Intelligent storage and distribution equipment, system and distribution method

Abstract

The invention discloses intelligent storage and distribution equipment, system and method. The equipment comprises a storage cabinet and a distribution robot. The storage cabinet comprises a cabinet body, a plurality of storage bins arranged in the cabinet body and a movement storing and taking mechanism. A first access opening and a plurality of second access openings are formed in the cabinet body; the plurality of storage bins are used for storing articles, are arranged in a matrix and are fixedly arranged, and the plurality of second access ports are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of storage bins; the movement storing and taking mechanism is used for taking out the articles in any storage bin and conveying the articles to the first storing and taking opening or conveying the articles from the first storing and taking opening into any storage bin; and the distribution robot is used for conveying the articles taken out by the moving access mechanism to a destination. The prepared meals are stored in a storage bin; the movement storing and taking mechanism takes out the meals in the storage bin and conveys the meals to the first storing and taking opening, the distribution robot takes away the meals on the movement storing and taking mechanism and sends the meals to the destination, automatic distribution is achieved, and the problem that the catering site is disordered is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent logistics, and in particular to an intelligent storage and distribution device, system and distribution method. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of technology, many hotels provide robot food delivery services. After customers order hotel meals or takeout orders through smart terminals such as mobile phones in their rooms, hotel service staff or deliverymen will put the prepared meals into the robot's storage bin, and the robot will deliver the meals to the door of the room. This can save customers' time going out and improve the user experience.

[0003] However, when a large number of meals need to be delivered, especially during peak meal times, multiple robots need to be set up on site to wait for hotel staff or deliverymen. The robots cannot perform other tasks during this period, making the robots inefficient and causing chaos at the meal preparation site. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides an intelligent storage and distribution device, a system and a distribution method, aiming to solve the problem of confusion at the meal distribution site in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses an intelligent storage and delivery device, including a storage cabinet and a delivery robot; the storage cabinet includes:

[0006] A cabinet body, wherein the cabinet body is provided with a first access opening and a plurality of second access openings;

[0007] A plurality of storage bins are disposed in the cabinet and used for storing articles, the plurality of storage bins are arranged in a matrix and fixedly disposed, and the plurality of second access ports are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of storage bins; and

[0008] A motion access mechanism, disposed in the cabinet, for taking out items from any of the storage bins and transporting them to the first access port or transporting items from the first access port to any of the storage bins;

[0009] The delivery robot is used to transport the items taken out by the motion storage and retrieval mechanism to a destination.

[0010] In some embodiments, the motion storage and retrieval mechanism includes a first horizontal motion component, a lifting component and a second horizontal motion component; the lifting component is connected to the first horizontal motion component, and the second horizontal motion component is connected to the lifting component. The first horizontal motion component can drive the lifting component and the second horizontal motion component to perform horizontal motion along the length direction of the cabinet, the lifting component can drive the second horizontal motion component to perform lifting motion along the height direction of the cabinet, and the second horizontal motion component can perform horizontal motion along the width direction of the cabinet.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first horizontal motion assembly and the lifting assembly are disposed behind the plurality of storage bins.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first horizontal motion component may include a horizontal slide rail arranged at the bottom of the cabinet and a slide trolley arranged on the horizontal slide rail, and the horizontal slide rail is arranged along the length direction of the cabinet; the lifting component is arranged on the slide trolley, and when the lifting component descends to the lowest point, the top of the motion access mechanism is below the top of the storage bin located in the bottom row.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first access opening is disposed at the bottom of the side of the cabinet.

[0014] In some embodiments, each of the storage bins is provided with a front opening and a rear opening, the front opening is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second access openings, and the rear opening is used for the moving access mechanism to enter and exit the storage bin.

[0015] In some embodiments, the storage cabinet further comprises a plurality of front automatic doors, which are arranged on the cabinet body, and the plurality of front automatic doors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second access ports for opening or closing the plurality of second access ports.

[0016] In some embodiments, the storage cabinet further includes a plurality of rear automatic doors corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of storage bins, for opening or closing the rear opening.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention further discloses an intelligent storage and delivery system, comprising a cloud server and the intelligent storage and delivery device described in the first aspect, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a controller communicating with the cloud server, a detection device is provided in each of the plurality of storage bins, the controller is also electrically connected to a power device of the motion access mechanism and the detection device, and the cloud server is also communicatively connected to a plurality of the delivery robots

[0018] In a third aspect, the present invention further discloses a distribution method, which is applied to the intelligent storage and distribution system described in the second aspect, wherein the storage cabinet and the distribution robot are both communicatively connected to a cloud server, and the method comprises:

