Automatic container loading and unloading system and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for automatic loading and unloading of containers, which mainly relate to the field of automated loading and unloading. A system for automatic loading and unloading of containers, comprising an AGV body and a telescopic conveyor belt, an adjustment unit being provided on the front side of the AGV body, and an action unit with a visual recognition system being provided on the top of the AGV body. The adjustment unit comprises a reversing mechanism, a conveying mechanism and a positioning mechanism, and the action unit comprises a longitudinal displacement mechanism, a lateral displacement mechanism, a lifting mechanism and a gripping mechanism, and the gripping mechanism is a suction cup group arranged in a linear array, and the coverage range of the suction cup group is half the width of the container. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the present invention can complete the gripping of half a row of goods at one time, thereby utilizing the action unit to perform synchronous stacking or destacking of half a row of goods at one time, reducing the tedious steps of repeated actions by several times, and greatly improving the stacking efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the field of automatic loading and unloading, and in particular to a system and method for automatic loading and unloading of containers. Background Art

[0002] Containers are a core component of modern logistics and global trade, playing a vital role in facilitating the smooth flow of global trade and supply chains. Over the past few decades, the loading and unloading of cargo within containers has gradually transitioned from manual processes to semi-automated and automated processes, improving efficiency.

[0003] Most of the current automated loading and unloading equipment uses robots as the moving parts. The environment inside the container is relatively cramped and limited by the working range of the robot. The current robot loading and unloading system in the container mostly adopts a single grasping mode for grabbing cargo boxes, that is, it will process the next box only after completing the positioning, grasping and stacking actions of the previous box. This loading and unloading method consumes a lot of time in the robot's grasping action, stacking action, and posture judgment. At the same time, the transportation and positioning of the goods also require repeated positioning of individual goods, which also consumes a lot of time. Therefore, the current automated loading and unloading system has the inefficient behavior of grabbing goods one by one, and the overall loading and unloading efficiency is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a container automatic loading and unloading system and method, which can

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0006] An automated container loading and unloading system includes an AGV body and a telescopic conveyor belt connected to one side of the AGV body. An adjustment unit is located on the front of the AGV body, and an action unit equipped with a visual recognition system is located on the top of the AGV body. The AGV body serves as a load-bearing component, used to complete positioning and movement within the container, carrying various action components to precise locations to ensure subsequent palletizing and depalletizing of goods.

[0007] The adjustment unit includes a reversing mechanism, a conveying mechanism, and a positioning mechanism. The reversing mechanism is connected between the end of the telescopic conveyor belt and the starting end of the conveying mechanism. The positioning mechanism is installed on the conveying mechanism to position the goods. The positioning mechanism can simultaneously position multiple goods in a half-row, allowing for subsequent grabbing of the goods all at once. Simultaneously positioning multiple goods reduces the time required to position each item individually and improves positioning efficiency.

[0008] The motion unit includes a longitudinal displacement mechanism, a lateral displacement mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a gripping mechanism. These mechanisms achieve three degrees of translational freedom for the gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism is a linear array of suction cups that covers half the width of the container. The gripping mechanism can grab half a row of cargo at once, allowing for simultaneous palletizing of half a row using the motion unit. This reduces the number of tedious repetitive steps and significantly improves palletizing efficiency.

[0009] Preferably, the reversing mechanism includes an array of receiving rollers, the rotation direction of which is consistent with the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor belt. A reversing lifting frame is installed below the receiving rollers, and a plurality of slender reversing conveyor belts are installed on top of the reversing lifting frame. When the reversing conveyor belts are lifted by the reversing lifting frame, they pass through the gaps between the receiving rollers and rise to the top. The intermittent lifting and lowering of the reversing conveyor belts can quickly redirect the conveyed boxes so that they are stably conveyed to the positioning mechanism for positioning.

[0010] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes a plurality of conveying rollers arranged in an array, the conveying direction of the conveying rollers being perpendicular to the telescopic conveyor belt, and positioning plates being installed at the end and front side of the conveying mechanism; a positioning lifting frame being provided at the bottom of the conveying mechanism, a propulsion frame being slidably provided within the positioning lifting frame, the propulsion frame being driven by a screw mechanism or a synchronous belt mechanism, and a plurality of liftable propulsion blocking rods being provided at the top of the propulsion frame, which, when raised, pass through the gaps between adjacent conveying rollers and rise to the top of the conveying mechanism. This conveying mechanism adopts a push-type positioning device, which can achieve positioning in the width direction by a one-time push after the box body is continuously conveyed and positioned in the length direction, making it easier for the grasping mechanism to grasp accurately and improving positioning efficiency.

