An automated, three-dimensional storage and retrieval warehouse

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic stereoscopic storage warehouse, which comprises a high-precision linear guide rail embedded in a column of a portal lifting guide frame; a horizontal conveying and taking platform is driven by a servo motor to drive a second chain, and the second chain drives a moving plate to move; and the conveying and taking platform is located between the portal lifting guide frames and is displaced up and down by the two symmetrical portal lifting guide frames. In the use process, a dynamic avoidance module calculates data of a radar and infrared distance sensors on both sides of the conveying and taking platform, thereby automatically monitoring a moving obstacle module, avoiding motion interference when the conveying and taking platform moves the moving plate of a storage layer out, avoiding collision accidents caused by the moving plate not being completely moved out of the storage layer, and avoiding damage of the plate; and according to cooperation of a path planning module and distribution of collected plate quality, the best storage position and the fastest processing time are obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated three-dimensional storage and retrieval systems, and particularly to an automated three-dimensional storage and retrieval warehouse. Background Technology

[0002] Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) for sheet metal are generally used to store various sheet metals for processing. During operation, the sheet metal is first stored for processing; then, when processing the stored sheet metal, it is retrieved for processing. Before the electrical cabinet is completed, the manufacturing company needs to store and retrieve the raw metal sheet metal for processing at designated locations.

[0003] Existing automated panel storage systems typically use a traction device mounted on a lifting pallet to drive a traction frame that hooks onto a panel storage trolley, thus moving the trolley in and out of the storage rack. To retrieve a trolley, the lifting pallet must first be moved under the corresponding trolley, then the traction frame is driven directly beneath the trolley, the pallet is then moved upwards to hook the traction frame onto the trolley, and finally the trolley is pulled out. Pushing in a trolley is the reverse process. This involves numerous steps, and the gap between the traction frame and the side wall of the storage rack during movement leads to a high rate of collisions due to positioning errors or mechanical vibrations. Furthermore, current technology requires multiple adjustments to the vertical position of the lifting pallet for each retrieval, at least three positioning actions, each taking 5-10 seconds, resulting in an average single operation time exceeding 60 seconds. This multiple positioning of the lifting pallet is inefficient, structurally complex, and costly to manufacture. Additionally, collisions between the traction frame and the rack or storage trolley during retrieval can damage the panels. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide an automated three-dimensional storage warehouse that at least solves any of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] A further objective of this invention is to avoid cumbersome and inefficient operations.

[0006] Another further objective of this invention is to improve operational efficiency and reduce the number of steps involved in the work.

[0007] In particular, the present invention provides an automated three-dimensional storage warehouse, including symmetrically arranged board storage racks, each board storage rack having multiple horizontally arranged storage compartments;

[0008] A gantry lifting guide frame is vertically installed between two storage racks, and its columns are embedded with high-precision linear guide rails.

[0009] The conveying and loading platform is a horizontal conveying and loading platform driven by a servo motor; and the conveying and loading platform is located between the gantry lifting guide frames.

[0010] Furthermore, a movable frame is provided between the storage compartments. The movable frame includes a frame body, with rollers at the bottom of the frame body. An auxiliary frame is provided on the frame body, with auxiliary wheels on both sides of the auxiliary frame. The number of auxiliary wheels is the same as the number of rollers.

[0011] Furthermore, the rollers face the frame of the conveyor platform, and the auxiliary wheels face both sides of the frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the two ends of the movable frame are provided with locking components, each including an upper locking claw and a lower locking claw. The upper locking claw is fixedly connected to the frame body, and the lower locking claw is hinged to the frame body. The ends of the upper and lower locking claws are provided with a preset distance, and the roots of the upper and lower locking claws are hinged together.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the storage compartments is provided with a first track, and the conveying and loading platform is provided with a second track corresponding to the first track.

[0014] Furthermore, the top of the gantry lifting guide frame is equipped with a drive motor, which drives the conveying and loading platform to move up and down along the linear guide rail via a first chain.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a central control unit module, the central control unit having:

[0016] The system includes a path planning module and a motion control module. The path planning module uses an improved AP algorithm to calculate the optimal access path, and its cost function is F(n) = α·G(n) + β·H(n) + γ·D(n).

