Material box and separate sowing material frame

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of intelligent logistics, in particular to a material box and a separate sowing material frame. The material box can be matched with a bearing assembly of the material frame, the material box is provided with an upper opening and a lower opening which are arranged in the vertical direction and communicate with each other, and the material box can be switched between a first material receiving position arranged on the bearing assembly and where the lower opening is blocked by the bearing assembly and a first material discharging position where the lower opening is opened by the bearing assembly; when the material box is located at the first material receiving position, the material box and the bearing assembly jointly form a containing space used for containing goods. When the material box is located at the first discharging position, the lower opening can serve as a goods outlet channel of goods in the containing space. Through the material box with the special shape, the material box does not need to be independently taken down from a material frame and then poured to achieve unloading of goods every time unloading is conducted, the material box with the poured goods or a new empty material box does not need to be put back to the distribution position every time, manual labor is effectively reduced, and the distribution and unloading efficiency of the goods is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart logistics technology, and in particular to a material bin and a material distribution rack. Background Technology

[0002] Sorting is a key step in existing warehouse production. Whether manual or automated, sorting uses bins or turnover baskets to receive the goods corresponding to the order. After the order is completed, the bins are removed manually or by equipment and transferred to the subsequent composite packaging stage. Empty bins are then used to replace the previous bins to continue sorting the orders.

[0003] Each time, the bins need to be removed from the shelf, unloaded, or simply taken away, and then the unloaded bins or new empty bins need to be placed back in the sorting position. For manual sorting, this method is physically demanding and inefficient, with a lot of time wasted on picking up and changing bins. For automated bin-changing scenarios, the cycle of picking up and changing bins is long, and at the same time, it leads to the inability to replenish idle slots in a timely manner, reducing sorting efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a material bin and a material distribution rack to improve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The first objective of this invention is to provide a material box in which goods can be quickly unloaded through the bottom opening under the action of gravity, effectively reducing manual labor and improving the efficiency of sorting and unloading goods.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A material bin that can cooperate with a support component of a material rack, the material bin having an upper opening and a lower opening arranged and connected in a vertical direction, the material bin being able to switch between a first receiving position where the lower opening is blocked by the support component and a first unloading position where the lower opening is opened by the support component.

[0008] When the hopper is in the first receiving position, the hopper and the bearing component together form a storage space for accommodating goods; when the hopper is in the first unloading position, the lower opening can serve as a delivery channel for the goods in the storage space.

[0009] As an alternative, the hopper includes a hopper body and a roller assembly disposed thereon, the roller assembly being able to roll relative to the support component.

[0010] As an optional solution, the roller assembly includes a mounting frame and rollers, the mounting frame being disposed on the material box body, and the rollers being rotatably connected to the mounting frame;

[0011] And / or, the roller assembly includes at least two rollers that are rotatable relative to the hopper body, and the at least two rollers are spaced apart along a first direction that is perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0012] As an optional solution, the material box includes a first side plate and a second side plate arranged along a first direction, wherein the first side plate includes an inclined surface and a vertical surface, the inclined surface is inclined from top to bottom along the direction toward the second side plate, and the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0013] As an optional solution, the hopper further includes a vertical surface connected to the lower end of the inclined surface and perpendicular to the first direction.

[0014] As an optional solution, the hopper includes a hopper body and a roller assembly. The hopper body has a first side plate and a second side plate. The roller assembly is provided on both opposite sides of the hopper body in a second direction. The roller assembly extends along the first direction and includes a plurality of rollers spaced apart along the first direction. The end of the roller assembly near the first side plate extends out of the first side plate.

[0015] As an optional solution, a first cleaning component is provided on the outside of one side of the material bin, and the free end of the first cleaning component can abut against the bearing component.

[0016] As an optional solution, the hopper also includes a reinforcing member, which is fixedly connected to the inclined surface and the vertical surface respectively.

[0017] The second objective of this invention is to provide a sorting rack that allows goods to be unloaded quickly through the lower opening under the action of gravity, effectively reducing manual labor and improving the efficiency of sorting and unloading goods.

[0018] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0019] A material distribution rack includes a rack having the aforementioned support assembly and a material bin as described above.

[0020] As an optional embodiment, the material bin moves along a first direction from the first receiving position to the first unloading position. The material bin includes a material bin body and a roller assembly disposed thereon. The material rack includes a rack body and a first docking track disposed thereon. The first docking track extends along the first direction and has a first guide groove with a first inlet. The roller assembly can enter the first guide groove through the first inlet and slide along the first guide groove; and / or

[0021] The bearing component is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and the bearing component is inclined upward from the first receiving position to the first unloading position. The material rack includes a stop limiting member, which is disposed on the lower side of the bearing component and cooperates with the material box to limit the material box to the first receiving position.

[0022] As an optional solution, the supporting components are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the material bins. Each supporting component has two first docking rails on opposite sides along the second direction. The material bin body has roller assemblies on opposite sides along the second direction, and the roller assemblies are disposed in the first guide grooves on the corresponding sides. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; and / or

[0023] The first guide groove includes a first inlet section and a second guide section connected in sequence. The first inlet section has the first inlet, and the width of the first inlet section gradually increases along the first direction; and / or

[0024] The first docking track includes a docking track body and a guide plate. The first guide groove is disposed on the docking track body. The guide plate is disposed at the end of the docking track body away from the first inlet and connected to the lower plate of the docking track body. The guide plate is inclined downward in the direction away from the first inlet and forms a temporary storage space together with the stop limiting member. At least a portion of the rolling assembly can be accommodated in the temporary storage space; and / or

[0025] The material rack also includes an abutment layer, which is disposed on the inner wall surface of the first guide groove. The free end face of the abutment layer is provided in a concave-convex shape, and the roller assembly can roll along the free end face of the abutment layer.

[0026] As an optional solution, the material rack is provided with an abutment layer, the free end face of the abutment layer is a concave-convex surface, at least part of the material box abuts against the concave-convex surface and can move along the concave-convex surface.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0028] The material bin provided by this invention can cooperate with the support component of the material rack. The material bin has an upper opening and a lower opening arranged vertically and connected to each other. The material bin can switch between a first receiving position where the lower opening is blocked by the support component and a first unloading position where the lower opening is open by the support component. When the material bin is in the first receiving position, the material bin and the support component together form a storage space for accommodating goods. When the material bin is in the first unloading position, the lower opening can serve as a delivery channel for goods in the storage space. With this specially designed material bin, it is not necessary to remove the material bin from the material rack and empty it each time to unload the goods, nor is it necessary to put the empty material bin or a new empty material bin back to the distribution position each time. For manual sorting, there is no need to waste a lot of time on box picking and changing operations. By using this material box, manual labor can be effectively reduced and the efficiency of sorting and unloading goods can be improved. For automated box changing scenarios, the long box picking and changing cycle path is eliminated, and the problem of not being able to replenish empty slots in time can also be avoided, thus improving the sorting efficiency of the sorting composite material machine.

[0029] The sorting rack provided by this invention, by applying the above-mentioned material box, allows goods to be quickly unloaded through the lower opening under the action of gravity, effectively reducing manual labor and improving the efficiency of sorting and unloading goods. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the material distribution rack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a usage scenario diagram of a material distribution rack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a usage scenario diagram of another material distribution rack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the material box and the material rack in the first receiving position according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a partial structural side view of the material distribution rack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the material rack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the material box and the material rack at the first unloading position provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the second docking track and the abutment layer provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a side view schematic diagram of the material handling system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device and the material box in the first state provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device and the material box in the second state provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device and the material box in the third state provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the material picking module, material box, and part of the material rack provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling module and the feeding module provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding module provided in this embodiment of the invention when the temporary storage box is in the second receiving position;

[0048] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding module provided in this embodiment of the invention when the temporary storage box is in the second unloading position;

[0049] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the temporary storage box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 22 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the feeding module provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In the picture:

[0053] 1000. Sorting system; 2000. Operators;

[0054] 100. Material handling system; 200. Sorting module; 300. Packaging system; 310. Packaging machine;

[0055] 10. Material handling device; 11. Frame; 12. Material handling module; 121. Mounting plate; 122. Box moving mechanism; 1221. First rotary drive mechanism; 1222. First transmission belt assembly; 12221. First driving wheel; 12222. First driven wheel; 12223. First annular transmission belt; 1223. Adapter; 1224. Synchronous shaft; 1225. First docking part; 12251. Hook; 12252. Connecting arm; 12253. Drive connection part; 123. First slider; 124. First guide rail; 125. Second docking rail; 1251. Second guide groove; 12511. Second inlet; 12512. Second inlet section; 12513. First guide section; 126. Second limiting member; 127. First limiting member; 13. Receiving part Module; 131, Support frame; 132, Supporting component; 1321, Second stripe structure; 133, Temporary storage box; 1331, Temporary storage box body; 13311, Top opening; 13312, Bottom opening; 13313, Inclined side plate; 13314, Third side plate; 1332, Box connecting piece; 1333, Second cleaning component; 134, Guide slide plate; 135, Box moving mechanism; 1351, Box moving drive component; 13511, Dual-axis motor; 13512, Drive shaft; 1352, Box moving transmission component; 13521, Second driving wheel; 13522, Second driven wheel; 13523, Second annular transmission belt; 136, Receiving guide component; 1361, Second guide rail; 1362, Sliding block; 137, Synchronous connecting piece; 14, Lifting mechanism;

[0056] 20. Material rack; 21. Supporting base; 211. Supporting base plate; 212. First buffer pad; 2121. First striped structure; 22. Supporting frame; 23. First docking track; 231. Docking track body; 2311. First guide groove; 23111. First inlet; 23112. First guide section; 23113. Second guide section; 232. Guide plate; 233. Side limiting plate; 24. Abutment layer; 25. Stop limiting component; 26. Material rack guide rail;

[0057] 30. Material bin; 31. First bin body; 311. Lower opening; 312. First side plate; 3121. Sloping surface; 3122. Vertical surface; 313. Second side plate; 314. Reinforcing member; 315. Feed inlet; 32. Second connecting member; 321. First plate section; 322. Connecting plate section; 323. Second plate section; 324. Insertion groove; 33. Rolling assembly; 331. Mounting bracket; 332. Roller; 34. First cleaning assembly;

[0058] 40. Auxiliary guide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all of them.

