A warehousing station and warehousing method

Abstract

The application provides a storage station and a storage method for a warehouse, the warehouse has a first area for movement of a storage robot, the storage station comprises a first carrying mechanism, a second carrying mechanism and a first conveying device, the first carrying mechanism and the second carrying mechanism are located at opposite ends of the first conveying device; the first area comprises a delivery area adjacent to the first carrying mechanism, when the storage robot is located in the delivery area, the first carrying mechanism is used for carrying out a plurality of containers stacked on the storage robot and stacking the plurality of containers in the delivery area, and the first carrying mechanism is also used for carrying the plurality of containers from the delivery area to the first conveying device in sequence; the first conveying device is used for conveying the plurality of containers to the second carrying mechanism, and the second carrying mechanism is used for carrying each container out of the warehouse in sequence.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of warehousing technology, and more specifically, relates to a warehousing workstation and warehousing method. Background Technology

[0002] In existing warehouses, storage workstations are set up to facilitate the movement of material boxes inside and outside the warehouse. However, these workstations are slow in handling the material boxes and have low work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a warehousing workstation and warehousing method to solve the technical problem of how to improve warehousing efficiency.

[0004] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows:

[0005] This invention provides a warehouse workstation for use in a warehouse. The warehouse has a first area for the movement of a warehouse robot. The warehouse workstation includes a first handling mechanism, a second handling mechanism, and a first transmission device. The first handling mechanism and the second handling mechanism are located at opposite ends of the first transmission device. The first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism. When the warehouse robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism is used to move multiple stacked boxes from the warehouse robot and place them in the outbound area. The first handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport the multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is used to transport the multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism, and the second handling mechanism is used to sequentially transport each box out of the warehouse.

[0006] In some embodiments, the plurality of bins transported by the first handling mechanism includes bins for outbound shipment and bins to be sorted; the first conveying device is used to convey bins for outbound shipment to the second handling mechanism; the storage workstation further includes a second conveying device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting workstation, the first transfer mechanism being located near the first handling mechanism on the first conveying device, one end of the second conveying device being near the first handling mechanism, the first transfer mechanism being used to convey bins to be sorted on the first conveying device to the second conveying device, and the other end of the second conveying device being provided with a sorting station, the sorting station being used to sort the bins to be sorted;

[0007] The sorting operation table is located on the side of the first transmission device close to the second transmission device. The sorting operation table is used to transfer the sorted boxes to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is also used to transfer the sorted boxes to the second handling mechanism.

[0008] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes an outbound buffer mechanism disposed around the second handling mechanism, which is used to sequentially transport and stack the full-case outbound bins and the sorted bins on the first conveying device in the outbound buffer mechanism.

[0009] In some embodiments, the outbound buffer mechanism is provided with multiple outbound positions, each outbound position can hold one or multiple material boxes of the same type stacked together; the outbound buffer mechanism can rotate relative to the second conveying mechanism to realize that different outbound positions face the second conveying mechanism.

[0010] In some embodiments, multiple outbound buffer mechanisms are provided, and the multiple outbound buffer mechanisms are arranged around the second conveying mechanism. The second conveying mechanism is also used to convey the material box to different outbound buffer mechanisms according to the type of material box being conveyed.

[0011] In some embodiments, the sorting station is provided with multiple sorting positions, each of which is connected to the first transmission device. The sorting position is used to place a bin for receiving materials, and the bin for receiving materials is used to receive materials taken out from the bin for sorting. The sorting position is also used to transfer the full, sorted bin to the first transmission device after detecting that the bin for receiving materials is full and / or that the materials in the bin are all gathered.

[0012] In some embodiments, the sorting station further includes a display device for displaying sorting information for each sorting station, wherein the sorting information includes bin information and material information.

[0013] In some embodiments, the sorting operation table has multiple sub-operation tables in the vertical direction, and each sub-operation table has multiple sorting positions; the first transmission device includes multiple first sub-transmission devices, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the multiple first sub-transmission devices are connected to the multiple sub-operation tables one by one.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second transmission device includes a plurality of second sub-transmission devices, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each of the plurality of second sub-transmission devices is connected to a plurality of first sub-transmission devices in a one-to-one correspondence. The first transfer mechanism is provided in a plurality of ways, and each of the first sub-transmission devices is provided with a first transfer mechanism.

[0015] In some embodiments, the storage workstation is further provided with a second transfer mechanism and a third transmission device. The second transfer mechanism is located near the second conveying mechanism of the first transmission device. One end of the third transmission device is near the second transfer mechanism. The second transfer mechanism is used to transport the boxes to be sorted on the first transmission device to the third transmission device. The other end of the third transmission device is provided with a sorting station for sorting the boxes to be sorted.

[0016] The third transmission device and the second transmission device are spaced apart in the transmission direction of the first transmission device, and the sorting operation table is located between the third transmission device and the second transmission device.

[0017] In some embodiments, sorting means removing at least a portion of the material from the bins to be sorted and placing it into bins in the sorting workbench. The bins to be sorted that contain remaining material are called surplus bins, and the bins to be sorted that do not contain remaining material are called empty bins.

[0018] The warehouse workstation also includes an empty box storage area, which is located on the side of the sorting operation table away from the first transmission device. The empty box storage area is used to store the empty boxes and also to provide empty boxes for the sorting operation table.

[0019] And / or,

[0020] The warehousing workstation also includes an inbound temporary storage area, which is located on the side of the sorting operation table away from the first transmission device, and is used to store the remaining boxes.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the second conveying device is also used to convey bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound, the first transfer mechanism is used to move the bins and / or surplus bins on the second conveying device to the first conveying device, the first conveying device is also used to transfer the bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound to the second handling mechanism, the second handling mechanism is also used to move the bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound sequentially and stack them in the inbound area, and when the storage robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to move multiple bins stacked in the inbound area to the storage robot.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the third transmission device is also used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be inbound, the second transfer mechanism is used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the third transmission device to the first transmission device, the first transmission device is also used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be inbound to the second handling mechanism, the second handling mechanism is also used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be inbound sequentially and stack them in the inbound area, and when the warehouse robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the warehouse robot.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehouse workstation further includes a fourth transmission device, which is close to the first handling mechanism. The fourth transmission device is used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The first handling mechanism is used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage from the fourth transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport and stack the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the inbound area. When the warehouse robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the warehouse robot.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; at least a portion of the sorting positions on the sorting operation table are also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first conveying device, the first conveying device is also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism, the second handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport and stack the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the inbound area, and when the storage robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the storage robot.