[0011] Preferably, the longitudinal displacement mechanism includes a longitudinal slide rail and a longitudinal drive mechanism, a longitudinal mounting seat slidably mounted on the longitudinal slide rail, and a mounting frame mounted on the longitudinal mounting seat; the lifting mechanism includes a primary lifting slide rail and a primary lifting drive mechanism disposed on the mounting frame, a lifting frame slidably mounted on the lifting slide rail, a secondary lifting slide rail and a secondary lifting drive mechanism disposed on the lifting frame, and a lifting seat slidably mounted on the secondary lifting slide rail. The design of a multi-stage lifting mechanism allows the device to accommodate non-standard containers of different sizes, preventing the lifting device from being unable to operate due to height restrictions, thereby increasing the applicability of the device.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting seat is provided with a cantilever, the front end of which is mounted a transverse mounting bracket, the transverse mounting bracket being provided with a transverse slide rail and a transverse drive mechanism, a transverse seat being slidably mounted on the transverse slide rail, and the gripping mechanism being disposed in front of the transverse seat. The transverse mechanism of this device is a cantilever structure, and the transverse motion component also utilizes an extended variant cantilever structure, enabling the gripping mechanism to accurately reach the edge of the container while conserving the overall installation space and providing greater flexibility.

[0013] Preferably, a front lifting mechanism is provided between the front side of the cantilever and the transverse fixed frame. The front lifting mechanism includes a front lifting frame, on which are provided front lifting rails and a front lifting drive mechanism. The front lifting rails are slidably engaged with the transverse fixed frame. The front lifting mechanism can compensate for the height difference between the bottom layer of boxes and the conveying mechanism, thereby ensuring stable operation during stacking and destacking.

[0014] Preferably, the conveying mechanism has a first station away from the AGV body and a second station closer to the AGV body, and the first and second stations alternately complete the positioning of the goods. The dual station configuration improves the positioning efficiency of the goods during palletizing and also improves the conveying efficiency during depalletizing.

[0015] A container automatic loading and unloading method uses the above-mentioned container automatic loading and unloading system to complete the loading and unloading of goods in the container. The specific steps are as follows:

[0016] When palletizing goods, perform the following steps:

[0017] S11: First, the size of the container is determined according to the type of container. Then, a palletizing model is constructed according to the specifications of the cargo. The number of cargo pallets to be palletized on each layer of the container is determined. Then, half of the palletizing number on each layer is determined as the one-time palletizing quantity. When the number of cargoes on each layer is an odd number N, the one-time positioning and grasping quantity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2 alternately.

[0018] S12: The AGV enters the container and uses the visual recognition system on the action unit to obtain the candidate box for the goods to be placed and generate the displacement path of the action unit. At the same time, the telescopic conveyor belt cooperates with the adjustment unit to complete the positioning of the goods. The action unit then grabs half a row of goods and places them in the pre-selected candidate box.

[0019] S13: After the entire surface of the goods is palletized, the AGV body retreats a corresponding distance and repeats step S12 until the goods are palletized;

[0020] When unstacking goods, perform the following steps:

[0021] S21: First, the AGV body is pushed to the outermost layer of goods, so that the action unit is within the distance of the goods. The visual recognition system of the action unit obtains the stacking image of the goods. The number of stacking layers of goods in the container and the stacking quantity of goods on each layer are determined based on the stacking image. Then, half of the stacking quantity of each layer is determined as the one-time grasping and depalletizing quantity. When the number of goods on each layer is an odd number N, the one-time positioning grasping quantity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2 alternately.

[0022] S22: The visual recognition system on the action unit obtains a candidate frame of the goods to be grabbed and generates a displacement path for the action unit. The action unit then grabs half a row of goods and places them on the adjustment unit. The adjustment unit cooperates with the telescopic conveyor belt to transport them to the end for collection.

[0023] S23: After the entire surface of the goods has been unstacking, the AGV body moves forward a corresponding distance and repeats step S12 until the goods are unstacking is completed.

[0024] Preferably, the stacking order during stacking is from bottom to top and from left to right, and the destacking order during destacking is from top to bottom and from left to right.

