Object processing equipment and object processing method

Abstract

The present application provides an object handling device and an object handling method, which relate to the field of logistics technology. The object handling device of the present application and the object handling method applied to the object handling device can set the value of the first speed to be less than the value of the second speed when the first target conveying component is about to output the object to the second target conveying component, so as to generate a speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component. In this way, when overlapping objects are being transported from the first target conveying component to the second target conveying component, the speed difference between the two conveying components will cause relative movement between the two overlapping objects, causing the overlapping objects to be separated. Therefore, the reliability of the object handling device in separating packages is improved, and the problem of poor object separation effect of the object handling device in the related art is alleviated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to an object handling device and an object handling method. Background Art

[0002] At present, in the domestic logistics industry, with the surge in the daily sorting volume, more and more logistics companies are deploying automatic sorting systems in sorting sites, using automatic sorting systems to replace traditional labor-intensive methods for sorting objects, greatly improving the sorting efficiency of objects and reducing the labor costs of logistics companies.

[0003] The automatic sorting system of the related art includes a sorting device and a packaging device arranged upstream of the sorting device. The packaging device receives the accumulated objects and separates the accumulated objects, and finally allows multiple objects to be sequentially conveyed to the sorting device at a spacing that meets the set requirements. The sorting device sorts the objects according to a preset sorting strategy so that multiple objects that meet the same requirements (for example, have the same destination) are collected into the same storage container. The packaging device of the related art includes an object processing device for separating objects that overlap in the vertical direction. The object processing device includes a climbing belt. The climbing belt has an inclined conveying surface, and the end of the conveying surface is higher than the head end of the conveying surface. There is a large friction coefficient between the conveying surface of the climbing belt and the objects, and the friction coefficient is much greater than the friction coefficient between the objects. After the objects that overlap in the vertical direction reach the climbing belt, the lower object continues to be conveyed forward under the action of the friction between the belt and the lower object, and the upper object slides off the lower object under the action of gravity, thereby achieving object separation.

[0004] However, the inventors have discovered that, in the object handling equipment in the related art, there is a situation where overlapping objects cannot be separated after being conveyed by the climbing belt. Therefore, the object handling equipment in the related art is less effective in separating objects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present application includes providing an object processing device and an object processing method, which can improve the effect of separating objects by the object processing device in the related art.

[0006] The embodiments of the present application can be implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides an object handling device, comprising a control device and a conveying mechanism for conveying objects, the conveying mechanism comprising a plurality of conveying assemblies arranged along an object conveying direction, each conveying assembly having a conveying surface for carrying and conveying objects, the conveying surface extending obliquely upward, each conveying assembly being electrically connected to the control device, and the control device being configured to:

[0008] Determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, wherein the first target conveying assembly is upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly along the object conveying direction;

[0009] When it is determined that the first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a value smaller than the second speed, wherein the first speed is the conveying speed of the first target conveying component and the second speed is the conveying speed of the second target conveying component.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the conveying surface of each conveying assembly includes a first area for receiving objects and a second area for outputting objects, and the control device is specifically configured to:

[0011] determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0012] When it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the control device is further configured to:

[0014] If it is determined that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0015] When it is determined that there is an object in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, the value of the first speed is set to be equal to the value of the second speed.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the control device is further configured to:

[0017] If there is no object in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0018] When it is determined that there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to be greater than or equal to the value of the second speed.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the plurality of conveyor assemblies include a first type of conveyor assembly, the height of the end of the conveying surface of the first type of conveyor assembly is higher than the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the next conveyor assembly adjacent to it along the object conveying direction, and the control device is specifically configured to:

[0020] In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is a conveying assembly of the first type;

[0021] If it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is a first type of conveying assembly, determining whether there are risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying assembly that may overlap with the objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0022] If it is determined that there are risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the first value. If it is determined that there are no risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the second value. When the value of the first speed is the first value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is the first difference. When the value of the first speed is the second value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is the second difference, wherein the first difference is greater than the second difference.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the plurality of conveyor assemblies further include a second type of conveyor assembly, wherein a conveying surface of the second type of conveyor assembly and a conveying surface of a next adjacent conveyor assembly are coplanar, and a height of a leading end of the conveying surface of the second type of conveyor assembly is lower than a height of a trailing end of the conveying surface of a previous adjacent conveyor assembly along the object conveying direction, and the control device is further configured to:

[0024] In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is a conveying assembly of the second type;

[0025] When it is determined that the first target conveying component is a conveying component of the second type, the value of the first speed is set to a third value. When the value of the first speed is the third value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a third difference, wherein the third difference is greater than the second difference.

