Sorting machine and sorting system based on sorting machine

Abstract

The invention provides a sorting machine and a sorting system based on the sorting machine, the sorting machine comprises a base, a connecting rotating shaft, a rotating workbench, a driving device and container fixing devices, the base and the rotating workbench are connected through the connecting rotating shaft, the rotating workbench is provided with at least two container fixing devices, and the container fixing devices are connected with the driving device. The container fixing device is used for fixing an article collecting container, the article collecting container is used for receiving articles thrown by the sorting robot, the driving device is connected with the connecting rotating shaft and used for driving the connecting rotating shaft to rotate, and the connecting rotating shaft drives the rotating workbench to rotate. And the target container fixing device in the at least two container fixing devices on the rotating workbench rotates to the throwing position which faces the sorting robot.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 2021104112398, and the original application date is April 16, 2021. The entire content of the original application is incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This specification relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a sorting machine and a sorting system based on the sorting machine. Background Art

[0003] With increasing demand for logistics services, logistics picking has become a key processing node for upstream businesses before shipment. Logistics picking involves manually sorting and unpacking selected items. After order picking is completed, manual unpacking and repacking are performed to ensure orderly distribution and packing of items. This prevents problems such as difficulty locating and inventorying items for downstream businesses. Prior art methods typically employ both fully manual picking and automated secondary sorting. The fully manual picking method, due to its significant labor consumption, not only increases costs but also significantly impacts operational efficiency, resulting in overall low efficiency in the picking process. Automated secondary sorting, on the other hand, involves manually creating sorting tasks and then using conveyor lines and sorting robots to automatically connect to transport items to their destination containers. However, conveyor lines occupy large areas, are relatively rigid, and are difficult to expand, significantly restricting the picking process. Therefore, an effective solution is urgently needed to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a sorting machine and a sorting system based on the sorting machine to solve the technical defects existing in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of this specification, a sorting machine is provided, which includes a base, a connecting shaft, a rotating worktable, a driving device and a container fixing device, wherein the base and the rotating worktable are connected via the connecting shaft, the rotating worktable is installed with at least two container fixing devices, the container fixing devices are used to fix an item collection container, and the item collection container is used to receive items delivered by a sorting robot, the driving device is connected to the connecting shaft, and is used to drive the connecting shaft to rotate, and the connecting shaft drives the rotating worktable to rotate, so that a target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices on the rotating worktable rotates to a delivery position facing the arrival of the sorting robot.

[0006] Optionally, an emergency stop device is further included, which is fixed to the upper surface of the base and is used to control the rotating worktable to change its working state.

[0007] Optionally, each container fixing device is respectively attached with a label, and the label is used to mark the container fixing device where it is located.

[0008] Optionally, the label is a barcode, a QR code or an RFID tag.

[0009] Optionally, it further comprises a container detection device and a display device, wherein the container detection device is arranged on each container fixing device, and the display device is arranged on the rotating workbench;

[0010] The container detection device is used to detect whether the object collection container exists in the container fixing device;

[0011] The display device is used to display information about the container fixing device on which the object collecting container is not placed, and / or to display information about the container fixing device on which the sorting task has been completed.

[0012] Optionally, the rotary worktable is a regular polygonal structure.

[0013] Optionally, each of the at least two container fixing devices is distributed on the upper surface of the rotary worktable with the center point of the rotary worktable as the center.

[0014] Optionally, the base is a circular structure.

[0015] Optionally, the driving device is provided with a transmission box, the output end of the transmission box is connected to the connecting shaft, the lower end of the connecting shaft is located at the center of the base, and the upper end of the connecting shaft is connected to the center box of the rotating workbench.

[0016] Optionally, the emergency stop device is a button.

[0017] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a sorting system based on a sorting machine is provided, the system comprising a sorting machine, a control system and a sorting robot, the control system communicating with the sorting machine and the sorting robot respectively; wherein,

[0018] The control system is configured to receive an item sorting request; determine a target item to be sorted based on the item sorting request, allocate a target item collection container for collecting the target item and a target container fixture for fixing the target item collection container to the target item; allocate a sorting task corresponding to the target item to the target item collection container and the target container fixture; create a sorting path based on the sorting task and issue the sorting path to the sorting robot; and control the sorting machine to rotate the target container fixture to a delivery position facing the arrival of the sorting robot based on the sorting task;

[0019] The sorting robot is configured to move to an article supply position according to the sorting path, take the target article, and deliver the target article to the drop-off position, and drop off the target article to the target article collection container.

[0020] Optionally, the target article is a material with the same attribute or a package with the same destination.

[0021] Optionally, the control system is further configured to, in a case where the container detection device detects that no article collection container is placed in the container fixing device where it is located, control the display device to display information of the container fixing device where no article collection container is placed.

[0022] Optionally, the control system is further configured to, in a case where the container detection device detects that an article collection container is placed in the container fixing device where it is located, if it is detected that the article collection container is in a full state, control the display device to display information of the container fixing device where the article collection container in the full state is located.

[0023] Optionally, the control system is further configured to, in a case where it is detected that the capacity of the target article collection container is in an unfull state, determine a current position of the target container fixing device; calculate a rotation angle according to the drop-off position and the current position of the target container fixing device, and control the sorting robot to rotate the rotating workbench according to the rotation angle, so as to rotate the target container fixing device to face the drop-off position.

[0024] Optionally, the control system is further configured to receive scanning information obtained by scanning labels on the target container fixing device and the target article collection container; and establish a binding relationship between the target container fixing device and the target article collection container according to the scanning information.

[0025] Optionally, the control system is further configured to detect whether the target article collection container is full according to a drop-off frequency of the sorting robot to the target article collection container.

[0026] Optionally, the control system is further configured to, after the target container fixing device is rotated to face the drop-off position, issue a drop-off instruction to the sorting robot.

[0027] The sorting robot is further configured to drop off the target article to the target article collection container fixed in the target container fixing device according to the drop-off instruction.

[0028] Optionally, the sorting robot is further configured to scan a label on a current container fixing device facing the drop-off position before dropping off the target item; and drop off the target item into the target item collection container fixed in the target container fixing device if the current container fixing device is the target container fixing device.

[0029] Optionally, the sorting robot is further configured to scan a label on a current container fixing device facing the drop-off position before dropping off the target item, and upload the scanning result to the control system.

[0030] The control system is further configured to issue a drop-off instruction to the sorting robot if the current container fixing device is determined to be the target container fixing device according to the scanning result.

[0031] Optionally, the control system is further configured to determine an unloading position, and calculate a rotation angle according to the unloading position and a current position of the target container fixing device; and control the sorting robot to rotate the target container fixing device storing the target item to face the unloading position based on the rotation angle, at which the target item collection container is unloaded from the target container fixing device or the target item is unloaded from the target item collection container.

[0032] Optionally, the control system is further configured to control the sorting machine to switch the working state from the running state to the stop state if the sorting machine is in the running state and a signal triggered by an emergency stop device is received; or control the sorting machine to switch the working state from the stop state to the running state if the sorting machine is in the stop state and the signal triggered by the emergency stop device is received.