[0025] This invention also provides a warehousing method for a warehousing workstation according to any one of the preceding claims, the warehousing workstation being used in a warehouse, the warehouse having a first area for the movement of a warehousing robot, the warehousing workstation including a first handling mechanism and a second handling mechanism disposed at both ends of a first transmission device, the first area including an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism;

[0026] The warehousing method includes the following steps:

[0027] When the storage robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism moves the stacked boxes on the storage robot out and places them in the outbound area; the first handling mechanism sequentially moves the multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device; the first transmission device transfers the multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism, and the second handling mechanism sequentially moves each box out of the warehouse.

[0028] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes a second conveying device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting table. The first transfer mechanism is located near the first conveying device, one end of the second conveying device is near the first transfer mechanism, and the sorting table is located on the side of the first conveying device near the second conveying device. The storage method further includes:

[0029] The first conveying device transports the boxes of goods out of the warehouse to the second handling mechanism; the first transfer mechanism moves the boxes to be sorted on the first conveying device to the second conveying device, and the sorting station on the second conveying device is used to sort the boxes to be sorted; the sorting operation table transports the sorted boxes to the first conveying device; the first conveying device transports the sorted boxes to the second handling mechanism.

[0030] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes an outbound buffer space disposed around the second handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes:

[0031] The second handling mechanism sequentially transports and stacks the full-box outbound bins and the sorted bins from the first conveying device into the outbound buffer mechanism.

[0032] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes a second transfer mechanism and a third transmission device, wherein the second transfer mechanism is disposed near the second conveying mechanism of the first transmission device, and one end of the third transmission device is near the second transfer mechanism; the storage method further includes:

[0033] The second transfer mechanism transports the boxes to be sorted on the first transfer device to the third transfer device, sorts the boxes on the third transfer device through the sorting station, and the sorting operation table transfers the sorted boxes on the third transfer device to the first transfer device.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes:

[0035] The second transmission device is also used to transmit bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse. The first transfer mechanism moves the bins and / or surplus bins on the second transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism sequentially moves and stacks the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse in the storage area. When the warehouse robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple bins stacked in the storage area to the warehouse robot.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes:

[0037] The third transmission device is also used to transmit the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored. The second transfer mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the third transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism sequentially moves and stacks the boxes and / or surplus boxes in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the storage workstation further includes a fourth conveying device near the first handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes:

[0039] The fourth transmission device is used to transmit the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The first handling mechanism transports the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the fourth transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transmits the boxes and / or surplus boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism transports the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stacks them in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism transports the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second conveying mechanism; at least some sorting positions on the sorting table are used to transfer boxes and / or surplus boxes to be inbound to the first conveying device, and the warehousing method further includes:

[0041] The sorting station transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first transmission device; the first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism; the second handling mechanism sequentially handles and stacks the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the storage area; when the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism handles the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0042] This invention provides a warehouse workstation for use in a warehouse. The warehouse has a first area for the movement of a warehouse robot. The warehouse workstation includes a first handling mechanism, a second handling mechanism, and a first transmission device. The first handling mechanism and the second handling mechanism are located at opposite ends of the first transmission device. The first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism. When the warehouse robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism is used to move multiple stacked boxes from the warehouse robot and place them in the outbound area. The first handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is used to transport multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism is used to sequentially transport each box out of the warehouse. In this embodiment of the invention, the first handling mechanism can unload multiple stacked boxes on the warehouse robot at one time and place them in the outbound area. By sequentially transporting the multiple boxes to the first transmission device, which then transports them to the vicinity of the outbound position, the second handling mechanism can transport the multiple boxes to a designated area and stack them, thus achieving one-time outbound delivery of the multiple boxes. By using the handling methods of the first and second handling mechanisms, both one-time unloading and one-time outbound delivery of the boxes can be achieved, which helps to save time in the outbound delivery process and improves the efficiency of box outbound delivery. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the warehouse workstation in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a top view of the warehouse workstation in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the warehouse workstation in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a rear view of the warehouse workstation in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the warehouse workstation in the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the top structure of the warehouse workstation in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the material receiving and unloading structure of the storage workstation in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0051] a. First area; b. Outbound area; c. Inbound area; d. Second area; 1. Warehouse robot; 2. First handling mechanism; 3. Second handling mechanism; 4. First transmission device; 41. First sub-transmission device; 100. Material bin; 5. Second transmission device; 51. Sorting station; 52. Second sub-transmission device; 6. First transfer mechanism; 7. Sorting operating table; 70. Sorting position; 71. Display device; 72. Sub-operating table; 8. Outbound buffer mechanism; 80. Outbound position; 90. Second transfer mechanism; 91. Third transmission device; 92. Empty box temporary storage area; 93. Inbound temporary storage area; 94. Fourth transmission device. Detailed Implementation

[0052] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0053] The specific technical features described in the specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. For example, different combinations of specific technical features can form different embodiments and technical solutions. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in this invention will not be described separately.

[0054] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely to distinguish different objects and do not indicate that the objects have the sameness or relationship. It should be understood that the directional descriptions "above," "below," "outside," and "inside" refer to the orientation under normal use conditions, while "left" and "right" refer to the left and right directions shown in the corresponding diagrams, which may or may not be the left and right directions under normal use conditions.

[0055] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. "A plurality of" means two or more.

