Material conveying devices and warehouse robots and material handling systems

Abstract

The present invention discloses a material conveying device, a storage robot and a material handling system. The material conveying device comprises a frame, two mutually parallel conveying members mounted on the frame, and at least one object carrier connected to the two mutually parallel conveying members. The conveying member is connected to a driving device and drives the object carrier to circulate under the drive of the driving device. The storage robot comprises an unmanned transport vehicle and the aforementioned material conveying device. The material handling system comprises the aforementioned storage robot and a workstation. The present invention can greatly reduce the robot's walking distance, save energy consumption, increase the robot's life, and further reduce the use cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of logistics and transportation, and in particular to a material conveying device, a warehousing robot and a material handling system. Background Art

[0002] The process of goods entering and leaving the warehouse in traditional warehousing requires warehouse staff to store the incoming goods on the shelves at the designated locations in turn, and then find the goods and transport them to the sorting area when leaving the warehouse. This process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also has great safety hazards, especially when carrying larger and heavier goods. At present, many automated handling robots (AGVs) have optimized the process of goods entering and leaving the warehouse in traditional warehousing, that is, the robot transports the shelves loaded with goods to the designated storage location to complete the warehousing operation. When leaving the warehouse, the robot enters the storage area, finds the required shelves, transports them to the sorting area, and completes the outbound operation. However, the inventors of the present invention have found that the existing automated handling robot mode of transporting goods is a "one-to-one, point-to-point" mode, that is, when transporting a single time, the path is single, the goods are single, and the destination is single. When there are many types of goods in the warehouse, the efficiency will be greatly reduced. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a material conveying device and a storage robot to solve at least one problem existing in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a material conveying device is provided, which includes a frame, two mutually parallel conveying members installed on the frame, and at least one object carrier connected to the two mutually parallel conveying members, wherein the conveying member is connected to a driving device and drives the object carrier to circulate when driven by the driving device.

[0005] In one embodiment, the object carrier is hinged to the two mutually parallel conveying members.

[0006] In one embodiment, the two mutually parallel conveying members are staggered.

[0007] In one embodiment, the object carrier is a tray, and the tray remains parallel to the ground during the entire cyclic movement.

[0008] In one embodiment, the material conveying device comprises a plurality of carriers.

[0009] In one embodiment, the plurality of object carriers are evenly arranged and hinged to the two conveying members.

[0010] In one embodiment, the object carrier is a tray, and a front connecting pin and a rear connecting pin are respectively provided at both ends of the tray. The front connecting pin at the left end of the tray is connected to the conveying member on the left, and the rear connecting pin at the right end of the tray is connected to the conveying member on the right.

[0011] In one embodiment, the front connecting pin and the rear connecting pin at the same end of the tray are respectively arranged at any position between one quarter and one third of the width of the tray and at any position between two thirds and three quarters of the width.

[0012] In one embodiment, the front-to-rear distance between the two parallel conveying members is the distance between the front connecting pins and the rear connecting pins at both ends of the tray.

[0013] In one embodiment, the material conveying device further comprises a driving sprocket, a driven sprocket and a motor, the conveying member is mounted on the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket, and the motor is connected to the driving sprocket and drives the driving sprocket to rotate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the material conveying device further includes a pulley assembly, a slide rail and a mounting plate, wherein the mounting plate is mounted on both sides of the frame, the slide rail is mounted on the mounting plate, and the pulley assembly is mounted on the slide rail and connected to the two conveying members.

[0015] In one embodiment, the material conveying device further comprises a cargo unloading component, which cooperates with the object carrier and unloads the cargo on the object carrier when necessary.

[0016] In one embodiment, the unloading assembly is a push rod mechanism, which includes a motor, a screw, a screw nut, a shear fork structure, a push plate and a support plate. The screw nut is hinged to the shear fork structure, and the motor drives the screw to rotate to make the nut move linearly and drive the shear fork structure to move linearly, thereby pushing out the cargo on the load.

