Sorting method, control system and control device

Abstract

The invention discloses a sorting method, a control system and a control device.According to the sorting method, a sorting trolley with two narrow conveyors arranged side by side is adopted, so that the size of each conveyor is reduced, the power of a motor of a single conveyor and the power of a motor of a single lifting mechanism can be effectively reduced, and in the sorting process, the sorting efficiency is improved. According to the sorting trolley, whether the parcels are guided into one conveyor or two conveyors of the sorting trolley is determined by identifying the sizes of the parcels, and small parcels can be guided into only one conveyor, so that the parcels can be lifted and sorted only through the lifting mechanism on one side, and the energy consumption of equipment operation can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sorting, in particular to a sorting method, a control system and a control device. Background Art

[0002] Cross-belt sorters are commonly used sorting equipment. In order to increase the number of sorting slots, the current research and development hotspot of cross-belt sorters is to enable the conveyor on the sorting trolley to be able to rise and fall.

[0003] The patent document with application publication number CN119500577A discloses a feasible structure.

[0004] In known cross-belt sorting machines capable of lifting and lowering a conveying assembly, a relatively wide conveying assembly is usually used to meet the sorting needs of packages of as many sizes as possible; this structure has higher power requirements for the driving force of the conveying assembly and the driving motor of the lifting mechanism, and the same driving force is used regardless of the size of the package, which leads to higher operating costs. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems existing in the prior art and to provide a sorting method, a control system and a control device.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: The sorting method comprises the following steps: S1, controls the package supply platform to transport the packages entering it to the downstream; S2, after the package passes through the first detection sensor, determining the size information of the package and the location coordinates of the package according to the signal of the first detection sensor; S3, reserving a sorting trolley for the parcel according to the location coordinates of the parcel, and determining whether the parcel is to be introduced onto one conveyor or two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley according to the determined size information of the parcel, wherein the two conveyors are arranged side by side; S4, when it is determined that the parcel needs to be imported onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting cart, the parcel supply platform is controlled to import the parcel onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting cart; when it is determined that the parcel needs to be imported onto two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart, the parcel supply platform is controlled to import the parcel onto the two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart; S5, controlling the reserved sorting trolley to adjust the height of the conveyor where the parcel is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the parcel is to be sorted; S6, when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the package on it, controlling one or two conveyors where the package is located to start sorting; S7, after the reserved sorting trolley completes sorting, control the sorting trolley to adjust the conveyor thereon to a packing height.

[0007] Preferably, the first detection sensor is a grating sensor, which extends along the width direction of the package supply table, and its detection light is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the package supply table.

[0008] Preferably, when it is determined that the first extension distance of the package in the package supply direction of the package supply platform or the second extension distance of the package in the moving direction of the sorting trolley passing through the package supply platform is less than or equal to n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor, it is determined that the package needs to be introduced onto a conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley; When it is determined that the first extension distance of the package in the package supply direction of the package supply table or the second extension distance of the package in the moving direction of the sorting cart passing through the package supply table is greater than n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor, it is determined that the package needs to be imported into the two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart; the value of n is between 75-85.

[0009] Preferably, when it is determined that the parcel needs to be introduced onto a conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley, the parcel is introduced onto one of the two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley that first passes through the package supply station.

[0010] Preferably, the sorting cart includes a frame, two lifting mechanisms are arranged on the frame, each lifting mechanism is connected to a conveyor driven to lift and lower by it, the lifting mechanism includes a guide rod arranged in a vertical direction, a mounting seat is slidably arranged on the guide rod, the mounting seat is connected to a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is sleeved on a driving wheel and a driven wheel arranged at both ends of the guide rod, the axis of the driving wheel is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor and is connected to a motor that drives its rotation.

[0011] Preferably, a distance measuring sensor located below the conveyor and corresponding to the two conveyors respectively is provided on the frame of the sorting trolley, and the height of the conveyor is determined according to the distance measuring sensor.

[0012] Preferably, when the conveyor of the sorting trolley completes sorting and is adjusted to the upper bag height and / or when it is determined that the package is introduced onto the two conveyors of the sorting trolley, it is determined whether the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are flush according to the signal of the ranging sensor; when it is determined that the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are not flush, the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are adjusted to be flush through the lifting mechanism connected to each conveyor.

[0013] Preferably, the sorting trolley is also provided with a position confirmation grating sensor, the extension direction of the position confirmation grating sensor is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor, and the detection light of the position confirmation grating sensor is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the conveyor and is located in the gap between the two conveyors; when the conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley imports the package onto the reserved sorting trolley, it is determined whether the package is on the two conveyors according to the signal of the position confirmation grating sensor, and if so, in S5, the two conveyors are synchronously raised and lowered to adjust the height, and in S6, the two conveyors are started for sorting.

