Warehousing system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a warehousing system and method, and the system comprises a work station which comprises at least one sorting station and at least one distribution station, and the sorting station and the distribution station are used for processing containers; the movable carrier parking area is used for parking carrying equipment for bearing a movable carrier, and container loading and unloading equipment is deployed in the movable carrier parking area; the carrying equipment is responsible for carrying a movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area, and the movable carrier is used for bearing a container; and the container handling equipment is responsible for moving the containers between the work station and the movable carrier. The sorting station and the distribution station are arranged on the work station at the same time, the moving distance of operators or automatic equipment from the sorting station to the distribution station can be reduced, and therefore the sorting efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The original application has the application number 202111250979.4 and the original application date is October 26, 2021. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to warehousing systems and methods. Background Technology

[0003] In current technologies, most picking operations are performed by robots in conjunction with operators. While robots can reduce the workload of operators, after materials are picked at the workstation, operators still need to move them to the sorting wall. The sorting wall is usually located far from the workstation, forcing operators to move the target materials from the workstation to the sorting wall for sorting, and then return to the shelf to continue picking subsequent items. This process requires manual operation during the sorting stage, which not only compromises the speed of sorting but also affects picking efficiency. Therefore, an effective solution is urgently needed to address these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a warehousing system to address the technical deficiencies existing in the prior art. Embodiments of this disclosure also provide another warehousing system and a picking method.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a warehousing system is provided, comprising: A workstation, comprising at least one picking station and at least one sorting station, the picking station and the sorting station being used to process containers; A mobile vehicle docking area is provided for docking handling equipment that carries mobile vehicles and is equipped with container loading and unloading equipment. The transport equipment is responsible for transporting the mobile vehicle to the mobile vehicle docking area, and the mobile vehicle is used to carry the container; A container loading and unloading device, which is responsible for moving the container between a workstation and a mobile carrier.

[0006] Optionally, the mobile carrier includes at least one storage location for storing the container; wherein the container is a picking container or an order container.

[0007] Optionally, the mobile vehicle docking area includes at least one mobile vehicle docking sub-area, and one container loading / unloading device corresponds to at least one mobile vehicle docking sub-area.

[0008] Optionally, the workstation includes a guidance device for displaying information to guide operators or automated equipment.

[0009] Optionally, the workstation includes a cache location for temporarily storing the picking container or the order container.

[0010] Optionally, there is a substitution relationship between the target picking container and the target order container; if the items contained in the target picking container have the same attributes as the items to be placed in the target order container, the target picking container is used as the target order container based on the substitution relationship; accordingly, the picking station corresponding to the target picking container is converted into a sorting station.

[0011] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment includes a loading and unloading assembly responsible for moving the container between the picking station / distribution station and the mobile carrier, or between the locations of the mobile carrier, or between the mobile carrier and a target mobile carrier, or between the picking station and a docking interface outside the workstation, or between the distribution station and a docking interface outside the workstation, or between the mobile carrier and a docking interface outside the workstation.

[0012] Optionally, the picking station is adjacent to the distributing station, and the picking station and the distributing station are connected by at least one operator or automated equipment.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, another warehousing system is provided, including a control terminal, at least one workstation, at least one mobile vehicle docking area, at least one handling device, at least one container loading and unloading device, and at least one mobile vehicle for storing containers, wherein the workstation includes at least one picking station and at least one sorting station; The control terminal is configured to, upon receiving a picking instruction, send a handling instruction to the handling equipment and a loading / unloading instruction to the container loading / unloading equipment according to the picking instruction. The transport equipment is configured to move to the movable vehicle based on the transport command, and transport the movable vehicle to the movable vehicle docking area; The container loading and unloading equipment is configured to pick up and place containers on at least one of the mobile carrier, picking station, and sorting station based on the loading and unloading instructions, and to move the containers between the mobile carrier and the picking station or sorting station in the workstation.

[0014] Optionally, when the loading and unloading instruction is a picking and unloading instruction, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to determine the coordinate information of the target location of the container on the mobile carrier based on the picking and unloading instruction; to pick and place the container based on the coordinate information of the target location, and to place the container at the picking station or the sorting station.

[0015] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to, upon receiving a container return instruction from the control terminal, pick up and place the container placed at the picking station or the sorting station according to the container return instruction, and place the container at the target location of the movable carrier.

[0016] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to pick up and place containers to be moved from a buffer location in the workstation, and place the containers to be moved to the picking station, the sorting station, the mobile carrier, or a docking interface outside the workstation.

[0017] Optionally, the control terminal is further configured to receive a work station replacement instruction, and to use the picking station as the distribution station or the distribution station as the picking station according to the work replacement instruction.

[0018] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to determine, through the identification device and / or instructions issued by the control terminal, the items in the containers on the mobile carrier, and if the items have the same attributes as the items to be picked corresponding to the loading and unloading instructions, to use the containers as target order containers and place them at the sorting station.

[0019] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to determine the items in the containers at the picking station through the identification device and / or instructions issued by the control terminal. If the items have the same attributes as the items to be picked corresponding to the loading and unloading instructions, the container is designated as the target order container, and the picking station is designated as the sorting station.

[0020] Optionally, the container loading and unloading equipment is further configured to, if the identification device determines that the picking station or the sorting station cannot place the container, place the container in the buffer space included in the workstation for queuing based on the loading and unloading instruction.

[0021] Optionally, the handling equipment is further configured to generate a travel path based on the location information of the mobile vehicle contained in the handling instruction, and move to the mobile vehicle according to the travel path, thereby moving the mobile vehicle to the mobile vehicle docking area.

[0022] Optionally, the handling equipment is further configured to return the mobile vehicle to the mobile vehicle docking position corresponding to the mobile vehicle position information when the picking task corresponding to the picking instruction is completed.

[0023] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a picking method is provided, comprising: The control terminal receives the picking instruction, and the handling equipment drives the movable carrier to the movable carrier docking area according to the handling instruction in the picking instruction; The container loading and unloading equipment picks up and places containers on at least one of the mobile carrier, picking station, and sorting station according to the loading and unloading instructions in the picking instructions, and moves the containers between the mobile carrier and the picking station or sorting station in the workstation.