[0019] If the storage success information and the robot delivery request are received, the location information of each of the delivery robots is obtained;

[0020] Calculating the distance between each delivery robot and the storage cabinet according to the position information of each delivery robot, determining the delivery robot closest to the storage cabinet as the target delivery robot, and sending a delivery instruction to the target delivery robot;

[0021] Determine whether the distance between the delivery robot and the storage cabinet is less than a preset distance to obtain a determination result;

[0022] If the judgment result is yes, a fetch instruction is sent to the controller of the storage cabinet.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: personnel can deposit prepared meals into the storage bin through the second access port; when delivering meals, the moving access mechanism can take out the meals in the storage bin and transport them to the first access port, and the delivery robot takes the meals on the moving access mechanism at the first access port and delivers the meals to the destination, thereby realizing automatic delivery, avoiding personnel from staying at the meal distribution site, and improving the problem of chaos at the meal distribution site. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent storage and distribution device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the intelligent storage and distribution equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention (with the front automatic door omitted);

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a storage cabinet of an intelligent storage and distribution device provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a rear perspective;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the rear perspective structure of a storage cabinet of the intelligent storage and distribution equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention (a rear automatic door is hidden);

[0029] Figure 5A schematic diagram of the structure of the motion access structure of the intelligent storage and distribution equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention (without the horizontal track);

[0030] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of another perspective of the motion access structure of the intelligent storage and distribution device provided by an embodiment of the present invention (without the horizontal track);

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the rear automatic door of the intelligent storage and delivery equipment provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a rear automatic door of an intelligent storage and delivery device provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the steps of the delivery method provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure numbers: 1, storage cabinet; 11, cabinet body; 111, first access port; 112, second access port; 12, storage bin; 13, motion access mechanism; 131, first horizontal motion assembly; 1311, horizontal track; 1312, slide trolley; 132, lifting assembly; 1321, electric push rod; 1322, first scissor pin; 1323, second scissor pin; 1324, fork chain plate; 1325, first connecting block; 1326, second connecting block; 1327, support level 1. Platform; 133. Second horizontal motion component; 1331. Slide rail; 1332. Slide table; 1333. Sliding block; 1334. Rack; 1335. Stepping motor; 1336. Gear; 18. Display screen; 15. Tray; 151. Rib; 16. Front automatic door; 17. Rear automatic door; 171. Hinge plate; 172. Chain; 173. Guide plate; 174. Hinge door motor; 175. Screw; 176. First connecting rod; 177. Second connecting rod; 2. Delivery robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "include" and "comprises" indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0037] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed", "set" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. When an element is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, the element can be "directly" or "indirectly" located on the other element, or there may be one or more intermediate elements. The terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only for the convenience of describing the present technical solution, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second", "third", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0038] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms.

[0039] It should be further understood that the terms "and, or" used in the present description and the appended claims refer to and include any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] The embodiment of the present invention discloses an intelligent storage and distribution device, which can be used for the storage and distribution of hotel meals and can be configured in the hotel lobby. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The intelligent storage and delivery device may include a storage cabinet 1 and a delivery robot 2. The storage cabinet 1 is used to store hotel meals. Hotel staff can put prepared meals or takeouts into the storage cabinet 1. The delivery robot 2 and the storage cabinet 1 are connected to the cloud server of the hotel management system. When the meals are put into the storage cabinet 1, the storage cabinet 1 sends information to the hotel management system, and the hotel management system sends a work instruction to the delivery robot 2. After the delivery robot 2 takes the meals, it delivers them to the corresponding destination. The destination can be the door of a room in the hotel. Multiple delivery robots 2 can be set.

[0041] Read also Figure 1 and Figure 2In some embodiments, the storage cabinet 1 may include a cabinet body 11, a plurality of storage bins 12, and a motion access mechanism 13. The cabinet body 11 is provided with a first access port 111 and a plurality of second access ports 112; the plurality of storage bins 12 are arranged in the cabinet body 11 for storing items. The plurality of storage bins 12 are arranged in a matrix and fixedly disposed, and the plurality of second access ports 112 are disposed one-to-one with the plurality of storage bins 12. The motion access mechanism 13 is disposed in the cabinet body 11, and is used to take out items from any of the storage bins 12 and transport them to the first access port 111 or to transport items from the first access port 111 to any of the storage bins 12; the delivery robot 2 is used to transport the items taken out by the motion access mechanism 13 to the destination.

