After-supplement refrigeration house and self-service vending method based on after-supplement refrigeration house

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of self-service vending, in particular to a back-filling type refrigeration house and a self-service vending method based on the back-filling type refrigeration house. The back-filling type refrigeration house comprises a back-filling type refrigeration house body which is a remote unit refrigeration house, at least a refrigeration subarea and a freezing subarea are arranged in the back-filling type refrigeration house body, and each subarea is provided with a corresponding temperature regulation and control module; and an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse goods taking robot for storing and taking goods and a storage goods channel matched with the goods type are arranged in each subarea. According to the after-replenishment cold storage and the unmanned vending method based on the after-replenishment cold storage, cold chain storage limitation is broken through, the seasonal supply problem is solved, full-process automation of replenishment is achieved, manual dependence and safety risks are reduced, order processing efficiency is optimized, user and deliveryman experience is remarkably improved, full-link cold chain coverage is achieved, and goods quality is guaranteed to reach the tail end.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned vending, in particular to a post-supplementing cold storage and an unmanned vending method based on the post-supplementing cold storage. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the upgrading of consumption patterns and the acceleration of life pace, unmanned vending has become an important development direction in the retail field due to its advantages of “24-hour service and no need for manual attendance”. In particular, in the category of seasonal demand such as cold drinks and ice products, consumers' demand for “instant access and quality preservation” is increasingly strong. At the same time, the consumption of cold drinks and ice products increases sharply in the summer high-temperature season, and online procurement has become the mainstream consumption mode. The traditional retail and existing unmanned vending systems gradually expose many technical defects and are difficult to meet market demand.

[0003] Firstly, the refrigeration / freezing equipment of traditional convenience stores has obvious limitations. Existing convenience stores mostly use small display cabinet type refrigeration / freezing devices, which have limited capacity and can only achieve single or simple temperature zone separation. In the summer high-temperature season, there is a problem of “insufficient supply of suitable temperature drinks / ice products”, which requires frequent restocking by staff. Chinese patent CN218260872U discloses a logistics code cargo robot for cold storage, which realizes cold preservation during the cargo grabbing process through a refrigerating device. However, this equipment is only for the internal cargo coding scene of the cold storage and does not solve the integrated demand of “whole box restocking - automatic unloading - zoned storage” in the convenience store scene. Its single robot arm design also cannot cope with the parallel sorting of multi-category goods. The repeated opening of the display cabinet door during manual restocking leads to a large amount of cold loss, which not only increases energy consumption, but also may affect the quality of goods due to temperature fluctuations. At the same time, in the context of aging, convenience stores are facing the dilemma of “difficulty in recruiting and high labor costs”, and the limitations of manual restocking are further highlighted.

[0004] Secondly, existing unmanned vending equipment is difficult to adapt to the complex needs of cold chain categories. The current mainstream unmanned vending machines are mostly small cabinet structures, which can only realize basic refrigeration functions, and have two major problems: first, the storage capacity is small, which cannot meet the demand for goods storage during the summer peak period, and frequent manual restocking is required, which still relies on manual labor; second, there is a lack of intelligent sorting and order response capability. Chinese patent CN223245111U discloses a face sheet scanning device for express sorting, which realizes package sorting through buffer transmission and scanning mechanism, but this technology is aimed at express face sheet recognition and cannot be directly applied to cold drink, ice cream and other non-face sheet goods category recognition, and does not involve online order pre-order function design. The existing equipment does not set up a "back-up storage", and the goods are directly exposed to the vending area, which is in a long-term environment of frequent opening and closing, and the cold chain stability is poor, and the automatic process of "full-box restocking - automatic unpacking - classified storage" cannot be realized, and the restocking efficiency is low.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a cold chain break and efficiency bottleneck in the online order processing link. When purchasing cold drinks and ice cream online, the traditional process needs to rely on the manual picking of convenience store staff, and then hand over to the delivery personnel: on the one hand, manual picking needs to find goods one by one from the refrigeration / freezing cabinet, which is inefficient and prone to picking errors, especially during the peak period, which can cause delivery personnel to wait for a long time; on the other hand, after picking, the goods need to be taken out of the cold chain environment (such as placed in a normal temperature delivery box), which can easily cause quality decline in high summer temperature. Although CN218260872U mentions refrigeration function, it does not extend to the whole link cold chain coverage of "order temporary storage - last mile delivery", which cannot guarantee "whole cold chain"; in addition, the existing system does not design special cold chain devices for end delivery, and the temperature out of control problem further reduces the consumer experience.

