Automatic sorting system for medical products

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of medical equipment, and discloses an automatic medicine sorting system, which comprises a feeding connection unit, a sorting unit, a mechanical hand unit, an identification unit and a turnover unit.The feeding connection unit is used for receiving multiple medicine boxes and conveying the multiple medicine boxes to the sorting unit.The sorting unit is provided with a sorting area and a 3D visual positioning module.The mechanical hand unit is used for grabbing a single medicine box to the identification unit.The medicine box is transferred to a stacking unit in the case that the current posture of the medicine box meets preset stacking rules.The medicine box is transferred to the turnover unit in the case that the current posture of the medicine box does not meet the preset stacking rules.The identification unit is used for scanning the medicine box to obtain coding information and identifying the position and posture of the medicine box.The turnover unit is used for performing a turnover operation on the medicine box which does not meet the preset stacking rules.The stacking unit is used for providing a stacking space for the medicine box to be stacked.The embodiment of the application can make different sizes of medicine boxes in the stacking basket closely arranged in a relatively regular posture, and effectively improves the space utilization rate of the stacking basket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, such as an automated sorting system for pharmaceutical products. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of automated sorting of pharmaceutical supplies, the stacking method of medicine boxes (or vaccine boxes) in medicine baskets directly affects sorting efficiency and the number of boxes that can be stacked. Conventional basketing solutions often involve manually tilting the medicine boxes or using robotic arms to randomly place them in the basket. These solutions have certain limitations, such as the medicine boxes being stacked in different postures and facing in a disorderly manner, with excessive gaps between the boxes and low space utilization, resulting in a decrease in the number of boxes that can be packed in a single basket.

[0003] Given the low space utilization of the aforementioned medicine box stacking, relevant equipment manufacturers have proposed targeted improvement solutions, such as using vibratory feeders or chute mechanisms to straighten the posture of the medicine boxes, in order to improve the loose stacking of medicine boxes in the basket.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art: The above-mentioned improvement scheme is mainly applicable to single-variety medicine boxes with regular shapes and uniform sizes, and is difficult to adapt to mixed stacking scenarios of multiple varieties and different specifications of medicine boxes; therefore, the existing medicine box crating and sorting scheme still needs to improve the technical problem of compact stacking of medicine boxes of different sizes and types.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0007] This disclosure provides an automated sorting system for pharmaceutical products to solve the technical problems in related technologies, such as the non-compact stacking of medicine boxes of various sizes in medicine baskets and low space utilization.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application, an automated sorting system for pharmaceutical products is provided, comprising: The feeding and connecting unit is used to receive multiple medicine boxes and transport them to the sorting unit. The sorting unit has a sorting area and a 3D vision positioning module corresponding to the sorting area. The 3D vision positioning module is used to scan multiple medicine boxes located in the sorting area, construct a three-dimensional scene model of multiple medicine boxes, and determine the spatial coordinate information of at least one medicine box based on the three-dimensional scene model. The robotic arm unit is used to grasp a single medicine box to the recognition unit based on the spatial coordinate information of the medicine box; and to transfer the medicine box to the palletizing unit if the current posture of the medicine box conforms to the preset palletizing rules; and to transfer the medicine box to the flipping unit if the current posture of the medicine box does not conform to the preset palletizing rules. The identification unit is used to scan multiple surfaces of the medicine box to obtain coded information and identify the current position and orientation of the medicine box. The flipping unit is used to flip medicine boxes that do not conform to the preset stacking rules in order to adjust the posture of the medicine boxes. The palletizing unit has a palletizing basket, which provides palletizing space for the robotic arm unit to palletize medicine boxes that conform to preset palletizing rules.

[0009] In some alternative embodiments, the flipping unit includes: Flip the frame; The L-shaped flip plate is rotatably mounted on the flip frame; A flip driver, connected to an L-shaped flip plate, is used to drive the L-shaped flip plate to rotate and switch between a first position state and a second position state in order to flip the medicine box located on the L-shaped flip plate.

[0010] In some alternative embodiments, the L-shaped flip plate includes a first flip plate and a second flip plate arranged at a 90° angle, wherein the first flip plate and the second flip plate utilize one of the sides of the medicine box to support the medicine box in a first position state, and utilize the other side of the medicine box to support the medicine box in a second position state.

[0011] In some alternative embodiments, the flip-drive includes a drive body and a screw rotatable about its own axis; The L-shaped flip plate is equipped with gears that mesh with the screw; The actuator body is used to drive the screw to rotate, which in turn drives the gear to rotate, thereby driving the L-shaped flip plate to rotate.

[0012] In some alternative embodiments, the flipping unit further includes a linear driver; The linear actuator is connected to the second flip plate and is used to drive the second flip plate to move along the surface direction of the first flip plate, so as to push the medicine box located on the first flip plate to move.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, the linear actuator includes a telescopic rod, the rod body of which is parallel to the first flip plate and has an extended end connected to the second flip plate; the linear actuator drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby moving the second flip plate relative to the first flip plate.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the robotic arm unit includes a robotic arm and a suction cup detachably mounted on the operating end of the robotic arm, the suction cup being used to adsorb the surface of the medicine box by vacuum suction. The identification unit is equipped with a hanging rack, on which multiple spare suction cups of different sizes are hung. The robotic arm unit is used to select a target suction cup from multiple spare suction cups of different sizes according to the specifications of the medicine box to be grasped, and replace the current suction cup with the target suction cup.

