Tool vehicle, mounting method of goods shelf robot and warehousing system

Abstract

The invention provides a tool vehicle, a mounting method of a goods shelf robot and a warehousing system, the tool vehicle comprises a vehicle body, a fixing assembly arranged on the vehicle body and an advancing assembly located at the bottom of the vehicle body, the fixing assembly is used for being fixedly connected with the goods shelf robot, and the advancing assembly is used for supporting the vehicle body and allowing the vehicle body to travel along the ground. According to the tool trolley, the goods shelf robot can be kept in the standing state and transported to the goods shelf through the ground, compared with the prior art, the goods shelf robot only needs to be erected or hoisted at a certain fixed position, the goods shelf robot does not need to be hoisted and transported in the whole process through top equipment such as a sky rail, and the working efficiency is greatly improved. The material cost for arranging related equipment at the top of a warehouse and the storage space occupied by the equipment are saved, the manual installation operation difficulty is reduced, and therefore the installation cost of the goods shelf robot is reduced while the installation efficiency of the goods shelf robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more specifically, to a tooling vehicle for installing a shelf robot, a method for installing the shelf robot, and a warehousing system including the tooling vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the iteration of intelligent warehousing systems and the increase in shelf height, the application of rack robots in the field of warehousing equipment is becoming more and more widespread. Rack robots are directly installed on the side of the rack, and the weight of the execution device and goods is supported by the horizontal and vertical guide rail structure. They can adapt to racks of different heights. Compared with box-type storage robots, rack robots have smaller requirements for the space between racks and do not need to be set up with complex slide rails and lifting modules to adapt to the height of the racks, as box-type storage robots do. This can significantly reduce the material cost of the warehousing system and the scheduling cost of box-type storage robots, and improve the utilization rate of warehouse space.

[0003] Shelf robots typically include an execution component, a vertically positioned lifting component, and a lateral displacement component. The execution component is used to pick up and put down goods or bins, the lifting component can drive the execution component to move up and down, and the lateral displacement component is used to drive the execution component to move along the lateral guide rails on the shelf, thereby moving the execution component to each storage location on each shelf layer and performing the actions of picking up and putting in goods or bins.

[0004] In existing technologies, shelving robots are usually installed on the horizontal guide rails of the shelving by manual operation. However, since the overall length of the lifting components of the shelving robot is relatively long, the entire installation operation needs to be carried out in a hoisted state. This not only requires a large amount of storage space, but also requires the installation of hoisting equipment such as overhead rails above the shelving. Especially when shelving robots are deployed on large-sized and high-rise shelving, a large amount of material and labor costs are often required.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a low-cost installation solution for shelving robots has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention aims to address, to a certain extent, one of the technical problems in related technologies. To this end, the invention provides a tooling cart for installing a shelving robot, a method for installing a shelving robot, and a warehousing system including the tooling cart. This tooling cart can improve the installation efficiency of the shelving robot and reduce its installation cost.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, as one aspect of the present invention, a tooling vehicle for installing a shelf robot is provided. The tooling vehicle includes a vehicle body, a fixing component disposed on the vehicle body, and a traveling component located at the bottom of the vehicle body. The fixing component is used to fixally connect to the shelf robot, and the traveling component is used to support the vehicle body and allow the vehicle body to travel along the ground.

[0008] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a lifting assembly, which is mounted on the vehicle body and can drive the shelf robot to move up and down.

[0009] Optionally, the lifting assembly includes a lifting drive and a guide structure. The lifting drive can drive the shelf robot to move up and down, and the guide structure is used to guide the shelf robot to move in the vertical direction.

[0010] Optionally, the guide structure includes at least one vertical guide rail, which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body. The fixing component is movably mounted on the vertical guide rail, and the lifting drive unit can drive the fixing component to move up and down along the vertical guide rail.

[0011] Alternatively, the guide structure includes multiple vertical sleeves, which are connected to each other, and the inner vertical sleeve can slide along the outer vertical sleeve. The outermost vertical sleeve is fixedly connected to the vehicle body, and the innermost vertical sleeve is fixedly connected to the fixing component.

[0012] Alternatively, the guide structure may include multiple crossbar groups, each crossbar group comprising a pair of crossbars hinged together, the multiple crossbar groups being connected sequentially in the vertical direction, and the bottom end of the upper crossbar in an adjacent crossbar group being hinged to the top end of the lower crossbar.

[0013] Optionally, the lifting drive unit includes at least one of a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, and a linear motor.

[0014] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a height feedback component, which is used to provide feedback on the height position information of the shelf robot based on the lifting position of the lifting component.

[0015] Optionally, the height feedback component includes an indicator structure and a scale structure, one of which is fixed relative to the position of the vehicle body, and the other is fixed relative to the position of the lifting component. The height position information includes scale information in the scale structure corresponding to the current position of the indicator structure.

[0016] Alternatively, the height feedback component includes a ranging sensor and a target structure, wherein one of the ranging sensor and the target structure is fixed relative to the position of the vehicle body, and the other is fixed relative to the position of the lifting component, and the height position information includes the ranging result of the ranging sensor measuring the distance to the target structure.

