Sorting robot for unmanned express delivery post
By adopting a combination design of guide rails and guide columns in unmanned express stations, efficient sorting and placement of express delivery is achieved, solving the problems of unused express rack space and excessive equipment structure in the existing technology, and improving space utilization and mobility stability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510425357.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-20
AI Technical Summary
Due to the limited lifting and lowering of existing unmanned express station sorting robots, the upper space of the express rack is not used. When the total height of the express rack is set to be high, the equipment structure is larger and the overall quality is high, which affects the spacing and movement stability of the express rack, and has a large driving energy consumption.
The moving device between the two guide rails is adopted, and the second guide rail with the intermittent design and the gears on the guide column are controlled to move downward at the breakpoints at both ends of the second guide rail through the meshing of the gears and the guide column grooves, thereby realizing efficient sorting and placement of express delivery.
It improves the utilization rate of express storage space, reduces the overall quality and energy consumption of sorting robots, enhances movement stability, avoids collision problems caused by cable shaking, and simplifies the express sorting and stacking process of unmanned express stations.
Smart Images
Figure CN120169683A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the technical field of sorting equipment for express stations, and particularly to a sorting robot for unmanned express stations. Background Art
[0002] An unmanned express station, also known as an intelligent express cabinet or unmanned station, realizes 24-hour unmanned operation through self-service terminals or express cabinets. Users can pick up and send parcels 24 hours a day by scanning codes, face recognition, or entering pick-up codes, without any manual intervention throughout the process. Unmanned express stations can save labor costs and reduce the consignment storage fees of operators, and have a wide range of application prospects.
[0003] Unmanned express stations need to use robots for automatic sorting. Generally, vision robots are used to grab, move, and place parcels on the corresponding express shelves through their arms. Since the lifting range of existing sorting robots is limited, the express shelves are generally set with 5 - 6 layers, and the total height is generally about 2 meters. This makes the upper space of the express shelves not utilized. When the total height of the express shelves is set higher, the equipment structure for achieving large-scale lifting is larger, and the overall quality is high, which will also affect the distance between two express shelves, and the stability during movement is not high. At the same time, when transferring a small number of parcels, the driving energy consumption is large, and it is also difficult to effectively utilize the space. And when using the method of hoisting the sorting robot with a cable, due to the cable swaying, it is easy to cause the sorting robot to hit the express shelf. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application proposes a sorting robot for unmanned express stations, which has the advantages of high utilization rate of the storage space of the express shelf and convenient and stable sorting and placement of parcels, so as to solve the problem of the low total height and low utilization rate of the storage space of the existing express shelves.
[0005] To achieve the above object, this application adopts the following technical solution: A sorting machine for unmanned express stations includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail arranged above the express shelf. A moving device is arranged between the two guide rails, and a parcel box is fixedly installed at the bottom of the moving device. A sorting robot is arranged on one side of the opening of the parcel box.
[0006] It further includes two guiding columns arranged between two adjacent express racks. Tooth grooves are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the two guiding columns facing each other. The moving device includes a vertical plate. At both ends of the vertical plate, a set of fixed driving devices and a set of movable driving devices are respectively provided. The number of a set of driving devices is two. The driving device includes a guide wheel movably connected to the guide rail and a gear meshing with the tooth groove on the guiding column. The guide wheel and the gear are synchronously rotated by the output rotating shaft driven by the motor. A first cylinder is respectively provided between the two driving devices above the vertical plate and between the two driving devices below the vertical plate. The second guide rail is of an intermittent design, and the guide wheels at both ends of the vertical plate respectively move downward through the two break points at both ends of the second guide rail.
[0007] Furthermore, the moving device is arranged in front of the express rack, and the two guiding columns are located at the rear side of the guide rail.
[0008] Furthermore, a support column is fixedly connected to the break point of the second guide rail. Between the support column at one break point and the guiding column close to it, a plurality of positioning connecting plates arranged longitudinally at equal intervals are fixedly connected, and the number of the positioning connecting plates is not less than two.