[0024] The warehousing system disclosed herein is configured with workstations, mobile vehicle docking areas, handling equipment, and container loading and unloading equipment. Each workstation has at least one picking station and at least one sorting station to reduce the distance between the picking point and the sorting point, improving sorting efficiency while reducing picking speed. Furthermore, the mobile vehicle docking area is used to support the handling equipment for the mobile vehicles, and container loading and unloading equipment is deployed in this area. This allows containers to be moved between the sorting station or picking station in the workstation and the mobile vehicle after the handling equipment has moved the mobile vehicle to the docking area. This reduces the need for human or automated equipment in the picking and sorting processes. The cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the handling equipment, as well as the deployment of the picking and sorting stations, improves picking and sorting efficiency while significantly reducing human resource consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a container loading and unloading device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a container loading and unloading device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a picking method provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figures 2 to 4 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows: 400. Warehousing system; 410. Control terminal; 420. Workstation; 430. Mobile vehicle docking area; 440. Handling equipment; 450. Container loading and unloading equipment; 460. Mobile vehicle; 4202. Picking station; 4204. Sorting station; 4501. Base; 4502. Loading and unloading components; 4503. Picking and delivering components; 4504. Frame; 45041. X-axis track; 45042. Y-axis track; 45022. Load-bearing components; 45011. Support frame; 45021. Conveyor belt. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this disclosure. However, this disclosure can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific implementations disclosed below.

[0027] The terminology used in one or more embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the one or more embodiments of this disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in one or more embodiments of this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in one or more embodiments of this disclosure refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0028] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used to describe various information in one or more embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first may also be referred to as second without departing from the scope of one or more embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second may also be referred to as first. Depending on the context, the word “if” as used herein may be interpreted as “when”, “in response to a determination”, or “when…”.

[0029] First, the terminology used in one or more embodiments of the present invention will be explained.

[0030] Mobile carrier: refers to the object that is moved by handling equipment, consisting of one or more storage locations.

[0031] Cargo location: A location on a movable vehicle that can be used to store containers or may be empty, meaning no containers are stored there.

[0032] Container: A container for carrying goods, stored in a cargo location on a mobile vehicle.

[0033] Handling equipment: equipment used for moving movable vehicles, including but not limited to carrying, lifting, towing, and forklift handling equipment.

[0034] Picking container: A container that has been hit by a system order task but has not yet been picked.

[0035] Target picking containers: Picking containers that need to be picked up or placed on a mobile vehicle based on order tasks, or placed at a picking station to await processing, be processed, or be processed, or have been processed and are waiting to be picked up or placed by container loading and unloading equipment at the picking station are called target picking containers.

[0036] Order Container: Located at the workstation, it is a container that is used to store items that have been assigned to an order by a system order task, but has not yet been assigned to an order.

[0037] Target order container: The order container that is currently being processed, or is in response to an order task pending processing, or is in response to an order task completion, or is waiting to be picked up and placed on the seeding wall by the container loading and unloading equipment is the target order container.

[0038] In traditional workstations, the picking station is a certain distance from the target order container where the picked item is placed. Typically, the workstation is equipped with at least one feeder wall for placing the order container. The feeder wall has multiple storage positions for the order container. The feeder wall can take the form of a movable shelf, for example. When operators or automated equipment pick the corresponding item from the target picking container at the picking station, they need to move it a certain distance to place it on the target order container on the feeder wall, which will cause a certain amount of time waste.

[0039] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a warehousing system. This application also relates to another warehousing system, which will be described in detail in the following embodiments.

[0040] This application provides a warehousing system, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the warehousing system includes workstations, each workstation comprising at least one picking station and at least one sorting station for processing containers; a mobile vehicle docking area for docking handling equipment carrying mobile vehicles, and equipped with container loading and unloading equipment; handling equipment responsible for moving mobile vehicles to the mobile vehicle docking area, the mobile vehicles carrying containers; and container loading and unloading equipment responsible for moving the containers between the workstations and the mobile vehicles. It is understood that the container loading and unloading equipment can also pick up and place containers on the mobile vehicles themselves or between mobile vehicles and adjust the container positions.

[0041] Specifically, the picking station and the sorting station are located on the same side where operators or automated equipment perform their tasks. When performing a task, the container loading and unloading equipment places the picking container to be picked at the picking station, and the picking container placed at the picking station automatically becomes the target picking container. The container loading and unloading equipment will place the target order container that matches the target picking container at the sorting station. Based on the order information, the operator or automated equipment can pick out the corresponding goods from the target picking container and deliver them directly to the target order container without turning around or walking. If a target picking container corresponds to only one target order container, after the target picking container has been picked, it can be moved away from the picking station by the container loading and unloading equipment, and the target order container will also be moved away from the distribution station by the container loading and unloading equipment. The container loading and unloading equipment will then place the next picking container to be picked at the picking station and place the target order container corresponding to that picking container at the distribution station. If a target picking container corresponds to more than one target order container, after the items in one target order container are picked, the container loading and unloading equipment will move the target order container away from the distribution station and place the next corresponding target order container, until all items in that target picking container have been picked.

[0042] Specifically, a workstation refers to an operational area equipped with one or more picking or sorting stations, allowing operators or automated equipment to complete the picking process at the workstation's picking station. The subsequent sorting process can also be completed at the workstation's sorting station, eliminating the need for operators or automated equipment to travel long distances and enabling the picking and sorting operations to be completed in a shorter time, thus improving picking and sorting efficiency. Correspondingly, a container refers to a container used to store materials or goods, including but not limited to bins, cartons, plastic boxes, metal boxes, and the goods' own packaging boxes. Containers are stored on mobile carriers, placed at picking stations for goods picking, or placed at sorting stations for goods sorting. Correspondingly, a mobile carrier refers to a shelf or pallet placed in the storage area that can store containers. When the mobile carrier is a shelf, it may contain a... There may be multiple shelf levels, each shelf level containing one or more storage locations, each storage location for storing one container, and the mobile carrier supports the movement of handling equipment; the handling equipment specifically refers to equipment for moving the mobile carrier, including but not limited to backpack, lifting, towing, or forklift types; the mobile carrier docking area specifically refers to the area where the handling equipment carrying the mobile carrier is docked, and each mobile carrier docking area is equipped with container loading and unloading equipment for picking and placing containers on the mobile carrier brought by the handling equipment; correspondingly, the container loading and unloading equipment specifically refers to equipment for moving containers, which can remove containers from the mobile carrier and place them at the picking or sorting station in the workstation, or remove containers from the picking or sorting station in the workstation and place them at an empty storage location on the mobile carrier; or remove containers from the mobile carrier and place them at a docking point outside the workstation.