[0014] Sorting control system, including: A conveying unit, used for controlling the package supply platform to convey the packages entering thereon to the downstream; a size and position determination unit, configured to determine the size information of the package and the position coordinates of the package according to a signal of the first detection sensor after the package passes through the first detection sensor; A cart reservation and conveyor determination unit, used to reserve a sorting cart for the parcel according to the location coordinates of the parcel, and determine whether the parcel is to be introduced into one conveyor or two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart according to the determined size information of the parcel, wherein the two conveyors are arranged side by side; The import unit is used to control the package supply platform to import the package onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley when it is determined that the package needs to be imported onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley; when it is determined that the package needs to be imported onto two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley, control the package supply platform to import the package onto the two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley; A height adjustment unit, used to control the reserved sorting trolley to adjust the height of the conveyor where the parcel is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the parcel is to be sorted; A sorting execution unit is used to control one or two conveyors where the parcels are located to start sorting when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the parcels thereon; The reset unit is used to control the sorting trolley to adjust the conveyor thereon to a bag loading height after the reserved sorting trolley completes sorting.

[0015] The sorting control device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a program executable by the processor, and when the program is executed, any of the above-mentioned sorting methods can be implemented.

[0016] The advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are mainly reflected in: The present invention enables a sorting trolley to have two side-by-side and narrower conveyors while keeping the width of the sorting trolley unchanged, which can effectively reduce the power of the motor of a single conveyor and the motor of a single lifting mechanism. Moreover, during sorting, by identifying the size of the package, it is determined whether the package is introduced onto one conveyor or two conveyors of the sorting trolley. For small packages, they can be introduced onto only one conveyor, so that they can be lifted and lowered by only the lifting mechanism on one side and sorted by one conveyor, which can effectively reduce the energy consumption of the equipment during operation.

[0017] The present invention provides a distance measuring sensor on the sorting trolley, which can effectively identify the height of each conveyor, thereby effectively preventing the loose conveyor belt from causing inaccurate height adjustment of the conveyor, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of conveyor sorting and package receiving. At the same time, by detecting whether the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are flush, adjustments can be made when they are not flush, so as to ensure that the package can effectively fit with the conveying surface of the conveyor, thereby ensuring the reliability of transportation.

[0018] The present invention arranges a position confirmation grating sensor on the sorting trolley, which can effectively detect whether there is a package between two conveyors and change the original control strategy, thereby avoiding the problem that the package that should be introduced onto one conveyor is actually located on two conveyors, causing the package to fall from the conveyor when a single conveyor is subsequently upgraded, thereby improving the accuracy of control and the safety of sorting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a top view of the cross-belt sorting device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cross belt sorter of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a front view of the sorting trolley of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a partial schematic diagram of the frame area of ​​the sorting trolley of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of two conveyors on the sorting trolley of the present invention being respectively connected to the lifting components; Figure 6 is a side view of the sorting trolley of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the connection of adjacent sorting carts of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the T-shaped frame and the bottom frame of the sorting trolley of the present invention being movably connected; Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional view of a first mounting beam of a T-shaped frame of a sorting trolley of the present invention; Fig.10 is a top view of the package supply table of the present invention; Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of the first detection sensor of the present invention performing package detection; Fig.12 is a flow chart of the sorting method of the present invention; Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of determining the second extension distance of the package by the package supply platform of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The purpose, advantages and features of the present invention will be illustrated and explained by the non-limiting description of the following preferred embodiments. These embodiments are only typical examples of the application of the technical solution of the present invention, and any technical solution formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation falls within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0021] In the description of the scheme, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience and simplification of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] Example 1 The sorting method disclosed by the present invention is described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The sorting method is based on a cross-belt sorting device, as shown in the attached drawings. Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 2 As shown, the cross-belt sorting equipment includes a cross-belt sorting machine 100, and the cross-belt sorting machine 100 includes a bracket 110, and the bracket 110 is provided with a ceiling rail 120 and a ground rail 130, and the ground rail 130 includes an inner rail and an outer rail arranged concentrically, which can be the track structure of the known cross-belt sorting machine 100, and will not be described here. The ceiling rail 120 is located between the inner rail and the outer rail, and the spacing between the ceiling rail 120 and the inner rail and the outer rail is equal. The ceiling rail 120 is preferably a rail with a U-shaped cross section and an opening facing downward. A circle of sorting carts 140 is movably arranged between the ceiling rail 120 and the ground rail 130.