[0017] Optionally, the travel assembly includes a plurality of travel wheels disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body, wherein at least some of the travel wheels are movable relative to the vehicle body in a direction away from the other travel wheels.

[0018] Optionally, the traveling assembly further includes at least one telescopic drive unit, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body, and the extended end of the telescopic drive unit can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body, and the traveling wheel is fixedly disposed at the extended end of the telescopic drive unit.

[0019] Optionally, the traveling assembly further includes at least one swing drive unit, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body, and the extended end of the swing drive unit can swing horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body, and the traveling wheel is fixedly disposed at the extended end of the swing drive unit.

[0020] Optionally, the traveling assembly further includes at least one folding drive unit, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body and can be unfolded to the outside of the vehicle body. The traveling wheel is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the folding drive unit.

[0021] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a lifting and flipping device for pulling the shelf robot upwards, so that the shelf robot flips from a lying position to a standing position that can be fixedly connected to the fixing component.

[0022] Optionally, the lifting and flipping device includes a traction mechanism, a flipping belt, and a flipping connector. The traction mechanism is mounted on the vehicle body. One end of the flipping belt is fixedly connected to the flipping connector, and the other end of the flipping belt is connected to the traction mechanism. The traction mechanism can pull the flipping belt to drive the shelf robot connected to the flipping connector to flip from a lying state to a standing state.

[0023] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes at least one support component, which is disposed on the vehicle body and can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body.

[0024] Optionally, the support component can be stored in any of the following ways: folding; swinging; telescopic.

[0025] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a position indicating component, which is used to generate relative position information based on the positional relationship between the transverse guide rail on the shelf and the shelf robot.

[0026] Optionally, the position indication component includes an image sensor, and the relative position information includes images obtained by the image sensor of the transverse guide rail and the shelf robot.

[0027] Optionally, the position indication component includes an optical path detection device, and the relative position information includes the detection result of the optical path detection device on the transverse guide rail.

[0028] Optionally, the position indicating component includes a reflector, and the relative position information includes an image of the transverse guide rail and the shelf robot reflected by the reflector to one side of the bottom of the tooling vehicle.

[0029] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a guiding robotic arm, which is fixedly connected to the shelf and drives the tooling vehicle to move relative to the shelf so that the lateral displacement component of the shelf robot is aligned with the lateral guide rail on the shelf.

[0030] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes an installation execution unit, which is used to install anti-detachment blocking components on the end of the transverse guide rail after the transverse displacement component of the shelf robot is connected to the transverse guide rail on the shelf.

[0031] Optionally, the vehicle body is provided with a counterweight fixing frame, which is used to fix the counterweight.

[0032] As a second aspect of the present invention, a method for installing a shelf robot is provided, wherein the installation method is implemented using a tooling vehicle provided by the present invention, the method comprising:

[0033] The shelf robot is fixedly connected to the fixed components of the tooling vehicle;

[0034] The shelf robot is driven to one side of the shelf, and the lateral displacement component of the shelf robot is aligned with the lateral guide rail on the shelf.

[0035] The shelf robot is made to travel along the length of the transverse guide rail so that the transverse displacement component of the shelf robot is connected to the transverse guide rail.

[0036] Optionally, the tooling vehicle further includes a lifting assembly, which is mounted on the vehicle body and capable of driving the shelf robot to move up and down; the step of aligning the lateral displacement assembly of the shelf robot with the lateral guide rail on the shelf includes:

[0037] The lifting assembly drives the shelf robot to move up and down, so that the lateral displacement assembly of the shelf robot is aligned with the lateral guide rail on the shelf.

[0038] Optionally, the installation method of the shelf robot further includes, before fixing the shelf robot to the fixed component, pulling the shelf robot by the lifting and flipping device to flip it from a lying state to a standing state.

[0039] As a third aspect of the present invention, a storage system is provided, the storage system including a rack and a tooling vehicle provided by the present invention, wherein a transverse guide rail is fixedly provided on the side of the rack.

[0040] Optionally, the storage system further includes at least one guide structure disposed on one side of the transverse guide rail along the height direction, and the distance between the guide structure and the transverse guide rail gradually increases towards the end of the transverse guide rail.

[0041] Optionally, the warehousing system further includes at least one lifting device, which is fixedly mounted on the shelf. The lifting device is used to pull the shelf robot upward so that the shelf robot and the tooling vehicle fixedly connected to the shelf robot can be flipped from a lying position to a standing position.

[0042] Optionally, the lifting device includes a second traction mechanism, a lifting belt, and a lifting connector. The second traction mechanism is mounted on the shelf. One end of the lifting belt is fixedly connected to the lifting connector, and the other end of the lifting belt is connected to the second traction mechanism. The second traction mechanism can pull the lifting belt to drive the shelf robot connected to the lifting connector and the tooling vehicle fixedly connected to the shelf robot to flip from a lying state to a standing state.