[0006] Finally, the existing unmanned vending scene lacks a "full-process automation" system design. Although some smart convenience stores claim to "liberate the store owner", they only realize "unmanned cash register" or "simple self-service goods picking", and users still need to find the refrigeration / freezing area in the store and pick goods, which does not truly "liberate the user"; and the existing system does not integrate the complete link of "automatic restocking - intelligent sorting - order preparation - cold chain temporary storage - delivery", and each link is independent and relies on manual connection. For example, in the existing technology, restocking needs to manually unpack the goods and put them into the vending machine channel one by one, and order preparation needs to manually check the goods, which not only is inefficient, but also can affect service quality due to human operation errors, which is a significant gap from the automated sorting concept embodied in CN223245111U, and does not form a technical closed loop. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application aims to provide a post-supplement refrigeration house and an unmanned vending method based on the post-supplement refrigeration house to solve the problem that the existing unmanned vending equipment is difficult to adapt to the complex needs of cold chain categories in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a post-supplement refrigeration house, which comprises a post-supplement refrigeration house body, is a remote unit refrigeration house, and is internally provided with at least a refrigeration subzone and a freezing subzone, each subzone is configured with a corresponding temperature regulation module, and each subzone is internally provided with an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot for goods storage and retrieval and a storage goods channel adapted to the type of goods; A replenishment system comprises a replenishment conveyor belt, a first recognition system and a second recognition system. One end of the replenishment conveyor belt extends to a convenience store replenishment area, the other end penetrates into the replenishment port of the post-supplement refrigeration house body, and is used to transport external goods into the refrigeration house to avoid personnel entering the refrigeration house. The first recognition system comprises an intelligent recognition unit and a disassembly robot, the intelligent recognition unit is used to distinguish whether the goods are in a whole box or in bulk, and the disassembly robot is used to disassemble the whole box. The second recognition system comprises an intelligent recognition unit and a sorting robot, the intelligent recognition unit is used to distinguish the product category of bulk goods, and the sorting robot is used to sort different types of goods into the corresponding storage goods channel of the refrigeration subzone or the freezing subzone. An order processing system comprises a user interaction module, an order scheduling module and a temporary storage area. The user interaction module is used for user ordering and receiving a picking code. The order scheduling module is used to control the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot to extract goods from the corresponding storage goods channel after receiving the order, and to transfer the goods to the temporary storage area, which is a three-dimensional storage system. The order scheduling module is also used to generate a picking code bound to the order and send it to the user through the user interaction module. A user picking area comprises at least one picking window and an interaction device. When the user inputs the picking code or scans the code for verification through the interaction device, the goods of the corresponding order in the temporary storage area are transferred to the picking window through the three-dimensional storage system, and the picking window is automatically opened for the user to pick up the goods.

[0009] This setting solves the problem of low efficiency of manual storage and retrieval and single temperature zone in traditional refrigeration houses. The multi-temperature zone design adapts to the coexistence needs of cold drinks and ice products, and the XYZ-axis robot replaces manual storage and retrieval, improves efficiency and avoids cold loss (as there is no need to frequently open the door). This setting solves the problem of manual disassembly and sorting, which is prone to errors and labor-intensive. The double recognition system and the robot realize unmanned replenishment, avoid the safety risk of personnel entering the low-temperature environment, and adapt to the recognition of unmarked bulk goods. Solve the problem of "users to store goods, waiting for a long time": online pre-order + automatic inventory + scan code to get goods, shorten the time to get goods, realize "liberate users", break through the existing limitations of "liberate store owners" only.

[0010] In this embodiment, it also includes a delivery module, which contains a packaging device and a delivery robot; the packaging device is used for packaging the order goods to be delivered; the storage cavity of the delivery robot is provided with a refrigeration or freezing temperature control module for accommodating the packaged goods and delivering the goods to the specified address according to the time set by the user in the interactive module.

[0011] This setting solves the problem of "online procurement of cold chain goods last mile deterioration": the temperature control storage cavity of the delivery robot replaces the traditional normal temperature takeout box, maintaining the temperature of the goods throughout the whole process (such as ice cream - 18℃ below, drinks 2-8℃), avoiding quality loss caused by high temperature in summer; meet the user's "stay-at-home delivery" demand: adapt to the mainstream trend of online procurement, especially for busy working groups, realize the scene of "lying on the sofa to order cold drinks", and improve the consumer experience.

[0012] Specifically, the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area is any of the following forms: a) Multi-layer storage structure same as the structure of the vertical garage, configured with a tray robot for transferring goods; b) Multi-grid storage cabinet same as the structure of the express cabinet, each grid is independently configured with a refrigeration or freezing temperature control module.

[0013] This setting improves the adaptability of the system: convenience stores can choose the form according to the space size (space large a, space small b), avoiding the problem of "single structure cannot adapt to different sites"; guarantee the quality of temporary storage goods: both forms have temperature control function, avoiding the goods out of cold chain in the temporary storage stage, solving the pain point of existing "normal temperature temporary storage leading to quality decline".

[0014] Further, the intelligent identification unit of the first identification system adopts at least one of the following identification methods: AI image recognition, gravity identification, and multi-point grating identification; the first identification system only restricts the identification result of "distinguishing whole box goods / bulk goods", without limiting the identification method and timing.

[0015] This setting breaks through the "single identification method compatibility problem": for example, AI image recognition is suitable for goods with clear appearance, gravity recognition is suitable for scenarios where the weight difference of whole / bulk goods is obvious, and multi-mode selection allows the system to adapt to goods with different packaging (such as unlabeled bulk ice cream and transparent packaged drinks); reduce the difficulty of technology landing: do not limit the identification method and timing, enterprises can choose the optimal solution according to cost and technology maturity, without being limited by a single technology, which is conducive to large-scale promotion.

[0016] Further, the intelligent identification unit of the second identification system adopts at least one of the following identification methods: AI image recognition, color recognition, and gravity recognition; the sorting mechanical arm can be a single machine arm for instant sorting, multiple machine arms for synchronous sorting, or a delayed process sorting, which only constrains the result of "sorting by product category to the corresponding partition", and does not limit the sorting timing and the number of machine arms.

[0017] This setting improves sorting compatibility and efficiency: multiple identification methods adapt to different categories of goods (such as color recognition to distinguish green tea with green packaging and iced green tea with red packaging, and AI recognition to distinguish ice cream with no color difference); multiple machine arms can be used for synchronous sorting to cope with the summer peak of replenishment and avoid congestion; reduce system operation and maintenance costs: allow delayed process sorting, which can be concentrated during off-peak hours to reduce equipment idle time; do not limit the number of machine arms, and enterprises can flexibly configure according to the replenishment amount to avoid resource waste.