[0060] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0061] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0062] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0063] Example 1

[0064] This embodiment provides a material distribution rack, which can be applied to a material handling system to improve material handling efficiency and reduce the difficulty of material handling.

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the dispensing rack includes a rack 20 with a supporting component and a storage bin 30 for storing goods. The storage bin cooperates with the supporting component and is characterized by having an upper opening 315 and a lower opening 311 arranged vertically and connected to each other. The storage bin can switch between a first receiving position where the lower opening 311 is blocked by the supporting component and a first unloading position where the lower opening 311 is open by the supporting component. When the storage bin is in the first receiving position, the storage bin and the supporting component together form a storage space for accommodating goods; when the storage bin is in the first unloading position, the lower opening 311 serves as a discharge channel for goods within the storage space.

[0066] With this specially designed material bin 30, it is no longer necessary to remove the material bin 30 from the rack 20 and empty it for each unloading operation, nor is it necessary to return the empty material bin 30 or a new empty material bin 30 to the sorting position each time. For manual sorting, it eliminates the need to waste a lot of time on box retrieval and replacement operations. By using this material bin 30, manual labor can be effectively reduced, and the efficiency of sorting and unloading goods can be improved. For automated box replacement scenarios, it eliminates the long box retrieval and replacement cycle path and avoids the problem of not being able to replenish idle slots in time, thus improving sorting efficiency.

[0067] Combination Figure 2 To illustrate a scenario of manual sorting, the operator 2000 is positioned behind the material rack 20. The operator pulls the material box 30 backward, allowing the goods inside the box 30 to be unloaded through the lower opening 311 under its own weight. Simultaneously, when the material box 30 is on the supporting component, the supporting component seals the lower opening 311. The supporting component and the material box 30 together form a receiving space, allowing the operator 2000 to place goods into this space through the upper opening 315, thus achieving the sorting operation.

[0068] Combination Figure 3 To illustrate another scenario of manual sorting, operators 2000 stand at both the front and rear of the material rack 20. The operator at the rear pulls the material box 30 backward, allowing the goods inside the material box 30 to be unloaded through the lower opening 311 under its own weight. Simultaneously, when the material box 30 is on the supporting component, the supporting component seals the lower opening 311, and the supporting component and the material box 30 together form a receiving space. The operator 2000 at the front can place goods into this receiving space through the upper opening 315, thus achieving the sorting operation.

[0069] For ease of description, the moving direction of the material box 30 is defined as the first direction, the horizontal direction of the material box 30 from the first receiving position to the first unloading position is called the front-back direction, and the extending direction of the material rack 10 is called the left-right direction.

[0070] The material rack 10 has multiple rows of temporary storage racks along its height. Each row of temporary storage racks has multiple supporting components arranged side by side along the left and right directions. The upper surface of the supporting components forms the supporting components. The supporting components are arranged one-to-one with the material boxes 30. Each supporting component can support one material box on its upper side.

[0071] like Figures 4 to 7 As shown, from the first unloading position to the first receiving position, the carrying component is inclined downwards. Specifically, the carrying component is inclined downwards from back to front. The material rack 20 includes a stop and limit member 25, which is provided at the lower end of the carrying component and can limit the extreme position of the material box 30 placed on the carrying component on the material rack 20, so as to limit the material box 30 to the first receiving position. Because the material box 30 is placed inclined on the material rack 20, that is, each material box 30 is inclined downwards from the picking side to the sorting side, when the material box 30 is pushed back into the material rack 20 after each picking, the material box 30 automatically slides down to the stop and limit member 25 by its own weight and is limited by the stop and limit member 25. This can avoid the material box 30 from tilting and shifting due to the impact of the put-in goods during the sorting and receiving process, eliminate the risk of self-deviation, ensure the accurate position of the material box 30, and reduce the impact of vibration and other factors on the offset of the material box 30. The inclined extension direction of the carrying component is the first direction.

[0072] In an optional embodiment, the hopper 30 includes a hopper body 31, which includes a first side plate 312 and a second side plate 313 disposed opposite to each other along a first direction. The first side plate 312 includes an inclined surface 3121, which slopes downward toward the interior of the hopper 30. The inclined surface 3121 can better guide the goods at the feed inlet 315 into the interior of the hopper 30, so that more goods can enter the interior of the hopper 30 in a better manner. The inclined surface 3121 is used to replace the guide groove on the traditional sorting machine, and it helps to ensure that the goods move with the hopper 30 for easy unloading, avoiding leakage of individual overflowing goods during the movement of the hopper 30 caused by the traditional method. At the same time, when the box is full, this form is also conducive to the automatic sliding of goods into the box 30 by the action of the picking and placing device 10 on the box 30, such as by repeated pushing and pulling. In addition, by making the inclined surface 3121 part of the box 30, the requirement for accurate docking between the box 30 and the separately set guide groove is reduced, which can effectively improve the working efficiency of the picking and placing system 100 and the sorting system 1000.

[0073] Furthermore, the first side plate 312 also includes a vertical surface 3122, with the inclined surface 3121 and the vertical surface 3122 arranged from top to bottom. That is, the lower end of the inclined surface 3121 is connected to the upper end of the vertical surface 3122, and the lower end of the vertical surface 3122 extends to the bottom of the material box body 31. The simple design of the first side plate 312 with the inclined surface 3121 will cause cargo jamming in the space between the first side plate 312 and the supporting component. It is difficult to transfer cargo to the middle position of the material box 30 or to the direction closer to the second side plate 313. However, by adopting a structural design combining the inclined surface 3121 and the vertical surface 3122, the inclined surface 3121 can guide the cargo at a higher position. The cargo sliding out of the inclined surface 3121 has downward and backward components of force, so the cargo can move to the middle position of the material box 30 and the position closer to the second side plate 313. This can avoid the accumulation of cargo between the first side plate 312 and the supporting component, and make the cargo evenly distributed inside the material box 30. It can effectively and rationally utilize the limited space inside the material box 30 to fully store a large number of cargo. Meanwhile, the vertical surface 3122 can increase the bottom volume of the material box 30 while keeping the height and maximum depth in the front-back direction unchanged, thereby increasing the total volume of the material box 30. This avoids the problem of the bottom of the material box 30 being small in the front-back direction due to the use of inclined surface 3121 structure for the first side plate 312, which would otherwise lead to wasted space.

[0074] To improve the smoothness of goods falling from the inclined surface 3121 into the material box 30, the inclined surface 3121 and the vertical surface 3122 are connected by a smooth transition with an arc structure to reduce sharp corners, improve the smoothness of receiving goods in the material box 30, and at the same time avoid sharp edges inside the material box 30 from scratching the goods.

[0075] In an optional embodiment, the material box 30 further includes a reinforcing member 314, which is fixedly connected to the inclined surface 3121 and the vertical surface 3122 respectively. By setting the reinforcing member 314, the strength and hardness of the first side plate 312 at the connection position can be effectively improved, the overall strength of the material box 30 and the support force for the goods can be improved, and the material box 30 can be prevented from deforming or being damaged during transportation and carrying goods, so as to ensure the normal use of the material handling system 100 and the sorting system 1000.

[0076] To improve the smooth operation of the hopper 30 between the first receiving position and the first unloading position, the hopper 30 also includes a rolling assembly 33 mounted on the hopper body 31. The rolling assembly 33 can roll in cooperation with the bearing assembly. By setting the rolling assembly 33 to roll in cooperation with the bearing assembly, when the hopper 30 moves between the first receiving position and the first unloading position, the friction between the hopper 30 and the bearing assembly is rolling friction, which results in lower frictional force. This effectively improves the smooth operation of the hopper 30 on the bearing assembly and reduces wear on the bearing assembly and the hopper 30 during long-term use. In other embodiments, the hopper 30 can also be slidably mounted on the bearing assembly.

[0077] To improve the operational stability of the hopper 30, rolling components 33 are provided on both the left and right sides of the hopper body 31. This ensures that the left and right sides of the hopper 30 are supported on the bearing components, guaranteeing the stress stability and balance of the hopper 30 and preventing the hopper 30 from tipping over during operation. At the same time, providing rolling components 33 on the left and right sides of the hopper body 31 can prevent the rolling components 33 from interfering with the goods on the bearing components, thereby avoiding the problem of the rolling components 33 getting stuck due to contact between the goods and the bearing components, and improving the operational reliability and smoothness of the hopper 30.

[0078] The rolling component 33 includes at least two rollers 332, which roll in contact with the support component. The at least two rollers 332 are arranged along the pulling direction. By using rollers 332 as rolling elements, the size of the rolling elements can be reduced, and the installation cost of the rolling elements can be reduced. At the same time, the rollers 332 are spaced at least two apart along the pulling direction, so that the larger number of rollers 332 can make the movement of the material box 30 relative to the picking module 12 and the material rack 20 smoother, further avoiding the problem of the material box 30 getting stuck during the movement of the picking module 12 or the material rack 20, and increasing the support position of the material box 30 on the support component, thereby improving the operational stability and reliability of the material box 30.

[0079] In one optional embodiment, the rolling assembly 33 includes three rollers 332 spaced apart along the front-rear direction. The front roller 332 extends forward from the bottom front side of the hopper body 31 to better adapt to the hopper body 31's wider upper end and narrower lower end, preventing the hopper 30 from tipping forward and effectively ensuring the stability and reliability of the hopper body 31 on the supporting assembly. The rear roller 332 is located at the rear ends of the left and right sides of the hopper body 31, and the other roller 332 is centrally located relative to the front and rear rollers 332 to better improve the operational stability of the hopper 30. In other embodiments, only one roller 332 may be provided at each of the front and rear ends of the left and right sides of the hopper body 31. In another embodiment, the rollers 332 may also adopt other arrangements.

[0080] To improve the ease of installation of the rolling assembly 33, the rolling assembly 33 also includes a mounting frame 331, which extends in the front-to-back direction, and the rollers 332 are rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 331. By providing the mounting frame 331, the rolling assembly 33 forms a module that can be assembled and disassembled relative to the material box body 31, which facilitates the installation and disassembly of the rolling assembly 33. In other embodiments, each roller 332 may also be provided with a separate mounting frame 331.

