A telescopic mechanism with free number of stages and intelligent shelf with the mechanism

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of logistics storage, and discloses a telescopic mechanism with a free number of stages and an intelligent goods shelf with the same, the telescopic mechanism with a free number of stages comprising a bracket, a plurality of telescopic plates which are slidingly connected with each other, and a transmission assembly for driving the telescopic plates to be gradually put out or withdrawn, one of the telescopic plates being slidingly connected with the bracket, and the sliding direction of the telescopic plate relative to the bracket being parallel to the relative sliding direction of two adjacent telescopic plates. The telescopic mechanism in the application can freely increase or decrease the number of stages according to requirements, has the effects of a large telescopic ratio, a small occupied space during work, and a high space utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of logistics warehousing, and in particular to a telescopic mechanism with freely adjustable number of levels and an intelligent shelf having the mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] As businesses continue to expand their production capacity, shelving, as a storage device for storing goods, is widely used in the logistics and warehousing field. Shelving typically consists of a frame and multiple vertically spaced partitions on the frame. Each partition has storage spaces for placing boxes, where goods are stored.

[0003] With the continuous development of artificial intelligence and automation technologies, the sorting and retrieval of goods is gradually evolving towards intelligence. For example, when retrieving goods located in different storage locations, a three-axis machine capable of moving along the X, Y, and Z axes is typically used to move the material boxes. This three-axis machine includes a telescopic mechanism capable of multi-stage extension and retraction. The telescopic mechanism is equipped with a picking arm for lifting or clamping the material boxes. When retrieving goods, the telescopic mechanism needs to extend and retract into the storage location on the shelf, and the picking arm lifts or clamps the material box, thereby moving the material box into or out of the storage location.

[0004] However, telescopic mechanisms on the market generally suffer from a small telescopic ratio, resulting in a large space occupation and low space utilization when the telescopic mechanism is in operation, which needs to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to increase the telescopic ratio of the telescopic mechanism and improve space utilization, this application provides a telescopic mechanism with freely increasing or decreasing levels and an intelligent shelf with such mechanism.

[0006] Firstly, the telescopic mechanism with freely increasing or decreasing levels provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A telescopic mechanism with freely increasing or decreasing levels includes a bracket, multiple telescopic plates that are slidably connected to each other, and a transmission assembly for driving each telescopic plate to extend or retract in stages. One of the telescopic plates is slidably connected to the bracket, and the sliding direction of the telescopic plate relative to the bracket is parallel to the relative sliding direction of two adjacent telescopic plates.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the telescopic mechanism includes multiple stacked telescopic plates. When the transmission component drives each telescopic plate to extend sequentially, the telescopic mechanism is in the deployed state; when the transmission component drives each telescopic plate to retract sequentially, the telescopic mechanism is in the retracted state. Because the telescopic mechanism has a stacked plate structure, in practical applications, operators can freely increase or decrease the number of telescopic plates as needed, thereby changing the overall length of the telescopic mechanism when deployed or retracted. The basic number of stages in the telescopic mechanism is three. When the telescopic ratio needs to be increased, an additional telescopic plate can be added between the top and bottom telescopic plates; when the telescopic ratio needs to be decreased, the middle telescopic plate can be removed accordingly. This telescopic mechanism has a large telescopic ratio when fully deployed and fully retracted, occupies little space during operation, has high space utilization, and saves resources.

[0009] Optionally, the transmission assembly includes a transmission gear, a transmission motor for driving the transmission gear to rotate circumferentially, and a transmission rack fixedly mounted on the telescopic plate, wherein the transmission gear can mesh successively with the transmission racks on each telescopic plate.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, when the drive motor is working, the drive gear rotates circumferentially and meshes with each drive rack in turn. This causes the drive rack to move the telescopic plate connected to it towards or away from the bracket, thereby realizing the retraction or extension of the telescopic mechanism. The sliding of the telescopic plate is achieved through the meshing of the drive gear and the drive rack, which not only provides high transmission accuracy and good stability when the telescopic plate moves, but also allows the telescopic plate to stop moving at any position, thus enabling the telescopic mechanism to retract or extend any distance. The structure is simple and the transmission effect is good.