[0056] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a warehouse workstation for conveying boxes in a warehouse. This conveying includes the outbound and / or inbound movement of boxes. The warehouse has a first area a for the movement of a warehouse robot 1. The warehouse robot 1 refers to a device capable of free movement within the warehouse. This robot can move one or more boxes within the warehouse. It should be noted that the stored goods in this embodiment can be contained in boxes. For simplicity, boxes are used to represent goods, and the boxes are not limited in shape, size, or other parameters. All boxes in the warehouse can be one or more standard parts. Of course, in other embodiments, the stored goods may not be contained in boxes, but can be represented directly by the goods themselves or by other forms. The warehouse robot 1 in this embodiment can freely move within the first area a of the warehouse (… Figure 2 The area (indicated by the dashed box a) moves to move the boxes within the warehouse. It should be noted that the warehouse robot 1 in this embodiment can be classified as an outbound robot and an inbound robot. That is, the warehouse robot can be classified according to the type of box handling: a robot used to move outbound boxes is an outbound robot, and a robot used to move inbound boxes is an inbound robot. Of course, in some embodiments, the same warehouse robot may include both outbound and inbound box handling functions. The functional type of this warehouse robot does not limit the function of the warehouse workstation in this embodiment.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, workers can freely move in the second region d( Figure 2 The area shown below (as indicated) is in motion, and workers move within the second area d to move warehouse material boxes in and out. Combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the storage workstation of this embodiment includes a first handling mechanism 2, a second handling mechanism 3, and a first transmission device 4. The first transmission device 4 is used to transport material boxes along a first direction, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the first direction can be Figure 2In the left-right direction, the corresponding first conveying device 4 can convey the material box from left to right or from right to left. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the structure of the first conveying device. For example, the first conveying device 4 can be configured as a roller conveying mechanism, a belt conveying mechanism, or a gear chain conveying mechanism. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the specific structure of the first conveying device, as long as the first conveying device can convey the material box from the first conveying mechanism 2 to the second conveying mechanism 3.

[0058] The first conveying mechanism 2 and the second conveying mechanism 3 are located at opposite ends of the first transmission device 4. The opposite ends refer to the fact that the first conveying mechanism 2 and the second conveying mechanism 3 are located at opposite ends of the conveying direction of the first transmission device 4. The first conveying mechanism 2 can be used to receive the boxes to be shipped out, the first transmission device 4 can be used to transport the boxes to be shipped out, and the second conveying mechanism 3 can be used to send out the boxes to be shipped out.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the first area a includes an outbound area b adjacent to the first handling mechanism 2. When the warehouse robot 1 is located in the outbound area b, the first handling mechanism 2 is used to move multiple stacked boxes 100 from the warehouse robot 1 and place them in the outbound area b. It should be noted that multiple boxes are stacked vertically to form a row of boxes, and multiple rows of boxes can be stored in the warehouse. The stacking of multiple boxes described in this embodiment means that the stacking of boxes does not require the use of shelves for support, and the surfaces of adjacent boxes in the same row are at least partially in contact with each other in the vertical direction. It is understood that the warehouse floor is generally horizontal, that is, the extension direction of each row of boxes is perpendicular to the ground; of course, the warehouse floor may have uneven areas, that is, the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal, and the corresponding vertical direction is not required to be absolutely vertical, allowing for errors due to ground levelness and box processing errors. The warehouse robot 1 stacks and transports multiple boxes to the outbound area b. The first transport mechanism 2 can lift a row of boxes stacked on top of the warehouse robot 1, allowing the warehouse robot 1 to exit the outbound area b. The first transport mechanism 2 can then place the row of boxes in the outbound area b, thus achieving a one-time unloading of the stacked boxes on the warehouse robot 1. The first transport mechanism 2 is also used to sequentially transport multiple boxes 100 from the outbound area b to the first transmission device 4. The first transmission device 4 is used to transfer multiple boxes 100 to the second transport mechanism 3. The second transport mechanism 3 is used to sequentially transport each box 100 out of the warehouse. The outbound method of the second transport mechanism 3 can be that the second transport mechanism 3 sequentially transports the boxes 100 to a designated area and stacks multiple boxes in the designated area for one-time outbound transport.

[0060] This invention provides a warehouse workstation for use in a warehouse. The warehouse has a first area for the movement of a warehouse robot. The warehouse workstation includes a first handling mechanism, a second handling mechanism, and a first transmission device. The first handling mechanism and the second handling mechanism are located at opposite ends of the first transmission device. The first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism. When the warehouse robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism is used to move multiple stacked boxes from the warehouse robot and place them in the outbound area. The first handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is used to transport multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism is used to sequentially transport each box out of the warehouse. In this embodiment of the invention, the first handling mechanism can unload multiple stacked boxes on the warehouse robot at one time and place them in the outbound area. By sequentially transporting the multiple boxes to the first transmission device, the first transmission device transports the multiple boxes to the vicinity of the outbound position. The second handling mechanism can then transport the multiple boxes to a set area and stack them, thus achieving one-time outbound of the multiple boxes. By using the handling methods of the first and second handling mechanisms, both one-time unloading and one-time outbound of the boxes can be achieved, which helps to save the time of box outbound and thus improve the efficiency of box outbound.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the multiple bins 100 transported by the first transport mechanism 2 include bins for full shipment and bins to be sorted. It should be noted that the bins for shipment contain materials. A bin for full shipment means that all materials in the bin transported by the warehouse robot 1 need to be shipped out, while a bin to be sorted means that some materials in the bin transported by the warehouse robot 1 need to be shipped out, while other materials do not. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the first transmission device 4 is used to transport bins for full shipment to the second transport mechanism 3. Furthermore, the warehouse workstation also includes a second transmission device 5, a first transfer mechanism 6, and a sorting table 7. The first transfer mechanism 6 is located near the first transport mechanism 2, and one end of the second transmission device 5 is near the first transport mechanism 2. It should be noted that the second transmission device 5 and the first transport mechanism 2 can be connected, or they can be two independent structures without a connection. The first transfer mechanism 6 is used to transport the boxes to be sorted on the first transmission device 4 to the second transmission device 5. It should be noted that the specific structure of the first transfer mechanism 6 is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention. The first transfer mechanism 6 can realize the transport of the boxes on the first transmission device 4 by pushing, lifting, grabbing and other means. A scanning device is installed at the position corresponding to the first transfer mechanism 6. The scanning device is used to scan the markings on the boxes on the first transfer device 4. By identifying the markings on the boxes, it is determined whether the boxes are for shipment or for sorting. If the boxes are for shipment, they continue to move along the first transfer device 4 to the second transfer mechanism 3. If the boxes are for sorting, the first transfer mechanism 6 moves the boxes from the first transfer device 4 to the second transfer device 5. The other end of the second transfer device 5 away from the first transfer device 4 is equipped with a sorting station 51. The sorting station 51 can be used to sort the boxes to be sorted. In other words, workers can unpack the boxes at the sorting station 51 and sort out the materials to be shipped.