[0081] like Figures 4 to 7 As shown, to further improve the mobility reliability of the material box 30, the supporting component includes a first docking track 23. The first docking track 23 is provided with a first guide groove 2311 having a first inlet 23111. The first guide groove 2311 extends along a first direction, and the rolling component 33 can enter the first guide groove 2311 through the first inlet 23111 and move along the first guide groove 2311. Through the cooperation between the rolling component 33 and the first docking track 23, a better guiding effect can be achieved on the material box 30 relative to the material rack 20 in the front-back direction, ensuring that the material box 30 moves well in the front-back direction and ensuring smooth switching between the unloading position and the receiving position.

[0082] Specifically, the supporting component includes a supporting base 21, which blocks the lower opening 311 of the material box 30 when the material box 30 is in the first receiving position. First docking rails 23 are provided on opposite sides of the supporting base 21 along a second direction, with each first docking rail 23 corresponding to a rolling component 33 to facilitate the cooperation between the first docking rails 23 and the rolling components 33. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, i.e., the second direction is left-right. This arrangement allows the left and right sides of the material box 30 to move forward or backward synchronously, preventing the material box 30 from tilting left or right during forward and backward movement, and ensuring accurate switching between the first unloading position and the first receiving position. Furthermore, the supporting base 21 extends upward at an angle from front to back, and the extension direction of the first docking rails 23 is the same as the extension direction of the supporting base 21.

[0083] In an optional embodiment, the first docking track 23 has a docking track base plate forming the bottom of the first guide groove 2311. A guide plate 232 is connected to the end of the docking track base plate away from the first inlet 23111. The guide plate 232 is inclined downwards in the direction away from the first inlet 23111. The guide plate 232 and the stop limiting member 25 together form a temporary storage space, in which at least a portion of the rolling assembly 33 can be accommodated. Specifically, when the material box 30 is in the first receiving position, the two rollers 332 on the front side of the material box 30 are located in the temporary storage space. With this arrangement, the guide plate 232 has a certain positioning and limiting function for the rollers 332. The guide plate 232 and the stop limiting member 25 cooperate with the rollers 332 to achieve a better limiting effect on the position of the material box 30 on the material rack 20, so that under the action of its own weight, the rollers 332 can be restricted within the temporary storage space formed by the guide plate 232 and the stop limiting member 25.

[0084] Furthermore, the end of the rolling assembly 33 furthest from the first inlet 23111 extends out of the hopper body 31 and abuts against the stop limiting member 25 to restrict the forward movement of the hopper 30, thus keeping the hopper 30 in the first receiving position. Specifically, the foremost roller 332 of each rolling assembly 33 abuts against the stop limiting member 25. This arrangement avoids the stop limiting member 25 from hitting the hopper body 31 due to contact between the hopper body 31 and the stop limiting member 25, reducing the probability of deformation and damage to the hopper body 31 and increasing the service life of the hopper 30.

[0085] Specifically, the first docking track 23 includes a docking track body 231, the extension direction of the docking track body 231 is consistent with the pulling direction, and a first guide groove 2311 is disposed on the docking track body 231. The docking track body 231 includes a docking track bottom plate and a docking track top plate disposed opposite to each other, and a docking track side plate connected between the docking track bottom plate and the docking track top plate. The docking track bottom plate, the docking track side plate and the docking track top plate surround to form a first guide groove 2311 with an opening facing the other first docking track 23.

[0086] The first guide groove 2311 includes a first inlet section 23112 and a second guide section 23113 connected in sequence. The first inlet section 23112 has a first inlet 23111. The width of the first inlet section 23112 gradually increases along the front-back direction. Because the width of the first inlet 23111 is relatively large, the first inlet section 23112 can gradually and smoothly guide the rolling component 33 with a large offset into the second guide section 23113. The second guide section 23113 cooperates with the rolling component 33 to enable the rolling component 33 to move more accurately and smoothly along the front-back direction.

[0087] The first docking track 23 also includes a side limiting plate 233. The side limiting plate 233 is connected to the top plate of the docking track of the second guide section 23113 and is opposite to and spaced apart from the side plate of the docking guide track. The side limiting plate 233 is used to limit the extreme position of the roller 332 in the left and right directions, so that the upper part of the roller 332 is limited between the side plate of the docking track and the side limiting plate 233 in the left and right directions. This can prevent the roller 332 from disengaging or sliding out of the first guide groove 2311 in the left and right directions, thereby improving the reliability of the cooperation between the rolling assembly 33 and the first docking track 23.

[0088] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the supporting base 21 includes a supporting base plate 211 and a first buffer pad 212 disposed thereon. The first buffer pad 212 is made of elastic material. The first buffer pad 212 can play a good buffering role on the goods falling on it, avoid damage to the goods during the falling process, and ensure good quality of the goods.

[0089] Since a flat surface is prone to sticking to thin and light parts, in an optional embodiment, to solve the above problem, the first buffer pad 212 is provided with a first stripe structure 2121 extending along the moving direction of the material box 30, and multiple first stripe structures 2121 are spaced apart along a direction perpendicular to the moving direction. The first stripe structure 2121 facilitates the movement of goods and can avoid the sticking problem of thin and light parts, ensuring that the material box 30 has a good transmission effect on thin and light parts.

[0090] In an optional embodiment, the hopper 30 further includes a first cleaning component 34, which is at least disposed on the side of the hopper 30 away from the first unloading position. The free end of the first cleaning component 34 can abut against the carrying component. The arrangement of the first cleaning component 34 can ensure that all goods can be unloaded and prevent goods from being missed.

[0091] To improve the cleaning effect of the first cleaning component 34 on the goods, in an optional embodiment, the first cleaning component 34 adopts a brush structure, which can ensure cleaning of the surface of the supporting component while avoiding damage to the goods. In other embodiments, the first cleaning component 34 may also adopt a soft rubber strip structure.

[0092] In this embodiment, a first buffer pad 212 with a first stripe structure 2121 and a first cleaning component 34 are simultaneously provided. Through the cooperation and synergistic effect of the first stripe structure 2121 and the first cleaning component 34, the first cleaning component 34 can achieve a brushing effect on the gaps between the first stripe structures 2121. The first cleaning component 34 and the surface of the first buffer pad 212 are in closer contact, thereby achieving a better movement effect for goods. In other embodiments, only the first cleaning component 34 or the first stripe structure 2121 may be provided.

[0093] like Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the supporting component further includes an abutment layer 24, the free end face of which is concave-convex, and at least a portion of the material box 30 abuts against the concave-convex surface and can move along the concave-convex surface. When the material box 30 moves on the abutment layer 24, it will have an undulating effect, which is more conducive to shaking and sliding the goods on the material box 30 off, ensuring that all goods can enter the interior of the material box 30 well to the greatest extent, and avoiding the problem of goods overflowing due to the material box 30 being full; at the same time, the concave-convex abutment layer 24 is conducive to shaking the goods attached to the inner wall of the material box 30 onto the supporting component, ensuring the reliability of unloading, and reducing the reliability of unloading due to goods adhering to the material box 30.

[0094] Specifically, the abutment layer 24 can be a textured adhesive strip or the like, and all abutment layers 24 with free end faces having an uneven structure are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment.

[0095] To improve the ease of setting the abutment layer 24, in an optional embodiment, the abutment layer 24 is disposed in the first guide groove 2311, and the rolling component 33 can abut against and roll relative to the concave and convex surfaces. In other embodiments, the abutment layer 24 may be disposed on the surface of the supporting base 21.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] This embodiment provides a sorting system that can reduce box moving and box changing operations during the sorting process and improve the efficiency of the sorting system.

[0098] like Figure 9As shown in the figure, this disclosure presents a sorting system 1000, which includes a material handling system 100, a sorting device 200, and an unloading position. The material handling system 100 includes a material distribution rack and a material handling device 10. The material distribution rack includes a material box 30 and a rack 20. The material box 30 is disposed on the rack 20 and can be used to place or temporarily store goods (not shown in the figure). The sorting device 200 is used to sort and distribute goods into the corresponding material boxes 30. The sorting device 200 can unload goods into the corresponding material boxes 30 according to order information. When an order corresponding to a certain material box 30 is completed, the system controls the material handling device 10 to move to the corresponding position to retrieve the ordered goods from the material box 30. The material handling device 10 then transports the goods corresponding to the order to the unloading position. The unloading position can be, for example, a packaging system 300, where a packaging machine 310 can package the unloaded goods for shipment. It should be noted that the unloading location can also be a transfer mechanism, conveyor line, etc.

[0099] In this embodiment, the sorting rack is the same as that in Embodiment 1, which can effectively reduce the box moving and box changing operations during the sorting process and improve sorting efficiency.

[0100] It should be noted that the sorting device 200 of this embodiment includes a sorting equipment that can move along a circular path, thereby enabling continuous and efficient sorting of goods. Of course, in other optional embodiments, the sorting equipment can also move along other routes such as straight lines or broken lines, reciprocating between the loading position and the sorting position, which is also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0101] It should be noted that, as Figure 9 As shown, the picking and placing device 10 and the matching packaging system 300 can be set to one, two, three or more groups. When the picking and placing device 10 is set to at least two groups, the multiple groups of picking and placing devices 10 can realize the rapid picking and placing of goods on the sorting device 200, which can effectively improve the overall sorting efficiency of the sorting system 1000.

[0102] Sorting is a crucial step in existing warehouse production. Whether manual or automated, sorting uses bins or turnover baskets to receive goods corresponding to orders. After an order is completed, the bins are removed manually or by equipment and transferred to the subsequent packaging stage. Empty bins are then used to replace the previous bins for the next sorting cycle. Currently, each sorting operation requires removing the bin from the shelf, emptying it, or simply taking it away, and then placing the empty bin or a new empty bin back into the sorting position. For manual sorting, this method is physically demanding and inefficient, with much time wasted on picking and changing bins. For automated bin-changing scenarios, the cycle of picking and changing bins is long, and idle slots cannot be replenished in a timely manner, further reducing sorting efficiency.

[0103] In existing technologies, box-changing operations on the rack 20 occur frequently. Currently, most logistics companies rely mainly on manual operation to handle these box-changing tasks. Manual box-changing is not only inefficient, but also requires a significant investment of manpower as business volume continues to increase. Moreover, manual operation is limited by human physical strength and reaction speed. Under high-intensity, long-term work, fatigue is likely to occur, leading to operational errors, which seriously restricts the improvement of overall sorting efficiency and makes it difficult to meet the growing demands of the logistics market.