[0011] Optionally, locking components are provided between the bracket and the telescopic plate, and between two adjacent telescopic plates. The locking components include a locking post slidably connected to one end of the telescopic plate, a positioning sleeve fixedly connected to the end of the telescopic plate away from the locking post, an elastic element for driving the locking post on one of the telescopic plates to extend into the positioning sleeve on the adjacent telescopic plate, and a guide post fixedly provided on the bracket and the telescopic plate. The locking post has a guide groove for the guide post to move into during the retraction of the telescopic plate. When the guide post moves into the guide groove, the locking post will slide relative to the telescopic plate and move out of the positioning sleeve.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, when the telescopic mechanism is in the deployed state, the locking pin on one of the telescopic plates is located in the positioning sleeve of the adjacent telescopic plate. At this time, the locking pin can prevent the relative sliding of the two adjacent telescopic plates, which helps to improve the structural stability when the telescopic plates are deployed. If the transmission assembly is used to drive each telescopic plate to retract step by step, during the process of the telescopic plate moving towards the side closer to the bracket, the guide pin will extend into the guide groove of the adjacent telescopic plate, causing the locking pin to move out of the positioning sleeve, thereby unlocking the two adjacent telescopic plates and preventing the locking pin from affecting the retraction of the telescopic mechanism.

[0013] When the telescopic mechanism is in the retracted state, the guide post is located in the guide groove, and the locking post is located outside the positioning sleeve. If the transmission assembly drives each telescopic plate to extend step by step, the positioning sleeve will move synchronously as the telescopic plate moves away from the bracket. When the positioning sleeve moves to align with the locking post, the locking post will automatically extend into the positioning sleeve under the action of the elastic element, thereby locking the two adjacent telescopic plates. With this configuration, adjacent telescopic plates can automatically lock and unlock during the movement of the telescopic plates without requiring any other manual operation by the operator, resulting in a high degree of automation.

[0014] Optionally, the guide groove includes a first slide groove and an inclined groove connected to the side of the first slide groove away from the guide post in the same locking assembly. The extension direction of the first slide groove is parallel to the sliding direction of the telescopic plate, and the end of the first slide groove away from the inclined groove is provided with a guide opening for the guide post to move in. The inclined groove extends obliquely from the guide opening toward the side closer to the positioning sleeve.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, during the retraction process of the telescopic mechanism, as the telescopic plate and locking pin continuously move, the guide pin first moves along the guide opening into the first slide groove, and then into the inclined groove. When the guide pin moves relative to the locking pin along the inclined groove, its position relative to the connected bracket or telescopic plate remains constant because it is fixedly mounted on the bracket or telescopic plate. Under the guiding action of the inclined groove, the locking pin slides relative to the telescopic plate and moves out of the positioning sleeve. The structure is simple and has good linkage.

[0016] Optionally, the positioning sleeve has a positioning hole for the locking pin to extend into, and the positioning hole has a positioning inclined surface on the hole wall away from the guide pin in the same locking assembly. The locking pin has a guide inclined surface for abutting and cooperating with the positioning inclined surface. The guide groove also includes a second slide groove connected to the inclined groove on the side away from the first slide groove. The extension direction of the second slide groove is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking pin.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, during the process of the telescopic plate moving towards the bracket, after the guide post enters the inclined groove, the positioning inclined surface will abut against the guide inclined surface, causing the locking post to move further away from the positioning sleeve, thereby allowing the guide post to extend into the second sliding groove. This allows the guide post to limit the locking post and the telescopic plate, making it less likely for adjacent telescopic plates, the telescopic plate and the bracket to slide relative to each other, which helps to further improve the overall stability of the telescopic mechanism in the retracted state.

[0018] Optionally, the locking post includes a movable part and locking parts disposed on both sides of the movable part, and each locking part is provided with the guide groove; each locking assembly includes two guide posts, and each guide post is used to slide and engage with the adjacent guide groove.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, when the telescopic mechanism is retracted, both sides of the locking post are guided by the sliding action of the guide post, which helps to further improve the movement stability of the locking post.

[0020] Optionally, the movable part has a movable hole in the middle, and the locking pin also includes a connecting rod disposed between the two opposite side walls of the movable hole. The telescopic plate is fixedly connected to a mounting seat sleeved on the outside of the connecting rod. The elastic element includes a movable spring that abuts against the mounting seat and the wall of the movable hole. The movable spring is sleeved on the outside of the connecting rod and its extension and retraction direction is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking pin.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the connecting rod passes through the movable spring and the mounting base, which not only prevents the movable spring from undergoing lateral deformation, thus helping to ensure the deformation direction of the movable spring, but also plays a guiding and limiting role when the locking pin slides, making it difficult for the locking pin to tilt to the side. When the locking pin moves out of the positioning sleeve, the movable spring is in a compressed deformation state and generates elastic force. This elastic force can drive the locking pin to automatically extend into the positioning sleeve after the locking pin is aligned with the positioning sleeve, thereby realizing the automatic locking of two adjacent telescopic plates. The structure is simple and easy to manufacture.