[0015] In some alternative embodiments, the identification unit includes: The code reading platform is used to carry the medicine boxes transferred from the robotic arm unit; Multiple barcode readers are arranged around the barcode reading platform. These readers are used to scan different surfaces of the medicine box to obtain coded information from each surface.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the feed connection unit includes multiple conveyor belts connected in sequence; Among them, the upstream conveyor belt of the multiple conveyor belts serves as the feeding end, which is used to receive multiple medicine boxes for batch dispensing; the downstream conveyor belt of the multiple conveyor belts serves as the discharging end, which is connected to the sorting area.

[0017] In some alternative embodiments, the preset stacking rules include having the largest area of ​​the medicine box facing down.

[0018] The automated pharmaceutical sorting system provided in this embodiment can achieve the following technical effects: This embodiment utilizes a robotic arm unit and a flipping unit to adjust the posture of medicine boxes. The robotic arm unit judges the current posture based on information obtained from the identification unit, and transfers non-compliant medicine boxes to the flipping unit for flipping. The flipping unit adjusts the posture of medicine boxes that do not conform to preset stacking rules, ensuring that the identified and flipped medicine boxes enter the stacking unit with a uniform and orderly posture, achieving compact and orderly stacking of medicine boxes within the palletizing basket. This solution enables medicine boxes of different sizes to be arranged closely in a relatively regular posture within the palletizing basket, effectively improving the space utilization of the palletizing basket.

[0019] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automated pharmaceutical sorting system provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sorting unit in an automatic pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robotic arm unit of an automated pharmaceutical sorting system provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the identification unit of an automatic pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4b This is a disassembly diagram of the adjustable bracket of the identification unit provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5a This is a first-view schematic diagram of the flipping unit of an automated pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5b This is a second-view schematic diagram of the flipping unit of an automated pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5c This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the flipping unit of an automatic pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a palletizing unit in an automatic sorting system for pharmaceutical products provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a palletizing unit (removed palletizing basket state) of an automatic pharmaceutical sorting system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Reference numerals in the attached drawings of this application: 100. Feeding and connecting unit; 200. Sorting unit; 210. Sorting area; 220. 3D vision positioning module; 300. Robotic arm unit; 310. Robotic arm; 320. Suction cup; 400. Identification unit; 410. Code reading platform; 420. Code reader; 430. Adjustable bracket; 431. Bracket body; 4311. Positioning slot; 432. Assembly base; 4321. Positioning hole; 433. Secondary mounting hole; 500, Flipping unit; 510, Flipping frame; 520, L-shaped flipping plate; 521, First flipping plate; 522, Second flipping plate; 530, Flipping actuator; 531, Actuator body; 532, Screw; 533, Gear; 540, Linear actuator; 541, Telescopic rod; 600. Palletizing unit; 610. Palletizing frame; 620. Palletizing basket; 631. First height detection component; 632. Second height detection component; 700. Vacuum device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0024] In this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of the embodiments of this disclosure and their implementations, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation, or to require them to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or a point connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0028] Combination Figures 1 to 6b As shown, this application discloses an automated pharmaceutical sorting system, which mainly includes an infeed unit 100, a sorting unit 200, a robotic arm unit 300, an identification unit 400, a flipping unit 500, and a palletizing unit 600. The infeed unit 100 serves as the system's front-end entry point, receiving multiple medicine boxes in batches and transporting them to the sorting unit 200. The medicine boxes can be pharmaceutical boxes, vaccine boxes, or other pharmaceutical packaging boxes. The sorting unit 200 has a sorting area 210 and a 3D vision positioning module 220 corresponding to the sorting area 210. The 3D vision positioning module 220 performs 3D scanning of the multiple medicine boxes located in the sorting area 210, constructs a 3D scene model of the multiple medicine boxes, and determines the spatial coordinates of at least one graspable medicine box based on the 3D scene model. The robotic arm unit 300 serves as the system's sorting execution component, which can sort individual medicine boxes according to their spatial coordinates. The medicine box is picked up from the sorting area 210 and moved to the identification unit 400. If the current posture of the medicine box conforms to the preset palletizing rules, the medicine box is directly transferred to the palletizing unit 600. If it does not conform to the preset palletizing rules, the medicine box is transferred to the flipping unit 500 for posture adjustment. The identification unit 400 has multiple barcode readers 420, which are used to scan multiple surfaces of the medicine box to obtain coding information and identify the current position and posture of the medicine box. The flipping unit 500 is used to receive medicine boxes with non-compliant postures and flip them to adjust the posture of the medicine box to conform to the preset palletizing rules. The palletizing unit 600 has a palletizing basket 620, which is used by the robotic arm unit 300 to orderly stack medicine boxes that conform to the preset palletizing rules.

