Container handling mechanism, container palletizing system and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a container operating mechanism, a container stacking system comprising the container operating mechanism and a control method of the system. After the container taking and placing assembly takes out the container, the container operating mechanism of the application first adjusts the container to a preset second target position by using a container position adjusting mechanism, and then the container stacking assembly takes out the container from the second target position and places the container on a tray. The combination position between the container stacking assembly and the container is limited within an allowed deviation range, so that the container stacking assembly can control the placing position of the container at the preset placing position, or control the deviation between the actual placing position of the container and the preset placing position within the allowed deviation range, thereby avoiding the position interference between the container and the previously placed container and / or the subsequently to be placed container, and ensuring the smooth and orderly operation of the stacking work.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of warehousing system technology, and in particular to a container operating mechanism, a container palletizing system and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Automated warehousing systems are increasingly being used in various civilian and industrial warehousing fields. However, they have also exposed some problems such as being less user-friendly and less efficient.

[0003] For example, in the current warehousing system, tasks such as taking containers from vehicles and stacking them are all done manually, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient.

[0004] In view of this, how to automatically pick up, place, and stack containers without human intervention is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to enable unmanned automatic picking, placing and stacking of containers, the present invention provides a container operating mechanism in the first aspect.

[0006] The container operating mechanism of the present invention includes:

[0007] Base;

[0008] A container picking and placing assembly is configured to pick up a container located at a first target position and place the picked-up container on a container position adjusting mechanism, the container position adjusting mechanism being configured to adjust the container to a preset second target position.

[0009] A container palletizing assembly configured to remove a container from a second target location and place the removed container at a third target location;

[0010] A motion component is disposed on the base and configured to drive the container pick-and-place component and the container palletizing component to move.

[0011] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container pick-and-place component is configured to engage with the container via the front end face of the container.

[0012] In one embodiment of the container handling mechanism of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly is configured to engage with the container via the top surface of the container.

[0013] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container picking and placing component picks and places containers by at least one of the following methods: absorbing, pushing, clamping, grasping, hooking, holding, and lifting.

[0014] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly stacks containers by at least one of the following methods: suction, hooking, and gripping.

[0015] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container picking and placing component includes:

[0016] A first housing is disposed on the motion component;

[0017] A first suction cup is disposed on the first housing and controlled by a first vacuum generator for adsorbing or releasing the container.

[0018] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container picking and placing component includes a plurality of the first suction cups.

[0019] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, a plurality of the first suction cups are divided into at least two rows arranged in parallel to each other.

[0020] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container picking and placing assembly further includes a telescopic drive assembly configured to drive the first suction cup to telescopically move relative to the first housing in the direction of picking and placing the container.

[0021] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the telescopic drive assembly includes a piston cylinder, the cylinder body of the piston cylinder is fixed to the housing, the piston rod of the piston cylinder extends out of the housing and is connected to the suction cup, and the piston cylinder is configured to push the piston rod to telescopically move relative to the cylinder body after a medium is introduced.

[0022] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the telescopic drive assembly includes a ball screw nut mechanism and a motor. The screw of the ball screw nut mechanism is rotatably connected to the housing and driven to rotate by the motor. The nut of the ball screw nut mechanism is located outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the suction cup.

[0023] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container pick-and-place assembly further includes a carrier element disposed on the first housing and located below the first suction cup, the carrier element being configured to carry a container.

[0024] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container picking and placing assembly further includes a telescopic drive assembly, which is configured to drive the first suction cup to telescopically move relative to the first housing in the direction of picking and placing the container.

[0025] Furthermore, the first suction cup is configured to extend beyond the carrier element to adsorb the container when in the extended state, and to allow the carrier element to carry the container when in the retracted state.

[0026] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the bearing element includes at least two inserts, both of which are disposed on the housing and arranged parallel to each other.

[0027] In one embodiment of the container handling mechanism of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly includes:

[0028] A second housing is disposed on the first housing or on the motion component;

[0029] The second suction cup is disposed on the second housing and controlled by the second vacuum generator for adsorbing or releasing the container.

[0030] In one embodiment of the container handling mechanism of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly includes a plurality of second suction cups;

[0031] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, a plurality of second suction cups are arranged sequentially at intervals.

[0032] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container operating mechanism includes at least two container palletizing assemblies, which are arranged in parallel.

[0033] In one embodiment of the container operating mechanism of the present invention, the container operating mechanism further includes a first detection element, the first detection element being configured to detect whether the identification information of the container and the target container at the first target location or the second target location is consistent;

[0034] The container picking and placing component picks and places a container when the identification information of the container at the first target location or the second target location detected by the first detection element is consistent with that of the target container.

[0035] Secondly, the present invention also provides a container palletizing system, characterized in that the container palletizing system includes a container position adjustment mechanism and a container operating mechanism as described above.

[0036] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the container palletizing system further includes a pallet position adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the pallet to a preset fourth target position, the third target position being located on the pallet.

[0037] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the container palletizing system further includes a second detection element disposed on the pallet position adjustment mechanism and configured to detect whether the pallet meets the conditions for palletizing containers.

[0038] The container palletizing assembly places containers on the pallet when the pallet, detected by the second detection element, meets the conditions for container placement.

[0039] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the second detection element includes a position detection element configured to detect whether the pallet has been adjusted to the fourth target position;

[0040] When the container palletizing assembly is adjusted to the fourth target position based on the position detection element, it is used to place the container on the pallet.

[0041] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the second detection element further includes a pallet status detection element configured to detect whether there are foreign objects on the pallet;

[0042] The container palletizing assembly is used to place containers on the pallet when the pallet status detection element detects that there are no foreign objects on the pallet.

[0043] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the pallet position adjustment mechanism further includes an alarm unit, which is communicatively connected to the second detection element and configured to issue a warning signal when the second detection element detects that the pallet does not meet the conditions for palletizing containers.

[0044] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the container position adjustment mechanism includes:

[0045] Cache platform;

[0046] A fixed baffle is fixedly mounted on the buffer platform;

[0047] A first movable baffle is configured to be raised and lowered on the buffer platform under the control of a first positioning drive mechanism, and the container pick-and-place assembly is configured to place the container on the buffer platform when the first movable baffle is in a low position.

[0048] The second movable baffle is configured to be movably disposed on the buffer platform under the control of the second positioning drive mechanism and is used to push the container to abut against the fixed baffle.

[0049] A third movable baffle is configured to be movably disposed on the buffer platform under the control of a third positioning drive mechanism and is used to push the container to abut against the first movable baffle located at a higher position.

[0050] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the buffer platform further has a lifting guide hole, and the first movable baffle moves up and down along the lifting guide hole.

[0051] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the container position adjustment mechanism further includes a combination platform disposed on the buffer platform and configured to stack containers with a size smaller than a predetermined size.

[0052] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the combined platform includes a second buffer cover and a buffer support, wherein the second buffer cover is located above the buffer platform and is fixedly mounted on the buffer platform by the buffer support.

[0053] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the pallet position adjustment mechanism includes a left guide bar, a right guide bar, and an end stop;

[0054] The left and right guide bars are configured to guide a tray subjected to an external force, and the end stop is configured to prevent the tray from moving along the guiding direction when the tray moves to the fourth target position under the action of the external force.

[0055] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the container palletizing system further includes a safety protection mechanism, which is configured to enclose the container operating mechanism, the container position adjustment mechanism and the pallet position adjustment mechanism, and has an operating port and an inlet / outlet.

[0056] The container operating mechanism is configured to extend through the operating port into the area enclosed by the safety protection mechanism to remove a container from the first target location or place a container (8) into the first target location;

[0057] The entrance / exit is configured to allow the pallet to enter and exit the area enclosed by the security mechanism.

