A pallet storage system and method of putting and taking pallets therefrom

Abstract

The application provides a tray storage system and a method for storing and taking out goods, which comprises open interfaces arranged on both sides of a stereoscopic shelf in a dense storage area and shelves for temporary storage of goods entering and leaving the storage area, and AGV forklifts are used to directly pick and carry goods between the stereoscopic shelf and the temporary storage shelves on both sides. The AGV forklifts are used to replace the conveying lines and lifting devices in the existing storage system, and the AGV forklifts can directly pick goods from different levels of the stereoscopic shelf or directly put goods into the open interfaces on different levels of the stereoscopic shelf. Therefore, the application can effectively avoid the transport bottleneck of the elevator by directly transferring the goods with the AGV forklifts, realize the multi-point-to-multi-point transfer of goods between the stereoscopic shelf and the temporary storage shelves at the entrance and exit, and reduce the construction cost of a single storage space, so that the stereoscopic storage scheme is not limited by the height of the elevator equipment, and the seamless connection operation of storage and picking of the automatic tray stereoscopic warehouse in the simplest equipment mode is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent warehousing systems, and more specifically to a pallet storage system and its loading and unloading method. Background Technology

[0002] Existing warehousing systems typically use conveyor lines and elevators for inbound and outbound operations. The inbound process can be referenced... Figure 1 As shown above, the outbound operation process is the reverse: First, a forklift is used to pick up the goods from the loading and unloading area and place them on the conveyor line. The conveyor line then transports the goods to the lifting device connected to the automated storage and retrieval system. The lifting device then transports the goods to the corresponding floor of the automated storage and retrieval system. The four-way shuttle on that floor is then driven to pick up the goods from the lifting device and transfer them to the corresponding storage location in the dense storage area of ​​that floor.

[0003] This system requires the coordinated operation of conveyor lines, lifting devices, and four-way shuttles. Since the conveyor lines and lifting devices can only move a set of pallets to the target location through linear operations per unit of operation time, the operating efficiency of the lifting devices actually limits the turnover efficiency bottleneck of the entire warehousing system when the warehousing throughput is large. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a pallet storage system and its loading / unloading method. This application utilizes AGV forklifts to directly transport goods to different levels of the automated storage and retrieval system, avoiding queuing issues caused by lifting devices and improving system operating efficiency. Multiple AGV forklifts can operate collaboratively, performing multiple inbound and outbound tasks in parallel, thereby maximizing the turnover efficiency of the storage system. The specific technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0005] First, to achieve the above objectives, a pallet storage system loading and unloading method is proposed. The inbound process includes: dispatching manual forklifts in the truck unloading area to move goods to the inbound temporary storage area; driving AGV forklifts to directly move goods from the inbound temporary storage area to the corresponding open interface of the three-dimensional racking system in the high-density storage area; dispatching four-way shuttles operating within the corresponding level of the three-dimensional racking system to retrieve goods from the open interface and transfer them to designated storage locations within the three-dimensional racking system for storage. The outbound process includes: dispatching four-way shuttles operating within the goods storage level of the three-dimensional racking system to retrieve goods from their storage locations and transfer them to open interfaces at the edge of the three-dimensional racking system; driving AGV forklifts to directly move goods from the corresponding level of the three-dimensional racking system to the inbound / outbound temporary storage area; and dispatching manual forklifts in the loading area to move goods from the outbound temporary storage area to trucks. The inbound and outbound temporary storage areas can be continuously connected or separately set up.

[0006] The pallet storage system loading and unloading method described above further includes the following steps: in the temporary storage area, the warehouse manager scans the code of the pallet and the material code of the goods using a handheld terminal, and binds the pallet code, material code and the temporary storage location of the goods.

[0007] The pallet storage system loading and unloading methods described above include, after binding the pallet code and material code, triggering the generation of an inbound task, calculating and determining the designated storage location of the goods in the automated racking, and then triggering an AGV forklift to retrieve the goods from the temporary storage location according to the inbound task, and moving the goods to the open interface at the edge of the level where the designated storage location is located in the automated racking.

[0008] The pallet storage system loading and unloading method described above further includes the following steps: querying the designated storage location of the goods in the automated racking system according to the outbound goods demand, and triggering the four-way shuttle in the automated racking system corresponding to the level of the designated storage location to move the goods from the designated storage location to the open interface at the edge of the level; after moving to the open interface, triggering the AGV forklift to pick up the goods from the open interface, moving the goods to the temporary storage location in the outbound temporary storage area, and marking the correspondence between the goods and the temporary storage location.

[0009] The pallet storage system loading and unloading method described above further includes the following steps in the outbound temporary storage area: based on the correspondence between goods and temporary storage locations, the temporary storage location corresponding to the outbound goods is sent to the warehouse manager via a handheld terminal; the warehouse manager receives goods confirmation information from the handheld terminal via the handheld terminal; and based on the goods confirmation information, an AGV forklift is triggered to move the remaining goods in the pallet from the temporary storage location to the open interface at the edge of the corresponding designated storage location in the automated racking system.

[0010] In any of the pallet storage system methods described above, after the remaining goods are moved to the open interface at the edge of the layer where the designated storage location of the corresponding goods is located, a four-way shuttle in the automated racking system corresponding to the layer where the open interface is located is triggered to move the goods from the open interface to the designated storage location.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a pallet storage system, comprising: a temporary storage area located at the edge of the storage space; a dense storage area separately arranged in a continuous area outside the temporary storage area; the dense storage area is equipped with a three-dimensional rack with several layers of open interfaces; AGV forklifts operating in the temporary storage area; and four-way shuttles operating in the three-dimensional rack; wherein, each open interface of the three-dimensional rack has a storage location guard welded to the rack beam along the direction of goods handling, the top of the storage location guard is inclined outward towards the rack beam, and the bottom of the storage location guard is close to the inner edge of the rack beam; the storage location guards on both sides of the open interface form an inverted trapezoidal opening along the direction of goods handling to guide the goods to align with the rack beam on both sides and enter the three-dimensional rack; the AGV forklifts and four-way shuttles respectively transport goods according to any of the above-described loading and unloading methods.

