Limiting device, three-dimensional storage system and cargo storage and retrieval method

Abstract

The invention discloses a limiting device, comprising: a limiting mechanism, which is arranged on a shelf, the limiting mechanism comprising a swing frame, a swing stopper, a sliding seat, a push rod and a connecting rod; the swing frame and the sliding seat are both fixed to the shelf; the hinged end of the swing stopper is hinged to the swing frame, the swing stopper rotates in a vertical plane, and when the swing stopper is in a first limiting position, the goods on the shelf are limited, and when the swing stopper is in a first unlocking position, the goods are released from the limiting position; the push rod is slidably connected to the sliding seat, the driving end of the push rod is movably connected to the middle part of the swing stopper through the connecting rod, and when the push rod is in a second limiting position, the swing stopper is in the first limiting position, and when the push rod is in a second unlocking position, the swing stopper is in the second unlocking position; an unlocking mechanism, which is arranged on the fork, and the unlocking mechanism contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod to make the push rod in the second unlocking position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of logistics equipment, and in particular to a position limiting device for entering and exiting an automated stereoscopic warehouse. Background Art

[0002] Stereoscopic warehousing, also known as stereoscopic warehouse, is a new concept in logistics warehousing, that is, the use of stereoscopic warehouse equipment to achieve high-level rationalization of warehouses and automatic access. Stereoscopic warehousing has the following advantages: the use of high-level shelves for storage saves floor space and can make full use of warehouse space to increase storage capacity; automated access, accurate and rapid receipt and delivery, improved efficiency in and out of the warehouse, mechanical automation operations liberate manpower and reduce labor intensity; computer control, automatic accurate storage and management of information, automatic printing of various reports; can be used in conjunction with other conveying equipment to better link warehouses and workshops. With the development and widespread application of computer technology and automatic control technology, the development of automated stereoscopic warehouse systems has become more rapid and has been increasingly adopted by multiple industries.

[0003] In a stereoscopic warehouse for push-pull storage and retrieval of goods, the shelves are divided into multiple cargo compartments, each of which has multiple parallel rollers to reduce the friction resistance of the pallets on which the goods are placed in and out of the cargo compartments. However, at the same time, the pallets placed in the cargo compartments are easily caused to protrude or slide out of the cargo compartments due to external forces, hindering the operation of the stacker and even causing loss of goods. Therefore, a cargo locking device that can be used with a stacker is needed to limit the pallet when the goods are placed and release the limit when the goods are stored and retrieved. Summary of the invention

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention discloses a limiting device, comprising: a limiting mechanism, which is arranged on a shelf, the limiting mechanism comprising a swing frame, a swing block, a slide seat, a push rod and a connecting rod; the swing frame and the slide seat are both fixed to the shelf; the hinged end of the swing block is hinged to the swing frame, the swing block rotates in a vertical plane, and when the swing block is in a first limiting position, the goods on the shelf are limited, and when the swing block is in a first unlocking position, the goods are released from the limit; the push rod is slidably connected to the slide seat, the driving end of the push rod is movably connected to the middle part of the swing block through the connecting rod, and when the push rod is in a second limiting position, the swing block is in the first limiting position, and when the push rod is in a second unlocking position, the swing block is in the second unlocking position; an unlocking mechanism, which is arranged on the fork, the unlocking mechanism contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod to make the push rod in the second unlocking position.

[0005] Furthermore, the shelf includes at least one cargo grid; the swing frame and the slide are both fixed to the edge frame of the cargo grid, and when the swing stopper is in the first unlocking position, the upper edge of the limit end of the swing stopper is below the limit plane of the goods; when the swing stopper is in the first limit position, the upper edge of the limit end is above the limit plane.

[0006] Furthermore, the fork comprises a working arm, the unlocking mechanism is arranged at the front end of the working arm, and the front end of the unlocking mechanism has an inclined surface.

[0007] Furthermore, when the unlocking device moves forward, the inclined surface contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod to place the push rod in the second unlocking position.

[0008] Preferably, the cargo fork comprises two working arms, and each cargo grid is provided with two limiting mechanisms respectively corresponding to the working arms.

[0009] Furthermore, the limiting device also includes an elastic element, which is arranged between the slide seat and the push rod. When the push rod is in the second unlocking position, the elastic element is compressed, and when the elastic element is elastically released, the push rod is pushed back to the second limiting position.

[0010] Preferably, the elastic element is a compression spring.

[0011] Preferably, the swing stopper also includes a reset weight, which is arranged at the hinged end.

