Article sorting method and article sorting apparatus

Abstract

This invention discloses a product sorting method and product sorting equipment, relating to the field of automation technology. The method is executed in a product sorting equipment, which includes multiple order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns, and chutes located above each order container. The method includes: acquiring products to be sorted, each product containing one or more items; determining the target order and target order container corresponding to the products to be sorted based on the quantity of items contained in the products to be sorted and the quantity of items required for each order; conveying the products to be sorted to a sorting vehicle; determining the target path of the sorting vehicle based on the target order container; and controlling the movement of the sorting vehicle according to the target path to transport the products to be sorted to the chutes above the target order containers, so that the products to be sorted are placed into the target order containers via the chutes. According to the technical solution of this invention, product sorting efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to a product sorting method and product sorting equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of e-commerce retail, automated sorting equipment has become increasingly important in the industry. This is because e-commerce shopping prioritizes speed, and automated sorting equipment can improve the accuracy of product sorting and reduce the labor intensity of workers. The main categories of e-commerce retail goods include snacks, beverages, and daily necessities. These categories have complex and diverse packaging, and orders typically require multiple items. However, existing sorting equipment can only sort one item at a time, unable to sort entire boxes of goods, resulting in low sorting efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a product sorting method and equipment to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a product sorting method and product sorting equipment to solve or at least alleviate the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a goods sorting method is provided, performed in a goods sorting device, the goods sorting device including a plurality of order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns, and a chute located above each order container. The method includes: acquiring goods to be sorted, the goods to be sorted comprising one or more items; determining a target order and a target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of items contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of items required for each order; conveying the goods to be sorted to a sorting vehicle; determining a target path for the sorting vehicle based on the target order container; and controlling the movement of the sorting vehicle according to the target path to transport the goods to be sorted to the chute above the target order container, so that the goods to be sorted are placed into the target order container through the chute.

[0006] Optionally, in the goods sorting method according to the present invention, obtaining the goods to be sorted includes: obtaining the goods to be sorted corresponding to the current collection order, so as to allocate the goods to be sorted to the orders in the current collection order; wherein, the collection order contains multiple orders with the same attributes, and each order corresponds to an order container.

[0007] Optionally, in the goods sorting method according to the present invention, determining the target order and target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order includes: determining the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is 1, then determining the order with the smallest required quantity of goods in the current collection order as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is greater than 1, then determining the order with the largest required quantity of goods in the current collection order as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted.

[0008] Optionally, in the goods sorting method according to the present invention, determining the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted includes: detecting the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted; and determining the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted.

[0009] Optionally, the goods sorting method according to the present invention further includes: determining whether the current collection order contains orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1; if the current collection order does not contain orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1, then: when it is determined that the goods to be sorted contain a quantity of goods greater than 1, an alarm is triggered.

[0010] Optionally, the goods sorting method according to the present invention further includes: after all the goods required for the target order are placed into the corresponding target order container, printing the document of the target order and conveying the document to the sorting vehicle, so that the sorting vehicle transports the document to the chute above the target order container and places it into the target order container through the chute.

[0011] Optionally, in the goods sorting method according to the present invention, the chute includes: a chute body arranged at an angle; and a buffer disposed between the chute body and the order container to buffer the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body to the order container.

[0012] Optionally, in the goods sorting method according to the present invention, the chute is equipped with a sensor; the method further includes: detecting whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute using the sensor, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, a goods sorting device is provided, comprising: a plurality of order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns; a chute located above each order container; at least one sorting cart; at least one packing station adapted to acquire goods to be sorted, the goods to be sorted comprising one or more items, and adapted to transport the goods to be sorted to the sorting cart via a conveyor line; and a control system adapted to: determine a target order and a target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of items contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of items required for each order; determine a target path for the sorting cart based on the target order container; and control the movement of the sorting cart according to the target path to transport the goods to be sorted to the chute above the target order container, so that the goods to be sorted are placed into the target order container via the chute.

[0014] Optionally, the goods sorting equipment according to the present invention further includes: a goods identification device arranged on the bag feeding platform and communicatively connected to the control system, adapted to detect the weight of the goods to be sorted; and / or a size detection device arranged on the bag feeding platform and communicatively connected to the control system, adapted to detect the shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted; wherein the control system is further adapted to: acquire the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted, and determine the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted based on the weight and / or shape characteristics.

[0015] Optionally, in the goods sorting equipment according to the present invention, the chute includes: a chute body arranged at an angle; and a buffer disposed between the chute body and the order container to buffer the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body to the order container.

[0016] Optionally, in the goods sorting equipment according to the invention, the chute has a sensor adapted to detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container.