[0058] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the safety protection mechanism includes a plurality of columns arranged at intervals in sequence, and a shielding member connecting two adjacent columns, wherein the shielding member is not provided between two columns adjacent to the location of the first target position to form the operation port.

[0059] In one embodiment of the container palletizing system of the present invention, the first target location is located on a carrier.

[0060] Thirdly, the present invention also provides a control method for a container palletizing system, wherein the container palletizing system is as described above, characterized in that the control method includes the following steps:

[0061] In step S1000, the motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move to the first target position, and the container picking and placing component takes out the container at the first target position;

[0062] Step S2000: The motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move onto the container position adjustment mechanism, and the container picking and placing component places the container onto the container position adjustment mechanism;

[0063] Step S3000: The container position adjustment mechanism adjusts the container to a preset second target position;

[0064] Step S4000: The motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the second target position, and the container palletizing component removes the container from the second target position;

[0065] Step S5000: The motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position, and the container palletizing component places the container at the third target position.

[0066] In one embodiment of the control method of the present invention, the third target position is located on the tray;

[0067] After step S3000, the control method further includes a step of detecting whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers.

[0068] In one embodiment of the control method of the present invention, in step S1000, the container picking and placing component removes the container by engaging with the front end face of the container at the first target position.

[0069] In one embodiment of the control method of the present invention, in step S4000, the container palletizing assembly removes the container by engaging with the top surface of the container at the first target location.

[0070] In one embodiment of the control method of the present invention, the detection method for detecting whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers includes:

[0071] Detect whether the tray has been adjusted to the preset fourth target position; and / or

[0072] Check the tray for foreign objects.

[0073] In one embodiment of the control method of the present invention, step S1000 further includes reading information about the container at the first target location, the information including the size of the container;

[0074] When the container size is smaller than the predetermined size, in step S3000, the container palletizing assembly takes out the container from the second target position and arranges the container at the arrangement target position;

[0075] When the combined container size at the target arrangement position meets the predetermined size, in step S4000, the container palletizing assembly places multiple containers at the target arrangement position at the third target position.

[0076] The motion component of the container operating mechanism of the present invention first drives the container picking and placing component to move to the first target position, and then the container picking and placing component takes out the container from the first target position; then, the motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move to the container position adjustment mechanism and places it on the container position adjustment mechanism; then the container position adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the container to the preset second target position; then the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position, and finally the container palletizing component places the container on the third target position.

[0077] Therefore, it can be seen that after the container handling component takes out the container, the container handling mechanism of the present invention first uses the container position adjustment mechanism to adjust the container to the preset second target position. Then, the container palletizing component takes out the container from the second target position and places it on the pallet. The connection position between the container palletizing component and the container is limited to within the allowable deviation range. This allows the container palletizing component to control the placement position of the container at the preset placement position, or to control the deviation between the actual placement position of the container and the preset placement position within the allowable deviation range. This avoids positional interference between the container and the containers placed earlier and / or the containers to be placed later, ensuring that the placement work is carried out smoothly and orderly.

[0078] In addition, the container palletizing system is equipped with a combination platform, which temporarily caches containers smaller than the predetermined size on the combination platform. After they are combined to reach the predetermined size, they are stacked as a whole by the container palletizing components to the third target position. Compared with stacking containers one by one without considering the size of the containers, this can improve palletizing efficiency.

[0079] Furthermore, the container handling mechanism uses a container pick-and-place component to remove containers from the carrier by engaging with the front face of the container, and uses a container stacking component to remove containers from the container positioning mechanism by engaging with the top face of the container. This allows for both dense storage and dense stacking of containers, making full use of the space on the carrier and pallet and improving the container placement capacity of the carrier or pallet. Attached Figure Description

[0080] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0081] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of a specific embodiment of the container palletizing system provided by the present invention;

[0082] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional view of the assembly of the container handling components and the container palletizing components;

[0083] Figures 3 to 5 They are Figure 2 The front view, top view, and side view of the assembly shown;

[0084] Figure 6 This is a 3D view of the container position adjustment mechanism;

[0085] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of a portion at point A;

[0086] Figure 8 This is a 3D view of the pallet position adjustment mechanism;

[0087] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the main steps of the control method for the container palletizing system provided by the present invention;

[0088] Figure 10 This is a detailed flowchart illustrating the control method of the container palletizing system provided by the present invention.

[0089] Figures 1 to 8 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows:

[0090] 1. Base: 10. Base plate, 11. Top plate, 12. Upright pole;

[0091] 2 Container handling components: 20 First housing, 21 First suction cup, 22 Insertion teeth, 23 First detection element;

[0092] 3 motion components;

[0093] 4 Container palletizing components: 40 Second housing, 41 Connecting bracket, 42 Fastener;

[0094] 5. Container position adjustment mechanism: 50. Buffer cover plate, 51. Support leg, 52. Crossbeam, 53. Fixed baffle, 54. First movable baffle, 55. Second movable baffle, 56. Third movable baffle, 57. Second buffer cover plate, 58. Buffer bracket, 59. Guide plate, 5a. Lifting guide hole, 590. Foot, 591. Chemical bolt;

[0095] 6. Pallet position adjustment mechanism: 60 left guide bar, 61 right guide bar, 62 end stop, 63 position detection element, 64 pallet status detection device, 65 left mounting bracket, 66 right mounting bracket, 67 alarm unit;

[0096] 7. Safety protection mechanisms: 70. Columns, 71. Barriers, 7a. Operating ports, 7b. Entrances and exits.

[0097] 8 containers;

[0098] 9 vehicles. Detailed Implementation

[0099] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0100] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0101] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0102] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0103] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0104] To improve the loading and unloading efficiency of a warehousing system, this invention provides a container palletizing system. This system, controlled by a controller, retrieves and places containers from multiple different carriers in a warehouse and stacks the retrieved containers onto pallets. These pallets can move automatically or manually between different target areas within the warehouse to transport the containers. The carriers are configured to store or carry containers and include racks (such as partition racks, box racks), pallet supports, cage trolleys, pallet supports, trucks, etc. Each carrier includes multiple storage locations, each for accommodating a container. For ease of understanding, ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" will be used below to distinguish between two different target locations. It should be understood that these ordinal numbers do not limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0105] Additionally, it should be noted that, in terms of storage function, the containers in this invention include general-purpose containers and special-purpose containers. General-purpose containers refer to containers that can store any goods, such as storage boxes and organizers. Special-purpose containers refer to containers specifically designed for storing a particular type or category of goods, such as shoe boxes, fresh produce boxes, and buckets. In terms of material, this invention includes cardboard boxes, glass bottles, plastic boxes, metal boxes, and leather cases.

[0106] This invention provides a container operating mechanism and a container palletizing system including the container operating mechanism. For ease of understanding and to maintain brevity, the following text will combine... Figures 1 to 9 The specific structure and working principle of the container operating mechanism and the container palletizing system will be explained together using one embodiment of the container palletizing system as an example, without further explanation of the container operating mechanism separately.

[0107] See Figure 1 The container palletizing system of this application includes a container operating mechanism and a container position adjustment mechanism.

[0108] The container operating mechanism includes a base 1, a container picking and placing component 2, a motion component 3, and a container stacking component 4.

[0109] The container pick-and-place assembly 2 is configured to pick up the container 8 located at the first target position and place the picked-up container 8 on the container position adjustment mechanism, which is configured to adjust the container 8 to a preset second target position. The container palletizing assembly 4 is configured to pick up the container 8 at the second target position and place the container 8 at a third target position. The motion assembly 3 is disposed on the base 1 and configured to drive the container pick-and-place assembly 2 and the container palletizing assembly 4 to move.