[0017] Where α, β, and γ are dynamically adjusted weight coefficients;

[0018] G(n) is the cost of the distance already traveled;

[0019] H(n) represents the estimated cost of the remaining distance;

[0020] D(n) is the deformation compensation coefficient of the sheet metal;

[0021] The motion control module achieves three-axis linkage through closed-loop PID control, with a vertical axis positioning accuracy of ±0.05mm and a horizontal axis repeatability of ±0.1mm.

[0022] 9. Furthermore, the storage compartment is equipped with a matrix-type pressure sensor array, each sensing unit including a weighing sensor and a photoelectric positioning sensor; the pressure sensor array is connected to the central control unit via a CAN bus to collect the material mass distribution data in real time.

[0023]

[0024] Where wi is the weight measured by the i-th sensing unit, and (x_i, y_i) are the corresponding coordinates; the central control unit dynamically adjusts the pick-and-place strategy according to the mass distribution data, and automatically starts the pick-and-place mode when it detects that the single point load exceeds the threshold Q_max=0.8W_total.

[0025] Furthermore, a dynamic obstacle avoidance module is provided, the dynamic obstacle avoidance module comprising:

[0026] The 3D lidar installed on the top of the gantry has a scanning frequency of ≥30Hz and a detection angle of 270°×90°.

[0027] Infrared ranging sensors on both sides of the transverse conveyor have a range of 0-5m and a resolution of 1mm.

[0028] The obstacle avoidance algorithm uses an improved RRT algorithm, and its collision detection function is defined as:

[0029]

[0030] Where q is the device pose, oi is the obstacle coordinates, ri is the obstacle radius, and δ = 50mm is the safety margin. When the path collision probability Pcollision > 0.3 is detected, the path planning module automatically generates an adjustment path with a response time ≤ 200ms.

[0031] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0032] 1. This invention involves setting up a board storage rack and a first guide rail. A gantry lifting guide frame is installed between the board storage racks via the first guide rail within the board storage rack. Board storage racks are installed on both sides of the gantry lifting guide frame, and a conveying and loading platform is installed between the two gantry lifting guide frames. The conveying and loading platform is used to load and unload boards from the storage compartments of each board storage rack. In use, the gantry lifting guide frame is controlled to move the conveying and loading platform, positioning it to the storage compartment requiring loading or unloading. The conveying and loading platform controls a servo motor to drive a second chain. A locking block on the second chain engages with a locking device, thereby bringing the moving frame out of the storage compartment and moving it to the upper part of the conveying and loading platform. Then, the gantry lifting guide frame lowers the moving frame, and finally, a forklift is used for transfer.

[0033] 2. During use, the dynamic obstacle avoidance module of this invention calculates data from radar and infrared ranging sensors on both sides of the conveying and picking platform to automatically monitor the moving obstacle module, thereby avoiding motion interference when the moving plate of the storage compartment is moved out of the conveying and picking platform, avoiding collisions caused by the moving plate not being completely moved out of the storage compartment, and avoiding damage to the plate; at the same time, based on the coordination of the path planning module and the collection of plate mass distribution, the optimal storage location and the fastest processing time are determined. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the invention in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or portions. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction.

[0038] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure of C.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mobile frame structure of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a front view of the mobile frame structure of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged structural diagram of B in the figure of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure of part D.

[0043] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the operation process of the present invention.

[0044] In the diagram: 100, Sheet storage rack; 101, First track; 102, Fixed beam; 103, Support beam; 104, Storage compartment; 105, Pressure sensor array; 200, Gantry lifting guide frame; 201, Drive motor; 202, Frame body; 203, First chain; 204, First gear; 205, Column; 206, Linear guide rail; 207, LiDAR; 300, Conveying and picking platform; 301, Servo motor; 302, Second chain; 3021, Clamping block; 303, Moving platform; 304, Infrared ranging sensor; 4, Sheet material; 5, Moving frame; 501, Frame body; 502, Roller; 503, Clamping component; 5031, Upper clamping claw; 5032, Lower clamping claw; 5033, Hinge shaft; 504, Second track; 6, Auxiliary frame; 601, Auxiliary wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention. Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the AA direction. Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure of C. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mobile frame structure of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a front view of the mobile frame structure of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged structural diagram of B in the figure of the present invention. Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure of part D. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the operation process of the present invention.

