A side-in full-process automatic storage and retrieval cabinet

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of side goods-in type full-process automated storage and retrieval cabinet, including storage cabinet body and the control cabinet body of one side;Storage cabinet body is equipped with multiple layers of storage room, and the front side of each storage room is rotatably provided with a cabinet door;The side bottom of control cabinet body is provided with a goods-in port, and the inner side thereof and the rear side of storage cabinet body are provided with a lifting mechanism controlled by control cabinet body;The storage room is of a front-to-back through structure, and a receiving structure is slidably arranged on the inner wall thereof.When storing goods, the goods are placed into the goods-in port from the side, the lifting mechanism lifts the goods to the height and position of the rear side of the target storage room, and then the receiving structure smoothly receives the goods from the lifting mechanism into the storage room;When taking goods, the user directly opens the cabinet door from the front to take out the goods.The present cabinet cooperates the side goods-in with the front-to-back through storage room, realizes the complete diversion of storage and retrieval operations in space, full-process automated handling, avoids congestion and safety hazards caused by the intersection of storage and retrieval routes, and significantly improves the storage and retrieval efficiency and site applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of storage containers, and more particularly to a side-entry type fully automated storage and retrieval container. Background Technology

[0002] Automated storage and retrieval lockers are widely used for the temporary storage and distribution of goods in scenarios such as warehousing and logistics, unmanned retail, and factory material management. Most existing lockers adopt a front-facing centralized operation mode, with operating terminals and rows of storage compartments on the front of the locker. Replenishment (storage) and retrieval must be completed on the same side. In actual use, especially during peak replenishment or turnover periods, operators often need to move large quantities of goods for centralized storage, temporarily stacking them on the ground in front of the locker, and then completing the scanning, door opening, and compartment placement processes one by one, occupying the operating area on the front of the locker for extended periods. If other personnel come to retrieve goods at this time, there is not only insufficient standing and operating space, but they also need to move between the stacked goods and the operators, resulting in severely intersecting storage and retrieval routes, causing congestion, significantly reducing storage and retrieval efficiency, and increasing safety hazards such as damage to goods and personnel collisions.

[0003] To address this spatial conflict, some improvements have attempted to incorporate lifting or conveyor mechanisms inside the cabinet, staggering the loading entrance and storage compartments vertically or horizontally. However, most of these solutions still place the loading entrance on the front of the cabinet or adjacent to it, meaning replenishment operations still require facing the front of the cabinet, failing to fundamentally separate storage and retrieval operations. In scenarios with frequent storage and retrieval, the problem of prolonged occupation of the front space and obstructed retrieval remains prominent. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the background art by proposing a side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet includes a storage cabinet and a control cabinet. The storage cabinet has multiple storage compartments, each with a rotating door at its front opening. The control cabinet is fixedly connected to one side of the storage cabinet, and has an inlet at its bottom side. Lifting mechanisms are located on the rear side of the storage cabinet and the inside of the control cabinet. These lifting mechanisms are electrically connected to and controlled by the control cabinet. The storage compartments are arranged in a through-flow configuration, and a slidable collection structure is installed on the inner wall of each compartment to collect goods from the lifting mechanism into the storage compartment.

[0006] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism inside the control cabinet includes a lifting platform, which is vertically mounted inside the control cabinet; a vertical groove is vertically opened on the inner side wall of the control cabinet, and a lead screw is rotatably mounted in the groove; a connecting block is provided on one side of the lifting platform, and a through hole is opened on the connecting block, with ball screw sleeves fitted on the upper and lower surfaces of the through hole respectively, and the lead screw passes through the ball screw sleeve and the through hole in sequence and is threadedly connected to them; a motor is provided at the bottom of the lead screw, and the motor is used to drive the lead screw to rotate.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism at the rear of the storage cabinet includes a fixed platform, and a fixed platform is fixedly installed at the lower edge of the rear of each storage compartment; multiple cams are rotatably installed on the upper surface of both the fixed platform and the lifting platform; a baffle is also fixedly installed on the side of the fixed platform away from the storage cabinet.

[0008] Furthermore, the collection structure includes multiple movable covers, each with a three-sided semi-open structure; a first horizontal groove is provided on the top surface and one side surface of each movable cover, and a rack is fixedly installed in the first horizontal groove; a second horizontal groove is provided on the top surface and the side surface away from the control cabinet of each storage compartment, and a gear is rotatably installed in the second horizontal groove, with the rack meshing with the gear to drive the collection structure to move.

[0009] Furthermore, the surface of the control cabinet is provided with a first operating terminal and a second operating terminal, which are used to control the opening and closing of the cabinet door and the movement of the lifting mechanism and the collection structure, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the storage cabinets and control cabinets are equipped with rain shelters on top.