[0026] In an optional embodiment, the control device is further configured to:

[0027] determining whether there is an object on the first target conveying component;

[0028] When it is determined that there is no object on the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the maximum value of the first speed.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the object handling device includes a visual monitoring device disposed above the conveying mechanism, the visual monitoring device including at least one camera, the visual monitoring device being electrically connected to the control device, and the control device being further configured to:

[0030] Acquiring an image on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism through a visual monitoring device;

[0031] The position and state of the objects on the conveying surface are determined based on the acquired images, wherein the state of the objects includes whether the objects overlap or not.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, the object processing equipment further includes a buffer table and a package supply table. Along the object conveying direction, the buffer table is located upstream of the conveying mechanism, and the package supply table is located downstream of the conveying mechanism.

[0033] In a second aspect, the present application provides an object handling method, which is applied to an object handling device. The object handling device includes a conveying mechanism for conveying objects. The conveying mechanism includes a plurality of conveying components arranged along an object conveying direction. Each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying and conveying objects, and the conveying surface extends obliquely upward. The object handling method includes:

[0034] Determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, wherein the first target conveying assembly is upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly along the object conveying direction;

[0035] When it is determined that the first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a value smaller than the second speed, wherein the first speed is the conveying speed of the first target conveying component and the second speed is the conveying speed of the second target conveying component.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, the conveying surface of each conveying assembly includes a first area for receiving objects and a second area for outputting objects, and the step of determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly includes:

[0037] determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0038] When it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly.

[0039] In an optional embodiment, the object processing method further includes:

[0040] If it is determined that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0041] When it is determined that there is an object in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, the value of the first speed is set to be equal to the value of the second speed.

[0042] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application include, for example:

[0043] The object processing device of the embodiment of the present application and the object processing method applied to the object processing device can set the value of the first speed to be less than the value of the second speed when the first target conveying component is about to output an object to the second target conveying component, so that a speed difference is generated between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component. In this way, when the overlapping objects are in the process of detaching from the first target conveying component and / or reaching the second target conveying component, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component will cause a speed difference to be generated between the two overlapping objects, and / or cause the upper object to move relative to the lower object (the movement can be rolling forward, sliding forward, sliding backward, etc.), thereby causing the overlapping objects to be separated. Therefore, the object processing device and object processing method provided by the embodiment of the present application improve the reliability of the object processing device in separating packages, and alleviate the problem of poor effect of the object processing device in separating objects in the related art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an object processing device in an embodiment of the present application at a first viewing angle;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an object processing device in an embodiment of the present application at a second viewing angle;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the composition of an object processing device in one embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first conveying assembly in one embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of an object processing method in one embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of determining whether a first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to a second target conveying component in one embodiment of the present application.

[0051] Icons: 100-object handling equipment; 110-conveyor mechanism; 111-first conveyor assembly; 112-second conveyor assembly; 113-third conveyor assembly; 114-fourth conveyor assembly; 115-fifth conveyor assembly; 116-baffle; 120-visual monitoring device; 121-camera; 122-bracket; 130-control device; 140-buffer table; 141-guide plate; 150-package supply table; 160-sorting mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The objects handled in the logistics field may have different packaging. The different surface materials of the object packaging will lead to different friction coefficients between objects and between objects and conveying equipment. Even if a fixed packaging material is used, its surface friction coefficient may change with the environmental conditions. For example, different relative humidity may cause fluctuations in the friction coefficient. When using object handling equipment to separate overlapping objects, there may be a situation where the friction coefficient between the two overlapping objects is large. In this case, the inclination angle of the climbing belt is not enough to allow the upper object to slide off the lower object. In other words, the overlapping objects cannot be separated smoothly, which affects the subsequent processing of the objects.

[0053] To improve the poor object separation performance of object handling equipment in related technologies, embodiments of the present application provide an object handling device and an object handling method. By adjusting the speed of the conveyor assembly, the conveying speed of the upstream conveyor assembly is made slower than that of the downstream conveyor assembly. This allows overlapping objects to separate due to the relative movement of the two conveyor assemblies during transport between adjacent conveyor assemblies. This improves the object separation performance.

[0054] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0055] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0056] 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, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0057] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or is the orientation or position relationship in which the invented product is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0058] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc., if used, are merely used to distinguish and describe, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an object processing device 100 in an embodiment of the present application at a first viewing angle;

[0061] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an object processing device 100 in an embodiment of the present application at a second viewing angle; Figure 3 This is a block diagram of the object processing device 100 in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 The object handling equipment 100 provided in this embodiment includes a conveying mechanism 110, a visual monitoring device 120, a control device 130, a buffer table 140, a packaging platform 150, and a sorting mechanism 160. Along the object conveying direction, the buffer table 140 is located upstream of the conveying mechanism 110, and the packaging platform 150 is located downstream of the conveying mechanism 110. The visual monitoring device 120 is disposed above the conveying mechanism 110 and is used to monitor the status of objects on the conveying mechanism 110. The buffer table 140 is used to temporarily store objects and convey objects to the conveying mechanism 110, and the packaging platform 150 is used to receive objects conveyed from the conveying mechanism 110. Optionally, in this embodiment, a guide plate 141 is further disposed upstream of the buffer table 140 to guide objects onto the buffer table 140. The sorting mechanism 160 is used to receive objects conveyed from the packaging platform 150 and sort the objects (e.g., by destination).