[0043] In the tooling vehicle, the installation method of the shelf robot, and the warehousing system provided by the present invention, the tooling vehicle includes a fixing component on the vehicle body. The fixing component can be fixedly connected to the shelf robot, thereby fixing the shelf robot in a standing state on the tooling vehicle. The traveling component at the bottom of the vehicle body allows the tooling vehicle to carry the shelf robot freely on the warehouse floor to the shelf position where the shelf robot is to be installed, and pushes the shelf robot in by one end of the transverse guide rail, so that its transverse displacement component cooperates with the transverse guide rail and completes the installation operation.

[0044] The tooling vehicle provided by this invention can keep the shelf robot in a standing state and transport it to the shelf via the ground. Compared with the prior art, the solution of this invention only requires the shelf robot to be erected or hoisted at a fixed position. It is not necessary to hoist and transport the shelf robot through top equipment such as overhead rails. This saves the material cost and storage space occupied by the equipment when arranging related equipment on the top of the warehouse, and reduces the difficulty of manual installation. Thus, while improving the installation efficiency of the shelf robot, the installation cost of the shelf robot is also reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0045] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tooling vehicle provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the extended travel wheels of the loading vehicle;

[0052] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the extended travel wheels of the loading vehicle;

[0054] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling vehicle provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figures 10 to 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the tooling cart pulling the shelf robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the tooling cart fixing shelf robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figures 13 to 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the tooling vehicle installing the shelf robot onto the shelf, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figures 15 to 18 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the lifting device on the shelf pulling the shelf robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 19 This is a flowchart illustrating the installation method of the shelf robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0061] 100. Vehicle body; 200. Fixed component; 300. Lifting component; 310. Vertical guide rail; 400. Traveling component; 410. Traveling wheel; 420. Telescopic drive unit; 430. Swing drive unit; 500. Pulling and flipping device; 510. Traction mechanism; 520. Flipping belt; 610. Counterweight fixing frame; 10. Shelf; 20. Transverse guide rail; 21. Guide structure; 30. Lifting device; 31. Second traction mechanism; 32. Lifting belt; 40. Shelf robot; 41. Column; 42. Lateral displacement component. Detailed Implementation

[0062] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described are intended to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0063] The terms "an embodiment," "example," or "trademark" used in this specification refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment itself that may be included in at least one embodiment disclosed in this invention. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0064] To address the aforementioned technical problems, as one aspect of the present invention, a tooling vehicle for installing a shelf robot is provided, such as... Figures 1 to 14 As shown, the tooling vehicle includes a vehicle body 100, a fixing component 200 disposed on the vehicle body 100, and a traveling component 400 located at the bottom of the vehicle body 100. The fixing component 200 is used to fix it to the shelf robot 40, and the traveling component 400 is used to support the vehicle body 100 and allow the vehicle body 100 to travel along the ground.

[0065] The tooling cart provided by this invention has a fixing component 200 on its body 100. The fixing component 200 can be fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40, thereby fixing the shelf robot 40 in a standing state on the tooling cart (e.g., Figure 12As shown), the traveling component 400 located at the bottom of the vehicle body 100 allows the tooling vehicle to freely travel on the warehouse floor to the shelf location where the shelf robot 40 is to be installed (e.g., ...). Figure 13 As shown), and the shelf robot 40 is pushed in by one end of the transverse guide rail 20 (as shown). Figures 13 to 14 As shown), this allows the lateral displacement component 42 to engage with the lateral guide rail 20 and completes the installation operation.

[0066] The tooling vehicle provided by this invention can keep the shelf robot 40 in a standing state and transport it to the shelf via the ground. Compared with the prior art, the solution of this invention only requires the shelf robot 40 to be erected or hoisted at a certain fixed position. It is not necessary to hoist and transport the shelf robot 40 through top equipment such as overhead rails. This saves the material cost and storage space occupied by the equipment when arranging related equipment on the top of the warehouse, and reduces the difficulty of manual installation operation. Thus, while improving the installation efficiency of the shelf robot, it also reduces the installation cost of the shelf robot.

[0067] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the tooling vehicle also includes a lifting assembly 300, which is mounted on the vehicle body 100 and can drive the shelf robot 40 to move up and down.

[0068] In this embodiment of the invention, the tooling vehicle also includes a lifting component 300, which can drive the shelf robot 40 to move up and down. So even if the heights of the transverse guide rails of different shelves are inconsistent or a certain height error occurs when fixing the shelf robot 40 to the drive fixing component 200, the height of the shelf robot 40 can be changed by driving the shelf robot 40 to move up and down through the lifting component 300. This adjusts the height of the transverse displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 to be aligned with the transverse guide rail 20 on the shelf 10, ensuring the tooling vehicle's adaptability to different transverse guide rail heights and the convenience of adjusting the height of the shelf robot 40, further ensuring the installation efficiency of the shelf robot.

[0069] Optionally, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the lifting component 300 can drive the fixed component 200 to lift and lower, thereby causing the shelf robot 40 connected to the fixed component 200 to change its height.

[0070] Alternatively, the fixed component 200 can be fixedly connected to the actuator of the shelf robot 40 (i.e., the mechanical structure that moves up and down along the column 41 and is used to pick up and put down the bin or material), and the lifting component 300 can drive the column 41 of the shelf robot 40 to move up and down, thereby changing the height of the column 41 and the lateral displacement component 42 separately.