[0017] Optionally, the goods sorting equipment according to the present invention further includes: a horizontal drive assembly, including a sprocket and a chain, the chain being adapted to move horizontally under the drive of the sprocket; and a lifting assembly, fixed to the chain so as to move horizontally with the chain, the lifting assembly being fixedly connected to the sorting vehicle and adapted to drive the sorting vehicle to move up and down.

[0018] Optionally, the goods sorting equipment according to the invention further includes: a shelf on which the plurality of order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns are arranged.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, a computing device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the program instructions including instructions for performing the fault information display method as described above.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, a readable storage medium storing program instructions is provided, which, when read and executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform the fault information display method as described above.

[0021] According to the technical solution of the present invention, a goods sorting method and goods sorting equipment are provided. Goods to be sorted are obtained through a feeding platform, and the goods to be sorted may contain one or more items. Based on the quantity of items contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of items required for each order, the target order and target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted are determined. The goods to be sorted are transported to a sorting cart, and the target path of the sorting cart is determined according to the target order container. Then, the movement of the sorting cart can be controlled according to the target path to transport the goods to be sorted to a chute above the target order container, so that the goods to be sorted slide through the chute into the target order container. Thus, according to the technical solution of the present invention, a whole box of goods can be sorted at once, thereby improving goods sorting efficiency.

[0022] The buffer structure of the chute according to the present invention can buffer the goods to be sorted as they slide into the order container. Furthermore, sensors on the chute can detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through it, thus determining whether they have been placed into the target order container. This allows for timely detection of goods remaining on the chute and for determining whether the sorting vehicle has completed placing the goods, facilitating the counting of the number of goods placed into the target order container.

[0023] According to the method of placing multiple order containers based on shelves in this invention, the order containers can be reasonably arranged according to the actual number of orders, and the order containers can be easily expanded. Furthermore, after all the order containers on the same shelf have been filled with the corresponding goods, the multiple order containers filled with goods on the shelf can be easily moved by moving the shelf.

[0024] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, certain illustrative aspects are described herein in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings. These aspects indicate various ways in which the principles disclosed herein may be practiced, and all aspects and their equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed subject matter. The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout this disclosure, the same reference numerals generally refer to the same parts or elements.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a goods sorting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a plurality of order containers 140 (placed on a shelf 150) arranged in multiple rows and columns is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting assembly 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a horizontal drive assembly 180 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart of a goods sorting method 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a goods sorting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the goods sorting equipment 100 includes at least one feeding station 110, at least one sorting vehicle 120, multiple order containers 140 arranged in multiple rows and columns, a chute 130 located above each order container 140, and a control system (not shown in the figure).

[0034] In one embodiment, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes a shelf 150 for placing multiple order containers 140, which can be arranged in multiple rows and columns on the shelf 150. Figure 1The illustrated sorting equipment 100 only shows a shelf 150 for placing multiple order containers 140 in multiple rows and columns, with one order container 140 placed on the shelf 150. However, it should be noted that multiple order containers 140 can be placed in multiple rows and columns on the shelf 150, and a chute 130 can be provided above each order container 140. Each order container 140 can correspond to one order and be used to place one or more items corresponding to the order.

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a plurality of order containers 140 (placed on a shelf 150) arranged in multiple rows and columns according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 2 Only the arrangement of multiple order containers 140 is shown, and the chute 130 above each order container 140 is not shown.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, according to the present invention, multiple order containers 140 are placed on the shelf 150, which allows for reasonable arrangement of the order containers 140 according to the actual number of orders, and easy expansion of the order containers 140. Furthermore, after the corresponding goods are placed in all the order containers 140 on the same shelf 150, the multiple order containers 140 with placed goods can be easily moved by moving the shelf 150.

[0037] According to the goods sorting equipment 100 of the present invention, the packing station 110 can acquire goods to be sorted. For example, after the goods to be sorted have been scanned, they can be placed on the packing station 110. In one embodiment, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes a scanning device communicatively connected to the control system. The goods to be sorted may contain a barcode. Before placing the goods to be sorted on the packing station 110, the barcode can be scanned by the scanning device to obtain the goods information of the goods to be sorted.

[0038] In one embodiment, the goods sorting equipment 100 may be equipped with multiple packing stations 110, so that multiple groups of goods to be sorted from the same or different collection orders can be placed on multiple packing stations 110 at the same time to improve work efficiency and thus improve goods sorting efficiency.

[0039] It should be noted that the goods to be sorted can specifically contain one or more items (of the same specification), and the one or more items contained in each batch of goods to be sorted can belong to the same collection order (the current collection order). Here, the goods to be sorted contain one item, that is, a single item. The goods to be sorted contain multiple items, for example, a whole box of goods.

[0040] It should also be noted that a single aggregate order can contain multiple orders with the same attributes. For the goods to be picked corresponding to the current aggregate order, the goods to be picked (containing one or more goods) can be assigned to the corresponding orders in the current aggregate order.