[0018] Further, the number of partitions of the after-supplementing cold storage body can be expanded, in addition to refrigeration partitions and freezing partitions, -40°C low-temperature partitions and 0°C fresh-keeping partitions can also be added, and each expanded partition is independently configured with a temperature regulation module and an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot.

[0019] This setting expands the application scenarios of the system: from "only suitable for cold drinks / ice products" to "multiple categories of cold chain goods" (such as yogurt, seafood, and frozen food), allowing convenience stores to diversify cold chain goods and increase revenue; avoid the problem of "replacing equipment due to increased categories": expanding partitions does not require reconfiguring the entire system, only the corresponding temperature zones and robots need to be added, reducing upgrade costs and extending the life cycle of the equipment.

[0020] Further, it also includes a tray cleaning system that is linked with the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area. After the user picks up the goods, the tray cleaning system automatically cleans, disinfects, and dries the empty tray, and the processed empty tray is transferred to the standby tray area of the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot.

[0021] This setting solves the "hygiene problem caused by tray recycling": avoids goods pollution caused by tray residual stains and bacteria (especially for direct contact cold drink packaging), meets food safety requirements; reduces manual cleaning cost: automated cleaning replaces manual wiping, reduces single store labor demand, and cleaning efficiency is higher (can realize "cleaning immediately after taking goods", without affecting tray recycling).

[0022] The application also provides an unmanned vending method based on a rear-supplemented refrigeration house, which is applied to the rear-supplemented refrigeration house and includes the following steps: S1: a replenishment processing step, which completes automatic storage of goods into the rear-supplemented refrigeration house through a replenishment system, specifically including: S11: placing the goods to be replenished on a conveyor belt in a replenishment area of a convenience store, conveying the goods to a replenishment port of the rear-supplemented refrigeration house by the conveyor belt, and raising and opening an automatic foaming door of the replenishment port, so that the goods enter the interior of the refrigeration house; S12: a first recognition system recognizes the goods entering the refrigeration house and distinguishes whether the goods are whole-box goods or bulk goods; if the goods are whole-box goods, a disassembling manipulator disassembles the whole-box goods, and the disassembled goods enter an S13 step along with the conveyor belt; if the goods are bulk goods, the goods directly enter the S13 step; S13: a second recognition system recognizes the product categories of the goods processed in the S12, at least recognizes beverage and ice product categories, includes specific subcategories such as ice black tea and green tea, and a sorting manipulator sorts different category goods into corresponding storage channels in the rear-supplemented refrigeration house; S2: an order response step, which receives and executes user orders through an order processing system, specifically including: S21: a user submits an order through an APP or app of a user interaction module, an order scheduling module receives order information, generates a taking code bound with the order, and feeds back the taking code to the user; S22: the order scheduling module controls an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse taking robot of a corresponding partition of the rear-supplemented refrigeration house to extract goods required by the order from a storage channel in the partition; S23: the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse taking robot moves the extracted goods to a temporary storage area, which is a three-dimensional storage system with refrigeration / freezing function, and completes order preparation; S3: a taking verification step, which completes unmanned delivery of goods through a user taking area, specifically including: S31: a user inputs a taking code or scans the taking code through an interactive device using a digital input device or a code scanner at a taking window of a convenience store, and completes identity verification; S32: after receiving a verification pass signal, the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area moves the goods corresponding to the order to the taking window, the taking window is automatically opened, the user takes out the goods, and the taking is completed.

[0023] Further, it further comprises S4: order delivery processing step, specifically comprising: S41: if the user selects the delivery service when submitting the order, the order scheduling module triggers the packaging device to package the goods of the order in the temporary storage area; S42: put the packaged goods into the storage cavity of the order delivery robot; S43: the order delivery robot receives the user-specified address and delivery time information sent by the order scheduling module, and delivers the goods to the user-specified address according to the information, completing the delivery.

[0024] Further, the "three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area" in step S23 corresponds to any of the following operation modes: a) if it is a multi-layer storage structure similar to a stereo garage, the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot places the goods on a tray, and the tray robot receives the order scheduling module instruction to move the tray to the specified position of the multi-layer storage structure; b) if it is a multi-grid storage cabinet similar to a delivery cabinet, the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot directly moves the goods to the specified grid of the storage cabinet, and the grid automatically closes and starts the refrigeration / freezing function.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are: 1. In the after-supply cold storage and the unmanned vending method based on the after-supply cold storage, the cold chain storage limitation is broken, and the seasonal supply problem is solved The after-supply cold storage body of the present application adopts a remote unit design, and is internally divided into refrigeration and freezing partitions, and can be expanded to multiple temperature zones such as -40℃ low-temperature partition and 0℃ fresh-keeping partition. Compared with the traditional convenience store "small display cabinet", the storage capacity is greatly improved, which can fully meet the peak storage demand of summer cold drinks and ice products, and significantly reduce the frequency of manual restocking. At the same time, each partition is independently configured with a temperature control module, combined with the automatic storage and retrieval of the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot, to avoid the loss of cold energy caused by frequent opening of the cold storage door, greatly reduce the cold energy loss, reduce energy consumption, and ensure the quality of goods, effectively solve the problem of "shortage of suitable temperature goods and quality affected by temperature fluctuations" of traditional equipment. Compared with the prior art CN218260872U, the multi-temperature zone design and large-capacity storage function of the present application are more suitable for the scene of "coexistence of multiple types of cold chain goods" in convenience stores, realizing efficient connection of "after-supply storage - immediate retrieval", without relying on external temporary restocking.