[0071] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the lifting assembly 300 includes a lifting drive unit (not shown in the figure) and a guide structure (for example, it may include a vertical guide rail 310, a vertical sleeve 320, and a crossbar assembly 330). The lifting drive unit can drive the shelf robot 40 to move up and down, and the guide structure is used to guide the shelf robot 40 to move in the vertical direction to ensure the accuracy of the lifting direction.

[0072] As another optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the guide structure includes at least one vertical guide rail 310, which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body 100. The fixing component 200 is movably mounted on the vertical guide rail 310. The lifting drive unit can drive the fixing component 200 to move up and down along the vertical guide rail 310, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the direction of movement of the shelf robot when adjusting the height of the shelf robot through the vertical guide rail 310, and thus ensuring the accuracy of the docking between the shelf robot and the horizontal guide rail.

[0073] As another optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the guide structure may include multiple vertical sleeves 320, which are connected to each other. The inner vertical sleeve 320 can slide along the outer vertical sleeve 320. The outermost vertical sleeve 320 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body 100, and the innermost vertical sleeve 320 is fixedly connected to the fixing component 200.

[0074] As another optional embodiment of the present invention, the guide structure can also be a scissor lift mechanism, specifically, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the guide structure may include multiple crossbar groups 330, each crossbar group 330 including a pair of crossbars that are hinged together. The multiple crossbar groups 330 are connected sequentially in the vertical direction, and the bottom end of the upper crossbar in an adjacent crossbar group 330 is hinged to the top end of the lower crossbar.

[0075] It is understandable that the figure only shows the lifting component 300 including two vertical sleeves 320. In actual applications, three, four or more vertical sleeves 320 can be nested together to form a telescopic structure similar to the support pole of a folding umbrella.

[0076] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the lifting drive unit may include at least one of a traction mechanism, a linear motor, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, and a lead screw and nut mechanism.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tooling vehicle may further include a height feedback component, which is used to provide feedback on the height position information of the shelf robot 40 based on the lifting position of the lifting component 300, so that the operator or the automatic control system of the tooling vehicle can determine whether to lift the shelf robot 40 to the required height based on the height position information, thereby further improving the installation efficiency.

[0078] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the height feedback component may include an indicator structure and a scale structure, one of which is fixed relative to the position of the vehicle body 100, and the other is fixed relative to the position of the lifting component 300. The height position information includes the scale information in the scale structure corresponding to the current position of the indicator structure.

[0079] Alternatively, as another optional embodiment of the present invention, the height feedback component may include a ranging sensor and a target structure, one of which is fixed relative to the position of the vehicle body 100, and the other is fixed relative to the position of the lifting component 300, and the height position information includes the ranging result of the ranging sensor measuring the distance to the target structure.

[0080] Optionally, the target structure can be a reflective element positioned opposite the exit surface of the ranging sensor, such as a reflector or a metal sheet.

[0081] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the fixing component 200 may have at least one mounting hole, and the fixing component 200 is fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40 by a fastener passing through the mounting hole. For example, the fastener may include a pin, screw, bolt, etc.

[0082] Alternatively, the fixed component 200 may also include a corresponding execution structure capable of automatically performing clamping and hooking actions, through which the robot 40 automatically grasps the fixed shelf.

[0083] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1 to 14 As shown, the travel assembly 400 includes a plurality of travel wheels 410 disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 100.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present invention, the traveling wheel 410 may be partly a driving wheel and partly a swivel wheel, thereby completing the straight-line and turning movements of the tooling vehicle through the synchronous rotation and differential rotation of the driving wheel.

[0085] Alternatively, all of the travel wheels 410 can be swivel wheels, allowing workers to push the work vehicle forward.

[0086] To improve the stability of the tooling vehicle's driving posture, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figures 5 to 8As shown, at least some of the travel wheels 410 are capable of moving relative to the vehicle body 100 in a direction away from the other travel wheels 410.

[0087] To save warehouse space, the aisle width between racks is usually designed to allow only rack robots and AGVs to move within it. If the width of the tooling cart is designed to be the same as the aisle width, the tooling cart is prone to instability when moving some rack robots with heavy weight and long uprights.

[0088] Therefore, to solve this technical problem, in this embodiment of the invention, at least some of the travel wheels 410 are positioned so that they can move relative to the vehicle body 100 in a direction away from the other travel wheels 410, thereby freely expanding the distribution area of ​​the travel wheels 410. When the tooling vehicle enters a narrow aisle between shelves, the position of the travel wheels 410 can be adjusted to narrow the overall width of the tooling vehicle to adapt to the width of the aisle. When the tooling vehicle is driving freely on open ground outside the aisle, the position of the travel wheels 410 can be adjusted to widen the bottom of the tooling vehicle, ensuring the driving stability of the tooling vehicle.

[0089] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the traveling wheel 410 can be extended horizontally by means of a telescopic structure to widen the bottom of the tooling vehicle. Specifically, as shown in the example... Figures 5 to 6 As shown, the travel assembly 400 also includes at least one telescopic drive unit 420, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 100, and the extended end of the telescopic drive unit 420 can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body (i.e., from...). Figure 5 State extends to Figure 6 (State), the extended end of the telescopic drive unit 420 is fixedly provided with a travel wheel 410.

