E-commerce order sorting line and sorting method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an e-commerce order sorting line and a sorting method thereof. The e-commerce order sorting line comprises a tray overturning sorting machine, a material frame conveying line, a box pushing mechanism, an automatic code reading camera and a control system. The tray overturning sorting machine is provided with a plurality of trays used for bearing single commodities. The automatic code reading camera is installed above the tray overturning sorting machine and used for reading bar code information of commodities. The material frame conveying line comprises a full frame conveying line and an empty frame conveying line which are used for conveying material frames full of order commodities and returning empty material frames. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that 1500 orders can be processed per hour through cooperative work of automatic equipment, compared with traditional manual sorting, the efficiency is improved by 20 times, the error rate is reduced to 0.05% or below, the labor cost is reduced by 60%, the method is suitable for multi-variety, small-batch and high-frequency e-commerce order processing scenes, and the method is suitable for popularization and application. And particularly, the order overstock can be effectively avoided in the sales promotion peak period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to, and more particularly to, an e-commerce order sorting line and sorting method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of e-commerce, e-commerce orders are characterized by a wide variety of products, small batches, high frequency, and high response speed requirements. The quantity and value of goods in a single order are relatively small, but the total number of orders is huge and scattered, which puts forward stringent requirements for sorting efficiency and accuracy.

[0003] Currently, e-commerce order sorting mainly relies on manual processing. Its core process is "manual memorization of picking routes + walking and picking," which presents the following significant problems: Low efficiency: Pickers walk an average distance of over 10 kilometers per day, with an order processing efficiency of only 20-30 orders per hour. This results in regular order processing times exceeding 24 hours, severe order backlogs during peak promotional periods, and delivery cycles extended to 3-5 days; Low accuracy: The error rate in manual sorting is as high as 0.3%-0.5%, further increasing during promotional events like "Double 11," leading to a 15% increase in customer complaints; High costs: Labor costs account for over 30% of total operating costs. Temporary worker training costs are high during major promotions, and operational errors account for 35% of total losses. Furthermore, the daily turnover rate reaches 2% during peak periods, with a weekly attrition rate of 14%; Path planning defects: Traditional S-shaped picking routes result in 30% repetitive walking, a single-item picking error rate of 0.5%, and errors reaching 50 per 10,000 orders per day, with significant batch confusion issues. Although some companies have tried to introduce automated equipment, existing solutions often suffer from problems such as complex structure, high maintenance costs, or insufficient compatibility, making it difficult to adapt to the dynamic demand of "small batches and multiple shipments" in e-commerce orders.

[0004] Therefore, developing an efficient, accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-maintain automated sorting system for e-commerce orders has become the key to solving the current pain points in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main technical problem solved by this invention is to provide an e-commerce order sorting line and sorting method, thereby solving one or more of the above-mentioned prior art problems.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts a technical solution as follows: an e-commerce order sorting line, the innovation of which is: including a flip-top sorting machine, a material frame conveyor line, a box pushing mechanism, an automatic barcode reader camera and a control system;

[0007] The flip-top sorting machine is equipped with multiple trays for carrying single items;

[0008] The automatic barcode reader is installed above the flip-top sorting machine and is used to read product barcode information;

[0009] The material frame conveying line includes a full frame conveying line and an empty frame conveying line, which are used to convey material frames filled with ordered goods and return empty material frames, respectively.

[0010] The box-pushing mechanism corresponds to the grid setting of the flip-top sorting machine and is used to push the full frame of collected goods from the completed order to the full frame conveyor line;

[0011] The control system is electrically connected to the flip-top sorting machine, the automatic barcode reader, and the box-pushing mechanism, respectively. Based on the product barcode information, it controls the box-pushing mechanism to allocate the products to the corresponding compartment boxes.

[0012] In some embodiments, the flip-top sorting machine includes a loop support frame with multiple flipping components evenly distributed on the loop support frame, the tray is disposed on the flipping components, and the slots are disposed on the outside of the loop support frame.

[0013] In some embodiments, the flipping assembly includes a flipping motor and a flipping bracket disposed on the flipping motor, with the tray disposed on the flipping bracket.

[0014] In some implementations, the material frame conveyor line adopts an upper and lower layer layout, with the lower layer conveyor line being a full-frame conveyor line used to transport full frames to the packing table, and the upper layer conveyor line being an empty-frame conveyor line used to return empty frames to the flip-top sorting machine slot.

[0015] In some implementations, the number of trays in the flip-top sorter corresponds one-to-one with the number of compartments, and each compartment holds a material frame for one order.

[0016] In some embodiments, the box-pushing mechanism includes a pusher cylinder disposed outside the empty frame conveyor line and a pusher plate disposed at the end of the pusher cylinder.

[0017] In some implementations, the trigger condition for the pusher mechanism is: the control system determines that the corresponding grid box has collected all the goods of the current order.