[0041] In one embodiment, each order can correspond to an order container 140, and each order needs to be allocated one or more goods. That is, for each order contained in the collection order, one or more goods to be allocated to the order container 140 corresponding to the order need to be sorted to achieve goods sorting.

[0042] Specifically, after determining the current collection order corresponding to the goods to be sorted, the control system can allocate a corresponding order container for each order contained in the current collection order. For example, in one embodiment, before the goods to be sorted are obtained at the packing station 110, one or more goods to be sorted can be transported to the packing station 110 by a transport device (e.g., a handcart). The transport device has a collection order barcode corresponding to the goods to be sorted it is transporting. By scanning the collection order barcode with a scanning device, the current collection order information corresponding to the goods to be sorted can be obtained. The control system can obtain the current collection order information from the scanning device, thereby determining the current collection order corresponding to the goods to be sorted.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, before the goods sorting equipment 100 sorts the goods to be sorted, the control system can classify the orders according to attributes, and group one or more orders with the same attribute into the same set order. For example, 40 orders with the same attribute can be grouped into one set order.

[0044] It should be noted that the attributes of the aforementioned orders can include the shipping courier company, order type (such as food, clothing, daily necessities, etc.), order size, order weight, user ID, order ID, number, name, description, price, status, order time, and other order-related attributes. In embodiments of the present invention, orders can be grouped based on one or more attributes. In some embodiments, the control system can employ intelligent algorithms to optimize paths for order grouping or combining, in order to maximize operational efficiency. Here, the present invention does not limit the specific algorithm used.

[0045] It's important to note that there's a high overlap in the items within a single order, meaning different orders within the same order may contain the same items. Workers can access the storage area to pick items according to the order. Picking by order can be done collaboratively by multiple workers, each responsible for a specific area. The difference between picking by order and traditional to-the-order picking is that workers can retrieve fewer items but in greater quantities from a smaller area, reducing worker movement and searching, and lowering the error rate.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the packaging station 110 includes a conveyor line. By placing the goods to be sorted on the packaging station 110, the packaging station 110 can transport the goods to the sorting vehicle 120 via the conveyor line after acquiring the goods.

[0047] The sorting vehicle 120 is used to transport goods to be sorted so that they can be transported to the corresponding order container 140.

[0048] In one embodiment, after the goods to be sorted are provided to the sorting cart 120, the control system can obtain the goods information of the goods to be sorted from the scanning device, and can bind the goods to be sorted (containing one or more goods) to the sorting cart 120 so that the goods to be sorted can be transported to the corresponding order container 140 through the sorting cart 120. It should be noted that the same collection order can contain multiple goods of the same specification. For subsequent goods of the same specification, they can be placed continuously on the packing station 110 without scanning again until the specification of the goods changes, which helps to improve the sorting efficiency.

[0049] The control system can determine the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted and the target order container 140 corresponding to the target order based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order (in the current collection order).

[0050] Subsequently, the control system can determine the target path of the distribution vehicle 120 (i.e., the path by which the distribution vehicle 120 moves from its current position to above the target order container 140) based on the target order container 140.

[0051] Finally, the control system can control the movement of the sorting vehicle 120 according to the target path, so that the sorting vehicle 120 transports the goods to be sorted to the chute 130 above the target order container 140. After the sorting vehicle 120 places the goods to be sorted into the chute 130, the goods to be sorted can be placed into the target order container 140 through the chute 130. That is, the goods to be sorted can slide from the chute 130 into the target order container 140.

[0052] In this way, the sorting and placement of the aforementioned goods to be sorted can be achieved.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control system can determine the target order and the target order container 140 corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order.

[0054] First, the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted can be determined. In one embodiment, the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted can be detected, and the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted can be determined based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted. It can be understood that, based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted, it can be determined whether the goods to be sorted are a single item (1 item) or a whole box of goods (multiple items).

[0055] If the items to be sorted contain only one item (a single item), then the order with the fewest required items in the current batch can be designated as the target order for the items to be sorted. This allows for the priority allocation of single items to orders with fewer required items in the current batch.

[0056] If the number of items to be sorted is greater than one (the items to be sorted include multiple items, such as a full carton), then the order with the largest required quantity of items in the current consolidation order can be identified as the target order corresponding to the items to be sorted. This allows for the priority allocation of full cartons of items to orders with the largest required quantity of items in the current consolidation order.

[0057] In one embodiment, after assigning the goods to be sorted to the target order and placing them into the target order container 140 corresponding to the target order, the quantity of goods required for the order can be updated based on the latest quantity of goods placed (the quantity of goods included in the goods to be sorted).

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes goods identification equipment and / or size detection equipment. The goods identification equipment and size detection equipment can be arranged on the bag feeding table 110, and the goods identification equipment and size detection equipment can be communicatively connected to the control system.

