Container transfer method

Abstract

A container transfer method relates to the technical field of logistics transfer and is applied to a logistics transfer station, the logistics transfer station comprises a loading and unloading area, a sorting line and a container placing area, and the transfer method comprises the following steps that 1, a truck loaded with initial containers is driven into the loading and unloading area, and transfer equipment grabs the initial containers on the truck and places the initial containers at an inlet of the sorting line; 2, the packages in the initial container are placed on an inlet line of a sorting line, the sorting line sorts the packages, the packages are independently loaded into empty cabinets at a plurality of outlets of the sorting line, and after the empty cabinets are full, the full cabinets are obtained; 3, the transfer equipment takes away the full cabinet and places the full cabinet in a cabinet placing area, and then takes an empty cabinet from the cabinet placing area or an inlet of the sorting line and places the empty cabinet in the position of the full cabinet taken away in the step 2; and fourthly, after all the packages in the initial container in the second step are taken out, the initial container becomes an empty container, and the transfer equipment takes and places the empty container to the container placing area or the full container position taken away in the second step. The purpose of the invention is to improve the transfer efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of logistics transfer, and particularly relates to a container transfer method. Background Art

[0002] A logistics transfer station is a transfer hub for express delivery and logistics transportation. Parcels and goods from different origins are transported to the transfer station. After being sorted according to the destinations at the transfer station, they are then transported to the next node.

[0003] There are several sorting lines in the logistics transfer station. After a truck loaded with containers enters the transfer station, it stops at the entrance of the sorting line. Trucks loaded with empty containers are also parked at each exit (corresponding to different destinations) of the sorting line. The goods in the container of the truck parked at the entrance of the sorting line are transferred to the sorting line. After being sorted by the sorting line according to the destinations, the goods come out from the corresponding exit and are transferred to the container of the truck parked at this exit.

[0004] In the current operation mode of the logistics transfer station, at the entrance of the sorting line, the truck has to wait until all the goods on the truck are transferred to the sorting line before it can drive away, resulting in a long waiting time. After the container of the truck at a certain exit of the sorting line is full, it has to wait for this fully loaded truck to drive away and a new empty truck to drive in before continuing to load. Since the trucks are relatively long and the space in the transfer area of the transfer station is insufficient, the driving, turning and reversing of the trucks are very slow, and they often need to give way to other trucks. Therefore, the efficiency of logistics transfer is seriously affected. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a container transfer method, which can improve the transfer efficiency of the logistics transfer station.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0007] A container transfer method is applied to a logistics transfer station. The logistics transfer station includes a loading and unloading area, a sorting line and a container storage area. The transfer method is as follows:

[0008] Step 1: Drive a truck loaded with an initial container into the loading and unloading area, and the transfer device grabs the initial container on the truck and places it at the entrance of the sorting line.

[0009] Step 2: Place the parcels in the initial container on the entrance line of the sorting line. The sorting line sorts the parcels, and independently loads the parcels into empty containers at several exits of the sorting line. After being full, full containers are obtained.

[0010] Step 3: The transfer device takes away the full container and places it in the container storage area, and then takes an empty container from the container storage area or from the entrance of the sorting line and places it at the position of the full container taken away in Step 2.

[0011] Step 4: After all the packages in the initial container in Step 2 are taken out and it becomes an empty container, the transfer device picks up and places the empty container in the container placement area or at the position of the full container taken away in Step 2.

[0012] The loading and unloading area and the container placement area are set up. The truck does not need to enter the area where the sorting line is located. The transfer device is used for transferring and transporting the containers, which has higher flexibility and can avoid problems such as the sorting line waiting for a long time caused by the truck turning, reversing, backing, and yielding. This improves the transfer efficiency. In addition, it can get rid of the restriction of the truck. Even if there is no truck during a certain period, the sorting line does not need to stop and can continuously perform sorting operations. Both empty containers and full containers can be temporarily stored in the container placement area.

[0013] The container placement device includes:

[0014] A shelf, which includes at least two layers from bottom to top, and each layer of the shelf is provided with an opening for the container to enter and exit;

[0015] At least two conveying mechanisms are provided and are installed layer by layer on the shelf. The conveying mechanism includes a container sliding seat and a fixed guide rail. The container sliding seat is used to carry the container, and the container sliding seat is slidably connected to the fixed guide rail;

[0016] A driving mechanism for driving each container sliding seat to slide out or slide back to the corresponding shelf. It includes a driving motor, a driving sprocket, and a transmission component. The driving sprocket is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the driving motor. The transmission component includes a driven sprocket and a transmission chain. The driving sprocket and the driven sprocket are provided with matching key teeth and key grooves to be able to mesh with each other. At least two driven sprockets are provided and are in one-to-one correspondence with the container sliding seats. The driven sprockets are connected to the corresponding container sliding seats through the transmission chain. Each driven sprocket is coaxially installed. The driving motor is slidably connected to the shelf so that the driving motor can drive the driving sprocket to mesh with different driven sprockets through sliding;

[0017] A supporting mechanism for supporting the container sliding seat that slides out of the shelf. It includes a bottom layer supporting component and a high layer supporting component. Among them, the bottom layer supporting component is used to support the container sliding seat of the first layer of the shelf, and the high layer supporting component is used to support the container sliding seats above the second layer of the shelf;

[0018] When it is necessary to load and unload the containers on a certain layer of the shelf, the driving motor slides to drive the driving sprocket to mesh with the corresponding driven sprocket, so as to drive the container sliding seat of that layer to slide out or slide back to the shelf.