[0022] Secondly, the intelligent shelf provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0023] An intelligent shelving unit includes a frame, multiple vertically spaced partitions on the frame, a telescopic mechanism as described above, a lifting mechanism for driving the telescopic mechanism to move vertically, and a translation mechanism for driving the telescopic mechanism to move horizontally. A picking arm for lifting or clamping a material box is fixedly connected to the telescopic mechanism. The intelligent shelving unit also includes a control module, a camera module for monitoring the entry and exit of goods, and a weighing module for weighing the goods entering and exiting the warehouse. Both the weighing module and the camera module are electrically connected to the control module. The telescopic mechanism, lifting mechanism, and translation mechanism can operate under the control of the control module.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, when storing and retrieving goods, the lifting mechanism first moves the telescopic mechanism to a designated height, and the translation mechanism moves the telescopic mechanism to a designated horizontal position. Then, the telescopic plate in the telescopic mechanism extends to a designated length. After the picking arm lifts or clamps the material box, the telescopic plate in the telescopic mechanism retracts. Then, the lifting and translation mechanisms drive the telescopic mechanism to move the picking arm until the material box on the picking arm is aligned with the preset picking and placing position on the shelf. Finally, the telescopic plate in the telescopic mechanism extends to a certain length again, moving the material box to the picking and placing position. Goods can then be stored and retrieved at the preset picking and placing position. During the retrieval and placement process, workers do not need to walk back and forth around the shelf, making it convenient, fast, and efficient. The camera module can monitor the entry and exit of goods in real time, and the weighing module can weigh the goods entering and leaving the warehouse to calculate the quantity of goods entering and leaving the warehouse, making it highly practical.

[0025] Optionally, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting frame, a lifting motor mounted on the lifting frame, and a lifting screw fixedly connected to the output shaft of the lifting motor. The length direction of the lifting screw is parallel to the vertical direction, and a lifting block that is threadedly connected to the lifting screw is fixedly mounted on the bracket.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, when the lifting motor is working, the lifting screw will rotate circumferentially, thereby causing the lifting block to drive the bracket to move vertically, thus changing the height of the telescopic mechanism to adapt to picking up and placing goods at different heights.

[0027] Optionally, the translation mechanism includes a mounting frame fixedly connected to the frame, a translation motor mounted on the mounting frame, and a translation screw fixedly connected to the output shaft of the translation motor. The length direction of the translation screw is parallel to the horizontal direction, and a translation block that is threadedly connected to the translation screw is fixedly mounted on the lifting frame.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, when the translation motor is working, the translation screw will rotate circumferentially, which will cause the translation block to drive the lifting frame and the bracket to move laterally, thereby changing the horizontal position of the telescopic mechanism to adapt to picking up and placing goods located at different horizontal positions.

[0029] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0030] 1. When the transmission component is working, the telescopic plates will be extended or retracted step by step to realize the folding or unfolding of the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism has a stacked plate structure. The number of telescopic plates can be freely increased or decreased according to the needs. The telescopic mechanism has a large telescopic ratio, occupies little space when working, and has a high space utilization rate.

[0031] 2. When the telescopic mechanism is fully extended, the locking pin is located in the adjacent positioning sleeve to lock the two adjacent telescopic plates, which helps to improve the stability when the telescopic plates are extended; when the telescopic mechanism is fully retracted, the guide pin is located in the second slide groove of the guide groove and the locking pin moves out of the positioning sleeve, making it difficult for the two adjacent telescopic plates, the telescopic plates and the bracket to move relative to each other, which helps to improve the stability when the telescopic plates are retracted.

[0032] 3. When this telescopic mechanism is applied to a smart shelf, the lifting mechanism in the smart shelf can drive the telescopic mechanism to move vertically, and the translation mechanism can drive the telescopic mechanism to move horizontally, so that the picking arm connected to the telescopic mechanism can move the material box from different positions to the preset picking and placing station, thereby realizing the fixed-point storage and retrieval of goods. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic mechanism in the deployed state in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic mechanism in the retracted state in an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the telescopic plate in the embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the telescopic mechanism in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking post, elastic element, and mounting base in the embodiments of this application.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the intelligent shelf in the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the telescopic mechanism, lifting mechanism, and translation mechanism in the embodiments of this application.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0042] 1. Telescopic mechanism; 11. Bracket; 111. Base plate; 112. Horizontal plate; 113. Vertical plate; 114. Storage cavity; 115. Sensor; 12. Telescopic plate; 121. Moving rail; 122. Mounting base; 123. Mounting hole; 124. Fixing block; 13. Transmission assembly; 131. Transmission gear; 132. Transmission motor; 133. Transmission rack; 14. Slide rail base; 15. Locking assembly; 151. Locking pin; 151 1. Moving part; 1512. Locking part; 1513. Connecting rod; 1514. Moving hole; 1515. Guide slope; 152. Positioning sleeve; 1521. Positioning hole; 1522. Positioning slope; 153. Elastic element; 1531. Moving spring; 154. Guide post; 16. Guide groove; 161. First slide groove; 162. Second slide groove; 163. Inclined groove; 164. Guide opening; 17. Lifting block; 18. First limit block;