[0090] Alternatively, as another optional embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the tooling vehicle can be widened by swinging out the traveling wheel 410 through the swing arm structure, specifically, as shown in... Figures 7 to 8 As shown, the travel assembly 400 also includes at least one swing drive unit 430, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 100, and the extended end of the swing drive unit 430 can swing horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body (i.e., from...). Figure 7 Positioning to Figure 8 (State), the extension end of the swing drive unit 430 is fixedly provided with a traveling wheel 410.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the traveling component 400 further includes at least one folding drive unit, which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 100 and can be unfolded to the outside of the vehicle body. A traveling wheel 410 is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the folding drive unit.

[0092] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 10 to 11As shown, the tooling vehicle also includes a lifting and flipping device 500, which is used to pull the shelf robot 40 upward so that the shelf robot 40 is flipped from a lying state to a standing state that can be fixedly connected to the fixing component 200.

[0093] In this embodiment of the invention, the tooling vehicle can use its built-in lifting and flipping device 500 to flip the shelf robot 40 from a lying state to a standing state, so as to fix the shelf robot 40 to the fixed component 200. Thus, there is no need to set up a hoisting mechanism in the warehouse. The tooling vehicle itself can lift the lying shelf robot 40 to a standing state that can be fixedly connected to the fixed component 200, which further reduces the installation cost of the shelf robot.

[0094] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 10 to 11 As shown, the tooling vehicle also includes at least one support component 620, which is disposed on the vehicle body 100 and can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body 100, thereby serving as a fulcrum when the lifting and flipping device 500 pulls the shelf robot 40 to ensure the stability of the tooling vehicle's standing posture.

[0095] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the support component 620 can be stored in any of the following ways:

[0096] Folding means that the support component 620 is a multi-segment hinged structure, which can be folded and stored in the vehicle body 100 or unfolded to the outside of the vehicle body 100; swinging means that one end of the support component 620 is hinged to the vehicle body 100, and the other end can swing outward or swing back into the vehicle body 100; telescopic means that the support component 620 can be retracted into the corresponding receiving space on the vehicle body, or extended from the receiving space to the outside of the vehicle body 100.

[0097] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 10 to 11 As shown, the lifting and flipping device 500 includes a traction mechanism 510, a flipping belt 520, and a flipping connector (not shown in the figure). The traction mechanism 510 is mounted on the vehicle body 100. One end of the flipping belt 520 is fixedly connected to the flipping connector, and the other end of the flipping belt 520 is connected to the traction mechanism 510. The traction mechanism 510 can pull the flipping belt 520 to drive the shelf robot 40 connected to the flipping connector to flip from a lying state to a standing state.

[0098] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the traction mechanism 510 can be a winch or a device capable of automatically retracting and extending the rotating belt 520.

[0099] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 9As shown, a counterweight fixing frame 610 is provided on the vehicle body. The counterweight fixing frame 610 is used to fix the counterweight, so that when transporting the long or heavy shelf robot 40, the center of gravity of the tooling vehicle can be lowered by adding counterweight, thus ensuring the stability of the tooling vehicle.

[0100] To ensure the docking accuracy between the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 and the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tooling carriage further includes a position indicating component. The position indicating component is used to generate relative position information based on the positional relationship between the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10 and the shelf robot 40, so that the automatic control system or operator can adjust the position of the tooling carriage in real time according to the relative position information, thereby further ensuring the docking accuracy between the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 and the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10.

[0101] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the position indication component includes an image sensor, and the relative position information includes images obtained by the image sensor from taking pictures of the transverse guide rail 20 and the shelf robot 40.

[0102] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the position indication component includes an optical path detection device, and the relative position information includes the detection result of the optical path detection device on the transverse guide rail 20.

[0103] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the position indication component includes a reflector, and the relative position information includes the image of the transverse guide rail 20 and the shelf robot 40 reflected by the reflector to the bottom side of the tooling vehicle. That is, the operator does not need to climb to a high place, and can directly visually inspect the positional relationship between the transverse guide rail 20 and the shelf robot 40 by simply observing the reflector on the top of the tooling vehicle.

[0104] To ensure the docking accuracy between the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 and the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tooling cart also includes a guide robotic arm, which is used to be fixedly connected to the shelf and drive the tooling cart to move relative to the shelf 10 so that the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 is aligned with the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10.

[0105] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tooling vehicle further includes an installation execution unit, which is used to install an anti-detachment blocking component on the end of the transverse guide rail 20 after the transverse displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 is connected to the transverse guide rail 20 on the shelf 10.

[0106] In this embodiment of the invention, the tooling vehicle also includes an installation execution unit. After the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 slides into the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10, the installation execution unit can install an anti-detachment blocking component at the end of the lateral guide rail 20, thereby preventing the shelf robot 40 from sliding out of the shelf through the anti-detachment blocking component, ensuring the safety of the installation operation of the shelf robot 40 on the shelf 10.