[0026] 2. In the after-supply cold storage and the unmanned vending method based on the after-supply cold storage, the whole process of restocking is realized automatically, reducing the dependence on manual work and safety risks The replenishment system of the application replaces the traditional "manual handling - unpacking - sorting - shelving" replenishment mode through the cooperation of "replenishment conveyor + first recognition system + second recognition system": when replenishing, the goods directly enter the cold storage through the conveyor without the need for personnel to enter the low-temperature environment, avoiding safety risks such as frostbite; the first recognition system can automatically distinguish between whole-box goods and bulk goods, the whole-box goods are unpacked by a disassembling manipulator and then enter the second recognition system, and then the AI image recognition and color recognition are used to distinguish the sub-categories such as "iced black tea / green tea / ice cream", and finally the sorting manipulator accurately sends them to the corresponding storage channel.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the replenishment efficiency is significantly improved, and the sorting accuracy is greatly improved; compared with CN223245111U, the double recognition system of the application breaks through the limitation of "need to use face sheet for auxiliary recognition", can directly distinguish the categories of bulk goods without marks, adapts to the identification needs of cold chain goods, and truly realizes "unmanned replenishment", relieves the labor pressure brought by aging, and effectively reduces the personnel configuration for single-store replenishment.

[0028] 3、The order processing efficiency is optimized, and the experience of users and delivery personnel is significantly improved The order processing system of the application forms a closed loop of "online pre-ordering - automatic warehousing - fast picking" with the user picking area: the user places an order in advance through the APP / applet, the order scheduling module immediately controls the XYZ axis robot to pick goods from the corresponding storage channel and move them to the temporary storage area, and generates a picking code - the user only needs to scan the code when arriving at the store, and the three-dimensional storage system in the temporary storage area can send the goods to the picking window, greatly shortening the entire picking process, completely solving the fatigue problem of traditional "user searching in the store - selecting goods", and achieving the core goal of "liberating users".

[0029] For take-out orders, the system does not need manual picking, and the delivery personnel can directly pick the goods according to the picking code, and the waiting time of the delivery personnel is significantly shortened; at the same time, the three-dimensional storage system in the temporary storage area has refrigeration / freezing function, avoiding the disconnection of the order goods from the cold chain during the warehousing process, compared with the existing "manual picking + normal temperature temporary storage" mode, the qualified rate of goods quality is greatly improved, effectively solving the pain points of "long waiting time of delivery personnel, easy deterioration of goods".

[0030] 4、The order processing efficiency is optimized, and the experience of users and delivery personnel is significantly improved The order delivery module of the application extends the cold chain to the "last mile" through "packing device + order delivery robot with temperature control": the packed goods are placed in the order delivery robot, and the robot is delivered according to the user's setting time, compared with the traditional "normal temperature take-out box delivery", the goods can be maintained at the appropriate temperature throughout the whole process, and the quality loss of perishable goods can be effectively reduced.

[0031] This design makes up for the limitations of the existing patent CN218260872U, forms a full-link cold chain of "cold storage reserve - order preparation - terminal delivery", and completely solves the industry problem of "the last mile of online procurement of cold chain goods". BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the application; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the order processing system in the application; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the user goods taking area in the application; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the order delivery module in the application; The meanings of the various numbers in the figure are: 1, rear-supplemented cold storage body; 11, refrigeration partition; 12, freezing partition; 13, temperature regulation module; 14, XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot; 15, storage channel; 2, replenishment system; 21, replenishment conveyor belt; 22, first identification system; 23, second identification system; 3, order processing system; 31, user interaction module; 32, order scheduling module; 33, temporary storage area; 4, user goods taking area; 41, goods taking window; 42, interactive device; 5, order delivery module; 51, packing device; 52, order delivery robot; 6, tray cleaning system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the application, not all. Based on the embodiments in the application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the application.