[0110] It should be noted that the first target location and the third target location can be the same target location or different target locations. The first target location and the second target location can be located in commonly used components in the warehouse system, such as pallets, carriers, and container buffer racks.

[0111] For ease of understanding, in this embodiment, the container operating mechanism mainly handles the transport of containers between the carrier, the container position adjustment mechanism, and the pallet. The first target position is the storage location of the container on the carrier, and the third target position is the stacking location of the containers on the pallet. The working principle of the container operating mechanism in stacking containers between the above three components will be explained in detail below with reference to this embodiment.

[0112] Additionally, it should be noted that the directional terms “front,” “top,” and “bottom” used in this article to describe the container palletizing system are based on the container 8 being placed on the carrier. The side of the container facing the user or the opening of the container pick-up / drop-off port on the carrier is “front,” the side of the container closer to the ground is “bottom,” and the side farther from the ground is “top.”

[0113] For details, see Figure 1 The base 1 includes a base plate 10, a top plate 11, and an upright 12. The base plate 10 and the top plate 11 are fixedly connected by the upright 12, and multiple reinforcing ribs fixedly connected to the upright 12 are provided between the base plate 10 and the top plate 11. The base 1 is placed on the warehouse floor or fixed to the ground with screws.

[0114] The motion component 3 is mounted on the top plate 11. Specifically, in this embodiment, the motion component 3 is a robotic arm. This robotic arm can perform various actions such as movement, rotation, and pitch according to a predetermined program, thereby driving the container pick-and-place component 2 to move between different target positions. Of course, the robotic arm can also perform corresponding movements such as movement, rotation, and pitch according to control commands issued by the user or external devices. It can be understood that, in addition to fulfilling the function of driving the container pick-and-place component 2 to move between different target positions, the motion component 3 is not limited to a robotic arm.

[0115] It should also be noted that the container operating mechanism of the present invention may further include a controller (not shown in the figure), which is configured to control the various functional components such as the container handling assembly 2, the motion assembly 3, and the container palletizing assembly 4 to perform corresponding actions. In some embodiments, the container operating mechanism may be configured with an independent dedicated controller. In other embodiments, the various functional components of the container operating mechanism may be controlled by a controller of the user or the warehousing system, that is, controlled by an external controller of the container operating mechanism.

[0116] Combination Figures 2 to 5 The container handling assembly 2 includes a first housing 20, a first suction cup 21, and a first vacuum generator (not shown in the figure). The first housing 20 is mounted on the motion assembly 3. Specifically, the first housing 20 is fixedly connected to the end shaft of the robotic arm, the first suction cup 21 is mounted on the first housing 20, and the first suction cup 21 is connected to the first vacuum generator via a gas pipeline.

[0117] When the first vacuum generator is activated, gas is introduced into the gas pipeline, and the air inside the first suction cup 21 is evacuated, creating a negative pressure vacuum within the first suction cup 21. At this time, the air pressure inside the first suction cup 21 is lower than the atmospheric pressure outside the first suction cup 21, and the container 8 is lifted by the external negative pressure. The higher the vacuum level inside the first suction cup 21, the tighter the adhesion between the first suction cup 21 and the container 8. Vacuum adsorption has the advantages of being clean, providing stable and reliable adsorption, and not damaging the surface of the container 8.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the container picking and placing component 2 of the present invention is coupled with the front end face of the container 8 to remove the container 8 from the first target position. No space needs to be reserved between adjacent containers for the insertion of the picking component, allowing containers to be densely stored on the carrier, making full use of the space on the carrier and improving the carrier's container placement capacity.

[0119] In addition, in this embodiment, the container picking and placing component of the present invention picks and places containers by suction.

[0120] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the container picking and placing assembly can also pick up and place containers by at least one of the following methods: pushing, clamping, taking out, hooking, picking up, and lifting.

[0121] Furthermore, in order to improve the stability and reliability of the container picking and placing component 2 in picking and placing the container 8, the container picking and placing component 2 includes a plurality of first suction cups 21, the plurality of first suction cups 21 being divided into at least two rows, and the at least two rows of first suction cups 21 being arranged parallel to each other.

[0122] Specifically, see Figure 2 In this embodiment, the container handling component 2 includes 14 first suction cups 21, and these 14 first suction cups 21 are evenly divided into two parallel rows, with 7 first suction cups 21 in each row arranged at intervals.

[0123] This configuration creates multiple adsorption points between the container pick-and-place component 2 and the container 8, resulting in strong adsorption and ensuring the stability and reliability of retrieving the container 8. It is understood that those skilled in the art can choose the number and arrangement of the first suction cups 21 according to actual needs.

[0124] See also Figure 2 In this embodiment, the container pick-and-place assembly 2 further includes a carrier element, which is disposed on the first housing 20 and located below the first suction cup 21. The carrier element is configured to carry the container 8.

[0125] Furthermore, the container pick-and-place assembly 2 also includes a telescopic drive assembly, which is configured to drive the first suction cup 21 to move telescopically relative to the first housing 20 in the direction of picking up and placing the container 8, and the first suction cup 21 is configured to extend beyond the carrier element to adsorb the container 8 when in the extended state, and to cause the carrier element to carry the container 8 when in the retracted state.

[0126] In the initial state, the first suction cup 21 is in the retracted position, that is, close to the first housing 20. When the container 8 needs to be removed, the telescopic drive assembly drives the first suction cup 21 to extend until it exceeds the support element and contacts the container 8, and the first vacuum generating device is activated, and the first suction cup 21 adsorbs the container 8; control the telescopic drive assembly to drive the first suction cup 21 to retract to the initial position, and then the controller turns off the first vacuum generating device, the adsorption force of the first suction cup 21 disappears, and the container 8 falls on the support element due to its own weight; or the first suction cup 21 adsorbs the container while the support element supports the container.

[0127] It is understandable that, compared with simply relying on the first suction cup 21 to adsorb the container 8, the container pick-up and drop assembly 2 is equipped with a support element. On the one hand, this can avoid the risk of the first suction cup 21 losing its adsorption force and causing the container 8 to fall when the first vacuum generating device fails unexpectedly, thus improving the reliability of picking up the container 8.

[0128] On the other hand, once the container pick-up and drop-off assembly 2 removes the container 8 and returns to its initial position, the first vacuum generator can be shut off, and the container 8 is carried solely by the carrier element during transport. It can be understood that compared to the method where the first suction cup 21 continuously adheres to the container 8 during transport, this transport method can reduce the operating time of the first vacuum generator and save energy.

[0129] In detail, the telescopic drive assembly may include a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed inside the first housing 20 and its piston rod extending outside the first housing 20 and connected to the first suction cup 21. By driving the piston rod to extend from or retract into the cylinder body, the first suction cup 21 can be telescopically moved relative to the first housing 20 in the direction of picking up and placing the container 8.

[0130] Of course, in other embodiments, the telescopic drive assembly includes a ball screw nut mechanism and a motor. The ball screw nut mechanism is rotatably connected to the first housing 20 via a bearing and is driven to rotate by the motor. Its nut block is located outside the first housing 20 and is fixedly connected to the first suction cup 21. By controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the motor, the first suction cup 21 can be extended from the first housing 20 or retracted into the first housing 20.

[0131] In addition, the telescopic drive assembly can also be driven by gear and rack transmission, chain transmission, belt transmission, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0132] See also Figure 2 In this embodiment, the supporting element includes two inserts 22 fixedly connected to the first housing 20, and the two inserts 22 are arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal plane. Of course, the number of inserts 22 is not limited to two; the number of inserts 22 can be an integer greater than 2, and these inserts 22 can be arranged parallel to each other in the horizontal plane.