[0107] As a second aspect of the present invention, a method for installing a shelf robot is provided. The installation of the shelf robot is achieved using a tooling vehicle provided by the present invention, such as... Figure 19 As shown, the installation method of this shelf robot includes:

[0108] Step S1: Securely connect the shelf robot 40 to the fixing component 200 of the tooling cart;

[0109] Step S2: Move the shelf robot 40 to one side of the shelf 10 and align the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 with the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10 (e.g., Figure 13 (as shown);

[0110] Step S3: Move the shelf robot 40 along the length of the transverse guide rail 20 so that the transverse displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 is connected to the transverse guide rail 20 (e.g., Figures 13 to 14 As shown, specifically, the rollers of the lateral displacement assembly 42 slide into the grooves on the side of the lateral guide rail 20.

[0111] The installation method of the shelf robot provided by this invention involves installing the shelf robot 40 onto the shelf 10 using a tooling trolley. The tooling trolley body 100 is equipped with a fixing component 200, which can be fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40, thereby securing the standing shelf robot 40 to the tooling trolley. A traveling component 400 at the bottom of the body 100 allows the tooling trolley to freely travel across the warehouse floor with the shelf robot 40 to the shelf location where the robot 40 is to be installed (e.g., ...). Figure 13 As shown), and the shelf robot 40 is pushed in by one end of the transverse guide rail 20 (as shown). Figures 13 to 14 As shown), this allows the lateral displacement component 42 to engage with the lateral guide rail 20 and completes the installation operation.

[0112] In this invention, the tooling vehicle can keep the shelf robot 40 in a standing position and transport it to the shelf via the ground. Compared with the prior art, the solution of this invention only requires the shelf robot 40 to be erected or hoisted at a certain fixed position. It is not necessary to hoist and transport the shelf robot 40 throughout the entire process using top equipment such as overhead rails. This saves the material cost and storage space occupied by the equipment when arranging related equipment on the top of the warehouse, and reduces the difficulty of manual installation. Thus, while improving the installation efficiency of the shelf robot, it also reduces the installation cost of the shelf robot.

[0113] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 2 to 14 As shown, the tooling vehicle also includes a lifting assembly 300, which is mounted on the vehicle body 100 and can drive the shelf robot 40 to move up and down; step S2 aligns the lateral displacement assembly 42 of the shelf robot 40 with the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10, including:

[0114] The lifting component 300 drives the shelf robot 40 to move up and down, so that the lateral displacement component 42 of the shelf robot 40 is aligned with the lateral guide rail 20 on the shelf 10.

[0115] In this embodiment of the invention, the tooling vehicle also includes a lifting component 300, which can drive the fixing component 200 to move up and down. Therefore, even if the heights of the transverse guide rails of different shelves are inconsistent or a certain height error occurs when fixing the shelf robot 40 to the fixing component 200, the lifting component 300 can drive the fixing component 200 to move up and down, so as to adjust the height of the shelf robot 40 to be aligned with the transverse guide rails on the shelf. This ensures the tooling vehicle's adaptability to different transverse guide rail heights and the convenience of adjusting the height of the shelf robot 40, further ensuring the installation efficiency of the shelf robot.

[0116] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the installation method of the rack robot further includes adjusting the position of the travel wheels 410 before the rack robot 40 travels along the length direction of the transverse guide rail 20, so that the width of the tooling vehicle in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the transverse guide rail 20 is reduced. Thus, when the tooling vehicle enters the narrow aisle between the racks, the position of the travel wheels 410 can be adjusted to narrow the overall width of the tooling vehicle. When the tooling vehicle travels freely on the open ground outside the aisle, the position of the travel wheels 410 can be adjusted to widen the bottom of the tooling vehicle, ensuring the driving stability of the tooling vehicle.

[0117] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the installation method of the shelf robot further includes, before fixing the shelf robot 40 to the fixing component 200, pulling the shelf robot 40 by the lifting and flipping device 500 to flip it from a lying state to a standing state.

[0118] In this embodiment of the invention, the tooling vehicle can use its built-in lifting and flipping device 500 to flip the shelf robot 40 from a lying state to a standing state, so as to fix the shelf robot 40 to the fixed component 200. Thus, there is no need to set up a hoisting mechanism in the warehouse. The tooling vehicle itself can lift the lying shelf robot 40 to a standing state that can be fixedly connected to the fixed component 200, which further reduces the installation cost of the shelf robot.

[0119] As a third aspect of the present invention, a warehousing system is provided, such as Figures 13 to 14 As shown, the warehousing system includes a rack 10 and a tooling cart provided by the present invention. A transverse guide rail 20 is fixedly installed on the side of the rack 10.

[0120] In the warehousing system provided by this invention, a fixing component 200 is provided on the body 100 of the tooling vehicle. The fixing component 200 can be fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40, thereby fixing the standing shelf robot 40 to the tooling vehicle. A traveling component 400 provided at the bottom of the body 100 allows the tooling vehicle to carry the shelf robot 40 freely on the warehouse floor to the shelf position where the shelf robot 40 is to be installed (e.g., Figure 13 As shown), and the shelf robot 40 is pushed in by one end of the transverse guide rail 20 (as shown). Figures 13 to 14 As shown), this allows the lateral displacement component 42 to engage with the lateral guide rail 20 and completes the installation operation.