[0019] By adopting a conveying structure with a motor and a chain drive, compared with the pushing-type conveying structure that occupies a large area, this technical solution can reduce the space required by the container placement device in the horizontal direction, effectively improve the space utilization rate of the express transfer site, enable more equipment to be accommodated in the limited space or be used for other logistics operations, and can drive different platforms with a single motor, reducing the number of devices, thereby reducing the procurement cost of the devices and facilitating subsequent equipment maintenance.

[0020] Among them, multiple groups of bottom support components are provided and evenly distributed at the bottom of the first container slide. The bottom support components include support rollers, and the support rollers are fixedly connected to the container slide of the first-layer shelf.

[0021] Multiple groups of high-level support components are provided. The high-level support components include support rollers and hydraulic legs. The hydraulic legs include leg seats and telescopic piston rods. The leg seats are provided with hydraulic cylinder bodies, and the telescopic piston rods are arranged in the hydraulic cylinder bodies and can slide up and down. The support rollers are installed at the bottom of the leg seats. The top of the telescopic piston rod is provided with a first electric locking pin, and multiple first locking holes are provided on the container slide. Each first electric locking pin corresponds to each first locking hole one by one.

[0022] When loading and unloading the container slide of the first-layer shelf, the container slide of this layer slides out, and the support rollers contact the ground and move with the container slide of this layer.

[0023] Each high-level support component is initially retracted at the opening of the second-layer shelf. When loading and unloading the container slides above the second-layer shelf, the hydraulic cylinder body drives the telescopic piston rod to extend to the height of the corresponding container slide. During the process of the corresponding container slide sliding out of the shelf, when the corresponding first locking hole passes through the corresponding first electric locking pin, the first electric locking pin is inserted into the first locking hole, so that the corresponding high-level support component is pulled out by the container slide.

[0024] By setting the retractable hydraulic legs, the high-level support components can be flexibly adjusted according to the heights of different high-level shelves. When loading and unloading the container slides of different layers, the hydraulic cylinder body can drive the telescopic piston rod to extend to the height of the corresponding container slide. The container slides of each layer of the shelf share a set of high-level support components. While meeting the different height requirements of multiple layers of shelves, it can also greatly reduce the space occupied by the support mechanism, and there is no need to separately set rails for moving for the container slides of each layer of the shelf, thereby further improving the space utilization rate of the transfer site. And when it is necessary to load and unload the container slides above the second-layer shelf, the high-level support components can be automatically pulled out by the container slides and complete the support action without additional manual operation, simplifying the loading and unloading process and improving the convenience and efficiency of the operation.

[0025] Among them, the drive mechanism further includes:

[0026] The mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the driving motor so as to be able to move with the driving motor. Limiting grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting bracket;

[0027] There are two fixed keywheels. One end of each fixed keywheel is provided with a limiting block. The two fixed keywheels are respectively connected to the mounting bracket in a clearance fit by inserting the limiting blocks into the two limiting grooves, so that the fixed keywheels can swing to a certain extent within the clearance and cannot rotate. The fixed keywheel, the driving keywheel and the driven keywheel are all on the same axis. The output shaft of the driving motor passes through one side of the mounting bracket and penetrates the fixed keywheel on this side, so that the driving keywheel is located between the two fixed keywheels. The fixed keywheel and the driven keywheel are provided with matching key teeth and key grooves;

[0028] When it is necessary to load and unload the container of a certain layer of the shelf, the driving motor slides to drive the driving keywheel to engage with the corresponding driven keywheel, and the two fixed keywheels are respectively engaged with the remaining driven keywheels, so that the remaining driven keywheels cannot rotate freely, thereby preventing the slide seats of other containers from moving.

[0029] Due to the fact that there are a large number of devices in the express transfer site that are likely to cause vibrations, or the driving keywheel may be misaligned during operation and drive multiple driven keywheels to rotate, etc. These factors will cause the driven keywheels to rotate accidentally, resulting in the movement of the wrong container slide seat, which is likely to cause damage to the container and safety accidents. By setting two fixed keywheels to be respectively engaged with the remaining driven keywheels, when the driving keywheel drives a specific driven keywheel, the remaining driven keywheels cannot rotate freely, thereby preventing the slide seats of the containers on other layers from moving due to unexpected situations. When the driving motor drives the driving keywheel to engage with different driven keywheels, the fixed keywheel can swing to a certain extent within the clearance, avoiding the situation where the key teeth and key grooves cannot be inserted because they are not completely aligned, and ensuring a good meshing state with the driven keywheel.