[0104] From the perspective of labor costs and efficiency, manual box-changing operations rely entirely on manpower. As business volume continues to grow, companies need to recruit more and more personnel to complete this task, which undoubtedly increases labor costs significantly. At the same time, manual operation is relatively slow; each box-changing action takes time. During busy sorting and distribution periods, the speed of manual box-changing cannot keep up with the sorting speed of goods, becoming a bottleneck in the entire logistics process and severely limiting the improvement of overall sorting efficiency, making it difficult to meet the demands of the rapidly developing logistics industry. Furthermore, the manual box-changing model also limits the height of the material handling system to 100mm, restricting the utilization rate of three-dimensional space, as compartments with four or more layers are generally impossible to handle manually. Some automated box-changing technologies have emerged in the industry, using automated equipment to pick up turnover boxes (or turnover baskets) and transport them to an external conveyor line to transport full boxes out. Then, empty boxes are retrieved from the empty box storage location and placed back into their corresponding positions, completing the automated box-changing process. However, this box-changing method is clearly inefficient, wasting a significant amount of time in the storage, retrieval, and transportation processes.

[0105] To address the aforementioned problems, in one embodiment, such as Figures 10-13 As shown, the material handling device 10 includes a material handling module 12 and a feeding module 13 arranged from top to bottom. The material handling module 13 can pull the material box 30 from the first receiving position to the first unloading position, and the feeding module 13 can receive the goods falling from the material box 30 at the first unloading position. The material handling module 12 can transfer the material box 30 and the goods inside it to the top of the feeding module 13, so that the lower opening 311 is opposite to the feeding module 13, and the goods inside the material box 30 can enter the feeding module 13 through the lower opening 311.

[0106] By simply pulling the material bin 30 out of the picking and placing device 10, the goods inside the material bin 30 on the rack 20 can be quickly transferred to the picking and placing device 10. Compared with manual box-changing operations, this picking and placing system 100 does not rely on manpower at all, effectively reducing labor costs. The automated operation of the picking and placing system 100 is faster than manual operation. When sorting and distribution operations are busy, the speed of the picking and placing system 100 can keep up with the sorting speed of the goods, improving the sorting efficiency of the sorting system 1000 and adapting to the needs of the rapidly developing logistics industry. In addition, the material handling system 100 does not have height restrictions, which improves the utilization of three-dimensional space. Even compartments with four or more layers can be operated through the material handling system 100. At the same time, the material handling device 10 can quickly transfer the goods inside the material box 30 on the rack 20 to the material handling device 10 by simply pulling the material box 30. No additional operation steps are required for the material box 30. The entire material handling process does not require "box replacement" operation. During peak logistics operations, the operation efficiency of the material handling system 100 is effectively improved, the processing speed of goods is increased, and the overall smoothness of the sorting and sorting operation of the sorting system 1000 is improved.

[0107] Furthermore, the docking requirements between the picking and unloading device 10 and the material bin 30 are low, resulting in more stable cargo transfer in the picking and unloading system 100. The system itself has a simpler structure and is more stable overall. When business volume is high, the picking and unloading device 10 does not need to frequently travel between different unloading locations and the turnover box storage area, reducing a significant amount of time wasted on transportation. This fully leverages the advantages of automated equipment, effectively solving the problem of low logistics sorting efficiency, and enabling the large-scale application of this type of picking and unloading system 100.

[0108] Furthermore, such as Figure 10As shown, the material handling device 10 also includes a moving mechanism, which is configured to drive the material handling module 12 and the receiving module 13 to move horizontally. The material handling module 12 and the receiving module 13 are vertically and vertically mounted on the moving mechanism. This configuration allows the moving mechanism to simultaneously drive the material handling module 12 and the receiving module 13 to move, thereby effectively ensuring the consistency of their movements. This facilitates reliable control of the material handling module 12 when it transfers the material box 30 to the first unloading position, ensuring that the goods can reliably enter the receiving module 13 through the lower opening 311 of the material box 30, thus guaranteeing the receiving reliability of the receiving module 13 and reducing the control difficulty of the receiving module 13 and the material handling module 12. Simultaneously, this configuration reduces the cost of the drive structure for driving the horizontal movement of the material handling module 12 and the receiving module 13, thereby reducing the cost of the material handling system 100. Furthermore, since... The material picking module 12 and the material receiving module 13 can be raised and lowered on the moving mechanism, so that the material picking module 12 can pick up materials from the bins 30 of different heights, thereby meeting the picking settings of multi-layer bins 30, improving the storage space and picking and placing efficiency of the picking and placing system 100, and reducing costs. At the same time, the material receiving module 13 can be raised and lowered to a suitable position to receive materials, avoiding the problem that the gap between the lower opening 311 of the bin 30 and the material receiving module 13 is too large, which may cause the goods to be easily damaged during the unloading process, thus improving the unloading safety. Furthermore, the setting of the moving mechanism makes the picking and placing device 10 a modular unit that can be assembled and transported as a whole, improving the modular setting of the picking and placing device 10.

[0109] In this solution, the material handling device 10 is a collective term for the material handling module 12, the material receiving module 13, and the moving mechanism, and does not limit the specific arrangement relationship. For example, in some embodiments, the material handling module 12 and the material receiving module 13 are both vertically and vertically mounted on the same moving mechanism, with the material receiving module 13 located below the material handling module 12, so that the temporary storage box 133 receives materials from below.

[0110] In other embodiments, the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 can be separately configured and each has its own moving mechanism to enable movement of the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13. For example, the picking module 12 can be raised and lowered on the picking moving mechanism, while the receiving module 13 can be raised and lowered on the receiving moving mechanism. The picking and receiving moving mechanisms can move in a horizontal plane, and can be AGV, AMR, or RGV type moving mechanisms. This separate moving configuration is more flexible, and the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 can be scheduled and controlled separately. When the picking module 12 picks up material using a pull-out hopper, the receiving module can receive material at the corresponding position on the same side of the rack 20. When the picking module 12 picks up material using a push-out hopper, the receiving module can receive material on the other side of the rack 20.

[0111] The material rack 20 may include a material rack guide rail 26, which extends along the extension direction of the material rack 20. The material pick-and-place device 10 can move along the material rack guide rail 26. The material rack guide rail 26 can provide good guidance for the movement of the material pick-and-place device 10, ensuring that the material pick-and-place device 10 moves well along the material rack guide rail 26 and avoiding the material pick-and-place device 10 from deflecting during the displacement process, thereby achieving precise docking of the material pick-and-place device 10 with different material boxes 30 in the horizontal direction.

[0112] In an alternative embodiment, such as Figure 10 As shown, the material handling system 100 may further include an auxiliary guide rail 40, which extends along the extension direction of the material rack 20. The material handling device 10 can cooperate with the auxiliary guide rail 40, which can provide better guidance for the movement of the material handling device 10, ensuring that the material handling device 10 moves well along the auxiliary guide rail 40, further preventing the material handling device 10 from deviating during displacement, and further ensuring accurate horizontal docking between the material handling device 10 and different material boxes 30. Specifically, the moving mechanism is connected to the material rack guide rail 26 to move along the material rack guide rail 26. At the same time, the side of the bottom of the moving mechanism away from the material rack 20 is supported on the auxiliary guide rail 40 and moves along the auxiliary guide rail 40.

[0113] In another embodiment, only the material rack guide rail 26 can be provided to move the material picking and placing device 10. In yet another embodiment, the material rack 20 may not have the material rack guide rail 26; instead, a moving guide rail is laid on the ground of the material picking and placing system, and the material picking and placing device 10 moves along the moving guide rail. In yet another embodiment, the moving mechanism may also be a chassis structure with a self-driving bottom to achieve the movement of the moving mechanism. It is worth noting that the horizontal movement method and specific implementation structure of the moving mechanism can be set with reference to the prior art, which is not the focus of this invention and will not be described in detail here.

[0114] The moving mechanism includes a frame 11 and a lifting mechanism 14. The lifting mechanism 14 is mounted on the frame 11 and configured to drive the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 to move vertically. By using a single lifting mechanism 14 to synchronously drive the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 to move up and down, the synchronicity of the lifting of the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 can be guaranteed, thereby improving the stability and safety of receiving materials. At the same time, it can also reduce the number of lifting mechanisms 14, reduce the cost of the moving mechanism, and thus reduce the cost of the picking and dispensing system 100.

[0115] For example, the lifting mechanism 14 can be a pulley assembly, a linear guide assembly, a lead screw and nut assembly, a gear and rack assembly, etc. All lifting mechanisms 14 capable of realizing linear motion output are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment.

[0116] In another embodiment, the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 can each be equipped with a lifting mechanism 14, thereby enabling the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 to be lifted and lowered separately. In another embodiment, only the picking module 12 can be equipped with a lifting mechanism 14, that is, the receiving module 13 is fixedly set relative to the moving mechanism, so that the picking module 12 can be lifted and lowered to connect to the material boxes 30 at different heights. In this configuration, a flexible channel can be set between the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 to guide the goods falling from the lower opening 311 of the material box 30 into the upper opening 13311 of the temporary storage box 133.

[0117] In an alternative embodiment, such as Figures 12 to 15 As shown, the material receiving module 12 includes a box moving mechanism 122, which includes a box moving drive mechanism and a first docking member 1225. The material box 30 includes a second docking member 32 disposed on the material box body 31. The first docking member 1225 can be connected or separated from the second docking member 32, so that when the first docking member 1225 is connected to the second docking member 32, the box moving mechanism 122 drives the material box 30 to move along the pulling direction through the box moving drive mechanism, so that the material box 30 switches between a first unloading position opposite to the receiving module 13 and a first receiving position in the bearing component.

[0118] In an optional embodiment, the first docking member 1225 and the material box 30 can be arranged in the front-to-back direction. In this way, the first docking member 1225 does not need to extend into the grid on the material rack 20 to pick up and put in the material box 30 in the grid, thereby effectively reducing the size of the grid in the left-to-right direction and thus effectively increasing the grid density on the material rack 20. That is to say, more grids can be set on the material rack 20 with the same volume space, making reasonable use of three-dimensional space.