[0012] In any of the pallet storage systems described above, the temporary storage area includes an inbound temporary storage area and an outbound temporary storage area arranged on opposite sides of the storage space, and the dense storage area is arranged between the inbound temporary storage area and the outbound temporary storage area; or, the temporary storage area is set only on one side of the dense storage area.

[0013] In any of the pallet storage systems described above, the inbound temporary storage area is directly connected to the truck unloading area and is located on one side of the storage space; the outbound temporary storage area is directly connected to the loading area and is located on one side of the storage space; the truck unloading area and the loading area are interconnected, and the truck unloading area and the loading area are located along the same side wall of the storage space.

[0014] In any of the pallet storage systems described above, the racks in the inbound temporary storage area and the outbound temporary storage area are both set between the operating path of the manual forklift and the three-dimensional racks in the high-density storage area; the racks are set with open positions on both the side of the manual forklift's operating path and the side close to the three-dimensional racks, and the AGV forklifts pick up and place goods in the open positions on the side of the racks facing the high-density storage area, while the manual forklifts pick up and place goods in the open positions on the other side of the racks.

[0015] As described in any of the pallet storage systems above, the temporary storage area is equipped with shelves or floor stacks. Shelves or floor stacks They are arranged with open interfaces parallel to the three-dimensional shelving in the dense storage area. Beneficial effects

[0016] The pallet storage system and its loading / unloading method provided in this application involve arranging open interfaces and temporary storage racks for inbound and outbound storage on both sides of the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) in a dense storage area. AGV forklifts directly retrieve and transport goods between the AS / RS and the temporary storage racks on both sides. This application utilizes AGV forklifts to replace the conveyor lines and lifting devices in existing storage systems, enabling direct retrieval of goods from different levels of the AS / RS or direct placement of goods into the open interfaces of different levels within the AS / RS. Therefore, this application effectively avoids the capacity bottleneck of the lifting machine through direct transfer by the AGV forklifts, achieving multi-point-to-multi-point goods transfer between the AS / RS and the inbound / outbound temporary storage racks. This reduces the construction cost of a single storage location, eliminates the height limitations of the lifting machine in the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) design, and achieves seamless storage and picking operations in the simplest equipment mode of the automated pallet warehouse.

[0017] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practicing the application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present application and form part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they serve to explain the present application but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a comparison chart of the inbound efficiency of the put-away method in this application and the existing pallet storage system in a single inbound process;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of the pallet storage system of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inbound process in the pallet storage system of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automated racking system in the pallet storage system of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the outbound process in the pallet storage system of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation positions of the storage space side guards on both sides of the open interface of the automated racking system in this application;

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the installation method of the pallet guard at the open interface position of the automated shelving unit;

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 7A schematic diagram showing the working method of the storage location guard at the open interface position of the automated shelving unit;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another pallet storage system layout used in this application.

[0028] In the diagram, 1 represents the inbound temporary storage area; 2 represents the dense storage area; 3 represents the outbound temporary storage area; 4 represents the AGV forklift; 5 represents the manual forklift; 6 represents the storage location barrier; 20 represents the loading and unloading area; 21 represents the automated warehouse; 22 represents the main channel; and 23 represents the receiving and dispatching port. Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives and technical solutions of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0031] In this application, "inner" and "outer" refer to the direction from the truck unloading area and loading area driveway toward the internal rack storage compartments of the warehouse space, relative to the warehouse space itself, and vice versa; rather than a specific limitation on the device mechanism of this application.

[0032] The terms "up" and "down" as used in this application refer to the direction from the ground towards the top storage compartment of the automated storage and retrieval system when the user is facing the system, which is up and vice versa, and are not specific limitations on the device mechanism of this application.

[0033] The term "connection" as used in this application can mean a direct connection between components or an indirect connection between components through other components.

[0034] Pallets play a vital role in logistics operations throughout the entire process. Whether it's loading and unloading, handling, storage, sorting, or transportation, pallets are essential for the continuous transport of goods. Storing similar goods on the same pallet allows for the simultaneous access to multiple items of the same type, thus significantly improving the efficiency of logistics operations. Most manufacturing companies use pallets as storage containers.

[0035] Pallet-based automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) enable rational storage of palletized materials, automated retrieval, and simplified operation. Due to their high space utilization, strong inbound and outbound capabilities, ease of computer-based material management and control, and suitability for modern management, pallet-based AS / RS are increasingly becoming an indispensable intelligent warehousing technology in modern enterprise logistics and production management, and are receiving increasing attention from modern enterprises.

[0036] However, the planning of existing automated pallet warehouses often involves the design of numerous automated equipment and warehousing systems, resulting in potentially high construction costs. Many companies that want to modernize and intelligentize pallet warehousing have abandoned this approach due to funding shortages and limited scale. Therefore, reducing the construction cost of automated pallet warehouses has become a critical issue that companies urgently need to address.

[0037] In recent years, with the expansion of the e-commerce market, the demand for delivering a variety of goods to customers more quickly has been increasing. As a result, combining picking operations with pallet storage to achieve integrated storage and picking is bound to become the future trend of automated warehouse design. However, how to design a system that minimizes the picking path, time, and equipment has become a huge challenge.

[0038] Based on this, this application provides Figure 2 The pallet storage system shown and through Figure 1 The loading and unloading methods shown can effectively improve the throughput efficiency of the palletized automated storage and retrieval system. The system includes:

[0039] The inbound temporary storage area 1 and the outbound temporary storage area 3 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the storage space. A dense storage area 2 is arranged between the inbound temporary storage area 1 and the outbound temporary storage area 3. The dense storage area 2 is equipped with a three-dimensional shelf with several layers of open interfaces.