[0042] Specifically, the cabinet 11 may be in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, with a cavity inside for arranging other components. The cabinet 11 may include a front panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, a left panel, and a right panel, wherein the area of ​​the front panel is larger than the area of ​​the left panel or the right panel, that is, the length of the cabinet 11 is larger than the width of the cabinet 11. The first access port 111 may be opened on the front panel. Or as Figure 2As shown, the first access port 111 can be provided on the front panel and the right side panel at the same time, so that a delivery robot 2 picking-up area is formed at the position corresponding to the first access port 111 inside the cabinet 11, and the height of the delivery robot 2 picking-up area is greater than the height of the delivery robot 2, and its length and width are also greater than the width of the delivery robot 2. When the delivery robot 2 picks up items from the first access port 111, the delivery robot 2 can enter the picking-up area of ​​the delivery robot 2, that is, when the delivery robot 2 picks up items, it will not occupy the space around the cabinet 11. On the one hand, it will not affect the manual storage, and on the other hand, it will not affect the movement of people around the cabinet 11, so as to avoid people accidentally bumping into the delivery robot 2, thereby ensuring the activity space of people around the storage cabinet 1. Several storage bins 12 are arranged in a matrix and fixedly arranged in the cabinet 11. Each storage bin 12 is arranged close to each other, which can maximize the use of the internal space of the cabinet 11. Under the condition that the volume of the cabinet 11 is certain, as many storage bins 12 as possible are arranged, thereby increasing the effective storage quantity of the storage cabinet 1. The second access port 112 is arranged on the front panel. The motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 can be used for both taking out objects and storing objects. When it is used for taking out objects, it can move to the position of any storage bin 12 to take out objects in any storage bin 12 in the cabinet 11. The delivery robot 2 only needs to be located at the first access port 111 and wait for the motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 to transport the objects in the storage bin 12 to the first access port 111. When the motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 is used for storing objects, personnel can place objects on the motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 at the first access port 111, and the motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 can transport the objects to the corresponding storage bin 12. Compared with the traditional storage cabinet 1, which requires personnel to walk to the corresponding storage bin 12 when storing objects, the storage cabinet 1 of this embodiment can reduce the walking distance of personnel, and objects can be deposited in any storage bin 12 only at the first access port 111. Furthermore, in order to allow personnel to store items in each storage bin 12, the height of the cabinet body 11 of the traditional storage cabinet 1 is limited, and the number of storage bins 12 is naturally limited. Therefore, the storage cabinet 1 disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can increase the number of storage bins 12. Even in high storage bins 12, personnel can easily store items therein through the motion access mechanism 13, thereby effectively expanding the number of items that can be stored in the storage cabinet 1 at the same time.

[0043] Furthermore, the storage cabinet 1 disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention also includes a display screen 14, a barcode scanner (not shown in the figure), a detection device (not shown in the figure), and a controller (not shown in the figure) connected to the display screen 14, the barcode scanner, the detection device, and the motion access mechanism 13. The display screen 14 can be used for personnel to input storage requests. The barcode scanner can be used to identify user information corresponding to the item, and the user information may include user identity information and user location information. The detection device is arranged in each storage bin 12 and corresponds to the storage bin 12 one by one. It can be a beam sensor to detect whether the corresponding storage bin 12 is placed in the storage bin 12. The storage bin 12 and the detection device are numbered in advance to bind the storage bin 12 and the user identity. The controller is connected to the cloud server in communication to send and receive information. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment can have two storage modes, one is a manual storage mode, and the other is a mechanical storage mode. Taking the intelligent storage and distribution equipment as a hotel's food delivery cabinet as an example, when putting food into the storage cabinet 1, the staff can select the manual storage mode or the mechanical storage mode on the display screen 14. When the manual storage mode is selected, the food is placed into the corresponding storage bin 12 through the second access port 112; when the mechanical storage mode is selected, the food is placed on the motion access mechanism 13 through the first access port 111, and the motion access mechanism 13 then transports the food to the corresponding storage bin 12. The distribution mode of the intelligent storage and distribution equipment is the automatic distribution mode. When the item is placed into the storage bin 12, the cloud server sends a successful storage message to the user terminal corresponding to the item, and when the distribution conditions are met, sends a delivery instruction to the distribution robot 2. The distribution robot 2 cooperates with the motion access mechanism 13 at the first access port 111 to complete the retrieval, and then delivers the item to the destination.

[0044] The user can also move to the storage cabinet 1 according to the storage success information received, and take out the items in the corresponding storage bin 12 through the second access port 112.