[0119] In other optional embodiments, the first docking member 1225 includes two clamping arms arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The two clamping arms can move closer to each other or further away in the left-right direction. The two clamping arms can extend into the slots of the material rack 20 and are located on the left and right sides of the material box 30. The two clamping arms move closer to each other and clamp the material box 30 together. The two clamping arms then move in the front-back direction to switch the material box 30 between the first unloading position opposite to the receiving module 13 and the first receiving position of the bearing component. The mature first docking member 1225 can also achieve a good docking effect with the material box 30, thereby realizing the rapid switching of the material box 30 between the first unloading position and the first receiving position.

[0120] In an optional embodiment, one of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 includes a hook 12251, and the other has an insertion slot 324. The hook 12251 can be hooked into the insertion slot 324, and the box-moving mechanism 122 can drive the docked box 30 to move in the pulling direction. Using the hook-and-connection form of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 reduces the difficulty of docking the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32, improves the convenience of docking or separating the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32, facilitates the rapid switching of the box 30 and the box-moving mechanism 122, and simplifies the structure of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32, thus reducing costs.

[0121] In one embodiment, the second docking member 32 is provided with a insertion groove 324, with the groove opening of the insertion groove 324 facing downward. The lifting mechanism 14 can drive the material picking module 12 to rise and fall, so that the first docking member 1225 can move upward until the hook 12251 is inserted into the insertion groove 324. When the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 need to be separated, the lifting mechanism 14 drives the material picking module 12 to move downward, so that the first docking member 1225 moves downward, so that the hook 12251 disengages from the insertion groove 324. This effectively improves the convenience of separation and docking of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32, and there is no need to set an additional driving structure for the first docking member 1225 or the second docking member 32, simplifying the structure of the material picking module 12 and reducing the cost of the material picking module 12.

[0122] In another embodiment, the first docking member 1225 is provided with a insertion slot 324, the slot opening of the insertion slot 324 facing upwards. The lifting mechanism 14 can lift the material picking module 12 to realize the separation and connection of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32. In yet another embodiment, the slot opening of the insertion slot 324 can be set to the left or right. A docking drive member is provided on the box moving mechanism 122 to drive the first docking member 1225 to move in the left and right direction to realize the separation or connection of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0123] In other optional embodiments, the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 can also be engaged by snap-fit, plug-in, magnetic attraction, etc. All structures that can realize the docking association between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment.

[0124] For example, one of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 includes an insertion protrusion, and the other has an insertion hole. The insertion protrusion is inserted into the insertion hole, which can achieve a better docking effect between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0125] For example, one of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 is a magnetic member, and the other is an electromagnetic device. When the electromagnetic device is energized, it generates a magnetic attraction force, which can attract the magnetic member, thereby achieving a stable docking between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32. When the electromagnetic device is de-energized, the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 can separate from each other. By switching the electromagnetic device on and off, the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 can quickly switch between docking and separation states, making the operation simple and convenient.

[0126] In other optional embodiments, one of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 can also be a locking mechanism. This locking mechanism locks or unlocks the other docking member. By setting the locking mechanism, a stable lock can be achieved between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32, preventing separation under significant external forces and ensuring a stable lock. Since the locking structure is a common structure in the art, the specific details of how the locking mechanism is implemented and its structure will not be described further in this application.

[0127] In other alternative embodiments, the first docking member 1225 can also be a suction cup mechanism, which can stably adsorb the material box 30, thereby achieving a stable docking effect between the first docking member 1225 and the material box 30. For example, the suction cup mechanism may include a vacuum suction device and a suction cup connected thereto. The vacuum suction device can achieve the adsorption and separation of the suction cup and the material box 30 through a vacuuming action or a pressure relief action.

[0128] To improve the ease of setting up the box-moving mechanism 122, the material handling module 12 also includes a mounting frame. The mounting frame is installed on the upper side of the receiving module 13 and forms a material handling space. The box-moving drive mechanism is installed on the mounting frame 331 and connected to the first docking member 1225. Specifically, the mounting frame includes two mounting plates 121 that are opposite to each other and spaced apart, forming a material handling space between the two mounting plates 121. The box-moving drive mechanism is installed on the mounting plate 121.

[0129] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, the first docking member 1225 extends in the left and right direction and is slidably mounted on the two mounting plates 121 at both ends, so that the two ends of the first docking member 1225 are effectively supported, ensuring the stability of the first docking member 1225 and the reliability of its operation, and preventing the first docking member 1225 from tilting left and right during the movement, thereby improving the driving stability and reliability of the box moving mechanism 122 on the box 30.

[0130] Furthermore, the first docking member 1225 includes a drive connection portion 12253 extending in the left-right direction. A connecting arm 12252 extending in the moving direction of the material box 30 is connected to the drive connection portion 12253. A hook 12251 is provided at the end of the connecting arm 12252 away from the drive connection portion 12253. The hook 12251 has a vertically arranged plate-like structure to facilitate the insertion or removal of the hook 12251 from the insertion slot 324.

[0131] The second mating member 32 includes a first plate portion 321, a connecting plate portion 322, and a second plate portion 323 connected in sequence. The first plate portion 321 is disposed on the material box body 31. The first plate portion 321 and the second plate portion 323 are spaced apart in the front-back direction. The first plate portion 321, the connecting plate portion 322, and the second plate portion 323 surround to form an insertion groove 324. The hook 12251 can be located between the first plate portion 321 and the second plate portion 323 through the slot of the insertion groove 324.

[0132] When the hook 12251 and the second plate 323 are arranged from front to back and abut against each other, the first docking member 1225 can pull the material box 30 from front to back under the action of the box-moving mechanism 122; when the first plate 321 and the hook 12251 are arranged from front to back and abut against each other, the first docking member 1225 can push the material box 30 from back to front under the action of the box-moving mechanism 122. This type of first docking member 1225 and second docking member 32 can achieve a fast and precise docking effect, and the structure of this type of first docking member 1225 and second docking member 32 is simple and easy to install. It should be noted that the insertion slot 324 can be set downwards as shown in the figure, or it can be set upwards.

[0133] To further improve the operational reliability and smoothness of the material bin 30, in an optional embodiment, two hooks 12251 are spaced apart along the left-right direction, and connecting arms 12252 are correspondingly arranged with each hook 12251. This increases the number of contact points between the first mating member 1225 and the material bin 30, thereby reducing the force at a single connection point and lowering the probability of damage to the hook 12251 due to excessive force. Preferably, the second mating member 32 extends along the left-right direction, and multiple hooks 12251 are inserted into the same insertion slot 324. In other embodiments, the insertion slot 324 may also be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the hooks 12251.

[0134] In an optional embodiment, the box-moving drive mechanism includes a first rotary drive mechanism 1221 and a first transmission belt assembly 1222. The first rotary drive mechanism 1221 is disposed on the mounting plate 121. The first transmission belt assembly 1222 includes a first driving wheel 12221, a first driven wheel 12222, and a first annular transmission belt 12223. The first driving wheel 12221 and the first driven wheel 12222 are rotatably disposed on the mounting plate 121. The first rotary drive mechanism 1221 can drive the first driving wheel 12221 to rotate. The first annular transmission belt 12223 is arranged around the outer periphery of the first driving wheel 12221 and the first driven wheel 12222 and is tensioned by the first driving wheel 12221 and the first driven wheel 12222 together. The first docking member 1225 is fixedly connected to the first annular transmission belt 12223. When the first rotary drive mechanism 1221 operates, it drives the first driving wheel 12221 to rotate. The driving wheel 12221, in turn, drives the first driven wheel 12222 and the first annular transmission belt 12223 to rotate. The annular transmission belt 12223 drives the first docking member 1225 to move in the front-back direction, thereby enabling the first docking member 1225 to drive the material box 30 to move in the front-back direction. This allows the material box 30 to switch between the first unloading position and the first receiving position. This type of box-moving mechanism 122 features a simple structure, smooth transmission, shock absorption, no lubrication required, and easy maintenance. Specifically, the drive connection part 12253 is connected to the first annular transmission belt 12223.

[0135] In an optional embodiment, the first transmission belt assembly 1222 is configured as two sets, with the two sets of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction and respectively disposed on two mounting plates 121. One set of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 is fixedly connected to the left end of the first docking member 1225, and the other set of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 is fixedly connected to the right end of the first docking member 1225. By driving the two sets of first transmission belt assemblies 1222, the left and right sides of the first docking member 1225 can move forward or backward synchronously, which can prevent the first docking member 1225 from tilting left or right during the forward and backward movement, and ensure the precise docking effect between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0136] In other embodiments, only one first drive belt assembly 1222 may be provided. One end of the first docking member 1225 is connected to the first drive belt assembly 1222, and the other end of the first docking member 1225 is slidably mounted on the mounting plate 121 via a sliding guide structure. In another embodiment, two first docking members 1225 may also be provided, with each first drive belt assembly 1222 connected to one first docking member 1225, so that the two first docking members 1225 simultaneously drive the material box 30 to move.

[0137] In an optional embodiment, the box-moving mechanism 122 further includes a synchronous shaft 1224. The first drive wheels 12221 of the two sets of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 are connected through the synchronous shaft 1224. Therefore, the two sets of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 can share a first rotary drive mechanism 1221. The material handling module 12 requires fewer first rotary drive mechanisms 1221, the overall structure of the material handling module 12 is smaller, and the energy consumption of the material handling module 12 is lower. Moreover, the two sets of first transmission belt assemblies 1222 can achieve synchronous movement under the action of the first rotary drive mechanism 1221, which can further ensure that the left and right sides of the first docking member 1225 move forward or backward synchronously, further avoid the left and right deviation of the first docking member 1225 during the forward and backward movement, and further ensure the accurate docking effect between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0138] In an optional embodiment, the box-moving mechanism 122 can also be a first linear guide assembly. The first linear guide assembly includes a guide rail body and a slider 1. A first docking member 1225 is fixedly connected to the slider. The guide rail body can drive the slider to slide in the front-back direction, and can also enable the first docking member 1225 to drive the material box 30 to move in the front-back direction, thereby realizing the switching of the material box 30 between the unloading position and the receiving position. This kind of box-moving mechanism 122 has the advantages of high precision, strong stability, low friction, high efficiency and long service life. In other optional embodiments, the box-moving mechanism 122 can also be a lead screw and nut assembly, a gear and rack assembly, etc. All box-moving mechanisms 122 that can realize linear motion output are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment.