[0034] The application provides a rear-supplemented cold storage and an unmanned vending method based on the rear-supplemented cold storage, as shown in Figures 1-4 The rear-supplemented cold storage body 1 is a remote unit cold storage, and at least refrigeration partition 11 and freezing partition 12 are arranged inside. Each partition is provided with a corresponding temperature regulation module 13, and each partition is provided with an XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot 14 for goods storage and retrieval and a storage channel 15 adapted to the type of goods. The replenishment system 2 comprises a replenishment conveyor 21, a first identification system 22 and a second identification system 23; one end of the replenishment conveyor 21 extends to a convenience store replenishment area, and the other end penetrates into the replenishment port of the back replenishment type freezer body 1, which is used to transport external goods into the freezer to avoid personnel entering the freezer; the first identification system 22 comprises an intelligent identification unit and a disassembly and assembly mechanical hand, the intelligent identification unit is used to distinguish whether the goods are whole box goods or bulk goods, and the disassembly and assembly mechanical hand is used to disassemble the whole box goods; the second identification system 23 comprises an intelligent identification unit and a sorting mechanical hand, the intelligent identification unit is used to distinguish the product categories of the bulk goods, and the sorting mechanical hand is used to sort different categories of goods to the corresponding storage goods channel 15 of the refrigeration partition 11 or the freezing partition 12; The order processing system 3 comprises a user interaction module 31, an order scheduling module 32 and a temporary storage area 33; the user interaction module 31 is used for user ordering and receiving a pickup code; the order scheduling module 32 is used to control the XYZ axis vertical warehouse pickup robot 14 to extract goods from the corresponding storage goods channel 15 after receiving an order, and to transfer the goods to the temporary storage area 33, which is a three-dimensional storage system; the order scheduling module 32 is also used to generate a pickup code bound to an order and send it to the user through the user interaction module 31; The user takes the goods area 4, including at least one take-out window 41 and interactive device 42; the take-out window 41 corresponds to the temporary storage area 33, when the user inputs the take-out code or scans the code through the interactive device 42, the goods of the corresponding order in the temporary storage area 33 are transferred to the take-out window 41 through the machine stereoscopic storage system, and the take-out window 41 is automatically opened for the user to take the goods. The design of the remote machine group (avoiding the influence of the heat of the machine group on the temperature in the cold storage) is adopted, and the inner part is divided into double-temperature zones 11 / 12, and each temperature zone is maintained at a suitable temperature through an independent temperature regulation module 13. The XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot 14 can move in three-dimensional directions, automatically store and take goods from the storage channel 15 suitable for the type of goods (such as a snake-shaped channel for drinks), without manual intervention. The goods are directly sent into the cold storage from the convenience store replenishment area through the replenishment conveyor belt 21 (without personnel entering the cold storage); the first identification system 22 first distinguishes whole boxes / bulk goods through an intelligent identification unit, the whole box goods are unpacked by a disassembling manipulator, and then enter the second identification system 23 together with the bulk goods, and then are distinguished by an intelligent identification unit according to categories such as “iced black tea / green tea / ice cream”, and finally are sent into the corresponding storage channel 15 in the temperature zone by a sorting manipulator. The user places an order through the APP / mini program (31), the order scheduling module 32 receives the instruction, controls the XYZ axis robot 14 in the corresponding temperature zone to take the goods from the storage channel 15, transfers them to the temporary storage area 33 of the stereoscopic storage system, and generates a take-out code bound to the order and sends it to the user. After the user verifies through the interactive device 42 (scanning code / inputting take-out code) at the take-out window 41, the stereoscopic storage system of the temporary storage area transfers the corresponding goods to the window, and the window is automatically opened for the user to take the goods.

[0035] Solve the problem of “low efficiency of manual storage and taking, and single temperature zone” of traditional cold storage: the multi-temperature zone design adapts to the coexistence demand of cold drinks / ice products, the XYZ axis robot replaces manual storage and taking, the efficiency is improved, and the cold energy loss is avoided (because the door does not need to be frequently opened); solve the problem of “manual unpacking and sorting, easy to make mistakes and labor-consuming” of traditional replenishment: the double-identification system + manipulator realizes unmanned replenishment, avoids the safety risk of personnel entering the low-temperature environment, and adapts to the identification of unmarked bulk goods; solve the problem of “tired of going to the store to find goods, and waiting for a long time” of the user: online pre-ordering + automatic stocking + scanning code to take goods, shorten the taking time, realize “liberate the user”, and break through the limitation of the existing unmanned vending that only “liberate the store owner”.

[0036] In this embodiment, it also includes a delivery module 5, which includes a packaging device 51 and a delivery robot 52; the packaging device 51 is used for packaging the order goods to be delivered; the storage cavity of the delivery robot 52 is provided with a refrigeration or freezing temperature regulation module, which is used for accommodating the packaged goods, and delivering the goods to the specified address according to the time set by the user in the interactive module.

[0037] When the user selects a delivery service when placing an order, the order scheduling module triggers the packaging device to package the goods in the staging area (automatic / manual); the packaged goods are placed in the storage cavity of the order delivery robot (with built-in refrigeration / freezing temperature control module to maintain the temperature of the goods), the robot receives the "specified address + delivery time" instruction in the order, and delivers the goods to the user's doorstep at the agreed time.

[0038] Solve the "last mile of online procurement cold chain goods deterioration" problem: the temperature-controlled storage cavity of the order delivery robot replaces the traditional normal temperature take-out box, maintaining the temperature of the goods throughout the journey (such as ice cream - 18℃ below, drinks 2-8℃), avoiding quality loss caused by high temperature in summer; meet the user's "stay-at-home pickup" demand: adapt to the mainstream trend of online procurement, especially for busy working groups, realize the "lie on the sofa and order drinks" scene, and improve the consumer experience.

[0039] Specifically, the three-dimensional storage system of the staging area 33 is in any of the following forms: a) Multi-layer storage structure similar to the structure of a vertical garage, with a tray robot for transferring goods; b) Multi-grid storage cabinet similar to the structure of a delivery cabinet, with a refrigeration or freezing temperature control module independently configured for each grid.

[0040] The two specific implementation forms of the staging area 33 are clear, and they adapt to the needs of different convenience stores: Form a (vertical garage type): adopt the same multi-layer structure as a vertical garage, and configure a tray robot - after the XYZ axis robot places the goods on the tray, the tray robot moves the tray to the designated position of the multi-layer structure according to the scheduling instructions; when picking up the goods, the tray robot will deliver the corresponding tray to the pickup window. Form b (delivery cabinet type): adopt the same multi-grid structure as a delivery cabinet, and independently configure a refrigeration / freezing temperature control module for each grid - the XYZ axis robot directly delivers the goods to the designated grid, and the grid automatically closes and maintains the temperature; when picking up the goods, the corresponding grid automatically opens.