[0043] 2. Frame; 3. Partitions;

[0044] 4. Lifting mechanism; 41. Lifting frame; 411. First limit rail; 412. Translation block; 413. Second limit block; 42. Lifting motor; 43. Lifting screw;

[0045] 5. Translation mechanism; 51. Mounting bracket; 511. Second limit rail; 52. Translation motor; 53. Translation lead screw;

[0046] 6. Material bin; 7. Picking and placing station; 8. Picking arm. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-8 This application will be described in further detail.

[0048] On the one hand, embodiments of this application disclose a telescopic mechanism with freely increasing or decreasing levels.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2The telescopic mechanism, which can be freely increased or decreased in number of stages, includes a bracket 11, multiple telescopic plates 12 that are slidably connected to each other, and a transmission assembly 13 for driving each telescopic plate 12 to extend or retract in stages. When the transmission assembly 13 drives each telescopic plate 12 to extend, the telescopic mechanism is in the extended state; when the transmission assembly 13 drives each telescopic plate 12 to retract, the telescopic mechanism is in the retracted state. The basic number of stages of this telescopic mechanism is three, that is, it includes at least three telescopic plates 12. In this embodiment, five telescopic plates 12 are distributed vertically to illustrate its structure. When the telescopic mechanism is in the extended state, each telescopic plate 12 is distributed in a stepped manner; when the telescopic mechanism is in the retracted state, each telescopic plate 12 is distributed vertically in a stacked manner. The telescopic plate 12 located at the bottom is slidably connected to the bracket 11, and the sliding direction of this telescopic plate 12 relative to the bracket 11 is parallel to the relative sliding direction of two adjacent telescopic plates 12. Specifically, the above sliding direction refers to the horizontal direction. In other embodiments, the telescopic plates 12 can also be configured in other quantities, distributed in other directions, or slidably connected in other directions as needed. That is, the number of stages of the telescopic plates 12 in the telescopic mechanism can be freely increased or decreased.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The bracket 11 includes a base plate 111, a horizontal plate 112 fixed to the side of the base plate 111 facing the telescopic plate 12, and two vertical plates 113 disposed opposite each other on the upper side of the horizontal plate 112. A storage cavity 114 for the telescopic plate 12 to be moved into is formed between the base plate 111, the horizontal plate 112 and the two vertical plates 113. When the telescopic mechanism is in the fully retracted state, the telescopic plate 12 is stacked in the storage cavity 114.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The transmission assembly 13 includes a transmission gear 131, a transmission motor 132 for driving the transmission gear 131 to rotate circumferentially, and a transmission rack 133 fixedly mounted on the telescopic plate 12. The housing of the transmission motor 132 is fixed to the side of the horizontal plate 112 facing the opening of the receiving cavity 114, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the transmission gear 131. The transmission gear 131 meshes with the transmission rack 133, and the height of the top of the transmission gear 131 is greater than the height of the transmission rack 133 on the uppermost telescopic plate 12, while the height of the bottom of the transmission gear 131 is less than the height of the transmission rack 133 on the lowermost telescopic plate 12. In this embodiment, the transmission motor 132 is a servo motor or stepper motor with an output shaft that can rotate in both directions, so that the transmission gear 131 can rotate in different directions. When the transmission motor 132 is working, the transmission gear 131 rotates circumferentially and meshes with the transmission racks 133 on each telescopic plate 12 sequentially, thereby allowing each telescopic plate 12 to be extended or retracted sequentially.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2When the telescopic plate 12 is extended, the transmission gear 131 first engages with the uppermost transmission rack 133, and then engages with other transmission racks 133 in a downward direction, so that each telescopic plate 12 is extended step by step in a downward direction; when the telescopic plate 12 is retracted, the transmission gear 131 first engages with the lowermost transmission rack 133, and then engages with other transmission racks 133 in a downward direction, so that each telescopic plate 12 is retracted step by step in a downward direction.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 To prevent the telescopic plate 12 from completely moving out of the bracket 11 during deployment, a sensor 115 is installed on the horizontal plate 112 to detect the position of the lowest telescopic plate 12. This sensor 115 is connected to the drive motor 132 via a controller. When the transmission assembly 13 operates and deploys the telescopic plate 12, if the telescopic plate 12 moves out of the area above the sensor 115, the sensor 115 will not detect the position of the telescopic plate 12 and will send a signal to the drive motor 132, thereby stopping the drive motor 132 from operating.