[0059] The product identification device can be used to detect the weight of the products to be sorted on the packaging station 110 and send the weight of the products to be sorted to the control system. The size detection device can be used to detect the shape characteristics of the products to be sorted and send the external characteristics of the products to be sorted to the control system.

[0060] After acquiring the weight and / or external characteristics of the goods to be sorted detected by the goods identification device, the control system can determine the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted.

[0061] It should be noted that the product identification device can be implemented as a weighing device, various sensors capable of weight detection, visual cameras, etc. The size detection device can be implemented as various visual inspection devices for detecting the external dimensions of products. This invention does not impose specific limitations on the types of product identification devices and size detection devices.

[0062] In addition, before the goods sorting equipment 100 sorts the goods to be sorted, it can also determine whether the current collection order contains orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1 (i.e., orders that need to be allocated a full case of goods). Specifically, the control system can determine whether the current collection order contains orders that need to be allocated a full case of goods based on the order prompt information.

[0063] If the current collection order does not contain orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1 (does not contain orders that need to be allocated a full carton of goods), then: when it is determined that the quantity of goods to be sorted is greater than 1 (for example, when the goods to be sorted are a full carton of goods), an alarm can be triggered to avoid sorting the full carton of goods.

[0064] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the goods sorting equipment 100 also includes at least one defect container 160. When there is no order corresponding to the goods to be sorted, the goods to be sorted can be placed into the defect container 160.

[0065] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the chute 130 includes a chute body 131 and a buffer 132 arranged at an angle.

[0066] Specifically, the chute body 131 may include a downwardly inclined surface and baffles disposed on both sides of the inclined surface.

[0067] The buffer 132 can be disposed between the chute body 131 and the order container 140 to buffer the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body 131 to the order container 140.

[0068] In one embodiment, the buffer 132 can be a resilient material such as a rubber sheet. After the goods to be sorted slide from the chute body 131 to the buffer 132, they press down on the buffer 132 (e.g., the rubber sheet), at which point the buffer 132 has an elastic restoring force. Subsequently, after the goods to be sorted slide into the target order container 140, the buffer 132 (e.g., the rubber sheet) can return to its initial height under the action of the elastic restoring force.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, the chute 130 is further equipped with a sensor. Specifically, the sensor may be disposed on the inclined surface of the chute body 131. The sensor can be used to detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute 130, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container 140. In this way, the situation where the goods to be sorted remain on the chute 130 can be detected in a timely manner, and it can be determined whether the sorting vehicle 120 has completed the placement of the goods to be sorted, facilitating the counting of the quantity of goods placed into the target order container 140.

[0070] In one embodiment of the present invention, after all the goods required for a target order have been placed into the corresponding target order container, the target order document can be printed using a printing device (not shown in the figure), and the target order document can be transported to the distribution vehicle 120. The distribution vehicle 120 then transports the document to the chute above the target order container and places the document into the target order container via the chute. In this way, the goods required for each order and the corresponding document can be automatically placed into the corresponding order container.

[0071] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes one or more lifting components 170 and horizontal driving components 180 for driving the sorting vehicle 120 to move.

[0072] in, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting assembly 170 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a horizontal drive assembly 180 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the broadcast vehicle 120 can be fixed on the lifting assembly 170, and the lifting assembly 170 can drive the broadcast vehicle 120 to move up and down.

[0074] The horizontal drive assembly 180 is connected to one or more lifting assemblies 170 and can drive one or more lifting assemblies 170 and the broadcast vehicle 120 to move horizontally.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, the horizontal drive assembly 180 includes a sprocket 181 and a chain 182, which can move horizontally under the drive of the sprocket 181. Additionally, the horizontal drive assembly 180 includes a motor 185, which is connected to the sprocket 181 and can drive the sprocket 181 to rotate, thereby driving the chain 182 to move horizontally. Furthermore, the control system is communicatively connected to the motor 185, and the control system drives the sprocket and chain by controlling the operation of the motor 185, so that the horizontal drive assembly 180 drives one or more lifting assemblies 170 and the distribution vehicle 120 to move horizontally.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, one or more lifting components 170 are fixed to the chain 182. Thus, when the sprocket 181 drives the chain 182 to move horizontally, each lifting component 170 can move horizontally with the chain 182, thereby driving the sorting cart 120 to move horizontally synchronously. Furthermore, the lifting component 170 itself can drive the sorting cart 120 to move vertically. In this way, the lifting component 170 and the horizontal drive component 180 can work together to drive the sorting cart 120 to move (vertically and horizontally), so that the sorting cart 120 can move the goods to be sorted to the chute 130 above the target order container 140.

[0077] It should be noted that during the operation of the goods sorting equipment 100, the sprocket 181 can move continuously at a constant speed under the drive of the motor, so as to drive one or more lifting components 170 fixed on the chain 182 to move horizontally at a constant speed.