[0041] Improve system adaptability: convenience stores can choose the form according to the size of the space (choose a for large space and choose b for small space), avoiding the problem of "single structure cannot adapt to different sites"; guarantee the quality of the goods in the staging area: both forms have temperature control functions, avoiding the goods from leaving the cold chain during the staging phase, and solving the pain point of the existing "normal temperature staging leading to quality decline".

[0042] Further, the intelligent identification unit of the first identification system 22 adopts at least one of the following identification methods: AI image recognition, gravity recognition, and multi-point grating recognition; the first identification system 22 only restricts the identification result of “distinguishing full container cargo / bulk cargo”, without limiting the identification method and time sequence.

[0043] It is clear that the intelligent identification unit of the first identification system 22 can adopt at least one of “AI image recognition, gravity recognition, and multi-point grating recognition”, and only restricts the result of “distinguishing full container cargo / bulk cargo”, without limiting the identification method (such as single method or combined method) and time sequence (such as gravity recognition first and then AI verification).

[0044] Breakthrough “single identification method compatibility problem”: for example, AI image recognition is suitable for goods with clear appearance, gravity recognition is suitable for scenes where the weight difference of full container / bulk cargo is obvious, and multi-method selection allows the system to adapt to goods with different packaging (such as unlabeled bulk ice cream and transparent packaged drinks); reduce the difficulty of technology landing: without limiting the identification method and time sequence, enterprises can choose the optimal solution according to cost and technology maturity, without being limited by a single technology, which is conducive to large-scale promotion.

[0045] Further, the intelligent identification unit of the second identification system 23 adopts at least one of the following identification methods: AI image recognition, color recognition, and gravity recognition; the sorting mechanical arm can be a single machine arm for immediate sorting, multiple machine arms for synchronous sorting, or a delayed process sorting, only restricting the result of “sorting by product category to the corresponding partition”, without limiting the sorting time sequence and the number of machine arms.

[0046] This setting clearly indicates that the intelligent identification unit of the second identification system 23 can adopt at least one of “AI image recognition, color recognition, and gravity recognition” to distinguish “iced black tea / green tea / ice cream” and other categories; at the same time, the sorting mechanical arm can flexibly choose “single machine arm for immediate sorting, multiple machine arms for synchronous sorting, or delayed process sorting”, only restricting the result of “sorting by category to the corresponding temperature zone”, without limiting the time sequence (such as delayed sorting during peak hours) and the number of machine arms.

[0047] Improve sorting compatibility and efficiency: multiple identification methods adapt to different categories of goods (such as color recognition to distinguish green tea with green packaging and iced black tea with red packaging, and AI recognition to distinguish ice cream without color difference); multiple machine arms for synchronous sorting can handle the summer peak, avoiding congestion; reduce system operation and maintenance cost: allow delayed process sorting, which can be concentrated during non-peak hours to reduce equipment idle time; without limiting the number of machine arms, enterprises can flexibly configure according to the amount of replenishment to avoid resource waste.

[0048] Further, the number of partitions of the post-supplemented cold storage body 1 can be expanded. In addition to the refrigeration partition 11 and the freezing partition 12, a -40°C low-temperature partition and a 0°C fresh-keeping partition can be added, and each expanded partition is independently configured with a temperature regulation module 13 and an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot 14.

[0049] After this setting, the number of partitions of the post-supplemented cold storage body 1 is not limited to “refrigeration / freezing”. “-40°C low-temperature partition (such as deep-frozen seafood) and 0°C fresh-keeping partition (such as yogurt)” can be added, and each expanded partition is independently configured with a temperature regulation module 13 and an XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot 14, which cooperates with the original partition.

[0050] The expanded system application scenario: from “only suitable for cold drinks / ice products” to “multi-category cold chain goods” (such as yogurt, seafood, and frozen food), so that convenience stores can enrich the category of cold chain goods and increase revenue; avoid the problem of “replacing equipment due to increased categories”: the expanded partition does not need to reconstruct the entire system, only the corresponding temperature zone and robot need to be added, reducing the upgrade cost and extending the life cycle of the equipment.

[0051] Further, it also includes a tray cleaning system 6 that is linked with the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area 33. After the user picks up the goods, the tray cleaning system 6 automatically washes, disinfects, and dries the empty tray, and the processed empty tray is transferred to the standby tray area of the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot 14.

[0052] This setting adds a tray cleaning system 6 that is linked with the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area 33. After the user picks up the goods, the sensor (such as infrared or AI image) of the temporary storage area detects that the tray is empty, triggering the cleaning system to perform “automatic washing → disinfection → drying” processing on the empty tray. The clean tray after processing is transferred to the standby tray area of the XYZ-axis vertical warehouse picking robot 14 for use in the next order.

[0053] Solve the “hygiene problem caused by tray recycling”: avoid contamination of goods caused by residual stains and bacteria on the tray (especially for cold drink packaging that directly contacts the goods), which meets the requirements of food safety; reduce manual cleaning costs: automated cleaning replaces manual wiping, reducing the labor demand of individual stores, and the cleaning efficiency is higher (can achieve “cleaning immediately after picking up”, which does not affect the recycling of the tray).

[0054] On the basis of claim 1, a tray cleaning system 6 is added, which is linked with the stereoscopic storage system of the temporary storage area 33: when the user takes the goods, the sensor (such as infrared, AI image) of the temporary storage area detects that the tray is empty, triggers the cleaning system to perform "automatic cleaning → disinfection → drying" processing on the empty tray; the clean tray after processing is moved to the standby tray area of the XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot 14 for the next order.