[0023] As attached Figure 3 As shown, each of the sorting carts 140 includes a frame 001, on which two lifting mechanisms 002 are arranged, each lifting mechanism 002 is connected to a conveyor 003 driven to lift and lower, and the two conveyors 003 are arranged side by side, that is, one conveyor 003 is located on the side of the other conveyor 003 and the two ends of the two conveyors 003 are flush.

[0024] As attached Figure 3 , Attachment Figure 4 As shown, the frame 001 includes a T-shaped frame 004 and a bottom frame 005 arranged on the T-shaped frame 004. The T-shaped frame 004 includes a first mounting beam 006 and a second mounting beam 007. The first mounting beam 006 extends horizontally and its extension direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor 003 on the sorting trolley 140. One end of the first mounting beam 006 is provided with a countersunk hole, and a first joint bearing 008 is arranged in the countersunk hole. The other end of the first mounting beam 006 is fixedly connected to the second mounting beam 007. Both ends of the second mounting beam 007 are respectively provided with a running wheel assembly 009. The axis of the running wheel of the running wheel assembly 009 extends horizontally and is rollingly arranged on the horizontal running surface of the inner and outer tracks of the ground rail 130. The bottom of the second mounting beam 007 is also provided with two guide wheels 010 located inside the running wheel assembly 009. The axes of the two guide wheels 010 extend in the vertical direction and their wheel surfaces are attached to the vertical side surfaces of the inner and outer tracks. In addition, a connecting pin 011 for connecting the first joint bearing 008 is also provided in the middle of the second mounting beam 007. A linear motor secondary assembly 012 matching the fixed linear motor primary assembly is also provided at the bottom of the first mounting beam 006, so that a circle of sorting carts 140 are driven to move along the ceiling rail 120 and the ground rail 130 by the horizontal thrust generated by the linear motor. A busbar collector (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the side of the first mounting beam 006, so that it can cooperate with the power supply rail (not shown in the figure) provided on the ground rail 130 to realize the power supply of the sorting cart 140.

[0025] As attached Figure 4 , Attachment Figure 5 As shown, the base frame 005 is arranged on the first mounting beam 006 and the extension direction of the base frame 005 is consistent with the extension direction of the first mounting beam 006. The two ends of the base frame 005 extend outside the two ends of the T-shaped frame 004. The two ends of the base frame 005 are respectively provided with a lifting mechanism 002. The lifting mechanism 002 includes a guide rod 013 arranged along the vertical direction. The guide rod 013 is fixed at one end of the base frame 005. A mounting seat 014 is slidably arranged on the guide rod 013. The mounting seat 014 is located on the opposite side of the two guide rods 013, which includes a slider 015 slidably arranged on the guide rod 013 and an L-shaped support plate 016 connected to the outside of the slider 015. A conveyor 003 is arranged on the horizontal plate of the L-shaped support plate 016. The conveyor 003 can be a feasible conveying equipment such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, which is not limited here. At the same time, a certain gap is maintained between the two conveyors 003 to avoid interference caused by up and down movement.

[0026] As attached Figure 5 , Attachment Figure 6 As shown, the slider 015 of the mounting seat 014 is connected to a conveyor belt 017, and the conveyor belt 017 is mounted on a driving wheel 018 and a driven wheel 019 arranged at both ends of the guide rod 013. The driving wheel 018 is rotatably arranged at a fixed seat 020 at the lower end of the guide rod 013, and the driven wheel 019 is rotatably arranged at a fixed seat 020 at the upper end of the guide rod 013, and the axes of the driven wheel 019 and the driving wheel 018 are parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor 003. The driving wheel 018 is connected to a motor 021 that drives its rotation. The motor 021 is a reduction motor and is located on the side of the base frame 005. The base frame 005 is also connected to a protective plate 022 located above the motor 021 and covering the motor 021.

[0027] As attached Figure 3 As shown, in order to ensure the stability of the upper structure of the two lifting mechanisms 002, the upper ends of the two guide rods 013 are connected by a top connecting frame 023, and two upper limit wheels 024 are arranged above the top connecting frame 023. The two upper limit wheels 024 are rotatably arranged on the top of the column 025 on the top connecting frame 023. The two columns 025 are symmetrically distributed and connected by a reinforcement frame 026. The reinforcement frame 026 is fixed on the top of the top connecting frame 023. A rod end joint bearing 027 is also arranged on each of the columns 025, and the rod end joint bearings 027 of adjacent sorting carts 140 are connected by a connecting rod.