[0033] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present specification, a sorting method based on a sorting machine is provided, which is performed by a sorting machine, a control system and a sorting robot; wherein,

[0034] The control system receives an item sorting request; determines a target item that needs to be sorted according to the item sorting request, allocates a target item collection container for collecting the target item and a target container fixing device for fixing the target item collection container for the target item; allocates a sorting task corresponding to the target item for the target item collection container and the target container fixing device; creates a sorting path according to the sorting task, and issues the sorting path to the sorting robot.

[0035] The sorting robot moves to an item supply position to obtain the target item according to the sorting path, and transports the target item to the drop-off position.

[0036] The control system controls the sorting machine to rotate the target container fixing device to a delivery position facing the sorting robot according to the sorting task, and issues a delivery instruction to the sorting robot;

[0037] The sorting robot places the target item into the target item collection container according to the delivery instruction.

[0038] The present application provides a sorting machine, which includes a base, a connecting shaft, a rotary worktable, a driving device and a container fixing device, wherein the base and the rotary worktable are connected by a connecting shaft, and the rotary worktable is equipped with at least two container fixing devices, the container fixing device is used to fix an item collection container, and the item collection container is used to receive items dropped by a sorting robot, and the driving device is connected to the connecting shaft, and is used to drive the connecting shaft to rotate, and the connecting shaft drives the rotary worktable to rotate, so that a target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices on the rotary worktable rotates to a drop position facing the drop position arrived by the sorting robot; the sorting machine can not only reduce labor costs, but also achieve the purpose of one-time line delivery and two sortings, which not only improves sorting efficiency, but also improves the flexibility of sorting items. At the same time, the above structure can effectively save the operating area used in the sorting process, so as to maximize the completion of sorting tasks in a fixed space, thereby promoting the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting businesses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a first type of sorting machine provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a second sorting machine provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a third type of sorting machine provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a sorting system based on a sorting machine provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a sorting system based on a sorting machine applied in a sorting scenario provided in an embodiment of this specification;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of a sorting method based on a sorting machine provided in one embodiment of this specification.

[0045] Reference numerals:

[0046] 100- Sorting machine, 101- Base, 102- Connecting shaft, 103- Rotating worktable, 104- Driving device, 105- Container fixing device, 106- Item collection container, 107- Emergency stop device, 108- Container detection device, 109- Display device, 110- Label, 410- Control system, 420- Sorting robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The specific implementation of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific implementations disclosed below.

[0049] The terms used in one or more embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit one or more embodiments of the present application. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" used in one or more embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used in one or more embodiments of the present application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0050] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of the present application, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of the present application, the first may also be referred to as the second, and similarly, the second may also be referred to as the first. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".

[0051] In this application, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, etc. are only used to indicate the relative position relationship between related parts, rather than to limit the absolute positions of these related parts.

[0052] In this application, “first”, “second”, etc. are only used to distinguish each other, rather than to indicate the degree of importance and order, or the prerequisite for each other’s existence.

[0053] In the present application, “equal”, “same”, etc. are not strictly limited in the mathematical and / or geometric sense, but also include errors that can be understood by those skilled in the art and are allowed in manufacturing or use.

[0054] Unless otherwise stated, the numerical ranges in this application include not only the entire range between its two endpoints but also the several sub-ranges contained therein.

[0055] In practice, store orders in the footwear and apparel industry typically involve a variety of materials, and each material has many different styles, with many different models. Therefore, it is difficult to sort and sort orders within the order during picking operations, and robots are also difficult to achieve full intelligence during movement. Therefore, during the goods-to-person picking process, it is difficult to achieve orderly picking of different models of the same style and store them in the same bin during the picking stage. Without binning operations, stores at the end of the supply chain will have difficulty finding and taking inventory. Therefore, after the picking process, it is very necessary to add sorting operations to sort different models of the same style into the same bin.

[0056] The existing logistics picking process is mostly done manually. After order picking is completed, the boxes are manually unpacked and reassembled. However, manual operation increases the number of operations in the distribution logistics center and is inefficient, resulting in overall low warehouse efficiency. Furthermore, some operations use automated equipment for secondary sorting. The materials to be sorted are manually scanned and then delivered to a sorting robot. Alternatively, the materials are first delivered to a dual line, and then automatically connected to a conveyor line and the sorting robot. The sorting robot determines the destination container based on the loaded material information and then moves along a predetermined path. When the robot reaches the designated container, the machine body slows down and stops. The delivery mechanism on the robot then begins sorting, automatically delivering the materials from the delivery mechanism into the designated container, completing the material sorting task. Using automated sorting equipment for secondary sorting is costly and requires a large amount of space. Furthermore, this type of equipment is relatively rigid and difficult to expand. Therefore, there is a need for flexible, space-saving, and low-cost sorting equipment.

[0057] Therefore, the application provides a sorting machine, which comprises a base, a connecting shaft, a rotating workbench, a driving device and a container fixing device, wherein the base and the rotating workbench are connected through the connecting shaft, the rotating workbench is installed with at least two container fixing devices, the container fixing device is used for fixing an article collecting container, the article collecting container is used for receiving articles thrown by a sorting robot, the driving device is connected with the connecting shaft and is used for driving the connecting shaft to rotate, the connecting shaft drives the rotating workbench to rotate, so that a target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices on the rotating workbench rotates to a throwing position facing the arrival of the sorting robot; through the sorting machine, not only the labor cost can be reduced, but also the purpose of throwing a line and sorting twice can be achieved, the sorting efficiency is improved, the flexibility of the sorted articles is improved, the working area used in the sorting process can be effectively saved through the above structure, so that the sorting task can be maximally completed in a fixed space, and the processing efficiency of the sorting upstream and downstream businesses is promoted.

[0058] Referring to Figure 1 as shown, Figure 1 The structure diagram of the first sorting machine is shown, which comprises a base 101, a connecting shaft 102, a rotating workbench 103, a driving device 104 and a container fixing device 105, wherein the base 101 and the rotating workbench 103 are connected through the connecting shaft 102, the rotating workbench 103 is installed with at least two container fixing devices 105, the container fixing device 105 is used for fixing an article collecting container 106, the article collecting container 106 is used for receiving articles thrown by a sorting robot, the driving device 104 is connected with the connecting shaft 102 and is used for driving the connecting shaft 102 to rotate, the connecting shaft drives the rotating workbench 103 to rotate, so that a target container fixing device 1051 among the at least two container fixing devices 105 on the rotating workbench 103 rotates to a throwing position facing the arrival of the sorting robot.

[0059] In the implementation, when the sorting operation is performed, the sorting robot can deliver the articles needing to be sorted to the throwing position, since the sorting operation needs to deliver the articles or packages with the same attribute or the same destination to the same destination to ensure the orderliness of the articles or packages, at this time, the target container fixing device 1051 can be determined in the container fixing device 105 contained in the sorting machine 100 according to the sorting task, and then the article collecting container 106 placed in the target container fixing device 1051 receives the articles thrown by the sorting robot.