[0025] Preferably, the conveying mechanism has a first workstation away from one side of the AGV body and a second workstation close to one side of the AGV body. When the goods on the first workstation are grabbed, the second workstation continuously conveys and positions the goods. After the grabbing of the goods on the first workstation is completed, the goods that have been positioned on the second workstation are pushed to the first workstation. At this time, the insufficient quantity of goods is supplemented to the first workstation through the cooperation of the telescopic conveyor belt and the adjustment unit. After the goods at the first workstation are fully replenished, the goods are transported to the second workstation again.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] The present invention realizes the centralized positioning and centralized grabbing of cargo boxes, can complete the palletizing operation of half a row of cargo at one time, saves a lot of repeated positioning actions and reciprocating actions of the grabbing mechanism, and improves the overall palletizing and depalletizing efficiency.

[0028] The present invention adopts a double-station design, which can continuously and alternately complete the continuous transportation of goods while grabbing and adjusting the goods, so that the stacking action of the grabbing mechanism will not be dragged down by the long time of cargo transportation and positioning, so that the stacking action can be carried out continuously, thereby further improving the loading and unloading efficiency of goods.

[0029] This invention provides a linear lift and displacement structure with a limited range of motion. This prevents interference between the motion unit and the container wall due to positioning issues with the AGV body, thereby improving overall operational stability. This structure also offers a greater load-bearing capacity. Compared to single-arm manipulator joints, it is more capable of centrally grasping multiple items, enabling stable palletizing and depalletizing operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Attachment Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of Example 1 of the present invention;

[0031] Attachment Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0032] Attachment Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0033] Attachment Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of Example 3 of the present invention;

[0034] Attachment Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0035] Attachment Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment unit in Example 3 of the present invention;

[0036] Attachment Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the adjustment unit according to embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0037] Attachment Figure 8 This is a reference diagram of the present invention in use;

[0038] Attachment Figure 9 This invention Figure 2 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the middle part A;

[0039] Attachment Figure 10 This invention Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of part B in the middle;

[0040] Attachment Figure 11 This invention Figure 5 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the middle C part;

[0041] Reference numerals shown in the accompanying drawings: 1, AGV body; 2, telescopic conveyor belt; 3, adjustment unit; 4, action unit; 5, lifting platform; 11, belt conveyor; 31, reversing mechanism; 311, receiving roller; 312, reversing lifting frame; 313, reversing conveyor belt; 314, spacer; 32, conveying mechanism; 321, conveying roller; 322, positioning plate; 33, positioning mechanism; 331, positioning lifting frame; 332, propulsion frame; 333, propulsion blocking rod; 41, longitudinal displacement mechanism; 411, longitudinal slide rail; 412, longitudinal driving mechanism; 413, Longitudinal mounting seat; 42. Transverse displacement mechanism; 421. Transverse fixing frame; 422. Transverse slide rail; 423. Transverse drive mechanism; 424. Transverse seat; 43. Lifting mechanism; 431. Mounting frame; 432. Primary lifting slide rail; 433. Primary lifting drive mechanism; 44. Grasping mechanism; 45. Lifting frame; 451. Secondary lifting slide rail; 452. Secondary lifting drive mechanism; 453. Lifting seat; 46. Cantilever; 47. Front lifting mechanism; 471. Front lifting frame; 472. Front lifting slide rail; 473. Front lifting drive mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the contents of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the present application. Example 1

[0043] As shown in the figure, the automatic container loading and unloading system described in the present invention is mainly used for efficient stacking and destacking in containers. Different from the existing single-box operation method of the robotic arm, the present invention can complete the stacking and destacking of multiple boxes (occupying the general width of the container) in one action, greatly improving the efficiency of container loading and unloading. Specifically, the system includes an AGV body 1, a telescopic conveyor belt 2, and an adjustment unit 3 arranged on the front side of the AGV body. The action unit 4 is installed on the AGV body 1, and the action unit 4 is used to realize the grabbing and positioning of the box. The adjustment unit 3 completes the positioning and placement of the box during stacking and the transfer operation during destacking. The telescopic conveyor belt 2 completes the transfer of the box. The telescopic conveyor belt 2 compensates for the distance change when the AGV body 1 moves in the container through its own telescopic action, thereby ensuring the stable transportation of the goods.

[0044] AGV body:

[0045] The AGV body 1 is controlled by the system and operates between the lifting platform 5 and the container according to a set program. The sensor system on the AGV body 1 allows the AGV body 1 to dock stably at a fixed point within the container, providing basic positioning support for the stacking and destacking of goods. The AGV body 1 also serves as the basic installation unit, with its top used to support the action unit 4 and its front side as the installation location for the adjustment unit 3. It also serves as the power source for the telescopic conveyor belt 2 to perform telescopic movements. The lifting platform 5 is a hydraulic lift used to support the AGV body 1 and dock with the onboard container through height adjustment, serving as the cornerstone of the stable operation of the AGV body 1.