[0012] The present invention also proposes a three-dimensional warehousing system, comprising the limiting device as described above, a stacker and a shelf, wherein the stacker comprises a fork, the fork comprises at least one working arm, the unlocking mechanism of the limiting device is arranged on the working arm, the shelf comprises at least one cargo grid, the limiting mechanism of the limiting device is arranged on the edge frame of the cargo grid, and the goods are placed on the roller conveyor in the cargo grid when stored, and are limited by the limiting mechanism.

[0013] Furthermore, the three-dimensional storage system also includes a pallet for carrying the goods. The pallet carries the goods and is placed on a roller conveyor in the cargo compartment. The working arm moves the goods in and out of the cargo compartment by pushing and pulling the pallet.

[0014] The present invention also proposes a cargo access method, which is applicable to the three-dimensional storage system as described above, including: the working arm of the fork extends into the cargo grid, the unlocking mechanism on the working arm contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod of the limiting mechanism, so that the push rod moves to a second unlocking position to drive the swing block to be in the first unlocking position; the working arm places the cargo in the cargo grid and exits the cargo grid, or lifts the cargo in the cargo grid to exit the cargo grid; the unlocking mechanism on the working arm disengages from contact with the force-bearing end of the push rod, the push rod returns to the second limit position, and drives the swing block to return to the first limit position.

[0015] Preferably, the goods are placed on a pallet, and the pallet is placed on a roller conveyor in the cargo compartment, and the pallet is pushed and pulled by the working arm to move the goods in and out of the cargo compartment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1A , 1B It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the limiting device of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2A It is a schematic side view of the limiting state of the limiting device of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2B It is a schematic top view of the limiting state of the limiting device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3A It is a side view schematic diagram of the unlocked state of the limit device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3B It is a top view schematic diagram of the limit device of the present invention in the unlocked state.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a front view of the shelf structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a side view of the shelf structure of the present invention.

[0023] Wherein, the accompanying drawings are marked as follows:

[0024] 1: Shelf 11: Edge frame 12: Roller

[0025] 13: Grid 2: Cargo 3: Fork

[0026] 31: working arm 4: limiting mechanism 41: swing frame

[0027] 42: Sliding seat 43: Swing stopper 44: Push rod

[0028] 45: Connecting rod 46: Compression spring 47: Reset weight

[0029] 5: unlocking mechanism 51: inclined plane 6: tray

[0030] P: Limit plane A: Articulated end B: Driving end

[0031] C: Load-bearing end DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The specific implementation of the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The described embodiment is only one embodiment of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0033] The shelves of a stereoscopic warehouse are usually multi-layered structures, with some cargo compartments located at high levels. To facilitate the entry and exit of heavier goods (or pallets with goods) in and out of the cargo compartments, rollers are provided at the bottom of the cargo compartments to reduce friction. However, the friction between the goods and the rollers is small, which can lead to unstable placement of the goods. When subjected to external forces (such as vibration, misoperation, etc.), the goods are prone to protrude or even slide out of the cargo compartments. Due to space limitations in the stereoscopic warehouse, the protruding goods will interfere with the stacker and hinder the normal operation of the stacker. When the goods slide out of the cargo compartment, they will fall and cause loss of the goods. In view of the above situation, the present invention discloses a limiting device for limiting the goods on the shelves to prevent the goods from protruding or accidentally sliding out, and unlocking the limit when the fork is picking up or storing goods to facilitate the entry and exit of the goods in the cargo compartment.

[0034] Specifically, the limiting device of the present invention includes two parts: a limiting mechanism and an unlocking mechanism. Figure 1A , 1B Schematic diagram of the structure of the limit device of the present invention. Figure 1A , 1BAs shown, the limiting mechanism of the present invention is arranged on the shelf, including: a swing frame 41, a slide 42, a swing stopper 43, a push rod 44 and a connecting rod 45; the swing frame 41 and the slide 42 are both fixed on the shelf 1, for example, fixed to the edge frame of the shelf 1; the hinged end A of the swing stopper 43 is hinged to the swing frame 41, and the swing stopper 43 can rotate in a vertical plane around the hinged end A, the push rod 44 is slidably connected to the slide 42, and the driving end B of the push rod 44 is movably connected to the middle part of the swing stopper 43 through the connecting rod 45, and the push rod 44 drives the swing stopper 43 to be in a first limiting position (usually a vertical state of the swing stopper 43), and the upper edge of the swing stopper 43 is higher than the limiting plane P, so as to limit the goods 2 on the shelf 1. The unlocking mechanism 51 of the present invention is arranged on the working arm 31 of the fork 3. The unlocking mechanism 5 has an inclined surface 51. When the fork 3 moves toward the shelf 1, the inclined surface 51 gradually contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end C of the push rod 44, so that the push rod 44 drives the swing block 43. The push rod 44 can also be movably connected to the slide 42 through an elastic element, such as a compression spring 46. In this way, the compression spring 46 releases elastic potential energy to restore the push rod 44 to the initial state (the second limit position), and at the same time drives the swing block 43 to restore to the initial state (the first limit position). The elastic element can also be a tension spring, a spring sheet, or other element that can automatically restore the push rod 44 to the initial state, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A reset weight 47 is also arranged at the hinge end A of the swing block 43. In this way, the swing block 43 can be automatically restored to a vertical state by gravity and reach the first limit position. At this time, the elastic element can be used as a damping element to reduce the swing amplitude and swing time of the swing block 43 caused by gravity reset.