[0029] For example, the sorting workflow of the automated pharmaceutical sorting system is as follows: First, multiple medicine boxes in batches are placed into the feeding and receiving unit 100 by manual labor or upstream equipment. The feeding and receiving unit 100 then transports the medicine boxes to the sorting area 210 of the sorting unit 200. Next, the 3D vision positioning module 220 of the sorting unit 200 scans the multiple medicine boxes in the sorting area 210, constructs a three-dimensional scene model, and determines the spatial coordinate information of a single medicine box suitable for grasping. The robotic arm unit 300 grasps the designated single medicine box from the sorting area 210 according to the spatial coordinate information and transfers it to the barcode reading platform 410 of the identification unit 400. The identification unit 400... Multiple barcode readers 420 scan multiple surfaces of the medicine box to obtain the encoded information and upload it to the system database for verification. At the same time, they identify and judge the current position and posture of the medicine box. If the current posture of the medicine box conforms to the preset stacking rules, the robotic arm unit 300 directly transfers the medicine box to the stacking basket 620 of the stacking unit 600 for stacking. If the current posture of the medicine box does not conform to the preset stacking rules, the robotic arm unit 300 transfers the medicine box to the flipping unit 500. The flipping unit 500 performs a flipping operation on the medicine box to adjust its posture. After the posture adjustment is completed, the robotic arm unit 300 picks up the medicine box again and places it in the stacking basket 620 for stacking.

[0030] This embodiment uses a flipping unit 500 to actively adjust the posture of medicine boxes that do not conform to the stacking rules, so that all medicine boxes can enter the stacking basket 620 in a uniform and orderly manner, thereby achieving compact and orderly stacking of medicine boxes of different sizes in the basket and effectively improving the space utilization of the medicine basket.

[0031] The key units of the automatic pharmaceutical sorting system of this application will be described in detail below with reference to some optional embodiments.

[0032] In some optional embodiments, the feeding connection unit 100 is used to receive multiple medicine boxes dispensed in batches and transport the multiple medicine boxes to the sorting unit 200 so that the robotic arm unit 300 can continuously grab medicine boxes from the sorting area 210, thus ensuring the sorting efficiency of the system.

[0033] Optional, such as Figure 1 As shown, the feeding connection unit 100 mainly includes multiple conveyor belts connected in sequence.

[0034] Specifically, the feeding and connecting unit 100 includes at least two sequentially connected conveyor belts. The upstream conveyor belt serves as the feeding end, receiving multiple medicine boxes dispensed in batches. Here, the medicine boxes can be poured onto the conveyor belt manually or by automated machinery. The downstream conveyor belt serves as the discharging end, connecting to the sorting area 210 of the sorting unit 200, thereby transporting the medicine boxes into the sorting area 210 for the robotic arm unit 300 to grasp.

[0035] In some optional embodiments, the sorting unit 200 serves as a temporary storage and visual positioning area for medicine boxes before they are grasped by the robotic arm unit 300 in an automated pharmaceutical sorting system. It receives batches of medicine boxes from the receiving and transfer unit 100 and utilizes 3D vision technology to provide the robotic arm unit 300 with the spatial coordinate information of the medicine boxes required for grasping. Here, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sorting unit 200 mainly includes a sorting area 210 and a 3D vision positioning module 220 corresponding to the sorting area 210.

[0036] Specifically, sorting area 210 is an area for temporary storage of batches of medicine boxes, and for the robotic arm unit 300 to pick up individual medicine boxes from it. Optional, such as Figure 2 As shown, the sorting area 210 is constructed as a conveyor belt. This sorting area 210 is connected to the infeed unit 100. The conveyor belt of the sorting area 210 can continue to transport the medicine boxes conveyed by the infeed unit 100 to the image acquisition range of the 3D vision positioning module 220, facilitating image acquisition of the medicine box stack. Alternatively, the sorting area 210 is constructed as a support platform with a rectangular or square platform surface. The infeed side of the sorting area 210 is connected to the discharge end of the downstream conveyor belt in the infeed unit 100, allowing the medicine boxes to be directly transferred from the conveyor belt to the support platform of the sorting area 210.

[0037] In this embodiment, the 3D vision positioning module 220 is disposed above the sorting area 210 and is used to perform three-dimensional scanning on multiple medicine boxes located in the sorting area 210, construct a three-dimensional scene model of multiple medicine boxes, and determine the spatial coordinate information of at least one graspable medicine box based on the three-dimensional scene model, so that the robotic arm unit 300 can determine the spatial position and posture of the medicine box to be grasped in the sorting area 210, thereby achieving precise positioning and grasping of the medicine box.

[0038] Optionally, the 3D vision positioning module 220 includes a 3D camera. The mounting height and orientation angle of the 3D camera are configured to cover the entire area of ​​the sorting area 210, ensuring 3D imaging of all medicine boxes within the sorting area 210 without blind spots.