[0047] The solution in this embodiment provides an automated three-dimensional storage and retrieval warehouse, such as... Figure 1 Only Figure 4As shown, the system includes symmetrically arranged board storage racks 100, gantry lifting guide frames 200, and conveying and loading platforms 300. The bottom of each board storage rack 100 has a support beam 103 with a preset length, maintaining a preset distance between the board storage rack 100 and the ground to prevent moisture damage to the boards. Fixed crossbeams 102 are arranged between the support beams 103 to reinforce their strength. Each board storage rack 100 has multiple horizontally arranged storage compartments 104. The gantry lifting guide frame 200... The gantry lifting guide frame 200 is vertically positioned between two storage racks, with a high-precision linear guide rail 206 embedded in the column 205 of the frame. The horizontal conveying and loading platform is driven by a servo motor 301, which drives the second chain 302 to move the moving plate. The conveying and loading platform 300 is located between the gantry lifting guide frames 200, and is moved up and down by the two symmetrical gantry lifting guide frames 200. The conveying and loading platform 300 includes a moving platform 303, with gears at both ends, and the second chain 302 meshes with the gears.

[0048] It should be further explained that a movable frame 5 is provided between the storage compartments 104. The movable frame 5 includes a frame body 501, and a roller 502 is provided at the bottom of the frame body 501. The roller 502 can move along the first track 101 and the corresponding second track 504 within the storage compartment 104. An auxiliary frame 6 is provided on the frame body 501, and auxiliary wheels 601 are provided on both sides of the auxiliary frame 6. The number of auxiliary wheels 601 is the same as the number of rollers 502. The rollers 502 face the frame body 501 of the conveying platform, and the auxiliary wheels 601 face the sides of the frame body 501. The function of the auxiliary frame 6 is to enable the frame body 501 to move better and to prevent the movable frame 5 from colliding with the storage compartments 104.

[0049] It needs to be further explained that, such as Figures 5 to 8As shown, the movable frame 5 has locking members 503 at both ends. Each locking member 503 includes an upper locking claw 5031 and a lower locking claw 5032. The upper locking claw 5031 is fixedly connected to the frame body 501, and the lower locking claw 5032 is hinged to the frame body 501. A preset distance is provided between the ends of the upper locking claw 5031 and the lower locking claw 5032. A hinge shaft 5033 is connected between the roots of the upper locking claw 5031 and the lower locking claw 5032. A torsion spring is installed inside the hinge shaft 5033. The torsion spring design allows the lower jaw 5032 to remain elastic and always in the open state. At the same time, when the locking block 3021 of the second chain 302 enters the locking piece 503, the lower jaw 5032 can facilitate its entry, preventing the locking block 3021 from colliding hard with the jaw and avoiding wear on the jaw. In addition to preventing hard collisions, it also prevents the locking block 3021 from lifting the entire frame 501 when it enters between the upper jaw 5031 and the lower jaw 5032, thus preventing track deviation.

[0050] It should be further explained that each of the storage compartments 104 is provided with a first track 101. The first guide rails are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides within the storage compartments 104. The conveying and loading platform 300 is provided with a second track 504 corresponding to the first track. When the conveying and loading platform 300 is aligned with one of the layers of the storage compartments 104, the second track 504 is parallel to the first track 101, which facilitates the loading and unloading of the movable frame 5.

[0051] It should be further explained that the top of the gantry lifting guide frame 200 has a drive motor 201, which drives the conveying and picking platform 300 to move up and down along the linear guide rail 206 via a first chain 203. The upper and lower ends of the first chain 203 mesh with the first gear 204.

[0052] It should be further noted that it also includes a central control unit module, which has:

[0053] The system includes a path planning module and a motion control module. The path planning module uses an improved AP algorithm to calculate the optimal access path, and its cost function is F(n) = α·G(n) + β·H(n) + γ·D(n).

[0054] Where α, β, and γ are dynamically adjusted weight coefficients;

[0055] G(n) is the cost of the distance already traveled;

[0056] H(n) represents the estimated cost of the remaining distance;

[0057] D(n) is the deformation compensation coefficient of the plate material;

[0058] The motion control module achieves three-axis linkage through closed-loop PID control, with a vertical axis positioning accuracy of ±0.05mm and a horizontal axis repeatability of ±0.1mm. Upon system startup, the central control unit first scans the inventory status of the sheet metal storage rack 100 using the pressure sensor array 105, generating a three-dimensional inventory heat map. When a material retrieval command is received (e.g., retrieving a stainless steel sheet with dimensions of 2500×1200×20mm), the path planning module (410) uses an improved AP algorithm to calculate the optimal path.

[0059] S1: Initialization parameters: α = 0.6, β = 0.3, γ = 0.1; can be automatically adjusted according to the stiffness coefficient of the plate.