[0040] AGV forklifts 4 are arranged in the inbound temporary storage area 1 and the outbound temporary storage area 3 respectively, and four-way shuttles are arranged in each layer of the three-dimensional rack.

[0041] In the above system, each unit moves and handles goods and performs inbound and outbound operations according to the following loading and unloading methods.

[0042] During the warehousing process:

[0043] First, manually dispatch forklifts from the truck unloading area outside the storage space to move the goods to the shelves in the temporary storage area 1.

[0044] Then, based on the receiving status of the goods in the shelf, the AGV forklift 4 is driven to directly transport the goods on the shelf in the temporary storage area 1 to the corresponding level of the open interface in the three-dimensional rack in the dense storage area 2.

[0045] At the same time, the four-way shuttles operating in the corresponding level of the automated racking system retrieve goods from the open interface and transfer them to the designated storage location in the automated racking system for storage.

[0046] During the outbound process:

[0047] First, the four-way shuttle cars operating within the storage level of the automated racking system retrieve goods from their storage locations and transfer them to the open interface at the edge of the racking system.

[0048] At the same time, the AGV forklift 4 is driven to directly transport goods from the open interface of the corresponding level in the three-dimensional rack to the rack in the inbound / outbound temporary storage area 3;

[0049] Then, in the loading area outside the storage space, manual forklifts are dispatched to move the goods on the three shelves of the outbound temporary storage area into the trucks.

[0050] In this warehousing system, the inbound temporary storage area 1 can be located on one side of the storage space, directly connected to the truck unloading area via the inbound passage of the storage space; the outbound temporary storage area 3 can be located on the other side of the storage space, directly connected to the loading area via the outbound passage; the lanes between the truck unloading area and the loading area can be interconnected to allow for direct retrieval of outbound goods for the next round of material transportation after unloading. Generally, to facilitate truck loading and unloading, the truck unloading area and the loading area can be arranged along the same side wall of the storage space.

[0051] refer to Figure 3 ,and Figure 5 As shown, the racks of the aforementioned inbound temporary storage area 1 and outbound temporary storage area 3 can be set between the operating path of the manual forklift and the three-dimensional rack of the high-density storage area 2. To facilitate forklift loading and unloading of goods, the racks of both temporary storage areas can be equipped with open positions on one side of the operating path of the manual forklift and on the side close to the three-dimensional rack. Thus, it is convenient for the AGV forklift 4 to load and unload goods in the open position on the side of the rack facing the high-density storage area 2, while it is convenient for the manual forklift to load and unload goods in the truck simultaneously in the open position on the other side of the rack.

[0052] Taking a rectangular storage space as an example, this application can refer to... Figure 2The method involves setting up the inbound and outbound temporary storage areas along the shorter sides of the warehouse space, while using the entire central area as a dense storage area. Figure 4 The illustrated automated storage and retrieval system is configured such that the racks in the inbound temporary storage area 1 and the outbound temporary storage area 3 are respectively set to open interfaces parallel to the automated storage and retrieval system in the high-density storage area 2, and arranged side by side to shorten the operating distance of the AGV forklifts. In this way, the AGV forklifts can directly retrieve goods from the open interfaces or temporary storage racks, and can place the pallets of goods into the corresponding positions on the opposite temporary storage racks or the open interfaces of the automated storage and retrieval system by turning 180° in place.

[0053] This application, through the aforementioned design, breaks away from the traditional inlet / outlet design of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS), enabling complete independence from conveyor lines, elevators, and other equipment, and providing a completely new pallet storage system for loading and unloading operations. This loading and unloading solution reduces the construction cost of individual storage locations, eliminates the height limitations of elevator equipment in AS / RS systems, and achieves seamless storage and picking operations in an automated pallet storage and retrieval system with minimal equipment.

[0054] The aforementioned pallet storage system, through the temporary buffering of the pallet storage device and in conjunction with the corresponding handling device, can:

[0055] By utilizing pallet storage devices to construct dense shelving units, warehouse space can be maximized for material storage.

[0056] In the three-dimensional racking of the dense storage area 2, the pallet handling device is set as a four-way shuttle, which can perform four-way travel operations within the racking and is used for material handling operations between designated points.

[0057] By utilizing the temporary storage shelves in the inbound temporary storage area 1 and the outbound temporary storage area 3 to buffer the target materials for loading and unloading operations, pallet picking locations can be easily facilitated. Furthermore, by having each transfer device run its respective thread task in parallel, the system's task execution efficiency per unit time can be effectively improved.

[0058] The pallet picking location is set as a customized single-depth rack, which can be integrated with the pallet storage device, i.e., the high-density rack group, to provide a waiting transfer location for picking and inbound / outbound, and to temporarily store a series of target materials in advance according to the needs of inbound / outbound, thereby improving the efficiency of material retrieval.

[0059] Pallet transfer devices can utilize AGV forklifts to replace traditional conveyor and lifting operations, completely eliminating conveyor and lifting equipment and simplifying and reducing the cost of the automated warehouse system. Multiple AGV forklifts can be configured to operate simultaneously based on the throughput requirements of the warehousing system, effectively improving the efficiency of tasks such as picking, unloading, and storing designated materials.

[0060] In a more specific implementation, this application may refer to Figure 2Based on the warehouse operation process plan, the warehouse space floor plan is divided into the following functional areas from bottom to top: inbound temporary storage area, high-density storage area, and outbound temporary storage area. A truck parking area and loading / unloading area can be set up outside the warehouse, independent of the warehouse entrance.