[0043] It should be noted that when a container is placed at the picking station, it indicates that items need to be retrieved from that container during picking, and in this case, the container serves as the target picking container. When a container is placed at the sorting station, it becomes the target order container, used to hold items selected from the matching target picking containers. This target order container can correspond to items from one or more target picking containers. Furthermore, one or more mobile vehicle docking areas can be configured to support the docking of one or more mobile vehicles, enabling parallel processing of different orders. One container loading / unloading device can correspond to at least one mobile vehicle docking area sub-area, facilitating container handling. Additionally, container loading / unloading devices can be installed between the sorting station and the picking station, or separately at the sorting station and the picking station, thereby ensuring smooth completion of picking tasks while improving picking efficiency.

[0044] Furthermore, to improve seeding efficiency and save operation time for operators or automated equipment, the seeding wall corresponding to the seeding station can be positioned on the same side of the mobile equipment parking area, or on the other side at a 90-degree angle to the mobile vehicles parked in the parking area. This allows operators and automated equipment to face the seeding wall without needing to rotate too much, thus supporting the seeding operation. In practical applications, the arrangement of the seeding wall can be set according to actual needs; this embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0045] Based on this, when it is necessary to place items from containers into a workstation containing picking and sorting stations for picking and sorting, the mobile carrier to which the picking container belongs can be moved to the mobile carrier docking area by controlling the handling equipment. Then, the container loading and unloading equipment deployed in this area picks up and places the picking container on the mobile carrier into the picking station in the workstation. At this time, the picking container will become the target picking container. Then, the operator or automated equipment performs the picking operation on the picking station and, after the picking is completed, delivers the goods to the target order container in the sorting station in the workstation, realizing the integration of picking and sorting and reducing the consumption of human resources.

[0046] For example, when item 'a' needs to be picked, firstly, the picking container A to be placed in can be determined, and then the mobile carrier S storing picking container A can be determined. Next, a handling instruction is sent to the handling equipment P, which moves the mobile carrier S containing picking container A to the mobile carrier docking area. Then, the picking container A is removed from the mobile carrier S by the container loading and unloading equipment and placed at the picking station of the workstation, with container A designated as the target picking container A. At this point, the operator or automated equipment will begin the picking operation for item 'a'. By scanning item 'a', it is determined that item 'a' needs to be placed at the sorting station. In the target order container A in the seeding wall, since the picking station and the sorting station are both located on the same side where the operator or automated equipment performs the operation, after the operator or automated equipment completes the scanning of item a, it can directly deliver the item from picking location A to the target order container A to complete the picking order operation corresponding to item a. Finally, the container loading and unloading equipment will place the target picking container A located at the picking station back onto the mobile carrier S. The placement location can be the original location or another location. Then, the handling equipment P will transport the mobile carrier S back to the storage area or to the next workstation for picking processing.

[0047] It should be noted that after the handling equipment moves the mobile carrier to the mobile carrier docking area, the container loading and unloading equipment will begin picking containers. During this process, the handling equipment can either wait for the picking to be completed and then directly move the mobile carrier to the storage area, or it can place the mobile carrier in the docking area and then perform other tasks. Furthermore, replenishment or picking at the workstation may consume considerable time. Therefore, the handling equipment can receive new handling instructions to move other mobile carriers according to these instructions. After the container loading and unloading equipment completes its operation, the original handling equipment or other handling equipment can move the mobile carrier back to the storage area. In practical applications, appropriate methods can be selected based on the specific application scenario; this embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0048] In this embodiment, in order to support the storage of more containers, the mobile vehicle includes at least one storage location for storing the containers; wherein the containers are picking containers or order containers.

[0049] Based on this, considering that different picking orders require different items, when the number of items in a container is greater than the number of items to be picked, the container is a picking container and needs to be placed at the picking station for picking operations. After being placed at the picking station, it will serve as the target picking container for subsequent picking operations. When the number of items in a container is equal to or less than the number of items to be picked, the container is an order container and can be directly placed at the sorting station for sorting operations. After the order container completes docking with the target picking container and the items are stored, it will serve as the target order container. Therefore, the containers stored in the storage locations of the mobile carrier will be determined based on the picking order to determine whether they are picking containers or order containers, and different orders correspond to different container types.

[0050] In this embodiment, in order to support the execution of multiple picking tasks simultaneously, the mobile vehicle docking area includes at least one mobile vehicle docking sub-area, and one container loading and unloading device corresponds to at least one mobile vehicle docking sub-area.

[0051] Specifically, the mobile vehicle docking sub-area refers to the area within the mobile vehicle docking area used to dock each handling equipment that carries the mobile vehicle. Considering that each workstation includes at least one picking station and at least one sorting station, to support each workstation in simultaneously operating multiple picking tasks, one or more mobile vehicle docking sub-areas can be set up within the mobile vehicle docking area corresponding to the workstation. Furthermore, to facilitate operation and improve resource utilization, one or more mobile vehicle docking sub-areas can be equipped with a container loading / unloading device, meaning one container loading / unloading device corresponds to one or more mobile vehicle docking sub-areas. This allows for container handling operations after the handling equipment carrying the mobile vehicle docks in the mobile vehicle docking sub-area, enabling container handling without the need for operator intervention or automated equipment.

[0052] See Figure 1 The diagram shows that the mobile vehicle docking area corresponding to the workstation contains multiple mobile vehicle docking sub-areas, and each mobile vehicle docking sub-area can dock a handling device that drives the mobile vehicle; correspondingly, the workstation contains multiple picking stations and sorting stations, so that picking and sorting operations can be completed simultaneously without the need for operators or automated equipment to move, thereby effectively improving picking efficiency.