[0028] As attached Figure 7 As shown, in order to enable adjacent sorting carts 140 to turn smoothly, the frames 001 of adjacent sorting carts 140 are connected via an adapter frame 150. The structure of the adapter frame 150 is the same as that of the T-frame 004, that is, a first joint bearing 008 at one end of an adapter frame 150 is connected to a connecting pin 011 of the sorting cart 140 at one end thereof, and the connecting pin 011 at the other end of the adapter frame 150 is connected to the first joint bearing 008 of the sorting cart 140 at the other end thereof, so that the adapter frame 150 is connected to the T-frame 004 of the sorting cart 140 in a ring shape. At the same time, the adapter frame 150 is also provided with walking wheels, guide wheels and linear motor secondary components.

[0029] Since the height of the sorting trolley 140 is relatively high and there is no drive at the upper end, in the above structure, there is a problem that the sorting trolley 140 moves up and down asynchronously, which leads to poor smoothness of movement of the sorting trolley 140 at the turning position, and the walking wheels, upper limit wheels 024, and guide wheels 010 are prone to damage.

[0030] In order to solve this problem, the attached Figure 7As shown, the base frame 005 is connected to the T-shaped frame 004 via two movable components 028 , and the connecting rod connecting the rod end joint bearing 027 of the adjacent sorting trolley 140 is an elastic connecting rod 029 .

[0031] As attached Figure 8 , Attachment Fig. 9 As shown, the movable assembly 028 includes a bearing seat 030, on which a second joint bearing 031 is arranged, and the outer spherical inner rings of the two second joint bearings 031 are respectively connected to a pin 032, and the axes of the two pins 032 are perpendicular and they are arranged at the same height on the first mounting beam 006 of the T-shaped frame 004, wherein the axis of one pin 032 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor 003, and the axis of the other pin 032 is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor 003, and the two pins 032 are sleeved with a limit sleeve 033 located on both sides of the outer spherical inner ring to limit the movement of the outer spherical inner ring. At the same time, the first mounting beam 006 is provided with an avoidance hole for the movable assembly 028 to be embedded to connect the pin 032.

[0032] In this structure, when the sorting trolley 140 moves, the upper sides of adjacent sorting trolleys 140 can move relative to each other. At the same time, the base frame 005 of the sorting trolley 140 can move relative to the T-shaped frame 004, so that the upper limit wheel 024 on the top of the sorting trolley 140 and the guide wheel 010 and the running wheel at the bottom can have a certain relative movement. In this way, the sorting trolley 140 can have a greater degree of adjustment freedom at the turning position, so that the movement is smoother, and the problem of the upper limit wheel 024, the guide wheel 010 and the running wheel being stuck is effectively reduced, the frequency of equipment maintenance and the cost of use are reduced, and the reliable operation of the sorting trolley 140 is ensured.

[0033] As attached Figure 1 As shown, a package supply platform 200 is also provided at the side of the cross belt sorter 100. The package supply platform 200 may be a known multi-stage package supply platform. A three-stage package supply platform is used as an example for explanation. Fig.10 As shown, it includes a first conveying section 210, a second conveying section 220 and a third conveying section 230 which are arranged in sequence. A small gap is maintained between the first conveying section 210 and the second conveying section 220, and a first detection sensor 240 is arranged at the gap. The first detection sensor 240 is a grating sensor, which extends along the width direction of the package supply table 200 (perpendicular to the conveying direction of the package supply table), and its detection light 241 is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the package supply table 200. When the package A is conveyed through the grating sensor, part of the detection light 241 of the grating sensor is blocked, so that the grating sensor detects the package A.

[0034] The first conveying section 210 and the second conveying section 220 can be a wide belt conveyor respectively. More preferably, the first conveying section 210 and the second conveying section 220 are two narrow belt conveyors arranged side by side. Each narrow belt conveyor of the first conveying section 210 is connected with a narrow belt conveyor of the second conveying section 220, and each narrow belt conveyor of the second conveying section 220 can be a conventional belt conveyor or a known dynamic weighing conveyor. The width of the third conveying section 230 is consistent with the width of the second conveying section 220. Its specific structure is a known technology and is not described here. Thus, the package supply platform 200 includes a left half-width conveying area 250 biased to the left side of the package supply direction and a right half-width conveying area 260 biased to the right side of the package supply direction, and the narrow belt conveyors of the left half-width conveying area 250 and the right half-width conveying area 260 can work independently.

[0035] As attached Fig.10 As shown, in order to facilitate the delivery of package A to the sorting cart 140, the length direction or width direction of package A is parallel to the delivery direction of the conveyor 003, a positioner 270 is provided at the input end of the first conveying section 210, and the positioner 270 is provided above the delivery surface of the first conveying section 210, and includes three right-angle positioning notches 271, and one right-angle side of each right-angle positioning notch is parallel to the output end of the package supply platform, wherein two right-angle positioning notches 271 match the positions of the two narrow belt conveyors of the first conveying section 210, and the remaining right angle corresponds to the connection side of the two narrow belt conveyors of the first conveying section 210. In addition, a proximity sensor can be provided at each right-angle positioning notch to detect whether a package is placed at each right-angle positioning notch, so that it can be convenient to determine which narrow belt conveyors start the delivery. Of course, the positioner 270 and the proximity sensor are not necessary and can be omitted.