[0062] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the object can have various forms, such as packages, letters, etc.

[0063] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the conveying mechanism 110 of the embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of conveying components arranged along the object conveying direction, each conveying component has a conveying surface for carrying and conveying objects, and the conveying surface extends upward at an angle, so that the overall trend of the object conveying path is inclined upward.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present application, each conveyor assembly utilizes a belt and a motor to convey objects, with the conveying surface formed on the surface of the belt. Each conveyor assembly's conveying surface has a head end and a tail end. Along the direction of object conveyance, the head end is the end of the conveyor assembly's conveying surface closest to the upstream side, and the tail end is the end of the conveyor assembly's conveying surface closest to the downstream side.

[0065] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 110 includes five conveying assemblies, namely, along the object conveying direction, the first conveying assembly 111, the second conveying assembly 112, the third conveying assembly 113, the fourth conveying assembly 114, and the fifth conveying assembly 115. The multiple conveying assemblies include first-type conveying assemblies and second-type conveying assemblies. The conveying surface of the first-type conveying assembly is higher than the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the next adjacent conveying assembly along the object conveying direction; the conveying surface of the second-type conveying assembly is coplanar with the conveying surface of the next adjacent conveying assembly, and the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the second-type conveying assembly is lower than the height of the end of the conveying surface of the previous adjacent conveying assembly along the object conveying direction. In this embodiment, the first conveying assembly 111 and the third conveying assembly 113 are first-type conveying assemblies; the second conveying assembly 112 and the fourth conveying assembly 114 are second-type conveying assemblies.

[0066] There is a gap between the end of the first type of conveying component and the head end of the conveying component adjacent to its downstream side. A baffle 116 can be provided to block the gap to prevent objects from falling out of the conveying mechanism 110 through the gap.

[0067] Optionally, the conveying surfaces of all conveying components of the conveying mechanism 110 of the object handling device 100 have the same inclination angle. The conveying surface of the second-type conveying component and the conveying surface of the next adjacent conveying component are on the same plane, thereby ensuring that objects can be reliably conveyed from the conveying surface of one second-type conveying component to the conveying surface of the next conveying component.

[0068] The visual monitoring device 120 includes at least one camera 121, which can capture images of the conveying surface of the conveying component through the camera 121, and then obtain the position and status of the objects on the conveying mechanism 110. Specifically, in the present embodiment, two cameras 121 are mounted above the conveying mechanism 110 through a bracket 122, and the two cameras 121 can at least capture images of the conveying surface of each conveying component. It can be understood that in other optional embodiments of the present application, the visual monitoring device 120 may include one or more than three cameras 121 to selectively capture images of the conveying surface of a portion of the conveying components on the conveying mechanism 110, or to capture images of the conveying surfaces of all conveying components. Optionally, cameras can also be set at other positions of the object processing equipment 100 to obtain status information of objects at corresponding positions. For example, in the present embodiment, a camera is also set above the sorting mechanism 160.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, each conveying component and the visual monitoring device 120 are electrically connected to the control device 130. The control device 130 is configured to determine the position and status of objects on the conveying mechanism 110 based on the images captured by the visual monitoring device 120, and to control the conveying speed of each conveying component according to a program or instruction. Furthermore, the buffer table 140, the package supply table 150, and the sorting mechanism 160 are also electrically connected to the control device 130. In this embodiment, the control device 130 is configured as follows:

[0070] Determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, wherein the first target conveying assembly is upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly along the object conveying direction;

[0071] When it is determined that the first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a value smaller than the second speed, wherein the first speed is the conveying speed of the first target conveying component and the second speed is the conveying speed of the second target conveying component.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first conveyor assembly 111, the second conveyor assembly 112, the third conveyor assembly 113, and the fourth conveyor assembly 114 can all be monitored as first target conveyor assemblies, and the control device 130 determines whether any of the above first target conveyor assemblies has overlapping objects that are about to be output to the adjacent conveyor assembly on the downstream side. Accordingly, when the first conveyor assembly 111 is identified as the first target conveyor assembly, the second conveyor assembly 112 is the second target conveyor assembly; when the second conveyor assembly 112 is identified as the first target conveyor assembly, the third conveyor assembly 113 is the second target conveyor assembly... and so on. The second conveyor assembly 112, the third conveyor assembly 113, the fourth conveyor assembly 114, and the fifth conveyor assembly 115 can all be used as second target conveyor assemblies under the premise that the conveyor assembly adjacent to them on the upstream side is used as the first target conveyor assembly.