[0030] Wherein, the support mechanism further includes a plurality of roller adjusting components. The roller adjusting components correspond to the bottom support component and the high - level support component one by one. The roller adjusting component includes an adjusting cylinder body and an adjusting piston rod. The adjusting piston rod is arranged in the adjusting cylinder body and can slide up and down. The lower end of the adjusting piston rod is fixedly connected to the support roller so as to be able to drive the support roller to move up and down.

[0031] In the actual container loading and unloading operation scenario, the ground may be uneven, such as pitted, raised or inclined. The adjusting piston rod of the roller adjusting component can slide up and down in the adjusting cylinder body, and can drive the support roller to move up and down, so that the height of the support roller can be finely adjusted according to the actual flatness of the ground, ensuring that each support roller can be in full contact with the ground, guaranteeing the stability of the container slide seat during loading and unloading, and avoiding the risk of uneven force, shaking or even tipping of the container slide seat caused by the suspension of some support rollers due to the uneven ground.

[0032] The supporting mechanism further comprises a leg holder, which is provided with a plurality of telescopic blocks for locking the leg holder, the telescopic blocks can be extended and retracted into the leg holder, and each telescopic block corresponds to each leg holder one by one;

[0033] The high-rise support assembly also includes multiple groups of connecting rod components and diagonal bracing rods, each group of connecting rod components includes a connecting rod locking piece and two supporting connecting rods, the connecting rod locking piece is used to lock the supporting connecting rods hinged on both sides thereof, one end of the two supporting connecting rods is respectively hinged on both sides of the connecting rod locking piece, and the other ends of the two supporting connecting rods are respectively hinged on two adjacent supporting leg seats, a second electric locking pin is provided at the top of the diagonal bracing rod, and a plurality of second locking pin holes are provided on the container slide seat;

[0034] Initially, each high-level support assembly is folded at the opening of the second-level shelf, each connecting rod component is folded between each leg seat, and each telescopic block is extended to lock the corresponding leg seat;

[0035] When loading and unloading the container slide above the second-level shelf, the hydraulic cylinder drives the telescopic piston rod to extend to the height of the corresponding container slide. In the process of the container slide sliding out of the shelf, each first electric locking pin is inserted into the corresponding first locking pin hole in turn, and each second electric locking pin is inserted into the corresponding second locking pin hole in turn. Each telescopic card block retracts in turn to unlock the corresponding leg seat, so that the corresponding leg seat is driven forward by the container slide in turn. When the connecting rod component between the front and rear leg seats is fully unfolded, the corresponding connecting rod locking piece locks the corresponding two supporting connecting rods to form a rigid connection between the front and rear leg seats.

[0036] If the high-rise support assembly is connected only by the first electric lock pin and the first lock pin hole, the rigid strength of the connection is acceptable within a relatively low height range, but when it is necessary to support a higher container slide, the strength of the connection may not be sufficient to bear the weight of the container. By setting the connecting rod component and the diagonal support rod, when the connecting rod component between the front and rear leg seats is fully unfolded, the corresponding connecting rod locking member locks the corresponding two supporting connecting rods, so that the front and rear leg seats form a rigid connection, thereby enhancing the overall stability and load-bearing capacity of the high-rise support assembly. By setting the leg holder, when the connecting rod component between the front and rear leg seats is not fully unfolded, the high-rise support assembly at the rear cannot move, ensuring that the front connecting rod component forms a rigid connection before unlocking the rear leg seat, providing stable and reliable support for the high-rise container slide, and avoiding safety accidents such as tilting and falling of the container slide during loading and unloading.

[0037] The advantages of the present invention are as follows. By providing a double-layer or multi-layer container placement device, the floor area occupied by the containers is reduced. Under the transfer station of the same area, faster express delivery turnover can be achieved, that is, faster container transfer. The present invention uses containers as the carriers for express delivery, greatly improving the speed of unloading and loading express delivery by trucks, and greatly reducing the waiting time for trucks to load and unload express delivery. That is, the method of using container transfer greatly reduces the waiting time for trucks to load and unload express delivery. For the double-layer or multi-layer container placement device of the present invention, the transfer equipment can grab the containers from different height positions on different sides, greatly improving the container transfer speed. For example, for the double-layer container placement device, two transfer devices can simultaneously grab a first-layer container and a second-layer container from the left and right sides respectively, avoiding the influence on the grabbing of the second-layer container when grabbing the first-layer container on one side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of the container placement device.

[0039] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged schematic view of part A in

[0040] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of the container placement device from another perspective.

[0041] Figure 4 FIG. is a right view of the container placement device.

[0042] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of the drive mechanism and a single container slide.

[0043] Figure 6 FIG. is a sectional view of the drive mechanism (some structures are hidden for easy display).

[0044] Figure 7 FIG. is a sectional view of the drive mechanism (some structures are hidden for easy display).

[0045] Figure 8 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of the container placement device when loading and unloading the third-layer container.

[0046] Figure 9 is Figure 8 an enlarged schematic view of part B in

[0047] Figure 10 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of the container placement device when the high-level support component is fully deployed.

[0048] Figure 11 FIG. is a sectional view of a single high-level support component.

[0049] Figure 12 isFigure 11 Enlarged schematic view at position C.