[0017] In one embodiment, the material conveying device further comprises a camera assembly, which is mounted on the lower surface of the support plate and confirms the goods by reading a QR code posted on the object.

[0018] In one embodiment, the material conveying device is further provided with one or more fire extinguishing devices. In one embodiment, the fire extinguishing device is a fire ball.

[0019] In one embodiment, the object carrier remains parallel to the ground or maintains a preset angle with the ground during the entire cyclic movement; in one embodiment, the transmission member is a chain, a rack and / or a belt.

[0020] In one embodiment, the movement trajectories of the two parallel conveying members are circular, elliptical or polygonal.

[0021] In one embodiment, the unloading assembly includes a mounting member, a driving member and an unloading member, the driving member is connected to the mounting member, the unloading member is rotatably connected to the driving member and cooperates with the loading member, the driving member drives the unloading member to rotate to unload the goods on the loading member, wherein the bottom of the loading member is provided with a bottom opening that cooperates with the unloading member.

[0022] In one embodiment, the unloading member is a connecting rod, and the driving member includes a motor and a reducer. The motor is connected to the reducer, and the reducer is connected to the connecting rod. The movement of the motor is reduced by the reducer to drive the connecting rod to move.

[0023] In one embodiment, the unloading assembly also includes a rotating shaft, a connecting piece and two connecting rods. The reducer is connected to the rotating shaft and drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The motor is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the mounting piece and connected to the reducer. One end of the two connecting rods is respectively connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft, and the other ends of the two connecting rods are connected by a connecting piece.

[0024] In one embodiment, the object carrier includes a tray and a tray rack, the tray is rotatably connected to the tray rack, and the bottom of the tray rack is provided with an opening that cooperates with the connecting rod.

[0025] In one embodiment, the object carrier also includes a first support member, a second support member and a second rotating shaft, the first support member is fixed to the outside of the tray rack, the second support member is fixed to the outside of the tray, and the second rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the first support member and fixedly connected to the second support member or rotatably connected to the first support member and fixedly connected to the second support member.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, a warehouse robot is provided, the warehouse robot comprising the above-mentioned material conveying device and an unmanned guided vehicle, the material conveying device being installed on the unmanned guided vehicle or being driven by the unmanned guided vehicle.

[0027] In one embodiment, the unmanned guided vehicle includes a vehicle body, universal wheels, drive wheels, an obstacle avoidance module, a second camera assembly and a second tray. The universal wheels are installed on the periphery of the bottom of the vehicle body, the tray is installed on the top of the vehicle body, the obstacle avoidance module is installed on the front of the vehicle body, and the second camera assembly is installed at the center of the vehicle body and includes a camera assembly and a mounting bracket. The camera realizes self-positioning and free movement of the guided vehicle by reading an identification code laid on the ground.

[0028] In one embodiment, the material conveying device is fixedly mounted on the second pallet by screws, so that the rotational movement of the unmanned guided vehicle and the cyclic movement of the material conveying mechanism are independent of each other.

[0029] In one embodiment, the unmanned guided vehicle further includes a power supply device, which is installed at the rear of the vehicle body and is provided with an automatic charging module.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a material handling system, the material handling system comprising the above-mentioned warehouse robot, the warehouse robot transporting a plurality of goods to a target location at a time.

[0031] The storage robot of the present invention performs the in-and-out handling of goods in a "one-to-many, many-to-many" mode, that is, it carries a single type of goods to multiple destinations at a time or carries multiple types of goods to multiple destinations at a time. Compared with existing robots, robots operating in this mode can greatly reduce the robot's walking distance, save energy consumption, increase the robot's life, and further reduce the cost of use, especially when there are many types of goods in the warehouse, and its advantages will be more obvious. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a material conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front view of a material conveying device;

[0034] Figure 3 is along Figure 2 A side view of the material conveying device viewed from direction A;

[0035] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a storage robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The main view of the storage robot;

[0037] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A side view of a storage robot;

[0038] Figure 7 is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of a material conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 is a perspective view of an unloading assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the object carrier is not turned over;

[0040] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A side view of the unloading assembly;

[0041] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 a rear view of the unloading assembly;

[0042] Fig.11 is another perspective view of an unloading assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the load is turned over;

[0043] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 Side view of the unloading assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide a clearer understanding of the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are only intended to illustrate the essential spirit of the technical solution of the present invention.