[0046] Telescopic conveyor belt:

[0047] The telescopic conveyor belt 2 adopts a roller conveyor with a scissor-type stretching frame or a stacked conveyor belt. In view of the fact that the present invention needs to complete the dual operations of automatic loading and unloading, the reverse conveying effect of the stacked conveyor belt is poor, so a roller conveyor is preferred. Its front end is rigidly connected to the side of the AGV body 1. Driven by the AGV body 1, the telescopic conveyor belt 2 can be telescoped and compensated for the distance change caused by the operation of the AGV body 1, so that the goods can be transported stably. Specifically, the rear side of the telescopic conveyor belt 2 is fixed, and it serves as the loading end of the goods when loading, and as the unloading end of the goods when unloading. In order to improve the automation operation, a manipulator is equipped at the end for automatic loading and unloading of the goods.

[0048] Specifically, since the height of the AGV body 1 itself is limited, it will affect the extension action of the extendable roller conveyor. Therefore, in this embodiment, an inclined belt conveyor 11 is added to the side of the AGV body 1. The belt conveyor 11 serves as a connection between the telescopic conveyor belt 2 and the adjustment unit 3 to meet the height space requirements during the extension process of the roller conveyor.

[0049] Adjustment unit:

[0050] The adjustment unit 3 is used as a positioning and sorting unit for packaging boxes, and is used to position multiple packaging boxes to facilitate one-time grabbing by the action unit 4, thereby improving the loading and unloading efficiency of goods. Specifically, the adjustment unit 3 is divided into a reversing mechanism 31, a conveying mechanism 32, and a positioning mechanism 33.

[0051] 31. Reversing mechanism:

[0052] The reversing mechanism 31 is an action mechanism for changing the direction of the packaging box. It is connected to the end of the telescopic conveyor belt 2 and the starting end of the conveying mechanism 32, so that the telescopic conveyor belt 2 and the conveying mechanism 32 are in a right-angle structure. The side of the frame of the reversing mechanism 31 is rigidly connected to the side of the AGV body 1. The reversing mechanism 31 includes an array of receiving rollers 311. The receiving rollers 311 are synchronously driven by a receiving motor. The rotation direction of the receiving rollers 311 is consistent with the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor belt 2. A reversing lifting frame 312 is installed below the receiving rollers 311. The reversing lifting frame 312 uses a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder as a lifting power. A number of slender reversing conveyor belts 313 are installed on the top of the reversing lifting frame 312. The reversing conveyor belts 313 can pass through the gaps between the receiving rollers 311 and rise to the top, thereby lifting the goods and conveying them to the conveying mechanism 32. A baffle is installed on the rear side of the reversing mechanism 31 as a limit for the goods after being transported from the telescopic conveyor belt 2, and a sensor is also installed on the baffle. When the goods hit the baffle, the sensor is triggered, and then the reversing lifting frame 312 rises to perform the reversing operation of the goods.

[0053] 32. Conveying mechanism:

[0054] When loading, the conveying mechanism 32 cooperates with the positioning mechanism 33 to complete the automatic conveying and positioning of the box for the action unit 4 to grab at one time. When unloading the goods, the conveying mechanism 32 is used to receive the goods destackered by the action unit 4, and transport the goods to the outside of the container for the next transfer through the reverse operation of the reversing mechanism 31. Specifically, the conveying mechanism 32 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 321 arranged in an array. The conveying rollers 321 are synchronously driven by a conveying motor, and the conveying direction of the conveying rollers 321 is perpendicular to the telescopic conveyor belt 2. Positioning plates 322 are installed at the end and front side of the conveying mechanism 32. The two positioning plates 322 are arranged in a vertical state and are used to limit the front side of the packaging box and the direction of travel. The positioning plate 322 at the end intercepts the goods conveyed by the conveying rollers 321, so that the goods are arranged in sequence in the conveying direction.

[0055] 33. Positioning mechanism:

[0056] A positioning and lifting frame 331 is mounted at the bottom of the conveyor mechanism 32. This frame serves as a mounting framework, and a pusher frame 332 is slidably mounted within the frame 331. This pusher frame 332 is driven by a screw mechanism or a synchronous belt mechanism. A plurality of pusher bars 333 are mounted on top of the pusher frame 332. These pusher bars 333 are liftable and driven by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. When the positioning and lifting frame 331 is raised, the pusher bars 333 pass through the gaps between adjacent conveyor rollers 321 and rise to the top of the conveyor mechanism 32. Subsequently, the pusher frame 332 advances, and the plurality of pusher bars 333 arranged vertically and arranged in an array push the sides of the packaging box, causing it to contact the front positioning plate 322, thereby positioning the packaging box.