[0039] For example, the 3D vision positioning module 220 and the robotic arm unit 300 work together as follows: the sorting unit 200 scans multiple medicine boxes in the sorting area 210 through the 3D vision positioning module 220 to obtain the spatial position data of the points on the surface of each medicine box, and performs segmentation, clustering and recognition processing on the point cloud data to construct a three-dimensional scene model of multiple medicine boxes in the sorting area 210; based on the three-dimensional scene model, the sorting system can determine a medicine box suitable for current grasping from multiple medicine boxes and output the spatial coordinate information of the medicine box to the robotic arm unit 300; after obtaining the spatial coordinate information of the target medicine box, the robotic arm unit 300 performs the grasping operation of the medicine box.

[0040] Optionally, the spatial coordinate information may include the spatial position of the medicine box in the reference coordinate system of the sorting area 210, the orientation of each surface of the medicine box, and the length, width, and height dimensions of the medicine box. The 3D vision positioning module 220 can select the most suitable target medicine box for grasping from multiple medicine boxes based on the above spatial coordinate information. For example, it can prioritize medicine boxes located on the top layer of the stack, with a large exposed surface area, and / or not obstructed by other medicine boxes as the current grasping target, thereby improving the single grasping success rate of the robotic arm unit 300.

[0041] In some embodiments, the robotic arm unit 300 is a multi-axis articulated robotic arm, such as a three-axis or six-axis robotic arm, which has the characteristics of large spatial freedom and flexible working range, and can adapt to the gripping and stacking needs of different spatial positions between the sorting area 210, the identification unit 400, the flipping unit 500 and the palletizing unit 600.

[0042] Here, as Figure 3 As shown, the robotic arm unit 300 mainly includes a robotic arm 310 and a suction cup 320 detachably mounted on the operating end of the robotic arm 310. The sorting system is equipped with a vacuum device 700 that provides vacuum pressure to the suction cup 320, allowing the suction cup 320 to grip the surface of the medicine box using vacuum suction. During the sorting process, after the robotic arm unit 300 obtains the spatial coordinate information of the target medicine box from the 3D vision positioning module 220 of the sorting unit 200, the robotic arm 310 moves the suction cup 320 to the vicinity of the target medicine box and aligns the suction cup 320 with the gripping surface of the medicine box. The vacuum device 700 generates negative pressure suction to hold the medicine box in place, thus allowing the medicine box to move between the sorting area 210, the identification unit 400, the flipping unit 500, and the palletizing unit 600.

[0043] In some embodiments, to adapt to the gripping needs of medicine boxes of different sizes, the robotic arm unit 300 is equipped with multiple suction cups 320 of different sizes, so that the suction cups 320 can be selectively replaced according to the type of medicine box and gripping needs.

[0044] Specifically, a bracket is provided on the frame of the identification unit 400, and multiple spare suction cups of different specifications are hung on the bracket. The spare suction cups are arranged in one or more rows at intervals on the bracket, which facilitates the installation and removal of the suction cups 320 by the operating end of the robotic arm 310. It should be understood that in this embodiment, the identification unit 400 is located adjacent to the robotic arm unit 300. Therefore, for the purpose of quick replacement of the suction cups 320, the suction cup 320 bracket is set at the identification unit 400. Those skilled in the art can also set the bracket at other unit locations according to the convenience of replacement in different models, and this should also be covered within the protection scope of this application.

[0045] Optionally, multiple spare suction cups can be differentiated by the diameter of the suction cup 320. For example, multiple spare suction cups can be hung in ascending order of diameter, suitable for gripping small, medium, and large medicine boxes respectively. This ensures that the suction area of ​​the suction cup 320 matches the size of the medicine box surface, avoiding problems such as vacuum leakage caused by the suction cup 320 being too large and exceeding the edge of the box surface, or insufficient suction force due to the suction cup 320 being too small. Alternatively, multiple spare suction cups can be differentiated by the material of the suction cup 320. For example, the suction cup 320 material can be divided into silicone, sponge, etc. Different materials of suction cup 320 are suitable for different medicine box packaging. For example, silicone suction cup 320 is suitable for medicine box packaging with a smooth surface, while sponge suction cup 320 is suitable for medicine box packaging with a rough surface. This allows different suction cups 320 to be used to grip medicine boxes of corresponding packaging types.

[0046] In this way, the robotic arm unit 300 is used to select a suitable target suction cup 320 from multiple spare suction cups of different sizes according to the specifications (such as size or packaging form) of the medicine box to be grasped, and replace the current suction cup 320 with the target suction cup 320.

[0047] Optionally, the operating end of the robotic arm 310 and the suction cup 320 can be assembled using a quick-connect coupling, such as a pneumatic coupling or an electromagnetic adsorption coupling between the operating end and the suction cup 320.

[0048] In some optional embodiments, the identification unit 400 is used to acquire the coding information on the medicine box and upload the coding information to the system database for recording and verification. Specifically, when the medicine box is transported to the sorting system from the outside, the corresponding drug information is already recorded once. During the sorting process, the identification unit 400 acquires the coding information of each medicine box a second time and compares it with the previously recorded drug information. If the comparison is correct, the robotic arm unit 300 is then controlled to perform subsequent stacking operations, thereby ensuring the consistency of sorted drug information and medication safety.

[0049] In this embodiment, the identification unit 400 includes a code reading platform 410 and a code reader 420 disposed around the code reading platform 410, such as... Figure 4a As shown.