[0009] Furthermore, the driving device further includes three limiting discs. Two of the limiting discs are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the vertical plate in a movably fitting manner. The other limiting disc is connected to the limiting disc on the rear side of the vertical plate through a plain bearing. A motor is fixedly installed on the limiting disc on the front side of the vertical plate. The output rotating shaft of the motor is fixedly connected with a rotating pipe shaft, and one end of the rotating pipe shaft is also fixedly connected with one of the limiting discs. Two sliding grooves are opened at the other end of the vertical plate, and the two sliding grooves are respectively movably sleeved with the bearing sleeves outside the output rotating shafts of the two motors.
[0010] Furthermore, the guide wheel is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating pipe shaft far from the limiting disc. One end of the rotating pipe shaft is connected with a rotating connecting shaft in a keyway manner, and the gear is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating pipe shaft far from the guide wheel.
[0011] Furthermore, limiting sleeves are respectively movably sleeved on the four rotating pipe shafts through bearings. The two first cylinders are respectively arranged between the two rotating pipe shafts above the vertical plate and the two rotating pipe shafts below the vertical plate.
[0012] Furthermore, an adjusting connecting plate is movably sleeved between the two rotating connecting shafts in a set of driving devices. Two second cylinders are fixedly installed on the vertical plate. One ends of the piston shafts of the two second cylinders are respectively fixedly connected with a linkage shaft, and the other ends of the two linkage shafts far from the piston shafts of the second cylinders are respectively fixedly connected with the two adjusting connecting plates.
[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:
[0014] 1. A sorting robot for an unmanned express delivery station provided by the present application is provided with a moving device between two guide rails, which facilitates the moving device to drive the express delivery box to move the express delivery to the corresponding express delivery rack. The second guide rail is of an intermittent design. With the meshing effect between the gear in the moving device and the tooth groove of the guiding column, and the supporting effect of the second guide rail on the guide wheel, the moving device can be controlled to move downward at the break points at both ends of the second guide rail, so that the express delivery in the express delivery box can be placed on the corresponding layer of the express delivery rack by the sorting robot. Compared with the existing method of using a sorting robot in an unmanned express delivery station, the height of the express delivery rack can be set higher, and it is convenient to place the express delivery on the corresponding layer of the express delivery rack, greatly improving the express delivery storage space.
[0015] The lifting range of the sorting robot does not need to be set large, and the overall mass is small. When the interval of the express delivery rack is set small, the sorting difficulty of the express delivery is relatively low, the energy consumption for sorting a small amount of express delivery is low, and compared with the way of cable lifting, the stability is high and it will not collide with the express delivery rack due to shaking, further facilitating the express delivery sorting and stacking in the unmanned express delivery station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without creative efforts:
[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the moving device and the express delivery box in
[0019] Figure 3 It is Figure 2 a structural schematic diagram of the moving device in
[0020] Figure 4 It is Figure 3 the rear view of
[0021] Figure 5 It is Figure 3 a partial enlarged structural schematic diagram at position A of
[0022] Figure 6 It is Figure 3 the top view of
[0023] Figure 7 It is Figure 3 a structural schematic diagram of the four driving devices in
[0024] In the figure: 1. First guide rail; 2. Second guide rail; 3. Express rack; 4. Guide upright column; 5. Support upright column; 6. Positioning connecting plate; 7. Vertical plate; 701. Chute; 8. Driving device; 801. Limit disc; 802. Motor; 803. Rotating pipe shaft; 804. Guide wheel; 805. Rotating connecting shaft; 806. Gear; 9. Limit sleeve; 10. First cylinder; 11. Adjusting connecting plate; 12. Second cylinder; 13. Linkage shaft; 14. Express box; 15. Sorting robot. Specific implementation manner
[0025] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0026] Embodiment, as Figures 1 - 3 , a sorting robot for an unmanned express delivery station, including two guide rails arranged above the express rack 3. The two guide rails are the first guide rail 1 and the second guide rail 2 arranged up and down, and the second guide rail 2 is directly below the first guide rail 1. A moving device is arranged between the two guide rails. The moving device is arranged in front of the express rack 3 to ensure that the moving device can pass through the express rack 3 smoothly without being blocked. Two guide upright columns 4 are arranged between two adjacent express racks 3. Tooth grooves are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the two guide upright columns 4, and the two guide upright columns 4 are located behind the guide rails.