[0060] During this process, since the sorting machine 100 includes at least two container fixing devices 105, and different container fixing devices 105 are in different positions, if the target container device 1051 is not moved to the delivery position, the sorting robot will cause item sorting errors if it delivers the items. Therefore, after the sorting robot moves to the delivery position, the driving device 104 on the sorting machine 100 can drive the connecting shaft 102 to rotate, so as to drive the rotating worktable 103 to rotate through the connecting shaft 102. Since the container fixing device 105 is arranged on the rotating worktable 103, the target container fixing device 1051 in the container fixing device 105 can be rotated to the delivery position facing the sorting robot according to the sorting task, so that the items delivered by the sorting robot can be stored through the item collection container 106 fixed in the target container fixing device 1051. Subsequently, the items stored in the item collection container 106 fixed in the target container fixing device 1051 can be transported to the destination specified by the sorting task for unloading by rotating the workbench 103 again, so as to achieve the purpose of twice sorting in one time, which not only improves the sorting efficiency, but also improves the flexibility of sorting items.

[0061] During specific implementation, considering that the sorting machine 100 is convenient for receiving items delivered by the sorting robot, the base 101 of the sorting machine 100 can be installed non-fixedly on the ground, so that the position of the sorting machine 100 can be moved as needed to meet the processing of sorting tasks in different scenarios; accordingly, the item collection container 106 includes but is not limited to a carton, plastic box or metal box of pre-set specifications to accommodate the items delivered by the sorting robot. Accordingly, the specifications of the item collection container 106 can be set according to actual needs, such as a size of 600mm*400mm*400mm or 800mm*400mm*400mm, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0062] Furthermore, the driving device 104 specifically refers to a device that drives the rotating table 103 to rotate, and includes but is not limited to a driving motor. When the driving device 104 drives the rotating table 103 to rotate via the connecting shaft 102, considering the balance and power issues when the rotating table 103 transports items in the item collection container 106, the driving device 104 is preferably provided with a transmission box, the output end of which is connected to the connecting shaft 102, the lower end of the connecting shaft 102 is located at the center of the base, and the upper end of the connecting shaft 102 is connected to the center box of the rotating table 103.

[0063] In a specific implementation, the driving device 104 drives the rotating table 103 to rotate by generating power through the transmission box, and then the output end of the transmission box drives the connecting shaft 102 to rotate. The driving device 104 can be arranged inside the connecting shaft, or outside the connecting shaft to drive the connecting shaft 102 through gears. When the connecting shaft 102 rotates, it will drive the center box to rotate through the upper end of the connecting shaft 102, thereby driving the rotating table 103 to rotate, and driving the target box fixing device 1051 to move.

[0064] Alternatively, to accommodate more container fixtures 105 and reduce the space occupied by the sorting machine 100, the base of the sorting machine 100 can be configured as a circular structure. Accordingly, the rotating worktable 103 included in the sorting machine 100 can be configured as a regular polygon to evenly distribute the container fixtures 105 on the rotating worktable. This facilitates calculation of the rotation angle when rotating the rotating worktable 103 and facilitates the sorting robot's placement of items into the item collection container 106.

[0065] Based on this, if the rotating table 103 is a regular polygon, the specific arrangement of the at least two container fixing devices 105 can be: the container fixing devices 105 are distributed on the upper surface of the rotating table 103 with the center point of the rotating table 103 as the center. In other words, to enable sorting operations for more items, the container fixing devices 105 can be evenly distributed on the upper surface of the regular polygon rotating table 103 with the center point of the rotating table 103 as the center, so as to avoid each container fixing device occupying too much space.

[0066] Furthermore, since the container fixtures 105 themselves have a certain mass, arbitrarily placing each container fixture 105 on the upper surface of the rotary table 103 may cause the rotary table 103 to tilt, making it unable to properly accommodate items conveyed by the sorting robot. Therefore, when configuring the container fixtures 105, they can be symmetrically distributed, and regular polygons can be even-numbered regular polygons to increase the service life of the sorting machine. In actual applications, the regular polygon of the rotary table 103 can be selected based on the actual application scenario, such as a regular quadrilateral, regular pentagon, regular hexagon, or regular octagon, etc., and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0067] Optionally, in actual applications, when the sorting machine 100 is processing a sorting task, due to some unexpected reasons, such as a sorting machine failure; or an item handling requirement, such as the items in the item collection container are not emptied. In order to be able to process the sorting task normally in the future, the sorting machine 100 needs to be stopped at this time to repair the corresponding failure or empty the items before running the sorting machine 100 to perform the sorting task. Therefore, the sorting machine can be equipped with an emergency stop device 107, see Figure 2 The structural diagram of the second sorting machine is shown in FIG. The emergency stop device 107 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 101 and is used to control the rotating workbench 103 to change the working state. Furthermore, the emergency stop device 107 can be set as a button.

[0068] Based on this, when the sorting machine 100 begins to perform a sorting task, if the staff discovers that the sorting machine 100 is in operation and has a fault, they can control the sorting machine 100 to stop operating by pressing the emergency stop device 107. After the fault is resolved, the sorting machine 100 can be controlled to resume operation by pressing the emergency stop device 107, thereby avoiding losses caused by the emergency and facilitating the staff to operate the operating status of the sorting machine 100.

[0069] Optionally, when the sorting machine 100 processes sorting tasks, since the sorting machine 100 includes at least two container fixtures 105 and different sorting tasks require items to be sorted to different destinations using different target container fixtures, in order to ensure that the sorting robot can accurately place items into designated target container fixtures and thus transport them to the correct destinations, in this embodiment, a label 110 may be attached to each container fixture 105. The label 110 is used to identify the container fixture to which it is attached. Accordingly, the label is a barcode, a QR code, or an RFID tag.

[0070] Based on this, to ensure that the sorting robot can accurately place the intended items into the item collection container in the target container fixture 1051, the item collection container 106 can be bound to the container fixture 105 by scanning the label on the container fixture 105 when the sorting task is created. This allows the item collection container 106 to be determined, as well as the target container fixture 1051 to which the item collection container 106 is fixed, to facilitate the subsequent placement of the items by the sorting robot according to the sorting instructions. In specific implementations, the labels can be affixed to the inner or outer surface of each container fixture 105, and the affixation location can be selected based on the actual application scenario, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0071] Optionally, in actual applications, if the item collection container 106 is not placed in the container fixture 105, the items placed by the sorting robot may fall off from the container fixture 105, and it may be difficult to place the items. Therefore, in order to accommodate more items and avoid loss of items, an item collection container 106 may be placed in each container fixture 105. On this basis, after the sorting task is completed, the user can directly carry away all the item collection containers 106 on the target container fixture 1051. At this time, the container fixture will be in an idle state (no item collection container 106 is placed). In order to avoid the staff forgetting to place a new item collection container 106 in the idle container fixture 105, preferably, a container detection device 108 and a display device 109 can be configured in the sorting machine 100, see Figure 3 The structural diagram of the third sorting machine is shown in FIG. Figure 3 (a) is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third type of sorting machine. Figure 3 (b) is the front view of the third type of sorting machine. Figure 3 (b) is a top view of the third type of sorting machine. The container detection device 108 is installed on each container fixture 105, and the display device 109 is installed on the rotary worktable 103. The container detection device 108 is used to detect whether the object collection container 106 is present in the container fixture 105 in which it is located. The display device 109 is used to display information about container fixtures 105 that do not have the object collection container 106 placed therein and / or display information about container fixtures 105 that have completed sorting tasks.