[0073] When it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output an object to the second target conveying assembly, it means that the overlapping objects have not been able to be separated on the first target conveying assembly, which is most likely due to the large coefficient of friction between the two overlapping objects. The object processing device 100 of the embodiment of the present application can set the value of the first speed to be less than the value of the second speed when the first target conveying assembly is about to output an object to the second target conveying assembly, so that a speed difference is generated between the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly. In this way, when the overlapping objects are in the process of disengaging from the first target conveying assembly and / or arriving at the second target conveying assembly, the speed difference between the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly will prompt the speed difference between the two overlapping objects, and / or, prompt the upper object to move relative to the object below (the movement can be rolling forward, sliding forward, sliding backward, etc.), thereby prompting the overlapping objects to be separated. For example, when an object falls from the end of the first conveying component 111 (as the first target conveying component) to the head end of the second conveying component 112 (as the second target conveying component), of the two overlapping objects, the object at the bottom will accelerate forward when it contacts the belt of the second conveying component 112, driven by the belt, while the object at the top may maintain its original forward speed due to inertia. At this time, the two overlapping objects will have a speed difference and thus separate. Therefore, the object processing device 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application improves the reliability of the object processing device 100 in separating packages, and alleviates the problem of poor object separation effect of the object processing device 100 in the related art.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present application, setting the first speed to be less than the second speed can be achieved by either reducing the first speed or increasing the second speed. Both methods can create a speed difference between two adjacent conveyor assemblies to achieve object separation. In this embodiment, the first speed is made less than the second speed by reducing the conveying speed of the first target conveyor assembly.

[0075] Specifically, in this embodiment, the conveying surface of each conveying assembly includes a first area for receiving objects and a second area for outputting objects. The process of conveying an object from the first target conveying assembly to the second target conveying assembly may include a process of detaching from the second area of the first target conveying assembly and arriving at the first area of the second target conveying assembly. The control device 130 is specifically configured to:

[0076] determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0077] When it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly.

[0078] Since the second zone of the conveyor assembly is a region for outputting objects, when there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveyor assembly, it can be considered that the first target conveyor assembly is unable to separate the two overlapping objects, and the first target conveyor assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveyor assembly. When there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveyor assembly, the value of the first speed is set to be less than the second speed value so that a speed difference is generated between the first target conveyor assembly and the second target conveyor assembly. In this way, when the overlapping objects are in the process of leaving the second zone of the first target conveyor assembly and / or arriving at the first zone of the second target conveyor assembly, the speed difference between the first target conveyor assembly and the second target conveyor assembly will prompt a speed difference to be generated between the two overlapping objects, and / or, prompt the upper package to move relative to the package below (the movement can be rolling forward, sliding forward, sliding backward, etc.), thereby prompting the overlapping objects to be separated.

[0079] Optionally, the first zone and the second zone of each conveying component can be pre-set areas on the conveying surface of the conveying component, the first zone is an area extending within x meters from the head end of the conveying surface of the conveying component along the object conveying direction, and the second zone is an area extending within y meters from the end of the conveying surface of the conveying component in the direction opposite to the object conveying direction. Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the first conveying component 111 in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 4As shown, taking the first conveying component 111 as an example, along the object conveying direction, the length of the conveying surface of the first conveying component 111 is 1 meter, the first zone of the first conveying component 111 (region L1 in the figure) is the area extending within 0.3 meters from the beginning of the conveying surface of the first conveying component 111 along the object conveying direction, and the second zone of the first conveying component 111 (region L2 in the figure) is the area extending within 0.3 meters from the end of the conveying surface of the conveying component in the direction opposite to the object conveying direction. In other embodiments, the division method of the first zone and the second zone can be different. For example, along the object conveying direction, the length of the conveying surface of the conveying component is 1 meter, the first zone of the conveying component is the front half of the conveying surface of the conveying component, that is, the area extending within 0.5 meters from the beginning of the conveying surface of the conveying component in the direction opposite to the object conveying direction, and the second zone of the conveying component is the back half of the conveying surface of the conveying component, that is, the area extending within 0.5 meters from the end of the conveying surface of the conveying component in the direction opposite to the object conveying direction.

[0080] In this embodiment, the control device 130 monitors the objects on the conveying surface of each conveying component based on the image captured by the camera 121 of the visual monitoring device 120, and determines whether there are objects in the first area and the second area of each conveying component and whether there are overlapping objects, etc.

[0081] In this embodiment, the control device 130 is specifically configured to:

[0082] In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is a conveying assembly of the first type;

[0083] If it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is a first type of conveying assembly, determining whether there are risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying assembly that may overlap with the objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0084] If it is determined that there are risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the first value. If it is determined that there are no risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the second value. When the value of the first speed is the first value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is the first difference. When the value of the first speed is the second value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is the second difference, wherein the first difference is greater than the second difference.