[0045] In other embodiments, the storage cabinet 1 can also be used to store archives, and the cloud server in this case is a cloud server of the archive management system. For example, the storage cabinet 1 is applied to the school archive room, and each storage bin 12 stores the archives of one or more students. Since the archives have a greater demand for storage, the volume of the cabinet 11 of the storage cabinet 1 and the number of storage bins 12 can be increased accordingly. In this embodiment, since a motion access mechanism 13 is provided, the archive manager can easily store the plan in any storage bin 12. When storing archives, the student's identity information can be input, and the storage bin 12 and the detection device can be numbered in advance to bind the storage bin 12 and the student's identity. When extracting archives, the archive manager can send a robot delivery request to the cloud server through a mobile terminal, such as a computer or mobile phone inputting a robot delivery request, and the robot delivery request also includes the student's identity information. The cloud server sends a delivery instruction to the delivery robot 2. In this embodiment, the delivery destination of the delivery robot 2 can be the office or desk of the archive manager.

[0046] Read also Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the motion access mechanism 13 can take out or store items in any storage bin 12, the motion access mechanism 13 includes a first horizontal motion component 131, a lifting component 132 and a second horizontal motion component 133; the lifting component is connected to the first horizontal motion component 131, and the second horizontal motion component 133 is connected to the lifting component 132. The first horizontal motion component 131 can drive the lifting component 132 and the second horizontal motion component 133 to perform horizontal motion along the length direction of the cabinet 11, the lifting component 132 can drive the second horizontal motion component 133 to perform lifting motion along the height direction of the cabinet 11, and the second horizontal motion component 133 can perform horizontal motion along the width direction of the cabinet 11, so that the motion access mechanism 13 has three motion dimensions, so that the second horizontal motion component 133 can enter and exit any storage bin 12 arranged in a matrix.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first horizontal motion component 131 and the lifting component 132 are disposed behind the plurality of storage bins 12 .

[0048] Specifically, the matrix formed by the arrangement of the plurality of storage bins 12 is parallel to the plane where the front panel of the cabinet 11 is located, and the long side of the matrix is ​​parallel to the long side of the front panel, and the height of the matrix is ​​parallel to the height of the front panel. The width of the cabinet 11 is greater than the width of the storage bins 12. In the width direction of the cabinet 11, the front panel is located in front of the storage bins 12. The first horizontal motion component 131 and the lifting component 132 are arranged to move in the space behind the plurality of storage bins 12, so that as many storage bins 12 as possible can be arranged in the limited space in the cabinet 11, and the position of the motion access mechanism 13 will not occupy the space between the second access port 112 on the front panel and the storage bin 12, so that it is convenient for personnel to access from the second access port 112.

[0049] Read also Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first horizontal motion component 131 may include a horizontal slide rail 1331 arranged at the bottom of the cabinet 11 and a slide trolley 1312 arranged on the horizontal slide rail 1331, and the horizontal slide rail 1331 is arranged along the length direction of the cabinet 11; the lifting component 132 is arranged on the slide trolley 1312, and when the lifting component 132 descends to the lowest point, the top of the motion access mechanism 13 is below the top of the storage bin 12 located in the bottom row.

[0050] Specifically, the horizontal slide rail 1331 is arranged at the bottom of the cabinet 11 behind the storage bin 12, and the length of the horizontal slide rail 1331 is greater than the length of the matrix formed by the plurality of storage bins 12, so as to ensure that the motion access mechanism 13 can pass through all the storage bins 12 when moving along the length direction of the cabinet 11; and when the lifting assembly 132 descends to the lowest point, the top of the motion access mechanism 13 is below the top of the storage bin 12 in the bottom row, so as to ensure that the motion access mechanism 13 can pass through all the storage bins 12 when moving along the length direction of the cabinet 11, thereby preventing some storage bins 12 from being unable to be accessed by the motion access mechanism 13. Therefore, while as many storage bins 12 as possible are arranged, waste is avoided, so that each storage bin 12 can cooperate with the motion access mechanism 13.