[0139] In an optional embodiment, each mounting plate 121 is provided with a material picking guide component, which extends along the pull-out direction of the material box 30. The material picking guide component is used to guide the movement of the first docking member 1225, preventing the first docking member 1225 from deviating during movement, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the movement of the material box 30. By setting two sets of material picking guide components, the left and right sides of the first docking member 1225 can move forward or backward synchronously, which can prevent the first docking member 1225 from tilting left or right during forward and backward movement, ensuring the accurate docking effect between the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0140] Exemplarily, the material handling guide assembly includes a first guide rail 124 extending in the front-rear direction, a first slider 123 slidably disposed on the first guide rail 124, and a first docking member 1225 connected to the first slider 123. However, it is understood that in other embodiments, the material handling guide assembly may also employ other existing structures capable of guiding the movement of the first docking member 1225, and this invention does not limit or elaborate on these. Further, adapters 1223 are connected to both ends of the first docking member 1225, and the adapters 1223 are connected to the first slider 123.

[0141] In an optional embodiment, the material handling module 12 further includes a first limiting member 127 and a second limiting member 126. Both the first limiting member 127 and the second limiting member 126 are disposed on the mounting plate 121. The second limiting member 126 and the first limiting member 127 are arranged in the front-rear direction. The adapter 1223 cooperates with the first limiting member 127 to limit the first docking member 1225 to the rear extreme position. The adapter 1223 cooperates with the second limiting member 126 to limit the first docking member 1225 to the front extreme position. By setting the first limiting member 127 and the second limiting member 126, the extreme position of the first docking member 1225 in the front-rear direction can be limited, thereby preventing the first docking member 1225 from detaching from or falling off the mounting plate 121. For example, the first limiting member 127 and the second limiting member 126 can be block structures. Block structures have high strength and hardness, which can prevent deformation after prolonged contact with the first mating member 1225 and achieve a more stable limiting effect on the first mating member 1225.

[0142] like Figure 15In an optional embodiment, the material handling module 12 further includes a second docking track 125. The second docking track 125 has a second guide groove 1251 with a second inlet 12511. The second guide groove 1251 extends along the moving direction of the material box 30. The rolling component 33 enters the second guide groove 1251 through the second inlet 12511 and moves along the second guide groove 1251. Through the cooperation of the rolling component 33 and the second guide groove 1251, a better guiding effect can be achieved on the material box 30 relative to the material handling module 12 in the front-back direction, ensuring that the material box 30 moves well in the front-back direction and ensuring smooth switching between the unloading position and the receiving position.

[0143] In an optional embodiment, the second guide groove 1251 includes a second inlet section 12512 and a first guide section 12513 connected in sequence. The second inlet section 12512 has a second inlet 12511, and the width of the second inlet section 12512 gradually decreases along the front-back direction. Due to the larger width of the second inlet 12511, the second inlet section 12512 can gradually and smoothly guide the rolling component 33 with a large offset into the first guide section 12513. The first guide section 12513 cooperates with the rolling component 33 to achieve more accurate and stable movement of the rolling component 33 along the front-back direction. The width of the first guide section 12513 can be selected to be approximately the same as the diameter of the roller 332, thereby achieving a better guiding effect of the first guide section 12513 on the roller 332.

[0144] In an optional embodiment, two second docking tracks 125 are provided, and the two second docking tracks 125 are arranged at intervals in the left and right direction. Each second docking track 125 corresponds one-to-one with a rolling component 33, which allows the left and right sides of the material box 30 to move forward or backward synchronously. This can prevent the material box 30 from tilting left or right during the forward and backward movement, and ensure the accurate switching of the material box 30 between the first unloading position and the first receiving position.

[0145] In an optional embodiment, when the material box 30 is in the first unloading position, a portion of the rolling components 33 are disposed in the second guide groove 1251, and at the same time, a portion of the rolling components 33 are disposed in the first guide groove 2311. This ensures that the material box 30 is always connected to the first guide groove 2311. On the one hand, this facilitates the reset of the material box 30 from the first receiving position to the first unloading position. On the other hand, it avoids the problem of the material box 30 falling off and separating from the material rack 20.

[0146] It should be noted that in this application, the design of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32 being arranged in the front-back direction and able to dock, along with the specific arrangement of the rolling component 33 and the specific arrangement of the second docking track 125, the synergistic effect of the various arrangements can reduce the difficulty of pushing and pulling the material box 30 and improve the stability of pushing and pulling the material box 30.

[0147] In an optional embodiment, the material handling module 12 can be configured as at least two. When there are at least two material handling modules 12, the at least two material handling modules 12 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, which can effectively improve the working efficiency of the material handling module 12.

[0148] It should be noted that each material handling module 12 can be equipped with a separate box-moving mechanism 122. This allows for individual control of the first docking member 1225 of each material handling module 12, enabling individual driving of the first docking member 1225 at different positions, thus achieving precise and synchronous material handling of the multi-compartment box 30. In an optional embodiment, each first docking member 1225 can also be equipped with a separate lifting mechanism 14, allowing the first docking member 1225 to move vertically relative to the mounting plate 121 without requiring the entire material handling module 12 to move, thus reducing energy consumption.

[0149] In other alternative embodiments, all the first docking parts 1225 of the picking modules 12 or at least two first docking parts 1225 of the picking modules 12 can share a set of moving drive mechanisms, which can effectively reduce the number of moving drive mechanisms, effectively reduce the volume of the picking modules 12, and realize the lightweight design of the picking and dispensing device 10.

[0150] It should be noted that, as Figure 16 and Figure 17 As shown, the lifting mechanism 14 can be configured as a set, and a set of lifting mechanisms 14 can synchronously drive at least two material handling modules 12 to move up and down synchronously. The at least two material handling modules 12 can be fixedly connected to form an integrated structure, and the lifting mechanism 14 can drive this integrated structure to move up and down synchronously. The lifting mechanism 14 can include one or more lifting platforms, and one or more lifting platforms drive the integrated structure to move up and down synchronously.

[0151] It should be noted that, as Figure 16 As shown, at least two material picking modules 12 and at least two material receiving modules 13 can be connected to form an integrated shape, and a set of lifting mechanisms 14 can drive the integrated shape to move up and down synchronously. The lifting mechanism 14 may include one or more lifts.

[0152] In other optional embodiments, the lifting mechanism 14 may further include a material-picking lifting mechanism and a material-feeding lifting mechanism. The material-picking lifting mechanism is used to drive the material-picking module 12 to rise and fall, and the material-feeding lifting mechanism is used to drive the material-receiving module 13. The material-picking lifting mechanism may include one or at least two lifting platforms; that is, one lifting platform may correspond to one material-picking module 12, or at least two material-picking modules 12 may share one lifting platform. Similarly, the material-feeding lifting mechanism may include one or at least two lifting platforms; that is, one lifting platform may correspond to one material-receiving module 13, or at least two material-receiving modules 13 may share one lifting platform.

[0153] In other optional embodiments, the material handling module 12 may be configured as a single unit, which can effectively reduce the size of the material handling device 10 and facilitate quick and simple operation control of the material handling device 10. In other optional embodiments, the material receiving module 13 may be configured as a single unit, which can effectively reduce the size of the material handling device 10 and facilitate quick and simple operation control of the material handling device 10.

[0154] like Figure 18 and Figure 19 As shown, in an optional embodiment, the container moving mechanism 135 is configured to move the temporary storage container 133 to switch between a second receiving position and a transport position, and between a second unloading position and a transport position. The transport position is between the second receiving position and the second unloading position. In the transport position, the supporting component 132 blocks the lower opening 13312 and can hold the goods inside the temporary storage container 133. When the temporary storage container 133 is in the transport position, because it is located relatively centrally, it can minimize the spillage of goods from the storage space, thereby facilitating the transport of goods by the loading and unloading device 10.

[0155] In an optional embodiment, since the material bin 30 is arranged at an upward angle from front to back on the material rack 20, the material picking module 12 and the material receiving module 13 should also be inclined upward from front to back as a whole. The inclination angle of the material picking module 12 and the material receiving module 13 corresponds to the inclination angle of the material bin 30 on the material rack 20, thereby facilitating the material picking and placing device 10 to perform material picking and placing operations. Specifically, the supporting component 132 is arranged at an upward angle from front to back. Exemplarily, the inclination angle of the supporting component 132 is the same as the inclination angle of the material bin 30 on the material rack 20.

[0156] In an alternative embodiment, such as Figures 16-18As shown, the temporary storage box 133 includes an inclined side plate 13313 and a third side plate 13314 arranged in the front-to-back direction of the temporary storage box body 1331. The inclined side plate 13313 is located on the side of the temporary storage box body 1331 facing the material rack 10 and is inclined downward from front to back. The inclined side plate 13313 can guide the goods at the upper opening 13311 into the interior of the temporary storage box 133, so that the goods can enter the interior of the temporary storage box 133 in a better way. The inclined side plate 13313 is used to replace the guide groove on the traditional sorting machine. The inclined side plate 13313 can ensure that the goods move with the temporary storage box 133 to facilitate unloading and avoid the exposure of individual overflowing goods during the movement of the temporary storage box 133 caused by the traditional method.

[0157] In an optional embodiment, the inclined side plate 13313 may also have a shape similar to the inclined surface 3121 and vertical surface 3122 of the material box 30 shown in Embodiment 1. In this case, the function of the inclined side plate 13313 is the same as that of the inclined surface 3121 and vertical surface 3122 of the material box 30.

[0158] In an alternative embodiment, such as Figure 22 As shown, the support assembly 132 includes a support plate and a second buffer pad disposed thereon. The second buffer pad is made of an elastic material and can effectively cushion the goods falling on it, preventing damage to the goods during the fall and ensuring good quality of the goods. Preferably, the surface of the second buffer pad is provided with a second stripe structure 1321 extending along the moving direction of the temporary storage box 133. Multiple second stripe structures 1321 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The second stripe structure 1321 can alleviate or avoid the adhesion problem of thin parts to the surface of the second buffer pad, ensuring that the goods on the surface of the support assembly 132 can be discharged smoothly.