[0018] In some embodiments, a packing station is also included, connected to the end of the full-frame conveyor line, for manually removing and packing goods.

[0019] An e-commerce order sorting method, characterized by the following steps:

[0020] (a) Individual items picked from the warehouse batch are manually placed onto the pallets of the flip-top sorting machine;

[0021] (b) An automatic barcode reader reads the product barcode and transmits it to the control system;

[0022] (c) The control system identifies the order to which the product belongs based on the barcode information, controls the flip-top sorter to allocate the product to the corresponding compartment of the material frame, and determines the target compartment of the product by binding the product barcode with the order information.

[0023] (d) When the material box of a compartment is full of the goods of an order, the pushing mechanism pushes the empty material box waiting on its empty box conveyor line and pushes the full material box to the full box conveyor line. At this time, the full material box at that compartment will be replaced by an empty material box.

[0024] (e) The full material frame is conveyed to the packing table via the full material conveyor line to complete the packing. The empty material frame is returned to the flip-top sorting machine via the empty frame conveyor line to wait for the next batch of sorting.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This technical solution achieves the processing of 1,500 orders per hour through the collaborative work of automated equipment, which is 20 times more efficient than traditional manual sorting, reduces the error rate to below 0.05%, and reduces labor costs by 60%. It is suitable for e-commerce order processing scenarios with multiple varieties, small batches, and high frequency, and can effectively avoid order backlog, especially during promotional peak periods. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a top view of an e-commerce order sorting line according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a partial top view of an e-commerce order sorting line according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a front view of a flip-top sorting machine for an e-commerce order sorting line according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a front view of the material frame conveyor and pusher mechanism of an e-commerce order sorting line according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A partial structural diagram. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment of the invention includes an e-commerce order sorting line, mainly composed of a flip-top sorter 100, a material frame conveyor line 200, a box-pushing mechanism, an automatic barcode reader 500, and a control system. The flip-top sorter 100, as the core sorting equipment, is equipped with multiple trays 130 for carrying single items, each tray 130 corresponding to one item to be sorted. The automatic barcode reader 500 is installed above the flip-top sorter 100, reading the product barcode information in real time and transmitting it to the control system. The material frame conveyor line 200 adopts an upper and lower layer layout 201. The lower layer 201 is a full-frame conveyor line, used to convey full-loaded material frames to the packing table 400, and the upper layer 202 is an empty-frame conveyor line, used to return empty material frames to the slots of the flip-top sorter 100. The box-pushing mechanism is set corresponding to each slot of the flip-top sorter 100, used to push full-loaded frames containing collected order items to the full-load conveyor line. The control system is electrically connected to the flip-top sorter 100, the automatic barcode reader 500, and the box-pushing mechanism, and controls the coordinated operation of each component based on the product barcode information.

[0034] The flip-top sorting machine 100 includes a loop-type support frame 110, on which multiple flipping components 120 are evenly distributed. Each flipping component 120 includes a flipping motor 121 and a flipping bracket 122, with a tray 130 fixed to the flipping bracket 122. The outer side of the loop-type support frame 110 has multiple slots, with the number of trays 130 corresponding one-to-one with the number of slots. Each slot contains a material frame for collecting goods from a single order. During operation, the flipping motor 121 drives the flipping bracket 122 to flip the trays 130, accurately placing the goods into the corresponding material frame of the slot.

[0035] The material frame conveyor line 200 adopts an upper and lower layer 201 roller conveyor structure: the end of the full frame conveyor line of the lower layer 201 is connected to the packing table 400, which is used to transport the material frames filled with goods to the manual packing area; the starting point of the empty frame conveyor line of the upper layer 202 is located near the packing table 400, and the ending point is connected to the grid of the flip-top sorting machine 100. After being sorted manually, the empty material frames are returned to the grid by the upper layer 202 conveyor line, waiting for the next batch of sorting.

[0036] The pushing mechanism consists of a pushing cylinder 301 and a pushing plate 302. The pushing cylinder 301 is installed outside the empty frame conveyor line, and the pushing plate 302 is fixed to the end of the piston rod of the pushing cylinder 301. When the control system determines that a certain slot has collected all the goods of the current order, the pushing cylinder 301 drives the pushing plate 302 to push the full frame out of the slot, so that it enters the lower layer 201 full frame conveyor line. At the same time, the empty frames on the empty frame conveyor line are pushed to that slot, completing the frame replacement.

[0037] The automatic barcode reader 500 uses a high-definition industrial camera and is installed above the entrance of the flip-top sorter 100. It can quickly identify barcode information when goods pass through (identification speed ≤ 0.1 seconds / item). The control system uses a PLC controller with a built-in order allocation algorithm. By binding the pre-stored product barcodes with order information, it calculates the target slot of the product in real time and sends a flipping command to the flip-top sorter 100 to ensure that the product falls accurately into the corresponding material box.