[0051] Read also Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments, the trolley 1312 is controlled by a motor (not shown) so that it can slide on the horizontal slide rail 1331. The lifting assembly 132 may include an electric push rod 1321, a first scissor pin 1322, a second scissor pin 1323, a fork chain plate 1324, and a support platform 1327. The motor of the electric push rod 1321 is fixed to the top of the trolley 1312, the first end of the electric push rod 1321 is connected to its motor, the second end of the electric push rod 1321 is connected to a first scissor pin 1322, and the first scissor pin 1322 is specifically vertically fixed to the end of the electric push rod 1321, the second scissor pin 1323 is parallel to the first scissor pin 1322 and is equal in length, and the second scissor pin 1323 is located in the direction where the second end of the electric push rod 1321 is away from the first end. The first end of the first scissor fork pin 1322 is connected to the first end of the second scissor fork pin 1323 through two cross-arranged fork chain plates 1324, and the second end of the first scissor fork pin 1322 is connected to the second end of the second scissor fork pin 1323 through the two cross-arranged fork chain plates 1324. The middle of the two cross-arranged fork chain plates 1324 is connected by a rotating shaft. The first scissor fork pin 1322 is set in the track hole of the first connecting block 1325 fixed on the top of the sliding trolley 1312. The track hole is parallel to the axis of the electric push rod 1321, so that when the electric push rod 1321 is driven The first scissor pin 1322 can be driven to perform translational motion in the track hole, and the second scissor pin 1323 is inserted into the shaft hole of the second connecting block 1326 fixed to the top of the slide trolley 1312. The second scissor pin 1323 can only rotate in the shaft hole of the second connecting block 1326, and cannot perform translational motion like the first scissor pin 1322. In this way, when the first scissor pin 1322 is driven away from the second scissor pin 1323, the height of the lifting assembly 132 is reduced, and when the first scissor pin 1322 is driven close to the second scissor pin 1323, the height of the lifting assembly 132 is increased. A plurality of first scissor pins 1322, second scissor pins 1323 and fork chain plates 1324 are stacked from bottom to top in order to increase the upper limit of the height of the lifting assembly 132. The support platform 1327 is set on the fork chain plate 1324 located at the top. The plane where the support platform 1327 is located is parallel to the floor of the cabinet 11 and the top plane of the slide trolley 1312. The four points where the support platform 1327 is connected to the fork chain plate 1324 are at the same distance from the center of gravity of the support platform 1327 to ensure the stability of the support platform 1327 when performing the lifting movement.

[0052] Read also Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments, the second horizontal motion assembly 133 may include a slide rail 1331, a slide table 1332, a slider 1333, a rack 1334, a stepper motor 1335, and a gear 1336. Two slide rails 1331 are arranged in parallel on the top of the support platform 1327, and the two slide rails 1331 are arranged perpendicular to the storage bin 12. Two sliders 1333 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the slide table 1332, and the two sliders 1333 are embedded in the two slide rails 1331 so that the slide table 1332 can slide along the axis direction of the slide rails 1331. The two sliders 1333 are fixedly connected to one end of the slide table 1332 away from the storage bin 12, so that when the slide table 1332 slides in the direction close to the storage bin 12, the slide table 1332 can protrude as much as possible from the support platform 1327, thereby increasing the effective movement distance of the second horizontal assembly, so that the slide table 1332 can stably support the items. The rack 1334 is disposed between the two slide rails 1331 and is parallel to the two slide rails 1331. The rack 1334 has the same length as the two slide rails 1331 and the support platform 1327. The stepper motor 1335 is fixed to the bottom of the slide 1332. The gear 1336 is connected to the output shaft of the stepper motor 1335 and meshes with the rack 1334. Thus, when the stepper motor 1335 drives the gear 1336 to rotate, the gear 1336 rolls on the rack 1334, thereby driving the stepper motor 1335, the slide 1332 and the slider 1333 to move along the axis direction of the slide rail 1331, so that the slide 1332 enters and exits the storage bin 12.

[0053] Read also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the first access port 111 is disposed at the bottom of the side of the cabinet 11 .

[0054] Specifically, the side of the cabinet 11 is the plane where the front panel, left panel or right panel of the cabinet 11 is located. The first access port 111 is set at the bottom of the side of the cabinet 11. On the one hand, it is convenient for the delivery robot 2 to pick up items, that is, the height of the delivery robot 2 does not need to be set too high, ensuring the flexibility of the delivery robot 2; on the other hand, it is convenient for people of different heights to place items on the slide 1332 of the motion access mechanism 13 at the first access port 111 when selecting the mechanical storage mode. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a transverse partition is arranged above the first access port 111 , and the space formed by the transverse partition, the top plate and the right side plate can be used to set up electrical appliances or communication devices of the storage cabinet 1 , such as a controller of the storage cabinet 1 .

[0055] Read also Figure 4In some embodiments, each of the storage bins 12 is provided with a front opening and a rear opening, the front opening being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second access openings 112 , and the rear opening being used for the moving access mechanism 13 to enter and exit the storage bin 12 .

[0056] Specifically, the slide rail 1331 and the slide platform 1332 of the second horizontal motion assembly 133 are perpendicular to the plane where the rear opening of the storage bin 12 is located, so as to facilitate the slide platform 1332 to enter and exit the storage bin 12 from the rear opening of the storage bin 12.

[0057] Read also Figure 4 In some embodiments, the storage bin 12 is further provided with a tray 15 placed at the bottom thereof, which is used to hold items on one hand and facilitate the slide 1332 to take out or store items on the other hand. The tray 15 can be placed in the storage bin 12 together with the items when personnel store items manually or mechanically.