[0085] In other embodiments of the present application, a difference is generated between the second speed and the first speed by increasing the value of the second speed, and the difference between the second speed and the first speed when there are risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component is greater than the difference between the second speed and the first speed when there are no risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component.

[0086] Based on the images captured by the camera 121 of the visual monitoring device 120, the control device 130 determines whether there is an object located in the same position as an overlapping object on the first target conveyor assembly along the width direction of the conveying mechanism 110 within a set area (e.g., the first zone of the second target conveyor assembly) on the conveying surface of the second target conveyor assembly near the first target conveyor assembly. If so, the control device 130 determines that the object is a risk object that may overlap with the overlapping object in the second zone of the first target conveyor assembly. Optionally, the two objects being located in the same position along the width direction of the conveying mechanism 110 means that the difference in coordinates of the two objects along the width direction of the conveying mechanism is within a set range.

[0087] When the first target conveying assembly is a conveying assembly of the first type, since the height of the end of the conveying surface of the first target conveying assembly is higher than the height of the head end of the conveying surface of the second target conveying assembly located downstream thereof, when the overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly leave the second zone of the first target conveying assembly and reach the first zone of the second target conveying assembly, the leading edge of the lower object in the overlapping objects tilts forward and downward, and a sharp height difference is generated between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the object. This height difference will cause the two overlapping objects to roll forward together, or cause the upper object to roll or slide forward relative to the lower object. The two objects will most likely be completely separated, or even if the two still overlap, the area of the overlapping part will be smaller, that is, the two overlap in a mutually overlapping manner, for example, the leading edge of the upper object is located on the second target conveying assembly, and the trailing edge is located above the lower object, while the leading edge of the lower object is located on the second target conveying assembly, and the trailing edge is still located on the first target conveying assembly. It can be understood that when the first target conveying component is a first type of conveying component (such as the first conveying component 111 and the third conveying component 113), since there is a certain drop between the end of the first target conveying component and the beginning of the second target conveying component (such as the second conveying component 112 and the fourth conveying component 114), overlapping objects are relatively easy to separate during the process of being transported from the first target conveying component to the second target conveying component. On this basis, it is necessary to consider whether there are risky objects on the second target conveying component. When there are no risky objects on the second target conveying component, the objects transported from the first target conveying component are not likely to overlap with the objects on the second target conveying component. In this case, as long as the conveying speed of the second target conveying component is slightly faster than that of the first target conveying component, the two objects will be separated due to the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component. Therefore, when the first target conveying component is a first type of conveying component, if there are overlapping objects in the second area of the first target conveying component, when it is determined that there are no risk objects on the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed can be set to a value slightly smaller than the second speed, so that a smaller speed difference (i.e., the second difference) is generated between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component, thereby separating the overlapping objects without excessive loss of conveying efficiency.When it is determined that there are risky objects on the second target conveying assembly, when the overlapping objects on the first target conveying assembly roll or slide, the rolled or slid objects may fall on the risky objects and cause objects to overlap again. Therefore, in this case, the value of the first speed is set to be much smaller than the value of the second speed, so that a larger speed difference (i.e., the first difference) is generated between the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly, thereby quickly pulling the overlapping objects on the first target conveying assembly and the risky objects on the second target conveying assembly apart, ensuring that the risky objects on the first target conveying assembly are far away from the head end of the second target conveying assembly when the overlapping objects on the first target conveying assembly reach the second target conveying assembly, thereby ensuring that the objects conveyed from the first target conveying assembly will not overlap with the risky objects.

[0088] Optionally, when it is determined that there are no risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to 0.6-0.9 times the value of the second speed, that is, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component (that is, the second difference) is set to 0.1-0.4 times the value of the second speed; when it is determined that there are risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to 0-0.5 times the value of the second speed, that is, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component (that is, the first difference) is set to 0.5-1 times the value of the second speed. Optionally, when it is determined that there are risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the first speed is set to zero, that is, the first target conveying component pauses conveying objects to wait for the risky objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component to be sent away from the area where they are likely to overlap with the objects conveyed by the first target conveying component (such as away from the first area of the second target conveying component), thereby avoiding object overlap again and ensuring the reliability of object separation.

[0089] Furthermore, the control device 130 is further configured to:

[0090] In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is a conveying assembly of the second type;

[0091] When it is determined that the first target conveying component is a conveying component of the second type, the value of the first speed is set to a third value. When the value of the first speed is the third value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a third difference, wherein the third difference is greater than the second difference.

[0092] In other embodiments of the present application, a difference is generated between the second speed and the first speed by increasing the value of the second speed, and the difference between the second speed and the first speed when the first target conveying component is a second type of conveying component is greater than the difference between the second speed and the first speed when the first target conveying component is a first type of conveying component and there are no risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component.