[0061] This solution uses stackable AGV forklifts such as u-bot in conjunction with four-way shuttles running in the automated racking system to replace conveying and lifting equipment. At the same time, the WCS system is used to schedule the stackable AGV forklifts such as u-bot and the four-way shuttles in the racking system, and the WMS system is used to manage and update the storage status and location of goods entering and leaving the warehouse.

[0062] Its inbound operation process can be set as follows:

[0063] Materials are manually moved from trucks to the temporary storage area using forklifts.

[0064] (2) The warehouse keeper places the material codes on the pallets in the temporary storage area 1 and uses a handheld terminal to scan the pallet codes and material codes of the goods pallets on the shelf to bind the information of pallet code, material code and temporary storage location of goods.

[0065] (3) The warehouse manager issues material entry tasks on the handheld terminal. After receiving the entry application, the WMS calculates and determines the designated storage location of the goods in the three-dimensional rack, triggers the generation of entry tasks, and issues the task to the WCS. The WCS system dispatches U-BOT and other AGV forklifts 4 to retrieve the goods from the temporary storage location and move the pallet to the open interface at the edge of the level where the designated storage location is located in the rack.

[0066] (4) The WCS dispatcher moves the four-way shuttle to the rack entry point, moves the materials to the designated storage location, and uploads the completion information to the WCS system. The WCS system then uploads the information to the WMS system.

[0067] (5) The WMS system updates inventory information in real time.

[0068] The outbound operation process of this application can be set as follows:

[0069] (1) The warehouse manager issues the outbound task from the handheld terminal. The WMS queries the designated storage location of the goods in the three-dimensional rack according to the outbound goods demand and issues the task to the WCS. The WCS system is triggered to schedule the four-way shuttle car in the three-dimensional rack corresponding to the designated storage location to move the outbound goods from the designated storage location to the open interface at the edge of the level in advance. The outbound open interface can be set up in multiple layers to play the role of preparing materials in advance.

[0070] (2) After being transported to the open interface, the WCS schedules U-BOT and other AGV forklifts 4' to retrieve the goods from the open interface, remove the pallet from the shelf, place it at the picking position in the outbound temporary storage area 3, and mark the correspondence between the goods and the temporary storage position.

[0071] (3) Based on the correspondence between goods and temporary storage locations, the temporary storage location corresponding to the outbound goods is sent to the warehouse keeper via a handheld terminal. The warehouse keeper then selects the required materials from the pallet based on the prompts on the handheld terminal and confirms the selection on the handheld terminal.

[0072] (4) The warehouse keeper initiates the task of returning the remaining pallets to the warehouse through a handheld terminal. The WCS system receives the goods confirmation information from the handheld terminal, dispatches the U-BOT and the four-way shuttle, and triggers the AGV forklift 4 to move the remaining goods in the pallet from the temporary storage location to the open interface at the edge of the corresponding storage location in the three-dimensional rack. Then, it drives the four-way shuttle to move the remaining pallets to the designated storage location and feeds back to the WMS system.

[0073] (5) The WMS system updates inventory in real time.

[0074] In the aforementioned system, the inbound and outbound temporary storage areas are primarily used for: buffering goods, placing target goods on easily accessible temporary storage shelves before inbound and outbound operations, providing space for the movement of goods within the warehouse. Goods can be moved from the inbound temporary storage area to their designated storage locations. During the outbound process, target goods must also be temporarily stored in the outbound temporary storage area before being loaded onto vehicles. This area can be used for pallet data collection, performing operations such as scanning, photographing, weighing, and measuring pallets for consolidated inbound and outbound shipments, while simultaneously entering and verifying product information and inputting it into the WMS system. This solution utilizes the temporary storage locations for U-BOT transfer points, allowing U-BOT to transport materials from the transfer points to automated storage and retrieval systems for storage.

[0075] Within the high-density storage area, the racks are designed to integrate storage and picking. They utilize four-way trolley racks, with a row of dedicated single-depth picking locations at the rack ends near the inbound / outbound areas. Picked and returned materials can be directly transferred from the ground to the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) by u-bots. Materials awaiting picking are transported from inside the AS / RS to the picking location by four-way trolleys. The u-bots can then transfer the materials awaiting picking from the AS / RS racks to the ground. This process eliminates the need for conveyor lifting devices, effectively avoiding the bottleneck of lifting devices being able to extract only a single rack from the entire AS / RS at a time.

[0076] In high-density storage areas, the four-way shuttles operating within the automated storage and retrieval system can move longitudinally and laterally within the system using wheels in two orthogonal directions, meaning they can travel along parent and child aisles. This high flexibility allows for easy changes in work aisles, and the system's capacity can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of shuttles. When necessary, a fleet of work vehicles can be deployed to handle peak system demands and resolve bottlenecks in access operations.

[0077] When the four-way shuttle is traveling through a sub-channel, it first determines the location to be reached through the motor encoder, and then performs fine cargo position calibration through the lateral cargo position calibration sensor when it reaches the designated location.

[0078] The four-way shuttle is in operation. Figure 4 When the main channel is traveling, the motor encoder first determines the position to be reached, and then, after reaching the designated position, the surrounding reversing calibration sensors perform fine positioning calibration.

[0079] During operation, the four-way shuttle uses guide edges (i.e., guide sides) inside the wheels to guide the train and prevent it from deviating from its normal track. When the four-way shuttle switches between a sub-channel and a main channel, it must first stop accurately at the junction of the two channels. Analog sensors are used for positioning calibration on the track surface. When the sensor's analog signal is within a critical range, the shuttle has reached the designated precise position. Then, the direction is changed by raising or lowering the wheels in the main channel. The raising or lowering of the wheels is controlled by a program. When the four-way shuttle retrieves goods, it can do so by raising or lowering the pallet: the shuttle travels under the pallet in the aisle, and upon reaching the designated position, it raises the pallet, lifting the pallet and goods on the top-mounted shelf. The shuttle then exits the aisle with the pallet and goods. Similarly, when placing goods, the shuttle drives into the designated storage location, lowers the pallet, and places the pallet and goods on the storage location. The four-way shuttle is equipped with anti-collision function. It can detect the presence of obstacles in advance by scheduling the real-time running position of each four-way shuttle through various sensing devices and systems. Using obstacle detection sensors such as laser, infrared and vision modules, the detection distance can reach 1 meter. When an obstacle is detected, the four-way shuttle stops running.