[0027] The second guide rail 2 is of an intermittent design, and a support upright column 5 is fixedly connected at the breakpoint of the second guide rail 2. A plurality of longitudinally equidistantly arranged positioning connecting plates 6 are fixedly connected between the support upright column 5 at one breakpoint and the adjacent guide upright column 4 close to it. The number of the positioning connecting plates 6 is not less than two. Through the fixed connection of the positioning connecting plates 6, the stability of the guide upright column 4 and the support upright column 5 is higher.
[0028] The moving device includes a vertical plate 7. Please refer to Figures 4 - 6 , two sets of driving devices 8 are arranged on the vertical plate 7. The number of one set of driving devices 8 is two, and one set of driving devices 8 is fixedly arranged at one end of the vertical plate 7, and the other set of driving devices 8 is movably arranged at the other end of the vertical plate 7.
[0029] The driving device 8 includes three limiting discs 801. Two of the limiting discs 801 are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the vertical plate 7 in a manner of active fitting. The other limiting disc 801 is connected to the limiting disc 801 on the rear side of the vertical plate 7 through a plain bearing. A motor 802 is fixedly installed on the limiting disc 801 on the front side of the vertical plate 7. The output rotating shaft of the motor 802 is fixedly connected to a rotating pipe shaft 803, and one end of the rotating pipe shaft 803 is also fixedly connected to one of the limiting discs 801. Two sliding grooves 701 are opened at the other end of the vertical plate 7. The two sliding grooves 701 are respectively movably sleeved with the bearing sleeves outside the output rotating shafts of the two motors 802 (the bearing sleeves are located inside the limiting discs 801 and the plain bearing, not shown in the figure), so that the two driving devices 8 can horizontally move along the sliding grooves 701, while not affecting the motor 802 driving the output rotating shaft to drive the rotating pipe shaft 803 to rotate. One end of the rotating pipe shaft 803 away from the limiting disc 801 is fixedly connected to a guide wheel 804. The guide wheels 804 in the two driving devices 8 located above the vertical plate 7 are movably connected to the first guide rail 1, and the guide wheels 804 in the two driving devices 8 located below the vertical plate 7 are movably connected to the second guide rail 2. By adjusting the horizontal distance between the two groups of driving devices 8, the horizontal distance between the two driving devices 8 is made to exceed the horizontal distance between two adjacent breakpoints of the second guide rail 2, so that the moving device can smoothly pass through the two adjacent breakpoints of the second guide rail 2. Also, by adjusting the horizontal distance between the two driving devices 8, the moving device can pass through the two adjacent breakpoints of the second guide rail 2, that is, move downward between two adjacent support columns 5, and the distance value between the guide wheel 804 and the two adjacent support columns 5 is adapted. One end of the rotating pipe shaft 803 is connected to a rotating connecting shaft 805 in a keyway manner. The end of the rotating connecting shaft 805 away from the rotating pipe shaft 803 is fixedly installed with a gear 806. The external teeth of the gear 806 are adapted to the tooth grooves on the guiding column 4. After adjusting the horizontal distance value of the two groups of driving devices 8, the gears 806 in the two groups of driving devices 8 are exactly meshed with the tooth grooves on the two guiding columns 4 respectively. The motor 802 drives the rotating pipe shaft 803 to drive the rotating connecting shaft 805 and the gear 806 to rotate, so as to control the moving device to move downward between the two guiding columns 4.
[0030] Limiting sleeves 9 are respectively movably sleeved on the four rotating pipe shafts 803 through bearings. A first cylinder 10 is respectively arranged between the two limiting sleeves 9 located above the vertical plate 7 and between the two limiting sleeves 9 located below the vertical plate 7. By driving the piston shafts of the two first cylinders 10 to move, the horizontal movement of the two movable driving devices 8 can be respectively controlled.