[0053] In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the picking and sorting operations of operators or automated equipment in the workstation, the workstation also includes a guidance device. Specifically, the guidance device can be a display or a reminder device, etc. This embodiment does not make any limitations. The guidance device is used to display information to guide operators or automated equipment.

[0054] For example, when a container is placed at a picking or sorting station, a reminder message can be sent to the operator or automated equipment; or when an item to be picked is scanned, a reminder message can be sent to the operator or automated equipment indicating the location of the item; or when the picking container or order container cannot hold more items, an overload reminder message can be sent to the operator or automated equipment, etc. In practical applications, the information sent to the user by the guidance device can be configured according to the actual application scenario, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations here.

[0055] In this embodiment, considering the upper limit of the picking orders that the workstation can handle, if picking containers are simply moved to the picking station or sorting station without any further processing, it may cause a backlog of picking tasks and compromise picking efficiency. Therefore, the workstation is also equipped with a buffer space, which is used to temporarily store the picking containers or the order containers. That is, when the picking task at the sorting station or picking station in the workstation is saturated, in order to ensure that subsequent picking tasks can be carried out in an orderly manner, after the handling equipment moves the mobile carrier to the mobile carrier docking area, the container corresponding to the new picking task can be temporarily placed in the buffer space by the container loading and unloading equipment. This container can be a picking container and / or the order container; and they are queued in sequence until the picking station or sorting station can pick and sort. Then, the container is moved to the corresponding station for processing by the container loading and unloading equipment, operators, or automated equipment.

[0056] In practical implementation, a workstation can be configured with one or more buffer slots. The number of buffer slots can be determined based on the picking workload of the workstation; a higher picking workload allows for more buffer slots, and vice versa. Buffer slots can be dynamically increased or decreased, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, buffer slots can be configured for each picking station or each distribution station, meaning each picking station corresponds to at least one buffer slot, or each distribution station corresponds to at least one buffer slot, to provide more convenient picking and distribution operations.

[0057] In this embodiment, in order to make fuller use of each workstation (picking station or sorting station) in the workstation and improve the efficiency of picking tasks, a substitution relationship can be pre-established between the target picking container and the target order container. When the items contained in the target picking container have the same attributes as the items to be placed in the target order container, the target picking container is used as the target order container based on the substitution relationship. Accordingly, the picking station corresponding to the target picking container is converted into a sorting station.

[0058] Specifically, the substitution relationship refers to the interchangeability between the target picking container and the target order container. That is, when the quantity and type of items in the target picking container match the items to be placed in the target order container, it means that all items in the target picking container need to be transferred to the target order container during picking. To improve picking efficiency, the target picking container can be directly used as the target order container based on the substitution relationship, avoiding the time wasted on item transfer operations. Simultaneously, the target order container pre-allocated by the system will also be reallocated by the system to store items corresponding to other orders.

[0059] Furthermore, to further improve picking efficiency, picking stations and sorting stations can be interchanged. That is, a picking station can be used as a sorting station, or vice versa. Based on this, when a target picking container is designated as a target order container, to save manpower or automated equipment from moving the container to the sorting station, the picking station where the container is located can be directly replaced with a sorting station for subsequent sorting processing.

[0060] Furthermore, the process of replacing the target order container with the target picking container and the sorting station with the picking station is similar to the above description, and will not be elaborated further in this embodiment. In addition, when picking stations or sorting stations are in short supply, any type of station can be temporarily used as another type of station to assist in completing the picking task.

[0061] In this embodiment, the container loading and unloading equipment moves containers through its configured loading and unloading components. That is, the container loading and unloading equipment includes loading and unloading components, which are responsible for moving the containers between the picking station / distribution station and the mobile carrier, or between the locations of the mobile carrier, or between the mobile carrier and the target mobile carrier, or between the picking station and the docking interface outside the workstation, or between the distribution station and the docking interface outside the workstation, or between the mobile carrier and the docking interface outside the workstation.

[0062] Specifically, the interface outside the workstation refers to the area deployed outside the workstation for storing and interacting with other devices. For example, after a picking or sorting station completes its picking task, containers that are no longer needed can be placed at the interface outside the workstation using container loading and unloading equipment. These containers can then be taken away by the corresponding operators, automated equipment, or container loading and unloading equipment at other picking or sorting stations to complete other picking tasks. Correspondingly, loading and unloading components refer to components capable of picking up and placing containers, including but not limited to suction cups, hooks, grippers, or robotic arms.

[0063] Based on this, during the picking task processing, containers can be moved between picking stations / distribution stations and mobile carriers, or between locations on mobile carriers, or between a mobile carrier and a target mobile carrier, where the target mobile carrier specifically refers to another mobile carrier capable of storing containers. After the picking task is completed, containers can be moved between the picking station and the interface outside the workstation, or between the distribution station and the interface outside the workstation, or between a mobile carrier and the interface outside the workstation. In specific implementations, the container movement operation of the loading and unloading components is affected by the actual application scenario and can be completed according to the instructions at the time of implementation; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0064] In practical applications, for convenient container handling, please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 can be configured as follows: Figure 2 The illustrated mechanism includes a movable carrier 460 placed in front of the container loading / unloading equipment 450. Based on this, the container loading / unloading equipment 450 includes a frame 4504, and the frame 4504 includes mutually perpendicular X-axis rails 45041 and Y-axis rails 45042, which are arranged in a vertical plane. Specifically, the Y-axis rail is configured to move along the X-axis rail, and the loading / unloading assembly 4502 is configured to move along the Y-axis rail.

[0065] Further, see Figure 2 As shown in the container loading and unloading equipment 450, if it is necessary to perform container picking and placement operations on the movable carrier 460, it needs to be accomplished by the loading and unloading component 4502. That is, the loading and unloading component 4502 will move up and down along the Y-axis track 45042, and at the same time, the Y-axis track 45042 will also move left and right along the X-axis track 45041, so that the loading and unloading component 4502 can be aligned with the storage location of the container to complete the container picking and placement operation.