[0036] As attached Figure 1 As shown, a slot area is also provided on the side of the cross-belt sorter 100 and is located downstream of the package supply platform 200 . The slot area includes a row of multi-layer slots 300 .

[0037] The cross-belt sorting device also includes a control device for controlling the operation of the entire device.

[0038] As attached Fig.11 As shown, the sorting method comprises the following steps: S1, control the package supply platform 200 to transport the package A entering thereon to the downstream; S2, after the package A passes through the first detection sensor 240, the size information of the package A and the position coordinates of the package A are determined according to the signal of the first detection sensor 240; S3, reserve a sorting cart 140 for the package A, and determine whether the package A is to be introduced onto one conveyor 003 or two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140 according to the determined size information of the package A, and the two conveyors 003 are arranged side by side; S4, when it is determined that the package A needs to be imported onto one conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140, the package supply platform 200 is controlled to import the package A onto one conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140; when it is determined that the package A needs to be imported onto two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140, the package supply platform 200 is controlled to import the package A onto the two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140; S5, controlling the reserved sorting cart 140 to adjust the height of the conveyor 003 where the package A is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the package A is to be sorted; S6, when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley 140 moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the package A thereon, one or two conveyors 003 where the package A is located are controlled to start sorting; S7, after the reserved sorting trolley 140 completes sorting, control the sorting trolley 140 to adjust the conveyor 003 thereon to the upper bag height.

[0039] Package A can be placed on the first conveying section 210 of the package supply platform 200 manually or by automated equipment, and when loading the package, the code can be scanned before placing the package A on the package supply platform 200. Alternatively, a fixed-position code reading device 280 can be set at the first conveying section 210 of the package supply platform 200, and when package A is conveyed through the code reading device 280 at the package supply platform 200, the code is scanned to obtain the sorting route information of package A (the sorting grid where package A is to be sorted).

[0040] As attached Fig.12 As shown, the extension length of the package A in the width direction of the package supply platform 200 can be determined according to the position of the detection light 241 of the package A detected by the grating sensor and the spacing between the detection lights 241; at the same time, the first extension distance of the package A in the conveying direction of the package supply platform 200 can be determined according to the duration of the package A detected by the grating sensor and the initial conveying speed of the second conveying section 220, thereby obtaining the size information of the package A. And based on the size information of the package A determined above and the position of the detection light detected by the package, the center coordinates of the projection of the package A on the package supply platform 200, i.e., the position coordinates of the package A, can be determined. The specific method for determining the position coordinates is a known technology, not an innovation of the present invention, and will not be described here.

[0041] And the conveying area where package A is located can be determined according to the signal of the grating sensor. For example, the grating sensor includes 100 detection lights 241, one detection light 241 is a detection point, and the 100 detection lights 241 are numbered in ascending order from left to right, that is, the detection light 241 numbered 1 on the far left is the smallest detection point, the positions of the 50 detection lights 241 on the left correspond to the left half conveying area 250, and the positions of the 50 detection lights 241 on the right correspond to the right half conveying area 260. If the detection lights 241 numbered 1-20 detect package A, it is determined that package A is in the left half conveying area 250; if the detection lights 241 numbered 45-65 detect package A, it is determined that package A occupies both the left and right half conveying areas 260; if the detection lights 241 numbered 51-100 detect package A, it is determined that package A is in the right half conveying area 260.

[0042] After determining the location coordinates of package A, a sorting cart 140 is reserved for package A according to the location coordinates of package A, that is, the sorting cart 140 into which package A is to be imported is determined. The specific method for reserving the sorting cart 140 is a known technology. For example, the contents disclosed in the patent document with authorization announcement number CN106865136B can be referred to, which will not be elaborated here.

[0043] When determining whether package A is introduced onto one conveyor 003 or two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140 , the ratio of the first extension distance of package A in the supply direction of the supply platform 200 to the width of the conveyor 003 is determined.

[0044] When it is determined that the first extension distance of the package A in the package supply direction of the package supply platform 200 is less than or equal to n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor 003, it is determined that the package A needs to be introduced to a conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140; When it is determined that the first extension distance of the package A in the package supply direction of the package supply platform 200 is greater than n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor 003, it is determined that the package A needs to be imported into the two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140, and the value of n is between 75-85.