[0133] Of course, the structure of the carrier element is not limited to the insert 22. In some other implementations, the container pick-and-place assembly 2 can also use a whole plate as the carrier element, as long as it can meet the function of carrying the container 8.

[0134] When a container 8 is stored at the first target position, the motion component 3 can drive the container picking and placing component 2 to move to the first target position and take out the container 8 at the first target position. However, the first target position may contain containers 8 that package various types of products. How to find the target container to be taken out from the numerous containers 8 is the condition for the container picking and placing component 2 to take out the container 8 from the first target position.

[0135] The target container refers to the container that the user or the upper-level control unit of the warehousing system needs to retrieve by the container operating mechanism. The identification information of the target container includes relevant information such as product name, place of origin, and supplier. The identification information can be set on the container in the form of barcode or QR code.

[0136] Therefore, please continue to see Figure 2 The container operating mechanism includes a first detection element 23, which is configured to detect whether the identification information of the container 8 at the first target location and the target container are consistent.

[0137] When the identification information of container 8 at the first target location and the target container matches, the motion component 3 moves the container pick-and-place component 2 from its current position to the first target location, whereby the container pick-and-place component 2 retrieves container 8. Otherwise, the motion component 3 moves the container pick-and-place component 2 to the next first target location and again controls the first detection element 23 to check whether the identification information of container 8 at that first target location and the target container matches, until a container with matching identification information is found, or a warning signal is issued to remind the user or controller that container retrieval has failed. It should be noted that the warning signal can be an audio signal, a light signal, or a text signal, or any combination of any two of these three signals.

[0138] Specifically, the first detection element 23 further includes a container identification element and a judgment unit. The container identification element is disposed on the container pick-and-place assembly 2 and is configured to identify the identification information of the container 8; the judgment unit is communicatively connected to the container identification element and is configured to determine whether the identification information currently identified by the container identification element is consistent with the identification code of the target container that the container pick-and-place assembly 2 needs to retrieve.

[0139] When the container identification element recognizes that the identification information of the current container 8 is consistent with the identification code of the target container that the container pick-and-place component 2 is about to retrieve, the container pick-and-place component 2 retrieves the container 8.

[0140] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first detection element 23 is set on the container picking and placing component 2. While satisfying the function of identifying the identification information of the container 8, the first detection element 23 can also be set on the container palletizing component 4 or the motion component 3. Those skilled in the art can select an appropriate position based on the spatial position of the container operating mechanism.

[0141] Combination Figures 2 to 5 The container palletizing assembly 4 includes a second housing 40 and a second suction cup (not shown in the figure); wherein, the second housing 40 is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the first housing 20, the second suction cup is fixedly disposed on the bottom surface of the second housing 40 and communicates with the chamber of the second housing 40, and a gas pipeline is also provided on the second housing 40, and a second vacuum generating device is communicated with the chamber of the second housing 40 through the gas pipeline.

[0142] Of course, the container palletizing assembly 4 can also be set on the motion assembly 3. For example, a cantilever bracket extending towards the carrier 9 can be set on the motion assembly 3, and the second housing 40 of the container palletizing assembly 4 can be fixedly set on the cantilever bracket, as long as the suction port of the second suction cup can face the top surface of the container 8.

[0143] When the second vacuum generator is activated, a negative pressure is formed in the chamber of the second housing 40. Under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, the second suction cup adheres to the container.

[0144] The container palletizing assembly 4 includes a plurality of second suction cups, which are divided into at least two rows and are arranged parallel to each other.

[0145] This configuration creates multiple adsorption points between the container palletizing assembly 4 and the container 8, resulting in strong adsorption and ensuring the stability and reliability of removing the container 8. It is understood that those skilled in the art can choose the number and arrangement of the second suction cups according to actual needs.

[0146] In addition, in this embodiment, the container palletizing assembly 4 of the present invention takes out or places containers by means of suction.

[0147] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly 4 can also remove or stack containers by a hooking method. The hooking method means that a hook can be provided on the container palletizing assembly 4, and a lifting ring is detachably provided on the top of the container. Before the container palletizing assembly 4 removes the container, the lifting ring is attached to the container manually or by a robot. After the container palletizing assembly 4 has stacked the containers, the lifting ring is removed from the container manually or by a robot.

[0148] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, the container operating mechanism includes two container palletizing assemblies 4, which are arranged in parallel to improve the stability of the container operating mechanism in operating the containers.

[0149] In detail, the container operating mechanism includes a connecting bracket 41, which is fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the first housing 20 of the container handling assembly 2 by fasteners 42, and two container stacking assemblies 4 are fixedly mounted on the connecting bracket 41.

[0150] It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the container operating mechanism may include one container palletizing component 4 or three or more container palletizing components 4. Those skilled in the art can determine the number of container palletizing components 4 based on factors such as the arrangement space of the container operating mechanism and the actual required adsorption force.

[0151] The container pick-and-place component 2 connects with and adsorbs the container 8 from the first target position of the carrier 9 through the front end face of the container 8. Then, the motion component 3 drives the container pick-and-place component 2 to the container position adjustment mechanism 5. The container pick-and-place component 2 places the container 8 on the container position adjustment mechanism 5, which then adjusts the container to the second target position. It should be noted that the second target position is the target position where the motion component 3 drives the container palletizing component 4 to remove the container. The second target position is preset in the control system of the container palletizing system. The control system sends the position information (coordinate value) of the second target position to the motion component 3. The motion component 3 drives the container palletizing component 4 to the second target position. When the container is also in the second target position, the relative position between the container palletizing component and the container is defined.

[0152] In the container palletizing system of the present invention, after the container pick-up and drop assembly removes the container, the container position adjustment mechanism first adjusts the container to a preset second target position. Then, the container palletizing assembly removes the container from the second target position and places it on a pallet. This limits the engagement position between the container palletizing assembly and the container to within an allowable deviation range. As a result, the container palletizing assembly can control the placement position of the container at a preset placement position, or control the deviation between the actual placement position of the container and the preset placement position to within an allowable deviation range. This avoids positional interference between the container and previously placed containers and / or subsequently placed containers, ensuring that the palletizing work is carried out smoothly and orderly.

[0153] Furthermore, the container palletizing assembly 4 removes the container 8 by engaging with the top surface of the container 8, thereby densely stacking the containers on the pallet, making full use of the space on the pallet, and improving the pallet's ventilation and placement capabilities.

[0154] The motion component 3 drives the container palletizing component 4 to move onto the pallet, and then the container palletizing component 5 places the container 8 on the third target position of the pallet.

[0155] The container handling mechanism places the containers on the carrier 9 onto the pallet. Stacking means placing multiple containers close together on the pallet surface. Once the pallet is full, the next container 8 is placed on top of the first layer of containers 8. This process is repeated until the containers 8 reach the maximum allowed stacking height. Finally, the pallet is transported to the designated target area in the warehouse by manual labor or a handling robot.

[0156] It should be noted that the second target position in the container palletizing system of this embodiment is preset in order to compensate for the positional deviation caused when the container operating mechanism moves between different target areas.

[0157] refer to Figure 6 The container position adjustment mechanism 5 includes a buffer platform, a fixed baffle 53, a first movable baffle 54, a second movable baffle 55, and a third movable baffle 56. The fixed baffle 53 is fixed to the buffer platform. The first movable baffle 54 is controlled by a first positioning drive mechanism and is vertically movable on the buffer platform. When in a low position, the container pick-and-place assembly 2 can push the container onto the buffer platform. The second movable baffle 55 is controlled by a second positioning drive mechanism and is movably mounted on the buffer platform. It is configured to push the container to abut against the fixed baffle 53. The third movable baffle 56 is controlled by a third positioning drive mechanism and is movably mounted on the buffer platform. It is configured to push the container to abut against the first movable baffle 54 when it is in a high position.