[0062] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sorting operation table 7 is located on the side of the first conveying device 4 near the second conveying device 5, as... Figure 2As shown, the vertical area of ​​the first transmission device 4 is the two sides of the first transmission device 4, one side (upper side) is the first area a, and the other side (lower side) is the second area d. The second transmission device 5 can be set on the side of the first transmission device 4 near the second area d, and the sorting operation table 7 is also set on the side of the first transmission device 4 near the second area d. The sorting station 7 is used to transfer the sorted bins to the first conveying device 4. That is, the sorting station 7 has bins on it. Workers take the materials to be sorted from the bins to be shipped out at the sorting station 51 and place them into the bins on the sorting station 7. The workers operate in sequence and, according to the set prompts, place the materials to be shipped out from the multiple bins on the second conveying device 5 into the bins on the sorting station 7. After the bins on the sorting station 7 are full (i.e., full bin state), or even if the bins are not full but the materials to be distributed in the bins have been collected, the sorting station 7 transfers the bins (the sorted bins) to the first conveying device 4. The first conveying device 4 is also used to transfer the sorted bins to the second handling mechanism 3. In other words, the outbound route for boxes shipped in full is: first handling mechanism 2 - first transmission device 4 - second handling mechanism 3; the outbound route for boxes to be sorted is: first handling mechanism 2 - first transmission device 4 - first transfer mechanism 6 - second transmission device 5 - sorting station 51 - sorting operating table 7 - first transmission device 4 - second handling mechanism 3.

[0063] This invention, through the provision of a second conveying device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting worktable, allows for the transport of loosely shipped boxes to a sorting station near the second area for further processing. Multiple loosely shipped materials are then grouped together on the sorting worktable and transported to the first conveying device. The first conveying device then transports the grouped boxes to the second handling mechanism. The first conveying device can handle both full-box shipments and sorted boxes, enabling multiple uses of the conveying mechanism and saving space in the warehouse workstation. Furthermore, the second conveying device, sorting station, and sorting worktable are all located on the side of the first conveying device closest to the second area, bringing them closer to the workers' activity area and improving worker convenience and work efficiency. The warehouse workstation can handle both full-box shipments and sorted shipments via the second conveying device and sorting worktable, enabling personalized shipments and further enhancing the convenience of the warehouse workstation.

[0064] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the warehouse workstation also includes an outbound buffer mechanism 8, which is located around the second handling mechanism 3. This means the outbound buffer mechanism 8 is closer to the second handling mechanism 3 than other mechanisms in the warehouse workstation. The second handling mechanism 3 is used to sequentially transport and stack the full-case outbound boxes and sorted boxes from the first conveying device 4 onto the outbound buffer mechanism 8. In other words, workers can transport entire stacks of boxes out of the warehouse at once from the outbound buffer mechanism 8, which improves outbound efficiency.

[0065] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outbound buffer mechanism 8 has multiple outbound positions 80. For example, the same outbound buffer mechanism 8 may have two, three, four, five, or six outbound positions 80. The number of outbound positions on the same outbound buffer mechanism is related to the size of the outbound buffer mechanism; the larger the size of the outbound buffer mechanism, the more outbound positions can be set. Each outbound position 80 can hold one or multiple boxes of the same type, and different outbound positions 80 can hold different types of boxes. In other words, this embodiment of the invention can distinguish the type of outbound boxes by outbound positions. By stacking boxes of the same type on the same outbound position 80, boxes can be outbound uniformly according to category, which is beneficial to improving the efficiency of goods inventory. Furthermore, having multiple outbound positions on the same outbound buffer mechanism 8 is beneficial to increasing the number of boxes stored on the outbound buffer mechanism 8, thereby saving workers' waiting time for handling and improving the efficiency of box outbound.

[0066] like Figure 2 As shown, the outbound buffer mechanism 8 can rotate relative to the second transport mechanism 3, so that different outbound positions 80 on the same outbound buffer mechanism 8 face the second transport mechanism 3. This can be understood as the rotation of the outbound buffer mechanism 8 relative to the second transport mechanism 3 causing a change in the relative position of the outbound positions 80 in the outbound buffer mechanism 8 and the second transport mechanism 3. Through this rotation, different outbound positions 80 can sequentially approach the second transport mechanism 3, allowing the second transport mechanism 3 to transport the boxes to be outbound to the outbound positions 80 in the outbound buffer mechanism 8 that are closest to it. It should be noted that the outbound position 80 represents a different area divided on the outbound buffer mechanism 8. This outbound position 80 can be a virtual spatial location or an area divided by a physical component. The type of division of the outbound position 80 does not limit its function.

[0067] This invention provides an embodiment of the invention that, by setting multiple outbound positions on the outbound buffer mechanism, allows different types of material boxes to be stacked at different outbound positions, thereby enabling the classification and outbound processing of material boxes, reducing the burden of material box outbound counting, and increasing the number of outbound material boxes stacked on the outbound buffer mechanism, thus saving workers' waiting time for outbound processing and improving outbound efficiency.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, multiple outbound buffer mechanisms 8 are provided. This means that a single box transported by the same second transport mechanism 3 can be transferred to multiple outbound buffer mechanisms 8. There can be two, three, four, or more outbound buffer mechanisms 8, arranged around the second transport mechanism 3. The second transport mechanism 3 also transfers boxes to different outbound buffer mechanisms 8 according to their type. In other words, different outbound buffer mechanisms can be used to achieve classified outbound shipping of boxes. This embodiment of the invention increases the number of outbound buffer mechanisms, thereby increasing the number of boxes that can be buffered out of the warehouse, thus improving the outbound efficiency of the warehouse workstation.