[0058] Specifically, two parallel ribs 151 are provided at the bottom of the tray 15, and the net distance between the two ribs 151 is greater than the width of the slide 1332 of the second horizontal motion component 133, and the distance from the bottom of the two ribs 151 to the outer bottom surface of the tray 15 is greater than the thickness of the slide 1332, so that when the tray 15 is located in the storage bin 12, the slide 1332 can extend between the two ribs 151, and the lifting component 132 rises to lift the tray 15 from the bottom of the storage bin 12, and the stepper motor 1335 reverses, and the slide 1332 moves in the opposite direction to push out the storage bin 12 to complete the retrieval. When storing objects, the movement sequence is opposite to that of retrieval.

[0059] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the storage cabinet 1 further includes a plurality of front automatic doors 16 , which are disposed on the cabinet body 11 , and are disposed one-to-one with the plurality of second access ports 112 for opening or closing the plurality of second access ports 112 .

[0060] Read also Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the storage cabinet 1 further includes a plurality of rear automatic doors 17 corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of storage bins 12, for opening or closing the rear opening.

[0061] Specifically, the front automatic door 16 and the rear automatic door 17 are both controlled to open and close by the controller of the storage cabinet 1. When the motion storage and retrieval mechanism takes out or deposits an object, the rear automatic door 17 opens, and after taking out or depositing an object, the rear automatic door 17 closes; when a person manually deposits or takes out an object, the front automatic door 16 opens, and after taking out or depositing an object, the front automatic door 16 closes. Among them, the rear automatic door 17 may include a plurality of hinge plates 171, a chain 172, a guide plate 173, a hinge door motor 174, and a screw rod 175. Both ends of the plurality of hinge plates 171 are connected to the chain 172, and the chain 172 is arranged in the track of the guide plate 173. The side edges of the guide plate 173 are arranged corresponding to the two side walls arranged on the storage bin 12, so that the space between the two side edges thereof is arranged opposite to the rear opening. The track arranged on the side of the guide plate 173 is arranged along the height direction of the side wall of the storage bin 12 and the length direction of the top wall, forming a continuous L-shape, and the space between the two sides of the guide plate 173 is used to arrange the hinge plate 171. The hinge door motor 174 can be fixed on the inner top wall surface of the guide plate 173, and one end of the screw rod 175 is connected to the hinge door motor 174, and the other end is connected to the innermost hinge plate 171. In this way, the hinge door motor 174 drives the screw rod 175 to push the innermost hinge plate 171, and then drives all the hinge plates 171 to be pushed by the screw rod 175 through the chain 172, and the closing action of the automatic door 17 is completed, closing the rear opening; the hinge door motor 174 drives the screw rod 175 to pull the innermost hinge plate 171, and then drives all the hinge plates 171 to be pulled by the screw rod 175 through the chain 172, and the opening action of the automatic door 17 is completed, opening the rear opening. Among them, the hinge door motor 174 is controlled by the controller.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, in other embodiments, the rear automatic door 17 may include a plurality of first connecting rods 176 and second connecting rods 177. One end of the first connecting rod 176 is connected to the hinge door motor 174, the other end of the first connecting rod 176 is connected to one end of the second connecting rod 177 through a rotating shaft, and the other end of the second connecting rod 177 is rotatably connected to the innermost hinge plate 171. In this way, when the hinge door motor 174 drives the first connecting rod 176 and the second connecting rod 177 to rotate, the first connecting rod 176 and the second connecting rod 177 have a first state in which they are straight and a second state in which they are broken lines. When the two are converted from the second state to the first state, the second connecting rod 177 pushes the hinge plate 171, and the closing action of the rear automatic door 17 is completed, closing the rear opening; when the two are converted from the first state to the second state, the second connecting rod 177 pulls the hinge plate 171, and the opening action of the automatic door 17 is completed, opening the rear opening.

[0063] Since the rear automatic door 17 is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the storage bins 12, the storage cabinet 1 of the present invention can be provided without a back panel, thus saving the production cost of the cabinet body 11, and the storage cabinet 1 can be directly placed against the wall, that is, the rear end of the right side panel behind the left side panel is placed against the wall. In addition, the rear automatic door 17 separates each storage bin 12 in the cabinet body 11, thus preventing the storage of items with strong odors, such as when eating, from spreading to other storage bins 12 and affecting the odor of the food in other storage bins 12, thereby ensuring the dining experience of the user.