[0158] In detail, in this embodiment, the cache platform includes at least a first cache cover 50 and a plurality of legs 51 for supporting the first cache cover 50 on the ground.

[0159] To ensure the stability of the buffer platform, in this embodiment, the buffer platform also includes feet 590 and chemical bolts 591 that match the number of legs 51; the feet 590 are fixed to the bottom surface of the legs 51, and the chemical bolts 591 are fixed on the feet 590 and fixed to the ground.

[0160] refer to Figure 7 The container position adjustment mechanism 5 is also provided with a lifting guide hole 5a, and the first movable baffle 54 is controlled by the first positioning drive mechanism to move up and down along the lifting guide hole 5a.

[0161] The container position adjustment mechanism 5 includes a guide plate 59. A guide groove is provided on the edge of the first buffer cover plate 50. The guide plate 59 is fixed on the first buffer cover plate 50 by means of fasteners, welding or bonding and forms a lifting guide hole 5a with the guide groove.

[0162] The first positioning drive mechanism includes a first cylinder. The cylinder body of the first cylinder is fixedly mounted on a crossbeam 52 and connected to an external high-pressure air source. The crossbeam 52 is used to fixally connect two adjacent support legs 51. A first movable baffle 54 is fixedly mounted on the extended end of the piston rod of the first cylinder.

[0163] The second positioning drive mechanism includes a second cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixedly mounted on the first buffer cover plate 50 and connected to an external high-pressure air source, and a second movable baffle 55 is fixedly mounted on the extended end of the piston rod of the second cylinder.

[0164] The third positioning drive mechanism includes a third cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixedly mounted on the first buffer cover plate 50 and connected to an external high-pressure air source, and the third movable baffle 56 is fixedly mounted on the extended end of the piston rod of the third cylinder.

[0165] The container position adjustment mechanism 5 also includes a cylinder control box configured to control the timing of the extension and retraction of the piston rods of the first, second, and third cylinders.

[0166] In detail, firstly, the cylinder controller controls the first movable baffle 54 to be in the low position, that is, when in the low position, the first movable baffle 54 is below the surface of the first buffer cover 50. The container pick-and-place assembly 2 pushes the container onto the first buffer cover 50, and then controls the first movable baffle 54 to rise to the high position. Then, it controls the second movable baffle 55 to push the container 8 until the container 8 abuts against the fixed baffle 53. Then, it controls the third movable baffle 56 to push the container 8 until the container 8 abuts against the first movable baffle 54. At this point, the container is positioned at the buffer target position. Then, the motion assembly drives the container stacking assembly 4 to move above the positioned container 8. It continues to drive the container stacking assembly 4 to descend until the second suction cup is attached to the top surface of the container 8. The motion assembly continues to drive the container stacking assembly 4 to move to the second target position on the tray. The second vacuum generator is turned off, the second suction cup disappears, and the container 8 falls onto the tray. This operation is repeated until the number of containers 8 stacked on the tray reaches the allowable handling height or quantity.

[0167] Similarly, to prevent the pallet from moving beyond the preset fourth target position under external force, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the container palletizing system of this application further includes a pallet position adjustment mechanism 6, which is configured to adjust the pallet to a preset fourth target position.

[0168] The relative positions of the pallet, carrier 9, and container position adjustment mechanism are defined so that the container operating mechanism can quickly and accurately place containers 8 on the pallet according to a preset path. The fourth target position is preset to compensate for positional deviations that occur when the container operating mechanism moves between different target areas.

[0169] It should be noted that, generally, a tray is a rectangular parallelepiped structure.

[0170] See Figure 8 The pallet position adjustment mechanism 6 includes a left guide bar 60, a right guide bar 61, and an end stop 62; wherein the left guide bar 60 and the right guide bar 61 are configured to guide the pallet subjected to external force, and the end stop 62 is configured to prevent the pallet from continuing to move in the guiding direction when the pallet reaches a preset fourth target position.

[0171] In detail, both the left guide bar 60 and the right guide bar 61 include a side guide tube with a square cross-section and chemical bolts for fixing the side guide tube to the ground.

[0172] The end stop 62 includes an end guide tube with a square cross-section, a mounting bracket for fixing the end guide tube, and chemical bolts for fixing the mounting bracket to the ground.

[0173] The side guide tube has a through hole configured for the threaded rod of a chemical bolt to pass through. The side guide tube also has an operating port for the user to insert their hand or a tool such as an Allen wrench to tighten the nut onto the threaded rod.

[0174] More specifically, the left guide bar 60 and the right guide bar 61 are inclined outward to form an inlet to facilitate the introduction of the tray.

[0175] In this embodiment, the pallet position adjustment mechanism 6 includes a positioning detection element 63, which is disposed on the left guide bar 60 and / or the right guide bar 61 and is configured to detect whether the pallet has been adjusted to the fourth target position.

[0176] In detail, in this embodiment, the position detection element 63 includes a matched signal transmitting component and a signal receiving component, wherein the signal receiving component is configured to be triggered when it receives a signal emitted by the signal transmitting component. This position detection element 63 can be a photoelectric through-beam sensor.

[0177] The tray position adjustment mechanism 6 also includes a left mounting bracket 65 and a right mounting bracket 66. The left mounting bracket 65 is provided with a signal transmitting component of the position detection element 63, and the right mounting bracket 66 is provided with a signal receiving component of the position detection element 63.

[0178] In this embodiment, both the left mounting bracket 65 and the right mounting bracket 66 are bent sheet metal structures. Both the left mounting bracket 65 and the right mounting bracket 66 have mounting grooves. The corresponding parts of the positioning detection element 63 are installed in the mounting grooves and are bent horizontally from the groove openings to form two connecting plates. The connecting plates are fixed to the ground by chemical bolts. The left mounting bracket 65 and the right mounting bracket 66 have signal through holes at their relative positions for the positioning detection signal to pass through.

[0179] In other embodiments, the position detection element 63 may be a proximity switch configured to be triggered when the tray reaches the fourth target position.

[0180] Furthermore, the pallet position adjustment mechanism 6 also includes a pallet status detection element 64, which is configured to detect whether there are foreign objects on the pallet. When the pallet status detection element 64 detects that there are no foreign objects on the pallet, the container palletizing assembly 4 places the containers on the pallet.

[0181] In some embodiments, the tray status detection element 64 includes a matched signal transmitting component and a signal receiving component, the signal receiving component being triggered upon receiving a signal emitted by the signal transmitting component. The tray status detection element 64 may be a photoelectric through-beam sensor.

[0182] See also Figure 8 In this embodiment, the pallet position adjustment mechanism 6 also includes an alarm unit 67, which is communicatively connected to the position detection element 63 and / or the pallet status detection element 64, and is configured to issue a warning signal when the second detection element detects that the pallet does not meet the conditions for stacking containers 8, so as to remind the control personnel in the control room of the actual status of the pallet.

[0183] In detail, the alarm unit 67 is a signal light, which is configured to use different colored signal lights to output different detection results.

[0184] For example, the indicator light shows green when the pallet is successfully positioned, and red otherwise; it shows blue when there is a foreign object on the pallet, and white otherwise. Appropriate colors can be selected based on the specific application scenario.

[0185] In other embodiments, the alarm unit 67 may be a voice and / or text display device.