[0069] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sorting operation table 7 is provided with multiple sorting positions 70, each of which is connected to the first conveying device 4. The sorting positions 70 are used to place bins containing materials to be received. These bins receive materials taken from the bins to be sorted. The sorting positions 70 also transfer the full, sorted bins to the first conveying device 4 after detecting that a bin is full. This embodiment of the invention, by setting multiple sorting positions 70 on the same sorting operation table 7, increases the number of bins that can be placed on the sorting operation table, thereby increasing the number of bins that can be sorted simultaneously and improving sorting efficiency.

[0070] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the sorting workstation 7 also includes a display device 71, which displays sorting information for each sorting position 70. This sorting information includes bin information and material information. The number of display devices 71 can be one or more. For example, the display device 71 can be an indicator light, with one indicator light for each sorting position. The sorting system can illuminate the corresponding indicator light at the sorting position 70 based on the type of material being sorted, thus instructing the user to place the sorted material into the bin at the corresponding illuminated sorting position 70. When sorting the next bin, the sorting system can instruct the worker to place the material into bins at other sorting positions 70 based on the type of material in the next bin, thereby placing the material into the bin designated by the system and achieving material traceability and positioning. Of course, in other embodiments, the display device can also be an electronic tag, a display, or other similar device. This display device can display bin information and material information. For example, one display can be provided for each sorting workstation, showing the sorting information for all sorting positions. Each sorted package corresponds to a sorting position code, facilitating the matching of sorting information on the display. The bin information can be the category of materials stored in the bin currently placed at the sorting station. This category can be represented by the bin's code. The material information can be the quantity and name of the materials currently stored in the bin. By setting up a display device, workers can easily sort the bins according to the set controls, realizing intelligent bin sorting and automated tracking of bin positions.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the sorting operation table 7 has multiple sub-operation tables 72 in the vertical direction, and each sub-operation table 72 has multiple sorting positions 70. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the sorting operation table 7 has two layers of sub-operation tables 72 arranged vertically, with five sorting positions 70 on each layer of sub-operation tables 72, for a total of ten sorting positions 70 on the entire sorting operation table 7. The number of sorting positions 70 in each layer of sub-operation tables 72 can be set according to specific sorting requirements in this embodiment of the invention.

[0072] The first transmission device 4 includes multiple first sub-transmission devices 41, which are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. Each of the multiple first sub-transmission devices 41 is connected to a first conveying mechanism 2 at one end in the transmission direction and to a second conveying mechanism 3 at the other end. Furthermore, each of the multiple first sub-transmission devices 41 is connected to a multi-layer sub-operating table 72 in a one-to-one correspondence. Figure 3As shown, the first conveying device 4 has two layers of first sub-conveyor devices 41 arranged vertically, and the sorting operating table 7 has two layers of sub-operating tables 72 arranged vertically. The upper first sub-conveyor device 41 is connected to the upper sub-operating table 72, and the lower first sub-conveyor device 41 is connected to the lower sub-operating table 72. The boxes on the sorting positions 70 of the upper sub-operating table 72 can be conveyed to the upper first sub-conveyor device 41, and the boxes on the sorting positions 70 of the lower sub-operating table 72 can be conveyed to the lower first sub-conveyor device 41. The number of first sub-conveyor devices and sub-operating tables is one-to-one, which is beneficial to improve both sorting efficiency and box conveying efficiency.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second conveying device 5 includes multiple second sub-conveying devices 52, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Each of the multiple second sub-conveying devices is connected one-to-one with a plurality of first sub-conveying devices 41. It should be noted that the connection in this embodiment indicates that the material in the first sub-conveying device 41 can be transferred to the second sub-conveying device, but does not indicate a physical connection between the first and second sub-conveying devices. Multiple first transfer mechanisms 6 are provided, with one first transfer mechanism 6 on each first sub-conveying device 41. Each first transfer mechanism 6 is used to transport the boxes to be sorted on the first sub-conveying device 41 to the second conveying device 52. By arranging multiple second sub-conveying devices in the vertical direction, this embodiment of the invention, without changing the floor space of the sorting workstation, helps to increase the number of boxes to be sorted transferred by the second conveying device per unit time, thus improving the sorting speed of the boxes.

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the storage workstation also includes a second transfer mechanism 90 and a third transmission device 91. The second transfer mechanism 90 is located near the second conveying mechanism 3 on the first transmission device 4, that is, near the second area d on the first transmission device 4. One end of the third transmission device 91 is near the second transfer mechanism 90. The second transfer mechanism 90 is used to transport the boxes to be sorted on the first transmission device 4 to the third transmission device 91. The other end of the third transmission device is equipped with a sorting station 51, which is used to sort the boxes to be sorted. The third transmission device 91 and the second transmission device 91 are in the same transmission direction on the first transmission device 4 (…). Figure 5 The sorting stations 51 are spaced apart in the left-right direction (as shown), and the sorting station 7 is located between the third transmission device 91 and the second transmission device 5. By adding the third transmission device 91, the number of sorting stations 51 can be increased, thereby increasing the number of sorting workers and improving the efficiency of bin sorting.

[0075] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, sorting refers to removing at least a portion of the material from the bins to be sorted and placing it into bins on the sorting workstation. Bins containing remaining material are called surplus bins, and bins without remaining material are called empty bins. The storage workstation also includes an empty bin storage area 92, which is located on the side of the sorting workstation 7 away from the first conveying device 4. The empty bin storage area 92 is used to store empty bins and also to provide empty bins for the sorting workstation 7. It should be noted that the empty bin storage area 92 described in this embodiment refers to a portion of the second area d. This area can be defined by solid components or it can be a space for placing empty bins without any solid components.

