A cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot
By designing a cargo container transfer system that includes a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism and an external conveying mechanism, the problem of waste of robots' ability to move during cargo container transfer is solved, and efficient cargo container transfer and cost reduction are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202110541968.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-05-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-05-18
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, robots cannot invest efficiently during cargo container transfer, resulting in waste of mobility and increasing the number of robots to increase efficiency will increase costs.
A cargo container transfer system is designed, including a robot and a cargo container transfer device. The robot is equipped with a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism. The cargo container transfer device includes an external conveying mechanism. By transferring the cargo container in batches or transferring the cargo container to different layers of the robot, the time for the robot to connect with the cargo container transfer mechanism is reduced and the handling efficiency is improved.
It has achieved the improvement of cargo container transfer efficiency, reduced the number of robots, reduced the total cost, and improved the handling efficiency of robots in the cargo container storage and withdrawal process.
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Figure CN113135408B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, and in particular to a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot. Background Art
[0002] A robot can carry multiple cargo boxes at a time, and place the multiple cargo boxes on the robot's multi-layer temporary storage mechanism. When the robot arrives at the destination and transfers the cargo boxes, it is necessary to use the robot to take the cargo boxes out from different temporary storage mechanisms one by one and place them at the destination (such as the conveying mechanism, the interactive cargo position, etc.), which makes the robot unable to efficiently participate in the cargo box storage and retrieval process, thereby causing a waste of the robot's mobility. In order to achieve efficient cargo handling, more robots need to be invested, but the individual investment cost of the robot will increase.
[0003] Therefore, how to improve the efficiency of cargo box transfer has become a problem that needs to be solved urgently in this field. Summary of the invention
[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure at least provide a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot.
[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cargo box transfer system, the system comprising at least one robot and at least one cargo box transfer device; the robot is provided with a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism, the temporary storage mechanism is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device comprises an external conveying mechanism;
[0006] The robot is configured to move to a first cargo box docking position, where the first cargo box docking position is the position where the robot is located when docking with the cargo box transfer device;
[0007] The cargo box transfer device is configured to obtain all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot that are moved to the first cargo box docking position, and transfer all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or, transfer multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot.
[0008] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one first lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer first conveying mechanism, and the first conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and transferring cargo boxes;
[0009] The cargo box transfer device is configured to transfer all the cargo boxes in batches to the first conveying mechanism at different levels of the first lifting mechanism, wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; and transfer multiple cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0010] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device further includes at least one second lifting mechanism; the second lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer second conveying mechanism, and the second conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and transferring cargo boxes;
[0011] The first lifting mechanism is configured to transfer a plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the second conveying mechanism at different levels of the second lifting mechanism;
[0012] The second lifting mechanism is configured to transfer multiple cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0013] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one cargo box transfer mechanism and a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism;
[0014] The cargo box transfer mechanism is configured to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot and transfer them to preset areas on the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels;
[0015] The cargo box conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the cargo box from a preset area to the first conveying mechanism of the first lifting mechanism;
[0016] The first lifting mechanism is configured to move the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to the second cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo boxes provided by the cargo box conveying mechanisms of different layers; move the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to the third cargo box docking position to transfer multiple cargo boxes to the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism; the second cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism on each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism dock the cargo box; the third cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism on each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo box;
[0017] The second lifting mechanism is configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes on each layer of the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively; the fourth cargo box docking position is the position of the second conveying mechanism when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
[0018] In an optional embodiment, the second lifting mechanism is further configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo box provided by the external conveying mechanism;
[0019] The first lifting mechanism is further configured to move the multi-layered first conveying mechanism to the third cargo box docking position to obtain multiple cargo boxes provided by the second lifting mechanism; move the multi-layered first conveying mechanism to the second cargo box docking position to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism on different layers;
[0020] The cargo box conveying mechanism is also configured to transfer the cargo box provided by the first lifting mechanism to the preset area;
[0021] The cargo box transfer mechanism is also configured to lift all cargo boxes at a preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanism at different layers of the robot.
[0022] In an optional embodiment, the robot is further configured to move to the first cargo box docking position to receive the cargo box after the cargo box transfer mechanism lifts all cargo boxes at a preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism.
[0023] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device further includes a controller;
[0024] The controller is configured to, in response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different layers of the robot and transfer them to preset areas on the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different layers; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanisms to transfer multiple cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism at different layers that is already located at the second cargo box docking position; control the first conveying mechanism at different layers to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism at different layers of the second lifting mechanism; control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively.
[0025] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device further includes a controller;
[0026] The controller is configured to, in response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism of different layers that is already located at the third cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the preset areas of the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers respectively; control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all the cargo boxes that are already located in the preset area, and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanisms of different layers of the robot.
[0027] In an optional embodiment, the direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position.
[0028] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms; the temporary storage mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb-shaped mechanism includes comb teeth;
[0029] The projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap;
[0030] The projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism and the comb teeth of the cargo box conveying mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap.
[0031] In an optional embodiment, each layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0032] The lifting fork mechanism is configured to move to the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism after lifting all the cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, so as to transfer all the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; wherein the height of the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism is lower than the height of the surface of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding level for placing cargo boxes.
[0033] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism further includes a first drive unit and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit is connected to the guide rail assembly; the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms are slidably mounted on the guide rail assembly; each layer of the temporary storage mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0034] The first driving unit is configured to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate;
[0035] The guide rail assembly is configured to, under the drive of the first driving unit, drive the lifting fork mechanism to move in a vertical direction to lift the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism on the corresponding layer.
[0036] In an optional embodiment, the first lifting mechanism further includes a second driving unit and a driving assembly; the second driving unit is connected to the driving assembly; and the multi-layer first conveying mechanism is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly;
[0037] The first conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the temporarily stored cargo box to the second lifting mechanism;
[0038] The second driving unit is configured to drive the driving assembly to rotate;
[0039] The driving assembly is configured to, under the drive of the second driving unit, drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in a vertical direction, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
[0040] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a cargo box transfer device, including the cargo box transfer device described in the first aspect.
[0041] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a robot, comprising the robot described in the first aspect.
[0042] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a cargo box transfer method, which is applied to the cargo box transfer device described in the second aspect, comprising: the robot is provided with a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism, the temporary storage mechanism is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device includes an external conveying mechanism;
[0043] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot are acquired, and all the cargo boxes are transferred in batches to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or,
[0044] In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism are transferred to temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot.