[0045] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth for the purpose of illustrating the various disclosed embodiments to provide a thorough understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other cases, well-known devices, structures, and techniques associated with the present application may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

[0046] References throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any manner in one or more embodiments.

[0047] In the following description, in order to clearly show the structure and working mode of the present invention, many directional words will be used for description, but the words "front", "back", "left", "right", "outside", "inside", "outward", "inward", "up", "down", etc. should be understood as convenient terms and should not be understood as restrictive terms.

[0048] Refer to the following Figure 1-3An embodiment of the present invention is described. This embodiment generally discloses a material conveying device, which includes a frame, two substantially parallel conveying members mounted on the frame, and at least one object carrier connected to the two substantially parallel conveying members. The conveying member is connected to a driving device and drives the object carrier to circulate under the drive of the driving device, and the object carrier remains parallel to the ground during the entire circulatory motion.

[0049] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a material conveying device according to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The front view of the material conveying device, Figure 3 is along Figure 2 A side view of the vehicle body viewed from the direction of A.

[0050] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the material conveying device 100 includes a frame 10, two conveying members 11 installed on the frame 10 and arranged substantially parallel to each other, and a plurality of object carriers 12 connected to the two conveying members 11 arranged substantially parallel to each other. The conveying members 11 are connected to a driving device (such as a motor) and drive the object carriers 12 to move under the drive of the driving device, and the object carriers 12 remain parallel to the ground during the entire movement process. The figure shows eight object carriers 12 by way of example, but it can be understood that those skilled in the art can set less than eight or more than eight object carriers 12 as needed.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the conveying member 11 is a chain. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conveying member may also be a rack and / or a belt.

[0052] Continue to refer to Figure 1-3 The goods 20 are placed on the object carrier 12, and the conveying member 11 drives the object carrier 12 to run under the drive mechanism. During the operation of the conveying member 11, the goods 20 always remain flat on the object carrier 12, and because the object carrier 12 always remains parallel to the ground during the operation, the goods 20 also always remain parallel to the ground, so that the entire transportation process is very smooth.

[0053] In some embodiments, the object carrier 12 can be hinged to two substantially parallel conveying members 11. In another embodiment, the object carrier 12 can also be fixed to the conveying member 11 in other known ways. In some embodiments, the two substantially parallel conveying members 11 can be staggered, that is, the projections of the two substantially parallel conveying members on the plane of the conveying member movement do not overlap, but are staggered by a certain distance. Such an arrangement can ensure that the object carrier 12 remains parallel to the ground during the entire cyclic movement, regardless of any position of the object carrier 12 during the movement, such as when the object carrier 12 is located at the top, bottom, and at each corner.

[0054] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The object carrier 12 may be a flat tray, and the two ends of the tray are provided with a front connecting pin 121 and a rear connecting pin 122. The front connecting pin 122 at the right end of the tray is connected to the right side of the frame 10 ( Figure 1 The rear connecting pin 121 at the left end of the tray is connected to the conveying member 11 on the left side of the frame. In another embodiment, the object carrier 12 may be a basket or other form that can carry goods. In another embodiment, the connection end of the object carrier 12 and the frame 10 may adopt other known forms, not limited to the above-mentioned connecting pin.