[0076] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the warehouse workstation also includes an inbound temporary storage area 93. The inbound temporary storage area 93 is located on the side of the sorting worktable 7 away from the first conveying device 4, and is used to store surplus boxes. That is, the inbound temporary storage area 93 is located on the side of the sorting worktable 7 closer to the second area d. After workers remove the materials to be shipped from the bins at the sorting station 51 of the second conveying device 5, they can place the bins and any remaining materials that do not need to be shipped into the inbound temporary storage area 93 for later storage. This embodiment of the invention, by setting up an inbound temporary storage area and placing it on the side of the sorting worktable away from the first conveying device, helps to shorten the distance workers need to transport surplus boxes from the sorting station 51 to the inbound temporary storage area, thereby improving the convenience of sorting.

[0077] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the first area a also includes an inbound area c adjacent to the second conveying mechanism 3. It should be noted that the inbound area c and the outbound buffer mechanism 8 are respectively arranged around the second conveying mechanism 3. The inbound area c does not overlap with the outbound buffer mechanism 8, and the entry and exit of the warehouse robot into and out of the inbound area c will not interfere with the outbound buffer mechanism 8, thus achieving separation of inbound and outbound processes. The second transmission device 5 is also used to transmit boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored. It should be noted that boxes to be stored refer to boxes that workers move from outside the warehouse to the warehouse workstation, where the workstation moves the boxes to be stored to the inbound area c to await the warehouse robot's delivery. Surplus boxes refer to boxes containing materials remaining after sorting during the outbound stage. The second transmission device 5 can be used both in the outbound stage to move boxes to be sorted to the sorting station and in the reverse direction, combined with... Figure 7As shown by the dashed arrows, the dashed arrows can indicate the route for the bins to leave the warehouse. In one embodiment, the worker places the bins to be put into the warehouse and the remaining bins at the sorting station 51. The second transmission device 5 transports the bins to a position close to the first transmission device 4. The first transfer mechanism 6 is used to move the bins to be put into the warehouse and / or the remaining bins on the second transmission device 5 to the first transmission device 4. The first transmission device 4 transports the bins to be put into the warehouse and / or the remaining bins to the second handling mechanism 3. The second handling mechanism 3 is also used to transport the bins to be put into the warehouse and / or the remaining bins sequentially and stack them in the warehouse area c. When the warehouse robot is located in the warehouse area c, the second handling mechanism 3 is also used to transport multiple bins stacked in the warehouse area c to the warehouse robot. The specific handling process can be as follows: the second handling mechanism 3 lifts multiple boxes at the storage area c, the storage robot moves to the storage area c, the second handling mechanism 3 places multiple stacked boxes on the storage robot, which can realize one-time loading of the storage robot, and the storage robot transports the boxes to be stored in the warehouse to the designated location.

[0078] In this embodiment of the invention, the second transmission device can transmit bidirectionally to realize the outbound and inbound of the material box respectively. The inbound and outbound processes can be staggered in time, so that the inbound and outbound processes can share the first transmission device, the second transmission device, and the second handling mechanism in the warehouse workstation, saving the floor space of the warehouse workstation and helping to save the construction cost of the warehouse workstation.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the warehouse workstation is equipped with a second transfer mechanism 90 and a third transmission device 91, both the second and third transmission devices 91 can have the functions of sorting and receiving boxes. That is, the third transmission device 91 can move downwards to transport the boxes to be sorted to the sorting station 51, and it can also move upwards to transport the boxes to be received to a position close to the first transmission device 4. The second transfer mechanism 90 is used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the third transmission device 91 to the first transmission device 4. The first transmission device 4 is also used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be received to the second handling mechanism 3. The second handling mechanism 3 is also used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be received sequentially and stack them in the receiving area c. When the warehouse robot is located in the receiving area c, the second handling mechanism 3 is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the receiving area c to the warehouse robot.

[0080] Of course, in other embodiments, combined Figure 5As shown, solid arrows indicate the routes for full-case outbound and sorted outbound bins, while dashed arrows indicate the routes for bins to be put into storage and / or surplus bins to be put into storage. In one optional embodiment, the second transmission device 5 is used for bin outbound sorting, and the third transmission device 91 is used for bins to be put into storage and / or surplus bins to be put into storage. The second and third transmission devices operate independently and do not interfere with each other, which can realize the simultaneous sorting and outbound of bins and the inbound of bins and surplus bins, which is beneficial to improving the work efficiency of the warehouse workstation.

[0081] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the warehouse workstation also includes a fourth transmission device 94, which is located near the first handling mechanism 2. Figure 6 The dashed arrows indicate the route for the bins to be stored. The fourth transmission device 94 is used to transport bins and / or surplus bins to be stored. The first handling mechanism 2 is used to move the bins and / or surplus bins on the fourth transmission device 94 to the first transmission device 4. The first transmission device 4 is also used to transport the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored to the second handling mechanism 3. The second handling mechanism 3 is also used to move the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored sequentially and stack them in the storage area c. When the storage robot is located in the storage area c, the second handling mechanism 3 is also used to move multiple bins stacked in the storage area c to the storage robot. In this embodiment of the invention, by setting up a separate fourth transmission device, workers move the bins or surplus bins to be stored onto the fourth transmission device, and the first handling mechanism 2 moves the bins or surplus bins on the fourth transmission device to the first transmission device, thereby realizing the storage transfer of bins. The fourth transmission device shares the handling function of the first handling mechanism, saving the need for a transfer device and helping to reduce the deployment cost of the storage workstation.

[0082] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, at least some sorting positions on the sorting workbench 7 are also used to transfer boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first conveying device. That is, some sorting positions on the sorting workbench 7 can be used for box sorting out of storage, and other sorting positions can be used for box storage. The first conveying device 4 is also used to transfer boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second conveying mechanism 3. The second conveying mechanism 3 is also used to transport and stack the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially in the storage area c. When the storage robot is located in the storage area c, the second conveying mechanism 3 is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the storage area c to the storage robot. This embodiment of the invention realizes the storage and delivery of boxes by utilizing sorting positions, which can not only share sorting positions to save the laying cost of sorting workstations, but also realize box sorting out of storage, box storage, and surplus box storage simultaneously.