[0045] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one first lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer first conveying mechanism, and the first conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and conveying the cargo box;
[0046] The step of transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0047] Transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the first conveying mechanism at different levels of the first lifting mechanism, wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes;
[0048] Transferring a plurality of containers on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0049] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device further includes at least one second lifting mechanism; the second lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer second conveying mechanism, and the second conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and conveying the cargo box;
[0050] The method of transferring the plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0051] Transferring a plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the second conveying mechanism at different levels of the second lifting mechanism;
[0052] Transferring a plurality of containers on the second conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0053] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one first cargo box transfer mechanism and a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism;
[0054] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, acquiring all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, and transferring all cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism, comprises:
[0055] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, the cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanism at different layers of the robot and transfer them to a preset area on the cargo box conveying mechanism at different layers;
[0056] Controlling the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area;
[0057] Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the second cargo box docking position; the second cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism are docking the cargo box;
[0058] Controlling the multiple layers of the cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism of different layers that are already located at the docking position of the second cargo box;
[0059] Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism of different layers of the second lifting mechanism; the third cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo box;
[0060] Control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively; the fourth cargo box docking position is the position of the second conveying mechanism when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
[0061] In an optional embodiment, in response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, transferring multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to different layers of temporary storage mechanisms of the robot includes:
[0062] In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position;
[0063] Control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism of a different layer that is already located at the third cargo box docking position;
[0064] Control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers;
[0065] Controlling the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the multiple layers to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the preset areas of the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the different layers respectively;
[0066] The cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes already located in the preset area and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot.
[0067] In an optional embodiment, the direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position.
[0068] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms; the temporary storage mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb-shaped mechanism includes comb teeth;
[0069] The projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap;
[0070] The projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism and the comb teeth of the cargo box conveying mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap.
[0071] In an optional embodiment, each layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0072] The lifting fork mechanism is configured to move to the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism after lifting all the cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, so as to transfer all the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; wherein the height of the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism is lower than the height of the surface of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding level for placing cargo boxes.
[0073] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism further includes a first drive unit and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit is connected to the guide rail assembly; the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms are slidably mounted on the guide rail assembly; each layer of the temporary storage mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0074] The step of lifting all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot comprises:
[0075] The first driving unit is controlled to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate, and drive the lifting fork mechanism to move in the vertical direction to lift the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism at the corresponding layer.
[0076] In an optional embodiment, the first lifting mechanism further includes a second driving unit and a driving assembly; the second driving unit is connected to the driving assembly; and the multi-layer first conveying mechanism is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly;
[0077] The step of transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0078] The second driving unit is controlled to drive the driving assembly to rotate, and drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in a vertical direction, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
[0079] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot, wherein the cargo box transfer system includes at least one robot and at least one cargo box transfer device; the robot is provided with a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism, which is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device includes an external conveying mechanism; in the case where the robot releases the cargo, the robot moves to a first cargo box docking position, which is the position of the robot when the robot docks the cargo box with the cargo box transfer device; thereafter, the cargo box transfer device can obtain all cargo boxes on different layers of temporary storage mechanisms of the robot that are moved to the first cargo box docking position, and transfer all cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes. For the scenario of robots picking up goods, the cargo box transfer device can transfer multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to the temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot. Compared with the prior art of using robots to transfer cargo boxes one by one from temporary storage mechanisms on different levels to the destination, the cargo box transfer device can transfer all cargo boxes from temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot at one time, or place multiple cargo boxes for the robot at one time. For the scenario of the robot storing and retrieving multiple cargo boxes, it can reduce the time for the robot to dock with the cargo box transfer mechanism, and improve the robot's handling efficiency in the cargo box storage and retrieval process; at the same time, it can reduce the total number of robots in the same scenario, saving the total cost of the robot.
[0080] Furthermore, the disclosed embodiments provide a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot, wherein a first lifting mechanism is used to transfer multiple cargo boxes on different layers of the first conveying mechanism to different layers of the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism; and a second lifting mechanism is used to transfer multiple cargo boxes on different layers of the second conveying mechanism to the same external conveying mechanism. Compared with the current cargo box transfer device with only one lifting mechanism, this method of using two lifting mechanisms to cooperate with each other to transfer cargo boxes can realize the transfer of cargo boxes more quickly and improve the efficiency of cargo box transfer.
[0081] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot, wherein the direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position. This vertical docking position layout method can save warehouse floor space and improve warehouse space utilization compared to the parallel docking position layout method.
[0082] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are specifically cited below and described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0083] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification. These drawings illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and are used together with the specification to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.
[0084] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cargo box transfer system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0085] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the robot and the cargo box transfer device when the robot provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is docked with the cargo box transfer device is shown;
[0086] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the position layout of multiple robots provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure when docking with a cargo box transfer device;
[0087] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0088] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cargo box transfer mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0089] Figure 6 A flow chart showing the structure of the process of transferring a cargo box from a robot to a lifting fork mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0090] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of a cargo box conveying mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;
[0091] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a first lifting mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0092] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present disclosure generally described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0093] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.
[0094] The "multiple or several" mentioned in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0095] After research, it was found that a robot can carry multiple cargo boxes at a time, and place multiple cargo boxes on the robot's multi-layer temporary storage mechanism. When the robot arrives at the destination and realizes the cargo box transfer, it is necessary to use the robot to take out the cargo boxes from different temporary storage mechanisms one by one and place them at the destination (such as the conveying mechanism, the interactive cargo position, etc.), resulting in the robot being unable to efficiently put into the cargo box storage and retrieval process, thereby causing a waste of the robot's mobility. In order to achieve efficient cargo handling, more robots need to be invested, but the individual investment cost of the robot will increase.
[0096] Based on the above research, the present disclosure provides a cargo box transfer system, method, cargo box transfer device and robot, which utilizes the cargo box transfer device to transfer multiple cargo boxes from different layers of temporary storage mechanisms of the robot at one time, or place multiple cargo boxes for the robot at one time. For scenarios where the robot stores and retrieves multiple cargo boxes, it can reduce the time for the robot to dock with the cargo box transfer mechanism and improve the robot's handling efficiency in the cargo box storage and retrieval process; at the same time, it can reduce the total number of robots in the same scenario and save the total cost of the robots.
[0097] The defects existing in the above solutions are the results obtained by the inventor after practice and careful research. Therefore, the discovery process of the above problems and the solutions proposed by the present disclosure for the above problems below should be the contributions made by the inventor to the present disclosure during the disclosure process.
[0098] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.
[0099] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, the application scenario of a cargo box transfer system disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is first introduced. The cargo box transfer system provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to the docking process of the robot 11 and the cargo box transfer device 12. Figure 1 As shown, illustratively, the robot 11 may be a robot capable of carrying multiple cargo boxes at a time.
[0100] In the warehousing and logistics scenario, a possible implementation method is that the cloud server 13 can issue a movement control instruction to the robot 11, where the movement control instruction can be an instruction to control the robot 11 to release the goods; or, it can also be an instruction to control the robot 11 to pick up the goods. For example, in the cargo picking scenario, the cloud server 13 can control the robot 11 to move to the first cargo box docking position where the cargo box transfer device 12 can dock the cargo box (here, the first cargo box docking position can be the position where the robot 11 is located when the cargo box is docked with the cargo box transfer device 12). At this time, the multiple cargo boxes on the robot 11 store goods to be picked, and the cargo box transfer device 12 can be used to transfer the multiple cargo boxes out to achieve the picking of goods. At this time, the robot 11 can leave the first cargo box docking position and wait for the cloud server 13 to send the next instruction. For another example, in the cargo warehousing scenario, when the cargo box has been transferred to the preset area by the cargo box transfer device 12, the cloud server 13 can control the robot 11 to move to the first cargo box docking position to pick up the goods.