[0057] Action unit:

[0058] Action unit 4, the unit responsible for grabbing, positioning, and stacking packages within this device, is mounted on the AGV body 1. Its front end docks with adjustment unit 3. It grabs entire rows of packages and stacks them in a container, or destackers stacked goods within the container and places them on conveyor mechanism 32 for subsequent transport. Action unit 4 includes a visual recognition system that identifies the container's environment and the location of the goods. An image-processing-based target detection algorithm identifies obstacles and outputs their outlines and boundaries. Deep learning methods or point cloud data are used to calculate the distance between the obstacle and action unit 4. Based on information about detected obstacles (such as cargo and the container's inner wall), the visual recognition system, combined with a path planning algorithm, plans the movements for action unit 4, ensuring stable stacking or grabbing of goods without interfering with the container's boundaries.

[0059] Specifically, the motion unit 4 includes a longitudinal displacement mechanism 41, a transverse displacement mechanism 42, a lifting mechanism 43, and a gripping mechanism 44. In this embodiment, the longitudinal displacement mechanism 41, the transverse displacement mechanism 42, and the lifting mechanism 43 can be integrated into a six-degree-of-freedom gripping manipulator. The gripping mechanism 44 is mounted on the front side of the gripping manipulator. The free movement of the gripping manipulator enables the centralized gripping and palletizing of entire rows of boxes.

[0060] 44. Grasping mechanism:

[0061] The gripping mechanism 44 utilizes a linear array of suction cups positioned in front of the gripping manipulator. This linear array securely grips the container through negative pressure, enabling stable palletizing and depalletizing. The number and placement of the suction cups can be adjusted based on container specifications to accommodate palletizing and depalletizing operations for containers of varying sizes. Example 2

[0062] In Example 1, due to the increased grip weight, the corresponding manipulator specifications also need to be improved and the size needs to be upgraded. Consequently, its operating space is also larger, which poses more limitations when operating in a narrow space. Therefore, this embodiment is further upgraded by disassembling the longitudinal displacement mechanism 41 and the lateral displacement mechanism 42 to facilitate the stable operation of the action unit 4 in a narrow space.

[0063] 41. Longitudinal displacement mechanism:

[0064] The longitudinal displacement mechanism 41 includes a longitudinal slide rail 411 and a longitudinal drive mechanism 412 arranged on the top of the AGV body 1. The longitudinal drive mechanism 412 adopts a screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. A longitudinal mounting seat 413 is slidably installed on the longitudinal slide rail 411. The longitudinal mounting seat 413 has a connecting seat that cooperates with the longitudinal drive mechanism 412. A mounting frame 431 is installed on the longitudinal mounting seat 413. The mounting frame 431 serves as an installation component for the lifting mechanism 43 and the grasping mechanism 44.

[0065] 43. Lifting mechanism:

[0066] The lifting mechanism 43 is a multi-stage lifting structure. Specifically, the lifting mechanism 43 includes a first-stage lifting rail 432 and a first-stage lifting drive mechanism 433, which are provided on a mounting frame 431. The lifting frame 45 is slidably mounted on the first-stage lifting rail 432. The first-stage lifting drive mechanism 433 is a screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. The first-stage lifting drive mechanism 433 can drive the lifting frame 45 to be stably raised and lowered. The lifting frame 45 is provided with a second-stage lifting rail 451 and a second-stage lifting drive mechanism 452. The second-stage lifting drive mechanism 452 is a screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. The lifting seat 453 is slidably mounted on the second-stage lifting rail 451. The lifting seat 453 can be stably raised and lowered by the second-stage lifting drive mechanism 452. Through a structure with at least two lifting levels, the overall height of the device can be reduced. When loading and unloading goods, it can adapt to containers of different sizes, and the operation in the container will not be affected by the height limit. At the same time, the double lifting structure can also adapt to different working heights. It is only necessary to control the lifting height of each lifting unit to match them to complete the height adjustment, making the stacking and destacking of the boxes more stable.