[0050] Here, the code reading platform 410 serves as a support surface for the medicine box grasped by the robotic arm unit 300. For example... Figure 4a As shown, the barcode reading platform 410 is constructed as a rectangular platform, with dimensions larger than the largest surface size of the medicine box to ensure the medicine box can be placed completely flat on the platform. Multiple barcode readers 420 are arranged around the barcode reading platform 410, allowing them to scan different surfaces of the medicine box separately to obtain the box's coding information from each surface. Here, the medicine box typically has six surfaces (top, bottom, front, back, left, and right), and the box's coding may be printed on one or more of these surfaces. By using multiple barcode readers 420 to scan multiple surfaces separately, the problem of recognition failure due to single-sided scanning failing to read the coding is avoided, effectively improving barcode reading efficiency.

[0051] Optionally, the identification unit 400 is equipped with five barcode readers 420, which are located below, to the left front, to the left rear, to the right front, and to the right rear of the barcode reading platform 410, respectively. This allows each barcode reader 420 to cover 1-3 sides of the medicine box, thus achieving full coverage scanning of all sides of the medicine box. Here, the barcode reading platform 410 is made of a transparent material (such as tempered glass or acrylic sheet), so that the barcode readers 420 located below the barcode reading platform 410 can also scan the corresponding sides of the box through the barcode reading platform 410.

[0052] Alternatively, the barcode reader 420 is mounted on an adjustable bracket 430 surrounding the barcode reading platform 410, which allows for height and / or angle adjustment of the barcode reader 420.

[0053] Specifically, taking the barcode reader 420 located at the front left of the barcode reading platform 410 as an example, the frame of the identification unit 400 is provided with multiple main mounting holes arranged vertically, and the adjustable bracket 430 is also provided with multiple secondary mounting holes 433 along the vertical direction. The main mounting holes and secondary mounting holes 433 can be fixed by screw connection. By changing the relative position height of the adjustable bracket 430 with respect to the frame of the identification unit 400 and fixing it in the corresponding hole, the barcode reading height of the barcode reader 420 can be adjusted.

[0054] And, such as Figure 4bAs shown, the adjustable bracket 430 includes a bracket body 431 and an assembly base 432 mounted on the upper end of the bracket body 431. The assembly base 432 can be used to fix the barcode reader 420. The assembly base 432 can rotate circumferentially in the vertical plane relative to the end of the adjustable bracket 430. At the same time, multiple positioning holes 4321 are formed circumferentially on the side wall of the bracket body 431 corresponding to the assembly base 432. A positioning groove 4311 is formed circumferentially on the upper end of the bracket body 431. The positioning holes 4321 and the positioning groove 4311 can be locked and positioned by screws. In this way, after the assembly base 432 is rotated to the appropriate barcode reading angle, the positioning holes 4321 and the positioning groove 4311 are locked by screws so that the barcode reader 420 can maintain the current barcode reading angle on the adjustable bracket 430. When it is necessary to adjust the reading angle, the screw can be loosened to unlock the mounting base 432, and after the mounting base 432 is rotated to adjust the angle, it can be re-locked to achieve the angle adjustment function of the code reader 420.

[0055] Optionally, the barcode reader 420 type includes, but is not limited to, fixed-focus industrial barcode readers, vision barcode readers with automatic zoom function, intelligent barcode readers with deep learning capabilities, and so on.

[0056] In this embodiment, the identification unit 400 is also used to identify the current position and posture of the medicine box, so that the sorting system can determine whether the medicine box conforms to the preset palletizing rules. If the current posture of the medicine box conforms to the preset palletizing rules, the robotic arm unit 300 is controlled to pick up the medicine box from the barcode reading platform 410 and transfer it directly to the palletizing basket 620 of the palletizing unit 600, and stack it according to the preset palletizing arrangement rules; if the current posture of the medicine box does not conform to the preset palletizing rules, the robotic arm unit 300 picks up the medicine box from the barcode reading platform 410 and transfers it to the flipping unit 500 for posture adjustment.

[0057] Optionally, the preset stacking rules include having the largest surface of the medicine box facing down. This way, after the robotic arm unit 300 grasps the medicine box, the medicine box can be placed flat in the stacking basket 620 with the largest surface as the bottom. This posture has the advantages of a low center of gravity, stable placement, and neat arrangement in the basket, which is conducive to stacking the medicine boxes layer by layer upwards in the stacking basket 620.

[0058] In some alternative embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figures 5a to 5c As shown, the flipping unit 500 mainly includes components such as a flipping frame 510, an L-shaped flipping plate 520, a flipping driver 530, and a linear driver 540.

[0059] Specifically, the tilting frame 510 serves as a support component for carrying and mounting the various parts of the tilting unit 500. Optionally, such as... Figure 1As shown, the tilting frame 510 is constructed as a frame structure, which is assembled from multiple horizontal beams and vertical beams. The top of the tilting frame 510 can serve as a support platform for mounting components such as the L-shaped tilting plate 520 and the tilting drive 530, and can ensure the overall stability of the frame during the tilting operation.