[0080] This application utilizes u-bot and other stacking AGV forklifts to replace conveying and lifting devices, enabling automated operations for material entry and exit from warehouses. With the increasing demand for high-level storage, the taller the forklift AGV, the more fully it can utilize warehouse storage space, increasing capacity and thus improving floor space efficiency. The u-bot stacking forklift AGV selected in this embodiment uses a mast to move the forks forward during operation, extending the forks beyond the front wheels to pick up or lower goods. During movement, the forks retract with the goods, facilitating the transport of goods.

[0081] In another embodiment, this application may also provide Figure 9 The warehousing system shown utilizes a four-way shuttle warehouse in conjunction with AGV forklifts for picking. The four-way shuttle warehouse, employing an automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) 21 configuration, meets high storage capacity requirements. The four-way shuttles can operate within the multi-depth storage aisles of this AS / RS 21, maximizing storage capacity within limited space and improving throughput efficiency. This application employs AGV forklift equipment such as U-BOT to solve the problem of transporting goods from the racks to the picking area. Compared to traditional AS / RS 21, where goods must be moved to the ground via a lift, conveyor, and forklift, this application, using AGV forklift equipment such as U-BOT, allows forklift robots to directly transport goods from higher rack levels to the picking area. Furthermore, the forklift robots can handle goods not limited to one or two exit points but across the entire rack facing the picking area. Therefore, this application significantly reduces intermediate steps during the picking process, making it more flexible and efficient. Picked palletized goods can be re-entered into the warehouse via U-BOT transport.

[0082] Figure 9 The palletized warehouse according to this embodiment includes: a temporary storage rack, which is located at the entrance and exit of the loading and unloading area 20, and the temporary storage rack is configured to have an open structure on both the inner and outer sides;

[0083] The manual forklift 5 operates between the loading and unloading area 20 and the outer open area of ​​the temporary storage rack, for moving goods from the trucks in the loading and unloading area 20 to the temporary storage rack, or moving goods from the temporary storage rack to the trucks in the loading and unloading area 20.

[0084] The automated warehouse 21 is located inside the temporary storage racks and has multiple storage locations. Each storage location on each level is connected by rails. Each level has a storage location closest to the temporary storage racks as a receiving and dispatching port 23.

[0085] AGV forklift 4 operates between the inner open area of ​​the temporary storage rack and the receiving / dispatch port 23 of the automated warehouse 21. The lifting height of the AGV forklift 4 is at least up to the height of the receiving / dispatch port 23 of the top storage position of the automated warehouse 21. The AGV forklift 4 is used to move goods from the receiving / dispatch port 23 of the automated warehouse 21 to the temporary storage rack, or to move goods from the temporary storage rack to the receiving / dispatch port 23 of the automated warehouse 21.

[0086] The four-way vehicles run on tracks connecting various storage locations on each floor of the automated warehouse 21. They are used to transport goods from the receiving and dispatching port 23 of that floor to the corresponding storage location along the tracks, or to transport goods from the corresponding storage location to the receiving and dispatching port 23 of the automated warehouse 21.

[0087] In the aforementioned system, the real-time storage location of various goods can be uniformly managed through the Warehouse Management System (WMS). The WMS communicates with fixed barcode readers and shape detectors installed on temporary storage racks, as well as with handheld terminals. It primarily provides functions such as inbound / outbound management, inventory management, and stock management, serving as the main operational application system for warehouse staff. It can mark goods in pallets based on the pallet barcodes read by the fixed barcode readers and the goods information entered by the handheld terminals; it alarms when the shape detector detects goods in a pallet exceeding the pallet's carrying capacity; it also receives inbound / outbound task instructions and records and updates the real-time placement location of each item based on the operating positions of four-way trolleys and various forklifts within the warehouse system and their handling status.

[0088] Within the system, all four-way shuttles, forklifts, and other transport equipment can achieve unified scheduling management and collaborative operation through the Equipment Control and Scheduling System (WCS). The WCS communicates with the Warehouse Management System (WMS), manual forklifts (5), AGV forklifts (4), and the four-way shuttles operating in the automated warehouse (21). It interfaces with the WMS system at the upper level and with the control systems of each piece of equipment at the lower level. The WMS can send inbound / outbound tasks to the WCS, which then decomposes the tasks to specific automated equipment, scheduling the operation of each piece of equipment to complete the inbound / outbound tasks. Specifically, the WCS can query or calculate the real-time placement location of each item from the WMS based on the inbound / outbound task instructions, and issue task instructions to the manual forklifts (5), AGV forklifts (4), or the four-way shuttles operating in the automated warehouse (21) based on the real-time placement location of each item, driving the manual forklifts (5), AGV forklifts (4), or the four-way shuttles to work together to move goods out of or into the warehouse.

[0089] Specifically, in the aforementioned warehousing system:

[0090] (1) Pallet four-way shuttles can be used as pallet handling equipment inside automated warehouses. They can travel in four directions and reach any location along a fixed track. Generally, there is one four-way shuttle per floor of the racking. In warehouses with high efficiency requirements, there can be multiple shuttles per floor.

[0091] (2) The four-way rack can be used to store palletized goods. It has fixed tracks for four-way racks to travel along the X and Y axes. It can be set up in multiple layers. In this scheme, four layers are set up. The total height of the rack does not exceed 4 meters, and the height of the lower surface of the pallet on the fourth layer does not exceed 5 meters.