[0064] An embodiment of the present invention discloses an intelligent storage and distribution system, including a cloud server and the intelligent storage and distribution equipment disclosed in the above embodiments, the storage cabinet 1 includes a controller that communicates with the cloud server, and the plurality of storage bins 12 are each provided with a detection device. The controller is also electrically connected to a power device of the motion access mechanism 13 and the detection device, and the cloud server is also communicatively connected to the plurality of distribution robots 2.

[0065] Specifically, the power device of the motion storage and retrieval mechanism 13 includes but is not limited to the motor of the slide trolley 1312, the motor of the electric push rod 1321, the stepper motor 1335 and the hinge door motor 174 mentioned in the above embodiments.

[0066] like Fig. 9 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention further discloses a distribution method, which is applied to the intelligent storage and distribution system described in the above embodiment, the storage cabinet and the distribution robot are both communicatively connected to the cloud server, and the method includes steps S110 to S140.

[0067] S110: If storage success information and a robot delivery request are received, the location information of each delivery robot is obtained.

[0068] Take the use of intelligent storage and distribution equipment for the storage and distribution of meals that can be used in hotels as an example, wherein the cloud server is a cloud server of a hotel management system. Hotel staff can input a storage request through the display screen 14 on the storage cabinet, and scan the customer's meal order through a barcode scanner to input user information, including user identity information and user location information. The user identity information is the user's mobile phone number, and the user location information is the user's room number and its corresponding location. After receiving the storage request, the controller of the storage cabinet controls the corresponding device to work according to the storage mode selected by the user, that is, the above-mentioned manual storage mode and mechanical storage mode control, to complete the storage, and by pre-numbering each storage bin and the detection device in the storage bin to identify which storage bin the meal is actually placed in. After the storage is completed, the controller packages the storage bin number corresponding to the stored meal and the user information as a storage success information and sends it to the cloud server. After receiving the storage success information, the cloud server sends the user the information that the item has been stored through the user information therein, and the information that the item has been stored may include the retrieval mode selection information, the retrieval verification information, and the storage cabinet location information. The user can choose to go to the storage cabinet to pick up the item or have the robot deliver the item by replying to the item retrieval mode selection information. For example, replying "1" means choosing to go to the storage cabinet to pick up the item; replying "2" means choosing to have the robot deliver the item. If the user chooses the robot deliver the item, a robot delivery request is sent to the cloud server. After receiving the robot delivery request, the cloud server obtains the location information of each delivery robot. If the user chooses to go to the storage cabinet to pick up the item, the user can go to the storage cabinet to pick up the item with the item retrieval verification information and the storage cabinet location information. The cloud server no longer obtains the location information of each delivery robot to avoid duplicate delivery, thereby avoiding confusion in delivery or retrieval.

[0069] In the embodiment where the storage cabinet is used to store archives, the archive management can input the storage request through the display screen 14 on the storage cabinet, and input the identity information of the archiver through the display screen 14 to correspond the archive and the archiver. After receiving the storage request, the controller of the storage cabinet controls the corresponding device to work according to the storage mode selected by the user, that is, the manual storage mode and the mechanical storage mode control, to complete the storage, and by numbering each storage bin and the detection device in the storage bin in advance to identify which storage bin the archive is actually placed in. After the storage is completed, the controller packages the storage bin number corresponding to the stored archive and the identity information of the archiver as a storage success message and sends it to the cloud server.

[0070] When it is necessary to retrieve archives, the archive manager can send a robot delivery request to the cloud server through a mobile terminal, such as inputting a robot delivery request on a computer or mobile phone, and the robot delivery request also includes the identity information of the archive manager. The cloud server determines the number of the storage bin where the items need to be retrieved based on the identity information of the archive manager to execute subsequent steps. In this embodiment, the delivery destination of the delivery robot can be the office or desk of the archive manager, and the location information of the office or desk of the archive manager can be pre-stored in the cloud server.

[0071] It should be noted that when executing this step, the delivery robots in the acquired position information of each delivery robot do not include the robot that is performing a delivery task.

[0072] S120. Calculate the distance between each delivery robot and the storage cabinet according to the position information of each delivery robot, determine the delivery robot closest to the storage cabinet as the target delivery robot, and send a delivery instruction to the target delivery robot.

[0073] Among them, the location information of the storage cabinet is stored in the cloud server. In order to deliver the items to the user's location more quickly, the delivery robot closest to the storage cabinet is determined as the target delivery robot, and a transportation instruction is sent to the target delivery robot. The transportation instruction includes the user's location information and the planned route information. The planned route information is the route from the delivery robot to the storage cabinet, and the route from the storage cabinet to the user's location, thereby controlling the delivery robot to move reasonably and quickly.

[0074] S130. Determine whether the distance between the delivery robot and the storage cabinet is less than a preset distance to obtain a determination result.