[0078] In another embodiment, the control system can determine a reasonable target path for the distribution vehicle 120 (the path from its current position to above the target order container) based on the speed of the sprocket and the lifting speed of the lifting assembly. By coordinating the lifting assembly and the horizontal drive assembly, the control system can move the distribution vehicle 120 to above the target order container without interruption. In other words, the control system can determine a reasonable target path for the distribution vehicle 120 (the path from its current position to above the target order container) based on the target order container, the speed of the sprocket, and the lifting speed of the lifting assembly.

[0079] In this embodiment, the control system can control the lifting assembly 170 and the horizontal drive assembly 180 to work together according to the target path, so as to drive the distribution vehicle 120 to move along the target path. Specifically, the horizontal drive assembly 180 drives the lifting assembly 170 and the distribution vehicle 120 to move horizontally, and the lifting assembly 170 drives the distribution vehicle 120 to move vertically. This controls the distribution vehicle 120 (along the target path) to move above the target order container, so that the distribution vehicle 120 can transport the goods to be sorted to the chute 130 above the target order container 140. After the distribution vehicle 120 places the goods to be sorted into the chute 130, the goods can be placed into the target order container 140 through the chute 130, thereby realizing the sorting and placement of the goods to be sorted.

[0080] In one embodiment, the sorting vehicle 120 may include a sorting conveyor belt and sorting rollers. The sorting rollers are connected to the sorting conveyor belt and can drive the sorting conveyor belt to move so that the sorting conveyor belt transfers the goods to be sorted into a chute above the target order container. Bars may be provided on the sorting conveyor belt of the sorting vehicle 120 to prevent the goods to be sorted from rolling over on the sorting vehicle 120. Here, the specific structure and number of the bars can be set according to actual needs and the characteristics of the goods, and the present invention does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0081] In embodiments of the present invention, the goods sorting equipment 100 is adapted to perform the goods sorting method 500. The goods sorting method 500 of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0082] Figure 5A schematic flowchart of a goods sorting method 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The goods sorting method 500 is adapted to be performed in the aforementioned goods sorting equipment 100. The goods sorting equipment 100 can, according to the goods sorting method 500 of the present invention, allocate the goods to be sorted to target orders and place them into the corresponding target order containers 140.

[0083] As mentioned above, the goods sorting equipment 100 includes at least one feeding station 110, at least one sorting vehicle 120, multiple order containers 140 arranged in multiple rows and columns, chutes 130 located above each order container 140, and a control system.

[0084] like Figure 5 As shown, method 500 begins with step 510.

[0085] In step 510, the goods to be sorted are placed on the packing station 110. That is, the packing station 110 picks up the goods to be sorted. The goods to be sorted may contain one or more items.

[0086] In one embodiment, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes a scanning device that is communicatively connected to the control system. The goods to be sorted may contain a barcode. Before placing the goods to be sorted on the feeding station 110, the barcode can be scanned by the scanning device to obtain the goods information of the goods to be sorted.

[0087] In one embodiment, the goods to be sorted corresponding to the current collection order can be obtained so that the goods to be sorted can be assigned to the corresponding orders in the current collection order.

[0088] It should be noted that the goods to be sorted can specifically contain one or more items (of the same specification), and the one or more items contained in each batch of goods to be sorted can belong to the same collection order (the current collection order). Here, the goods to be sorted contain one item, that is, a single item. The goods to be sorted contain multiple items, for example, a whole box of goods.

[0089] It should also be noted that a single aggregate order can contain multiple orders with the same attributes. For the goods to be picked corresponding to the current aggregate order, the goods to be picked (containing one or more goods) can be assigned to the corresponding orders in the current aggregate order.

[0090] In one embodiment, each order can correspond to an order container 140, and each order needs to be allocated one or more goods. That is, for each order contained in the collection order, one or more goods to be allocated to the order container 140 corresponding to the order need to be sorted to achieve goods sorting.

[0091] In one embodiment, after determining the current collection order corresponding to the goods to be sorted, the control system can allocate a corresponding order container for each order contained in the current collection order. For example, in one embodiment, before the goods to be sorted are received at the packing station 110, one or more goods to be sorted can be transported to the packing station 110 by a transport vehicle (e.g., a trolley). The transport vehicle has a collection order barcode corresponding to the goods to be sorted it is transporting. By scanning the collection order barcode with a scanning device, the current collection order information corresponding to the goods to be sorted can be obtained. The control system can obtain the current collection order information from the scanning device, thereby determining the current collection order corresponding to the goods to be sorted.

[0092] Next, in step 520, the control system can determine the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted and the target order container 140 corresponding to the target order based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order (in the current collection order).

[0093] In step 530, the packaging station 110 can transport the goods to be sorted to the sorting vehicle 120 via a conveyor line.