[0159] In an optional embodiment, the temporary storage container 133 further includes a second cleaning component 1333, and the second cleaning component 1333 is provided on at least one side of the temporary storage container 133 away from the second unloading position. The free end of the second cleaning component 1333 can abut against the supporting component 132. The provision of the second cleaning component 1333 can ensure that all goods can be unloaded and prevent goods from being missed. Optionally, the second cleaning component 1333 can be provided at both the inclined side plate 13313 and the third side plate 13314.

[0160] It should be noted that a second buffer pad with a second stripe structure 1321 and a second cleaning component 1333 can be set simultaneously. Through the cooperation and synergistic effect of the second stripe structure 1321 and the second cleaning component 1333, the second cleaning component 1333 can achieve a brushing effect on the gaps between the second stripe structures 1321. The second cleaning component 1333 and the surface of the second buffer pad are in closer contact, thereby achieving a better movement effect for goods.

[0161] In an optional embodiment, the second cleaning component 1333 extends in the left-right direction and adopts a brush structure, which is simple in structure, low in cost, and conducive to ensuring the cleaning effect on the goods on the surface of the second buffer pad. In other embodiments, the second cleaning component 1333 may also adopt a structure such as a flexible silicone strip.

[0162] In an optional embodiment, the material rack 20 and the material handling device 10 are arranged in a front-to-back direction. The receiving module 13 also includes a guide slide plate 134. The supporting component 132 is connected to the guide slide plate 134 and arranged from front to back. The guide slide plate 134 is inclined downward from front to back. The arrangement of the guide slide plate 134 can better guide and direct the goods falling from the lower opening 13312 to the next work station, which facilitates the transfer of goods to the next work station and can avoid the problem of jamming during the transfer of goods to the next work station.

[0163] Specifically, the upper end of the guide slide 134 is connected to the side of the support assembly 132 near the second unloading position, and the guide slide 134 extends downward at an angle away from the second receiving position. When the temporary storage box 133 is in the second unloading position, the lower opening 13312 is at least partially located above the guide slide 134, so that the goods falling from the lower opening 13312 can slide downward under the guidance of the guide slide 134 for unloading, further improving the smoothness of unloading.

[0164] In an optional embodiment, at least two temporary storage boxes 133 are provided, with each temporary storage box 133 corresponding one-to-one with a material receiving module 12, thereby enabling the corresponding temporary storage box 133 to retrieve goods of a specific type or specific compartment. The arrangement of at least two temporary storage boxes 133 side-by-side in the left-right direction can effectively improve the working efficiency of the material receiving module 13.

[0165] To improve the ease of setting up the temporary storage box 133, the receiving module 13 also includes a support frame 131. The support frame 131 has multiple side-by-side and spaced movable spaces, each of which is equipped with a support component 132 and a temporary storage box 133. The box-moving mechanism 135 is mounted on the support frame 131. By setting up the support frame 131, it is easier to install the support component 132 and the box-moving mechanism 135, making the box-moving mechanism 135 form a more modular structure. Furthermore, a mounting plate 121 is mounted on the upper side of the support frame 131.

[0166] In one optional embodiment, two temporary storage boxes 133 are provided, and the box-moving mechanism 135 drives the two temporary storage boxes 133 to move synchronously, thereby reducing the number of drive structures in the receiving module 13, reducing drive costs, and simplifying the drive structure. In other embodiments, each temporary storage box 133 may be provided with a separate box-moving mechanism 135.

[0167] To further improve the synchronization of operation of multiple temporary storage boxes 133, adjacent temporary storage boxes 133 are connected by a synchronization connector 137. By forming two temporary storage boxes 133 into an integrated module, it is possible to prevent the integrated module from tilting in the left and right directions during its movement in the front-back direction. This ensures that the two temporary storage boxes 133 move in the front-back direction in a better synchronized manner and that the two temporary storage boxes 133 switch synchronously between the second receiving position, the second unloading position, and the transportation position.

[0168] The box-moving mechanism 135 includes a box-moving drive assembly 1351 and a box-moving transmission assembly 1352. The box-moving transmission assembly 1352 extends along a first direction and is connected to a transmission output component 1353. The transmission output component 1353 is connected to the temporary storage box 133. The box-moving drive assembly 1351 drives the box-moving transmission assembly 1352 to move, causing the transmission output component 1353 to move along the first direction. The first direction is the direction of movement of the temporary storage box 133. Specifically, the first direction is inclined relative to the front-back direction.

[0169] To simplify the structure of the box-moving mechanism 135, in one embodiment, a box-moving transmission assembly 1352 is provided on the side of the two temporary storage boxes 133 that are far apart from each other. The box-moving drive assembly 1351 is connected to both box-moving transmission assemblies 1352. Thus, by using the structure of two sets of box-moving transmission assemblies 1352 in conjunction with the two temporary storage boxes 133, the reliability of the synchronous movement of the two temporary storage boxes 133 is ensured, while the weight of the box-moving transmission assembly 1352 is reduced, thereby simplifying the structure of the receiving module 13 and reducing the cost of the material handling system.

[0170] In other embodiments, the two temporary storage boxes 133 can be set separately, and each temporary storage box 133 has a box moving transmission assembly 1352 on both sides.

[0171] In an optional embodiment, the box-moving drive assembly 1351 is disposed on the support frame 131, and the box-moving transmission assembly 1352 is a belt drive assembly. The box-moving transmission assembly 1352 includes a second driving wheel 13521, a second driven wheel 13522, and a second annular transmission belt 13523. The second driving wheel 13521 and the second driven wheel 13522 are rotatably disposed on the support frame 131. The box-moving drive assembly 1351 can drive the second driving wheel 13521 to rotate. The second annular transmission belt 13523 surrounds the outer periphery of the second driving wheel 13521 and the second driven wheel 13522 and is tensioned by the second driving wheel 13521 and the second driven wheel 13522. The temporary storage box 133 is fixedly connected to the second annular transmission belt 13523. When the box-moving drive assembly 1351 is working, it drives the second drive wheel 13521 to rotate. The second drive wheel 13521, in turn, drives the second drive wheel 13521 and the second annular transmission belt 13523 to rotate. The second annular transmission belt 13523 can drive the temporary storage box 133 to move in the front-back direction, thereby realizing the switching of the temporary storage box 133 between the second receiving position, the second unloading position and the transportation position. This box-moving mechanism 135 has the characteristics of simple structure, smooth transmission, shock absorption, no need for lubrication and easy maintenance.

[0172] In one optional embodiment, the box-moving mechanism 135 is a second linear guide assembly, which includes a second guide rail 1361 body and a second slider. The temporary storage box 133 is fixedly connected to the second slider, and the second guide rail 1361 body can drive the second slider to slide in the front-back direction. In other optional embodiments, the box-moving mechanism 135 can also be a lead screw and nut assembly, a gear and rack assembly, etc. All box-moving mechanisms 135 capable of realizing linear motion output are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment.

[0173] It should be noted that all temporary storage boxes 133 or at least two temporary storage boxes 133 can share one box moving drive component 1351, which can effectively reduce the number of box moving drive components 1351, effectively reduce the volume of receiving module 13, and realize the lightweight design of material handling device 10.

[0174] For example, such as Figure 19 and Figure 21As shown, the box moving drive assembly 1351 is located between two adjacent active spaces, that is, the box moving drive assembly 1351 is located in the middle of the two receiving modules 13 in the left and right direction, which can minimize the interference between the box moving drive assembly 1351 and other components.

[0175] Specifically, the box-moving drive assembly 1351 includes a dual-axis motor 13511 and a drive shaft 13512. The dual-axis motor 13511 has two parallel and relatively extending output shafts, each of which is connected to a drive shaft 13512. Both the drive shaft 13512 and the output shaft extend in the left-right direction, and the two drive shafts 13512 are respectively connected to the second drive wheels 13521 of the two box-moving drive assemblies 1352. When the dual-axis motor 13511 is working, the two output shafts of the dual-axis motor 13511 can rotate synchronously. Each output shaft can cause the corresponding second drive wheel 13521 to rotate synchronously through the corresponding drive shaft 13512, thereby realizing the synchronous forward or backward movement of the two temporary storage boxes 133.

[0176] For example, the output shaft and the corresponding drive shaft 13512 can be connected by a coupling, thereby achieving a stable coaxial connection between the output shaft and the corresponding drive shaft 13512. Of course, in other optional embodiments, the output shaft and the corresponding drive shaft 13512 can be coaxially fixedly connected by a snap-fit ​​structure, a magnetic structure, a screw structure, a bolt structure, etc. All structures that can achieve coaxial fixation between the output shaft and the corresponding drive shaft 13512 are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment, and the dual-axis motor 13511 can adopt the structure in the prior art, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0177] In other alternative embodiments, each temporary storage box 133 may be equipped with a separate set of moving mechanisms 135. In this way, the movement mode of each temporary storage box 133 can be controlled independently, and the temporary storage boxes 133 in different positions can be driven individually to achieve precise and corresponding unloading actions of the temporary storage boxes 133 towards the corresponding compartments.

[0178] Within the scope of protection of an alternative embodiment, such as Figure 19 As shown, the box-moving drive assembly 1351 and the temporary storage box 133 are located on both sides of the support assembly 132, with the temporary storage box 133 located above the support assembly 132 and the box-moving drive assembly 1351 located below the support assembly 132. This arrangement avoids interference from the box-moving drive assembly 1351 during the movement of the temporary storage box 133, ensuring smooth movement of the temporary storage box 133. Furthermore, the modular structure composed of the two integrally connected receiving modules 13 has its overall center of gravity tilted downwards, preventing the module structure from tipping over during movement.

[0179] In an alternative embodiment, such as Figure 19 and Figure 22 As shown, the receiving module 13 also includes a receiving guide component 136. The receiving guide component 136 includes a second guide rail 1361 and a sliding block 1362. The second guide rail 1361 extends along the first direction and is disposed on the support frame 131. The sliding block 1362 is fixedly connected to the temporary storage box 133 and slidably connected to the second guide rail 1361, which can achieve a better guiding effect on the movement of the temporary storage box 133 in the front and back directions.