[0038] The implementation steps of the e-commerce order sorting method are as follows:

[0039] Manual product placement: 3-4 operators will pick out the products in batches from the warehouse and place them one by one onto the pallet 130 of the flip-top sorting machine 100 (each person can place about 500 products per hour).

[0040] Barcode recognition and order matching: The flip-top sorter 100 moves the pallet 130 to below the automatic barcode reader 500. The camera reads the product barcode and transmits it to the control system. The system identifies the order to which the product belongs based on the barcode information and determines the target compartment location.

[0041] Product sorting and loading: The control system sends a command to the flipping component 120 corresponding to the target compartment, and the flipping motor 121 drives the tray 130 to flip, putting the product into the material box of that compartment; each compartment's material box corresponds to only one order, ensuring that products are not mixed.

[0042] Full-frame push and empty-frame return: When a frame in a certain compartment is filled with all the goods of an order (determined by real-time counting by the control system), the pusher mechanism moves and pushes the full frame to the lower layer 201 full-frame conveyor line, which then transports it to the packing table 400. At the same time, empty frames on the upper layer 202 empty-frame conveyor line are pushed to that compartment, waiting to receive the goods of the next order.

[0043] Packaging and Empty Frame Recycling: The 400-packing station operator removes and packages the goods from the full frames. The empty frames are manually sorted and then returned to the upper 202 empty frame conveyor line, flowing back to the 100-grid flipper sorter for recycling.

[0044] The e-commerce order sorting line in this embodiment achieves a processing capacity of 1,500 orders per hour through the collaborative work of automated equipment. Compared with traditional manual sorting, this is 20 times more efficient, reduces the error rate to below 0.05%, and reduces labor costs by 60%. It is suitable for e-commerce order processing scenarios with multiple varieties, small batches, and high frequency, and can effectively avoid order backlog, especially during peak promotional periods.

[0045] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An e-commerce order sorting line, characterized in that: The e-commerce order sorting line includes a flip-top sorter (100), a material frame conveyor (200), a box pushing mechanism, an automatic barcode reader (500), and a control system; The flip-top sorting machine (100) is equipped with multiple trays (130) for carrying single items; The automatic barcode reader (500) is installed above the flip-top sorting machine (100) and is used to read product barcode information; The material frame conveying line (200) includes a full frame conveying line and an empty frame conveying line, which are used to convey material frames filled with ordered goods and return empty material frames, respectively. The push box mechanism corresponds to the grid setting of the flip-top sorting machine (100) and is used to push the full frame of completed order goods collection to the full frame conveyor line; The control system is electrically connected to the flipping sorter (100), the automatic barcode reader (500), and the box pushing mechanism, respectively, and controls the box pushing mechanism to allocate the goods to the corresponding compartments according to the product barcode information.

2. The e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping sorting machine (100) includes a loop support frame (110), on which multiple flipping components (120) are evenly distributed. The tray (130) is disposed on the flipping component (120), and the slot is disposed on the outside of the loop support frame (110).

3. The e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flipping assembly (120) includes a flipping motor (121) and a flipping bracket (122) disposed on the flipping motor (121), and the tray (130) is disposed on the flipping bracket (122).

4. The e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material frame conveying line (200) adopts an upper and lower layer (201) layout. The lower layer (201) conveying line is a full frame conveying line, which is used to convey full frames to the packing table (400). The upper layer (202) conveying line is an empty frame conveying line, which is used to return empty frames to the compartment of the flip-top sorting machine (100).

5. An e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of trays (130) of the flip-top sorting machine (100) corresponds one-to-one with the number of compartments, and the material frame placed in each compartment is used to correspond to one order.

6. The e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing mechanism includes a push cylinder (301) located outside the empty frame conveyor line and a push plate (302) located at the end of the push cylinder (301).

7. An e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger condition for the pusher mechanism is: the control system determines that the corresponding grid box has collected all the goods of the current order.

8. An e-commerce order sorting line according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a packing table (400), which is connected to the end of the full-frame conveyor line for manually taking out and packing goods.

9. A method for sorting e-commerce orders, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: (a) Individual items picked from the warehouse batch are manually placed onto the pallet (130) of the flip-top sorting machine (100); (b) An automatic barcode reader (500) reads the product barcode and transmits it to the control system; (c) The control system identifies the order to which the product belongs based on the barcode information, and controls the flip-top sorting machine (100) to allocate the product to the corresponding grid box. The control system determines the target grid box of the product through the binding relationship between the product barcode and the order information. (d) When the material box of a compartment is full of the goods of an order, the pushing mechanism pushes the empty material box waiting on its empty box conveyor line and pushes the full material box to the full box conveyor line. At this time, the full material box at that compartment will be replaced by an empty material box. (e) The full material frame is conveyed to the packing table (400) via the full material conveyor line to complete the packing. The empty material frame is returned to the flipping sorter (100) via the empty frame conveyor line to wait for the next batch of sorting.

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