[0094] In one embodiment, after the goods to be sorted are provided to the sorting cart 120, the control system can obtain the goods information of the goods to be sorted from the scanning device, and can bind the goods to be sorted (containing one or more goods) to the sorting cart 120 so that the goods to be sorted can be transported to the corresponding order container 140 through the sorting cart 120. It should be noted that the same collection order can contain multiple goods of the same specification. For subsequent goods of the same specification, they can be placed continuously on the packing station 110 without scanning again until the specification of the goods changes, which helps to improve the sorting efficiency.

[0095] In step 540, the control system can determine the target path of the distribution vehicle 120 (i.e., the path by which the distribution vehicle 120 moves from its current position to above the target order container 140) based on the target order container 140.

[0096] Finally, in step 550, the control system can control the distributing vehicle 120 to move according to the target path (i.e., control the distributing vehicle 120 to move along the target path), so that the distributing vehicle 120 transports the goods to be sorted to the chute 130 above the target order container 140. After the goods to be sorted are placed in the chute 130, they can be delivered to the target order container 140 through the chute 130. That is, the goods to be sorted can slide from the chute 130 into the target order container 140.

[0097] In this way, the sorting and placement of the aforementioned goods to be sorted can be achieved.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in step 520, the control system can determine the target order and target order container 140 corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order.

[0099] First, the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted can be determined. In one embodiment, the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted can be detected, and the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted can be determined based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted. It can be understood that, based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted, it can be determined whether the goods to be sorted are a single item (1 item) or a whole box of goods (multiple items).

[0100] If the items to be sorted contain only one item (a single item), then the order with the fewest required items in the current batch can be designated as the target order for the items to be sorted. This allows for the priority allocation of single items to orders with fewer required items in the current batch.

[0101] If the number of items to be sorted is greater than one (the items to be sorted include multiple items, such as a full carton), then the order with the largest required quantity of items in the current consolidation order can be identified as the target order corresponding to the items to be sorted. This allows for the priority allocation of full cartons of items to orders with the largest required quantity of items in the current consolidation order.

[0102] In one embodiment, after assigning the goods to be sorted to the target order and placing them into the target order container 140 corresponding to the target order, the quantity of goods required for the order can be updated based on the latest quantity of goods placed (the quantity of goods included in the goods to be sorted).

[0103] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the goods sorting equipment 100 further includes goods identification equipment and / or size detection equipment. The goods identification equipment and size detection equipment can be arranged on the bag feeding table 110, and the goods identification equipment and size detection equipment can be communicatively connected to the control system.

[0104] The product identification device can be used to detect the weight of the products to be sorted on the packaging station 110 and send the weight of the products to be sorted to the control system. The size detection device can be used to detect the shape characteristics of the products to be sorted and send the external characteristics of the products to be sorted to the control system.

[0105] After acquiring the weight and / or external characteristics of the goods to be sorted detected by the goods identification device, the control system can determine the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted.

[0106] In addition, before the goods sorting equipment 100 sorts the goods to be sorted, it can also determine whether the current collection order contains orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1 (i.e., orders that need to be allocated a full case of goods). Specifically, the control system can determine whether the current collection order contains orders that need to be allocated a full case of goods based on the order prompt information.

[0107] If the current collection order does not contain orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1 (does not contain orders that need to be allocated a full carton of goods), then: when it is determined that the quantity of goods to be sorted is greater than 1 (for example, when the goods to be sorted are a full carton of goods), an alarm can be triggered to avoid sorting the full carton of goods.

[0108] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the chute 130 includes a chute body 131 and a buffer 132 arranged at an angle.

[0109] Specifically, the chute body 131 may include a downwardly inclined surface and baffles disposed on both sides of the inclined surface.

[0110] The buffer 132 can be disposed between the chute body 131 and the order container 140 to buffer the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body 131 to the order container 140.

[0111] In one embodiment, the buffer 132 can be a resilient material such as a rubber sheet. After the goods to be sorted slide from the chute body 131 to the buffer 132, they press down on the buffer 132 (e.g., the rubber sheet), at which point the buffer 132 has an elastic restoring force. Subsequently, after the goods to be sorted slide into the target order container 140, the buffer 132 (e.g., the rubber sheet) can return to its initial height under the action of the elastic restoring force.

[0112] In one embodiment of the invention, the slide 130 also has a sensor. Specifically, the sensor may be disposed on the inclined surface of the slide body 131.

[0113] In the method 500 of the present invention, sensors on the chute 130 can also detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute 130, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container 140. In this way, the situation where the goods to be sorted remain on the chute 130 can be detected in a timely manner, and it can be determined whether the sorting vehicle 120 has completed the placement of the goods to be sorted, which is convenient for counting the number of goods placed into the target order container 140.