[0054] Reference Figure 3 To improve the moving stability of the telescopic plate 12, a slide rail seat 14 is fixed on both the horizontal plate 112 and the upper side of the telescopic plate 12, and a moving rail 121 that slides and engages with the slide rail seat 14 is fixed on the lower side of the telescopic plate 12. During the sliding process of the telescopic plate 12, the moving rail 121 is always located in the slide rail seat 14, so that the sliding direction of the telescopic plate 12 is controllable.

[0055] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 Locking components 15 are provided between the bracket 11 and the lowest telescopic plate 12, and between two adjacent telescopic plates 12. Each locking component 15 includes a locking post 151 that is vertically slidably connected to one end of the telescopic plate 12, a positioning sleeve 152 that is fixedly connected to the adjacent telescopic plate 12, an elastic element 153 for driving the locking post 151 to extend into the positioning sleeve 152 on the adjacent telescopic plate 12, and a guide post 154 that is fixedly provided on the upper side of the bracket 11 and the telescopic plate 12. The positioning sleeve 152 on the same telescopic plate 12 is located on the side of the locking post 151 closer to the bracket 11, and the guide post 154 is located on the side of the locking post 151 away from the bracket 11.

[0056] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6The locking pin 151 includes a movable part 1511, locking parts 1512 fixed on both sides of the movable part 1511, and a connecting rod 1513 fixed in the movable part 1511. A movable hole 1514 is provided in the middle of the movable part 1511. The connecting rod 1513 is vertically arranged and its two ends are respectively fixed to the opposite side walls of the movable hole 1514. A mounting base 122 is fixedly connected to the telescopic plate 12 by bolts. A mounting hole 123 is provided in the middle of the mounting base 122 for the connecting rod 1513 to pass through, thereby realizing a vertical sliding connection between the locking pin 151 and the telescopic plate 12.

[0057] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 The positioning sleeve 152 has a positioning hole 1521 in its middle for the locking pin 151 to extend vertically. The elastic element 153 includes a movable spring 1531 sleeved on the outside of the connecting rod 1513. The movable spring 1531 abuts against the top wall of the movable hole 1514 and the mounting base 122, and the extension and retraction direction of the movable spring 1531 is parallel to the vertical direction. During the extension of the telescopic mechanism, after the positioning sleeve 152 of the upper telescopic plate 12 moves to align with the locking pin 151 of the lower telescopic plate 12, the movable spring 1531 will drive the locking pin 151 to automatically extend into the positioning hole 1521 to lock the adjacent telescopic plates 12.

[0058] Reference Figure 3 The telescopic plate 12 has two fixing blocks 124 at its end away from the bracket 11. Specifically, the fixing blocks 124 can be fixed to the telescopic plate 12 by bolt connection. Each locking assembly 15 has two guide posts 154, which are fixed to different fixing blocks 124 respectively. The guide posts 154 are located on the opposite side of the two fixing blocks 124.

[0059] Reference Figure 6 Each locking post 151 has a guide groove 16 on its locking part 1512, which is used to allow the guide post 154 to move into it during the retraction of the telescopic plate 12. The guide groove 16 includes a first sliding groove 161, a second sliding groove 162, and an inclined groove 163 connecting the first sliding groove 161 and the second sliding groove 162. The inclined groove 163 is located on the side of the first sliding groove 161 away from the guide post 154 in the same locking assembly 15, that is, the inclined groove 163 is located on the side of the first sliding groove 161 away from the bracket 11. The extending direction of the first sliding groove 161 is parallel to the sliding direction of the telescopic plate 12, and the extending direction of the second sliding groove 162 is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking post 151.

[0060] Reference Figure 6The first slide groove 161 has a guide opening 164 at its end away from the inclined groove 163 for the guide post 154 to move into. The inclined groove 163 extends upward at an angle from the guide opening 164. The second slide groove 162 is located above the inclined groove 163 and connects to the end of the inclined groove 163 away from the first slide groove 161. During the retraction process of the telescopic mechanism, as the telescopic plate 12 moves continuously, the guide post 154 moves along the first slide groove 161 into the inclined groove 163, causing the locking post 151 to move out of the positioning sleeve 152, so as to prevent the locking post 151 from affecting the retraction of the telescopic plate 12.