[0050] Figure 13 It is a sectional view of the connecting rod component.

[0051] Figure 14 It is a plan schematic view of the logistics transfer station corresponding to the container transfer method of the present invention.

[0052] Reference numerals include:

[0053] Shelves 1;

[0054] Conveyor mechanism 2, container slide 21, first locking pin hole 211, second locking pin hole 212, fixed guide rail 22;

[0055] Drive mechanism 3, drive motor 31, electric push rod 311, driving key wheel 32, driven key wheel 33, fixed seat 331, transmission chain 34, mounting bracket 35, limit groove 351, fixed key wheel 36, adjusting cylinder block 37, adjusting piston rod 38, transmission shaft 39, transmission sprocket 391;

[0056] Support rollers 41, hydraulic legs 42, leg seats 421, hydraulic cylinder blocks 4211, telescopic piston rods 423, first electric locking pins 424, leg clamping seats 43, telescopic clamping blocks 431, connecting rod components 44, support connecting rods 441, connecting rod locking parts 442, diagonal braces 45, second electric locking pins 451;

[0057] Container 5;

[0058] Sorting line 6, loading and unloading area 7, container placing area 8. Detailed implementation manners

[0059] The following makes a detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific embodiments.

[0060] A container transfer method in this embodiment is applied to a logistics transfer station. As Figure 14 shown, the logistics transfer station includes a loading and unloading area 7, a sorting line 6, and a container placing area 8. The transfer method is as follows:

[0061] Step 1, drive a truck loaded with an initial container into the loading and unloading area 7, and a transfer device (such as a reach stacker, a stacker, or a forklift device) grabs the initial container on the truck and places it at the entrance of the sorting line 6 to prepare for the subsequent package sorting process;

[0062] Step 2: The operator or the container unpacking robot transfers the packages in the initial container to the entrance conveyor belt of the sorting line 6 in batches. The sorting line 6 automatically obtains the destination, size, and category information of the packages through automated equipment (such as scanners, conveyor belts, and sorting robots), and quickly and accurately sorts the packages. The system dynamically allocates the exit channels according to the real-time sorting data. The packages are diverted to the corresponding exits through devices such as high-speed swing wheels and cross-belt sorters. Each exit is equipped with an empty container. The operator or the container loading robot loads the packages into the empty container. When an empty container is filled with packages, a full container is formed.

[0063] Step 3: The transfer equipment takes away the full container filled with packages from the exit of the sorting line 6 and then transports it to the container storage area 8 for temporary storage. Subsequently, the transfer equipment can select an empty container from the container storage area 8 or directly take an unpacked empty container from the entrance of the sorting line 6 and place it at the position where the full container was taken away at the exit to ensure the continuity of the sorting and loading process and avoid sorting interruptions caused by insufficient empty containers.

[0064] Step 4: After all the packages in the initial container are taken out in Step 2, the initial container becomes an empty container. The transfer equipment takes away the empty container and places it in the container storage area 8 for unified storage, or places it at the position where the full container formed in Step 2 was taken away, ensuring the timely recovery and reuse of the empty container, reducing the idle time of the empty container, and improving the turnover rate of the container.

[0065] Through the above steps, the container transfer method of this embodiment realizes the full-process automated management of the container from loading, unloading, sorting to storage, significantly improves the operation efficiency of the logistics transfer station, reduces the labor cost, and reduces the processing error rate of the container and packages. At the same time, this method also has good scalability and can adapt to the needs of logistics transfer stations of different scales and types.

[0066] The container storage area 8 is provided with a container placement device, and the container placement device includes at least two layers from bottom to top.

[0067] In order to further save the floor area, the container placement device for full containers and the container placement device for empty containers are combined and only the corresponding areas need to be marked.

[0068] In the present invention, the transfer equipment can be a reach stacker, a stacker crane, or a forklift device.

[0069] The container placement device of this embodiment includes a shelf 1, a conveying mechanism 2, a driving mechanism 3, and a supporting mechanism. The shelf 1 includes at least two layers from bottom to top. In this embodiment, the shelf 1 has 3 layers, and each layer of the shelf 1 is provided with an opening for the container 5 to enter and exit. The direction of the opening is the movement direction of the conveying mechanism 2. Compared with the direction on the side of the conveying mechanism 2, more container placement devices can be placed when arranged side by side, and the site utilization rate is higher. See Figure 14The container placement device is arranged in the container placement area 8, and the opening is arranged side by side toward the sorting line 6. The blank area can be set as a lane, which can not only facilitate the transfer equipment to pick up and place the container 5, but also maximize the use of the site area. The container 5 is placed on the conveying mechanism 2. When it is necessary to pick up and place a container 5 on a certain layer, the driving mechanism 3 selects to drive the conveying mechanism 2 of the specified layer to slide out from the opening of the shelf 1. Since the container 5 is heavy, the conveying mechanism on the high layer is equipped with a supporting mechanism for support.

[0070] At least two conveying mechanisms 2 are provided and installed layer by layer on the shelf 1. In this embodiment, three conveying mechanisms 2 are provided. Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 The conveying mechanism 2 includes a container slide 21 and a fixed guide rail 22. The container slide 21 is used to carry the container 5. The container slide 21 is slidably connected to the fixed guide rail 22 through matching pulleys.