[0055] In some embodiments, the front connecting pin and the rear connecting pin at the same end of the object carrier 12 can be respectively set at any position between one quarter and one third of the width of the pallet and any position between two thirds and three quarters of the width, and the front connecting pins at both ends of the pallet are located on the same straight line, and the rear connecting pins at both ends of the pallet are located on the same straight line. The front-to-back distance between two mutually parallel staggered conveying members is equal to the distance between the front connecting pin and the rear connecting pin at both ends of the pallet. Such an arrangement allows the object carrier 12 to run smoothly while satisfying that the front and rear sides of the object carrier 12 are perpendicular to the left and right side panels of the frame. In certain other embodiments, the object carrier 12 can be provided with more connecting pins to accommodate conveying members with different staggered arrangement distances.

[0056] In one embodiment, the plurality of object carriers 12 are evenly arranged and each object carrier 12 is hinged to the conveying members arranged in parallel on both sides of the frame. In another embodiment, the plurality of object carriers 12 can be arranged at different intervals according to goods of different heights.

[0057] In this embodiment, the conveying member 11 is a chain, and the material conveying device 100 may further include a driving sprocket 13, a driven sprocket 14 and a motor (not shown). The chain 11 is mounted on the driving sprocket 13 and the driven sprocket 14, and the motor is connected to the driving sprocket 13 and drives the driving sprocket 13 to rotate. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the sprocket 13 at the bottom of the frame can also be set as a driven sprocket, and the sprocket 14 at the top of the frame can be set as a driving sprocket. In certain other embodiments, when the conveying member 11 is a rack or a belt, the material conveying device 100 may further include a rack matching device or a belt matching device. Since those skilled in the art are already familiar with the rack matching device or the belt matching device, they will not be described in detail here.

[0058] In some embodiments, the material conveying device 100 may further include a pulley assembly 15, a slide rail 16, and a mounting plate 17. The mounting plate 17 is mounted on both sides of the frame 10, the slide rail 16 is mounted on the mounting plate 17, and the pulley assembly 15 is mounted on the slide rail 16 and connected to the two chains 11, thereby reducing the stress on the chain and improving the stability and service life of the entire material conveying device. In some other embodiments, the pulley assembly, pulley and mounting plate may not be used.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The material conveying device 100 may further include a cargo unloading assembly 30, which cooperates with the object carrier 12 to push out the cargo 20 on the object carrier 12 when needed, so that the cargo 20 falls to a designated position. In some embodiments, the cargo unloading assembly 30 may be installed at a specific height for unloading according to actual needs. In some embodiments, the material conveying device 100 may include multiple cargo unloading assemblies 30, and multiple cargo unloading assemblies 30 are installed at different heights to cooperate with unloading. In another embodiment, the material conveying device 100 may not include the cargo unloading assembly 30, and when the object carrier 12 moves to an appropriate height, it is removed by a robotic arm or a staff member.

[0060] In one embodiment, the unloading assembly 30 can be in the form of a push rod mechanism, which includes a motor 31, a screw rod 32, a screw rod nut (not shown), a shear fork mechanism 33, a push plate 34 and a support plate 35. The screw rod nut (not shown) is hinged to the shear fork mechanism 33. The motor 31 drives the screw rod 32 to rotate, causing the nut to move linearly and driving the shear fork mechanism 33 to move linearly, thereby pushing out the goods on the load.

[0061] Although the above embodiment describes such a push rod mechanism, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other forms of unloading assemblies may also be used, as long as they are capable of removing the cargo from the carrier when the cargo is transported to a designated location.

[0062] In one embodiment, the material conveying device 100 may not include a cargo unloading component. Instead, the object carrier may be turned over when it moves to a designated position, so that the cargo on the object carrier falls to the designated position. At this time, in order to ensure the stability of the object carrier, for example, a locking device may be added between the object carrier and the conveying member, so that the object carrier and the conveying member are locked with each other when turning over is not required, so that the object carrier can transport the cargo stably. When turning over is required, the locking device is automatically or manually unlocked to realize the function of turning over and dumping the cargo. In some embodiments, the object carrier may be kept parallel to the ground by various known locking devices.