[0066] Furthermore, if it is necessary to complete the picking and placing of containers, the loading and unloading assembly 4502 can be configured as follows: Figure 3 The illustrated mechanism includes a loading / unloading component 4502 supported by a base 4501. The base 4501 can be any structure, such as a flat plate or a frame, and can be positioned at the bottom or around the support component 45022. Those skilled in the art can select the structure and position of the base. In one optional embodiment, the base 4501 is a frame structure and can be positioned below the support component 45022 to support it. The support component 45022 has a support surface for supporting the container, and above the support surface is a receiving space for accommodating the container.

[0067] Furthermore, considering factors such as uneven ground or installation errors of the mobile carrier, there may be deviations between the container loading / unloading equipment 450 and the cargo position on the mobile carrier. To improve positional accuracy, the loading / unloading assembly 4502 also includes a positioning system configured to determine the relative position between the loading / unloading assembly 4502 and the mobile carrier. When the positioning system detects that the positional deviation between the loading / unloading assembly 4502 and the cargo position on the mobile carrier reaches a preset range, it needs to adjust the position of the loading / unloading assembly 4502. The positioning system can be a vision scanning module, a laser scanning module, or an infrared scanning module, which obtains the position information of the container or cargo position by identifying the corresponding position on the mobile carrier. Figure 3 As shown, the positioning system can be relatively mounted on the base 4501. A bracket 45011 can be mounted on the base 4501. The bracket 45011 is located above the supporting component 45022 and avoids the receiving space to prevent interference with the movement of the container. The bracket 45011 can be configured as a gate-shaped structure. The bottom end of the bracket 45011 is fixedly connected to both sides of the first open end of the supporting component 45022. The positioning system is mounted on the top of the bracket 45011, located above the supporting component 45022.

[0068] In one alternative embodiment, in order to move containers on a mobile carrier to a picking station, sorting station, or docking point outside a workstation via the loading / unloading assembly 4502, the carrying assembly 45022 on the loading / unloading assembly 4502 further includes a conveyor belt 45021. The upper surface of the conveyor belt 45021 is a bearing surface for supporting containers. The conveyor belt 45021 can transport containers in the horizontal direction, and the transport direction of the conveyor belt 45021 can be determined according to the pick-up and drop instructions. When it is necessary to place a container on the mobile carrier, it can rotate in the direction of the mobile carrier placement position. Conversely, when it is necessary to place a container taken from the mobile carrier to a docking point outside a picking station, sorting station, or workstation, it can rotate in the opposite direction of the mobile carrier placement position.

[0069] Furthermore, in order to pull the container onto the conveyor belt 45021 and place it at the target location via the conveyor belt 45021, the loading and unloading assembly 4502 also includes a pick-and-place assembly 4503. The pick-and-place assembly 4503 will include a suction cup mechanism to pick up the container. Then, the container is pulled into the loading and unloading assembly 4502 by a guide mechanism connected to the pick-and-place assembly 4503, and the container pick-and-place operation is completed via the conveyor belt 45021.

[0070] In order to improve picking efficiency, after the loading and unloading component 4502 grabs the container, its direction can be adjusted while moving along the track. This allows the loading and unloading component 4502 to be finely adjusted in direction to align with the picking station, sorting station, or docking interface outside the workstation where the container needs to be placed. The direction adjustment of the loading and unloading component 4502 can be achieved by rotation, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0071] In one optional implementation, the docking interface outside the picking station, sorting station, and / or workstation can be directly arranged on the other side of the container loading and unloading equipment 450, so that after picking up and placing containers, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 can directly turn around and dock with the docking interface outside the picking station, sorting station, and / or workstation, thereby improving picking efficiency.

[0072] In this embodiment, to improve the rapid connection between the picking and sorting processes and thus ensure picking efficiency, the picking station and the sorting station can be located adjacent to each other, and the picking station and the sorting station are connected by at least one operator or automated equipment. That is, corresponding picking stations and sorting stations in the same workstation can be located adjacent to each other, allowing operators or automated equipment to complete picking and sorting operations without having to move excessive distances, thereby ensuring picking efficiency.

[0073] The warehousing system disclosed herein is configured with workstations, mobile vehicle docking areas, handling equipment, and container loading and unloading equipment. Each workstation has at least one picking station and at least one sorting station to reduce the distance between the picking point and the sorting point, improving sorting efficiency and positively impacting picking speed. Furthermore, the mobile vehicle docking area is used to support the handling equipment for the mobile vehicles, and container loading and unloading equipment is deployed in this area. This allows containers to be moved between the sorting station or picking station in the workstation and the mobile vehicle after the handling equipment has moved the mobile vehicle to the docking area. This reduces the need for human or automated equipment involvement in the picking and sorting processes. The cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the handling equipment, as well as the deployment of the picking and sorting stations, improves picking and sorting efficiency while significantly reducing human resource consumption.

[0074] Corresponding to the above system embodiments, this disclosure also provides warehousing system embodiments. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 4 As shown: The warehousing system 400 includes a control terminal 410, at least one workstation 420, at least one mobile vehicle docking area 430, at least one handling equipment 440, at least one container loading and unloading equipment 450, and at least one mobile vehicle 460 for storing containers. The workstation 420 includes at least one picking station 4202 and at least one sorting station 4204. The control terminal 410 is configured to send a handling instruction to the handling equipment 440 and a loading / unloading instruction to the container loading / unloading equipment 450 according to the picking instruction when a picking instruction is received. The handling equipment 440 is configured to move to the movable vehicle 460 based on the handling command, and to transport the movable vehicle 460 to the movable vehicle docking area 430; The container loading and unloading equipment 450 is configured to pick up and place containers on at least one of the movable carrier 460, picking station 4202, and sorting station 4204 based on the loading and unloading instructions, and to move the containers between the movable carrier 460 and the picking station 4202 or sorting station 4204 in the workstation 420.

[0075] In another warehousing system provided in this embodiment, the same or corresponding descriptions as those in the above-described warehousing system can be found in the above-described embodiments. For the sake of convenience, this embodiment will not be described in detail here.

