Sorting robot and method of using a sorting robot

Abstract

The application discloses a sorting robot and a use method of the sorting robot. The sorting robot comprises a body, a pulley mechanism installed at the bottom of the body and used for driving the body to move in a transverse direction, and a lifting mechanism movably installed on the body and used for lifting the body in a longitudinal direction. The body is provided with a receiving space penetrating through the body in the longitudinal direction. The lifting mechanism is used for grabbing a to-be-transported object and driving the grabbed to-be-transported object to ascend or descend. The sorting robot of the application can make the to-be-transported object protrude above the top surface of the body when the lifting mechanism grabs the to-be-transported object and drives the grabbed to-be-transported object to ascend, so that the to-be-transported object is not affected by the height of the body. Therefore, the sorting robot can grab and transport more to-be-transported objects at a time, and the sorting efficiency of the sorting robot is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of logistics, in particular to a distribution robot and a method for using the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, in the logistics industry, the distribution of goods is usually completed by a delivery trolley to improve the overall automation level and work efficiency. The existing delivery trolleys are arranged on the top of a track, and a concave cavity is arranged at the bottom of the delivery trolley to temporarily store the grabbed goods in the concave cavity. In this way, the height of the goods grabbed by the delivery trolley must be less than or equal to the height of the concave cavity, so that the goods can be completely accommodated in the concave cavity to avoid affecting the normal operation of the delivery trolley. Therefore, the delivery trolley is affected by its own height when grabbing goods, which greatly reduces the distribution efficiency of the delivery trolley. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a distribution robot, which has the advantages of high distribution efficiency.

[0004] One of the objects of the present application is achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0005] A distribution robot comprises a body, a pulley mechanism arranged at the bottom of the body and used for driving the body to move in the transverse direction, and a lifting mechanism movably arranged on the body and capable of moving up and down relative to the body in the longitudinal direction. The body is provided with a receiving space, which penetrates the body in the longitudinal direction. The lifting mechanism is used for grabbing a to-be-transported object and can drive the grabbed to-be-transported object to move up or down.

[0006] In some embodiments, the distribution robot further comprises a weight sensor arranged on the lifting mechanism, which is used for detecting the weight of the grabbed to-be-transported object.

[0007] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism comprises a lifting part movably connected with the inner wall of the receiving space and a grabbing part arranged at the bottom end of the lifting part and used for grabbing the to-be-transported object.

[0008] In some embodiments, the body is square-shaped, and the receiving space is arranged at the middle part of the body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the pulley mechanism comprises a first wheel system capable of moving in a first direction and a second wheel system capable of moving in a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0010] The application further provides a method for using the sorting robot, the sorting robot comprising a body and a lifting mechanism, the body being provided with a receiving space in the longitudinal direction, the lifting mechanism being capable of moving up and down in the longitudinal direction relative to the body, the method comprising:

[0011] The sorting robot moves above the to-be-transported objects;

[0012] The lifting mechanism extends downward and grabs at least one of the to-be-transported objects;

[0013] The lifting mechanism drives the grabbed to-be-transported object to move upward, so as to transport the grabbed to-be-transported object into the receiving space or make the grabbed to-be-transported object protrude above the top surface of the body;

[0014] The sorting robot loaded with the to-be-transported objects moves to a predetermined position;

[0015] The lifting mechanism extends downward while driving the grabbed to-be-transported object to move downward, so as to transport the grabbed to-be-transported object to a designated position.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sorting robot loaded with the to-be-transported objects moves to a predetermined position further comprises:

[0017] The sorting robot weighs the grabbed to-be-transported object and feeds back weight information to a control module;

[0018] The sorting robot moves to the predetermined position according to the sequence indicated by the control module, so that the grabbed to-be-transported objects are stacked in the designated position in the manner of light on top and heavy on the bottom.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sorting robot loaded with the to-be-transported objects moves to a predetermined position comprises:

[0020] The sorting robot moves in two mutually perpendicular directions on a track frame.