[0101] Here, the cloud server 13 stores an order pool of warehouse goods, and can call the robot 11 to pick goods through the information of goods to be picked in the order pool; or call the robot 11 to put goods into storage through the information of goods to be put into storage in the order pool.
[0102] In some embodiments, the robot can also complete tasks in different scenarios such as putting cargo boxes on and off shelves based on the cargo box transfer system provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The presence or absence of cargo in the cargo box can also be designed according to specific application scenarios, which is not specifically limited by the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0103] Another possible implementation is that the controller in the robot 11 can also be used to complete the cargo box docking process between the robot 11 and the cargo box transfer device 12, so as to achieve efficient transportation in the cargo storage and retrieval process.
[0104] The following is an introduction to a cargo box transfer system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes at least one robot and at least one cargo box transfer device. Figure 2 As shown, it is a structural schematic diagram of the robot and the cargo box transfer device when the robot is docked with the cargo box transfer device, including at least one robot 11, a cargo box transfer device 12 and multiple cargo boxes 21; wherein the cargo box transfer device 12 may include at least one cargo box transfer mechanism 121, a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism 122, at least one first lifting mechanism 123, at least one second lifting mechanism 124, an external conveying mechanism 125 and a controller.
[0105] In a possible implementation, there may be multiple positions for the robot to be docked with the cargo box transfer device. One of the positions for the robot to be docked with the cargo box transfer device may be that the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position. Figure 3 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the position layout when multiple robots are docked with the cargo box transfer device. Among them, the direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is the direction indicated by 31 in the figure, and the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position can be the direction indicated by 32 in the figure. According to the above-mentioned vertical docking position layout method, compared with the parallel docking position layout method, it can save more warehouse floor space and improve warehouse space utilization.
[0106] Here, the cargo box transfer device 12 can dock with multiple robots 11 at the same time. Figure 3 As shown, the cargo box transfer device 12 can dock with two robots 11 at the same time. At this time, different cargo box transfer mechanisms 121 are controlled to transfer cargo boxes from different robots 11. For example, multiple cargo boxes on robot 11-A are transferred using cargo box transfer mechanism 121-A, and multiple cargo boxes on robot 11-B are transferred using cargo box transfer mechanism 121-B. At this time, cargo box transfer mechanism 121-A and cargo box transfer mechanism 121-B can be arranged in parallel in the cargo box transfer device 12 on one side of the cargo box conveying direction of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism 122. Robot 11-A can dock with the first cargo box at the docking position 33-A, and robot 11-B can dock with the first cargo box at the docking position 33-B.
[0107] In addition, multiple first lifting mechanisms 123 and multiple second lifting mechanisms 124 can also be set in the cargo box transfer device 12. For example, a set of double lifting mechanisms (including a first lifting mechanism 123 and a second lifting mechanism 124) are respectively set at both ends of the cargo box conveying mechanism 122, and the second lifting mechanism 124 is connected to the external conveying mechanism 125.
[0108] Here, the number of layers of the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 in the cargo box transfer device 12 can be arranged according to the specific application scenario and is not specifically limited here.
[0109] See also Figure 4 The robot 11 includes a robot body 111, a gantry 112 and a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism 113; the gantry 112 is mounted on the robot body 111; the multi-layer temporary storage mechanism 113 is mounted on one side of the gantry 112, and the temporary storage mechanism 113 can be used to temporarily store cargo boxes.
[0110] The robot 11 is configured to move to a first cargo box docking position. Here, the first cargo box docking position is the position where the robot is located when the robot and the cargo box transfer device dock with the cargo box. There can be multiple first cargo box docking positions.
[0111] The cargo box transfer device 12 is configured to obtain all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot that are moved to the first cargo box docking position, and transfer all cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or, transfer multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to the temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot.
[0112] The following is a detailed description of the docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device in the robot box placement scenario to achieve cargo box transfer:
[0113] First, the cargo box transfer mechanism 121 can be used to transfer the cargo box temporarily stored on the temporary storage mechanism 113 of the robot 11 to a preset area on the cargo box conveying mechanism 122; then, when the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 determines that there is a cargo box in the preset area, the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 can transfer the cargo box to the first lifting mechanism 123; then, when the first lifting mechanism 123 determines that there is a cargo box, the first lifting mechanism 123 can transfer the cargo box to the second lifting mechanism 124; then, when the second lifting mechanism 124 determines that there is a cargo box, the second lifting mechanism 124 can transfer the cargo box to the external conveying mechanism 125; then, the external conveying mechanism 125 conveys the cargo box to the next link.
[0114] For example, sensors may be provided corresponding to the preset areas of the container conveying mechanisms on each layer, and multiple sensors may be used to detect whether there are containers at the preset areas of the container conveying mechanisms on each layer. The container conveying mechanisms may determine that there are containers by using feedback from sensors to determine that there are containers at the preset areas of the container conveying mechanisms on a certain layer or several layers.
[0115] In some embodiments, the cargo box transfer mechanism 121 can transfer all cargo boxes on different levels of the robot's temporary storage mechanisms to the preset area of the cargo box conveying mechanism, so as to realize the transfer of all cargo boxes in one operation, which can reduce the time for the robot to dock with the cargo box transfer mechanism and improve the robot's handling efficiency in the cargo box storage and retrieval process; at the same time, it can reduce the total number of robots in the same scene and save the total cost of robots.
[0116] Here, the size of the preset area may be the size of the bottom surface of the cargo box.
[0117] In a possible embodiment, the cargo box transfer device 12 can be configured to transfer all cargo boxes in batches to the first conveying mechanisms on different levels of the first lifting mechanism, wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; and transfer multiple cargo boxes on different levels of the first conveying mechanisms to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0118] Specifically, the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 is configured to transfer the cargo box from the preset area to the first conveying mechanism of the first lifting mechanism. The first lifting mechanism 123 is configured to move the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to the second cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo boxes provided by the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different layers. Here, the number of cargo boxes obtained at one time is the same as the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism. The second cargo box docking position is the position where the first conveying mechanism on each layer is located when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism perform cargo box docking. When the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism perform cargo box docking, the cargo box conveying mechanism will correspond to a second cargo box docking position, and the first conveying mechanism can obtain the cargo box conveyed by the cargo box conveying mechanism at the second cargo box docking position.
[0119] In some embodiments, the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism 122 can transfer all cargo boxes in a preset area to the first conveying mechanism of the first lifting mechanism in batches. Here, the first lifting mechanism 123 includes a multi-layer first conveying mechanism 1231, which can be seen in Figure 8 The first conveying mechanism 1231 is used for temporarily storing and transferring cargo boxes. For example, the first conveying mechanism 1231 includes a plurality of rollers. When the function of transferring cargo boxes is realized, the rollers can be driven by a motor to rotate to transfer the cargo boxes. Here, the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes.