[0121] In this invention, the tooling vehicle can keep the shelf robot 40 in a standing position and transport it to the shelf via the ground. Compared with the prior art, the solution of this invention only requires the shelf robot 40 to be erected or hoisted at a fixed position. It is not necessary to hoist and transport the shelf robot 40 through top equipment such as overhead rails. This saves the material cost and storage space occupied by the equipment when arranging related equipment on the top of the warehouse, and reduces the difficulty of manual installation. Thus, while improving the installation efficiency of the shelf robot, the installation cost of the shelf robot is also reduced.

[0122] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 13 to 14 As shown, the storage system also includes at least one guide structure 21, which is disposed on one side of the transverse guide rail 20 along the height direction. The distance between the guide structure 21 and the transverse guide rail 20 gradually increases towards the end of the transverse guide rail 20.

[0123] like Figure 13As shown, the guide structure 21 and the transverse guide rail 20 are spaced apart, and the distance between the guide structure 21 and the transverse guide rail 20 gradually increases towards the end of the transverse guide rail 20. This forms a guide flare between the guide structure 21 and the transverse guide rail 20 to guide the rollers in the transverse displacement component 42. Even if there is a slight deviation between the height of the shelf robot 40 and the height of the transverse guide rail 20, the guide structure 21 can guide the rollers of the transverse displacement component 42 to contact the transverse guide rail 20, thus ensuring the smooth installation of the shelf robot 40.

[0124] To further reduce the installation cost of the shelf robot, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 15 to 18 As shown, the warehousing system also includes at least one lifting device 30, which is fixedly installed on the shelf 10. The lifting device 30 is used to pull the shelf robot 40 upward so that the shelf robot 40 and the tooling cart fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40 can be flipped from a lying state to a standing state.

[0125] In this embodiment of the invention, the warehousing system further includes a lifting device 30 mounted on the shelf 10. The lifting device 30 can flip the shelf robot 40 and the tooling cart from a lying position to a standing position, thus eliminating the need for additional hoisting equipment in the warehouse, saving material costs and storage space occupied by hoisting equipment, and further reducing the installation cost of the shelf robot. Furthermore, as... Figures 15 to 16 As shown, the tooling cart can be fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40 when the shelf robot 40 is in a lying position, thereby further reducing the difficulty of connecting the shelf robot 40 and the tooling cart.

[0126] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 15 to 18 As shown, the lifting device 30 includes a second traction mechanism 31, a lifting belt 32, and a lifting connector. The second traction mechanism 31 is mounted on the shelf 10. One end of the lifting belt 32 is fixedly connected to the lifting connector, and the other end of the lifting belt 32 is connected to the second traction mechanism 31. The second traction mechanism 31 can pull the lifting belt 32 to drive the shelf robot 40 connected to the lifting connector and the tooling car fixedly connected to the shelf robot 40 to flip from a lying state to a standing state.

[0127] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of the present invention will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tooling vehicle for installing a shelf robot, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle includes a vehicle body (100), a fixing component (200) disposed on the vehicle body (100), and a traveling component (400) located at the bottom of the vehicle body (100). The fixing component (200) is used to be fixedly connected to the shelf robot (40), and the traveling component (400) is used to support the vehicle body (100) and allow the vehicle body (100) to travel along the ground.

2. The tooling vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a lifting assembly (300), which is mounted on the vehicle body (100) and can drive the shelf robot (40) to move up and down.

3. The tooling vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (300) includes a lifting drive unit and a guide structure. The lifting drive unit can drive the shelf robot (40) to move up and down, and the guide structure is used to guide the shelf robot (40) to move in the vertical direction.

4. The tooling vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide structure includes at least one vertical guide rail (310), which is fixedly mounted on the vehicle body (100). The fixing component (200) is movably mounted on the vertical guide rail (310), and the lifting drive unit can drive the fixing component (200) to move up and down along the vertical guide rail (310). Alternatively, the guide structure includes a plurality of vertical sleeves (320), which are connected to each other and the inner vertical sleeve (320) can slide along the outer vertical sleeve (320). The outermost vertical sleeve (320) is fixedly connected to the vehicle body (100), and the innermost vertical sleeve (320) is fixedly connected to the fixing component (200). Alternatively, the guide structure may include a plurality of crossbar groups (330), each crossbar group (330) comprising a pair of crossbars that are hinged together, the plurality of crossbar groups (330) being connected sequentially in the vertical direction, and the bottom end of the upper crossbar in an adjacent crossbar group (330) being hinged to the top end of the lower crossbar.

5. The tooling vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting drive unit includes at least one of the following: traction mechanism, hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, electric cylinder, linear motor, and lead screw and nut mechanism.

6. The tooling vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a height feedback component, which is used to provide feedback on the height position information of the shelf robot (40) based on the lifting position of the lifting component (300).