[0045] The first extension distance is used for comparison because, for the package A conveyed only in the left half width conveying area 250 or the right half width conveying area 260, as shown in the attached Fig.10 As shown, their first extension distance S 1 It is usually larger than the moving direction F of the package A when the sorting trolley 140 passes through the package supply platform 200. 车 The second extension distance S 2 , even if there are a few cases where the second extension distance S 2Greater than the first extension distance S 1 , their difference is also very small, because when judging, it is compared with the width W of the conveying surface of 75%-85% of the conveyor 003, therefore, even if the first extension distance is slightly smaller than the second extension distance S 2 It is also unlikely that the size of package A is larger than the width W of the conveying surface of conveyor 003.

[0046] Of course, in a more preferred manner, in order to improve accuracy, the package A is moved in the moving direction F of the sorting trolley 140 passing through the package supply platform 200. 车 The second extension distance S 2 Compared with the width W of the conveying surface of a conveyor 003, as shown in the attached Fig.13 As shown, the second extension distance S 2 Calculated according to the following formula: S 2 =S max -S Min (1); S max =Max[(t 下 -t n上 ) × V 初 ×COSα+s n ](2); S Min =Min[(t 下 -t n下 ) × V 初 ×COSα+s n ](3); Among them, S max The distance F between the front end of package A (the position on package A that is first detected by the photogate sensor) and the minimum detection point of the photogate sensor in the moving direction F of the sorting trolley 140 passing through the package supply platform 200 after the package A leaves the photogate sensor. 车 The distance on the package A is obtained by substituting the time when each detection point of the grating sensor detects the package A into the maximum value of a set of distances calculated in formula (2); S Min is the distance between the end of package A (the position where package A last triggered the photoelectric sensor) and the minimum detection point of the photoelectric sensor in the moving direction of the sorting trolley 140 passing through the package supply platform 200 after package A leaves the photoelectric sensor. It is the minimum value of a set of distances calculated by substituting the time when package A completely leaves each detection light ray 241 of the photoelectric sensor (when the detection light ray 241 cannot detect package A) into formula (3); t 下 is the time when package A completely leaves the photoelectric sensor, that is, the time when the photoelectric sensor cannot detect package A; t n上is the time when the nth detection point of the grating sensor starts to detect package A; t n下 is the time when the nth detection point of the grating sensor cannot detect package A. The above t 下 ,t n上 ,t n下 The timing starts from when package A triggers the photoelectric sensor; V 初 is the initial package supply speed of the package supply platform 200 (the conveying speed of the first conveying section 210); α is the moving direction F of the sorting vehicle 140 passing through the package supply platform 200 车 The package supply direction F of the package supply platform 200 供 The angle of n It is the distance between the nth detection point of the grating sensor and the minimum detection point in the moving direction of the sorting vehicle 140 passing through the package supply platform 200.

[0047] When it is determined that the package A needs to be imported onto a conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting trolley 140, the package A is imported onto one of the two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting trolley 140 and first passes through one of the package supply platforms 200. The reason for this design is that it can minimize the influence of the component force along the moving direction of the sorting trolley 140 during package supply on the package position accuracy, so that the package A can be accurately imported into the conveyor 003.

[0048] The package supply station 200 can import the package A onto the conveyor 003 of the sorting vehicle 140 according to a known method, for example, according to the method disclosed in the patent document with authorization announcement number CN106865136B, which will not be described in detail here.

[0049] When the height of the conveyor where the parcel is located is adjusted, the conveying surface of the conveyor where the parcel is located is adjusted to a position slightly higher than the entrance height of the sorting grid where the parcel is to be sorted.

[0050] Furthermore, since the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor 003 on the sorting cart 140 is greatly reduced relative to the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor 003 on the conventional cross-belt sorting cart 140, when a package A only needs to be imported onto one conveyor 003, there is a risk that the package A cannot be accurately imported into place, that is, there is a situation where the package A is actually located on two conveyors 003. Once such a situation occurs, when the conveyor 003 where the package A is located is subsequently moved up and down, there is a risk that the package A will fall.

[0051] In order to avoid such a situation, a position confirmation grating sensor is also provided on the sorting cart 140, wherein the receiver 034 and the transmitter 035 of the position confirmation grating sensor are vertically arranged on the bottom frame 005 and the connecting frame. The extension direction of the position confirmation grating sensor is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor 003, and the detection light of the position confirmation grating sensor is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the conveyor 003 and is located in the gap between the two conveyors 003. When no package A is located on the two conveyors 003, the detection light emitted by the transmitter 035 can be received by the receiver 034; when a package A is located on the two conveyors 003, part of the detection light cannot be received by the receiver 034, so that the position confirmation grating sensor generates a trigger signal.