[0060] Optionally, the identification unit 400 and the flipping unit 500 are integrated into a single frame, and both are mounted on the same frame.

[0061] In this embodiment, the L-shaped flip plate 520 and the flip driver 530 work together to flip the medicine box. The flip driver 530 is provided on the support platform of the flip frame 510. The driving end of the flip driver 530 is connected to the L-shaped flip plate 520, and it can drive the L-shaped flip plate 520 to switch between a first position and a second position state, so that the medicine box located on the L-shaped flip plate 520 can be flipped.

[0062] Specifically, the L-shaped flip plate 520 includes a first flip plate 521 and a second flip plate 522 arranged at a 90° angle. In the aforementioned first position, the first flip plate 521 is parallel to the horizontal direction and the second flip plate 522 is perpendicular to the horizontal direction, at which point the first flip plate 521 mainly serves as the supporting surface of the medicine box; while in the aforementioned second position, the first flip plate 521 is perpendicular to the horizontal direction and the second flip plate 522 is parallel to the horizontal direction, at which point the second flip plate 522 mainly serves as the supporting surface of the medicine box. In this way, by driving the L-shaped flip plate 520 to switch between the first and second position states, the medicine box can be rotated at least 90 degrees synchronously, thereby changing the downward-facing surface of the medicine box.

[0063] Here, we take a rectangular medicine box as an example. It has 6 sides. Opposite sides are paired up and have the same size. The 6 sides are defined as a1, a2, b1, b2, c1 and c2. The area of ​​the sides is a1 (a2) > b1 (b2) > c1 (b2). That is, sides a1 and a2 are the sides with the largest area of ​​the medicine box. When the robotic arm unit 300 picks up the medicine box and places it on the barcode reading platform 410 of the identification unit 400, if a1 or a2 is facing downwards, it is determined that the medicine box conforms to the preset stacking rules. The robotic arm unit 300 can then be directly controlled to hold the medicine box in this position and pick it up into the stacking basket 620 of the stacking unit 600, so that the medicine box in the stacking basket 620 also has its a1 or a2 box side facing the bottom of the basket. However, if either b1 (b2) or c1 (b2) is facing downwards, it is determined that the medicine box does not conform to the preset stacking rules. The robotic arm unit 300 is then controlled to pick up the medicine box and place it in the flipping unit 500 for flipping.

[0064] Specifically, regarding the flipping operation of the flipping unit 500, assuming that during a certain grasping action, box b1 is facing downwards, the robotic arm unit 300 grasps the medicine box to the flipping unit 500 while maintaining box b1 facing downwards. The initial state of the flipping unit 500 is the second position state. At this time, the robotic arm unit 300 grasps the medicine box to the 90° corner position where the first flipping plate 521 and the second flipping plate 522 are perpendicularly connected. Box b1 is abutted against the second flipping plate 522, and a1 (or a2) is abutted against the first flipping plate 521. Then, the flipping unit 500 is controlled to perform a flipping action, and the medicine box flips with the two flipping plates to the first position state. In this state, a1 (or a2) remains in contact with the first flipping plate 521, which has switched to a horizontal state. A1 (or a2) thus becomes the box surface facing downwards. In this way, the robotic arm unit 300 can be controlled to grasp the medicine box in the current position state and place it to the palletizing unit 600 for palletizing.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first flip plate 521 and the second flip plate 522 adopt an integral molding structure, for example, the same metal plate is bent at 90° to form an L-shaped cross section, or two flat plates are welded together at a 90° angle. The integral structure can make the L-shaped flip plate 520 have advantages such as good overall rigidity and strong load-bearing capacity.

[0066] In the previous embodiment, the rotation axis of the L-shaped flip plate 520 is set in the horizontal direction, and the rotation axis is located at the bottom surface of the first flip plate 521, the bottom surface of the second flip plate 522, or the corner connection position of the two flip plates, so that the two flip plates rotate synchronously around the axis during the rotation of the L-shaped flip plate 520.

[0067] In some alternative embodiments, the flip actuator 530 is a screw 532 driven type. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5cAs shown, the flip driver 530 includes a driver body 531 and a screw 532 rotatable about its own axis. The axis of the screw 532 is parallel to the numerical direction. An L-shaped flip plate 520 is provided with a gear 533 that meshes with the screw 532, wherein the rotating surface of the gear 533 is located on a vertical plane. The driver body 531 can be a servo motor or a stepper motor, and its output shaft is connected to one end of the screw 532 via a coupling. The screw 532 is rotatably mounted on the flip frame 510 along its axial direction, and its outer circumference is provided with a thread that matches the tooth profile of the gear 533. The gear 533 is fixedly disposed on the bottom surface of the first flip plate 521, the bottom surface of the second flip plate 522, or the corner connection position of the two flip plates of the L-shaped flip plate 520. When the flip drive 530 is running, the drive body 531 drives the screw 532 to rotate around its own axis. The screw 532 drives the gear 533 to rotate through thread engagement, and then drives the L-shaped flip plate 520 to rotate 90° around its rotation axis in the vertical plane, thereby realizing the switching between two position states.