[0120] For example, Figure 2The multi-layer container conveying mechanism and the first lifting mechanism shown in the figure include six layers of container conveying mechanisms, and the first lifting mechanism includes two layers of first conveying mechanisms. Since the first lifting mechanism includes two layers of first conveying mechanisms, during the process of transferring all containers in batches, containers on two layers of container conveying mechanisms can be transferred at a time. Here, each layer of container conveying mechanisms can be grouped, for example, the order from bottom to top is the first layer of container conveying mechanism, the second layer of container conveying mechanism, the third layer of container conveying mechanism, the fourth layer of container conveying mechanism, the fifth layer of container conveying mechanism and the sixth layer of container conveying mechanism, the first layer of container conveying mechanism and the second layer of container conveying mechanism are set as the first group, the third layer of container conveying mechanism and the fourth layer of container conveying mechanism are set as the second group, and the fifth layer of container conveying mechanism and the sixth layer of container conveying mechanism are set as the third group. Here, the two layers of first conveying mechanisms can be set to move synchronously. In the initial state of the first lifting mechanism, that is, the two layers of first conveying mechanisms arranged side by side in the vertical direction are located at the bottom of the first lifting mechanism, and the two layers of first conveying mechanisms correspond one to one with the first layer of container conveying mechanism and the second layer of container conveying mechanism. Therefore, in the initial state of the first lifting mechanism, the first group of cargo box conveying mechanisms can be controlled first to transfer the two cargo boxes to the first conveying mechanisms on different layers. At this time, the first conveying mechanisms temporarily store the cargo boxes. After the first conveying mechanism transfers the cargo boxes out, the two layers of first conveying mechanisms move to the second cargo box docking positions corresponding to the third layer and the fourth layer cargo box conveying mechanisms, and control the second group of cargo box conveying mechanisms to transfer the two cargo boxes to the first conveying mechanisms on different layers. Then control the third group of cargo box conveying mechanisms until all cargo boxes on the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanisms are transferred out. In this process, the two layers of first conveying mechanisms in the first lifting mechanism move synchronously, up and down twice, and transfer all cargo boxes on the six-layer cargo box conveying mechanisms.
[0121] In some embodiments, the first lifting mechanism 123 is further configured to transfer multiple cargo boxes on different layers of the first conveying mechanism to different layers of the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism. Here, the multiple cargo boxes may be cargo boxes on all layers of the first conveying mechanism, or may be cargo boxes on some layers of the first conveying mechanism. Specifically, the first lifting mechanism 123 is further configured to, after receiving cargo boxes conveyed by the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism, move the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism. Here, the third cargo box docking position is the position where the first conveying mechanism of each layer is located when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo boxes. Here, the second lifting mechanism 124 includes multiple layers of the second conveying mechanism. The second conveying mechanism is used to temporarily store and transfer cargo boxes. For example, the second conveying mechanism includes a plurality of rollers. When realizing the function of transferring cargo boxes, the rollers can be driven to rotate by a motor to transfer the cargo boxes.
[0122] Exemplarily, when the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism in the first lifting mechanism is the same as the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism in the second lifting mechanism, the first conveying mechanism can correspond one-to-one to the second conveying mechanism. When docking the cargo boxes, all the cargo boxes in the first conveying mechanism can be directly transported to the second conveying mechanism on the corresponding layer. At this time, the second conveying mechanism temporarily stores the cargo boxes.
[0123] Exemplarily, when the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism in the first lifting mechanism is greater than the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism in the second lifting mechanism, the temporarily stored cargo boxes on the multiple layers of the first conveying mechanism can be transported to the second conveying mechanism in batches. For example, there are three layers of the first conveying mechanism and two layers of the second conveying mechanism. The cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first and second layers of the first conveying mechanism are first transported to the first and second layers of the second conveying mechanism. After the cargo boxes on the two layers of the second conveying mechanism are transported away, the two layers of the second conveying mechanism are moved so that any one layer of the second conveying mechanism is docked with the third layer of the first conveying mechanism to receive the cargo boxes transported by the third layer of the first conveying mechanism. The number of layers of the first conveying mechanism can be arranged in order from bottom to top, with the bottom layer being the first layer, and the second layer, the third layer, ..., the Nth layer in order, where N is a positive integer.
[0124] In some embodiments, the second lifting mechanism 124 is configured to transfer multiple cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanisms at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism. Specifically, the second lifting mechanism is configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position after receiving cargo boxes conveyed by the first conveying mechanisms at different levels, and transfer the cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanisms at each level to the external conveying mechanism. The fourth cargo box docking position is the position where the second conveying mechanism is located when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism. It should be noted that one external conveying mechanism corresponds to only one fourth cargo box docking position.
[0125] Here, the first conveying mechanism, the second conveying mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism may use the same mechanism to transfer the cargo boxes, such as rollers or belts, etc. The specific transfer mechanism is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0126] In other embodiments, the first lifting mechanism 123 is further configured to, after receiving the cargo box conveyed by the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism, move the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to the fifth cargo box docking position for multiple times, and transfer the cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism on each layer to the external conveying mechanism. Here, the fifth cargo box docking position is the position where the first conveying mechanism is located when the first lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
[0127] Compared with the current cargo box transfer device with only one lifting mechanism, the above-mentioned method of transferring the cargo box by using two lifting mechanisms in cooperation with each other can realize the transfer of the cargo box more quickly and improve the efficiency of cargo box transfer.
[0128] The following is a detailed description of the docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device in the robot box picking scenario to achieve cargo box transfer:
[0129] First, the external conveying mechanism 125 can be used to convey the cargo box to the second lifting mechanism 124; then, when the second lifting mechanism determines that there is a cargo box, the second lifting mechanism 124 can transfer the cargo box to the first lifting mechanism 123; then, when the first lifting mechanism 123 determines that there is a cargo box, the first lifting mechanism 123 transfers the cargo box to the cargo box conveying mechanism 122; when the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 determines that there is a cargo box, it conveys the cargo box to a preset area; when the cargo box transfer mechanism 121 determines that there is a cargo box in the preset area, it first lifts the cargo box in the preset area, and then dispatches the robot 11 to move to the first cargo box docking position; then, the cargo box transfer mechanism 121 places the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism 113 of the robot 11.
[0130] For example, a sensor may be provided corresponding to each second conveying mechanism on each layer, and multiple sensors may be used to detect whether there are temporarily stored cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanism on each layer, thereby determining whether there are cargo boxes on the second lifting mechanism. A sensor may be provided corresponding to each first conveying mechanism on each layer, and multiple sensors may be used to detect whether there are temporarily stored cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism on each layer, thereby determining whether there are cargo boxes on the first lifting mechanism.
[0131] In the above, when the second lifting mechanism determines that there is a cargo box, and when there is a cargo box on each second conveying mechanism, the conveying link is executed. Similarly, when the first lifting mechanism determines that there is a cargo box, and when there is a cargo box on each first conveying mechanism, the conveying link is executed, which can realize the transfer of the cargo box more quickly and improve the efficiency of cargo box transfer.
[0132] The following is a detailed description of the configuration process of each mechanism in the cargo box transfer device for the scenario where the robot and the cargo box transfer device are docking for picking up boxes:
[0133] The external transport mechanism 125 is configured to transfer the external cargo box to the second lifting mechanism. Here, the external cargo box includes a cargo box provided by other devices, and the cargo box may contain cargo, or may be an empty cargo box. The design may be made according to the specific application scenario for whether there is cargo in the cargo box, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not specifically limit it.