[0114] In one embodiment of the present invention, after all the goods required for a target order have been placed into the corresponding target order container, the document for the target order can be printed using a printing device, and the document can be transported to a distribution vehicle 120. The distribution vehicle 120 then transports the document to a chute above the target order container and places the document into the target order container via the chute. This allows for the automated placement of all goods and corresponding documents required for each order into the corresponding order container.

[0115] It should also be noted that the specific structure and implementation of the goods sorting equipment 100 can be found in the description in the previous embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0116] According to the product sorting method 500 and product sorting equipment 100 of the present invention, products to be sorted are obtained through a feeding platform 110, and the products to be sorted may contain one or more items. Based on the quantity of items contained in the products to be sorted and the quantity of items required for each order, the target order and target order container 140 corresponding to the products to be sorted are determined. The products to be sorted are transported to a sorting cart 120, and the target path of the sorting cart 120 is determined according to the target order container 140. Furthermore, the movement of the sorting cart 120 can be controlled according to the target path to transport the products to be sorted to a chute 130 above the target order container 140, so that the products to be sorted slide through the chute 130 to the target order container 140. Thus, according to the technical solution of the present invention, a whole box of goods can be sorted at once, thereby improving sorting efficiency.

[0117] According to the buffer 132 structure of the chute 130 of the present invention, the goods to be sorted can be buffered during the process of sliding to the order container 140. Furthermore, sensors on the chute 130 can detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute 130, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container 140. In this way, it is possible to detect in a timely manner whether the goods to be sorted remain on the chute 130, and to determine whether the sorting cart 120 has completed the placement of the goods to be sorted, facilitating the counting of the number of goods placed into the target order container 140.

[0118] According to the present invention, multiple order containers 140 are placed on a shelf 150, which allows for reasonable arrangement of the order containers 140 based on the actual number of orders, and easy expansion of the order containers 140. Furthermore, after all the order containers 140 on the same shelf 150 have been filled with the corresponding goods, the multiple order containers 140 filled with goods on the shelf 150 can be easily moved by moving the shelf 150.

[0119] B11. The device as described in B9 or B10, wherein the chute comprises: a chute body arranged at an angle; and a buffer disposed between the chute body and the order container to cushion the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body to the order container.

[0120] B12. The device as described in any one of B9-B11, wherein the chute has a sensor adapted to: detect whether the item to be sorted has passed through the chute, so as to determine whether the item to be sorted has been placed into the target order container.

[0121] B13. The device as described in any one of B9-B11, further comprising: a horizontal drive assembly including a sprocket and a chain, the chain being adapted to move horizontally under the drive of the sprocket; and a lifting assembly fixed to the chain to move horizontally with the chain, the lifting assembly being fixedly connected to the distribution vehicle and adapted to drive the distribution vehicle to move vertically.

[0122] B14. The equipment as described in any one of B9-B13, further comprising: a shelf on which the plurality of order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns are arranged.

[0123] In this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. Furthermore, the terms "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or unit referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention.

[0124] The various techniques described herein can be implemented in combination with hardware or software, or a combination thereof. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, can take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embedded in a tangible medium, such as a removable hard disk, USB flash drive, floppy disk, CD-ROM, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein when the program is loaded into and executed by a machine such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the present invention.

[0125] When the program code is executed on a programmable computer, the mobile terminal generally includes a processor, a processor-readable storage medium (including volatile and non-volatile memory and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. The memory is configured to store program code; the processor is configured to execute the method of the present invention according to instructions in the program code stored in the memory.

[0126] By way of example, and not limitation, readable media include readable storage media and communication media. Readable storage media stores information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media generally embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in the form of modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and includes any information delivery medium. Any combination of the above is also included within the scope of readable media.

[0127] In the specification provided herein, the algorithms and displays are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other device. Various general-purpose systems can also be used with the examples of this invention. The required structure for constructing such systems is apparent from the above description. Furthermore, this invention is not directed to any particular programming language. It should be understood that the contents of the invention described herein can be implemented using various programming languages, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of implementation of the invention.

[0128] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0129] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this disclosure and aid in understanding one or more of the various aspects of the invention, in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention above, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will understand that modules, units, or components of the devices disclosed in the examples herein can be arranged in the devices described in this embodiment, or alternatively, can be located in one or more devices different from the devices in this example. The modules in the foregoing examples can be combined into a single module or further divided into multiple sub-modules.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules in the device of the embodiment can be adaptively changed and placed in one or more devices different from that embodiment. Modules, units, or components in the embodiment can be combined into a single module, unit, or component, and further, they can be divided into multiple sub-modules, sub-units, or sub-components.

[0132] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments.