[0186] To improve palletizing efficiency, different palletizing methods are used for containers of different sizes in this embodiment. Specifically, when the size of the container is close to the preset container size, the container position adjustment mechanism 5 positions the container, the container palletizing assembly 4 removes the container, and then places the container on the pallet.

[0187] When the size of a container is smaller than the preset container size, the container picking and placing component 2 places the container on the buffer platform of the container position adjustment mechanism 5. The container position adjustment mechanism 5 positions the container, and then the container stacking component 4 removes the container by engaging with its top surface and stacks it on the combination platform. The above operation is repeated to stack another container on the combination platform until the predetermined stacking size is reached. When the overall size of the multiple containers 8 placed on the combination platform reaches the predetermined size, the container stacking component 4 picks up these containers 8 at once and transports them to the pallet by the motion component 3. Then, the second vacuum generator of the container stacking component 4 is turned off to place these smaller containers 8 on the pallet, achieving the purpose of handling multiple containers in a single operation.

[0188] In detail, the combination platform is set on the cache platform and is configured to stack at least two containers with a size smaller than a predetermined size.

[0189] refer to Figure 6 The combined platform includes a second cache cover 57 located above the cache platform and a cache bracket 58 connecting the second cache cover 57 and the cache platform.

[0190] It should be noted that the size of container 8 is included in the identification information of container 8. As mentioned above, the container operating mechanism can obtain the identification information of the container through the first detection element 23.

[0191] See also Figure 1 The container palletizing system also includes a safety protection mechanism 7; wherein, the container position adjustment mechanism 5 is configured to temporarily place a container 8 taken back from the carrier 9 by the container operating mechanism, or a container 8 taken from the pallet by the container operating mechanism; the safety protection mechanism 7 encloses the container operating mechanism and the container position adjustment mechanism 5, and the safety protection mechanism 7 has an operating port 7a and an inlet / outlet 7b, the operating port 7a being configured for the container operating mechanism to take the container 8 from the carrier 9 or place the container 8 on the carrier 9, and the inlet / outlet 7b being configured for the pallet to enter and exit the area enclosed by the safety protection mechanism 7.

[0192] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, the safety protection mechanism 7 includes a plurality of columns 70 arranged sequentially and at intervals around the container operating mechanism and the container position adjustment mechanism 5. A shielding member 71 connects adjacent columns 70. However, no shielding member 71 is provided between two columns 70 corresponding to the target carrier 9 to form an operating opening 7a. No shielding member 71 is provided between two columns 70 at locations facilitating pallet entry and exit to form an entrance / exit 7b.

[0193] The safety protection mechanism 7 of the container palletizing system can prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching the container operating mechanism, thus preventing damage to the container operating mechanism caused by unintentional or intentional actions of unauthorized personnel. It can also prevent the container 8 from accidentally falling and causing personal injury or death, thereby improving the working safety and reliability of the container palletizing system.

[0194] In detail, in this embodiment, the barrier 71 includes a plurality of parallel and spaced-apart vertical rods and a plurality of horizontal rods, which are fixedly connected to each other to form a fence. It can be understood that the safety protection mechanism 7 is assembled from rods, resulting in a simple structure and low manufacturing cost. In other embodiments, the barrier 71 can be a single piece of board or fabric such as cloth.

[0195] Additionally, see also Figure 1 The safety protection mechanism 7 is a square fence structure. Of course, when meeting the functional, processing and assembly requirements of the enclosing container operation mechanism and the container position adjustment mechanism 5, the safety protection mechanism 7 can be a circular, elliptical or other structures.

[0196] The present invention also provides a control method applied to the above-mentioned container palletizing system, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 9 The control method includes the following main steps:

[0197] In step S1000, the motion component drives the container pick-up and place component to move to the first target position, and the container pick-up and place component takes out the container at the first target position;

[0198] In step S2000, the motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move to the container position adjustment mechanism, and the container picking and placing component places the container on the container position adjustment mechanism;

[0199] Step S3000: The container position adjustment mechanism adjusts the container to the preset second target position;

[0200] In step S4000, the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the second target position, and the container palletizing component removes the container from the second target position.

[0201] In step S5000, the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position, and the container palletizing component places the container on the third target position.

[0202] To facilitate better understanding, the following will be combined with... Figure 10 The control flow of the control method will be explained in detail using a specific embodiment as an example.

[0203] In this embodiment, the first target location is located on the carrier, and the third target location is located on the pallet. It is understood that the control method of the container palletizing system of this application is not limited to stacking containers between carriers and pallets; it can be applied to container stacking operations between any two target areas in a warehousing system.

[0204] See Figure 10 The control method for the container palletizing system of this application includes the following detailed steps:

[0205] S1001, The motion component drives the container pick-up and drop component to move to the first target position on the vehicle.

[0206] It should be noted that the first target position in the vehicle refers to the position of the vehicle where the target container that the user wants to retrieve is placed. The first target position and the target container are stored in the database of the warehousing system, and can be retrieved from the database when the container is stacked.

[0207] S1002. Read the information of the container at the first target location, the information including the size of the container.

[0208] As mentioned above, the container operation mechanism of the container palletizing system of this application is provided with a first detection element, which is used to acquire the identification information of the target container in order to determine whether the container to be taken out is consistent with the target container. The identification information includes the size of the container.

[0209] S1003, The container pick-and-place component picks up the container by engaging with the front end face of the container at the first target location.

[0210] Obviously, in this embodiment, the container picking and placing component cooperates with the front end face of the container to remove the container 8, so that containers can be densely placed and stacked on the vehicle, thereby increasing the container storage capacity of the vehicle.

[0211] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the container picking and placing assembly of the present invention can also remove the container by engaging with the bottom, side, or top surface of the container. Specifically, the container picking and placing assembly can pick up and place the container by at least one of the following methods: sucking, pushing, clamping, grasping, hooking, picking up, and lifting.

[0212] S2000, the motion component drives the container pick-and-place component to move to the container position adjustment mechanism, and the container pick-and-place component places the container on the container position adjustment mechanism.

[0213] S3000, the container position adjustment mechanism adjusts the container to a preset second target position. The second target position is the target position reached by the preset motion component driving the container palletizing component from its current position.

[0214] In detail, in conjunction with the container palletizing system described above, the method for adjusting the container position adjustment mechanism to move the container to the preset second target position includes the following steps:

[0215] First, the cylinder controller controls the first movable baffle 54 to be in the low position, that is, when in the low position, the first movable baffle 54 is below the surface of the first buffer cover 50; second, the container pick-and-place assembly 2 pushes the container onto the first buffer cover 50, and then controls the first movable baffle 54 to rise to the high position; third, controls the second movable baffle 55 to push the container 8 until the container 8 abuts against the fixed baffle 53; finally, controls the third movable baffle 56 to push the container 8 until the container 8 abuts against the first movable baffle 54, thus adjusting the container from its current position to the second target position.

[0216] After the container is adjusted to the second target position, the control method of this embodiment continues to detect whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking the container, so as to prevent errors caused by directly carrying out subsequent stacking work if the pallet does not meet the conditions for stacking the container.

[0217] Checking whether a pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers includes the following steps:

[0218] S3001. Check whether the tray has reached the preset fourth target position.

[0219] Similarly, as mentioned above, the pallet position adjustment mechanism 6 includes a position detection element 63, which is configured to detect whether the pallet is in a preset fourth target position.

[0220] In detail, the position detection element 63 includes a matched signal transmitting component and a signal receiving component, the signal receiving component being triggered upon receiving a signal emitted by the signal transmitting component. This position detection element 63 can be a photoelectric through-beam sensor.