[0072] Based on this, the container detection device 108 specifically refers to a device capable of detecting the presence of an item collection container 106 within the container fixture 105 in which it is located. The container detection device 108 includes, but is not limited to, infrared detectors, crystal detectors, and conductivity detectors. Accordingly, if the container detection device 108 detects the absence of an item collection container 106 within the container fixture 105, in order to continue the sorting operation, it may transmit information to the display device 109 indicating that the item collection container 106 is not placed within the container fixture 105. The display device 109 is a device capable of displaying information about the container fixture 105 in which the item collection container 106 is not placed. The displayed information may include the container fixture number or location.

[0073] Furthermore, considering sorting speed, and to facilitate staff monitoring the operating status of each container fixture 105 on the sorting machine 100 at any time, the display device 109 can also display information related to the container fixture 105 that has completed a sorting task. Specifically, after a container fixture 105 has delivered the items contained in its object collection container 106 to the destination, the container fixture 105 has completed its sorting task. To speed up sorting, the display device 109 can display information about the container fixture 105, allowing staff to place new items into the container fixture 105 to complete the delivery of new items for a new sorting task.

[0074] In actual applications, when displaying information about container fixtures 105 without item collection containers 106 and information about container fixtures 105 that have completed sorting tasks, the display device 109 can be split into two sections, considering both are relatively important. Specifically, one section displays information about container fixtures 105 without item collection containers 106, while the other section displays information about container fixtures 105 that have completed sorting tasks. Alternatively, one section can be prioritized for display based on actual needs. Furthermore, if multiple container fixtures 105 simultaneously have no item collection containers 106 or have simultaneously completed sorting tasks, information about all of these container fixtures 105 can be displayed on the display device 109, allowing staff to quickly confirm the information about each container fixture 105.

[0075] Furthermore, to facilitate viewing of information displayed on the display module 109 by staff, the display module can be fixed to the upper surface of the rotating table 103 and located at the center of the rotating table 103, enabling staff to view the information on the display module 109 from any position within the sorting machine 100. Furthermore, the container detection device 108 can be fixed to the inner surface of each container fixture 105 to accurately detect the item collection container 106 placed in the container fixture 105.

[0076] To sum up, the sorting machine can not only reduce labor costs, but also achieve the purpose of one-time sorting and two-time sorting, which not only improves the sorting efficiency, but also improves the flexibility of sorting items. At the same time, the above structure can effectively save the working area used in the sorting process, so as to maximize the completion of sorting tasks in a fixed space, thereby promoting the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting businesses.

[0077] Corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present embodiments also provide a sorting system based on a sorting machine, referring to Figure 4 as shown, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a sorting system based on a sorting machine is shown, which includes a sorting machine 100, a control system 410 and a sorting robot 420 as described above, the control system 410 communicates with the sorting machine 100 and the sorting robot 420 respectively; wherein,

[0078] The control system 410 is configured to receive an article sorting request; determine a target article that needs to be sorted according to the article sorting request, assign a target article collection container 1061 that collects the target article to the target article, and a target container fixing device 1051 that fixes the target article collection container 1061; assign a sorting task corresponding to the target article to the target article collection container 1061 and the target container fixing device 1051; create a sorting path according to the sorting task, and issue the sorting path to the sorting robot 420; and control the sorting machine 100 to rotate the target container fixing device 1051 to a drop-off position facing the sorting robot 420 according to the sorting task.

[0079] The sorting robot 420 is configured to move to an article supply position to obtain the target article according to the sorting path, and transport the target article to the drop-off position to drop off the target article to the target article collection container 1061.

[0080] Specifically, the control system functionally refers to a system capable of controlling the sorting robot 420 and the sorting machine 100 to cooperate with each other to realize sorting processing. When controlling the sorting robot 420, the control system can be a robot management system (RMS), and when controlling the sorting machine 100, the control system can be a material flow control system (MFC). In addition, the control system is also responsible for interfacing with the upstream system and managing each execution and operation in the sorting scene.

[0081] The sorting robot 420 specifically refers to a robot that transports items to be sorted to a drop location and completes the drop-off. The sorting robot may be an AGV or other robot with sorting capabilities, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions thereon. Since the control system 410 needs to control the sorting machine 100 and the sorting robot 420 to process sorting tasks, the control system 410 communicates with the sorting machine 100 and the sorting robot 420, respectively. This communication method may be Internet communication or local area network communication, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions thereon.

[0082] Furthermore, the target items are materials with the same attributes or packages with the same destination. For example, if an order requires 100 pairs of size 40 style A shoes, then these 100 pairs of shoes are materials with the same attributes. For another example, if a merchant needs 50 pairs of size 40 style A shoes and 50 pairs of size XL style B pants, then these 50 pairs of shoes and 50 pairs of pants are packages with the same destination. Accordingly, the target item collection container 1061 is the item collection container that holds the target items, the target container fixture 1051 is the container fixture that fixes the target item collection container 1061, the sorting task is the task of moving the target items to the destination through the target container fixture 1051 on the sorting machine 100, the sorting path specifically refers to the path that the sorting robot travels to transport the target items to the delivery location, and the delivery location specifically refers to the location where the items are delivered to the container fixture on the sorting machine 100.

[0083] Based on this, when the control system 410 receives the article sorting request uploaded by the staff, in order to quickly complete the sorting process for the target article, at this time the target article that needs to be sorted can be determined according to the article sorting request, and then the target article collection container 1061 containing the target article is selected from the article collection containers 106 placed by the plurality of container fixing devices 105, and the target container fixing device 1051 fixing the target article collection container 1061. Then the sorting task corresponding to the target article is allocated to the target container fixing device 1051 and the target article collection container 1061; At this time, the sorting path of the sorting robot 420 conveying the target article can be created based on the sorting task, and then the sorting path is issued to the sorting robot 420, so that the sorting robot 420 can convey the target article to the drop-off position based on the sorting path. In this process, in order to ensure that the sorting robot 420 can accurately drop the target article into the target article collection container 1061 placed by the target container fixing device 1051, the target container fixing device 1051 can be controlled to rotate to face the drop-off position reached by the sorting robot 420 according to the sorting task. Finally, the target article can be dropped into the target article collection container 1061 by the sorting robot 420, so that the sorting machine 100 can transport the target article to the specified position.