[0134] The second lifting mechanism 124 is configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo box provided by the external conveying mechanism. Here, multiple layers of second conveying mechanisms can be set to move synchronously. Since multiple layers of second conveying mechanisms move synchronously, the second conveying mechanism can be moved to the fourth cargo box docking position multiple times to obtain multiple cargo boxes.
[0135] The first lifting mechanism 123 is configured to move the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to the third cargo box docking position to obtain multiple cargo boxes provided by the second lifting mechanism. Move the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to the second cargo box docking position to transfer multiple cargo boxes to cargo box conveying mechanisms on different layers. Generally, the number of layers of the multi-layer first conveying mechanism is greater than or equal to the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism, so the multi-layer first conveying mechanism can obtain all cargo boxes in the second lifting mechanism at the third cargo box docking position. Here, the number of layers of the cargo box conveying mechanism is greater than the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism, so the first lifting mechanism can transfer all temporarily stored cargo boxes to cargo box conveying mechanisms on different layers.
[0136] The cargo box conveying mechanism 122 is configured to transfer the cargo box provided by the first lifting mechanism to a preset area.
[0137] The cargo box transfer mechanism 121 is configured to lift all cargo boxes at a preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism and transfer them to temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot.
[0138] The robot 11 is configured to move to the first cargo box docking position to receive the cargo box after the cargo box transfer mechanism lifts all cargo boxes at the preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism.
[0139] Since the various mechanisms used by the cargo box transfer device in the above-mentioned scenario of box picking and docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device are the same as the various mechanisms used by the cargo box transfer device in the scenario of box placing and docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device, only the movement processes of each mechanism are reversed, the specific details of the above-mentioned scenario of box picking and docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device can also be referred to the above-mentioned scenario of box placing and docking between the robot and the cargo box transfer device, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.
[0140] The following is a detailed description of the specific structure and movement process of each mechanism in the cargo box transfer device:
[0141] For the cargo box transfer mechanism 121, see Figure 5 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cargo box transfer mechanism. The cargo box transfer mechanism 121 includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms 1211, a first drive unit 1212 and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit 1212 is connected to the guide rail assembly; and the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms 1211 are slidably assembled on the guide rail assembly through a support frame 1213.
[0142] It should be noted that the temporary storage mechanism 113 may be a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism 1211 may be a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 may be a comb-shaped mechanism, that is, the conveying mechanism 1221 on the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 (see Figure 7The comb-like mechanism includes comb teeth; the projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism 113 and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism 1211 on the horizontal plane do not overlap; the projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism 1211 and the comb teeth of the conveying track 1221 on the horizontal plane do not overlap. Each layer of the temporary storage mechanism 113 corresponds to a lifting fork mechanism 1211. Each lifting fork mechanism 1211 corresponds to a layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism 122.
[0143] For example, the teeth of the conveying track can be several rollers. When the lifting fork mechanism is used to transfer the cargo box, the teeth of the lifting fork mechanism can pass through the gaps between the rollers of the conveying track of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding layer, and can also pass through the gaps between the teeth of the temporary storage mechanism at the corresponding layer of the lifting fork mechanism. Specifically, the positional relationship between the temporary storage mechanism 113, the lifting fork mechanism 1211 and the conveying track 1221 can be seen in Figure 6 As shown, it is a process structure diagram of transferring the cargo box from the robot to the lifting fork mechanism, wherein a indicates that the lifting fork mechanism 1211 is in the initial position, b indicates that the lifting fork mechanism leaves the gap of the conveying track 1221 and passes through the gap between the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism 113, and c indicates that the lifting fork mechanism 1211 lifts the cargo box.
[0144] Exemplarily, taking the movement process of the robot placing a box as an example, the first driving unit 1212 can be used to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate in a preset direction (such as clockwise or counterclockwise). The rotation of the guide rail assembly in the preset direction can drive the lifting fork mechanism 1211 to move in the vertical direction to the position of the cargo box. At this time, since the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism 1211 can pass through the gaps between several rollers of the conveying track 1221, and can also pass through the gaps between the comb teeth of the corresponding layer of the temporary storage mechanism 113 of the lifting fork mechanism 1211, the cargo box can be lifted from the temporary storage mechanism 113. After the robot 11 exits the first cargo box docking position, the first driving unit 1212 is used to reversely drive the guide rail assembly to rotate in the preset reverse direction. The rotation of the guide rail assembly in the preset reverse direction can drive the lifting fork mechanism 1211 to move in the vertical direction to the initial position, so that all cargo boxes on the robot can be transferred to different layers of cargo box conveying mechanisms 122.
[0145] For the cargo box conveying mechanism 122, see Figure 7 As shown, it is a structural diagram of a cargo box conveying mechanism, wherein the cargo box conveying mechanism 122 includes a conveying mechanism 1221 for temporarily storing and transferring cargo boxes. For example, the conveying mechanism 1221 includes a plurality of rollers. When realizing the function of transferring cargo boxes, the rollers can be driven to rotate by a motor to transfer the cargo boxes.
[0146] In addition, the conveying mechanism 1221 can temporarily store cargo boxes in a docking area or a preset area. Here, the docking area can be an area on the conveying mechanism near the cargo box entrance of the first lifting mechanism. Exemplarily, the cargo box conveying mechanism can also include at least one limit block. Each limit block corresponds to a sensor; each layer of the conveying mechanism 1221 can be provided with at least one limit block to limit the position of the cargo box, for example, the cargo box can be limited to the preset area, or the cargo box can be limited to the docking area.
[0147] Specifically, the conveying mechanism 1221 is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb-shaped mechanism includes comb teeth. In the case where the comb teeth of the conveying mechanism 1221 are a plurality of rollers, the limit block can be arranged between the gaps of the comb teeth of the conveying mechanism 1221.
[0148] Here, the length of the conveying mechanism 1221 is adjustable. Specifically, the length of the multi-layer conveying mechanism 1221 can be adjusted according to the specific application scenario to set multiple preset areas in parallel, that is, it can simultaneously achieve docking with the cargo boxes of multiple robots.
[0149] The limit block can be configured to limit the cargo box to the docking area corresponding to the limit block on the conveying mechanism 1221. Here, the height of the second initial position of the limit block is lower than the height of the comb teeth of the conveying mechanism 1221 of the corresponding layer away from the surface for placing the cargo box. The second initial position of the limit block is set in this way. When the limit block is in the second initial position, it does not affect the movement of the cargo box on the conveying mechanism 1221 of the corresponding layer of the limit block. When the limit block moves upward and leaves the second initial position, it can limit the cargo box to the docking area. After the first conveying mechanism corresponding to the conveying mechanism 1221 moves to the second cargo box docking position, the limit block moves back to the second initial position, and then the conveying mechanism 1221 can transfer the cargo box in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism. Alternatively, a movable limit baffle can be set on the first lifting mechanism to block the cargo box that has been transported to the docking area when the first conveying mechanism has not yet moved to the second cargo box docking position.