[0067] 42. Lateral displacement mechanism:

[0068] The lateral displacement mechanism 42 can be mounted on the lifting seat 453 or on the gripping mechanism 44. In this embodiment, the lateral displacement mechanism 42 is preferably mounted on the gripping mechanism 44 to reduce interference caused by the complex lifting and lowering movements of the lifting mechanism 43. Specifically, the lifting seat 453 is mounted with a cantilever 46. A lateral displacement bracket 421 is mounted at the front end of the cantilever 46. A lateral displacement rail 422 and a lateral displacement drive mechanism 423 are disposed laterally on the lateral displacement bracket 421. The lateral displacement drive mechanism 423 can be a screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. A lateral displacement seat 424 is slidably mounted on the lateral displacement rail 422. The middle portion of the lateral displacement seat 424 is connected to the lateral displacement drive mechanism 423, thereby being driven by the lateral displacement drive mechanism 423 to stably move the lateral displacement seat 424 back and forth laterally. The gripping mechanism 44 is mounted at the front end of the lateral displacement seat 424. Specifically, the negative pressure suction cup assembly is linearly mounted on the front side of the lateral displacement seat 424. The negative pressure system connected thereto enables negative pressure gripping of the cargo packaging box. Specifically, the length of the transverse seat 424 is greater than or equal to the length of the transverse seat 424, and the length of the transverse seat 424 is at least half the width of a standard container. When the transverse seat 424 is driven by the transverse drive mechanism 423 to move to the extreme position on one side, the transverse seat 424 covers at least half the width of the container. This structure ensures that the grasping mechanism 44 can complete the stacking or destacking of half a layer of cargo in one go.

[0069] Taking Example 2 as an example, when palletizing cargo within a container, the number of cargo to be palletized per layer is first determined based on the container's dimensions and the dimensions of the cargo box. Half of this number is then used as the one-time positioning and grabbing capacity. When the number of cargo per layer is an odd number, N, the one-time positioning and grabbing capacity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2. During loading and palletizing, the AGV body 1 moves into the container. The visual recognition system on the action unit 4 identifies candidate boxes for the cargo to be placed. Palletizing occurs from bottom to top and from left to right. The visual recognition system identifies and locates the placement position and outputs the candidate boxes for the cargo. Simultaneously, cargo is transported from the telescopic conveyor belt 2. The adjustment unit 3 facilitates the transport and positioning of multiple cargo items. Once positioning is complete, the action unit 4 grabs the cargo and palletizes it into the identified candidate boxes. While cargo is being grabbed and stacked, the next batch of cargo continues to be transported and positioned, improving overall palletizing efficiency.

[0070] When depalletizing cargo within a container, the AGV (AGV) body 1 first drives the system to a position close to the outermost layer of cargo, placing the action unit 4 within reach. The visual recognition system captures image information from the container and determines the number of stacked layers and the quantity per layer. Based on the number of stacked items per layer, half of each layer's stack is used as the one-time positioning and grasping capacity. When the number of items per layer is an odd number, N, the one-time positioning and grasping capacity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2, respectively. Depalletizing proceeds from top to bottom and left to right. Action unit 4 gradually grasps each item within the container, places it on the adjustment unit 3, and then continuously conveys it to the telescopic conveyor belt 2 for further transport. As the entire container is depalletized, the AGV body 1 advances the corresponding distance until all items are depalletized. Example 3

[0071] In contrast to Examples 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the conveyor mechanism 32 is widened to form a dual-station system. The first station is located farther from the AGV body 1, while the second station is located closer to the AGV body 1. The first and second stations alternately position the boxes. This improves box palletizing efficiency, while box positioning efficiency is lower. Therefore, the dual-station palletizing operation can compensate for the time gaps in the gripper mechanism 44's operation, allowing the gripper mechanism 44 to operate continuously and improving palletizing efficiency.

[0072] Specifically, to coordinate with the dual-station conveyor mechanism 32, two reversing lifts 312 are provided, one for each of the first and second stations. The reversing lift 312 corresponding to the second station is also equipped with a spacer baffle 314 to block the packaging boxes. When the reversing lift 312 is lifted, the spacer baffle 314 and the reversing conveyor belt 313 on the reversing lift 312 are synchronously raised to pass through the gap between the receiving rollers 311, thereby directing the packaging boxes to the second station for positioning. The first and second stations are separated by a push bar 333. When a packaging box needs to be conveyed to the second station, the push bar 333, driven by the push frame 332, moves to the boundary between the first and second stations. The push bar 333 is then lifted by the positioning lift 331, passing through the gap between the conveyor rollers 321 and exposed to the overhead space. Then, the packaging boxes are neatly arranged and positioned by alternating the reversing conveyor belt 313 and the conveying roller 321 and continuously blocked by the spacing baffle 314 and the pushing baffle rod 333 .