[0093] In this embodiment, when the first target conveying assembly is a second type of conveying assembly, since the conveying surface of the first target conveying assembly and the conveying surface of the adjacent second target conveying assembly are on the same plane, when the overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly leave the second zone of the first target conveying assembly and reach the first zone of the second target conveying assembly, if there is a large speed difference between the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly, in this case, the speed of the lower object is sharply increased, and the upper object slides backward relative to the lower object under the action of gravity and inertia, and the overlapping conveyed objects will be separated. Therefore, in this embodiment of the present application, when the first target conveying assembly is a second type of conveying assembly, if it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, the value of the first speed is set to a value much smaller than the value of the second speed, so that a large speed difference (i.e., the third difference) is generated between the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly to promote the separation of the overlapping conveyed objects. Optionally, in the above case, the value of the first speed is set to 0.1-0.5 times the value of the second speed, that is, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component (that is, the third difference) is 0.5-0.9 times the value of the second speed.

[0094] In an embodiment of the present application, the conveying mechanism 110 of the object processing device 100 includes a first type of conveying component and a second type of conveying component. The two types of conveying components adopt different speed control methods, so that the object processing device 100 can separate overlapping objects in different ways, further improving the reliability of the object processing device 100 in separating objects.

[0095] Furthermore, the control device 130 is also configured to: when it is determined that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying component, determine whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying component; when it is determined that there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying component, set the value of the first speed to be equal to the value of the second speed.

[0096] When there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly but no overlapping objects, there is no need to use the speed difference to separate the overlapping objects. By setting the value of the first speed to be equal to the value of the second speed, the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly convey the objects synchronously. Therefore, in the process of adjacent objects successively leaving the second zone of the first target conveying assembly and arriving at the first zone of the second target conveying assembly, the distance between adjacent objects will not change, thereby avoiding the objects from overlapping again while ensuring the conveying efficiency.

[0097] Furthermore, the control device 130 is further configured to:

[0098] If there is no object in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0099] When it is determined that there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to be greater than or equal to the value of the second speed.

[0100] In this embodiment, when there are no objects in the second zone of the first destination conveyor assembly and there are objects in the first zone of the first destination conveyor assembly, the first speed is set to a value greater than or equal to the second speed, thereby quickly conveying the objects on the first destination conveyor assembly to the second zone of the first destination conveyor assembly, thereby improving the efficiency of object conveyance. Optionally, when there are no objects in the second zone of the first destination conveyor assembly and there are objects in the first zone of the first destination conveyor assembly, the first speed is set to 1-3 times the value of the second speed.

[0101] As described above, when there are no objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, the first target conveying assembly conveys the objects at a higher speed when the objects are located in the first zone of the first target conveying assembly, and reduces the conveying speed of the first target conveying assembly when the objects reach the second zone of the first target conveying assembly. In this way, while maximizing the conveying efficiency, the objects can also be vibrated by accelerating and decelerating the first target conveying assembly, thereby separating the overlapping objects to a certain extent and improving the object separation effect.

[0102] Furthermore, the control device 130 is further configured to:

[0103] When there is no object on the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the maximum value of the first speed.

[0104] Optionally, the maximum value of the first speed is pre-stored in the memory of the object processing device 100. When there are no objects on the first target conveying component (for example, the conveying surface of the first target conveying component is composed of a first zone and a second zone, and there are no packages in the first zone and the second zone), by setting the value of the first speed to the maximum value of the first speed, when an object reaches the head end of the conveying surface of the first target conveying component, the first target conveying component can quickly send the object away from the head end of its conveying surface, thereby improving the object conveying efficiency. For each conveying component of the conveying mechanism 110, when there are no objects on the conveying surface of the conveying component, the speed of the conveying component is set to a preset maximum value, thereby ensuring that the object can be quickly conveyed when an object arrives, thereby improving the object conveying efficiency. Optionally, all conveying components of the conveying mechanism 110 have the same maximum value of the conveying speed.

[0105] In this embodiment, the control device 130 is further configured to:

[0106] An image on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 110 is acquired through the visual monitoring device 120; the position and state of the objects on the conveying surface are determined based on the acquired image, wherein the state of the objects includes whether the objects overlap or not.

[0107] In this embodiment, the control device 130 can determine whether there are objects on each conveying component (e.g., the first zone and / or the second zone), whether there are overlapping objects if there are objects, and the specific locations of the overlapping objects if there are overlapping objects, based on the acquired positions and states of the objects on the conveying surfaces of each conveying component. Because the object handling equipment 100 is provided with the visual monitoring device 120, the control device 130 of the object handling equipment 100 can monitor the position and state of objects on each conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 110 in real time and in all directions, thereby improving the accuracy of object position and state detection.