[0031] An adjustment connecting plate 11 is movably sleeved between two rotating couplings 805 in a set of driving devices 8. Two second cylinders 12 are fixedly installed on the vertical plate 7. One end of the piston shafts of the two second cylinders 12 is respectively fixedly connected with a linkage shaft 13. The ends of the two linkage shafts 13 far from the piston shafts of the second cylinders 12 are respectively fixedly connected with the two adjustment connecting plates 11. By driving the piston shafts of the two second cylinders 12 to move, the rotating couplings 805 and the gears 806 in the two sets of driving devices 8 can be respectively pushed to move towards or away from the rotating pipe shaft 803.
[0032] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 - 2 , a delivery box 14 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the vertical plate 7. One side of the delivery box 14 is designed to be open, and a sorting robot 15 is fixedly installed on the open side of the delivery box 14. It is moved to one side of the delivery rack 3 through the moving device and then moved downward. The sorting robot 15 places the deliveries in the delivery box 14 into the corresponding layer of the delivery rack 3.
[0033] In use, first, the sorting robot 15 centrally places the express deliveries into the express delivery box 14. Then, the motor 802 in the mobile device is started to drive the output rotating shaft to drive the rotating pipe shaft 803 and the guide wheel 804 to rotate, enabling the mobile device to move horizontally along the two guide rails until the mobile device moves to the express delivery rack 3 where the express deliveries need to be placed. Until the two sets of driving devices 8 move between the two guiding columns 4, then the two linkage shafts 13 are started to drive the piston shafts to respectively push the two second cylinders 12 to move, so that the gears 806 in the two sets of driving devices 8 respectively move to one side of the two guiding columns 4. At this time, the guide wheels 804 on the two driving devices 8 below the vertical plate 7 are located inside the breakpoints at both ends of the second guide rail 2. The two second cylinders 12 drive the piston shafts to push the adjusting connecting plate 11 to move, so that the gears 806 in the two sets of driving devices 8 are respectively located on one side of the two support columns 5, and are supported by the second guide rail 2. At the same time, the first cylinder 10 above the vertical plate 7 drives the piston shaft to extend, pushing the two driving devices 8 above the vertical plate 7 to move separately, and the movement mode is that the driving device 8 above the vertical plate 7 rotates around the axis of the driving device 8 below until the gears 806 in the two driving devices 8 above the vertical plate 7 respectively mesh with the tooth grooves of the two guiding columns 4, and the tooth grooves of the guiding columns 4 play a supporting role for the two gears 806. The motor 802 in the two driving devices 8 above the vertical plate 7 drives the output rotating shaft to drive the rotating pipe shaft 803, the rotating connecting shaft 805 and the gear 806 to rotate, so that the whole mobile device moves upward until the guide wheel 804 is completely attached to the first guide rail 1. Then, the first cylinder 10 below the vertical plate 7 is pushed to move the piston shaft, so that the gears 806 in the two driving devices 8 below the vertical plate 7 also respectively mesh with the two support columns 5. At this time, the guide wheels 804 in the two sets of driving devices 8 can respectively pass through the breakpoints at both ends of the second guide rail 2. The motor 802 can drive the output rotating shaft to drive the gear 806 to move, so that the mobile device drives the express delivery box 14 to move downward to the express delivery placement height, and the sorting robot 15 places the express deliveries in the express delivery box 14 on the express delivery rack 3.
[0034] When one of the express racks 3 is filled with express deliveries, control the mobile device to move upward until the two guide wheels 804 above the vertical plate 7 are completely attached to the first guide rail 1. Utilize the meshing support of the tooth grooves of the guiding columns 4 for the two gears 806 above the vertical plate 7, and control the piston shaft of the limit sleeve 9 below the vertical plate 7 to contract and move, so that the two guide wheels 804 below the vertical plate 7 can move to between the breakpoints at both ends of the second guide rail 2. Then control the mobile device to move downward until the two guide wheels 804 below the vertical plate 7 are completely attached to the second guide rail 2, and utilize the second guide rail 2 to play a supporting role. Then control the first cylinder 10 above the vertical plate 7 to drive the piston shaft to contract and move until the two guide wheels 804 above the vertical plate 7 are completely attached to the first guide rail 1. Finally, control the two second cylinders 12 to drive the piston shafts to respectively pull the two linkage shafts 13 and the adjusting connecting plate 11 to move, thereby enabling the four gears 806 to move towards the rotating tube shaft 803. Then drive the output rotating shaft through the motor 802 to drive the guide wheels 804 to rotate, so that the mobile device can continue to move along the two guide rails.