[0071] Combination Figures 5 - 7 The driving mechanism 3 is used to drive each container slide 21 to slide out or slide back to the corresponding shelf 1, which includes a driving motor 31, an active key wheel 32 and a transmission assembly. The active key wheel 32 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the driving motor 31. The transmission assembly includes a driven key wheel 33 and a transmission chain 34. The active key wheel 32 and the driven key wheel 33 are provided with key teeth and key grooves that match each other so as to be able to mesh with each other. There are at least two driven key wheels 33 and they correspond to the container slide 21 one by one. In this embodiment, the shelf 1 is provided with 3 layers, and 3 driven key wheels 33 are correspondingly provided. Each driven key wheel 33 is connected to the corresponding container slide 21 through the transmission chain 34. Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, both ends of each shelf 1 are provided with a transmission shaft 39 and a transmission sprocket 391, the driven key wheel 33 is in transmission connection with the transmission shaft 39, the transmission sprocket 391 is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft 39, the transmission shaft 39 at both ends of each shelf 1 is in transmission connection through a transmission chain 34, and the container slide 21 of each shelf 1 is fixedly connected with the transmission chain 34 on each shelf 1. The driving key wheel 32 is coaxially installed with each driven key wheel 33, and the driving motor 31 is slidably connected with the shelf 1. In this embodiment, the driving motor 31 can be driven to slide, and can drive the driving key wheel 32 to engage with different driven key wheels 33 by sliding.

[0072] The supporting mechanism is used to support the container slide 21 that slides out of the shelf 1, and includes a bottom support component and a high-level support component, wherein the bottom support component is used to support the container slide 21 of the first-level shelf 1, and the high-level support component is used to support the container slide 21 located above the second-level shelf 1.

[0073] When it is necessary to load and unload the container 5 on a certain layer of the shelf 1, the driving motor 31 slides to drive the driving key wheel 32 to engage with the corresponding driven key wheel 33. The driving key wheel 32 drives the corresponding driven key wheel 33 to rotate. The driven key wheel 33 drives the corresponding transmission shaft 39 to rotate through the transmission chain 34, so as to drive the corresponding container slide 21 to slide out or slide back into the shelf 1.

[0074] By adopting the conveying structure of the motor and chain drive, compared with the pushing type conveying structure that occupies a large area, this technical solution can reduce the space required by the container 5 loading and unloading device in the horizontal direction, effectively improve the space utilization rate of the express transfer site, enable more equipment to be accommodated in the limited space or be used for other logistics operations, and can drive different platforms through a single motor, reduce the number of devices, thereby reducing the procurement cost of the devices and facilitating subsequent equipment maintenance.

[0075] Due to the fact that there are a large number of devices in the express transfer site, which is likely to cause vibration, or during the operation process, the driving key wheel 32 may be misaligned and drive multiple driven key wheels 33 to rotate, etc. These factors will cause the driven key wheel 33 to rotate accidentally and cause the wrong container slide 21 to move, easily resulting in damage to the container 5 and safety accidents. Combined with Figures 6 - 7 , the driving mechanism 3 further includes a mounting frame 35 and a fixed key wheel 36. The mounting frame 35 is fixedly connected to the driving motor 31 so as to be able to move with the driving motor 31. Limiting grooves 351 are provided on both sides of the mounting frame 35. There are two fixed key wheels 36. One end of the fixed key wheel 36 is provided with a limiting block. The two fixed key wheels 36 are respectively connected to the mounting frame 35 in a clearance manner by inserting the limiting blocks into the two limiting grooves 351, so that the fixed key wheel 36 can swing to a certain extent in the clearance and cannot rotate. The fixed key wheel 36, the driving key wheel 32 and the driven key wheel 33 are all on the same axis. The output shaft of the driving motor 31 passes through one side of the mounting frame 35 and penetrates the fixed key wheel 36 on this side, so that the driving key wheel 32 is located between the two fixed key wheels 36. The fixed key wheel 36 and the driven key wheel 33 are provided with mutually matching key teeth and key grooves. The driven key wheel 33 is rotatably connected to the fixed seat 331 through a bearing. In this embodiment, an electric push rod 311 is provided to drive the driving motor 31 to slide. When the driving motor 31 slides, the fixed key wheel 36, the driving key wheel 32 and the driven key wheel 33 move together, while the driven key wheel 33 remains stationary relative to them.

[0076] When it is necessary to load and unload the container 5 on a certain layer of the shelf 1, the driving motor 31 slides to drive the driving key wheel 32 to engage with the corresponding driven key wheel 33, and the two fixed key wheels 36 are respectively engaged with the remaining driven key wheels 33, so that the remaining driven key wheels 33 cannot rotate freely, avoiding the movement of the slide seats 21 of other containers. By setting the two fixed key wheels 36 to be respectively engaged with the remaining driven key wheels 33, when the driving key wheel 32 drives a specific driven key wheel 33, the remaining driven key wheels 33 cannot rotate freely, thus avoiding the movement of the slide seats 21 of the containers on other layers due to unexpected situations. When the driving motor 31 drives the driving key wheel 32 to engage with different driven key wheels 33, the fixed key wheel 36 can swing to a certain extent within the gap, avoiding that when the driving key wheel 32 slides and switches to the driven key wheel 33 to be driven, the key teeth and key grooves cannot be inserted because they are not completely aligned, ensuring the good meshing state of each wheel.