[0084] For example, the logistics center receives that store A needs 100 pairs of 40-inch A style shoes, at this time the staff will upload an article sorting request through the control system, and the control system will determine that the article that needs to be sorted is 100 pairs of A style shoes (40 inches) according to the article sorting request, and then allocate a paper box for collecting shoes and a paper box fixing device No. 5 for fixing the paper box on the sorting machine for shoes, and allocate a sorting task of sorting 100 pairs of A style shoes (40 inches) to the paper box fixing device No. 5 and the paper box fixed by the device. The control system creates a sorting path of the AGV robot conveying the shoes according to the sorting task, and issues the sorting path to the AGV robot; At the same time, the sorting machine is controlled to rotate the paper box fixing device No. 5 to face the drop-off position reached by the AGV robot according to the sorting task.

[0085] Further, the AGV robot will move to the supply position of the shoes according to the sorting path issued by the control system to obtain 100 pairs of A style shoes (40 inches), and then convey the 100 pairs of shoes to the drop-off position and drop the shoes into the paper box fixed by the corresponding paper box fixing device No. 5 at the drop-off position. Finally, the control system can control the sorting machine to convey the shoes contained in the paper box fixed by the paper box fixing device No. 5 to the specified unloading position, so as to complete the order sorting task for store A.

[0086] In summary, the control system 410 controls the sorting robot 420 and the sorting machine 100 to implement the sorting and processing operations for target items. This not only reduces labor costs but also achieves the goal of "one-shot, two-sorting" operation, improving sorting efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, the sorting machine can effectively save operating space during the sorting process, maximizing the completion of sorting tasks within a fixed space, thereby improving the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting operations.

[0087] Furthermore, in order to prevent damage to the items sorted by the sorting machine 100, a container detection device 108 can be installed in the sorting machine 100 to detect whether an item collection container 106 is placed in each container fixing device 105. That is, the control system 410 is further configured to control the display device 109 to display information about the container fixing device 105 where the item collection container 106 is not placed when the container detection device 108 detects that the item collection container 106 is not placed in the container fixing device 105 where the container detection device 108 is located.

[0088] In addition, considering that the item collection container 106 can only hold a limited number of items, the filling state of the item collection container 106 can also be detected. In this embodiment, on the one hand, the control system 410 is also configured to control the display device 109 to display information of the container fixing device 105 where the item collection container 106 is located, if it is detected that the item collection container 106 is in a full state when the container detection device 108 detects that an item collection container 106 is placed in the container fixing device 105 where the item collection container 106 is located.

[0089] On the other hand, the control system 410 is further configured to determine the current position of the target container fixture 1051 if it is detected that the capacity of the target item collection container 1061 is not full; calculate the rotation angle according to the delivery position and the current position of the target container fixture 1051, and control the sorting machine 100 to rotate the rotary workbench 103 according to the rotation angle so as to rotate the target container fixture 1051 to face the delivery position.

[0090] Specifically, when the container detection device 108 arranged on the sorting machine 100 detects that the container fixing device 105 is not placed with the article collecting container 106, it indicates that the currently detected container fixing device 105 has completed the sorting task or has not been used. In order to avoid delaying the subsequent sorting task, at this time, the limiting device 109 installed in the sorting machine 100 can be controlled to display the information that the container fixing device 105 is placed with the article collecting container 106, so as to remind the worker to timely add a new article collecting container 106 to the container fixing device 105.

[0091] Further, in order to avoid the problem that the article collecting container 106 containing articles is transported due to too many or too few articles, when the container fixing device 105 is placed with the article collecting container 106, the state of the articles stored in the article collecting container 106 can be detected. If it is detected that the article collecting container 106 is in a full state, the display device 109 can be controlled to display the information of the container fixing device 105 where the article collecting container 106 in the full state is located, so as to remind the worker to timely remove the article collecting container 106 placed in the container fixing device 105, thereby avoiding the problem of sorting congestion.

[0092] Further, when it is detected that the capacity of the target article collecting container 1061 is in an unfull state, it indicates that the target article collecting container 1061 is executing the sorting task, thereby avoiding waste of resources. At this time, the current position of the target container fixing device 1051 where the target article collecting container 1061 is placed can be determined, and then the rotation angle can be calculated according to the dropping position and the current position of the target container fixing device 1051, so that the rotating workbench 103 can be rotated by the sorting machine 100 according to the rotation angle, so that the target container fixing device 1051 faces the dropping position after rotation to receive the target article dropped by the sorting robot 420.

[0093] In the above example, when the container detection device on the sorting machine detects that the paper box fixing device No. 5 is not placed with a paper box, in order to complete the subsequent sorting task, the display screen on the sorting machine can display the information that No. 5 lacks a paper box and the worker is requested to quickly supplement.

[0094] Further, when the paper box fixing device No. 5 is placed with a paper box and the paper box is already full of other articles, in order to avoid causing sorting congestion, the display screen can also display the information that the paper box in No. 5 is full and the worker is requested to clean it in time.

[0095] Further, the capacity of the carton in the carton fixing device No. 5 is to hold 150 pairs of shoes, and currently 50 pairs of shoes have been put in the carton. At this time, in order to fully utilize the sorting resources, 100 pairs of shoes can continue to be put into the carton in the carton fixing device No. 5, and considering that the carton fixing device No. 5 is not in the corresponding delivery position of the AGV robot, the rotation of the carton fixing device No. 5 to the delivery position can be calculated. More rotation, and then the rotating workbench on the rotating sorting machine is used to rotate the carton fixing device No. 5 to the delivery position for receiving the remaining shoes put by the AGV robot to complete the order of the A store.

[0096] In addition, considering the time when the sorting machine rotates the target container fixing device 1051 to the delivery position, the target container fixing device 1051 can be rotated in the way of the smallest rotation angle. For example, if the clockwise rotation needs to rotate 300 degrees and the counterclockwise rotation needs to rotate 60 degrees, the target container fixing device 1051 can be rotated to the delivery position in the way of counterclockwise rotation of 60 degrees, so as to effectively save the time consumed by sorting.

[0097] In summary, in order to timely remind the staff to supplement the article collecting container 106 for the container fixing device 105, the container detection device 108 can be used for detection, and the display device 109 can be used to display the detected information, so as to improve the sorting efficiency. Further, in order to fully utilize the sorting resources, the information of the target container fixing device 1051 corresponding to the target article collecting container 1061 in the unfilled state can also be displayed by the display device 109, so as to fully utilize the sorting resources and save the sorting cost.

[0098] When detecting the capacity state of the article collecting container 106, the number of deliveries of the sorting robot 420 can be used for determination. In the embodiment, the control system 410 is further configured to detect whether the article collecting container 106 is full according to the number of deliveries of the sorting robot 420 to the article collecting container 106.

[0099] In actual application, since the number of articles delivered by the sorting robot 410 each time is fixed, and the number of articles that can be held by the article collecting container 106 is also fixed, the control system 410 can detect the capacity of the article collecting container 106 by monitoring the number of deliveries of the sorting robot 410 to the article collecting container 106, so as to avoid the problem of too many or too few articles held by the article collecting container 106, and improve the sorting efficiency.