[0221] In other embodiments, the position detection element 63 may be a proximity switch configured to be triggered when the tray reaches a preset fourth target position.

[0222] If step S3001 detects that the pallet has reached the preset fourth target position, then step S3002 is executed; otherwise, step S3003 is executed.

[0223] S3002. Check if there are any foreign objects on the tray.

[0224] The purpose of this step is to prevent problems such as foreign objects on the pallet preventing the containers from being stacked, thereby increasing the chances of successfully stacking the containers.

[0225] If there are no foreign objects on the tray, proceed to step S3004; otherwise, proceed to step S3005.

[0226] S3003, issue a warning signal to remind the user or the upper-level control system that the tray is not in place or that there are foreign objects on the tray.

[0227] S3004. Determine whether the size of the container is smaller than the predetermined size.

[0228] It should be noted that "preset size" refers to the size of the container that the container palletizing assembly is allowed to remove in a single operation, as preset by the user or the upstream control system. Typically, container sizes vary, and the user can set the container size that the palletizing assembly can remove in a single operation based on the size of the palletizing assembly and the suction capacity of the suction cups. When the container size is smaller than the preset size, the palletizing assembly can remove at least two containers at a time; when the container size is greater than or equal to the preset size, the palletizing assembly can remove only one container at a time.

[0229] When the size of the container is greater than or equal to the predetermined size, step S4001 is executed;

[0230] When the size of the container is smaller than the predetermined size, proceed to step S3005.

[0231] S4001, the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the second target position, and the container palletizing component removes the container by engaging with the top surface of the container at the second target position.

[0232] Obviously, in this embodiment, the container palletizing assembly is combined with the top surface of the container to remove the container 8, so that containers can be densely placed and stacked on the pallet, thereby increasing the container storage capacity of the pallet.

[0233] According to other embodiments of the present invention, the container palletizing assembly of the present invention can also remove the container by engaging with the bottom or side of the container. Specifically, the container picking and placing assembly can pick up or place the container by suction or hooking.

[0234] S5001, the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position on the pallet, and the container palletizing component places the retrieved container on the third target position on the pallet.

[0235] It should be noted that the method of stacking containers can be based on the area of ​​the pallet's working surface and the size of the containers. First, the container stacking component places the containers on the pallet's working surface. When the pallet's working surface is full, the container stacking component places the containers on top of the bottom layer of containers until the height of the containers that can be stacked is reached.

[0236] Of course, another way to stack containers is to first stack them one by one to the allowed height, and then start another group and stack them one by one to the allowed height until the work surface of the pallet is full.

[0237] S3005, The container palletizing assembly engages with the top surface of the container located at the second target position to remove the container and arrange the container at the arrangement target position.

[0238] It should be noted that the target arrangement position refers to the position of the second buffer cover on the combination platform of the container position adjustment mechanism. The function of the combination platform is to temporarily buffer the small-sized containers after positioning them. After the combined containers meet the predetermined size, the container palletizing assembly will then place these combined containers on the pallet. That is, the container palletizing assembly can stack multiple containers at a time, thereby reducing the number of movements of the container operation mechanism when stacking the same number of containers and improving the stacking efficiency.

[0239] S3006. Determine whether the size of the combined container at the target location is smaller than the predetermined size.

[0240] When the size of the combined container at the target location is smaller than the predetermined size, step S1001 is executed, and the container pick-and-place assembly continues to pick up the container from the carrier.

[0241] When the size of the combined container at the target location is greater than or equal to the predetermined size, step S4002 is executed.

[0242] S4002, The motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the target arrangement position, and the container palletizing component takes out the container located at the target arrangement position.

[0243] S5002, the motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position in the pallet, and the container palletizing component places multiple containers arranged at the target position on the third target position of the pallet.

[0244] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the step of reading the information of the container on the carrier is set before the container pick-up and drop assembly removes the container from the carrier. Based on the purpose of only obtaining the size of the container, in other embodiments, this step can be set before the step of the container palletizing assembly removes the container from the second target position.

[0245] In addition, in this embodiment, the step of detecting whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers is set before the step of determining the size relationship between the container size and the predetermined size, in order to shorten the steps of the control method.

[0246] In other embodiments, the step of detecting whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers may also be set after the step of determining the size relationship between the container size and the predetermined size.

[0247] For example, if the container size is smaller than the predetermined size, if the judgment result in step S3006 is yes, then check whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking the container. If yes, then execute step S4002; otherwise, issue a warning signal.

[0248] When the container size is greater than or equal to the predetermined size, directly check whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking the container. If it does, execute step S4001; otherwise, issue a warning signal.

[0249] In the control method of this invention, after the container pick-up and drop assembly removes the container, the container position adjustment mechanism first adjusts the container to a preset second target position. Then, the container palletizing assembly removes the container from the second target position and places it on the pallet. The connection position between the container palletizing assembly and the container is limited to an allowable deviation range. This allows the container palletizing assembly to control the placement position of the container at a preset placement position, or to control the deviation between the actual placement position of the container and the preset placement position within an allowable deviation range. This avoids positional interference between the container and previously placed containers and / or subsequently placed containers, ensuring that the palletizing work proceeds smoothly and orderly.

[0250] In addition, the container palletizing system is equipped with a combination platform, which temporarily caches containers 8 that are smaller than the predetermined size on the combination platform. After they are combined to reach the predetermined size, they are stacked onto the pallet by the container palletizing component 4. This can improve palletizing efficiency compared to stacking containers 8 one by one without considering their size.

[0251] Furthermore, the container operating mechanism uses two take-out components to take out container 8 from the carrier 9 through the front face of container 8, and then stack container 8 from the top face of container 8. The mechanism perfectly realizes the loading, unloading and stacking functions with one mechanism, and can also densely stack containers, making full use of the space on the carrier and pallet, and improving the container placement capacity of the carrier or pallet.

[0252] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container palletizing system, characterized in that, The container palletizing system includes a container position adjustment mechanism (5) and a container operating mechanism, wherein the container operating mechanism includes: Base (1); A container picking and placing assembly (2) is configured to pick up a container (8) located at a first target position and place the picked-up container (8) on a container position adjustment mechanism (5). The container position adjustment mechanism (5) is configured to adjust the container (8) to a preset second target position. The second target position is configured to compensate for position deviations caused by the movement of the container operating mechanism between different target areas. A container palletizing assembly (4) is configured to remove a container (8) from the second target position and place the removed container (8) on a third target position. Motion component (3), the motion component is disposed on the base and the motion component is configured to drive the container picking and placing component and the container palletizing component to move; The container position adjustment mechanism further includes a combination platform and a buffer platform. The combination platform is disposed on the buffer platform and is configured to stack containers with a size smaller than a predetermined size (8). When the container size is smaller than the predetermined size, the container palletizing assembly is also configured to remove the container from the second target position and arrange the container in the arrangement target position.

2. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container pick-and-place assembly is configured to engage with the container via the front face of the container.

3. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container palletizing assembly is configured to engage with the container via the top surface of the container.

4. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container picking and placing component picks and places containers by at least one of the following methods: sucking, pushing, clamping, grabbing, hooking, picking up, and lifting.

5. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container palletizing assembly stacks containers by at least one of the following methods: suction, hooking, and gripping.

6. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container handling assembly includes: A first housing (20) is disposed on the motion assembly (3); The first suction cup (21) is disposed on the first housing (20) and controlled by the first vacuum generator for adsorbing or releasing the container (8).

7. The container palletizing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The container handling assembly includes a plurality of the first suction cups (21).

8. The container palletizing system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The plurality of first suction cups (21) are divided into at least two rows arranged in parallel to each other.