[0063] Reference Figure 3The material conveying device 100 may further include a camera assembly 36, which is mounted on the lower surface of the support plate 35 of the unloading assembly 30, and confirms the goods by reading a QR code posted on a carrier 12 such as a tray. In some other embodiments, the material conveying device 100 may not include the camera assembly 36, and the scanning may be performed manually or by a robot arm.

[0064] Refer to the following Figure 4-6 Another embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 4-6 The present invention shows a warehouse robot 200 according to some embodiments, wherein: Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of the storage robot 200. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The main view of the storage robot. Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Side view of a warehouse robot.

[0065] like Figure 4-6 As shown, the storage robot 200 generally includes the material conveying device 100 and the unmanned guided vehicle 40 described in the above embodiments. The material conveying device 100 is fixed on the top of the unmanned guided vehicle 40, so that the unmanned guided vehicle 40 can transport the material conveying device 100 to a specified location. For the structure and function of the material conveying device 100, please refer to the relevant description of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here. Figure 4-6 The automated guided vehicle 40 will be introduced.

[0066] like Figure 4-6 As shown, the unmanned guided vehicle 40 includes a vehicle body 41, universal wheels 42, drive wheels 43, an obstacle avoidance module 44, a second camera assembly 45, a rotating mechanism 46 and a second tray 47. The universal wheels 42 are installed on the periphery of the bottom of the vehicle body 41 to bear the weight and keep the robot balanced. The second tray 47 is installed on the top of the vehicle body 41, and the obstacle avoidance module 44 is installed on the front of the vehicle body 41. It contains a laser radar and an ultrasonic radar. When an obstacle appears in front, emergency parking is achieved. The second camera assembly 45 is installed at the center of the vehicle body and includes a camera 451 and a mounting bracket 452. The camera 451 realizes the self-positioning and free movement of the unmanned guided vehicle by reading the identification code (such as a QR code or other custom identification code) laid on the ground.

[0067] Reference Figure 4-6The material conveying device 100 can be fixed on the second tray 47 by screws, so that the rotational movement of the unmanned guided vehicle and the cyclic movement of the material conveying mechanism are independent of each other, so that the material conveying device 100 can be kept stationary relative to the ground during the rotation of the unmanned guided vehicle, or the material conveying device 100 can be driven to rotate when the unmanned guided vehicle is stationary, thereby simplifying the movement process of the unmanned guided vehicle and improving the efficiency and reliability of transportation. In addition, the material conveying device 100 can realize the function of automatic cyclic transmission of various goods, and the camera component 36 therein can be used to confirm the goods and complete the sorting function.

[0068] Continue to refer to Figure 4 The unmanned guided vehicle 40 further includes a power supply device 48, which is installed at the rear of the vehicle body and is provided with an automatic charging module, thereby enabling fully automated operation of the unmanned guided vehicle.

[0069] In other embodiments, the automated guided vehicle 40 may have more or fewer components, as long as it can transport the material conveying device 100 to a designated location.

[0070] As described above, the warehouse robots according to certain embodiments of the present invention can realize automated transportation. The robots carry out the in-and-out transportation of goods in a "one-to-many, many-to-many" mode, that is, transporting a single variety of goods to multiple destinations at a time or transporting multiple varieties of goods to multiple destinations at a time.

[0071] Compared with existing robots, robots operating in this mode can greatly reduce the robot's walking distance, save energy, increase the robot's life, and further reduce the cost of use when the total handling task is the same. Especially when there are many types of goods in the warehouse, its advantages will be more obvious.

[0072] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a material conveying device 100A according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 The material conveying device 100A according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below. Figure 1-3 The differences of the material conveying device 100 shown are described, and the same structure, function and deformation are not repeated here. Please refer to the relevant description of the material conveying device 100 above.