[0077] As Figure 1 shown, multiple groups of bottom support components are provided and evenly distributed at the bottom of the slide seat 21 of the first-layer container. The bottom support component includes a support roller 41, and the support roller 41 is fixedly connected to the slide seat 21 of the first-layer shelf 1. Three groups of high-layer support components are provided. The high-layer support component includes a support roller 41 and a hydraulic leg 42. Refer to Figure 3 , the hydraulic leg 42 includes a leg seat 421 and a telescopic piston rod 423. Combining Figure 11 , the leg seat 421 is provided with a hydraulic cylinder body 4211. The telescopic piston rod 423 is arranged in the hydraulic cylinder body 4211 and can slide up and down. The support roller 41 is installed at the bottom of the leg seat 421. Combining Figure 2 , a first electric lock pin 424 is provided at the top of the telescopic piston rod 423, and a plurality of first lock pin holes 211 are provided on the container slide seat 21. Each first electric lock pin 424 corresponds to each first lock pin hole 211 one by one.

[0078] When loading and unloading the slide seat 21 of the first-layer shelf 1, the slide seat 21 of this layer slides out, and the support roller 41 contacts the ground and moves with the slide seat 21 of this layer. As Figure 3 shown, each high-layer support component is initially retracted at the opening of the shelf 1. When loading and unloading the slide seat 21 of the container above the second-layer shelf 1, combining Figure 8 and Figure 10 , for example, when loading and unloading the third-layer shelf 1, the hydraulic cylinder body 4211 drives the telescopic piston rod 423 to extend to the height of the third-layer shelf 1. During the process that the slide seat 21 of this layer slides out of the shelf 1, when the corresponding first lock pin hole 211 passes through the corresponding first electric lock pin 424, the first electric lock pin 424 is inserted into the first lock pin hole 211, so that the corresponding high-layer support component can be pulled out by the slide seat 21 of this layer.

[0079] By setting the retractable hydraulic outriggers 42, the high-level support assembly can be flexibly adjusted according to the height of different high-level shelves 1. When loading and unloading the container sliders 21 on different layers, the hydraulic cylinder body 4211 can drive the telescopic piston rod 423 to extend to the height corresponding to the container slider 21. The container sliders 21 of each layer of the shelf 1 share a set of high-level support assemblies. While meeting the different height requirements of multiple layers of shelves 1, it can also greatly reduce the space occupied by the support mechanism, eliminating the need to separately set up guide rails for moving the container sliders 21 of each layer of the shelf 1, thereby further improving the space utilization rate of the transfer site. And when it is necessary to load and unload the container sliders 21 above the second layer of the shelf 1, the high-level support assembly can be automatically pulled out by the container slider 21 and complete the support action without additional manual operation, simplifying the loading and unloading process and improving the convenience and efficiency of operation.

[0080] In the actual container loading and unloading operation scenario, the ground may be uneven, such as potholes, bumps or inclinations. Especially for heavy trucks, two concave wheel grooves are easily formed on the lane, resulting in an uneven ground. Combined with Figures 11 - 12 , the support mechanism further includes a plurality of roller adjustment components. The roller adjustment components correspond to the bottom support assembly and the high-level support assembly one by one. The roller adjustment component includes an adjustment cylinder body 37 and an adjustment piston rod 38. The adjustment piston rod 38 is arranged in the adjustment cylinder body 37 and can slide up and down. The lower end of the adjustment piston rod 38 is fixedly connected to the support roller 41 to drive the support roller 41 to move up and down. The adjustment piston rod 38 of the roller adjustment component can slide up and down in the adjustment cylinder body 37, driving the support roller 41 to move up and down, so that the height of the support roller 41 can be finely adjusted according to the actual flatness of the ground, ensuring that each support roller 41 can fully contact the ground, guaranteeing the stability of the container slider 21 during the loading and unloading process, and avoiding the risk of uneven force, shaking or even tipping of the container slider 21 caused by the suspension of some support rollers 41 due to uneven ground.

[0081] If the high-level support assembly is only connected by the first electric lock pin 424 and the first lock pin hole 211, within a relatively low height range, the rigidity strength of its connection is acceptable. However, when it is necessary to support a higher container slider 21, the strength of its connection may not be sufficient to bear the weight of the container 5, and the hydraulic outrigger 42 will be subject to horizontal resistance during the movement process, easily causing horizontal deformation. Combined with Figures 8 - 10 , the support mechanism further includes a leg chuck 43. The leg chuck 43 is provided with a plurality of telescopic locking blocks 431 for locking the leg seat 421. The telescopic locking blocks 431 can extend and retract into the leg chuck 43, and each telescopic locking block 431 corresponds to each leg seat 421 one by one.