[0092] (3) The manual forklift 5 operating between the loading / unloading area 20 and the temporary storage rack can be set as a manual forklift, and the AGV forklift 4 between the temporary storage rack and the automated warehouse 21 can be set as an AGV forklift. The AGV forklift can be implemented using U-bot, etc., and is mainly used as a ground automated handling equipment to automatically move palletized goods from the high rack and deliver them to the designated temporary storage rack location. Multiple units can be configured according to project needs.

[0093] (4) Manual forklift: mainly used for manual handling of pallets. In this solution, it is mainly used to unload goods from trucks or load them onto trucks.

[0094] (5) Handheld terminal: It can be used as a mobile warehouse operation terminal, connected to the upper-level WMS system, and is mainly used for palletizing, picking and unloading of goods.

[0095] (5) Fixed barcode reader: Installed at the entrance of the shelf, it is used to read the barcode on the pallet to obtain material information and upload it to the upper system. The system can automatically allocate storage space according to the material information.

[0096] (4) Appearance inspection: Installed at the entrance of the shelf to detect whether the goods exceed the pallet, ensuring that the palletized goods move stably in the warehouse.

[0097] The above-mentioned devices can be used during the goods receiving process:

[0098] (1) Drive a manual forklift to move goods from the truck in loading and unloading area 20 to the temporary storage rack;

[0099] (2) The warehouse keeper places the materials on the pallet, sorts and picks the goods according to different categories, places the same category of goods in the same pallet on the temporary storage shelf, and places different categories of goods in different pallets. The warehouse keeper uses a handheld terminal to scan the pallet code and material code to enter the correspondence between the goods and the pallet into the warehouse management system (WMS) and bind the information.

[0100] (3) The warehouse manager issues material entry tasks on the handheld terminal. After receiving the entry application, the WMS issues the task to the WCS. The WCS system schedules U-BOT to drive the AGV forklift 4 to move the pallet of goods from the temporary storage rack to the receiving port 23 of the automated warehouse 21. Among them, materials of the same type are preferred to be placed in the receiving port 23 of the same floor in the automated warehouse 21.

[0101] (4) The WCS dispatcher travels the four-way shuttle to the rack entry point, and from the receiving port 23 of this floor, it moves the goods along the track to the designated storage location in the automated warehouse 21 of this floor, and uploads the completion information to the WCS system, which then uploads it to the WMS system.

[0102] (5) The WMS system updates inventory information in real time.

[0103] The above-mentioned devices can be used during the goods outbound process:

[0104] (1) The warehouse manager issues the warehouse task from the handheld terminal. The WMS receives the warehouse task instructions and queries the real-time placement location of the goods in the warehouse management system WMS according to the outbound goods. The task is then issued to the WCS. The WCS system dispatches a four-way shuttle car to transport the outbound goods from the corresponding storage location in the automated warehouse 21 along the track to the receiving and dispatching port 23 of the same floor. During the transportation process, several receiving and dispatching ports 23 can be selected as outbound ports according to the occupancy of each outbound port in the automated warehouse 21 to realize advance material preparation.

[0105] (2) WCS schedules U-BOT to drive AGV forklift 4 to take the pallet of goods from the receiving and dispatching port 23 of the automated warehouse 21 and move it to the temporary storage rack, and place it in the picking temporary storage area;

[0106] (3) The warehouse keeper selects the required materials from the pallet according to the prompts on the handheld terminal and confirms them on the handheld terminal;

[0107] (4) The warehouse manager initiates the task of returning the remaining pallets to the warehouse through the handheld terminal, which triggers the WCS to dispatch the AGV forklift 4 to move the pallets of the remaining goods from the temporary storage rack to the receiving and dispatching port 23 of the automated warehouse 21, and triggers the drive four-way vehicle to move the goods from the receiving and dispatching port 23 of the floor along the track to the corresponding storage location in the automated warehouse 21 of the floor, move the remaining pallets to the designated storage location, and feed back to the WMS system;

[0108] (5) The manual forklift 5 is driven by WCS to move the goods from the temporary storage rack to the truck in the loading and unloading area 20 to complete the outbound action, and then the WMS system is triggered to update the inventory in real time.

[0109] In the above system, each receiving and dispatching port 23 of the automated warehouse 21 is configured to accommodate only a single cargo pallet. A main channel 22 is connected in series to the rear end of each receiving and dispatching port 23 on that layer. The front end of each receiving and dispatching port 23 is designed as an open structure, allowing forklifts to directly retrieve goods. To facilitate AGV forklift handling, shorten their operating distance, and improve cargo throughput efficiency, temporary storage racks can be arranged parallel to the receiving and dispatching ports 23 of the automated warehouse 21. The distance between the temporary storage racks and the receiving and dispatching ports 23 is set to be greater than the turning radius of the AGV forklift 4. This allows cargo pallets to be directly rotated and placed onto the corresponding temporary storage rack based on the cargo's outbound interface position in the automated warehouse 21, further compressing the forklift transfer process and shortening the transfer time consumed by temporary cargo storage.

[0110] To facilitate the mixed storage of different types of goods and improve the utilization efficiency of the automated warehouse 21, this application preferably provides a main channel 22 between the receiving and dispatching port 23 and other storage locations, and also provides a main channel 22 between different storage location zones. Thus, the storage locations separated by the different main channels 22 are used to store different types of goods. When all the separated storage areas are full and there is no available space to receive new types of goods, the new types of goods can be stored in areas with more available storage space for mixed storage, further improving the utilization efficiency of the storage space.