[0076] Specifically, the control terminal 410 refers to the server that processes picking tasks, used to send container picking instructions to the handling equipment 440 and the container loading / unloading equipment 450. Therefore, when the control terminal 410 receives a picking instruction, it indicates that a picking task needs to be performed. To improve picking efficiency, it can send handling instructions to the handling equipment 440 and loading / unloading instructions to the container loading / unloading equipment 450 based on the picking instruction. The picking instruction includes information about the movable carrier, its location, and the container, enabling the handling equipment 440 to move the movable carrier to the corresponding movable carrier docking area, allowing the container loading / unloading equipment 450 to accurately pick up and place containers. Correspondingly, the handling instructions guide the handling equipment to locate and move the movable carrier; that is, the handling instructions carry the movement trajectory information of the handling equipment. The loading / unloading instructions guide the container loading / unloading equipment to pick up or place containers; that is, the loading / unloading instructions carry the container's location information and the movement trajectory information of the container loading / unloading equipment.

[0077] Furthermore, after receiving a handling instruction, the handling equipment 440 indicates that the mobile carrier needs to be moved to the target location for picking. At this time, the mobile carrier to be handled can be determined according to the handling instruction. Then, it travels to the mobile carrier 460 and moves the mobile carrier 460 to the mobile carrier docking area 430. At this time, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 receives a loading and unloading instruction and picks up and places at least one container located on the mobile carrier 460, the picking station 4202 or the sorting station 4204 according to the loading and unloading instruction, for moving the container between the mobile carrier 460 and the picking station 4202 or the sorting station 4204 in the workstation 420.

[0078] For example, the control unit receives a picking instruction corresponding to a picking task, determines that a set quantity of items 'a' needs to be picked from picking container A on the mobile carrier S and distributed to order container A in the distribution station. At this time, the control unit sends a handling instruction to the handling equipment P according to the container adjustment instruction, and simultaneously sends a loading and unloading instruction to the container loading and unloading equipment. After receiving the handling instruction, the handling equipment P determines the position of the mobile carrier S in the storage area and moves to that position to handle the mobile carrier S. Then, it moves the mobile carrier S to the mobile carrier docking area. At this time, the container loading and unloading equipment will perform a container retrieval operation on picking container A on the mobile carrier S according to the loading and unloading instruction, and place the retrieved picking container A at picking station A in the workstation. At this time, picking container A is the target picking container. Then, the operator or automated equipment can pick the set quantity of items 'a' from the target picking container and distribute it to the target order container A in the distribution station to complete the picking task. Furthermore, when item 'a' in container A corresponds to an item to be sorted, the picking container A can be directly placed at the sorting station as the target order container A using the container loading and unloading equipment. Alternatively, after placing it at the picking station, the picking station can be converted into a sorting station, and the original sorting station can be converted into a picking station accordingly, thereby improving task processing efficiency. Further, after picking is completed, the container loading and unloading equipment can retrieve the picking container A from the picking station and return it to its original location on the mobile carrier S, or to another location on the mobile carrier, or to another mobile carrier. Then, the handling equipment P can move the mobile carrier containing the picking container A to its original location or another location in the storage area, thus returning the mobile carrier containing container A to its original position.

[0079] In summary, by simultaneously setting up at least one picking station and at least one sorting station at the workstation, the distance between the picking point and the sorting point can be reduced, thereby improving sorting efficiency and positively impacting picking speed.

[0080] In this embodiment, since the container loading and unloading equipment supports container movement, when it is necessary to remove the picking container from the storage location of the movable carrier, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 needs to perform different operations according to the loading and unloading instructions. In this embodiment, when the loading and unloading instructions are picking and unloading instructions, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 is further configured to determine the coordinate information of the target storage location of the container on the movable carrier based on the picking and unloading instructions; pick and place the container based on the coordinate information of the target storage location, and place the container at the picking station or the sorting station.

[0081] Specifically, picking and unloading instructions refer to instructions to place picking containers from mobile carriers to picking or sorting stations. Therefore, when container handling equipment determines that picking containers from mobile carriers need to be moved to picking or sorting stations, it first determines the location information of the target storage location of the picking container on the mobile carrier based on the picking and unloading instructions. Then, it moves the loading and unloading components to that location to pick and place the picking container from the storage location. Finally, it places the container at the picking or sorting station according to the picking task.

[0082] It should be noted that the process of picking and moving containers by the container loading and unloading equipment 450 can be described in the same or corresponding way as in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0083] In this embodiment, after the picking station or distribution station completes its current picking task, to avoid the picking operation of the current task affecting subsequent picking processes, the container can be returned to its original position after picking, and the movable carrier can also be returned to its original position. The container loading and unloading equipment 450 is also configured to, upon receiving a container return instruction from the control terminal, pick up and place the container placed at the picking station or distribution station according to the container return instruction, and place the container at the target location of the movable carrier. That is, after the picking task is completed, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 will receive another container return instruction from the control terminal 410. At this time, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 will pick up and place the container in the picking station 4202 or distribution station 4204 according to the instruction, and place it back to the target location of the movable carrier; where the target location is the original position of the container.

[0084] In this embodiment, in order to ensure orderly sorting, at least one buffer position can be set in the workstation. When it is necessary to move the container in the buffer position, it needs to be done by the container loading and unloading device 450. That is, the container loading and unloading device 450 is also configured to pick up and place the container to be moved in the buffer position in the workstation, and place the container to be moved to the picking station, the sorting station, the movable carrier or the docking interface outside the workstation.

[0085] Specifically, the container to be moved refers to a container in the buffer that needs to be moved to the picking station, distribution station, mobile carrier, or interface outside the workstation. This container can be a picking container, an order container, a target picking container, or a target order container. Based on this, when the picking containers to be picked are sequentially sorted into a certain container in the buffer, this picking container is identified as the container to be moved. Then, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 picks and places the container to be moved to the picking station or distribution station corresponding to the picking task, or puts it back to the mobile carrier, or places it at the interface outside the workstation, so as to facilitate subsequent picking, distribution, or handing over to other equipment for processing, and to ensure that the picking task can be executed sequentially.