[0082] The high-level support assembly further includes multiple sets of connecting rod components 44 and diagonal braces 45. Each set of connecting rod components 44 includes a connecting rod locking member 442 and two support connecting rods 441. The connecting rod locking member 442 is used to lock the support connecting rods 441 hinged on both sides thereof. One ends of the two support connecting rods 441 are respectively hinged on both sides of the connecting rod locking member 442, and the other ends of the two support connecting rods 441 are respectively hinged on two adjacent leg seats 421. As Figure 2 shown, a second electric lock pin 451 is provided at the top of the diagonal brace 45, and the container slide 21 is provided with a plurality of second lock pin holes 212.

[0083] Initially, each high-level support assembly is retracted at the opening of the second-layer shelf 1. Each set of connecting rod components 44 is folded between the respective leg seats 421, and each telescopic latch 431 extends to lock the corresponding leg seat 421.

[0084] When loading and unloading the container slide 21 above the second-layer shelf 1, the hydraulic cylinder body 4211 drives the telescopic piston rod 423 to extend to the height of the corresponding container slide 21. During the process of the container slide 21 sliding out of the shelf 1, each first electric lock pin 424 is sequentially inserted into the corresponding first lock pin hole 211, and each second electric lock pin 451 is sequentially inserted into the corresponding second lock pin hole 212. Each telescopic latch 431 is sequentially retracted to unlock the corresponding leg seat 421, so that the corresponding leg seat 421 is sequentially driven forward and pulled out by the container slide 21. As Figure 13 shown, when the connecting rod component 44 between the front and rear leg seats 421 is fully extended, the corresponding connecting rod locking member 442 locks the corresponding two support connecting rods 441, so that the front and rear leg seats 421 form a rigid connection. At this time, the telescopic latch 431 locking the rear leg seat 421 is retracted again to unlock the leg seat 421.

[0085] By providing the connecting rod component 44 and the diagonal brace 45, when the connecting rod component 44 between the front and rear leg seats 421 is fully extended, the corresponding connecting rod locking member 442 locks the corresponding two support connecting rods 441, so that the front and rear leg seats 421 form a rigid connection, enhancing the overall stability and load-bearing capacity of the high-level support assembly. By providing the leg seat clamp 43, when the connecting rod component 44 between the front and rear leg seats 421 is not fully extended, the high-level support assembly at the rear cannot move, ensuring that the front connecting rod component 44 forms a rigid connection before unlocking the rear leg seat 421, providing stable and reliable support for the high-level container slide 21, and avoiding safety accidents such as tilting and falling of the container slide 21 during the loading and unloading process.

[0086] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than limiting the protection scope of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A container transfer method, which is applied to a logistics transfer station, is characterized in that The logistics transfer station includes a loading and unloading area, a sorting line, and a container storage area. The transfer method is as follows: Step 1: Drive the truck loaded with the initial container into the loading and unloading area. The transfer equipment grabs the initial container on the truck and places it at the entrance of the sorting line. Step 2: Place the packages in the initial container on the entrance line of the sorting line. The sorting line sorts the packages, and at several exits of the sorting line, the packages are independently loaded into empty containers. After being filled, full containers are obtained. Step 3: The transfer equipment takes away the full container and places it in the container storage area, and then takes an empty container from the container storage area or from the entrance of the sorting line and places it at the position of the full container taken away in Step 2. Step 4: After all the packages in the initial container in Step 2 are taken out and it becomes an empty container, the transfer equipment takes the empty container and places it in the container storage area or at the position of the full container taken away in Step 2.

2. The container transfer method according to claim 1, wherein The container storage area is provided with a container placement device, and the container placement device includes at least two layers from bottom to top.

3. The container transfer method according to claim 1, characterized in that The container placement device for full containers and the container placement device for empty containers are integrated.

4. The container transfer method according to claim 1, wherein The transfer equipment includes a reach stacker, a stacker crane, or a forklift device.

5. The container transfer method according to claim 2, wherein The container placement device includes: A shelf, which includes at least two layers from bottom to top, and each layer of the shelf is provided with an opening for the container to enter and exit. Conveyor mechanisms, at least two of which are installed layer by layer on the shelf. The conveyor mechanism includes a container sliding seat and a fixed guide rail. The container sliding seat is used to carry the container, and the container sliding seat is slidably connected to the fixed guide rail. A driving mechanism is used to drive each container sliding seat to slide out or slide back to the corresponding shelf. It includes a driving motor, a driving sprocket, and a transmission component. The driving sprocket is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the driving motor. The transmission component includes a driven sprocket and a transmission chain. The driving sprocket and the driven sprocket are provided with matching key teeth and key grooves to be able to mesh with each other. At least two driven sprockets are provided and are in one-to-one correspondence with the container sliding seats. The driven sprockets are connected to the corresponding container sliding seats through the transmission chain. Each driven sprocket is coaxially installed. The driving motor is slidably connected to the shelf so that the driving motor can drive the driving sprocket to mesh with different driven sprockets by sliding. A supporting mechanism is used to support the container sliding seat that slides out of the shelf. It includes a bottom-layer supporting component and a high-layer supporting component. Among them, the bottom-layer supporting component is used to support the container sliding seat of the first layer of the shelf, and the high-layer supporting component is used to support the container sliding seat above the second layer of the shelf. When it is necessary to load and unload the containers on a certain layer of the shelf, the driving motor slides to drive the driving sprocket to mesh with the corresponding driven sprocket, so as to drive the container sliding seat of this layer to slide out or slide back to the shelf.