[0111] For the two main application scenarios mentioned above, the total height of the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) can generally be limited to below 7m to facilitate direct docking and inbound / outbound operations via high-bay AGV forklifts. Existing beam racks used in temporary storage areas are typically arranged in a two-depth configuration with bidirectional aisles on both sides. This temporary storage method has low storage density and occupies a large area, making it inconvenient for picking goods. Therefore, this application proposes to directly configure the racks in the temporary storage area as either a floor-stacking system with a height of less than 1m or a single-depth, linear picking station configuration. Floor-stacking allows for easy manual pallet assembly and direct inbound / outbound operations using various types of forklifts, such as AGVs. Picking stations can directly achieve goods-to-person functionality, with pickers waiting at their respective stations for AGV forklifts to transport pallets of goods to the picking station. After retrieving the corresponding goods from the temporary storage pallet, a return process is triggered, waiting for a new pallet to be retrieved, thus achieving efficient picking of various types of goods. During the return-to-warehouse process, idle stacker AGVs can be pre-scheduled to corresponding picking stations, awaiting the picking operator to trigger the return-to-warehouse process and directly transfer remaining pallets to the automated warehouse. Other pallets awaiting retrieval can be directly triggered according to the return-to-warehouse process, transferring new pallets from the automated warehouse entrance / exit to the target picking station for retrieval. Thus, the system effectively enables the picking of goods from different pallets within the automated warehouse, achieving categorized and intensive storage of different types of goods and facilitating the retrieval and dispatch of scattered items.

[0112] The layout of storage bays between the main aisles 22 in the automated warehouse can be flexibly organized according to the type and quantity of goods in the warehouse. When there are many types of goods and the frequency of inbound and outbound operations is high, the number of storage bays between the main aisles 22 can be set to be less. When there are not many types of goods, but the storage quantity of a single type of goods is large, the number of storage bays between the main aisles 22 can be increased accordingly.

[0113] In addition, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8To facilitate the accurate and secure placement of pallets by AGV forklifts when lifting goods, reducing the risk of pallet tipping, this application further incorporates a pallet guard 6 structure welded to the beams on both sides of each storage compartment of the automated warehouse rack at each open interface, along the direction of goods handling. The top of the pallet guard can be bent outwards towards the beams, and the bottom can be directly welded to the inner edge of the beams. Thus, at each open interface in the automated warehouse, the pallet guards on both sides of the storage compartment entrance form an inverted trapezoidal opening with an open top and an inwardly tapering bottom, along the direction of goods handling. This allows the inwardly sloping sidewalls of the pallet guard 6 to guide goods onto the rack beams, ensuring accurate placement and placement of goods onto the beams on both sides of each storage compartment. This prevents tipping due to tilted placement or hinders the stable lifting of the four-way shuttle for handling the goods.

[0114] In summary, in comparison Figure 1 Compared to traditional inbound and outbound methods, this application offers the following advantages in terms of the warehouse entry and exit timeframe shown:

[0115] Reduce construction costs: By saving on conveyor lifting devices at both the inbound and outbound ends and replacing traditional lifting machines with stacker AGV forklifts such as U-bot, the construction cost of the automated warehouse can be effectively reduced.

[0116] Reducing the height of automated storage and retrieval systems: The bottleneck in the construction height of automated storage and retrieval systems lies in the elevator equipment. The solution in this application eliminates the elevator, which allows the racking to maximize the use of warehouse height and achieve dense storage.

[0117] Simplified automated warehouse system: The original WCS system requires scheduling multiple devices, such as elevators, conveyors, and transfer machines. However, the solution proposed in this application simplifies the system and only requires scheduling U-bot stacker AGV forklifts and four-way shuttles, which can simplify the equipment control system and reduce software development costs.

[0118] Combined storage and picking: The shelving is designed with single-depth storage locations along the side specifically for picking operations, enabling integrated storage and picking;

[0119] More Intensive Storage: Traditional warehouse management systems (WMS) typically employ intensive storage solutions like the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) 21, which are only suitable for warehouses with a limited variety of goods. This application utilizes four-way shuttles for transporting goods within the intensive storage system. Within the AS / RS 21, different zones formed by various main channels 22 are used to optimize the utilization of storage space for multiple product types. This system can achieve intensive storage of multiple SKUs by employing strategies such as mixed storage in a single aisle, advance relocation for inventory preparation, and order-based inventory preparation. In mixed storage scenarios, a single aisle can hold multiple types of goods. For example, if an aisle already has pallets but is not yet full, and a new SKU arrives, it cannot be shelved if only one type of goods are stored in each aisle. However, with the mixed storage strategy employed in this application, goods can be shelved.

[0120] Advance stocking: In-depth storage of multiple varieties involves storing different types of materials in a single aisle. Traditional intensive storage methods (i.e., conveyor and lifting entry and exit methods) make it difficult to achieve efficient and timely outbound delivery. This solution, however, can utilize the coordination between forklifts and temporary storage racks to retrieve goods in advance and prepare them for picking. Goods can then be shipped out in advance according to orders to multiple outbound outlets, thereby improving the timeliness of outbound delivery.

[0121] This application replaces the traditional conveyor and lifting system with AGV forklift equipment such as U-BOT, eliminating the need for queuing during the unloading process. Forklifts directly transfer goods from different locations on the shelving to temporary storage racks in the picking area, achieving one-stop point-to-point handling. In this application, U-bot and other forklift equipment can transport goods to any designated floor. They possess lifting and stacking functions, enabling retrieval and placement of goods on all floors within their rated height, thus facilitating retrieval and placement at different interface locations in the automated warehouse 21.

[0122] Application of U-BOT: U-BOT is an omnidirectional stacking AGV forklift independently developed by Zhiku Intelligent Innovation, capable of retrieving goods from high-bay racks. U-BOT can rotate in place, unlike traditional AGV forklifts which require a large turning radius. Therefore, this application can more fully utilize warehouse space, increase the area of ​​the automated warehouse (AS / RS) 21, and improve storage capacity. The performance parameters of the AGV forklift used in this application are also superior to similar forklifts on the market.