[0061] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 The positioning hole 1521 has a positioning inclined surface 1522 on the hole wall away from the guide post 154 in the same locking assembly 15. The top of the locking post 151 has a guide inclined surface 1515 on the side away from the bracket 11. The guide inclined surface 1515 and the positioning inclined surface 1522 are parallel to each other. After the guide post 154 moves into the inclined groove 163, the telescopic plate 12 continues to retract. The positioning inclined surface 1522 will abut against the guide inclined surface 1515, so that the locking post 151 continues to move downward, so that the guide post 154 moves into the second sliding groove 162. At this time, the guide post 154 can prevent the relative sliding of the two adjacent telescopic plates 12 and the telescopic plate 12 and the bracket 11, which helps to improve the overall stability of the telescopic mechanism when it is in the retracted state.

[0062] The implementation principle of a telescopic mechanism with freely increasing or decreasing levels in this application embodiment is as follows: When the telescopic mechanism is in the extended state, the locking post 151 of one of the telescopic plates 12 is located in the positioning sleeve 152 of the adjacent telescopic plate 12. At this time, the locking post 151 can prevent the relative sliding of the two adjacent telescopic plates 12, which helps to improve the stability of the telescopic plate 12 when it is released. When the telescopic mechanism is retracted, the drive motor 132 is activated. The drive gear 131 first engages with the lowest drive rack 133, causing the rack 133 to move the lowest telescopic plate 12 closer to the bracket 11. As the telescopic plate 12 continues to move, the guide post 154 on the bracket 11 moves along the first slide groove 161 into the inclined groove 163. Under the guidance of the inclined groove 163, the locking post 151 moves downward out of the positioning sleeve 152. Continuing to move the telescopic plate 12, the positioning inclined surface 1522 abuts against the guide inclined surface 1515, causing the locking post 151 to move further downward and the guide post 154 to move into the second slide groove 162, thus locking the bracket 11 and the lowest telescopic plate 12. This process continues, with each telescopic plate 12 gradually retracting from bottom to top. After retraction, adjacent telescopic plates 12, the lowest telescopic plate 12, and the bracket 11 are locked together.

[0063] To re-expand the telescopic mechanism, the drive motor 132 is first rotated in reverse. The drive gear 131 then engages with the uppermost drive rack 133, causing the rack to move the uppermost telescopic plate 12 away from the bracket 11. As the telescopic plate 12 continues to advance, once the positioning sleeve 152 of the uppermost telescopic plate 12 aligns with the locking pin 151, the locking pin 151 automatically extends into the positioning sleeve 152 under the drive of the movable spring 1531, locking adjacent telescopic plates 12. This process is repeated, with each telescopic plate 12 being gradually extended from top to bottom. This telescopic mechanism has a stacked plate structure, allowing for the addition or reduction of the number of telescopic plates 12 as needed, thus changing the overall length of the telescopic mechanism when expanded and retracted. Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism exhibits a large expansion ratio when expanded or retracted, occupies less space during operation, and has high space utilization.

[0064] When increasing the number of telescopic plates 12, first remove the original top telescopic plate 12, then stack the new telescopic plate 12 on the existing top telescopic plate 12, and set the locking post 151, positioning sleeve 152 and fixing block 124 with guide post 154 on the new telescopic plate 12 to connect the two telescopic plates 12 through the locking assembly 15. Finally, reinstall the original top telescopic plate 12 and increase the height of the transmission gear 131 accordingly to further increase the telescopic ratio of the telescopic mechanism.

[0065] On the other hand, this application also discloses an intelligent shelf.

[0066] Reference Figure 7 The intelligent shelving includes a frame 2, multiple partitions 3 vertically spaced on the frame 2, the aforementioned telescopic mechanism 1, a lifting mechanism 4 for driving the telescopic mechanism 1 to move vertically, and a translation mechanism 5 for driving the telescopic mechanism 1 to move horizontally. The partitions 3 are fixedly installed on the frame 2 and have multiple rows and columns of storage positions for placing material boxes 6. When the shelving is in use, goods are stored in the material boxes 6, and the shelving is pre-set with retrieval stations 7 for fixed-point storage and retrieval of goods.

[0067] The intelligent shelving system includes a control module, a camera module for monitoring the entry and exit of goods, and a weighing module for weighing the goods. The control module is a control system that operates via computer software. The lifting mechanism 4, the translation mechanism 5, and the telescopic mechanism 1 in the intelligent shelving system are all driven by the control system, which pre-records information about the goods stored in different locations. When storing or retrieving goods, after the staff inputs the specified goods information into the control system, the lifting mechanism 4, the translation mechanism 5, and the telescopic mechanism 1 will automatically operate to move the material box 6 containing the specified goods to the retrieval station 7. After the staff completes the retrieval, the material box 6 will automatically return to its original position.