[0060] S2: Generate path node sequence: prioritize lifting the gantry lifting guide frame 200 to the target floor height, e.g., H = 3.2m, and rotate the second chain 302 of the conveying and picking platform 300 to the target warehouse position, e.g., coordinate X = 1250mm;

[0061] S3: The conveyor plate moves at a speed of 0.8 m / s 2 The system uses acceleration to rotate and pick up materials, with the servo motor 301 providing real-time feedback on the position error Δ≤0.08mm. After picking up the materials, the system automatically updates the inventory database and sends a status update to the monitoring center via the MQTT protocol.

[0062] It should be further noted that the storage compartment 104 is equipped with a matrix pressure sensor array 105, each sensing unit including a weighing sensor and a photoelectric positioning sensor; the pressure sensor array 105 is connected to the central control unit via a CAN bus to collect the mass distribution data of the plate 4 in real time.

[0063] Where wi is the weight measured by the i-th sensing unit, and (x_i, y_i) are the corresponding coordinates; the central control unit dynamically adjusts the pick-and-place strategy according to the mass distribution data, and automatically starts the pick-and-place mode when it detects that the single point load exceeds the threshold Q_max=0.8W_total.

[0064] It should be further explained that a dynamic obstacle avoidance module is set up, which includes:

[0065] The 3D LiDAR 207, installed on the top of the gantry, has a scanning frequency of ≥30Hz and a detection angle of 270°×90°.

[0066] The infrared ranging sensors 304 on both sides of the transverse conveyor have a range of 0-5m and a resolution of 1mm.

[0067] The obstacle avoidance algorithm uses an improved RRT algorithm, and its collision detection function is defined as:

[0068] Where q is the device pose, oi is the obstacle coordinates, ri is the obstacle radius, and δ = 50mm is the safety margin.

[0069] When the path collision probability Pcollision > 0.3 is detected, the path planning module automatically generates an adjustment path with a response time ≤ 200ms. When the 3D LiDAR (510) detects a temporary obstacle on the lifting path, the following steps are performed:

[0070] S1: The obstacle avoidance module generates a new path within 150ms.

[0071] S2: Real-time updated collision probability model: Pcollision=1-exp(-λ·t)(λ=0.02 is the obstacle movement coefficient)

[0072] S3: Acceleration toward the conveyor is limited to 0.4 m / s². 2 Maintain a safe distance of ≥80mm from obstacles throughout the entire process.

[0073] The specific control process is as follows: First, a hardware self-test is performed to check whether the cooperating hardware is in an online working state. After the self-test is completed, the overall environment is modeled using the LiDAR 207 and the pressure sensor array 105. Then, through data acquisition, the usage status of the storage compartments in the board storage rack 100 is analyzed, and the optimal path for retrieval and placement is generated. This path is then fed back to the central control unit for execution of the movement, which involves retrieval and placement of the board 4. At the same time, obstacles are avoided and the probability of collision is reduced based on the situation during retrieval and placement.

[0074] Technical Effect Verification Form:

[0075]

[0076] As can be clearly seen from the table above, the improvements made in this invention are significantly greater than those in existing technologies. By employing an improved A algorithm and Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance (RRT) to collaboratively optimize path planning, the time for a single pick-up and drop-off is reduced by 29%, from 45 seconds to 32 seconds, and the probability of path conflicts is reduced by 94%, from 1.2 times / thousand times to 0.07 times / thousand times. At the same time, remote AR inspection (positioning accuracy ≤0.5m) is achieved through the MQTT / OPC UA protocol, with real-time monitoring coverage reaching 100% and maintenance response speed improved by 50%. This invention solves the problems of low efficiency, poor accuracy, high energy consumption, and insufficient reliability in traditional sheet metal warehouses, achieving a comprehensive upgrade of warehousing operations and making it suitable for high-precision industrial scenarios such as automobile manufacturing and aerospace.