[0021] The application provides the scheme that the receiving space is arranged on the body and penetrates the body in the longitudinal direction, the to-be-transported object can pass through the receiving space and protrude above the top surface of the body when the lifting mechanism grabs the to-be-transported object and drives the grabbed to-be-transported object to move upward, the grabbed to-be-transported object is no longer affected by the height of the body, so that the sorting robot can grab and transport more to-be-transported objects at a time, and the sorting efficiency of the sorting robot is greatly improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the sorting robot provided by the embodiments of the application is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a sorting robot grasping an object to be transported and moving it on a track frame, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the sorting robot grabbing an object to be transported.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a sorting robot grabbing an object to be transported and protruding from the top surface of its main body;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the method of using the sorting robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In the diagram: 60, sorting robot; 10, track frame; 2, turnover box; 61, main body; 62, lifting mechanism; 63, pulley mechanism; 611, storage space; 621, lifting part; 622, gripping part; 631, first wheel system; 632, second wheel system. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0029] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside, top, bottom, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship between the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0030] It should also be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, the component may be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0031] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The distribution robot 60 provided by the embodiment of the present application comprises a body 61, a pulley mechanism 63 installed at the bottom of the body 61, and a lifting mechanism 62 movably installed on the body 61. The body 61 is provided with a containing space 611 which penetrates the body 61 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the top and bottom of the body 61 are both provided in an open manner. The body 61 can move back and forth along the track frame 10 in the transverse plane, i.e., the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, through the pulley mechanism 63. The lifting mechanism 62 can grab the to-be-transported object and drive the to-be-transported object to move up and down relative to the body 61 in the longitudinal direction. In the embodiment, the to-be-transported object is a turnover box 2 loaded with articles. Since the containing space 611 penetrates the body 61 in the longitudinal direction, when the lifting mechanism 62 grabs the turnover box 2 and drives the turnover box 2 to move up, the grabbed turnover box 2 can pass through the containing space 611 and protrude above the top of the body 61, i.e., the top surface of the grabbed turnover box 2 is higher than the top surface of the body 61, so that the grabbed turnover box 2 is not affected by the height of the body 61. Therefore, the distribution robot 60 can grab and transport more turnover boxes 2 at a time, and the distribution efficiency of the distribution robot 60 is greatly improved.

[0032] The shape of the body 61 and the setting position of the containing space 611 are not limited. In the embodiment, the body 61 is basically square, and the containing space 611 is arranged at the middle of the body 61.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 3 The specific structure of the lifting mechanism 62 is not limited, as long as the lifting mechanism 62 can grab the turnover box 2 and drive the turnover box 2 to move up and down relative to the body 61. For example, the lifting mechanism 62 can comprise a lifting part 621 and a grabbing part 622. The grabbing part 622 is fixed at the bottom of the lifting part 621 and is used to grab the turnover box 2. The lifting part 621 is movably connected with the inner wall of the containing space 611 and can move up and down relative to the body 61. In some embodiments, the grabbing part 622 is provided with a claw which can cooperate with the flange on the periphery of the turnover box 2 to lift the turnover box 2. The lifting part 621 can be a rope. A motor is arranged on the body 61. One end of the rope is connected with the rotating shaft of the motor. When the rotating shaft of the motor rotates, the rope can be wound on the rotating shaft, so that the turnover box 2 grabbed by the claw is driven to move up. When the rotating shaft of the motor reversely rotates, the grabbed turnover box 2 is driven to move down. It can be understood that the lifting part 621 can also be a rack. The lifting part 621 can also be driven to move up and down through the cooperation of the rack and a gear.

[0034] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 62 is further provided with a weight sensor, which can detect the weight of the totes 2 grabbed and feed the weight information to the control module. When different sorting robots 60 responsible for the same order feed the weight information of the totes 2 grabbed by them to the control module, the control module can control the different sorting robots 60 to move to the predetermined position in a certain order, for example, the sorting robot 60 grabbing the heavier totes 2 is controlled to move to the predetermined position first and place the totes 2 grabbed by it at the designated position, and then the sorting robot 60 grabbing the lighter totes 2 is controlled to move to the predetermined position and stack the lighter totes 2 grabbed by it on the heavier totes 2, so that the totes 2 are stacked in the designated position in the manner of lighter on top and heavier on bottom, which can avoid the problem of the top totes 2 crushing the bottom totes 2 due to excessive weight, and also can lower the overall center of gravity of the totes 2 stacked together, thereby enhancing the stability of the totes 2 in the transportation process.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the pulley mechanism 63 can slide on the track frame 10, which includes a first wheel system 631 and a second wheel system 632, both of which include a plurality of pulleys rotatably mounted on the bottom of the body 61. The pulleys of the first wheel system 631 can move in a first direction, and the pulleys of the second wheel system 632 can move in a second direction, and the first and second movement directions are perpendicular to each other, so that the sorting robot 60 can move in two mutually perpendicular directions, enhancing the flexibility of the sorting robot 60. In actual application, the first wheel system 631 and the second wheel system 632 can be constructed to be capable of lifting relative to the body 61. When the sorting robot 60 needs to move in the first direction, the pulleys of the first wheel system 631 are made to slide with the track frame 10, and the second wheel system 632 is lifted so that it does not contact the track frame 10, so that the pulleys of the second wheel system 632 do not affect the movement of the sorting robot 60 in the first direction; and when the sorting robot 60 needs to move in the second direction, the pulleys of the second wheel system 632 are made to slide with the track frame 10, and the first wheel system 631 is lifted so that it does not contact the track frame 10.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 , the present application also provides a method S100 for using the sorting robot 60, comprising the following steps:

[0037] Step S10, the sorting robot 60 moves above the totes 2 to be transported by the pulley mechanism 63;

[0038] Step S20, the lifting mechanism 62 extends downward and grabs at least one tote 2 to be transported;

[0039] Step S30, the lifting mechanism 62 drives the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed to rise, so as to transport the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed into the accommodation space 611 or make the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed protrude above the top surface of the body 61 through the accommodation space 611;

[0040] Step S40, the sorting robot 60 loaded with the to-be-transported objects moves to a predetermined position;

[0041] Step S50, the lifting mechanism 62 extends downward while driving the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed to move downward, so as to transport the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed to a designated position.

[0042] In some embodiments, step S40 comprises:

[0043] The sorting robot 60 weighs the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed and feeds back the weight information to the control module, and the sorting robot 60 moves to the predetermined position according to the sequence indicated by the control module so that the to-be-transported objects to be grabbed are stacked in the designated position in the manner of light on top and heavy on the bottom. Specifically, when different sorting robots 60 responsible for the same order feed back the weight information of the totes 2 grabbed by them to the control module, the control module will control the sorting robot 60 that grabs the heavier totes 2 to move to the predetermined position first, and then place the totes 2 grabbed by it at the designated position, and then control the sorting robot 60 that grabs the lighter totes 2 to move to the predetermined position, and stack the lighter totes 2 grabbed by it on the heavier totes 2.

[0044] In summary, the sorting robot 60 provided by the application can make the totes 2 to be grabbed protrude above the top surface of the body 61 through the accommodation space 611, so that the height of the totes 2 to be grabbed is no longer affected by the height of the body 61, and the sorting robot 60 can grab and transport a larger number of totes 2 at a time, thereby improving the sorting efficiency of the sorting robot 60.

[0045] The above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the application, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the application, and any non-essential changes and replacements made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the application all belong to the scope of protection claimed by the application.

Claims

1. A sorting robot, characterized in that, The system includes a main body, a pulley mechanism mounted on the bottom of the main body for driving the main body to move laterally, and a lifting mechanism movably mounted on the main body and capable of vertical movement relative to the main body. The main body has a receiving space that extends longitudinally through the main body. The lifting mechanism is used to grab objects to be transported and can lift or lower the grabbed objects. When the lifting mechanism lifts the objects to be transported, the objects can pass through the receiving space and protrude above the top of the main body, thereby enabling the sorting robot to grab and transport multiple objects at once. The sorting robot also includes a control module and a weight sensor installed on the lifting mechanism. The weight sensor is used to detect the weight of the object to be picked up and feed the weight information back to the control module. The control module controls the movement of the sorting robot according to the weight information so that the object to be sorted is stacked in a designated position with lighter objects on top and heavier objects on the bottom.

2. The sorting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a lifting part that is movably connected to the inner wall of the accommodating space and a gripping part located at the bottom of the lifting part for gripping the object to be transported.

3. The sorting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body is square, and the accommodating space is located in the middle of the main body.

4. The sorting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulley mechanism includes a first wheel train that can move along a first direction and a second wheel train that can move along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

5. A method of using the sorting robot according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method includes: The sorting robot moves to a position above the object to be transported; The lifting mechanism extends downward and grabs at least one of the objects to be transported; The lifting mechanism lifts the object to be transported, thereby transporting the object to be transported into the receiving space or making the object to be transported protrude from the top surface of the main body. The sorting robot, loaded with the items to be transported, moves to a predetermined position; The lifting mechanism extends downwards, simultaneously moving the grabbed object downwards, thereby transporting the grabbed object to the designated location.

6. The method of using the sorting robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The process of the sorting robot, which carries the object to be transported, moving to the predetermined position also includes: The sorting robot weighs the grabbed objects to be transported and feeds the weight information back to the control module. The sorting robot moves to the predetermined position in the order indicated by the control module so that the grasped objects to be transported are stacked in the designated position in a top-light and bottom-heavy manner.

7. The method of using the sorting robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sorting robot, loaded with the items to be transported, moves to a predetermined position, including: The sorting robot moves along two mutually perpendicular directions on the track frame.

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