[0068] In this embodiment, the transmission method of screw 532 and gear 533 has the characteristics of high transmission accuracy and good self-locking. When the driver body 531 stops rotating, the L-shaped flip plate 520 can be kept at the current angle position by the self-locking action between screw 532 and gear 533, so as to facilitate the gripping of the robot arm unit 300.

[0069] In some embodiments not shown in the drawings, the flip driver 530 may also employ other driving methods. For example, the output shaft of the flip driver 530 may be directly connected to the L-shaped flip plate 520, and the axis of the output shaft may be parallel to the rotation axis of the L-shaped flip plate 520. In this way, the output shaft of the flip driver 530 may directly drive the L-shaped flip plate 520 to rotate, thereby making the unit structure more compact.

[0070] In some other embodiments, the first flip plate 521 and the second flip plate 522 are of a separate structure, and the two flip plates can be driven to move relative to each other by a linear actuator 540.

[0071] Optionally, the linear actuator 540 is connected to the second flip plate 522, which can drive the second flip plate 522 to move along the surface direction of the first flip plate 521 to push the medicine box located on the first flip plate 521 to move. Here, when the L-shaped flip plate 520 completes a flipping operation from the second position state to the first position state, the medicine box is supported by the first flip plate 521. At this time, the linear actuator 540 drives the second flip plate 522 together with the medicine box on it to move a certain distance away from the first flip plate 521, so that the flipped medicine box moves a certain distance outward from the corner position of the L-shaped flip plate 520, providing more ample grasping operation space for the robotic arm unit 300, making it easier for the suction cup 320 to approach and adsorb the surface of the medicine box from above.

[0072] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5c As shown, the linear actuator 540 includes a telescopic rod 541. The rod body of the telescopic rod 541 is arranged parallel to the surface of the first flip plate 521, and the telescopic rod 541 has an extended end connected to the second flip plate 522. The linear actuator 540 drives the telescopic rod 541 to perform telescopic movement, thereby causing the second flip plate 522 to reciprocate relative to the first flip plate 521 along the surface direction.

[0073] Optionally, the linear actuator 540 can use a built-in motor to drive the telescopic rod 541 to extend and retract. For example, the rod segment of the telescopic rod 541 that cooperates with the built-in motor is constructed as a threaded screw. The built-in motor achieves the meshing of the threaded segment of the telescopic rod 541 through transmission components such as gears, thereby realizing the linear extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 541. Alternatively, the linear actuator 540 can use pneumatic or hydraulic drive to drive the telescopic rod 541 to move. The pneumatic cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) can drive the telescopic rod 541 to extend and retract using compressed air (compressed fluid).

[0074] In some optional embodiments, the palletizing unit 600 provides a palletizing space for the robotic arm unit 300 to orderly palletize the identified medicine boxes, allowing the sorted medicine boxes to be neatly stacked in the palletizing basket 620 according to a preset arrangement rule, facilitating subsequent output of the entire basket. Here, the palletizing unit 600 mainly includes a palletizing frame 610, a palletizing basket 620, and a height detection component disposed on the side of the palletizing basket 620, such as... Figure 6a and Figure 6b As shown.

[0075] In this embodiment, the palletizing basket 620 is a basket used to hold and stack the identified medicine boxes, and it is placed on the palletizing frame 610. Optionally, the structure of the palletizing basket 620 is the same as or similar in specifications to the aforementioned medicine basket, and using a uniform basket facilitates the universal circulation and replacement of baskets within the sorting system. Alternatively, the palletizing basket 620 may be a basket of different specifications than the aforementioned medicine basket, for example, the size of the palletizing basket 620 may be larger than the infeed medicine basket, to provide more spacious palletizing operation space.

[0076] In some embodiments, the height detection component is used to monitor the stacking height of medicine boxes inside the palletizing basket 620 to determine whether the stacking has reached the full basket state and / or exceeds the safe height. Here, the palletizing unit 600 includes a first height detection component 631 and a second height detection component 632 disposed on the palletizing frame 610 and located on the side of the palletizing basket 620. The two sets of detection components are installed at different height positions and are used to realize different levels of detection functions.

[0077] Specifically, the first height detection component 631 is positioned at the same height as the top edge of the palletizing basket 620 to detect whether the stacked medicine boxes have reached or exceeded the height of the top edge of the palletizing basket 620. When the medicine boxes in the palletizing basket 620 are stacked layer by layer until the upper surface of the top medicine box reaches or slightly exceeds the top edge of the palletizing basket 620, the first height detection component 631 is triggered, thereby determining that the palletizing basket 620 is full. At this time, the robotic arm unit 300 can be paused from continuing to stack medicine boxes into the palletizing basket 620, and a full basket prompt signal can be issued so that the operator or the unloading system can perform a basket replacement operation in a timely manner.

[0078] Optionally, the first height detection component 631 may be a grating sensor. The grating sensor includes a transmitting grating and a receiving grating arranged opposite each other, which are vertically installed at corresponding positions on both sides of the palletizing basket 620. The transmitting grating is provided with multiple parallel detection beams along the vertical direction, and the receiving grating is provided with multiple photosensitive receiving units, thereby forming a light curtain detection surface composed of multiple parallel beams between the transmitting grating and the receiving grating. When the medicine boxes in the palletizing basket 620 are stacked to a certain height and block part of the beams in the light curtain, the receiving grating detects a change in the number or position of the blocked beams, and the real-time stacking height of the medicine boxes can be determined.