[0077] Working principle of this invention:

[0078] In use, a board storage rack 100 and a first guide rail are set up. A gantry lifting guide frame 200 is installed between the board 4 placement racks via the first guide rail within the board storage rack 100. Board storage racks 100 are set on both sides of the gantry lifting guide frame 200, and a conveying and loading platform 300 is set between the two gantry lifting guide frames 200. The conveying and loading platform 300 is used to load and unload the boards 4 between the storage compartments 104 of each board storage rack 100. In use, the gantry lifting guide frame 200 is controlled to move the conveying and loading platform 300, positioning the conveying and loading platform 300 to the storage compartment 104 to be loaded or unloaded. The conveying and loading platform 300 controls the servo motor 301 to drive the second chain 302, which is driven by a locking block on the second chain 302. 3021 engages with the card 503, thereby bringing the mobile frame 5 out of the storage compartment and moving it to the upper part of the conveying and picking platform 300. Then, the mobile frame 5 is lowered by the gantry lifting guide frame 200 and finally transferred by a forklift. During use, the dynamic avoidance module calculates based on data from radar and infrared ranging sensors 304 on both sides of the conveying and picking platform 300 to automatically monitor the moving obstacle module, avoiding motion interference when the conveying and picking platform 300 moves the mobile plate out of the storage compartment 104, preventing collisions due to the mobile plate not being completely moved out of the storage compartment 104, and avoiding damage to the plate 4. At the same time, based on the coordination of the path planning module and the mass distribution of the collected plate 4, the optimal storage location and the fastest processing time are determined.

[0079] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated three-dimensional storage warehouse, characterized in that, include: The board storage racks are symmetrically arranged on the left and right, and each board storage rack has multiple horizontally arranged storage compartments; A gantry lifting guide frame is vertically installed between two storage racks, and its columns are embedded with high-precision linear guide rails. The horizontal conveying and loading platform is driven by a servo motor and is located between the gantry lifting guide frames. It also includes a central control unit module, which has: The system includes a path planning module and a motion control module. The path planning module uses an improved AP algorithm to calculate the optimal access path, and its cost function is F(n) = α·G(n) + β·H(n) + γ·D(n). Where α, β, and γ are dynamically adjusted weight coefficients; G(n) is the cost of the distance already traveled; H(n) represents the estimated cost of the remaining distance; D(n) is the deformation compensation coefficient of the sheet metal; The motion control module achieves three-axis linkage through closed-loop PID control, with a vertical axis positioning accuracy of ±0.05mm and a horizontal axis repeatability of ±0.1mm. The storage compartment is equipped with a matrix-type pressure sensor array, each sensing unit containing a weighing sensor and a photoelectric positioning sensor; the pressure sensor array is connected to the central control unit via a CAN bus to collect the material mass distribution data in real time. Where wi is the weight measured by the i-th sensing unit, and (x_i, y_i) are the corresponding coordinates; the central control unit dynamically adjusts the pick-and-place strategy according to the mass distribution data, and automatically starts the pick-and-place mode when it detects that the single point load exceeds the threshold Q_max=0.8W_total; A dynamic obstacle avoidance module is configured, the dynamic obstacle avoidance module comprising: The 3D lidar installed on the top of the gantry has a scanning frequency of ≥30Hz and a detection angle of 270°×90°. The infrared ranging sensors on both sides of the horizontal conveying and loading platform have a range of 0-5m and a resolution of 1mm. The obstacle avoidance algorithm uses an improved RRT algorithm, and its collision detection function is defined as: Where q is the device pose, oi is the obstacle coordinates, ri is the obstacle radius, and δ=50mm is the safety margin; When the probability of path conflict Pcollision is detected to be greater than 0.3, the path planning module automatically generates an adjustment path with a response time of ≤200ms.

2. The automated three-dimensional storage warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, A movable frame is provided between the storage compartments. The movable frame includes a frame body, with rollers at the bottom of the frame body. An auxiliary frame is provided on the frame body, with auxiliary wheels on both sides of the auxiliary frame. The number of auxiliary wheels is the same as the number of rollers.

3. An automated three-dimensional storage warehouse according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rollers face the frame of the conveying and loading platform, and the auxiliary wheels face both sides of the frame.

4. An automated three-dimensional storage warehouse according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mobile frame is provided with locking components at both ends. Each locking component includes an upper locking claw and a lower locking claw. The upper locking claw is fixedly connected to the frame body, and the lower locking claw is hinged to the frame body. The ends of the upper and lower locking claws are provided with a preset distance, and the roots of the upper and lower locking claws are connected by a hinge shaft.

5. An automated three-dimensional storage warehouse according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each storage compartment is equipped with a first track, and the conveying and retrieval platform is equipped with a second track corresponding to the first track.

6. An automated three-dimensional storage warehouse according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the gantry lifting guide frame has a drive motor, which drives the conveying and loading platform to move up and down along the linear guide rail via a first chain.

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