[0052] Therefore, when the conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140 imports package A onto the reserved sorting cart 140, it is determined whether the package A is on the two conveyors 003 based on the signal of the position confirmation grating sensor. If so, that is, package A is located on the two conveyors 003, then in S5, the two conveyors 003 are synchronously raised and lowered to adjust the height, and in S6, the two conveyors 003 are started for sorting; if not, the conveyor 003 to which package A is imported is raised and lowered alone.

[0053] Furthermore, since the conveyor belt 017 is used to drive the conveyor 003 to rise and fall, the conveyor belt 017 is usually a belt. After a period of use, the belt will become loose, which will cause the actual adjustment height of the conveyor 003 to be inconsistent with the theoretical height when the conveyor belt 017 rotates, affecting the accuracy of sorting and the reliability of receiving packages. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a distance sensor 036 located below the conveyor 003 and corresponding to the two conveyors 003 is provided on the frame 001 of the sorting trolley 140. The height of the conveyor 003 is determined according to the distance sensor 036. Specifically, each distance sensor 036 measures the distance between it and the horizontal plate where the conveyor 003 above it is located. According to the measured distance, it can be determined whether the height of each conveyor 003 meets the requirements. When it does not meet the requirements, the lifting mechanism 002 connected to the conveyor 003 adjusts the height of the conveyor 003.

[0054] For example, the distance between the entrance height of the sorting grid where a package A is to be sorted and the distance between the distance measuring sensor 036 is 100 cm (centimeter), and the height difference between the bottom of the horizontal plate where the conveyor 003 is located and the conveying surface of the conveyor 003 is 10 cm. When the lifting mechanism 002 adjusts the conveyor 003 to the entrance height of the corresponding sorting grid according to the predetermined control signal, at this time, if the distance measuring sensor 036 determines that the distance between it and the bottom of the horizontal plate is 89.5 cm, at this time, the height of the conveying surface of the conveyor 003 is lower than the entrance height of the sorting grid, which does not meet the requirements. Therefore, the lifting mechanism 002 connected to the conveyor 003 drives the conveyor 003 to continue to move up for height compensation, and when the distance measuring sensor 036 measures that the distance between it and the bottom of the horizontal plate where the conveyor 003 is located is slightly greater than 90 cm, for example, 90.5 cm, the lifting mechanism 002 connected to the conveyor 003 is stopped. Further, when the conveyor 003 of the sorting trolley 140 completes sorting and is adjusted to the bag loading height and / or when it is determined that the package A is introduced onto the two conveyors 003 of the sorting trolley 140, it is determined whether the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors 003 are flush according to the signal of the distance measuring sensor 036; when it is determined that the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors 003 are not flush, the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors 003 are adjusted to be flush through the lifting mechanism 002 connected to each conveyor 003, which can effectively ensure that the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors 003 are flush, avoid the height difference of the conveying surfaces affecting the introduction of the package A onto the conveyor 003, and avoid the height difference between the two conveying surfaces, resulting in the package A not being able to fully contact the conveying surface and affecting the adequacy of the sorting.

[0055] Example 2 This embodiment discloses a sorting system, comprising: A conveying unit, used for controlling the package supplying platform 200 to convey the package A entering thereon to the downstream; A size and position determination unit, configured to determine the size information of the package A and the position coordinates of the package A according to the signal of the first detection sensor 240 after the package A passes through the first detection sensor 240; A trolley reservation and conveyor 003 determination unit is used to reserve a sorting trolley 140 for the package A, and determine whether the package A is to be introduced onto one conveyor 003 or two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting trolley 140 according to the determined size information of the package A, and the two conveyors 003 are arranged side by side; The import unit is used to control the package supply platform 200 to import the package A onto one conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140 when it is determined that the package A needs to be imported onto one conveyor 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140; when it is determined that the package A needs to be imported onto two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140, control the package supply platform 200 to import the package A onto the two conveyors 003 of the reserved sorting cart 140; A height adjustment unit, used to control the reserved sorting trolley 140 to adjust the height of the conveyor 003 where the package A is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the package A is to be sorted; A sorting execution unit is used to control one or two conveyors 003 where the package A is located to start sorting when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley 140 moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the package A thereon; The reset unit is used to control the sorting trolley 140 to adjust the conveyor 003 thereon to the upper bag height after the reserved sorting trolley 140 completes sorting.

[0056] Example 3 This embodiment discloses a sorting control device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a program executable by the processor, and when the program is executed, any of the above-mentioned sorting methods can be implemented.