[0079] Alternatively, the first height detection component 631 can also be a reflective photoelectric sensor. The sensor is set at the top edge height position on one side of the palletizing basket 620, and emits a light beam inward into the basket and determines whether the medicine box has reached the predetermined height by reflecting the signal from the surface of the medicine box.

[0080] In this embodiment, the second height detection component 632 is positioned above the top edge of the palletizing basket 620 to detect whether the stacked medicine boxes exceed a preset upper limit height. Here, since medicine boxes come in various sizes, for example, a larger medicine box might not have exceeded the top edge of the palletizing basket 620 during the previous stacking, but when a new medicine box is stacked, it will exceed the top edge by a larger size. In this state, the medicine box stacked on top is prone to falling during subsequent transport. Based on this, this embodiment uses the second height detection component 632 to detect and determine the height, preventing medicine boxes from falling due to excessive stacking beyond the basket.

[0081] Optionally, the installation height of the second height detection component 632 is about 20mm to 50mm higher than the top edge of the palletizing basket 620. The specific height difference can be set according to the thickness of the medicine box and the system safety margin, and this application is not limited to this.

[0082] Alternatively, the second height detection component 632 may adopt the same or similar scheme as the first height detection component 631 described above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0083] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included or substituted for parts and features of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated sorting system for pharmaceutical supplies, characterized in that, include: The feeding and connecting unit is used to receive multiple medicine boxes and transport the multiple medicine boxes to the sorting unit; The sorting unit has a sorting area and a 3D vision positioning module corresponding to the sorting area. The 3D vision positioning module is used to scan multiple medicine boxes located in the sorting area, construct a three-dimensional scene model of the multiple medicine boxes, and determine the spatial coordinate information of at least one medicine box based on the three-dimensional scene model. The robotic arm unit is used to grasp a single medicine box to the recognition unit based on the spatial coordinate information of the medicine box; and, if the current posture of the medicine box conforms to the preset palletizing rules, to transfer the medicine box to the palletizing unit. And, if the current posture of the medicine box does not conform to the preset stacking rules, the medicine box is transferred to the flipping unit; The identification unit is used to scan multiple surfaces of the medicine box to obtain coded information and identify the current position and orientation of the medicine box. A flipping unit is used to flip medicine boxes that do not conform to preset stacking rules in order to adjust the posture of the medicine boxes. The palletizing unit has a palletizing basket for providing a palletizing space for the robotic arm unit to palletize medicine boxes that conform to the preset palletizing rules.

2. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping unit includes: Flip the frame; An L-shaped flip plate is rotatably mounted on the flip frame; A flip driver is connected to an L-shaped flip plate and is used to drive the L-shaped flip plate to rotate and switch between a first position state and a second position state in order to flip the medicine box located on the L-shaped flip plate.

3. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The L-shaped flip plate includes a first flip plate and a second flip plate arranged at a 90° angle. In a first position state, the first flip plate and the second flip plate use one of the boxes to support one side of the medicine box, and in a second position state, the other box surface uses the other to support the medicine box.

4. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flip-drive includes a drive body and a screw that can rotate about its own axis; The L-shaped flip plate is provided with gears that mesh with the screw; The driver body is used to drive the screw to rotate, so that the screw drives the gear to rotate, and in turn drives the L-shaped flip plate to rotate.

5. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flipping unit also includes a linear driver; The linear actuator is connected to the second flip plate and is used to drive the second flip plate to move along the surface direction of the first flip plate, so as to push the medicine box located on the first flip plate to move.

6. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The linear actuator includes a telescopic rod, the rod body of which is parallel to the first flip plate and has an extended end connected to the second flip plate; the linear actuator drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract, thereby moving the second flip plate relative to the first flip plate.

7. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm unit includes a robotic arm and a suction cup detachably mounted on the operating end of the robotic arm. The suction cup is used to adsorb the surface of the medicine box by vacuum suction. The identification unit is equipped with a hanging rack, on which multiple spare suction cups of different sizes are hung. The robotic arm unit is used to select a target suction cup from a plurality of spare suction cups of different sizes according to the specifications of the medicine box to be grasped, and replace the current suction cup with the target suction cup.

8. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification unit includes: The code reading platform is used to carry the medicine box transferred by the robotic arm unit; Multiple barcode readers are arranged around the barcode reading platform. The multiple barcode readers are used to scan different surfaces of the medicine box to obtain the encoded information from the different surfaces.

9. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding connection unit includes multiple conveyor belts connected in sequence; Among them, the upstream conveyor belt of the plurality of conveyor belts serves as the inlet end, which is used to receive multiple medicine boxes dispensed in batches; the downstream conveyor belt of the plurality of conveyor belts serves as the outlet end, which is connected to the sorting area.

10. The automated pharmaceutical sorting system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The preset stacking rules include having the largest area of ​​the medicine box facing downwards.

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