storage location 10, the control unit 300 can determine the status of the storage location 10 based on the detection results of the detection unit 200, thereby driving the material cart to pick up or put down materials. The whole process does not require human intervention, and can realize the automated operation of material 30. It also avoids the risk of the material tray 20 colliding with the AGV forklift due to improper storage, thus reducing losses.
[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0064] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A storage location, characterized in that, The storage location (10) is equipped with: The positioning unit (100) has a material storage area; The detection unit (200) is located outside the material storage area and includes a first sensor (210), a second sensor (220) and a third sensor (230). The first sensor (210) can detect whether there is a material tray (20) in the material storage area, the second sensor (220) can detect whether the material tray (20) is stored in place, and the third sensor (230) can detect whether there is material (30) on the material tray (20). The control unit (300) is capable of driving the material cart to take material from or put material into the material storage area (30) based on the detection results of the first sensor (210), the second sensor (220) and the third sensor (230).
2. The storage location according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning unit (100) includes two limiting members (110), which extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to enclose the material storage area. Wherein, the first direction is the material picking direction or material dispensing direction of the material cart, and the distance between the two limiting members (110) in the second direction is adapted to the width of the material tray (20).
3. The storage location according to claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting member (110) includes a limiting plate (111), a mounting plate (112), and a plurality of reinforcing ribs (113) spaced apart along the first direction; the limiting plates (111) of the two limiting members (110) are arranged opposite to each other, the mounting plate (112) is perpendicular to the limiting plate (111), and the reinforcing ribs (113) are connected to the limiting plate (111) and the mounting plate (112).
4. The storage location according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front ends of the two limiting members (110) are provided with guide plates (120), and the distance between the guide plates (120) of the two limiting members (110) gradually increases in the direction away from the material storage area.
5. The storage location according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connection between the guide plate (120) and the corresponding limiting member (110) is smoothly transitioned.
6. The storage location according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both of the limiting members (110) have a stop portion (130) at their rear ends, and the stop portions (130) of the two limiting members (110) extend in a direction close to each other.
7. The storage location according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first sensor (210) includes a through-beam sensor; and / or, the second sensor (220) includes a diffuse reflection sensor; and / or, the third sensor (230) includes a grating sensor.
8. The storage location according to claim 7, characterized in that, The positioning unit (100) has a first light-transmitting window (100a) opposite to the through-beam sensor; and / or, the positioning unit (100) has a second light-transmitting window (100b) opposite to the diffuse reflection sensor; and / or, the grating sensor is supported above the positioning unit (100) by a support frame (140).
9. The storage location according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The storage location (10) is also provided with an installation platform (400), and the positioning unit (100), the detection unit (200) and the control unit (300) are all installed on the installation platform (400).
10. A material conveying system, characterized in that, Includes a material cart and a storage location (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; the control unit (300) on the storage location (10) is capable of driving the material cart to pick up or put down materials.