[0150] Illustratively, in the scenario where the robot picks up boxes, the process of the conveying mechanism 1221 conveying the cargo box can be that a motor drives a multi-V belt to drive multiple rollers to rotate, and the cargo box that has been placed on the surface of the roller is transferred along the conveying direction. At this time, after the sensor detects that the cargo box has arrived at the preset area, the conveying mechanism 1221 is controlled to stop rotating, and the limit block is controlled to rise to a preset height, so that the cargo box conveyed by the cargo box conveying mechanism is confined to the preset area, waiting for the transfer of the cargo box transfer mechanism.
[0151] For the first lifting mechanism 123, see Figure 8As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first lifting mechanism, wherein the first lifting mechanism 123 further includes a second driving unit 1232 and a driving assembly 1233; the second driving unit 1232 is connected to the driving assembly 1233; and the multi-layer first conveying mechanism 1231 is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly 1233. Taking the robot box placement scenario as an example, the configuration process of each component is as follows:
[0152] The first conveying mechanism 1231 is configured to transfer the temporarily stored cargo boxes to the second lifting mechanism.
[0153] The second driving unit 1232 is configured to drive the driving assembly to rotate.
[0154] The driving assembly 1233 is configured to drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in the vertical direction under the drive of the second driving unit, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
[0155] Based on the above robot box placement scenario, the configuration and movement of each component of the first lifting mechanism, the robot box retrieval scenario, the configuration and movement of each component of the first lifting mechanism can be determined. Specifically, the first conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the temporarily stored cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism; the second driving unit is configured to drive the driving component to rotate; the driving component is configured to drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in the vertical direction under the drive of the second driving unit, so as to transfer multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to cargo box conveying mechanisms on different layers.
[0156] Exemplarily, the driving assembly includes, for example, a motor, a plurality of synchronous belts (or a gear rack, a sprocket chain, a ball screw, etc.).
[0157] For the specific structure of the second lifting mechanism 124, please refer to Figure 8 The specific structural diagram of the first lifting mechanism is shown, and the repeated parts are not repeated. The internal components in the first lifting mechanism are the same as the internal components in the second lifting mechanism, and the driving method is the same. It is just that the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism in the first lifting mechanism may be different from the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism in the second lifting mechanism, and the height of the first conveying mechanism moving may be different from the height of the second conveying mechanism moving.
[0158] For the external conveying mechanism 125, its components for transferring cargo boxes may be a plurality of rollers, and its driving mode may refer to the specific mode of transferring cargo boxes of the conveying mechanism 1221 in the cargo box conveying mechanism. The repeated parts will not be repeated.
[0159] With respect to the cargo box transfer device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, its execution body is a controller inside the cargo box transfer device, and the controller controls the movement of each mechanism to realize the transfer of the cargo box.
[0160] In one possible embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes a controller, which can control the cargo box transfer device to realize the transfer of the cargo box, including realizing the scenario of transferring the cargo box from the robot to the external conveying mechanism, or realizing the scenario of transferring the cargo box from the external conveying mechanism to the robot.
[0161] In one embodiment, for the scenario of transferring cargo boxes from a robot to an external conveying mechanism, the controller can be configured to, in response to a first cargo box transfer instruction, control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all cargo boxes on different layers of temporary storage mechanisms of the robot and transfer them to preset areas on different layers of cargo box conveying mechanisms; when it is determined that there are cargo boxes in the preset area, control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position; after determining that the multi-layer first conveying mechanism moves to the second cargo box docking position, control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism corresponding to the second cargo box docking position to transfer multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored in the docking area to different layers of the first conveying mechanism that is already located at the second cargo box docking position; when it is determined that there are cargo boxes on each layer of the first conveying mechanism, control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to different layers of the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism; control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively.
[0162] With regard to transferring multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism on different layers of the second lifting mechanism, there may be different situations as follows: when the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism is equal to the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism, all cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer first conveying mechanism may be directly transferred to the second conveying mechanism on different layers. When the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism is greater than the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism, the controller may first control part of the layers of the first conveying mechanism that have the same number of layers as the second conveying mechanism, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism on these parts of the layers to the second conveying mechanism on different layers. After the second conveying mechanism transfers the cargo boxes temporarily stored thereon to the external conveying mechanism, the position of the multi-layer second conveying mechanism may be determined, and the first conveying mechanism may be controlled to move to the third cargo box docking position that can dock with the current second conveying mechanism, and the cargo boxes may be transferred to the second conveying mechanism again, and the above process may be repeated until the cargo boxes on all layers of the first conveying mechanism are transferred out.
[0163] Here, the first cargo box transfer instruction may be a cargo box transfer instruction sent to the controller when the robot reaches the first cargo box docking position; or, it may be a cargo box transfer instruction sent to the controller when the sensor component detects that the robot is at the first cargo box docking position; or, it may be a cargo box transfer instruction sent by the cloud server to the controller. The first cargo box transfer instruction may also select a suitable sending subject according to the specific application scenario, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art may make various substitutions and modifications to the sending subject of the first cargo box transfer instruction, and these substitutions and modifications should all fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0164] Here, the sensor component may be a sensor installed at the first cargo box docking position, and the sensor component is used to detect whether there is a robot at the first cargo box docking position. The sensor component may be different types of signal transmission components such as a camera or a photoelectric sensor.
[0165] In another embodiment, for the scenario of transferring a cargo box from an external conveying mechanism to a robot, the controller can be configured to, in response to a second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position; when it is determined that there is a cargo box on the second conveying mechanism, control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism on different layers that is already located at the third cargo box docking position; when it is determined that there is a cargo box on the multi-layer first conveying mechanism, control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes to cargo box conveying mechanisms on different layers; when it is determined that there is a cargo box on the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism, control the above-mentioned multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes to preset areas of cargo box conveying mechanisms on different layers respectively; when it is determined that there is a cargo box at the preset area, control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all cargo boxes that are already located in the preset area, and transfer them to temporary storage mechanisms on different layers of the robot.
[0166] For example, in the case where there is only one external conveying mechanism, since there are multiple layers of second conveying mechanisms, the external conveying mechanism only transfers one cargo box at a time when transferring cargo boxes to the second conveying mechanism. Therefore, the controller will respond to multiple second cargo box transfer instructions and move the second conveying mechanism until each layer of the second conveying mechanism is temporarily storing cargo boxes transported by the external conveying mechanism.
[0167] Exemplarily, when the number of layers of the second conveying mechanism is less than or equal to the number of layers of the first conveying mechanism, multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on all layers of the second conveying mechanism can be transferred to first conveying mechanisms on different layers at one time.