[0073] like Figure 7As shown, the material conveying device 100A includes a frame 10A, two conveying members 11A mounted on the frame 10A and arranged approximately parallel to each other, and a plurality of object carriers 12A connected to the two conveying members 11A arranged approximately parallel to each other. The conveying member 11A is connected to a driving device (such as a motor) and drives the object carrier 12A to move under the drive of the driving device. In one embodiment, the object carrier 12A remains parallel to the ground or at a preset angle during the entire movement process. The conveying member 11A can be a chain, a conveyor belt, a rack and / or a belt, etc.

[0074] The goods are placed on the object carrier 12A, and the conveying member 11A drives the object carrier 12A to run under the drive mechanism. During the operation of the conveying member 11A, the goods can remain flat on the object carrier 12A, and because the object carrier 12A always remains parallel to the ground or at a preset angle during the operation, the goods also always remain parallel to the ground or at a preset angle, so that the entire transportation process is very stable. When the object carrier 12A is a closed or semi-closed structure, during the entire cyclic movement, the object carrier 12 may not maintain a preset angle with the ground, but may shake. Certain limiting structures may be set to limit the degree of shaking, as long as the carried items are ensured not to fall out. When the object carrier 12 is a fully enclosed structure, there may not even be any restrictions on it, as long as it is fixed to the conveying member during transportation.

[0075] In some embodiments, the carrier 12A may be hinged to two substantially parallel conveying members 11A. In another embodiment, the carrier 12A may be fixed to the conveying member 11A in other known ways. In some embodiments, the two substantially parallel conveying members 11A may be staggered, that is, the projections of the two substantially parallel conveying members on the plane of movement of the conveying members do not overlap, but are offset from each other by a certain distance. This arrangement can ensure that the carrier 12A remains parallel to the ground during the entire cyclic motion, regardless of any position of the carrier 12A during the motion, such as when the carrier 12A is located at the top, bottom, and at each corner. In some embodiments, the two substantially parallel conveying members 11A may be aligned, that is, the projections of the two substantially parallel conveying members on the plane of movement of the conveying members overlap. Continue to refer to Figure 7 The material conveying device 100A may further include an unloading component 50, which cooperates with the object carrier 12A to unload the goods on the object carrier 12A when needed, so that the goods fall to a designated location.

[0076] Combine the following Figure 8-12 The unloading assembly 50 is described. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the unloading assembly 50, wherein the load is not turned over, Fig. 9 yes Figure 8A side view of the unloading assembly 50, Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A rear view of the unloading assembly 50, Fig.11 is another perspective view of the unloading assembly 50, wherein the load is turned over for unloading, Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A side view of the unloading assembly 50. Figure 8-12 As shown, the unloading assembly 50 includes a mounting member 51, a motor 52, a reducer 53 and a connecting rod 54. The motor 52 and the reducer 53 form a driving member to drive the connecting rod. The motor 52 is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the mounting member 51 and connected to the reducer 53. One end of the two connecting rods 54 are respectively connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft 55. The rotating shaft 55 is connected to the reducer 53 and rotates under the drive of the reducer 53, thereby driving the connecting rod 54 to move. The other ends of the two connecting rods 54 are connected by a connecting member 56. In one embodiment, the two ends of the connecting member 56 are respectively connected to the ends of the two connecting rods 54. When the motor 52 is running, it drives the rotating shaft 55 to rotate, thereby driving the connecting rod 54 to rotate. Fig. 9 The position shown is moved in a counterclockwise direction to unload the cargo on the object carrier 12A.

[0077] In this embodiment, a connecting rod is used to unload the cargo on the load. The connecting rod is only an example of an unloading component that realizes the unloading function. However, those skilled in the art can understand that other components or structures can also be used to realize the unloading function.