[0083] It facilitates independent sorting and warehousing of material bins, and also saves on the cost of setting up sorting workstations.

[0084] This invention also provides a warehousing method for a warehousing workstation according to any one of the above claims. The warehousing workstation is used in a warehouse, the warehouse has a first area for the movement of a warehousing robot, the warehousing workstation includes a first handling mechanism and a second handling mechanism disposed at both ends of a first transmission device, and the first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism.

[0085] The warehousing method includes the following steps:

[0086] When the warehouse robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism removes the stacked boxes from the warehouse robot and places them in the outbound area; the first handling mechanism sequentially transports multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device; the first transmission device transports multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism, and the second handling mechanism sequentially transports each box out of the warehouse.

[0087] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes a second conveying device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting table. The first transfer mechanism is located near the first conveying device, one end of the second conveying device is near the first transfer mechanism, and the sorting table is located on the side of the first conveying device near the second conveying device. The storage method further includes:

[0088] The first conveying device transfers the boxes of goods out of the warehouse to the second handling mechanism; the first transfer mechanism moves the boxes to be sorted on the first conveying device to the second conveying device, and the sorting station on the second conveying device is used to sort the boxes to be sorted; the sorting operating table transfers the sorted boxes to the first conveying device; the first conveying device transfers the sorted boxes to the second handling mechanism.

[0089] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes an outbound buffer location disposed around the second handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes:

[0090] The second handling mechanism sequentially transports and stacks the full-box outbound bins and sorted bins from the first conveying device into the outbound buffer mechanism.

[0091] In some embodiments, the storage workstation further includes a second transfer mechanism and a third transmission device, wherein the second transfer mechanism is disposed near the first transmission device and one end of the third transmission device is near the second transfer mechanism; the storage method further includes:

[0092] The second transfer mechanism transports the boxes to be sorted from the first transfer device to the third transfer device. The boxes to be sorted are then sorted at the sorting station on the third transfer device. The sorting station then transfers the sorted boxes from the third transfer device back to the first transfer device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes:

[0094] The second transmission device is also used to transmit the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The first transfer mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the second transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stacks them in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes:

[0096] The third transmission device is also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The second transfer mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage from the third transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stacks them in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the storage workstation further includes a fourth conveying device near the first handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes:

[0098] The fourth conveying device is used to convey the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The first handling mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage from the fourth conveying device to the first conveying device. The first conveying device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stacks them in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first area further includes an inbound area adjacent to the second conveying mechanism; at least some sorting positions on the sorting table are used to transfer bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound to the first conveying device, and the warehousing method further includes:

[0100] The sorting station transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first transfer device; the first transfer device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism; the second handling mechanism sequentially handles and stacks the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the storage area; when the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism handles the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

[0101] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A warehouse workstation, characterized in that, For use in a warehouse, the warehouse has a first area for the movement of a warehouse robot. The warehouse workstation includes a first handling mechanism, a second handling mechanism, and a first transmission device. The first handling mechanism and the second handling mechanism are located at opposite ends of the first transmission device. The first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism. When the warehouse robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism is used to move multiple stacked boxes from the warehouse robot and place them in the outbound area. The first handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport the multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is used to transport the multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism, and the second handling mechanism is used to sequentially transport each box out of the warehouse. The first conveying mechanism handles multiple boxes, including boxes ready for shipment and boxes to be sorted. The first conveying device transfers boxes ready for shipment to the second conveying mechanism. The storage workstation also includes a second conveying device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting station. The first transfer mechanism is located near the first conveying device, and one end of the second conveying device is near the first conveying device. The first transfer mechanism transfers boxes to be sorted from the first conveying device to the second conveying device. The other end of the second conveying device is equipped with a sorting station for sorting the boxes to be sorted. The sorting operation table is located on the side of the first transmission device close to the second transmission device. The sorting operation table is used to transfer the sorted boxes to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is also used to transfer the sorted boxes to the second handling mechanism.

2. The warehousing workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage workstation also includes an outbound buffer mechanism, which is arranged around the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism is used to sequentially transport and stack the full-case outbound bins and the sorted bins on the first conveying device in the outbound buffer mechanism.

3. The warehouse workstation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outbound buffer mechanism is provided with multiple outbound positions, each of which can hold one or multiple identical material boxes stacked together; the outbound buffer mechanism can rotate relative to the second conveying mechanism to allow different outbound positions to face the second conveying mechanism.

4. The warehouse workstation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outbound buffer mechanism is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple outbound buffer mechanisms are arranged around the second conveying mechanism. The second conveying mechanism is also used to convey the material box to different outbound buffer mechanisms according to the type of material box being conveyed.

5. The warehouse workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting station is provided with multiple sorting positions, each of which is connected to the first transmission device. The sorting position is used to place a bin for receiving materials, and the bin for receiving materials is used to receive materials taken out from the bin for sorting. The sorting position is also used to transmit the bin to the first transmission device after detecting that the bin for receiving materials is full and / or that all the materials in the bin have been collected.

6. The warehouse workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sorting station also includes a display device for displaying sorting information for each sorting station, wherein the sorting information includes bin information and material information.

7. The warehouse workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sorting operation table has multiple sub-operation tables in the vertical direction, and each sub-operation table has multiple sorting positions; the first transmission device includes multiple first sub-transmission devices, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the multiple first sub-transmission devices are connected to the multiple sub-operation tables one by one.

8. The warehouse workstation according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second transmission device includes a plurality of second sub-transmission devices, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each of the plurality of second sub-transmission devices is connected to the plurality of first sub-transmission devices in a one-to-one correspondence. The first transfer mechanism is provided in a plurality of ways, and each of the first sub-transmission devices is provided with one first transfer mechanism.