[0168] Exemplarily, since the number of layers of the first conveying mechanisms of the first lifting mechanism is less than the number of layers of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism, the first lifting mechanism needs to transfer the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism in batches. In order to meet the robot's need to carry enough cargo boxes at one time and maximize the use of the robot's carrying capacity, the cargo box conveying mechanism transfers the cargo box to the preset area, and detects in real time whether there are cargo boxes at the preset area of all layers of cargo box conveying mechanisms. If there are cargo boxes, the controller can be used to control the cargo box transfer mechanism to transfer all cargo boxes at the preset area to the robot, so that the robot can carry all cargo boxes at one time. Specifically, the lifting fork mechanism on the cargo box transfer mechanism moves synchronously, that is, it can lift the cargo boxes on all layers of cargo box conveying mechanisms at one time. If there are cargo boxes at the preset area of each layer of cargo box conveying mechanism, the cargo box transfer mechanism can be controlled to lift the cargo boxes temporarily stored on each layer. After the robot moves to the first cargo box docking position, all cargo boxes are placed on the temporary storage mechanisms of different layers of the robot. Alternatively, if there is a need in the application scenario, the cargo boxes transferred to the preset area can also be directly transferred to the robot temporary storage mechanism, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0169] Based on the concept of the above system, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a cargo box transfer device, which can be considered to include the cargo box transfer device 12 in the above embodiment. The structure of the cargo box transfer device can be seen in Figure 2 The repeated parts are not repeated here.
[0170] Based on the concept of the above system, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a robot, which can be considered to include the robot in the above embodiment. The structure of the robot can refer to the structure of the above robot 11, and the work tasks performed by the robot can refer to the tasks performed by the above robot 11. The repeated parts will not be repeated here.
[0171] Based on the cargo box transfer device in the above cargo box transfer system, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a cargo box transfer method, the execution subject of which is the controller of the cargo box transfer device.
[0172] The robot is provided with a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism, which is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device includes an external conveying mechanism;
[0173] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot are acquired, and all the cargo boxes are transferred in batches to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or,
[0174] In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism are transferred to temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot.
[0175] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one first lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer first conveying mechanism, and the first conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and conveying the cargo box;
[0176] The step of transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0177] Transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the first conveying mechanism at different levels of the first lifting mechanism, wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes;
[0178] Transferring a plurality of containers on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0179] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device further includes at least one second lifting mechanism; the second lifting mechanism includes a multi-layer second conveying mechanism, and the second conveying mechanism is used for temporarily storing and conveying the cargo box;
[0180] The method of transferring the plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0181] Transferring a plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the second conveying mechanism at different levels of the second lifting mechanism;
[0182] Transferring a plurality of containers on the second conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
[0183] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer device includes at least one first cargo box transfer mechanism and a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism;
[0184] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, acquiring all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, and transferring all cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism, comprises:
[0185] In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, the cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanism at different layers of the robot and transfer them to a preset area on the cargo box conveying mechanism at different layers;
[0186] Controlling the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area;
[0187] Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the second cargo box docking position; the second cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism are docking the cargo box;
[0188] Controlling the multiple layers of the cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism of different layers that are already located at the docking position of the second cargo box;
[0189] Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism of different layers of the second lifting mechanism; the third cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo box;
[0190] Control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively; the fourth cargo box docking position is the position of the second conveying mechanism when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
[0191] In an optional embodiment, in response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, transferring multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to different layers of temporary storage mechanisms of the robot includes:
[0192] In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position;
[0193] Control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism of a different layer that is already located at the third cargo box docking position;
[0194] Control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers;
[0195] Controlling the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the multiple layers to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the preset areas of the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the different layers respectively;
[0196] The cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes already located in the preset area and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot.
[0197] In an optional embodiment, the direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position.
[0198] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms; the temporary storage mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb-shaped mechanism includes comb teeth;
[0199] The projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap;
[0200] The projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism and the comb teeth of the cargo box conveying mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap.
[0201] In an optional embodiment, each layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0202] The lifting fork mechanism is configured to move to the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism after lifting all the cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, so as to transfer all the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; wherein the height of the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism is lower than the height of the surface of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding level for placing cargo boxes.
[0203] In an optional embodiment, the cargo box transfer mechanism further includes a first drive unit and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit is connected to the guide rail assembly; the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms are slidably mounted on the guide rail assembly; each layer of the temporary storage mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism;
[0204] The step of lifting all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot comprises:
[0205] The first driving unit is controlled to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate, and drive the lifting fork mechanism to move in the vertical direction to lift the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism at the corresponding layer.
[0206] In an optional embodiment, the first lifting mechanism further includes a second driving unit and a driving assembly; the second driving unit is connected to the driving assembly; and the multi-layer first conveying mechanism is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly;
[0207] The step of transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism comprises:
[0208] The second driving unit is controlled to drive the driving assembly to rotate, and drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in a vertical direction, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
[0209] The above descriptions are only preferred specific implementation methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure. These specific implementation methods are all different implementation methods based on the overall concept of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the protection scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by any technician familiar with the technical field within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure should be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A cargo box transfer system, characterized in that: The system comprises at least one robot and at least one cargo box transfer device; the robot comprises a robot body, a gantry and a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism; the gantry is mounted on the robot body; the multi-layer temporary storage mechanism is mounted on one side of the gantry; the temporary storage mechanism is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device comprises an external conveying mechanism, at least one first lifting mechanism and at least one second lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism comprises a multi-layer first conveying mechanism, and the first conveying mechanism is used to temporarily store and transfer cargo boxes; the second lifting mechanism comprises a multi-layer second conveying mechanism, and the second conveying mechanism is used to temporarily store and transfer cargo boxes; The robot is configured to move to a first cargo box docking position, where the first cargo box docking position is the position where the robot is located when docking with the cargo box transfer device; The cargo box transfer device is configured to obtain all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot that are moved to the first cargo box docking position, and transfer all cargo boxes in batches to the first conveying mechanisms at different levels of the first lifting mechanism; transfer multiple cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanisms at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or transfer multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot; The first lifting mechanism is configured to transfer a plurality of cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanism at different levels to the second conveying mechanism at different levels of the second lifting mechanism; The second lifting mechanism is configured to transfer multiple cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanism at different levels to the same external conveying mechanism.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The cargo box transfer device includes at least one cargo box transfer mechanism and a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism; The cargo box transfer mechanism is configured to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot and transfer them to preset areas on the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; The cargo box conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the cargo box from a preset area to the first conveying mechanism of the first lifting mechanism; The first lifting mechanism is configured to move the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to the second cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo boxes provided by the cargo box conveying mechanisms of different layers; move the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to the third cargo box docking position to transfer multiple cargo boxes to the second conveying mechanism of the second lifting mechanism; the second cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism on each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism dock the cargo box; the third cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism on each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo box; The second lifting mechanism is configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes on each layer of the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively; the fourth cargo box docking position is the position of the second conveying mechanism when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The second lifting mechanism is further configured to move the second conveying mechanism to the fourth cargo box docking position to obtain the cargo box provided by the external conveying mechanism; The first lifting mechanism is further configured to move the multi-layered first conveying mechanism to the third cargo box docking position to obtain multiple cargo boxes provided by the second lifting mechanism; move the multi-layered first conveying mechanism to the second cargo box docking position to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism on different layers; The cargo box conveying mechanism is also configured to transfer the cargo box provided by the first lifting mechanism to the preset area; The cargo box transfer mechanism is also configured to lift all cargo boxes at a preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanism at different layers of the robot.
4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The robot is also configured to move to the first cargo box docking position to receive the cargo box after the cargo box transfer mechanism lifts all cargo boxes at the preset area of the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism.
5. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The cargo box transfer device also includes a controller; The controller is configured to, in response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different layers of the robot and transfer them to preset areas on the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different layers; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanisms to transfer multiple cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer multiple cargo boxes in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism at different layers that is already located at the second cargo box docking position; control the first conveying mechanism at different layers to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism at different layers of the second lifting mechanism; control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively.
6. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The cargo box transfer device also includes a controller; The controller is configured to, in response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism of different layers that is already located at the third cargo box docking position; control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers; control the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the preset areas of the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers respectively; control the cargo box transfer mechanism to lift all the cargo boxes that are already located in the preset area, and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanisms of different layers of the robot.
7. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position.
8. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The cargo box transfer mechanism includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms; the temporary storage mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb mechanism includes comb teeth; The projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap; The projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism and the comb teeth of the cargo box conveying mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap.
9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that Each layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism; The lifting fork mechanism is configured to move to the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism after lifting all the cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, so as to transfer all the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; wherein the height of the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism is lower than the height of the surface of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding level for placing cargo boxes.
10. The system according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that: The cargo box transfer mechanism further comprises a first drive unit and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit is connected to the guide rail assembly; the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms are slidably mounted on the guide rail assembly; each layer of the temporary storage mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism; The first driving unit is configured to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate; The guide rail assembly is configured to, under the drive of the first driving unit, drive the lifting fork mechanism to move in a vertical direction to lift the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism on the corresponding layer.
11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first lifting mechanism further comprises a second driving unit and a driving assembly; the second driving unit is connected to the driving assembly; the multi-layer first conveying mechanism is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly; The first conveying mechanism is configured to transfer the temporarily stored cargo box to the second lifting mechanism; The second driving unit is configured to drive the driving assembly to rotate; The driving assembly is configured to, under the drive of the second driving unit, drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in a vertical direction, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
12. A cargo box transfer device, characterized in that: A cargo box transfer device comprising the device described in any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. A robot, characterized in that: The robot comprises the robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
14. A cargo box transfer method, applied to the cargo box transfer device according to claim 12, characterized in that: include: The robot comprises a robot body, a gantry and a multi-layer temporary storage mechanism; the gantry is mounted on the robot body; the multi-layer temporary storage mechanism is mounted on one side of the gantry; the temporary storage mechanism is used to temporarily store cargo boxes; the cargo box transfer device comprises an external conveying mechanism, at least one first lifting mechanism and at least one second lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism comprises a multi-layer first conveying mechanism, and the first conveying mechanism is used to temporarily store and transfer cargo boxes; the second lifting mechanism comprises a multi-layer second conveying mechanism, and the second conveying mechanism is used to temporarily store and transfer cargo boxes; In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot are acquired, and all the cargo boxes are transferred in batches to the first conveying mechanisms at different levels of the first lifting mechanism; multiple cargo boxes on the first conveying mechanisms at different levels are transferred to the second conveying mechanisms at different levels of the second lifting mechanism; multiple cargo boxes on the second conveying mechanisms at different levels are transferred to the same external conveying mechanism; wherein the number of batch transfers is less than the number of all cargo boxes; or, In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, multiple cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism are transferred to temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot.
15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The cargo box transfer device includes at least one first cargo box transfer mechanism and a multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism; In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, acquiring all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, and transferring all cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism, comprises: In response to the first cargo box transfer instruction, the cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanism at different layers of the robot and transfer them to a preset area on the cargo box conveying mechanism at different layers; Controlling the multi-layer cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes from the preset area to the docking area; Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the second cargo box docking position; the second cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the cargo box conveying mechanism are docking the cargo box; Controlling the multiple layers of the cargo box conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes in the docking area to the first conveying mechanism of different layers that are already located at the docking position of the second cargo box; Control the first conveying mechanism of multiple layers to move to the third cargo box docking position, and transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second conveying mechanism of different layers of the second lifting mechanism; the third cargo box docking position is the position of the first conveying mechanism of each layer when the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism dock the cargo box; Control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the second conveying mechanism to the external conveying mechanism respectively; the fourth cargo box docking position is the position of the second conveying mechanism when the second lifting mechanism docks the cargo box with the external conveying mechanism.
16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method of transferring the plurality of cargo boxes on the same external conveying mechanism to the temporary storage mechanisms on different levels of the robot in response to the second cargo box transfer instruction comprises: In response to the second cargo box transfer instruction, control the second conveying mechanism to move to the fourth cargo box docking position, and control the external conveying mechanism to transfer the cargo box to the second conveying mechanism that is already located at the fourth cargo box docking position; Control the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move to the third cargo box docking position, and control the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to transfer the multiple cargo boxes temporarily stored on the multi-layer second conveying mechanism to the first conveying mechanism of a different layer that is already located at the third cargo box docking position; Control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to move to the second cargo box docking position, and control the first conveying mechanism of the multi-layer to transfer the plurality of cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanism of different layers; Controlling the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the multiple layers to transfer the multiple cargo boxes to the preset areas of the cargo box conveying mechanisms of the different layers respectively; The cargo box transfer mechanism is controlled to lift all cargo boxes already located in the preset area and transfer them to the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot.
17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The direction in which the cargo box is transported by the cargo box conveying mechanism is perpendicular to the movement direction of the robot entering the first cargo box docking position.
18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The cargo box transfer mechanism includes a plurality of lifting fork mechanisms; the temporary storage mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the lifting fork mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the cargo box conveying mechanism is a comb-shaped mechanism; the comb mechanism includes comb teeth; The projections of the comb teeth of the temporary storage mechanism and the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap; The projections of the comb teeth of the lifting fork mechanism and the comb teeth of the cargo box conveying mechanism on the horizontal plane do not overlap.
19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that Each layer of the cargo box conveying mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism; The lifting fork mechanism is configured to move to the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism after lifting all the cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot, so as to transfer all the cargo boxes to the cargo box conveying mechanisms at different levels; wherein the height of the initial position of the lifting fork mechanism is lower than the height of the surface of the cargo box conveying mechanism at the corresponding level for placing cargo boxes.
20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The cargo box transfer mechanism further comprises a first drive unit and a guide rail assembly; the first drive unit is connected to the guide rail assembly; the plurality of lifting fork mechanisms are slidably mounted on the guide rail assembly; each layer of the temporary storage mechanism corresponds to one lifting fork mechanism; The step of lifting all cargo boxes on the temporary storage mechanisms at different levels of the robot comprises: The first driving unit is controlled to drive the guide rail assembly to rotate, and drive the lifting fork mechanism to move in the vertical direction to lift the cargo box on the temporary storage mechanism at the corresponding layer.
21. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The first lifting mechanism further includes a second driving unit and a driving assembly; the second driving unit is connected to the driving assembly; The multi-layer first conveying mechanism is fixedly assembled on the driving assembly; The step of transferring all the cargo boxes in batches to the same external conveying mechanism comprises: The second driving unit is controlled to drive the driving assembly to rotate, and drive the multi-layer first conveying mechanism to move in a vertical direction, so as to transfer the cargo boxes temporarily stored on the first conveying mechanism to the second lifting mechanism.
Citation Information
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