[0035] Figure 2A is a side view schematic diagram of the limiting state of the limiting device of the present invention, Figure 2B 1 is a top view schematic diagram of the limiting state of the limiting device of the present invention. Figure 2A , 2B As shown, the current limiting device is in a limiting state, that is, the inclined surface 51 of the unlocking mechanism 5 is not in contact with the force-bearing end C of the push rod 44 or is in contact but not subjected to force, and the compression spring 46 is in an extended state, pushing the push rod 44 to be in the second limiting position. At this time, the swing block 43 is in the first limiting position driven by the push rod 44, which is in a vertical state. The upper edge of the swing block 43 is higher than the limiting plane P. When the cargo 2 slides, it will touch the swing block 43 and be limited by the swing block 43.

[0036] Figure 3A is a schematic side view of the unlocked state of the limit device of the present invention, Figure 3B 1 is a top view schematic diagram of the limit device of the present invention in the unlocked state. Figure 3A , 3BAs shown, the current limiting device is in an unlocked state, that is, the inclined surface 51 of the unlocking mechanism 5 squeezes the force-bearing end C of the push rod 44 to push the push rod 44 gradually to the second unlocked position, and slowly compresses the compression spring 46. At this time, the swing block 43 rotates around the hinge end A driven by the push rod 44 and gradually reaches the first unlocked position. At this time, the swing block 43 is in an inclined state, and the upper edge of the swing block 43 is lower than the limiting plane P. When the goods 2 need to be stored or taken out, the swing block 43 does not limit the goods 2.

[0037] 4 is a front view of the shelf structure of the present invention, Figure 5 : is a side view of the shelf structure of the present invention. Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the shelf 1 is a frame structure, and the relative positions of the frames divide the shelf 1 into a plurality of cargo compartments 13. A roller 12 is provided at the bottom of each cargo compartment, and each cargo compartment is provided with at least two rollers 12. Goods 2 (or pallets 6 for placing goods) are provided on the rollers 12. To maintain the stability of the storage of the goods 2, the upper edge planes of all rollers 12 in the cargo compartment are parallel to the horizontal plane. The limiting mechanism 4 is installed on the edge frame 11 of the cargo compartment. Usually, the number of limiting mechanisms 4 in each cargo compartment 13 is set according to the number of working arms of the fork. In some embodiments, stacking The fork of the stacker has two working arms, and two limiting mechanisms 4 are set in the cargo box 13 corresponding to the positions of the working arms to meet the limiting requirements of the goods; the number of limiting mechanisms 4 can also be less than the number of working arms. In other embodiments, the fork of the stacker has two working arms, and a limiting mechanism 4 is set in the cargo box, corresponding to any one of the two working arms; the number and position of the limiting mechanisms 4 can be set according to the equipment conditions of different three-dimensional storage systems, that is, according to the number and operating position of the working arms 31 of the fork 3, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment of the present invention, the roller 12 is a backward-inclined non-powered roller.

[0038] The present invention also proposes a three-dimensional storage system, including a limiting device, a stacker and a shelf, wherein the stacker includes a fork, the fork has at least one working arm, the unlocking mechanism of the limiting device is arranged at the front end of the working arm, the shelf includes at least one cargo compartment, the limiting mechanism of the limiting device is arranged at the edge frame of the cargo compartment, and when the goods are placed in the cargo compartment during storage, they are limited by the limiting mechanism. In some embodiments, when the goods are carried by pallets and stored and taken out, the working arm of the stacker pushes and pulls the pallet to move the goods on the pallet into and out of the cargo compartment.