[0078] In one embodiment, the mounting member 51 is a fixed plate, which has a length substantially equal to or slightly longer than that of the object carrier and includes a plate-shaped body 510, two protrusions 512 extending upward from both ends of the plate-shaped body 510, and the two protrusions 512 are respectively fixed to the inner sides of the frame 10A. It can be understood that one or more mounting members can be fixedly set at corresponding positions according to the unloading needs, or a unloading assembly can be set for each object carrier, and the unloading assembly moves with the object carrier to adapt to unloading at any height.

[0079] The object carrier 12A in this embodiment includes a tray rack 121 and a tray 122, and the tray 122 is connected to the tray rack 121 in a flippable manner. The two ends of the tray rack 121 are respectively connected to two mutually parallel conveying members 11A, and a bottom opening (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the tray rack 121 corresponding to the position of the connecting rod 54 so that the end of the connecting rod 54 can extend into and contact the bottom of the tray 122. When the object carrier 12A moves to the desired position along with the conveying member 11A, the motor 52 runs and drives the connecting rod 54 to move, and the end of the connecting rod 54 passes through the bottom opening of the tray rack 121 to contact the bottom of the tray 122 and exert an upward force on the tray 122, and further operates under the drive of the motor 52 to flip the tray 122, so that the goods in the tray 122 fall out, and the unloading is completed.

[0080] In one embodiment, the tray 122 is rotatably connected to the tray rack 121 via a second rotating shaft 124. Specifically, the first support member 123 is fixed to the outer side (flip side) of the tray rack 121, the upper end of the second support member 125 is fixed to the outer bottom of the tray, and the second rotating shaft 124 is rotatably extended into the first support member 123 and fixedly connected to the second support member 125, or the second rotating shaft 124 is rotatably extended into the second support member 125 and fixedly connected to the first support member 123, so as to rotatably connect the first support member 123 and the second support member 125. Since the first support member 123 and the second support member 125 are respectively fixed to the tray rack 121 and the tray 122, the tray 122 can be flipped around the tray rack 121 via the second rotating shaft 124. See FIG. Figure 11-12 Under the push of the connecting rod 54, the pallet 122 flips forward relative to the pallet frame 121, and the goods in the pallet 122 automatically fall off, completing the unloading.

[0081] In one embodiment, the object carrier of the present invention may also be just a pallet rack. In this case, the goods are directly placed on the pallet rack. When unloading is required, the end of the connecting rod passes through the bottom opening of the pallet rack and directly contacts the bottom of the goods, thereby directly pushing the goods to complete unloading.

[0082] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that, although the pallet and the pallet rack in the above embodiments are connected by a rotating shaft to achieve flipping, the connection between the pallet and the pallet rack may also be achieved in other ways, such as by connecting the pallet and the pallet rack by a hinge, etc. As long as a flippable connection between the pallet and the pallet rack can be achieved, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

[0083] The use of the unloading assembly 50 facilitates the smooth removal of light and small goods, and can avoid the risk of light and small goods falling into the gap caused by the gap between the pallet and the cargo receiving platform. When the pallet is connected to the receiving platform, there may be a gap in the horizontal direction. By extending the pallet, this gap can be filled, so that the light and small goods can be accurately transported. For example, when the pallet is connected, it can be slightly higher than the receiving platform, so that the pallet can cross the gap when it is turned over to allow the goods to reach the receiving platform.

[0084] It should be understood that the unloading assembly 50 of the second embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the material conveying device 100 of the first embodiment, and the unloading assembly 30 of the first embodiment can also be applied to the material conveying device 100A of the second embodiment.

[0085] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that although Figure 1 The two conveying members 11 and Figure 7The motion trajectories of the two parallel conveying members 11A shown are roughly rectangular structures, but those skilled in the art will understand that the motion trajectories of the two parallel conveying members may also be circular, elliptical or polygonal, that is, the overall structure of the two parallel conveying members may be circular, elliptical or polygonal, and is not limited to the shapes shown in the above embodiments.