[0075] After the target delivery robot receives the delivery instruction, it is controlled to move toward the storage cabinet according to the planned route. During this process, it is preferably determined at any time whether the distance between the delivery robot and the storage cabinet is less than a preset distance, for example, the preset distance is 2m.

[0076] S140: If the judgment result is yes, send a fetch instruction to the controller of the storage cabinet.

[0077] When it is preferably determined that the delivery robot is less than the preset distance, a fetching instruction is sent to the controller of the storage cabinet. The fetching instruction includes the number of the storage bin and the corresponding detection device. After receiving the fetching instruction, the controller controls the motion fetching mechanism to fetch the items in the storage bin corresponding to the number, and controls the motion fetching mechanism to move to the first storage port, wherein the positional relationship between the initial position of the motion fetching mechanism and the storage bin corresponding to the number and the identification device and the identified label are set on the rear automatic door and the slide of the motion fetching mechanism to accurately control the hinge door motor of the rear automatic door, the motor of the slide trolley in the motion fetching mechanism, the motor of the electric push rod and the stepping motor to work, so that the motion fetching mechanism moves accordingly, so that it can accurately fetch the items to be delivered. In the process of the motion fetching mechanism fetching, the delivery robot just moves to the first storage port, and after completing the fetching, it delivers according to the planned route. This avoids temporarily controlling the motion fetching mechanism to fetch after the delivery robot is in place, so as to further save time and enable users to receive items faster.

[0078] If the judgment result is no, the process returns to step S130.

[0079] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent storage and distribution device, characterized in that: It includes a storage cabinet and a delivery robot; the storage cabinet includes: A cabinet body, wherein the cabinet body is provided with a first access opening and a plurality of second access openings; A plurality of storage bins are disposed in the cabinet and used for storing articles, the plurality of storage bins are arranged in a matrix and fixedly disposed, and the plurality of second access ports are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of storage bins; and A motion access mechanism, disposed in the cabinet, for taking out items from any of the storage bins and transporting them to the first access port or transporting items from the first access port to any of the storage bins; The delivery robot is used to transport the items taken out by the motion storage and retrieval mechanism to a destination.

2. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motion storage and retrieval mechanism includes a first horizontal motion component, a lifting component and a second horizontal motion component; the lifting component is connected to the first horizontal motion component, and the second horizontal motion component is connected to the lifting component. The first horizontal motion component can drive the lifting component and the second horizontal motion component to perform horizontal motion along the length direction of the cabinet, the lifting component can drive the second horizontal motion component to perform lifting motion along the height direction of the cabinet, and the second horizontal motion component can perform horizontal motion along the width direction of the cabinet.

3. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first horizontal motion assembly and the lifting assembly are arranged behind the plurality of storage bins.

4. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first horizontal motion component may include a horizontal slide rail arranged at the bottom of the cabinet and a slide trolley arranged on the horizontal slide rail, and the horizontal slide rail is arranged along the length direction of the cabinet; the lifting component is arranged on the slide trolley, and when the lifting component descends to the lowest point, the top of the motion storage and retrieval mechanism is below the top of the storage bin located in the bottom row.

5. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first access opening is arranged at the bottom of the side surface of the cabinet.

6. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the storage bins is provided with a front opening and a rear opening, wherein the front opening is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second access openings, and the rear opening is used for the moving access mechanism to enter and exit the storage bin.

7. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The storage cabinet further comprises a plurality of front automatic doors, which are arranged on the cabinet body and are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second access openings for opening or closing the plurality of second access openings.

8. The intelligent storage and distribution equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The storage cabinet also includes a plurality of rear automatic doors corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of storage bins, and used for opening or closing the rear opening.

9. An intelligent storage and distribution system, characterized in that: It includes a cloud server and the intelligent storage and distribution equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the storage cabinet includes a controller that communicates with the cloud server, the several storage warehouses are each provided with a detection device, the controller is also electrically connected to the power device of the motion access mechanism and the detection device, and the cloud server is also communicatively connected to the plurality of distribution robots.

10. A distribution method, applied to the intelligent storage and distribution system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The storage cabinet and the delivery robot are both connected to a cloud server for communication, and the method includes: If the storage success information and the robot delivery request are received, the location information of each of the delivery robots is obtained; Calculating the distance between each delivery robot and the storage cabinet according to the position information of each delivery robot, determining the delivery robot closest to the storage cabinet as the target delivery robot, and sending a delivery instruction to the target delivery robot; Determine whether the distance between the delivery robot and the storage cabinet is less than a preset distance to obtain a determination result; If the judgment result is yes, a fetch instruction is sent to the controller of the storage cabinet.

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