[0073] Specifically, the grabbing mechanism 44 only grabs the packaging box at the first station. When the packaging box at the first station is grabbed, the push bar 333 moves to the rear side of the second station, pushing the box that has been neatly positioned at the second station to the positioning plate 322 on the front side to complete the positioning, waiting for the next grab by the grabbing mechanism 44. At the same time, the second station continues to take on subsequent boxes. At this time, the second station serves as an auxiliary station to ensure the continuity of the overall positioning work. The second station continuously transports and positions the packaging box during the process of positioning, grabbing and palletizing by the grabbing mechanism 44, which can improve the overall palletizing efficiency. At the same time, the widened conveying mechanism 32 can have higher conveying efficiency when depalletizing, which speeds up the depalletizing efficiency of goods in the container. Example 4

[0074] With respect to Example 3, the grabbing mechanism 44 in this embodiment can be equipped with an up-and-down sliding structure, thereby adapting to the dual-station positioning and enabling smoother grabbing of the entire row of goods at the first station without interfering with the second station. Specifically, a front lifting mechanism 47 is installed between the front side of the cantilever 46 and the transverse fixed frame 421. The front lifting mechanism 47 includes a front lifting frame 471, on which a front lifting rail 472 and a front lifting drive mechanism 473 are provided. The front lifting drive mechanism 473 is a screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. The front lifting rail 472 slides with the transverse fixed frame 421, and the front lifting drive mechanism 473 drives the transverse fixed frame 421 to perform a stable lifting movement. The lifting drive of the front lifting mechanism 47 can drive the grabbing mechanism 44 to rise and fall within a small range, thereby compensating for the obstruction of other structures when grabbing goods. At the same time, during destacking, the grabbing position can be adjusted more flexibly to avoid goods accidentally falling during destacking.

[0075] More specifically, the front lift mechanism 47, as part of a multi-stage lift mechanism, compensates for the height limitations of the lift mechanism 43. This is especially true for smaller containers, as the height of the AGV body 1 prevents the lift mechanism 43 from descending to a lower position to release the small containers onto the container floor. This also compensates for the inability to select small containers at the bottom during destacking.

[0076] More specifically, due to the addition of the front lifting mechanism 47, the multi-stage lifting structure in the lifting mechanism 43 can be deleted, and only the one-stage lifting structure is retained, which can also adapt to containers within a larger size specification range.

Claims

1. A container automatic loading and unloading system, comprising an AGV vehicle body (1) and a telescopic conveyor belt (2), wherein the telescopic conveyor belt (2) is connected to one side of the AGV vehicle body (1), and is characterized in that: An adjustment unit (3) is provided on the front side of the AGV body (1), and an action unit (4) with a visual recognition system is provided on the top of the AGV body (1); the adjustment unit (3) includes a reversing mechanism (31), a conveying mechanism (32) and a positioning mechanism (33); the reversing mechanism (31) is connected to the end of the telescopic conveyor belt (2) and the starting end of the conveying mechanism (32); the positioning mechanism (33) is provided on the conveying mechanism (32) for positioning the goods; the action unit (4) includes a longitudinal displacement mechanism (41), a transverse displacement mechanism (42), a lifting mechanism (43) and a grabbing mechanism (44); the longitudinal displacement mechanism (41), the transverse displacement mechanism (42) and the lifting mechanism (43) are connected to the starting end of the telescopic conveyor belt (2) and the conveying mechanism (32); the positioning mechanism (33) is provided on the conveying mechanism (32) for positioning the goods; The mechanism (43) realizes the displacement of three translational degrees of freedom of the grasping mechanism (44), the grasping mechanism (44) is a suction cup group arranged in a linear array, and the coverage range of the suction cup group is half of the width of the container; the reversing mechanism (31) includes an array of receiving rollers (311), the rotation direction of the receiving rollers (311) is consistent with the conveying direction of the telescopic conveyor belt (2), a reversing lifting frame (312) is installed below the receiving rollers (311), and a plurality of slender reversing conveyor belts (313) are installed on the top of the reversing lifting frame (312). When the reversing conveyor belt (313) is lifted by the reversing lifting frame (312), it passes through the gap between the receiving rollers (311) and rises to the top; the conveying mechanism (32 ) comprises a plurality of conveying rollers (321) arranged in an array, the conveying direction of the conveying rollers (321) being perpendicular to the telescopic conveyor belt (2), and a positioning plate (322) being installed at the end and the front side of the conveying mechanism (32); a positioning lifting frame (331) being provided at the bottom of the conveying mechanism (32), a propulsion frame (332) being slidably provided in the positioning lifting frame (331), the propulsion frame (332) being driven by a screw mechanism or a synchronous belt mechanism, and a plurality of liftable propulsion blocking rods (333) being provided at the top of the propulsion frame (332), and when the propulsion blocking rods (333) are raised, the propulsion blocking rods (333) pass through the gaps between adjacent conveying rollers (321) and rise to the top of the conveying mechanism (32) The top portion of the lifting mechanism (41) comprises a longitudinal slide rail (411) and a longitudinal drive mechanism (412); a longitudinal mounting seat (413) is slidably mounted on the longitudinal slide rail (411); and a mounting frame (431) is mounted on the longitudinal mounting seat (413); the lifting mechanism (43) comprises a first-level lifting slide rail (432) and a first-level lifting drive mechanism (433) arranged on the mounting frame (431); a lifting frame (45) is slidably mounted on the first-level lifting slide rail (432); a second-level lifting slide rail (451) and a second-level lifting drive mechanism (452) are arranged on the lifting frame (45); and a lifting seat (453) is slidably mounted on the second-level lifting slide rail (451).