9. The warehouse workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage workstation is also equipped with a second transfer mechanism and a third transmission device. The second transfer mechanism is located near the second handling mechanism of the first transmission device. One end of the third transmission device is near the second transfer mechanism. The second transfer mechanism is used to transport the boxes to be sorted on the first transmission device to the third transmission device. The other end of the third transmission device is equipped with a sorting station, which is used to sort the boxes to be sorted. The third transmission device and the second transmission device are spaced apart in the transmission direction of the first transmission device, and the sorting operation table is located between the third transmission device and the second transmission device.

10. The warehouse workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting refers to removing at least a portion of the material from the bins to be sorted and placing it into bins on the sorting workbench. The bins to be sorted that contain remaining material are called surplus bins, and the bins to be sorted that do not contain remaining material are called empty bins. The warehouse workstation also includes an empty box storage area, which is located on the side of the sorting operation table away from the first transmission device. The empty box storage area is used to store the empty boxes and also to provide empty boxes for the sorting operation table. And / or, The warehousing workstation also includes an inbound temporary storage area, which is located on the side of the sorting operation table away from the first transmission device, and is used to store the remaining boxes.

11. The warehouse workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second conveying mechanism; the second conveying device is further used to convey bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound, the first transfer mechanism is used to move the bins and / or surplus bins on the second conveying device to the first conveying device, the first conveying device is further used to transfer the bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound to the second conveying mechanism, the second conveying mechanism is further used to move the bins and / or surplus bins to be inbound sequentially and stack them in the inbound area, and when the warehouse robot is located in the inbound area, the second conveying mechanism is further used to move multiple bins stacked in the inbound area to the warehouse robot.

12. The warehouse workstation according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the third transmission device is further used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage, the second transfer mechanism is used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the third transmission device to the first transmission device, the first transmission device is further used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism, the second handling mechanism is further used to transport the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stack them in the inbound area, and when the storage robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is further used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the storage robot.

13. The warehouse workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehouse workstation also includes a fourth transmission device, which is close to the first handling mechanism. The fourth transmission device is used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage. The first handling mechanism is used to move the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage from the fourth transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device is also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism is also used to move the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage sequentially and stack them in the inbound area. When the warehouse robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to move multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the warehouse robot.

14. The warehouse workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; at least a portion of the sorting positions on the sorting operation table are also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first conveying device, the first conveying device is also used to transfer the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism, the second handling mechanism is also used to sequentially transport and stack the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the inbound area, and when the storage robot is located in the inbound area, the second handling mechanism is also used to transport multiple boxes stacked in the inbound area to the storage robot.

15. A warehousing method for a warehousing workstation according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The storage workstation is used in a warehouse, the warehouse has a first area for the movement of the storage robot, the storage workstation includes a first handling mechanism and a second handling mechanism disposed at both ends of a first transmission device, and the first area includes an outbound area adjacent to the first handling mechanism; The warehousing method includes the following steps: When the storage robot is located in the outbound area, the first handling mechanism moves the stacked boxes on the storage robot out and places them in the outbound area; the first handling mechanism sequentially moves the multiple boxes from the outbound area to the first transmission device; the first transmission device transfers the multiple boxes to the second handling mechanism, and the second handling mechanism sequentially moves each box out of the warehouse.

16. The warehousing method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The storage workstation also includes a second transmission device, a first transfer mechanism, and a sorting operation table. The first transfer mechanism is located near the first transport mechanism of the first transmission device. One end of the second transmission device is near the first transport mechanism. The sorting operation table is located on the side of the first transmission device near the second transmission device. The warehousing method further includes: The first conveying device transfers the boxes of material that are being shipped out of the warehouse to the second handling mechanism; The first transfer mechanism transports the boxes to be sorted on the first conveying device to the second conveying device, and the sorting station on the second conveying device is used to sort the boxes to be sorted; the sorting operation table transports the sorted boxes to the first conveying device; the first conveying device transports the sorted boxes to the second handling mechanism.

17. The warehousing method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The storage workstation further includes an outbound buffer unit disposed around the second handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes: The second handling mechanism sequentially transports and stacks the full-box outbound bins and the sorted bins from the first conveying device into the outbound buffer mechanism.

18. The warehousing method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The storage workstation further includes a second transfer mechanism and a third transmission device. The second transfer mechanism is located near the second handling mechanism of the first transmission device, and one end of the third transmission device is near the second transfer mechanism. The storage method further includes: The second transfer mechanism transports the boxes to be sorted on the first transfer device to the third transfer device, sorts the boxes on the third transfer device through the sorting station, and the sorting operation table transfers the sorted boxes on the third transfer device to the first transfer device.

19. The warehousing method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes: The second transmission device is also used to transmit bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse. The first transfer mechanism moves the bins and / or surplus bins on the second transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism sequentially moves and stacks the bins and / or surplus bins to be stored in the warehouse in the storage area. When the warehouse robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple bins stacked in the storage area to the warehouse robot.

20. The warehousing method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the warehousing method further includes: The third transmission device is also used to transmit the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored. The second transfer mechanism moves the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the third transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism sequentially moves and stacks the boxes and / or surplus boxes in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism moves the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

21. The warehousing method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; the storage workstation also includes a fourth transmission device near the first handling mechanism, and the storage method further includes: The fourth transmission device is used to transmit the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored. The first handling mechanism transports the boxes and / or surplus boxes on the fourth transmission device to the first transmission device. The first transmission device transmits the boxes and / or surplus boxes to the second handling mechanism. The second handling mechanism transports the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored sequentially and stacks them in the storage area. When the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism transports the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

22. The warehousing method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first area also includes an inbound area adjacent to the second handling mechanism; at least some sorting positions on the sorting table are used to transfer boxes and / or surplus boxes to be stored to the first conveying device, and the warehousing method further includes: The sorting station transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the first transmission device; the first transmission device transfers the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage to the second handling mechanism; the second handling mechanism sequentially handles and stacks the boxes and / or surplus boxes to be put into storage in the storage area; when the storage robot is located in the storage area, the second handling mechanism handles the multiple boxes stacked in the storage area to the storage robot.

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