[0100] Before creating a sorting task for the item sorting request, in order to accurately transport the target item to the designated destination, a binding relationship between the container fixture 105 and the item collection container 106 can be established by scanning the labels thereon, so as to achieve the delivery and sorting of the target item. In this embodiment, the control system 410 is further configured to receive scanning information obtained by scanning the labels on the target container fixture 1051 and the target item collection container 1061; and establish a binding relationship between the target container fixture 1051 and the target item collection container 1061 based on the scanning information.

[0101] That is to say, by establishing a binding relationship between the target container fixing device 1051 and the target item collection container 1061, the sorting robot 420 can accurately place the target item into the target item collection container 1061, so as to transport the target item to the designated location through the sorting machine 100, thereby completing the sorting task.

[0102] When the sorting robot 420 places the target item into the target item collection container 1061 in the target container fixing device 1051, taking into account the placement accuracy, the placement action can be completed by sending a placement instruction to the sorting robot 420 through the control system 410. In this embodiment, the control system 410 is further configured to send a placement instruction to the sorting robot 420 after the target container fixing device 1051 is rotated to face the placement position; the sorting robot 420 is further configured to place the target item into the target item collection container 1061 fixed in the target container fixing device 1051 according to the placement instruction.

[0103] Furthermore, considering the sorting efficiency, the delivery action can also be completed by the sorting robot 420 actively scanning the label. In this embodiment, the sorting robot 420 is also configured to scan the label on the current container fixture 105 facing the delivery position before delivering the target item; if the current container fixture 105 is the target container fixture 1051, the target item is delivered to the target item collection container 1061 fixed in the target container fixture 1051.

[0104] Furthermore, after the sorting robot 420 moves to the delivery position, in order to respond to the control system 410, it can send relevant information to the control system 410 to prompt the control system 410 to issue a delivery instruction to the sorting robot. In this embodiment, the sorting robot 420 is also configured to scan the label on the current container fixture 105 facing the delivery position before delivering the target item, and upload the scanning result to the control system 410; the control system 410 is also configured to issue a delivery instruction to the sorting robot 420 when it determines that the current container fixture 105 is the target container fixture 1051 based on the scanning result.

[0105] Specifically, when the target container fixing device 1051 rotates to face the delivery position, the control system 410 can issue a delivery instruction to the sorting robot 420. After receiving the delivery instruction, the sorting robot 420 can deliver the target item to the target item collection container 1061 fixed in the target container fixing device 1051.

[0106] Furthermore, after the sorting robot 420 moves to the delivery position, it can actively scan the label on the container fixture 105 parked at the current delivery position. If it is determined to be the target container fixture 1051 through the label, the target item can be directly delivered to the target item collection container 1061 fixed in the target container fixture 1051 to improve the sorting efficiency.

[0107] Furthermore, after the sorting robot 420 moves to the delivery position, it can actively respond to the control system 410, that is, scan the label of the container fixture 105 currently in the delivery position, and send the scanning result to the control system 410. The control system 410 determines whether the container fixture 105 currently in the delivery position is the target container fixture 1051. If so, the control system 410 can directly issue a delivery instruction to the sorting robot 420 to deliver the target item into the target item collection container 1061 fixed in the target container fixture 1051; if not, the sorting machine 100 can be controlled to rotate to move the target container fixture 1051 to the delivery position to complete the subsequent delivery operation.

[0108] In summary, considering the issues of sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy, the above two methods can be used to perform operations before placing the target items, thereby ensuring that the sorting robot can accurately place the target items and improving the placement efficiency.

[0109] In addition, after the sorting robot 420 completes the delivery of the target item, it can transport the target item to a designated location for unloading according to the item sorting request. In this embodiment, the control system 410 is also configured to determine the unloading position and calculate the rotation angle based on the unloading position and the current position of the target container fixture 1051; based on the rotation angle, the sorting machine 100 is controlled to rotate the target container fixture 1051 storing the target item to face the unloading position. At the unloading position, the target item collection container 1061 is unloaded from the target container fixture 1051 or the target item is unloaded from the target item collection container 1061.

[0110] Continuing with the above example, after the AGV robot puts all 100 pairs of shoes into the cartons in carton fixture No. 5, it determines that these 100 pairs of shoes need to be transported to position S. Based on position S and the current position of carton fixture No. 5, the rotation angle is calculated to be 60 degrees clockwise. The sorting machine can then control the rotary table to rotate 60 degrees clockwise to move carton fixture No. 5 to position S. After that, the staff will move the cartons containing 100 pairs of shoes in carton fixture 5 away, completing the sorting task of sorting 100 pairs of size 40 style A shoes for Store A.

[0111] In addition, since the sorting machine 100 may malfunction due to an emergency during the sorting process, in order to avoid greater losses, the working state of the sorting machine 100 can be changed at any time through the emergency stop device 107. In this embodiment, the control system 410 is further configured to, if the sorting machine 100 is in the running state, control the sorting machine 100 to switch the working state from the running state to the stopped state when receiving a signal triggered by the emergency stop device 107; or, if the sorting machine 100 is in the stopped state, control the sorting machine 100 to switch the working state from the stopped state to the running state when receiving a signal triggered by the emergency stop device 107.

[0112] In summary, the control system controls the sorting robot and the sorting machine to implement the sorting and processing operations of the target items. This not only reduces labor costs but also achieves the goal of double sorting with one line, improving sorting efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, the sorting machine can effectively save the operating area used in the sorting process, maximizing the completion of sorting tasks in a fixed space, thereby improving the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting businesses.

[0113] Corresponding to the above embodiment, this embodiment also provides a sorting system based on a sorting machine for use in a sorting scenario, see Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5A schematic diagram of a sorting system based on a sorting machine applied in a sorting scenario provided in an embodiment of this specification is shown. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0114] Step S502: The control system receives the scan information uploaded by the staff and establishes a binding relationship between the carton and the carton fixing device according to the scan information.

[0115] Specifically, when there is no carton placed in the carton fixture in the sorting machine, the display screen of the sorting machine will show the staff the number information of the carton fixture without the carton. At this time, the staff can scan the label on the carton and the label on the carton fixture where the carton is to be placed when the sorting machine stops. The control system will receive the scan information uploaded by the staff and establish a binding relationship between the carton and the carton fixture based on the scan information for subsequent completion of the sorting task.

[0116] Step S504: The control system receives the material sorting request uploaded by the staff and determines the target material according to the material sorting request.

[0117] Step S506 : The control system allocates a target carton for collecting the target material and a target carton fixing device for fixing the target carton according to the target material.

[0118] Specifically, after receiving a sorting request uploaded by a staff member, the sorting request can be parsed to obtain the order information for the sorted items. Based on this order information, the target item to be sorted is determined to be 20 pieces of clothing, size 1, brand L, model K. Furthermore, after determining the target item, a target carton for collecting the target item and a target carton fixture for securing the target carton can be allocated within the sorter to facilitate sorting and transporting the target item. Specifically, the carton secured in carton fixture No. 4 within the sorter is determined to be for receiving the target item, brand L, model K, 20 pieces of clothing, size 1.