[0055] The application provides an unmanned vending method based on a backfill type refrigeration house, which is applied to the backfill type refrigeration house and includes the following steps: S1: a replenishment processing step, which completes automatic storage of goods into the backfill type refrigeration house through a replenishment system, specifically including: S11: placing the goods to be replenished on a conveyor belt in a replenishment area of a convenience store, conveying the goods to a replenishment port of the backfill type refrigeration house by the conveyor belt, and raising and opening an automatic foaming door of the replenishment port so that the goods enter the refrigeration house (to avoid personnel entering the refrigeration house); S12: a first identification system identifies the goods entering the refrigeration house and distinguishes whether the goods are whole-box goods or bulk goods; if the goods are whole-box goods, a disassembling manipulator disassembles the whole-box goods, and the disassembled goods enter an S13 step along with the conveyor belt; if the goods are bulk goods, the goods directly enter the S13 step; S13: a second identification system identifies the goods processed in the S12 step in terms of product categories, at least identifies beverage and ice product categories, includes specific subcategories such as iced black tea and green tea, and sorts different category goods into corresponding storage channels in the backfill type refrigeration house by a sorting manipulator; S2: an order response step, which receives and executes a user order through an order processing system, specifically including: S21: a user submits an order through an APP or a mini program of a user interaction module, an order scheduling module receives order information, generates a taking code bound with the order, and feeds back the taking code to the user; S22: the order scheduling module controls an XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot of a corresponding partition of the backfill type refrigeration house to extract goods required by the order from a storage channel of the partition; S23: the XYZ axis vertical warehouse taking robot moves the extracted goods to a temporary storage area, which is a stereoscopic storage system with refrigeration / freezing function, and completes order preparation; S3: a taking verification step, which completes unmanned delivery of the goods through a user taking area, specifically including: S31: a user inputs a taking code or scans the taking code through an interactive device adopting a digital input device or a code scanner at a taking window of a convenience store, and completes identity verification; S32: After receiving the verification signal, the stereoscopic storage system of the temporary storage area moves the goods corresponding to the order to the pickup window, the pickup window is automatically opened, the user takes out the goods, and the pickup is completed.

[0056] Further, it also includes S4: order delivery processing step, specifically including: S41: If the user selects the delivery service when submitting the order, the order scheduling module triggers the packaging device to package the goods of the order in the temporary storage area; S42: Put the packaged goods into the storage cavity of the order delivery robot; S43: The order delivery robot receives the user-specified address and delivery time information sent by the order scheduling module, and delivers the goods to the user-specified address according to the information, and completes the delivery.

[0057] Further, the "stereoscopic storage system of the temporary storage area" in step S23 corresponds to any of the following operation modes: a) If it is a multi-layer storage structure similar to a stereoscopic garage, the XYZ-axis storage robot places the goods on a tray, and the tray robot receives the order scheduling module instruction to move the tray to the specified position of the multi-layer storage structure; b) If it is a multi-grid storage cabinet similar to a express delivery cabinet, the XYZ-axis storage robot directly moves the goods to the specified grid of the storage cabinet, and the grid is automatically closed and starts the refrigeration / freezing function.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above-mentioned electronic components in the embodiment, such as the after-supplementing freezer body 1, are all general standard components or components known to those skilled in the art, and their structure and principle are known to those skilled in the art through technical manuals or through conventional experimental methods. In the idle place of the device, all the above-mentioned electrical components are connected by wires respectively, and the specific connection means should be completed according to the working order of each electrical component in the above-mentioned working principle, which are all well-known technologies in the art.

[0059] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the above-mentioned embodiments and descriptions in the specification are only preferred examples of the present application and do not limit the present application. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, various changes and improvements can be made to the present application, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the claimed present application. The scope of protection of the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A retrofit cold storage facility, characterized in that: include The main body of the supplementary cold storage (1) is a remote unit cold storage, which is divided into at least a refrigeration zone (11) and a freezing zone (12). Each zone is equipped with a corresponding temperature control module (13), and each zone is equipped with an XYZ axis vertical warehouse picking robot (14) for storing and retrieving goods and a storage channel (15) adapted to the type of goods. The replenishment system (2) includes a replenishment conveyor belt (21), a first identification system (22), and a second identification system (23). One end of the replenishment conveyor belt (21) extends to the convenience store replenishment area, and the other end passes through the replenishment port of the rear-replenishment cold storage body (1) to transport external goods into the cold storage to prevent personnel from entering the cold storage. The first identification system (22) includes an intelligent identification unit and a disassembly and assembly robot. The intelligent identification unit is used to distinguish whether the goods are full-case goods or bulk goods, and the disassembly and assembly robot is used to disassemble full-case goods. The second identification system (23) includes an intelligent identification unit and a sorting robot. The intelligent identification unit is used to distinguish the product category of bulk goods, and the sorting robot is used to sort different categories of goods to the corresponding storage channels (15) of the refrigerated section (11) or the frozen section (12). The order processing system (3) includes a user interaction module (31), an order scheduling module (32), and a temporary storage area (33). The user interaction module (31) is used for users to place orders and receive pickup codes. The order scheduling module (32) is used to control the XYZ axis vertical warehouse pickup robot (14) to retrieve goods from the corresponding storage channel (15) after receiving the order, and to transfer the goods to the temporary storage area (33), which is a three-dimensional storage system. The order scheduling module (32) is also used to generate a pickup code bound to the order and send it to the user through the user interaction module (31). The user pickup area (4) includes at least one pickup window (41) and an interactive device (42); the pickup window (41) corresponds to the temporary storage area (33). When the user enters the pickup code or scans the code for verification through the interactive device (42), the goods of the corresponding order in the temporary storage area (33) are transferred to the pickup window (41) through the mechanical storage system, and the pickup window (41) is automatically opened for the user to pick up the goods.

2. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a delivery module (5), which includes a packing device (51) and a delivery robot (52); the packing device (51) is used to pack the order goods to be delivered; the delivery robot (52) has a storage cavity equipped with a refrigeration or freezing temperature control module to hold the packed goods and deliver the goods to the designated address according to the time set by the user in the interaction module.

3. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area (33) can be any of the following forms: a) A multi-layered storage structure similar to that of an automated parking system, equipped with pallet robots for transferring goods; b) A multi-compartment storage locker with the same structure as a parcel locker, with each compartment independently equipped with a refrigeration or freezing temperature control module.

4. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent recognition unit of the first recognition system (22) adopts at least one of the following recognition methods: AI image recognition, gravity recognition, multi-point grating recognition; the first recognition system (22) only constrains the recognition result of "distinguishing between full-box goods and bulk goods", and does not limit the recognition method and timing.

5. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent identification unit of the second identification system (23) adopts at least one of the following identification methods: AI image recognition, color recognition, gravity recognition; the sorting robot can be a single robot arm for immediate sorting, multiple robot arms for synchronous sorting, or delayed sorting, only constraining the result of "sorting to the corresponding partition according to product category", without limiting the sorting sequence and the number of robot arms.

6. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of partitions of the supplementary cold storage body (1) can be expanded. In addition to the refrigeration partition (11) and the freezing partition (12), a -40℃ low temperature partition and a 0℃ freshness preservation partition can be added. Each extended partition is independently equipped with a temperature control module (13) and an XYZ axis vertical warehouse picking robot (14).

7. The retrofit cold storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a pallet cleaning system (6), which is linked with the three-dimensional storage system of the temporary storage area (33). When the user picks up the goods, the pallet cleaning system (6) automatically cleans, disinfects and dries the empty pallets. The processed empty pallets are then transferred to the waiting pallet area of ​​the XYZ axis vertical warehouse picking robot (14).

8. A method for unmanned vending machines based on a retrofitted cold storage facility, applied to the retrofitted cold storage facility described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Replenishment processing steps, which automate the storage of goods into the backward replenishment cold storage through the replenishment system, specifically including: S11: Place the goods to be replenished on the conveyor belt in the convenience store's replenishment area. The conveyor belt will transport the goods to the replenishment port of the post-replenishment cold storage. The automatic foam door of the replenishment port will rise and open, and the goods will enter the cold storage (to prevent personnel from entering the cold storage). S12: The first identification system identifies the goods entering the cold storage and distinguishes whether the goods are full-case goods or bulk goods; if they are full-case goods, the unpacking robot unpacks the full-case goods and the goods enter step S13 with the conveyor belt after unpacking; if they are bulk goods, they directly enter step S13. S13: The second identification system identifies the product category of the goods processed by S12, at least identifying beverages and ice cream categories, including specific subcategories such as iced black tea and green tea, and the sorting robot sorts the different categories of goods into the corresponding storage channels in the supplementary cold storage. S2: Order Response Steps, which involves receiving and executing user orders through the order processing system, specifically including: S21: Users submit orders through the APP or mini-program of the user interaction module. After receiving the order information, the order scheduling module generates a pickup code bound to the order and sends the pickup code back to the user. S22: The order scheduling module controls the XYZ axis vertical warehouse picking robot of the corresponding partition of the supplementary cold storage to retrieve the goods required for the order from the storage channel of that partition; S23: The XYZ axis vertical warehouse picking robot transfers the retrieved goods to the temporary storage area, which is a three-dimensional storage system with refrigeration / freezing functions, to complete the order preparation; S3: Pickup verification process, completing unmanned delivery of goods through the user pickup area, specifically including: S31: At the convenience store's pickup window, users complete identity verification by entering or scanning a pickup code using an interactive device that employs a digital input device or a barcode scanner. S32: After receiving the verification signal, the automated storage system in the temporary storage area will transfer the goods of the corresponding order to the pickup window. The pickup window will open automatically, and the user can retrieve the goods to complete the pickup process.

9. The unmanned vending method based on a retrofitted cold storage according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes S4: Order processing steps, specifically including: S41: If the user selects delivery service when submitting an order, the order scheduling module triggers the packing device to pack the goods of the order in the temporary storage area; S42: Place the packaged goods into the storage compartment of the delivery robot; S43: The delivery robot receives the user-specified address and delivery time information sent by the order scheduling module, and delivers the goods to the user-specified address according to the information to complete the delivery.

10. The unmanned vending method based on a retrofitted cold storage according to claim 9, characterized in that: In step S23, "the automated storage and retrieval system in the temporary storage area" corresponds to any of the following operating methods: a) If it is a multi-level storage structure similar to an automated parking garage, the XYZ axis automated warehouse picking robot places the goods on a pallet, and the pallet robot receives instructions from the order scheduling module to move the pallet to the designated location in the multi-level storage structure; b) If it is a multi-compartment locker similar to a parcel locker, the XYZ axis vertical warehouse retrieval robot will directly transfer the goods to the designated compartment of the locker, and the compartment will automatically close and start the refrigeration / freezing function.

Images