9. The container palletizing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The container pick-and-place assembly further includes a telescopic drive assembly configured to drive the first suction cup (21) to telescopically move relative to the first housing (20) in the direction of picking up and placing the container.

10. The container palletizing system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly includes a piston cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixed to the housing (20), the piston rod of which extends out of the housing (20) and is connected to the suction cup (21), and the piston cylinder is configured to push the piston rod to telescopically move relative to the cylinder body in the direction of picking up and placing the container after a medium is introduced.

11. The container palletizing system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly includes a ball screw nut mechanism and a motor. The ball screw nut mechanism is rotatably connected to the housing (20) and driven to rotate by the motor. The nut of the ball screw nut mechanism is located outside the housing (20) and is fixedly connected to the suction cup (21).

12. The container palletizing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The container pick-and-place assembly (2) further includes a carrier element disposed on the first housing (20) and located below the first suction cup (21), the carrier element being configured to carry the container (8).

13. The container palletizing system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The container picking and placing assembly further includes a telescopic drive assembly, which is configured to drive the first suction cup (21) to telescopically move relative to the first housing (20) in the direction of picking and placing the container; Furthermore, the first suction cup (21) is configured to extend beyond the carrier element to adsorb the container (8) when in the extended state, and to allow the carrier element to carry the container (8) when in the retracted state.

14. The container palletizing system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The bearing element includes at least two inserts (22), and the at least two inserts (22) are disposed on the housing (20) and arranged parallel to each other.

15. The container palletizing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The container palletizing assembly (4) includes: The second housing (40) is disposed on the first housing or on the motion component (3); The second suction cup is disposed on the second housing (40) and controlled by the second vacuum generator for adsorbing or releasing the container.

16. The container palletizing system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The container palletizing assembly (4) includes a plurality of the second suction cups.

17. The container palletizing system according to claim 16, characterized in that, Multiple second suction cups are arranged sequentially at intervals.

18. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container operating mechanism includes at least two container palletizing assemblies (4), which are arranged in parallel.

19. The container palletizing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container operating mechanism further includes a first detection element (23), which is configured to detect whether the identification information of the container (8) at the first target location or the second target location and the target container are consistent; The container pick-and-place component (2) picks up and places the container (8) when the identification information of the container (8) at the first target position or the second target position detected by the first detection element (23) is consistent with that of the target container.

20. The container palletizing system according to any one of claims 1-19, characterized in that, The container palletizing system also includes a pallet position adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the pallet to a preset fourth target position, the third target position being located on the pallet.

21. The container palletizing system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The container palletizing system further includes a second detection element, which is disposed on the pallet position adjustment mechanism and configured to detect whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers (8); When the container palletizing assembly (4) detects that the pallet meets the conditions for palletizing containers based on the second detection element, it is used to place the container (8) on the pallet.

22. The container palletizing system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The second detection element includes a position detection element (63), which is configured to detect whether the tray has been adjusted to the fourth target position; The container palletizing assembly (4) is used to place the container (8) on the pallet when the pallet is adjusted to the fourth target position based on the position detection element (63).

23. The container palletizing system according to claim 22, characterized in that, The second detection element further includes a tray status detection element (64), which is configured to detect whether there are foreign objects on the tray; The container palletizing assembly (4) is used to place the container (8) on the pallet when the pallet status detection element (64) detects that there are no foreign objects on the pallet.

24. The container palletizing system according to claim 23, characterized in that, The pallet position adjustment mechanism (6) further includes an alarm unit (67), which is communicatively connected to the second detection element and is configured to issue a warning signal when the second detection element detects that the pallet does not meet the conditions for stacking containers (8).

25. The container palletizing system according to claim 23, characterized in that, The container position adjustment mechanism includes: Cache platform; A fixed baffle (53) is fixedly installed on the buffer platform; The first movable baffle (54) is configured to be raised and lowered on the buffer platform under the control of the first positioning drive mechanism, and the container pick-and-place assembly (2) is configured to place the container on the buffer platform when the first movable baffle is in the low position. The second movable baffle (55) is configured to be movably disposed on the buffer platform under the control of the second positioning drive mechanism and is used to push the container (8) to move against the fixed baffle (53); The third movable baffle (56) is configured to be movably disposed on the buffer platform under the control of the third positioning drive mechanism and to push the container (8) to move against the first movable baffle (54) located at the higher position.

26. The container palletizing system according to claim 25, characterized in that, The buffer platform also has a lifting guide hole (5a), and the first movable baffle (54) moves up and down along the lifting guide hole (5a).

27. The container palletizing system according to claim 26, characterized in that, The combined platform includes a second cache cover (57) and a cache bracket (58). The second cache cover (57) is located above the cache platform and is fixedly mounted on the cache platform by the cache bracket (58).

28. The container palletizing system according to claim 23, characterized in that, The pallet position adjustment mechanism includes a left guide bar (60), a right guide bar (61), and an end stop (62). The left guide bar (60) and the right guide bar (61) are configured to guide a tray subjected to an external force, and the end stop (62) is configured to prevent the tray from moving in the guiding direction when the tray moves to the fourth target position under the action of an external force.

29. The container palletizing system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The container palletizing system also includes a safety protection mechanism (7), which is configured to enclose the container operating mechanism, the container position adjustment mechanism (5) and the pallet position adjustment mechanism (6), and has an operating port (7a) and an inlet / outlet (7b). The container operating mechanism is configured to extend through the operating port (7a) into the area enclosed by the safety protection mechanism to remove the container (8) from the first target location or place the container (8) into the first target location. The entrance / exit (7b) is configured as an area for the pallet to enter and exit the enclosure of the security mechanism.

30. The container palletizing system according to claim 29, characterized in that, The safety protection mechanism (7) includes a plurality of columns (70) arranged at intervals in sequence, and a shield (71) connecting two adjacent columns (70), wherein the shield (71) is not provided between two columns (70) adjacent to the location of the first target position to form the operation port (7a).

31. The container palletizing system according to claim 23, characterized in that, The first target location is located on the vehicle (9).

32. A control method for a container palletizing system, wherein the container palletizing system is the container palletizing system according to any one of claims 1 to 31, characterized in that, The control method includes the following steps: In step S1000, the motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move to the first target position, and the container picking and placing component (2) takes out the container at the first target position; Step S2000: The motion component drives the container picking and placing component to move to the container position adjustment mechanism, and the container picking and placing component (2) places the container on the container position adjustment mechanism; Step S3000: The container position adjustment mechanism adjusts the container to a preset second target position; Step S4000: The motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the second target position, and the container palletizing component takes out the container at the second target position. When the container size is smaller than the predetermined size, the container palletizing component takes out the container at the second target position and arranges the container at the arrangement target position. Step S5000: The motion component drives the container palletizing component to move to the third target position, and the container palletizing component places the container on the third target position.

33. The control method according to claim 32, characterized in that, In step S1000, the container picking and placing component (2) retrieves the container by engaging with the front end face of the container at the first target position.

34. The control method according to claim 32, characterized in that, In step S4000, the container palletizing assembly removes the container by engaging with the top surface of the container at the first target location.

35. The control method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that, The third target location is located on the tray; Prior to step S4000, the control method further includes a step of detecting whether the pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers (8).

36. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The detection methods for determining whether a pallet meets the conditions for stacking containers (8) include: Detect whether the tray has reached the preset fourth target position; and / or Check the tray for foreign objects.

37. The control method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that, In step S1000, the method further includes reading information about the container at the first target location, the information including the size of the container; When the combined container size at the target arrangement position meets the predetermined size, in step S5000, the container palletizing assembly places multiple containers at the target arrangement position at the third target position.

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