[0119] In step S508 , the control system allocates a sorting task corresponding to the target material for the target carton and the target carton fixing device, creates a sorting path according to the sorting task, and sends the sorting path to the sorting robot.

[0120] Specifically, after the target carton and the target carton fixing device for fixing the target carton are allocated for the target item, a sorting task can be created for the target material, and a sorting path can be created according to the sorting task, so that the sorting robot can move to the storage space where the target material is stored according to the sorting path to extract the target material and transport it to the feeding position of the sorting machine.

[0121] In step S510 , the sorting robot moves to the workstation where the target material is stored according to the sorting path, obtains the target material, and transports the target material to the feeding position.

[0122] Specifically, after receiving the sorting path, the sorting robot determines that the workstation for extracting the target material is four according to the sorting path. At this time, it can move to workstation four according to the sorting path to extract 20 pieces of size 1 clothes of L brand K model, and transport the target material to the feeding position for feeding materials into the sorting machine.

[0123] In step S512, the control system detects the capacity status of the target carton according to the number of times the sorting robot puts the target carton into the fixed container of the target carton; if the target carton is full, step S514 is executed; if the target carton is not full, step S516 is executed.

[0124] Step S514 , the control system controls the display screen of the sorting machine to display information of the target carton fixing device that fixes the target carton.

[0125] Specifically, when it is detected that the target carton fixed in the target carton fixing device is full of materials, in order to prevent materials from overflowing, the sorting machine can display the relevant information of the target carton specified device No. 4 on the display screen to remind the staff that the carton in device No. 4 is full of materials and to replace the carton in device No. 4 in time. When the staff puts the new carton into the device, step S516 can be executed.

[0126] In step S516, the control system calculates a rotation angle according to the feeding position and the current position of the target carton fixture, and rotates the target carton fixture to the feeding position facing the sorting robot based on the rotation angle.

[0127] Specifically, when the target carton fixed in the target carton fixing device can continue to hold the target material, the current position of the target carton fixing device can be obtained, and the rotation angle of the sorting machine can be calculated based on the current position and the feeding position. After the rotation angle is calculated, the control system can control the rotating worktable of the sorting machine to rotate the target carton fixing device to the feeding position facing the parked sorting robot.

[0128] Step S518: The control system sends a delivery instruction to the sorting robot.

[0129] Step S520: The sorting robot delivers the target material to the target carton in the target carton fixing device according to the delivery instruction.

[0130] Step S522: The control system controls the sorting machine to rotate the target carton fixing device storing the target material to the unloading position.

[0131] Specifically, when the target carton fixing device No. 4 on the sorting machine rotates to the feeding position facing the parked sorting robot, the control system can issue a delivery instruction to the sorting robot. After receiving the delivery instruction, the sorting robot will deliver the target material to the target carton fixed in the target carton fixing device No. 4. When the delivery is completed, the control system will control the sorting machine to rotate the target carton fixing device No. 4 to the unloading position to unload the target material contained in the target carton fixed by the target carton fixing device No. 4, so as to complete this sorting task.

[0132] In summary, the control system controls the sorting robot and the sorting machine to implement the sorting and processing operations of the target items. This not only reduces labor costs but also achieves the goal of double sorting with one line, improving sorting efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, the sorting machine can effectively save the operating area used in the sorting process, maximizing the completion of sorting tasks in a fixed space, thereby improving the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting businesses.

[0133] Corresponding to the above embodiment, this embodiment also provides a sorting method based on a sorting machine, see Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 The flowchart of a sorting system based on a sorting machine provided by the present application is shown. The method is jointly executed by the above-mentioned sorting machine, control system and sorting robot; the specific implementation is as follows:

[0134] In step S602, the control system receives an item sorting request; determines target items to be sorted based on the item sorting request, allocates a target item collection container for collecting the target items and a target container fixing device for fixing the target item collection container to the target items; allocates sorting tasks corresponding to the target items to the target item collection container and the target container fixing device; creates a sorting path based on the sorting task, and sends the sorting path to the sorting robot;

[0135] Step S604: the sorting robot moves to the item supply location according to the sorting path, obtains the target item, and transports the target item to the delivery location;

[0136] Step S606: the control system controls the sorting machine to rotate the target container fixing device to a delivery position facing the arrival of the sorting robot according to the sorting task, and issues a delivery instruction to the sorting robot;

[0137] Step S608: The sorting robot places the target item into the target item collection container according to the delivery instruction.

[0138] In an optional embodiment, the target items are materials with the same attributes or packages with the same destination.

[0139] In an optional embodiment, when the container detection device detects that no object collection container is placed in the container fixing device where the container detection device is located, the control system controls the display device to display information that no object collection container is placed in the container fixing device where the container detection device is located.

[0140] In an optional embodiment, when the container detection device detects that an item collection container is placed in the container fixing device where the control system is located, if it detects that the item collection container is in a full state, the control system controls the display device to display information about the container fixing device where the item collection container is in a full state.

[0141] In an optional embodiment, if the control system detects that the capacity of the target item collection container is not full, it determines the current position of the target container fixing device; calculates the rotation angle according to the delivery position and the current position of the target container fixing device, and controls the sorting machine to rotate the rotary worktable according to the rotation angle so as to rotate the target container fixing device to face the delivery position.

[0142] In an optional embodiment, the control system receives scanning information obtained by scanning labels on the target container fixing device and the target item collection container; and establishes a binding relationship between the target container fixing device and the target item collection container based on the scanning information.

[0143] In an optional embodiment, the control system detects whether the item collection container is full based on the number of times the sorting robot puts items into the item collection container.

[0144] In an optional embodiment, the sorting robot further includes scanning a label on a current container fixture facing the delivery position before delivering the target item; if the current container fixture is the target container fixture, the target item is delivered to the target item collection container fixed in the target container fixture.

[0145] In an optional embodiment, before placing the target item, the sorting robot scans the label on the current container fixture facing the placement position and uploads the scanning result to the control system; when the control system determines that the current container fixture is the target container fixture based on the scanning result, it issues a placement instruction to the sorting robot.

[0146] In an optional embodiment, the control system determines the unloading position and calculates a rotation angle based on the unloading position and the current position of the target container fixture; based on the rotation angle, the sorting machine is controlled to rotate the target container fixture storing the target item to face the unloading position, at which the target item collection container is unloaded from the target container fixture or the target item is unloaded from the target item collection container.

[0147] In an optional embodiment, if the sorting machine is in a running state, the control system controls the sorting machine to switch the working state from the running state to the stopping state when receiving a signal triggered by an emergency stop device; or if the sorting machine is in a stopping state, the control system controls the sorting machine to switch the working state from the stopping state to the running state when receiving a signal triggered by an emergency stop device.