[0086] In this embodiment, in order to cope with complex picking scenarios, the picking station and the distribution station can be dynamically switched based on the instructions of the control terminal 410. The control terminal 410 is also configured to receive station switching instructions and, according to the work replacement instructions, use the picking station 4202 as the distribution station 4204, or use the distribution station 4204 as the picking station 4202.

[0087] In other words, picking stations and distribution stations can be dynamically switched. To facilitate picking tasks and improve picking efficiency, any one or more distribution stations in the workstation can be used as picking stations, or one or more picking stations can be used as distribution stations. This allows for dynamic adjustment of the number of stations of each type to adapt to different picking tasks and improve picking efficiency.

[0088] In this embodiment, in order to improve picking efficiency, containers that meet the requirements can be directly used as target order containers. The container loading and unloading equipment 450 is also configured to determine the items in the containers on the movable carrier through the identification device and / or the instructions issued by the control terminal. If the items have the same attributes as the items to be picked corresponding to the loading and unloading instructions, the container is used as the target order container and placed at the sorting station.

[0089] Specifically, the identification device refers to a device capable of identifying items in a container, such as a sensor or camera. Correspondingly, the items to be picked refer to the items corresponding to the picking task. Therefore, when the container loading / unloading equipment scans the quantity and type of items in the target picking container using the identification device and finds that they match the items required for the picking task, and / or determines, based on instructions from the control terminal, that the quantity and type of items in the container match the items required for the picking task, it indicates that all items in the container need to be moved to the target order container. To facilitate operation by personnel or automated equipment, the target picking container can be directly designated as the target order container and placed at the sorting station. In other words, after the container loading / unloading equipment 450 determines the target picking container as the target order container, it no longer needs to place the container at the picking station for personnel or automated equipment to pick; instead, it is directly placed at the sorting station as the target order container, thus saving time spent by personnel or automated equipment moving items.

[0090] Furthermore, even after designating the target picking container as the target order container, the process still requires the container loading / unloading equipment 450 to perform pick-and-place operations from the picking station to the distribution station. Therefore, to improve picking efficiency, the picking station can also be directly used as the distribution station. The container loading / unloading equipment 450 is also configured to determine the items in the container at the picking station through the identification device and / or instructions issued by the control terminal. If the items have the same attributes as the items to be picked corresponding to the loading / unloading instructions, the container is designated as the target order container, and the picking station is designated as the distribution station. In other words, the containers located at the picking station do not need to be moved to the distribution station; the picking station can be directly used as the distribution station for subsequent distribution processing.

[0091] For example, if the picking task is to pick n items 'a', the container loading and unloading equipment will identify the target picking container A containing item 'a' at the picking station. Based on the identification result, it will determine that the target picking container A contains n items. If the container loading and unloading equipment places the target picking container A at the picking station, operators or automated equipment will then need to move the items from the target picking container A at the picking station to the distribution station, which will significantly reduce picking efficiency. Therefore, in this case, container A can be directly used as the target order container, and the picking station where the target picking container A is placed can be used as the distribution station, eliminating the need for operators or automated equipment to perform distribution operations.

[0092] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that picking tasks can be executed sequentially without affecting the execution of other parallel picking tasks, containers that cannot be placed can be temporarily placed in a buffer position. That is, the container loading and unloading device 450 is also configured to place the container in the buffer position included in the workstation for queuing based on the loading and unloading instruction when the identification device determines that the picking station or the distribution station cannot place the container.

[0093] In other words, when the identification device determines that the picking station or sorting station cannot place a new picking container, it means that the picking station or sorting station is in a state of task saturation. In order to ensure that subsequent picking tasks are carried out in sequence, the container loading and unloading equipment 450 can place it in the buffer position for queuing based on the waiting information in the loading and unloading instruction, until its corresponding picking task is executed, and then the picking and sorting operation can be carried out on the items in the container.

[0094] In this embodiment, when the handling equipment transports a mobile vehicle, since the mobile vehicle is deployed in a storage area, and the storage area may contain a large number of containers, in order to ensure that the correct container is transported, the handling equipment 440 is further configured to generate a travel path based on the mobile vehicle location information contained in the handling instruction, and move to the mobile vehicle according to the travel path, thus moving the mobile vehicle to the mobile vehicle docking area. Correspondingly, the handling equipment 440 is also configured to, upon completion of the picking task corresponding to the picking instruction, return the mobile vehicle to the mobile vehicle docking position corresponding to the mobile vehicle location information.

[0095] Specifically, the location information of the mobile vehicle refers to the location information of the mobile vehicle that stores the container associated with the picking task. Correspondingly, the parking location of the mobile vehicle refers to the location where the mobile vehicle is parked, which is located in the storage area of ​​the mobile vehicle and is a certain area within the storage area. Correspondingly, the travel path refers to the path that the handling equipment takes from its current location to the location of the mobile vehicle.

[0096] Therefore, when the handling equipment receives a handling instruction, in order to ensure that subsequent picking is completed accurately, the handling equipment can generate a travel path based on the location information of the movable vehicle carried in the handling instruction, and move to the location of the movable vehicle according to the travel path to handle the picking. After the picking task is completed, in order not to affect subsequent picking tasks that select containers on the movable vehicle, the handling equipment also needs to return the movable vehicle to its original position.

[0097] The warehousing system provided in this embodiment reduces the distance between the picking point and the sorting point by setting up at least one picking station and at least one sorting station at the workstation, thereby improving sorting efficiency and positively impacting picking speed. Furthermore, a mobile vehicle docking area is used to support the handling equipment for mobile vehicles, and container loading and unloading equipment is deployed in this area. This allows containers to be moved between the sorting station or picking station in the workstation and the mobile vehicle after the handling equipment has moved the mobile vehicle to the docking area. This reduces the involvement of operators or automated equipment in the picking and sorting processes. The cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the handling equipment, as well as the deployment relationship between the picking and sorting stations, improves picking and sorting efficiency while significantly reducing human resource consumption.