[0068] Reference Figure 7 The camera module, which is a camera installed on the frame 2, is located directly above the pick-and-place station 7. It is used to monitor whether the material bin 6 has been moved to the pick-and-place station 7, so that the staff can keep track of the goods entering and leaving the warehouse. The weighing module is installed on the lower side of the pick-and-place station 7. It is used to measure the weight of the goods in the material bin 6 on the pick-and-place station 7, thereby calculating the quantity of goods entering and leaving the warehouse.

[0069] Reference Figure 8 In the telescopic mechanism 1, a picking arm 8 is fixedly connected to the side of the uppermost telescopic plate 12 away from the bracket 11. Preferably, the picking arm 8 is connected to the telescopic plate 12 by bolts. Specifically, in this embodiment, the picking arm 8 is a Z-shaped plate used to lift the material box 6 when storing or retrieving goods, so as to move the material box 6 to the picking / retrieving station 7. In other embodiments, the picking arm 8 can also be configured as a pneumatic gripper or similar structure to move the material box 6 by clamping.

[0070] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 The lifting mechanism 4 includes a lifting frame 41, a lifting motor 42 mounted on the lifting frame 41, and a lifting screw 43 fixedly connected to the output shaft of the lifting motor 42. The length direction of the lifting screw 43 is parallel to the vertical direction. A lifting block 17, which is threadedly connected to the lifting screw 43, is fixed on the bracket 11. When the lifting motor 42 is working, the lifting screw 43 will rotate circumferentially, thereby causing the lifting block 17 to drive the bracket 11 to move vertically, thus realizing the height adjustment of the telescopic mechanism 1.

[0071] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 To limit the circumferential rotation of the bracket 11 when the lifting motor 42 is started, a first limiting block 18 is fixed on the bracket 11 and a first limiting track 411 is fixed on the lifting frame 41. The first limiting block 18 is slidably mounted on the first limiting track 411.

[0072] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 The translation mechanism 5 includes a mounting frame 51 fixedly connected to the frame 2, a translation motor 52 mounted on the mounting frame 51, and a translation screw 53 fixedly connected to the output shaft of the translation motor 52. The length direction of the translation screw 53 is horizontal and perpendicular to the sliding direction of the telescopic plate 12. A translation block 412, which is threadedly connected to the translation screw 53, is fixed on the lifting frame 41. When the translation motor 52 is working, the translation screw 53 rotates circumferentially, thereby causing the translation block 412 to drive the lifting frame 41 and the bracket 11 to move horizontally, thus realizing the horizontal position adjustment of the telescopic mechanism 1.

[0073] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8To limit the circumferential rotation of the lifting frame 41 when the translation motor 52 is started, a second limiting block 413 is fixed on the lifting frame 41 and a second limiting rail 511 is fixed on the mounting frame 51. The second limiting block 413 is slidably disposed in the second limiting rail 511.

[0074] The implementation principle of an intelligent shelf according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: When storing or retrieving goods, the telescopic mechanism 1 is first moved to a specified height by the lifting mechanism 4, and then moved to a specified horizontal position by the translation mechanism 5. The telescopic plate 12 in the telescopic mechanism 1 is then extended to a preset length, allowing the picking arm 8 to extend under the specified material box 6. The lifting mechanism 4 then drives the telescopic mechanism 1 to move upward a short distance, so that the picking arm 8 lifts the material box 6. Afterwards, the telescopic plate 12 is retracted. After the lifting mechanism 4 and translation mechanism 5 drive the telescopic mechanism 1 to move the picking arm 8 to align with the picking / placing station 7, the telescopic plate 12 in the telescopic mechanism 1 is extended again until the material box 6 is moved to the picking / placing station 7, thus enabling fixed-point storage and retrieval of goods at the picking / placing station 7.

[0075] In practical applications, the area above partition 3 is typically divided into N columns of storage locations. If N-1 transfer locations are pre-set in the shelving, when retrieving or placing goods, other boxes 6 blocking the outside of the designated box 6 can be moved to the transfer location first, and then the designated box 6 can be moved to the retrieval station 7. To further improve the turnover speed, N-1 transfer locations can also be set on each layer of partition 3, so that the boxes 6 on the same layer of partition 3 can circulate on that partition 3.