[0039] In view of the above-mentioned three-dimensional storage system, the present invention further proposes a cargo storage and retrieval method, comprising:

[0040] Step S1, the working arm of the fork extends into the cargo grid, and the unlocking mechanism on the working arm contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod of the limiting mechanism, so that the push rod moves to the second unlocking position, thereby driving the swing block to be in the first unlocking position;

[0041] Step S2, when the working arm pushes the goods into the cargo compartment and out of the cargo compartment, or pulls out the goods in the cargo compartment and out of the cargo compartment; the unlocking mechanism on the working arm disengages from the force-bearing end of the push rod of the contact limiting mechanism, the push rod returns to the second limit position, and drives the swing block to return to the first limit position. When the goods are placed on the pallet, the pallet is pushed and pulled by the working arm to move the goods in and out of the cargo compartment.

[0042] The description and application of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the above-described embodiments. Variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein are possible, and replacements of the embodiments and various equivalent components are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented in other forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, and with other components, materials, and parts without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is intended to include such modifications and variations if they fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A limiting device, characterized in that: include: The limiting mechanism is arranged on the shelf, and the limiting mechanism comprises a swing frame, a swing stopper, a slide seat, a push rod and a connecting rod; the swing frame and the slide seat are both fixed to the shelf; the hinged end of the swing stopper is hinged to the swing frame, the swing stopper rotates in a vertical plane, and when the swing stopper is in a first limiting position, the goods on the shelf are limited, and when the swing stopper is in a first unlocking position, the goods are released from the limiting position; the push rod is slidably connected to the slide seat, and the driving end of the push rod is movably connected to the middle part of the swing stopper through the connecting rod, and when the push rod is in a second limiting position, the swing stopper is in the first limiting position, and when the push rod is in a second unlocking position, the swing stopper is in the second unlocking position; The unlocking mechanism is arranged on the cargo fork, and the unlocking mechanism contacts and presses the force-bearing end of the push rod to make the push rod be in the second unlocking position.

2. The limiting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shelf includes at least one cargo grid; the swing frame and the slide are both fixed to the edge frame of the cargo grid, and when the swing stopper is in the first unlocking position, the upper edge of the limit end of the swing stopper is below the limit plane of the goods; when the swing stopper is in the first limit position, the upper edge of the limit end is above the limit plane.

3. The limiting device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fork comprises a working arm, the unlocking mechanism is arranged at the front end of the working arm, and the front end of the unlocking mechanism has an inclined surface.

4. The limiting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the unlocking mechanism moves forward, the inclined surface contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod, so that the push rod is in the second unlocking position.

5. The limiting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cargo fork comprises two working arms, and each cargo grid is provided with two limiting mechanisms respectively corresponding to the working arms.

6. The limiting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an elastic element, which is arranged between the slide seat and the push rod. When the push rod is in the second unlocking position, the elastic element is compressed. When the elastic element is elastically released, the push rod is pushed back to the second limiting position.

7. The limiting device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic element is a compression spring.

8. The limiting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing stopper also includes a reset weight, which is arranged at the hinged end.

9. A three-dimensional storage system, comprising a limiting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, a stacker and a shelf, wherein the stacker comprises a fork, the fork comprises at least one working arm, the unlocking mechanism of the limiting device is arranged on the working arm, the shelf comprises at least one cargo grid, the limiting mechanism of the limiting device is arranged on the edge frame of the cargo grid, and the goods are placed on the roller conveyor in the cargo grid when stored, and are limited by the limiting mechanism.

10. The three-dimensional storage system according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a pallet for carrying the goods. The pallet carries the goods and is placed on a roller conveyor in the cargo compartment. The working arm moves the goods in and out of the cargo compartment by pushing and pulling the pallet.

11. A method for storing and retrieving goods, applicable to the three-dimensional storage system according to any one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that: include: The working arm of the cargo fork extends into the cargo grid, and the unlocking mechanism on the working arm contacts and squeezes the force-bearing end of the push rod of the limiting mechanism, so that the push rod moves to the second unlocking position, thereby driving the swing block to be in the first unlocking position; The working arm pushes the goods into the cargo compartment and then exits the cargo compartment, or pulls out the goods in the cargo compartment and exits the cargo compartment; The unlocking mechanism on the working arm disengages from the force-bearing end of the push rod, and the push rod returns to the second limit position, and drives the swing block to return to the first limit position.

12. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The goods are placed on a pallet, and the pallet is placed on a roller conveyor in the cargo compartment. The pallet is pushed and pulled by the working arm to move the goods in and out of the cargo compartment.

Images