[0180] In other embodiments, the receiving guide assembly 136 may also be a guide groove extending along a first direction on the support frame 131. The temporary storage box 133 includes a slider structure that is inserted into the guide groove and can slide along the guide groove. Through the cooperation of the guide groove and the slider structure, a better guiding effect can be achieved for the movement of the temporary storage box 133 along the first direction. It should be noted that the structure of the receiving guide assembly 136 is not limited to the two structures mentioned above. All receiving guide assemblies 136 disposed between the support frame 131 and the temporary storage box 133 that can achieve the guiding effect for the temporary storage box 133 in the front-back direction are within the protection scope of this optional embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0181] It should be noted that the receiving guide component 136 can be set as a group. A group of receiving guide components 136 has a simple structure and can ensure that the receiving module 13 has a simple structure and small size, thus realizing the lightweight design of the receiving module 13.

[0182] It should be noted that the receiving guide component 136 can also be set to two, three, four, etc. Setting at least two receiving guide components 136 can improve the guiding effect on the movement of the temporary storage box 133 in the front-back direction and can avoid the problem of left-right deviation during the movement of the temporary storage box 133 in the front-back direction.

[0183] Furthermore, two adjacent temporary storage boxes 133 share a material receiving guide assembly 136, and both temporary storage boxes 133 are connected to the sliding block 1362 of the material receiving guide assembly 136 located in the middle. This ensures the stability of movement of the two temporary storage boxes 133 while reducing the number of material receiving guide assemblies 136, reducing weight, and lowering costs.

[0184] The synchronous connector 137 is connected to the sliding block 1362 of the intermediate receiving guide assembly 136 to achieve simultaneous connection of the sliding block 1362 with two adjacent temporary storage boxes 133. This arrangement can further enhance the guiding accuracy of the two connected temporary storage boxes 133 in the front-back direction, further avoid the problem of left-right deviation during the front-back direction movement of the temporary storage boxes 133, and further ensure that the temporary storage boxes 133 can accurately switch between the second receiving position, the second unloading position, and the transportation position.

[0185] In an optional embodiment, box connectors 1332 are provided on opposite sides of the temporary storage box body 1331, and the box connectors 1332 are connected to the synchronous connector 137 and the transmission output component 1353. The provision of the box connectors 1332 improves the connection convenience between the temporary storage box body 133 and the box moving mechanism 135 and the material receiving guide assembly 136, and enhances the ease of assembly and disassembly of the material receiving module 13. The box connectors 1332 are preferably elongated strip structures extending along the first direction to enhance the overall structural strength of the temporary storage box body 133 and facilitate the adjustment of the connection position between the box connectors 1332 and the transmission output component and the sliding block 1362.

[0186] To facilitate understanding of the working process of the material handling system 100, the following is a summary: Figures 10-14 and Figure 19 The working process of the material handling system 100 is described below:

[0187] like Figure 10 As shown, the material rack 20 is provided with multiple slots, each slot holding a corresponding material box 30. The material picking and placing device 10 can move along the extension direction of the material rack guide rail 26 and the extension direction of the auxiliary guide rail 40. That is, the material picking and placing device 10 can move in the left and right direction relative to the material rack guide rail 26 and the auxiliary guide rail 40. The lifting mechanism 14 can drive the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 to move in the up and down direction. Through the combined movement in the left and right and up and down directions, the picking module 12 and the receiving module 13 can be set approximately opposite to the material box 30 to be obtained in the front and back direction.

[0188] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the lifting mechanism 14 drives the material picking module 12 to a position where the hook 12251 is located below the insertion slot 324. Then, the lifting mechanism 14 drives the material picking module 12 to move upward so that the hook 12251 is inserted into the slot of the insertion slot 324 between the first plate 321 and the second plate 323, thereby realizing the docking of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32.

[0189] Next, as Figure 12 as well as Figure 13As shown, the box-moving mechanism 122 drives the first docking member 1225 to move away from the material rack 20 along the first direction, so that the material box 30 moves from front to back; at the same time, the box-moving mechanism 135 drives the temporary storage box 133 to move from back to front. The material box 30 has a lower opening 311 and is a bottomless hollow box. After the material box 30 is pulled out, the goods will fall from the lower opening 311. The fallen goods will enter the interior of the temporary storage box body 1331 through the upper opening 13311, thereby completing the material retrieval action.

[0190] It should be noted that when there is a gap between the frame 11 and the rack 20 in the front-to-back direction, at least part of the temporary storage box 133 needs to move into the gap between the frame 11 and the rack 20 before the box 30 extends out of the rack 20. This can prevent the goods falling out of the lower opening 311 from being unacceptable.

[0191] like Figure 13 As shown, after the open opening 311 and the upper opening 13311 are aligned vertically for a period of time, all the goods inside the material box 30 fall into the temporary storage box 133.

[0192] Next, the box-moving mechanism 122 drives the first docking member 1225 to move from back to front, thereby causing the material box 30 to move from back to front, thus restoring the material box 30 to the first receiving position on the material rack 20; at the same time, the box-moving mechanism 135 drives the temporary storage box 133 to move from front to back, the temporary storage box 133 is in the transportation position for transportation, the supporting component 132 can completely block the lower opening 13312, and the accommodating space formed by the temporary storage box 133 and the supporting component 132 can store and accommodate the goods.

[0193] like Figure 11 and 14 As shown, the lifting mechanism 14 drives the material picking module 12 to move downward, so that the hook 12251 located between the first plate portion 321 and the second plate portion 323 separates from the second docking member 32 through the lower slot of the insertion groove 324, thereby realizing the separation of the first docking member 1225 and the second docking member 32; thereafter, the box moving drive assembly drives the first docking member 1225 to return to the initial position.

[0194] Next, as Figure 10 As shown, the material handling device 10 can move to the corresponding unloading position, such as... Figure 19 As shown, the box-moving mechanism 135 drives the temporary storage box 133 to move backward and position it in the second unloading position. At this time, the supporting component 132 can open the lower opening 13312, allowing the goods to fall out, thereby realizing the rapid unloading action of the receiving module 13. Exemplary unloading positions include, but are not limited to, packing machines 310, transfer mechanisms, conveyor lines, etc.

[0195] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hopper for use with a load-bearing component, characterized in that, The material box has an upper opening (315) and a lower opening (311) arranged and connected in the vertical direction. The material box can switch between a first receiving position where the lower opening (311) is blocked by the bearing component and a first unloading position where the lower opening (311) is opened by the bearing component. When the material bin is in the first receiving position, the material bin and the bearing component together form a storage space for accommodating goods; When the hopper is in the first unloading position, the lower opening (311) can serve as the unloading channel for the goods in the accommodating space.

2. The material bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hopper includes a hopper body (31) and a roller assembly (33) disposed thereon, the roller assembly (33) being able to roll relative to the bearing component.

3. The material bin according to claim 2, characterized in that, The roller assembly (33) includes a mounting frame (331) and a roller (332). The mounting frame (331) is disposed on the material box body (31), and the roller (332) is rotatably connected to the mounting frame (331). And / or, the roller assembly (33) includes at least two rollers (332) that are rotatable relative to the hopper body (31), and the at least two rollers (332) are spaced apart along a first direction that is perpendicular to the up and down direction.

4. The material bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material box includes a first side plate (312) and a second side plate (313) arranged along a first direction. The first side plate (312) includes an inclined surface (3121) and a vertical surface (3122). The inclined surface (3121) is inclined from top to bottom along the direction toward the second side plate (313). The first direction is perpendicular to the up and down direction.

5. The material bin according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hopper also includes a vertical surface (3122), which is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface (3121) and is perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The material bin according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hopper includes a hopper body (31) and a roller assembly (32). The hopper body (31) has a first side plate (312) and a second side plate (313). The roller assembly (32) is provided on both opposite sides of the hopper body (31) in a second direction. The roller assembly (32) extends along the first direction and includes a plurality of rollers (332) spaced apart along the first direction. The end of the roller assembly (332) near the first side plate (312) extends out of the first side plate (312).

7. The material bin according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hopper also includes a reinforcing member (314), which is fixedly connected to the inclined surface (3121) and the vertical surface (3122) respectively.

8. The hopper according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, A first cleaning component (34) is provided on the outside of one side of the material box, and the free end of the first cleaning component (34) can abut against the bearing component.

9. A material distribution rack, characterized in that, It includes a rack (20) having the said support assembly and a bin as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The material distribution rack according to claim 9, characterized in that, The material bin moves along a first direction from the first receiving position to the first unloading position. The material bin includes a material bin body (31) and a roller assembly (33) disposed at the bottom. The material rack (20) includes a rack body (22) and a first docking track (23) disposed thereon. The first docking track (23) extends along the first direction and has a first guide groove (2311) with a first inlet (23111). The roller assembly (33) can enter the first guide groove (2311) through the first inlet (23111) and roll along the first guide groove (2311); and / or The bearing component is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and the bearing component is inclined upward from the first receiving position to the first unloading position. The material rack (20) includes a stop limiting member (25), which is disposed on the lower side of the bearing component and cooperates with the material box to restrict the material box to the first receiving position.

11. The material distribution rack according to claim 10, characterized in that, The bearing components are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the material boxes. Each bearing component is provided with two first docking rails (23) on both sides of the second direction. The material box body (31) is provided with roller assemblies (33) on both sides of the second direction. The roller assemblies (33) are arranged in the first guide groove (2311) on the corresponding side. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. And / or, the first guide groove (2311) includes a first inlet section (23112) and a second guide section (23113) connected in sequence, the first inlet section (23112) has the first inlet (23111), and the width of the first inlet section (23112) gradually increases along the first direction; And / or, the first docking track (23) includes a docking track body (231) and a guide plate (232), the first guide groove (2311) is disposed on the docking track body (231), the guide plate (232) is disposed at one end of the docking track body (231) away from the first inlet (23111) and is connected to the lower plate of the docking track body (231), the guide plate (232) is inclined downward in the direction away from the first inlet (23111) and forms a temporary storage space together with the stop limiting member (25), at least part of the roller assembly (33) can be accommodated in the temporary storage space; And / or, the rack (20) further includes an abutment layer (24), the abutment layer (24) is disposed on the inner wall surface of the first guide groove (2311), the free end face of the abutment layer (24) is provided in a concave-convex shape, and the roller assembly (33) can roll along the free end face of the abutment layer (24).

12. The material distribution rack according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The material rack (20) is provided with an abutment layer (24), the free end face of the abutment layer (24) is a concave-convex surface, at least part of the material box abuts against the concave-convex surface and can move along the concave-convex surface.

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