6. The container transfer method according to claim 2, wherein The bottom-layer supporting component is provided with multiple groups and is evenly distributed at the bottom of the first container sliding seat. The bottom-layer supporting component includes supporting rollers, and the supporting rollers are fixedly connected to the container sliding seat of the first layer of the shelf. The high-layer supporting component is provided with multiple groups. The high-layer supporting component includes supporting rollers and hydraulic legs. The hydraulic legs include a leg seat and a telescopic piston rod. The leg seat is provided with a hydraulic cylinder body, and the telescopic piston rod is arranged in the hydraulic cylinder body and can slide up and down. The supporting rollers are installed at the bottom of the leg seat. The top of the telescopic piston rod is provided with a first electric locking pin, and multiple first locking holes are provided on the container sliding seat. Each first electric locking pin corresponds to each first locking hole one by one. When loading or unloading the container slide of the first-layer shelf, the container slide of this layer slides out, and the supporting rollers contact the ground and move along with the container slide of this layer. Initially, each high-level support component is retracted at the opening of the second-layer shelf. When loading or unloading the container slide above the second-layer shelf, the hydraulic cylinder body drives the telescopic piston rod to extend to the height of the corresponding container slide. During the process of the container slide sliding out of the shelf, when the corresponding first locking pin hole passes by the corresponding first electric locking pin, the first electric locking pin is inserted into the first locking pin hole, so that the corresponding high-level support component is pulled out by the container slide.

7. The container transfer method according to claim 2, wherein The driving mechanism further includes: A mounting frame, which is fixedly connected to the driving motor so as to be able to move along with the driving motor, and limiting grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting frame. There are two fixed keywheels. One end of each fixed keywheel is provided with a limiting block. The two fixed keywheels are respectively connected to the mounting frame with a clearance by inserting the limiting blocks into the two limiting grooves, so that the fixed keywheels can swing to a certain extent within the clearance and cannot rotate. The fixed keywheels, the driving keywheel and the driven keywheels are all on the same axis. The output shaft of the driving motor passes through one side of the mounting frame and penetrates through the fixed keywheel on this side, so that the driving keywheel is located between the two fixed keywheels. The fixed keywheels and the driven keywheels are provided with matching key teeth and key grooves. When it is necessary to load or unload the container of a certain layer of the shelf, the driving motor slides to drive the driving keywheel to engage with the corresponding driven keywheel, and the two fixed keywheels respectively engage with the other driven keywheels, so that the other driven keywheels cannot rotate freely, thereby preventing the movement of other container slides.

8. The container transfer method according to claim 5, wherein The support mechanism further includes a plurality of roller adjustment components, which correspond to the bottom support components and the high-level support components one by one. Each roller adjustment component includes an adjustment cylinder body and an adjustment piston rod. The adjustment piston rod is arranged in the adjustment cylinder body and can slide up and down. The lower end of the adjustment piston rod is fixedly connected to the support roller to be able to drive the support roller to move up and down.

9. The container transfer method according to claim 5, wherein The support mechanism further includes leg seat clamps. The leg seat clamps are provided with a plurality of telescopic clamping blocks for locking the leg seats. The telescopic clamping blocks can extend and retract into the leg seat clamps, and each telescopic clamping block corresponds to each leg seat one by one. The high-level support component further includes multiple groups of connecting rod components and diagonal braces. Each group of connecting rod components includes a connecting rod locking piece and two support connecting rods. The connecting rod locking piece is used to lock the support connecting rods hinged on both sides of it. One end of each of the two support connecting rods is respectively hinged on both sides of the connecting rod locking piece, and the other end of each of the two support connecting rods is respectively hinged on two adjacent leg seats. The top of the diagonal brace is provided with a second electric locking pin, and the container slide is provided with a plurality of second locking pin holes. Initially, each high-level support component is retracted at the opening of the second-layer shelf, each connecting rod component is folded between each leg seat, and each telescopic clamping block extends to lock the corresponding leg seat. When loading or unloading the container slide seat above the second-layer shelf, the hydraulic cylinder body drives the telescopic piston rod to extend to the height corresponding to the container slide seat. During the process of the container slide seat sliding out of the shelf, each first electric locking pin is sequentially inserted into the corresponding first locking pin hole, each second electric locking pin is sequentially inserted into the corresponding second locking pin hole, and each telescopic clamping block retracts in sequence to unlock the corresponding leg seat, so that the corresponding leg seat is driven by the container slide seat to be pulled forward in sequence. When the connecting rod component between the front and rear leg seats is fully unfolded, the corresponding connecting rod locking piece locks the corresponding two support connecting rods, so that the front and rear leg seats form a rigid connection.

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