[0035] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A sorting machine for an unmanned express delivery station, comprising a first guide rail (1) and a second guide rail (2) arranged above an express delivery rack (3), characterized in that: A moving device is provided between the two guide rails, a courier box (14) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the moving device, and a sorting robot (15) is provided on one side of the opening of the courier box (14); The express delivery rack also includes two guide columns (4) arranged between two adjacent express delivery racks (3), and the two guide columns (4) are respectively provided with tooth grooves on the sides facing each other. The moving device includes a vertical plate (7), and a group of fixed driving devices (8) and a group of movable driving devices (8) are respectively provided at the two ends of the vertical plate (7). The number of the group of driving devices (8) is two. The driving device (8) includes a guide wheel (804) movably connected to the guide rail and a gear (806) meshed with the tooth groove on the guide column (4). The guide wheel (804) and the gear (806) are driven by the output shaft driven by the motor (802) to rotate synchronously. A first cylinder (10) is respectively provided between the two driving devices (8) located above the vertical plate (7) and between the two driving devices (8) located below the vertical plate (7). The second guide rail (2) is of intermittent design, and the guide wheels (804) at the two ends of the vertical plate (7) respectively move downward through the breakpoints at the two ends of the second guide rail (2).
2. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving device is arranged in front of the express rack (3), and the two guide columns (4) are located at the rear side of the guide rail.
3. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second guide rail (2) is fixedly connected with a support column (5) at a breakpoint, and a plurality of longitudinally equidistantly arranged positioning connecting plates (6) are fixedly connected between a support column (5) at one breakpoint and a guide column (4) adjacent thereto, and the number of the positioning connecting plates (6) is not less than two.
4. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device (8) further comprises three limit plates (801), wherein two limit plates (801) are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the vertical plate (7) in a movable and fitting manner, and the other limit plate (801) is connected to the limit plate (801) on the rear side of the vertical plate (7) via a plane bearing, and a motor (802) is fixedly mounted on the limit plate (801) located on the front side of the vertical plate (7), and the output shaft of the motor (802) is fixedly connected to a rotating tube shaft (803), and one end of the rotating tube shaft (803) is also fixedly connected to one of the limit plates (801), and the other end of the vertical plate (7) is provided with two slide grooves (701), and the two slide grooves (701) are respectively movably sleeved with bearing sleeves on the outer sides of the output shafts of the two motors (802).
5. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide wheel (804) is fixedly mounted on one end of the rotating tube shaft (803) away from the limit plate (801); one end of the rotating tube shaft (803) is connected to a rotating shaft (805) by means of a sliding key; and the gear (806) is fixedly mounted on one end of the rotating tube shaft (803) away from the guide wheel (804).
6. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 5, characterized in that: The four rotating tube shafts (803) are respectively provided with limit sleeves (9) through bearing movably sleeves, and the two first cylinders (10) are respectively arranged between the two rotating tube shafts (803) above the vertical plate (7) and the two rotating tube shafts (803) below the vertical plate (7).
7. The sorting robot for unmanned express delivery stations according to claim 5, characterized in that: An adjusting connecting plate (11) is movably mounted between two rotating connecting shafts (805) in a set of driving devices (8), two second cylinders (12) are fixedly mounted on the vertical plate (7), one end of the piston shafts of the two second cylinders (12) are respectively fixedly connected to a linkage shaft (13), and one end of the two linkage shafts (13) away from the piston shafts of the second cylinders (12) is respectively fixedly connected to the two adjusting connecting plates (11).