[0108] During operation of the object handling equipment 100 of the embodiment of the present application, the buffer table 140 receives accumulated objects and conveys them to the conveyor mechanism 110. The packaging station 150 receives objects delivered by the conveyor mechanism 110 and supplies them to downstream equipment (e.g., a single-piece separation device or a sorting mechanism 160). In this embodiment, the conveying speed of the last conveyor component in the conveyor mechanism 110 can be adjusted based on the conveying speed of the packaging station 150. The remaining conveyor components can be considered as the first target conveyor component. The control device 130 uses the above-mentioned method to set the speed of each conveyor component based on the speed of its downstream conveyor component.

[0109] When the object handling equipment 100 is in operation, the control device 130 first sets the conveying speed of the most downstream conveying component of the conveying mechanism 110 according to the conveying speed of the package supply table 150, and then uses a chain recursive method to set the conveying speeds of other conveying components in sequence from downstream to upstream. When there is an object on a conveying component, the speed of the conveying component is set according to the state of the object on the conveying component and the speed of the conveying component downstream thereof. When there is no object on a conveying component, the speed of the conveying component is set to a preset maximum value.

[0110] The control device 130 may also adjust the conveying speed of the buffer table 140 based on the status of the objects on the entire object handling device 100. For example, when the image captured by the visual monitoring device 120 indicates that objects are congested on the object handling device 100, the control device 130 may control the buffer table 140 to suspend conveying objects to the conveying mechanism 110 to wait for the congestion on the conveying mechanism 110 to resolve. Alternatively, when the number of objects within a set area on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 110 exceeds a set value, it is determined that objects are congested on the conveying mechanism 110.

[0111] Figure 5 Flowchart of an object processing method in one embodiment of the present application. The object processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied in the object processing device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0112] like Figure 5 As shown, the object processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0113] Step S100 , determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, wherein along the object conveying direction, the first target conveying assembly is located upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly.

[0114] Taking the object processing equipment 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application as an example, the control device 130 uses the images collected by the visual monitoring device 120 to determine whether there are objects on the first target conveying component, as well as the position and status of the objects, and then determines whether there are overlapping objects about to be conveyed from the first target conveying component to the second target conveying component.

[0115] In step S200, when it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, the value of the first speed is set to a value smaller than the second speed, wherein the first speed is the conveying speed of the first target conveying assembly and the second speed is the conveying speed of the second target conveying assembly.

[0116] Taking the object processing device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application as an example, when the control device 130 determines that the first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying component, the conveying speed of the conveying mechanism 110 is adjusted so that the conveying speed of the first target conveying component (first speed) is less than the conveying speed of the second target conveying component (second speed). By setting the value of the first speed to a value less than the second speed, a speed difference is generated between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component. In this way, when the overlapping objects are in the process of escaping from the first target conveying component and / or reaching the second target conveying component, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component will cause relative movement between the two overlapping objects, thereby causing the overlapping objects to be separated. Therefore, the object processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application improves the reliability of the object processing device 100 in separating objects, and alleviates the problem of poor object separation effect of the object processing device 100 in the related art.

[0117] Figure 6 This is a flow chart for determining whether the first target conveying component is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying component in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, step S100 may specifically include:

[0118] Step S110, determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly;

[0119] Step S120 : When it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly.

[0120] Taking the object processing device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application as an example, since the second area of the conveying component is an area for outputting objects, when there are overlapping objects in the second area of the first target conveying component, it can be considered that the first target conveying component is unable to separate the two overlapping objects, and the first target conveying component is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying component.

[0121] Optionally, the object processing method further includes: upon determining that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, and upon determining that there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, setting the value of the first speed to be equal to the value of the second speed. When there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, there is no need to use a speed difference to separate the overlapping objects. By setting the value of the first speed to be equal to the value of the second speed, the first target conveying assembly and the second target conveying assembly convey the objects synchronously. Therefore, in the process of adjacent objects successively leaving the second zone of the first target conveying assembly and arriving at the first zone of the second target conveying assembly, the spacing between adjacent objects will not change, thereby preventing objects from overlapping again while ensuring conveying efficiency.

[0122] For the specific implementation of the object processing method provided in the embodiment of the present application and other method steps that may be included, please refer to the relevant introduction of the object processing device 100 in the embodiment of the present application, and will not be repeated here.

[0123] In summary, the object processing device of the embodiment of the present application and the object processing method applied on the object processing device can set the value of the first speed to be less than the value of the second speed when the first target conveying component is about to output the object to the second target conveying component, so that a speed difference is generated between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component. In this way, when the overlapping objects are in the process of detaching from the first target conveying component and / or reaching the second target conveying component, the speed difference between the first target conveying component and the second target conveying component will cause a speed difference to be generated between the two overlapping objects, and / or cause the upper object to move relative to the lower object (the movement can be rolling forward, sliding forward, sliding backward, etc.), thereby causing the overlapping objects to be separated. Therefore, the object processing device and object processing method provided by the embodiment of the present application improve the reliability of the object processing device in separating packages, and alleviate the problem of poor effect of object separation of the object processing device in the related art.