[0123] Flexibility and high scalability: Both the four-way shuttle and the forklift are flexible standalone devices, and each device can complete its tasks independently. Therefore, in the warehousing system provided by this application, customers can increase the number of devices according to their business needs, resulting in high scalability.

[0124] The system is simple and efficient: by using U-BOT instead of the conveyor and lifting device, the WCS system can be used to directly coordinate and schedule AGV forklifts and four-way vehicles to complete inbound and outbound tasks. Therefore, this application can more flexibly realize the retrieval and placement of goods in the automated warehouse 21, and directly eliminate the conveyor and lifting electrical control system without affecting the system's throughput efficiency. This results in a simpler system hierarchy, easier implementation, less on-site installation work, and faster delivery.

[0125] The above are merely embodiments of this application, and their descriptions are quite specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for loading and unloading palletized storage systems, characterized in that, The warehousing process includes the following steps: In the truck unloading area, manually dispatch forklifts to move the goods to the warehouse temporary storage area (1); Drive the AGV forklift (4) to directly transport the goods in the temporary storage area (1) to the corresponding level of the open interface in the three-dimensional rack in the dense storage area (2); The four-way shuttle vehicles operating within the corresponding level of the automated racking system retrieve goods from the open interface and transfer them to the designated storage location within the racking system for storage. The outbound process includes the following steps: The four-way shuttle car, which operates within the storage level of the automated racking system, retrieves goods from their storage locations and transfers them to the open interface at the edge of the racking system. Drive the AGV forklift (4) to directly transport goods to the outbound temporary storage area (3) from the open interface of the corresponding level in the three-dimensional rack. In the loading area, manual forklifts are dispatched to move the goods from the outbound temporary storage area (3) into the trucks; The inbound temporary storage area (1) and the outbound temporary storage area (3) are either set up continuously or separately. It also includes the following steps: In the temporary storage area (1), the warehouse manager scans the code of the goods pallet and the material code of the goods using a handheld terminal, and binds the pallet code, material code and the temporary storage location of the goods; After binding the pallet code and material code, an inbound task is generated, the designated storage location of the goods in the three-dimensional rack is calculated and determined, and then the AGV forklift (4) is triggered to retrieve the goods from the temporary storage location according to the inbound task, and the goods are moved to the open interface at the edge of the level where the designated storage location is located in the three-dimensional rack. Based on the outbound goods demand, query the designated storage location of the goods in the automated racking system, and trigger the four-way shuttle in the automated racking system corresponding to the level of the designated storage location to move the goods from the designated storage location to the edge of the level. After being moved to the open interface, the AGV forklift (4) is triggered to extract the goods from the open interface and move the goods to the temporary storage location in the outbound temporary storage area (3), marking the correspondence between the goods and the temporary storage location.

2. The pallet storage system loading and unloading method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The following steps are performed in the outbound temporary storage area (3): According to the correspondence between goods and temporary storage locations, the temporary storage location corresponding to the outbound goods is sent to the warehouse manager. According to the handheld terminal, the warehouse manager receives the goods confirmation information from the handheld terminal. According to the goods confirmation information, the AGV forklift (4) is triggered to move the remaining goods in the goods pallet from the temporary storage location to the open interface at the edge of the corresponding designated storage location in the three-dimensional rack. After the remaining goods are moved to the open interface at the edge of the corresponding designated storage location, the four-way shuttle in the three-dimensional rack corresponding to the level of the open interface is triggered to move the goods from the open interface to the designated storage location.

3. A pallet storage system, characterized in that, include: A temporary storage area is arranged at the edge of the storage space, and a dense storage area (2) is arranged separately in a continuous area outside the temporary storage area. The dense storage area (2) is equipped with a three-dimensional shelf with several layers of open interfaces. AGV forklifts (4) operating in the temporary storage area, and four-way shuttles operating in the automated racking system; Each open interface of the three-dimensional rack is welded with a storage location guard (6) on the rack beam along the direction of picking up and putting down the goods. The top of the storage location guard is inclined to the outside of the rack beam, and the bottom of the storage location guard is close to the inner edge of the rack beam. The storage location guards on both sides of the open interface form an inverted trapezoidal opening along the direction of picking up and putting down the goods to guide the goods to enter the three-dimensional rack by aligning the two sides of the rack beam. Both the AGV forklift (4) and the four-way shuttle transport goods according to the loading and unloading method described in any one of claims 1 to 2.

4. The pallet storage system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The temporary storage area includes an inbound temporary storage area (1) and an outbound temporary storage area (3) arranged on opposite sides of the storage space, and the dense storage area (2) is arranged between the inbound temporary storage area (1) and the outbound temporary storage area (3); Alternatively, the temporary storage area may be set only on one side of the dense storage area (2).

5. The pallet storage system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The inbound temporary storage area (1) is directly connected to the truck unloading area and is located on one side of the storage space; the outbound temporary storage area (3) is directly connected to the loading area and is located on one side of the storage space; the truck unloading area and the loading area are connected to each other, and the truck unloading area and the loading area are set along the same side wall of the storage space. The racks in the inbound temporary storage area (1) and the outbound temporary storage area (3) are both set between the running path of the manual forklift and the three-dimensional racks in the dense storage area (2); The rack is set with open positions on both the side of the manual forklift's running path and the side close to the rack. The AGV forklift (4) picks up and puts up goods in the open position on the side of the rack facing the dense storage area (2), while the manual forklift picks up and puts up goods in the open position on the other side of the rack.

6. The pallet storage system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The temporary storage area is equipped with shelves or floor stacks, which are arranged with open interfaces parallel to the three-dimensional shelves in the dense storage area (2).

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