[0086] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but it should be understood that after reading the above teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to the present invention. These equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the claims attached to this application.

Claims

1. A material conveying device, characterized in that: The material conveying device comprises a frame, two mutually parallel conveying members mounted on the frame, and at least one object carrier connected to the two mutually parallel conveying members, wherein the conveying member is connected to a driving device and drives the object carrier to circulate under the driving of the driving device; The material conveying device further comprises a cargo unloading assembly, which cooperates with the object carrier and unloads the cargo on the object carrier when necessary; The unloading assembly is a push rod mechanism, which includes a motor, a screw rod, a screw rod nut, a shear fork structure, a push plate and a support plate. The screw rod nut is hinged to the shear fork structure, and the motor drives the screw rod to rotate so that the nut performs linear motion and drives the shear fork structure to perform linear motion, thereby pushing out the cargo on the load; Alternatively, the unloading assembly comprises a mounting member, a driving member and an unloading member, wherein the driving member is connected to the mounting member, the unloading member is rotatably connected to the driving member and cooperates with the object-carrying member, the driving member drives the unloading member to rotate so as to unload the goods on the object-carrying member, wherein the bottom of the object-carrying member is provided with a bottom opening that cooperates with the unloading member so that the unloading member can extend into and contact with the bottom of the object-carrying member, and the object-carrying member is turned over by driving the unloading member to rotate so that the goods in the object-carrying member fall out, thereby completing the unloading; The two mutually parallel conveying members are arranged in a staggered manner.

2. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying device includes a plurality of object carriers.

3. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The object carrier is a tray, and a front connecting pin and a rear connecting pin are respectively provided at both ends of the tray. The front connecting pin at the left end of the tray is connected to the conveying member on the left, and the rear connecting pin at the right end of the tray is connected to the conveying member on the right.

4. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying device further comprises a pulley assembly, a slide rail and a mounting plate, wherein the mounting plate is mounted on both sides of the frame, the slide rail is mounted on the mounting plate, and the pulley assembly is mounted on the slide rail and connected to the two conveying members.

5. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying device also includes a camera assembly, which is installed on the lower surface of the support plate and confirms the goods by reading a QR code posted on the object.

6. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material conveying device is also provided with one or more fire extinguishing devices, which are fire balls.

7. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The object carrier is kept parallel to the ground or at a preset angle to the ground during the entire cyclic movement; the transmission member is a chain, a rack and / or a belt.

8. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movement tracks of the two mutually parallel conveying members are circular, elliptical or polygonal.

9. The material conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unloading part is a connecting rod, and the unloading assembly also includes a rotating shaft, a connecting part and two connecting rods. The driving part is connected to the rotating shaft and drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The driving part is fixedly installed at the bottom of the mounting part. One end of the two connecting rods is respectively connected to the two ends of the rotating shaft, and the other ends of the two connecting rods are connected by a connecting part.

10. The material conveying device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The object carrier comprises a tray and a tray frame, the tray is rotatably connected to the tray frame, and the bottom of the tray frame is provided with an opening matched with the connecting rod.

11. The material conveying device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The object carrier also includes a first support member, a second support member and a second rotating shaft, the first support member is fixed to the outside of the tray rack, the second support member is fixed to the outside of the tray, the second rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the first support member and fixedly connected to the second support member or rotatably connected to the first support member and fixedly connected to the second support member.

12. A storage robot, characterized in that: The warehouse robot comprises the material conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and an unmanned guided vehicle, wherein the material conveying device is installed on the unmanned guided vehicle or is driven by the unmanned guided vehicle.

13. The storage robot according to claim 12, characterized in that: The unmanned guided vehicle includes a vehicle body and a second pallet, wherein the second pallet is mounted on the top of the vehicle body, and the material conveying device is fixedly mounted on the second pallet by screws, so that the rotational motion of the unmanned guided vehicle and the cyclic motion of the material conveying device are independent of each other.

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