[0098] This implementation also provides a picking method for use in a warehousing system, as follows: Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a picking method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The picking method is applied to the above-mentioned warehousing system, and the method includes the following steps: In step S502, the control terminal receives the picking instruction, and the handling equipment moves the movable carrier to the movable carrier docking area according to the handling instruction in the picking instruction. In step S504, the container loading and unloading equipment picks up and places containers on at least one of the movable carrier, picking station, and sorting station according to the loading and unloading instructions in the picking instructions, and moves the containers between the movable carrier and the picking station or sorting station in the workstation.

[0099] In practice, the picking method provided in this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned warehousing system. The same or corresponding descriptions in the picking method provided in this embodiment as those in the above-mentioned warehousing system can be found in the descriptions in the above-mentioned embodiments. This embodiment will not elaborate further here.

[0100] In summary, by setting up at least one picking station and at least one sorting station in the workstation, the distance between the picking point and the sorting point is reduced, improving sorting efficiency while positively impacting picking speed. Furthermore, the mobile vehicle docking area is used to support the handling equipment for mobile vehicles, and container loading and unloading equipment is deployed in this area. This allows containers to be moved between the sorting station or picking station in the workstation and the mobile vehicle after the handling equipment has moved the mobile vehicle to the docking area. This reduces the involvement of operators or automated equipment in the picking and sorting processes. The cooperation between the container loading and unloading equipment and the handling equipment, as well as the deployment relationship between the picking and sorting stations, improves picking and sorting efficiency while significantly reducing human resource consumption.

[0101] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this disclosure is not limited to the described order of actions, because according to this disclosure, some steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this disclosure.

[0102] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0103] The preferred embodiments disclosed above are merely illustrative of this disclosure. The optional embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this disclosure. These embodiments are selected and specifically described in this disclosure to better explain the principles and practical applications of this disclosure, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize this disclosure. This disclosure is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A warehousing system characterized by, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein, The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and unloading device. The application relates to a container loading and 8. The system of claim 1, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is responsible for moving the container between the picking station / dispensing station and the movable carrier, or between the storage spaces of the movable carrier, or between the movable carrier and the target movable carrier, or between the picking station and the docking station outside the workstation, or between the dispensing station and the docking station outside the workstation, or between the movable carrier and the docking station outside the workstation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, The picking station is adjacent to the dispensing station, and the picking station and the dispensing station are docked by at least one operator or automated equipment.

10. A warehousing system characterized by, The system comprises a control terminal, at least one workstation, at least one movable carrier parking area, at least one carrying device, at least one container loading and unloading device, and at least one movable carrier storing containers, the workstation comprises at least one picking station and at least one dispensing station, the picking station is used to pick items from containers, and the dispensing station is used to dispense items to containers, the movable carrier parking area comprises a plurality of movable carrier parking sub-areas, and the movable carrier parking sub-area is used to park the carrying device carrying the movable carrier; The control terminal is configured to send a carrying instruction to the carrying device and a loading and unloading instruction to the container loading and unloading device according to the picking instruction when receiving the picking instruction; The carrying device is configured to move to the movable carrier based on the carrying instruction and carry the movable carrier to the movable carrier parking area; The container loading and unloading device comprises a loading and unloading assembly, the loading and unloading assembly is configured to place and take the container on at least one of the movable carrier, the picking station, the dispensing station based on the loading and unloading instruction, and adjust the direction to align the movable carrier, the picking station, the dispensing station or the docking station outside the workstation where the container needs to be placed to transfer the container, the loading and unloading assembly comprises a positioning system and a taking and placing assembly, the positioning system is used to position the relative position between the loading and unloading assembly and the movable carrier, and the taking and placing assembly comprises a suction cup mechanism, the taking and placing assembly takes the container by the suction cup mechanism and pulls the container into the loading and unloading assembly.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, When the loading and unloading instruction is a picking loading and unloading instruction, the loading and unloading assembly is configured to determine the coordinate information of the target storage space of the container on the movable carrier based on the picking loading and unloading instruction; The container is placed and taken based on the coordinate information of the target storage space and placed to the picking station or the dispensing station.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is further configured to take and place the container placed in the picking station or the dispensing station according to the container return instruction issued by the control terminal and place the container to the target storage space of the movable carrier.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is further configured to pick up and place the to-be-moved container at the buffer position in the workstation, and place the to-be-moved container to the picking station, the distribution station, the movable carrier or the docking interface outside the workstation.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein, The control terminal is further configured to receive a work position replacement instruction, and replace the picking station as the distribution station or replace the distribution station as the picking station according to the work position replacement instruction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is further configured to determine the goods in the container on the movable carrier through the identification device and / or the instruction issued by the control terminal, and in a case where the goods in the container on the movable carrier are identical to the attributes of the to-be-picked goods corresponding to the loading and unloading instruction, the container is taken as a target order container and placed in the distribution station.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is further configured to determine the goods in the container on the picking station through the identification device and / or the instruction issued by the control terminal, and in a case where the goods in the container on the picking station are identical to the attributes of the to-be-picked goods corresponding to the loading and unloading instruction, the container is taken as a target order container and the picking station is taken as the distribution station.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein, The loading and unloading assembly is further configured to, in a case where the picking station or the distribution station cannot place the container, place the container to the buffer position included in the workstation for queuing based on the loading and unloading instruction.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein, The carrying device is configured to generate a driving path based on the movable carrier position information included in the carrying instruction, and move to the movable carrier according to the driving path to drive the movable carrier to move to the movable carrier parking area.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein, The carrying device is further configured to, in a case where the picking task corresponding to the picking instruction is completed, send the movable carrier back to the movable carrier parking position corresponding to the movable carrier position information.

20. A picking method characterized by, The picking method is applied to the warehouse system of any one of claims 1-9, and the picking method comprises: The control terminal receives a picking instruction, and the carrying device drives the movable carrier to move to the movable carrier parking area according to the carrying instruction in the picking instruction. The loading and unloading assembly of the container loading and unloading device picks up and places the container on at least one of the movable carrier, the picking station and the distribution station according to the loading and unloading instruction in the picking instruction, and adjusts the direction to align the movable carrier, the picking station in the workstation, the distribution station or the docking interface outside the workstation where the container needs to be placed, so as to transfer the container.

Images