[0133] Furthermore, some of the embodiments described herein are methods or combinations of method elements that can be implemented by a processor of a computer system or by other means of performing the functions. Therefore, a processor having the necessary instructions for implementing the methods or method elements forms means for implementing the methods or method elements. Furthermore, the elements described herein in the apparatus embodiments are examples of means for implementing the functions performed by elements for the purposes of carrying out the invention.

[0134] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., to describe ordinary objects merely indicates different instances of similar objects and is not intended to imply that the objects being described must have a given order in time, space, ordering, or any other manner.

[0135] Although the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand from the foregoing description that other embodiments are conceivable within the scope of the invention described herein. Furthermore, it should be noted that the language used in this specification has been chosen primarily for readability and edibility purposes, and not for the purpose of explaining or limiting the subject matter of the invention.

Claims

1. A product sorting method, performed in a product sorting device, the product sorting device comprising a plurality of order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns, and a chute located above each order container, the method comprising: Obtain the goods to be sorted corresponding to the current collection order, so as to allocate the goods to be sorted to the orders in the current collection order. The current collection order contains multiple orders with the same attributes, and each order corresponds to an order container. The attributes include one or more of the following: the shipping courier company, order type, order size, order weight, user ID, order ID, number, name, description, price, status, and order time. The goods to be sorted contain one or more goods. Based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order, determine the target order and target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted, including: determining the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is 1, then the order with the smallest required quantity of goods in the current collection order is determined as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is greater than 1, then the order with the largest required quantity of goods in the current collection order is determined as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted. The goods to be sorted are transported to the sorting vehicle; The target path of the distribution vehicle is determined based on the target order container; According to the target path, the dispensing vehicle is controlled to move to transport the goods to be sorted to the chute above the target order container, so that the goods to be sorted can be placed into the target order container through the chute; After all the goods required for the target order have been placed into the corresponding target order container, the order form is printed and transported to the distribution vehicle, so that the distribution vehicle can transport the order form to the chute above the target order container and place it into the target order container through the chute.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, Determining the quantity of goods included in the goods to be sorted includes: Detect the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted; The quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is determined based on the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, Also includes: Determine whether the current batch order contains orders with a required quantity of goods greater than 1; If the current collection order does not contain an order with a required quantity of goods greater than 1, then: when it is determined that the quantity of goods to be sorted is greater than 1, an alarm will be triggered.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The chute includes: An inclined chute body; a buffer disposed between the chute body and the order container to cushion the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body to the order container.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The slide is equipped with a sensor; the method further includes: The sensor detects whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute, in order to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container.

6. A goods sorting device, adapted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-5, comprising: Multiple order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns; The chute located above each order container; At least one broadcast van; At least one packing station is adapted to acquire the goods to be sorted corresponding to the current collection order, so as to allocate the goods to be sorted to the orders in the current collection order, wherein the current collection order contains multiple orders with the same attributes, each order corresponds to an order container, the goods to be sorted contains one or more goods, and is adapted to transport the goods to be sorted to the sorting vehicle via a conveyor line; The control system is adapted to: determine the target order and target order container corresponding to the goods to be sorted based on the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted and the quantity of goods required for each order; the control system is further adapted to: determine the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is 1, then the order with the smallest required quantity of goods in the current collection order is determined as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted; if the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted is greater than 1, then the order with the largest required quantity of goods in the current collection order is determined as the target order corresponding to the goods to be sorted. The target path of the distribution vehicle is determined based on the target order container; According to the target path, the dispensing vehicle is controlled to move to transport the goods to be sorted to the chute above the target order container, so that the goods to be sorted can be placed into the target order container through the chute.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein, Also includes: The product identification device is arranged on the bag feeding platform and is communicatively connected to the control system, and is suitable for detecting the weight of the products to be sorted; and / or A size detection device is arranged on the bag feeding platform and is communicatively connected to the control system, which is suitable for detecting the shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted; The control system is further adapted to: acquire the weight and / or shape characteristics of the goods to be sorted, and determine the quantity of goods contained in the goods to be sorted based on the weight and / or shape characteristics.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The chute includes: The inclined chute body; A buffer is provided between the chute body and the order container to cushion the goods to be sorted as they slide from the chute body to the order container.

9. The device as described in any one of claims 6-8, wherein, The chute is equipped with a sensor adapted to detect whether the goods to be sorted have passed through the chute, so as to determine whether the goods to be sorted have been placed into the target order container.

10. The device as claimed in any one of claims 6-8, wherein, Also includes: A horizontal drive assembly includes a sprocket and a chain, the chain being adapted to move horizontally under the drive of the sprocket; A lifting assembly is fixed to the chain so that it can move horizontally with the chain. The lifting assembly is fixedly connected to the broadcast vehicle and is adapted to drive the broadcast vehicle to move up and down.

11. The device as claimed in any one of claims 6-8, wherein, Also includes: The shelves, on which multiple order containers arranged in multiple rows and columns are placed.

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