[0057] There are many implementation methods of the present invention, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sorting method, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, controls the package supply platform to transport the packages entering it to the downstream; S2, after the package passes through the first detection sensor, determining the size information of the package and the location coordinates of the package according to the signal of the first detection sensor; S3, reserving a sorting trolley for the parcel according to the location coordinates of the parcel, and determining whether the parcel is to be introduced onto one conveyor or two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley according to the determined size information of the parcel, wherein the two conveyors are arranged side by side; S4, when it is determined that the parcel needs to be imported onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting cart, the parcel supply platform is controlled to import the parcel onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting cart; when it is determined that the parcel needs to be imported onto two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart, the parcel supply platform is controlled to import the parcel onto the two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart; S5, controlling the reserved sorting trolley to adjust the height of the conveyor where the parcel is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the parcel is to be sorted; S6, when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the package on it, controlling one or two conveyors where the package is located to start sorting; S7, after the reserved sorting trolley completes sorting, control the sorting trolley to adjust the conveyor thereon to a packing height.

2. The sorting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first detection sensor is a grating sensor, which extends along the width direction of the package supply platform, and its detection light is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the package supply platform.

3. The sorting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When it is determined that the first extension distance of the package in the package supply direction of the package supply table or the second extension distance of the package in the moving direction of the sorting trolley passing through the package supply table is less than or equal to n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor, it is determined that the package needs to be introduced to a conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley; When it is determined that the first extension distance of the package in the package supply direction of the package supply table or the second extension distance of the package in the moving direction of the sorting cart passing through the package supply table is greater than n% of the width of the conveying surface of the conveyor, it is determined that the package needs to be imported into the two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart; the value of n is between 75-85.

4. The sorting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When it is determined that the parcel needs to be introduced onto a conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley, the parcel is introduced onto one of the two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley that first passes through the package supplying platform.

5. The sorting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sorting trolley includes a frame, on which two lifting mechanisms are arranged, each lifting mechanism is connected to a conveyor driven to be lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism includes a guide rod arranged in a vertical direction, a mounting seat is slidably arranged on the guide rod, the mounting seat is connected to a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is sleeved on a driving wheel and a driven wheel arranged at both ends of the guide rod, the axis of the driving wheel is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor and is connected to a motor that drives its rotation.

6. The sorting method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The frame of the sorting trolley is provided with distance measuring sensors located below the conveyors and corresponding to the two conveyors respectively, and the heights of the conveyors are determined according to the distance measuring sensors.

7. The sorting method according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the conveyor of the sorting trolley completes sorting and is adjusted to the bag loading height and / or when it is determined that the parcel is introduced onto the two conveyors of the sorting trolley, it is determined whether the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are flush according to the signal of the distance measuring sensor; when it is determined that the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are not flush, the conveying surfaces of the two conveyors are adjusted to be flush through the lifting mechanism connected to each conveyor.

8. The sorting method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The sorting trolley is also provided with a position confirmation grating sensor, the extension direction of which is parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor, and the detection light of which is perpendicular to the conveying surface of the conveyor and located in the gap between the two conveyors; when the conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley imports the package onto the reserved sorting trolley, it is determined whether the package is on the two conveyors according to the signal of the position confirmation grating sensor, and if so, in S5, the two conveyors are synchronously raised and lowered to adjust the height, and in S6, the two conveyors are started for sorting.

9. A sorting control system, characterized in that: include: A conveying unit, used for controlling the package supply platform to convey the packages entering thereon to the downstream; a size and position determination unit, configured to determine the size information of the package and the position coordinates of the package according to a signal of the first detection sensor after the package passes through the first detection sensor; A cart reservation and conveyor determination unit, used to reserve a sorting cart for the parcel according to the location coordinates of the parcel, and determine whether the parcel is to be introduced into one conveyor or two conveyors of the reserved sorting cart according to the determined size information of the parcel, wherein the two conveyors are arranged side by side; The import unit is used to control the package supply platform to import the package onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley when it is determined that the package needs to be imported onto one conveyor of the reserved sorting trolley; when it is determined that the package needs to be imported onto two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley, control the package supply platform to import the package onto the two conveyors of the reserved sorting trolley; A height adjustment unit, used to control the reserved sorting trolley to adjust the height of the conveyor where the parcel is located according to the entrance height of the sorting grid where the parcel is to be sorted; A sorting execution unit is used to control one or two conveyors where the parcels are located to start sorting when it is determined that the reserved sorting trolley moves to the sorting start position corresponding to the parcels thereon; The reset unit is used to control the sorting trolley to adjust the conveyor thereon to a bag loading height after the reserved sorting trolley completes sorting.

10. A sorting control device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a program executable by the processor, characterized in that: When the program is executed, the sorting method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 can be implemented.

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