[0076] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A free scalable series mechanism, characterized in that: The extension board (12) is slidably connected to the bracket (11), and the sliding direction of the extension board (12) relative to the bracket (11) is parallel to the relative sliding direction of the adjacent two extension boards (12); The bracket (11), the extension board (12) and the adjacent two extension boards (12) are provided with a locking assembly (15), the locking assembly (15) comprises a locking column (151) slidably connected to one end of the extension board (12), a positioning sleeve (152) fixedly connected to the end of the extension board (12) away from the locking column (151), an elastic member (153) for driving the locking column (151) on one of the extension boards (12) to extend into the positioning sleeve (152) on the adjacent extension board (12), and a guide column (154) fixedly arranged on the bracket (11) and the extension board (12), and a guide groove (16) is formed in the locking column (151) for the guide column (154) to move into during the retraction of the extension board (12); when the guide column (154) moves into the guide groove (16), the locking column (151) slides relative to the extension board (12) and moves out of the positioning sleeve (152); The guide groove (16) comprises a first sliding groove (161) and a slanted groove (163) connected to the side of the first sliding groove (161) away from the guide column (154) in the same locking assembly (15), the extension direction of the first sliding groove (161) is parallel to the sliding direction of the extension board (12), and the end of the first sliding groove (161) away from the slanted groove (163) is provided with a guide opening (164) for the guide column (154) to move into, and the slanted groove (163) extends obliquely from the guide opening (164) to the side close to the positioning sleeve (152); The guide groove (16) further comprises a second sliding groove (162) connected to the side of the slanted groove (163) away from the first sliding groove (161), and the extension direction of the second sliding groove (162) is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking column (151); The bracket (11) comprises a base plate (111), a horizontal plate (112) fixed to the side of the base plate (111) facing the extension board (12), and two vertical plates (113) oppositely arranged on the upper side of the horizontal plate (112), and the base plate (111), the horizontal plate (112) and the two vertical plates (113) form a receiving cavity (114) for the extension board (12) to move into.

2. The freezably scalable series of the telescopic mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission assembly (13) comprises a transmission gear (131), a transmission motor (132) for driving the transmission gear (131) to rotate circumferentially, and a transmission rack (133) fixedly arranged on the extension board (12), and the transmission gear (131) can be sequentially engaged with the transmission rack (133) on each extension board (12).

3. The freezably scalable series of the telescopic mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning sleeve (152) is provided with a positioning hole (1521) for the locking column (151) to extend into, and the positioning hole (1521) is provided with a positioning slope (1522) on the hole wall of the guide column (154) in the same locking assembly (15). The locking column (151) is provided with a guide slope (1515) for abutting with the positioning slope (1522).

4. The freezably scalable series of the telescopic mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking column (151) comprises a movable part (1511) and locking parts (1512) arranged on both sides of the movable part (1511), and each locking part (1512) is provided with the guide groove (16). Each locking assembly (15) comprises two guide columns (154), and each guide column (154) is used for slidingly matching with the adjacent guide groove (16).

5. The freely scaleable series of telescoping mechanisms of claim 4, wherein: The movable part (1511) is provided with a movable hole (1514) in the middle part, and the locking column (151) further comprises a connecting rod (1513) arranged between the hole walls on the opposite sides of the movable hole (1514). The telescopic plate (12) is fixedly connected with a mounting seat (122) sleeved outside the connecting rod (1513). The elastic member (153) comprises a movable spring (1531) arranged between the mounting seat (122) and the hole wall of the movable hole (1514). The movable spring (1531) is sleeved outside the connecting rod (1513) and the telescopic direction is parallel to the sliding direction of the locking column (151).

6. A smart shelf, characterized by: The intelligent goods shelf comprises a frame body (2), a plurality of partition plates (3) vertically and spaced apart on the frame body (2), the telescopic mechanism (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, a lifting mechanism (4) for driving the telescopic mechanism (1) to vertically move, a translation mechanism (5) for driving the telescopic mechanism (1) to horizontally move, and a goods taking arm (8) fixedly connected to the telescopic mechanism (1) and used for lifting or clamping a material box (6). The intelligent goods shelf further comprises a control module, a camera module for monitoring the in-and-out storage of goods, and a weighing module for weighing the weight of the in-and-out storage goods. The weighing module and the camera module are electrically connected to the control module. The telescopic mechanism (1), the lifting mechanism (4) and the translation mechanism (5) can act under the action of the control module.

7. The smart shelf of claim 6, wherein: The lifting mechanism (4) comprises a lifting frame (41), a lifting motor (42) arranged on the lifting frame (41), and a lifting lead screw (43) fixedly connected to the output shaft of the lifting motor (42). The length direction of the lifting lead screw (43) is parallel to the vertical direction. The bracket (11) is fixedly provided with a lifting block (17) threadedly connected with the lifting lead screw (43).

8. The smart shelf of claim 7, wherein: The translation mechanism (5) comprises a mounting frame (51) fixedly connected to the frame body (2), a translation motor (52) arranged on the mounting frame (51), and a translation lead screw (53) fixedly connected to the output shaft of the translation motor (52). The length direction of the translation lead screw (53) is parallel to the horizontal direction. The lifting frame (41) is fixedly provided with a translation block (412) threadedly connected with the translation lead screw (53).

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