7. The tooling vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The height feedback component includes an indicator structure and a scale structure. One of the indicator structure and the scale structure is fixed relative to the position of the vehicle body (100), and the other is fixed relative to the position of the lifting component (300). The height position information includes the scale information in the scale structure corresponding to the current position of the indicator structure. Alternatively, the height feedback component includes a ranging sensor and a target structure, one of which is fixed relative to the vehicle body (100) and the other is fixed relative to the lifting component (300), and the height position information includes the ranging result of the ranging sensor measuring the distance to the target structure.

8. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The travel assembly (400) includes a plurality of travel wheels (410) disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body (100), wherein at least some of the travel wheels (410) are movable relative to the vehicle body (100) in a direction away from the other travel wheels (410).

9. The tooling vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The traveling assembly (400) further includes at least one telescopic drive unit (420), which is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body (100), and the extended end of the telescopic drive unit (420) can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body. The extended end of the telescopic drive unit (420) is fixedly provided with the traveling wheel (410). And / or, the traveling assembly (400) further includes at least one swing drive unit (430), the swing drive unit (430) is disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body (100), and the extended end of the swing drive unit (430) can swing horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body, and the extended end of the swing drive unit (430) is fixedly provided with the traveling wheel (410); And / or, the travel assembly (400) further includes at least one folding drive unit disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body (100) and capable of unfolding to the outside of the vehicle body, with the travel wheel (410) fixedly disposed at the bottom of the folding drive unit.

10. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a lifting and flipping device (500) for pulling the shelf robot (40) upward so that the shelf robot (40) flips from a lying position to a standing position that can be fixedly connected to the fixing component (200).

11. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes at least one support component (620), which is disposed on the vehicle body (100) and can extend horizontally to the outside of the vehicle body (100).

12. The tooling vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that, The support component can be stored in any of the following ways: folding; swinging; stretching.

13. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a position indicator component, which is used to generate relative position information based on the positional relationship between the transverse guide rail (20) on the shelf (10) and the shelf robot (40).

14. The tooling vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that, The position indication component includes an image sensor, and the relative position information includes images obtained by the image sensor from photographs of the transverse guide rail (20) and the shelf robot (40); And / or, the position indication component includes an optical path detection device, and the relative position information includes the detection result of the optical path detection device on the transverse guide rail (20); And / or, the position indication component includes a reflector, and the relative position information includes an image of the transverse guide rail (20) and the shelf robot (40) reflected by the reflector to one side of the bottom of the tooling vehicle.

15. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a guide robotic arm, which is used to be fixedly connected to the shelf and drive the tooling vehicle to move relative to the shelf (10) so that the lateral displacement component (42) of the shelf robot (40) is aligned with the lateral guide rail (20) on the shelf (10).

16. The tooling vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes an installation execution unit, which is used to install anti-detachment blocking components on the end of the transverse guide rail (20) after the transverse displacement component (42) of the shelf robot (40) is connected to the transverse guide rail (20) on the shelf (10).

17. A method for installing a shelf robot, characterized in that, The installation method of the shelf robot is implemented by the tooling vehicle described in any one of claims 1 to 16, the method comprising: The shelf robot (40) is fixedly connected to the fixing component (200) of the tooling vehicle; The shelf robot (40) is driven to one side of the shelf (10), and the lateral displacement component (42) of the shelf robot (40) is aligned with the lateral guide rail (20) on the shelf (10). The shelf robot (40) is made to travel along the length of the transverse guide rail (20) so that the transverse displacement component (42) of the shelf robot (40) is connected to the transverse guide rail (20).

18. The installation method of the shelf robot according to claim 17, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle also includes a lifting assembly (300), which is mounted on the vehicle body (100) and can drive the shelf robot (40) to move up and down; the step of aligning the lateral displacement assembly (42) of the shelf robot (40) with the lateral guide rail (20) on the shelf (10) includes: The lifting assembly (300) drives the shelf robot (40) to move up and down, so that the lateral displacement assembly (42) of the shelf robot (40) is aligned with the lateral guide rail (20) on the shelf (10).

19. The method for installing the shelf robot according to claim 17, characterized in that, The tooling vehicle is the tooling vehicle as described in claim 10; the installation method of the shelf robot further includes, before fixing the shelf robot (40) to the fixing component (200), pulling the shelf robot (40) by the lifting and flipping device (500) to flip it from a lying state to a standing state.

20. A warehousing system, characterized in that, The warehousing system includes a rack (10), at least one rack robot (40), and a tooling vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein a transverse guide rail (20) is fixedly provided on the side of the rack (10).

21. The warehousing system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The storage system further includes at least one guide structure (21), which is disposed on one side of the transverse guide rail (20) along the height direction, and the distance between the guide structure (21) and the transverse guide rail (20) gradually increases along the side towards the end of the transverse guide rail (20).

22. The warehousing system according to claim 20, characterized in that, The warehousing system also includes at least one lifting device (30), which is fixedly mounted on the shelf (10). The lifting device (30) is used to pull the shelf robot (40) upward so that the shelf robot (40) and the tooling vehicle fixedly connected to the shelf robot (40) can be flipped from a lying state to a standing state.

Images