[0124] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An object processing device, characterized in that: The system comprises a control device and a conveying mechanism for conveying objects, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of conveying assemblies arranged along the object conveying direction, each of the conveying assemblies having a conveying surface for carrying and conveying objects, the conveying surface extending obliquely upward, each of the conveying assemblies being electrically connected to the control device, and the control device being configured to: Determining whether a first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to a second target conveying assembly, wherein the first target conveying assembly is located upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly along the object conveying direction; When it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, setting a first speed value to a value smaller than a second speed value, wherein the first speed is a conveying speed of the first target conveying assembly and the second speed is a conveying speed of the second target conveying assembly; The conveying surface of each conveying assembly includes a first area for receiving objects and a second area for outputting objects, and the control device is specifically configured to: determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly; If it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly; The multiple conveying components include a first type of conveying component and a second type of conveying component, the height of the end of the conveying surface of the first type of conveying component is higher than the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the next conveying component adjacent to it along the object conveying direction, the conveying surface of the second type of conveying component and the conveying surface of the next conveying component adjacent to it are on the same plane, and the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the second type of conveying component is lower than the height of the end of the conveying surface of the previous conveying component adjacent to it along the object conveying direction, and the control device is specifically configured to: In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is the first type of conveying assembly or the second type of conveying assembly; If it is determined that the first target conveying component is the first type of conveying component, determining whether there are risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component that may overlap with the objects in the second zone of the first target conveying component; If it is determined that the risk object exists on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a first value; if it is determined that the risk object does not exist on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a second value; when the value of the first speed is the first value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a first difference; when the value of the first speed is the second value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a second difference, wherein the first difference is greater than the second difference; When it is determined that the first target conveying component is the second type of conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a third value. When the value of the first speed is the third value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a third difference, wherein the third difference is greater than the second difference.

2. The object processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The control device is further configured to: If it is determined that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly; When it is determined that there is an object in the second zone of the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to be equal to the value of the second speed.

3. The object processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that The control device is further configured to: If it is determined that there is no object in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying assembly; When it is determined that there is an object in the first zone of the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to be greater than or equal to the value of the second speed.

4. The object processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein: The control device is further configured to: determining whether there is an object on the first target conveying component; When it is determined that there is no object on the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to the maximum value of the first speed.

5. An object processing method, applied to an object processing device, characterized in that: The object handling device includes a conveying mechanism for conveying objects, the conveying mechanism includes a plurality of conveying components arranged along an object conveying direction, each of the conveying components has a conveying surface for carrying and conveying objects, the conveying surface extending obliquely upward, and the object handling method includes: Determining whether a first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to a second target conveying assembly, wherein the first target conveying assembly is located upstream of and adjacent to the second target conveying assembly along the object conveying direction; When it is determined that the first target conveying assembly is about to deliver overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly, setting a first speed value to a value smaller than a second speed value, wherein the first speed is a conveying speed of the first target conveying assembly and the second speed is a conveying speed of the second target conveying assembly; The conveying surface of each conveying assembly includes a first area for receiving objects and a second area for outputting objects. The step of determining whether the first target conveying assembly is about to output overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly includes: determining whether there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly; If it is determined that overlapping objects exist in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining that the first target conveying assembly is about to output the overlapping objects to the second target conveying assembly; The plurality of conveyor assemblies include a first type of conveyor assembly and a second type of conveyor assembly, wherein the height of the end of the conveying surface of the first type of conveyor assembly is higher than the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the next conveyor assembly adjacent thereto along the object conveying direction, the conveying surface of the second type of conveyor assembly and the conveying surface of the next conveyor assembly adjacent thereto are on the same plane, and the height of the beginning of the conveying surface of the second type of conveyor assembly is lower than the height of the end of the conveying surface of the previous conveyor assembly adjacent thereto along the object conveying direction, and the object processing method further comprises: In the case where it is determined that there are overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether the first target conveying assembly is the first type of conveying assembly or the second type of conveying assembly; If it is determined that the first target conveying component is the first type of conveying component, determining whether there are risk objects on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component that may overlap with the objects in the second zone of the first target conveying component; If it is determined that the risk object exists on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a first value; if it is determined that the risk object does not exist on the conveying surface of the second target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a second value; when the value of the first speed is the first value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a first difference; when the value of the first speed is the second value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a second difference, wherein the first difference is greater than the second difference; When it is determined that the first target conveying component is the second type of conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to a third value. When the value of the first speed is the third value, the difference between the second speed and the first speed is a third difference, wherein the third difference is greater than the second difference.

6. The object processing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The object processing method further includes: If it is determined that there are no overlapping objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly, determining whether there are objects in the second zone of the first target conveying assembly; When it is determined that there is an object in the second zone of the first target conveying component, the value of the first speed is set to be equal to the value of the second speed.

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