2. The automatic container loading and unloading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A cantilever (46) is provided on the lifting seat (453), a transverse fixed frame (421) is installed at the front end of the cantilever (46), a transverse slide rail (422) and a transverse driving mechanism (423) are provided on the transverse fixed frame (421), a transverse seat (424) is slidably provided on the transverse slide rail (422), and the grabbing mechanism (44) is provided on the front side of the transverse seat (424).

3. The automatic container loading and unloading system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A front lifting mechanism (47) is provided between the front side of the cantilever (46) and the transverse fixed frame (421), and the front lifting mechanism (47) includes a front lifting frame (471), a front lifting slide rail (472) and a front lifting drive mechanism (473) are provided on the front lifting frame (471), and the front lifting slide rail (472) is slidably matched with the transverse fixed frame (421).

4. The automatic container loading and unloading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism (32) has a first workstation on a side away from the AGV body (1) and a second workstation on a side close to the AGV body (1), and the first workstation and the second workstation alternately complete the positioning of the goods.

5. A method for automatic loading and unloading of containers, characterized in that: The automatic container loading and unloading system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is used to complete the loading and unloading of goods in a container. The specific steps are as follows: When palletizing goods, perform the following steps: S11: First, the size of the container is determined according to the type of container. Then, a palletizing model is constructed according to the specifications of the cargo. The number of cargo pallets to be palletized on each layer of the container is determined. Then, half of the palletizing number on each layer is determined as the one-time palletizing quantity. When the number of cargoes on each layer is an odd number N, the one-time positioning and grasping quantity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2 alternately. S12: The AGV enters the container and uses the visual recognition system on the action unit to obtain the candidate box for the goods to be placed and generate the displacement path of the action unit. At the same time, the telescopic conveyor belt cooperates with the adjustment unit to complete the positioning of the goods. The action unit then grabs half a row of goods and places them in the pre-selected candidate box. S13: After the entire surface of the goods is palletized, the AGV body retreats a corresponding distance and repeats step S12 until the goods are palletized; When unstacking goods, perform the following steps: S21: First, the AGV body is pushed to the outermost layer of goods, so that the action unit is within the distance of the goods. The visual recognition system of the action unit obtains the stacking image of the goods. The number of stacking layers of goods in the container and the stacking quantity of goods on each layer are determined based on the stacking image. Then, half of the stacking quantity of each layer is determined as the one-time grasping and depalletizing quantity. When the number of goods on each layer is an odd number N, the one-time positioning grasping quantity is set to (N+1) / 2 and (N-1) / 2 alternately. S22: The visual recognition system on the action unit obtains a candidate frame of the goods to be grabbed and generates a displacement path for the action unit. The action unit then grabs half a row of goods and places them on the adjustment unit. The adjustment unit cooperates with the telescopic conveyor belt to transport them to the end for collection. S23: After the entire surface of the goods has been unstacking, the AGV body moves forward a corresponding distance and repeats step S12 until the goods are unstacking is completed.

6. The method for automatic loading and unloading of containers according to claim 5, characterized in that: The stacking order during palletizing is from bottom to top and from left to right, and the depalletizing order during depalletizing is from top to bottom and from left to right.

7. The automatic container loading and unloading method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism has a first workstation away from one side of the AGV body and a second workstation close to one side of the AGV body. When the goods on the first workstation are grabbed, the second workstation continuously conveys and positions the goods. When the goods on the first workstation are grabbed, the goods that have been positioned on the second workstation are pushed to the first workstation. At this time, the insufficient quantity of goods is supplemented to the first workstation through the cooperation of the telescopic conveyor belt and the adjustment unit. After the goods at the first workstation are fully replenished, the goods are transported to the second workstation again.

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