[0148] In summary, the control system controls the sorting robot and the sorting machine to implement the sorting and processing operations of the target items. This not only reduces labor costs but also achieves the goal of double sorting with one line, improving sorting efficiency and flexibility. Furthermore, the sorting machine can effectively save the operating area used in the sorting process, maximizing the completion of sorting tasks in a fixed space, thereby improving the processing efficiency of upstream and downstream sorting businesses.

[0149] The preferred specific implementation methods and embodiments of the present application are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above implementation methods and embodiments. Various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept of the present application.

[0150] The foregoing description describes specific embodiments of the present application. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or the sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0151] It should be noted that for the aforementioned method embodiments, for ease of description, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should be aware that this application is not limited by the order of the actions described, because according to this application, certain steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in this specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by this application.

[0152] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0153] The preferred embodiments of the present application disclosed above are intended only to help illustrate the present application. The optional embodiments do not describe all details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to the specific embodiments described. Obviously, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this application. This application selects and describes these embodiments in detail in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of this application, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and utilize this application. This application is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A sorting machine, characterized in that: The sorting machine includes a base, a driving device and at least two container fixing devices. The container fixing device is used to fix an item collection container. The item collection container is bound to the container fixing device and is used to receive dropped items. The driving device is used to drive a target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices to rotate relative to the base to a dropping position facing the item.

2. The sorting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The system further comprises a display device, wherein the display device is used to display information of the container fixing device on which the object collecting container is not placed, and / or display information of the container fixing device on which the sorting task has been completed.

3. The sorting machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a container detection device, which is used to detect whether the object collection container is full; The display device is further used to display information of the container fixing device where the article collecting container in a full state is located.

4. The sorting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an emergency stop device, which is used to control the sorting machine to stop running.

5. The sorting machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The emergency stop device is fixed on the base; and / or, The emergency stop device includes a button; and / or, The base comprises a circular structure.

6. The sorting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A label is attached to each of the container fixing devices. The label is used to mark the container fixing device where it is located. The article collection container is bound to the container fixing device through the label.

7. The sorting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It also includes a connecting shaft, and the driving device is connected to the connecting shaft for driving the connecting shaft to rotate. The connecting shaft drives the container fixing device to rotate so that the target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices rotates to a facing delivery position.

8. The sorting machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes a rotary table; Wherein, the base and the rotating workbench are connected via the connecting shaft, the at least two container fixing devices are installed on the rotating workbench, and the connecting shaft drives the rotating workbench to rotate so that the target container fixing device among the at least two container fixing devices on the rotating workbench rotates to a facing placement position.

9. The sorting machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The emergency stop device of the sorting machine is used to control the rotary table to change the working state; and / or, The container detection device of the sorting machine is arranged on each container fixing device, and the display device of the sorting machine is arranged on the rotating workbench; the container detection device is further used to detect whether the item collection container exists in the container fixing device; and / or, The rotary table is a regular polygonal structure; and / or, Each of the at least two container fixing devices is distributed on the upper surface of the rotary table with the center point of the rotary table as the center; and / or, The driving device is provided with a transmission box, the output end of the transmission box is connected to the connecting shaft, the lower end of the connecting shaft is located at the center of the base, and the upper end of the connecting shaft is connected to the center box of the rotating workbench.

10. A sorting system based on a sorting machine, characterized in that: The system comprises a sorting machine and a control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control system communicates with the sorting machine; The control system is configured to receive an item sorting request; determine a target item to be sorted according to the item sorting request, allocate a target item collection container for collecting the target item and a target container fixing device for fixing the target item collection container to the target item, wherein the item collection container is bound to the container fixing device; allocate a sorting task corresponding to the target item to the target item collection container and the target container fixing device; and control the sorting machine to rotate the target container fixing device to a placement position facing the target item according to the sorting task, so as to receive the target item.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The target items are materials with the same attributes or packages with the same destination; and / or, The control system is further configured to control the display device to display information of the container fixing device where the full object collection container is located if it is detected that the object collection container is full.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein: The control system is further configured to determine the current position of the target container fixture if it is detected that the capacity of the target item collection container is not full; calculate the rotation angle according to the delivery position and the current position of the target container fixture, and control the sorting machine to rotate according to the rotation angle so as to rotate the target container fixture to face the delivery position.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The control system is further configured to detect whether the object collection container is full based on the number of times objects are dropped into the object collection container; and / or, The control system is further configured to issue a delivery instruction after the target container fixing device rotates to face the delivery position, so as to deliver the target object to the target object collection container fixed in the target container fixing device according to the delivery instruction.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein: Before placing the target item, scanning the label on the current container fixture facing the placement position; if the current container fixture is the target container fixture, placing the target item into the target item collection container fixed in the target container fixture; and / or, Before placing the target item, scanning the label on the current container fixture facing the placement position, and uploading the scanning result to the control system; The control system is further configured to issue a placement instruction when it is determined that the current container fixing device is the target container fixing device according to the scanning result.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The control system is further configured to determine an unloading position and calculate a rotation angle based on the unloading position and a current position of the target container fixture; Based on the rotation angle, the sorting machine is controlled to rotate the target container fixture storing the target object to face the unloading position, where the target object collection container is unloaded from the target container fixture or the target object is unloaded from the target object collection container; and / or, The control system is further configured to, if the sorting machine is in a running state, control the sorting machine to switch the working state from the running state to the stopping state upon receiving a signal triggered by the emergency stop device; or, if the sorting machine is in a stopping state, control the sorting machine to switch the working state from the stopping state to the running state upon receiving a signal triggered by the emergency stop device.

16. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that: Also included is a sorting robot, and the control system is in communication with the sorting robot; The control system is further configured to create a sorting path according to the sorting task and send the sorting path to the sorting robot; The sorting robot is configured to move to an item supply position according to the sorting path to obtain the target item, transport the target item to the placement position, and place the target item into the target item collection container.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein: The control system is further configured to, after the target container fixing device rotates to face the placement position, issue a placement instruction to the sorting robot, so that the sorting robot places the target object into the target object collection container fixed in the target container fixing device according to the placement instruction; and / or, The control system is further configured to control the display device to display information about the container fixing device where no object collection container is placed, when the container detection device detects that no object collection container is placed in the container fixing device where the container detection device is located; and / or, The control system is further configured to receive scanning information obtained by scanning labels on the target container fixing device and the target object collection container; and establish a binding relationship between the target container fixing device and the target object collection container based on the scanning information.

18. A sorting method, characterized in that: The method comprises the sorting system according to any one of claims 10 to 17; wherein, The control system receives an item sorting request; determines target items to be sorted according to the item sorting request, allocates a target item collection container for collecting the target items and a target container fixing device for fixing the target item collection container, wherein the item collection container is bound to the container fixing device; and allocates a sorting task corresponding to the target item to the target item collection container and the target container fixing device; The control system controls the sorting machine to rotate the target container fixing device to a placement position facing the target object according to the sorting task, so as to receive the target object.

19. The sorting method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The control system creates a sorting path according to the sorting task and sends the sorting path to the sorting robot; The sorting robot places the target item into the target item collection container according to the delivery instruction.

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