[0011] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this storage locker are: 1. By placing the loading port on the side of the control cabinet and making the storage compartment open-plan from front to back, the operation flow for storing goods is completely directed to the side of the cabinet, while the retrieval operation remains on the front. This fundamentally isolates the operating spaces of replenishment and retrieval personnel, completely solving the safety hazards caused by congestion, queuing, and personnel passage resulting from the "concentration of human-machine interaction points" in traditional vending machines, and greatly improving the user experience under multi-user concurrent operation. 2. During replenishment, the operator only needs to place the goods into the side loading port. The control cabinet then automatically controls the lifting mechanism to rise to the target storage room level. The storage room's built-in receiving structure (moving cover and rack and pinion drive) then extends to seamlessly transfer the goods from the lifting platform into the storage room. The entire process requires no secondary manual intervention, achieving unmanned and precise warehousing from the "side loading port" to the "designated storage room," significantly shortening the replenishment time per transaction. The efficiency improvement is particularly significant in scenarios involving bulk, centralized replenishment. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet proposed in this invention; Figure 2 This is a rear view of the container; Figure 3 An exploded view of a single-row container; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of section A in the middle; Figure 5 for Figure 3 Front view; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of section B; Figure 7 A structural diagram of the lifting mechanism inside the control cabinet; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of section C.

[0013] In the diagram: 1. Storage cabinet; 2. Cabinet door; 3. Control cabinet; 4. Inlet; 5. Rain shelter; 6. First operating terminal; 7. Second operating terminal; 8. Lifting mechanism; 801. Vertical groove; 802. Lead screw; 803. Ball screw sleeve; 804. Connecting block; 805. Through hole; 806. Motor; 807. Lifting platform; 9. Fixed platform; 10. Baffle; 11. Cam; 12. Moving cover; 13. First horizontal groove; 14. Rack; 15. Storage room; 16. Inner wall; 17. Second horizontal groove; 18. Gear. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0015] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0016] Reference Figure 1-8A side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet mainly consists of two parts: a storage cabinet body 1 and a control cabinet body 3. The storage cabinet body 1 has multiple storage compartments 15 arranged longitudinally and laterally for storing goods. Each storage compartment 15 has a hinged door 2 that can be opened outwards at its front opening for retrieving goods.

[0017] The control cabinet 3 is fixedly connected to one side of the storage cabinet 1. The interior of the control cabinet 3 is hollow to accommodate the lifting mechanism 8 and to enable the side receiving and vertical transfer of goods. A rectangular loading port 4 is provided at the bottom side of the control cabinet 3. The height of the loading port 4 is convenient for operators to put goods in without excessive lifting. By independently setting the loading port 4 on the side of the cabinet, the replenishment operation is completely guided to the side, achieving complete physical separation from the front-facing retrieval operation.

[0018] The front panel of the control cabinet 3 is equipped with a first operating terminal 6 and a second operating terminal 7. The first operating terminal 6 is primarily used by the user picking up goods to control the opening of the corresponding cabinet door 2; the second operating terminal 7 is primarily used by the replenishment administrator to control the operation of the lifting mechanism 8 and the collection structure. The two terminals are separate, allowing personnel with different permissions and needs to operate independently without interference.

[0019] The lifting mechanism 8 inside the control cabinet 3 includes a vertical groove 801 vertically formed in the inner wall of the control cabinet 3. A lead screw 802 is rotatably mounted in the vertical groove 801. Both ends of the lead screw 802 are mounted on the structural frame of the control cabinet 3 via bearing seats, and its bottom end is connected to the output shaft of a motor 806 via a coupling. The motor 806 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the control cabinet 3. A connecting block 804 is provided on one side of the lifting platform 807. A through hole 805 is formed in the connecting block 804, and ball screw sleeves 803 are respectively fitted at the upper and lower end faces of the through hole 805. The lead screw 802 passes sequentially through the lower ball screw sleeve 803, the through hole 805, and the upper ball screw sleeve 803, and is threadedly engaged with both.

[0020] During operation, the motor 806, driven by the control cabinet 3, rotates the lead screw 802 forward or reverse. The lead screw 802, through the ball screw sleeve 803, drives the connecting block 804 and the entire lifting platform 807 to move up and down along the vertical groove 801, achieving precise positioning of the lifting platform 807 between different height levels within the control cabinet 3. The cooperation between the lead screw 802 and the ball screw sleeve 803 ensures smooth operation, low noise, and high positioning accuracy.

[0021] The lifting mechanism 8 at the rear of the storage cabinet 1 includes fixed platforms 9 corresponding to the lower rear edge of each storage compartment 15. Several cams 11 are rotatably mounted on the upper surface of each fixed platform 9, with their rotation axes horizontal and their highest points slightly higher than the upper plane of the fixed platform 9. Similarly, several cams 11 are also rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the aforementioned lifting platform 807. The function of the cams 11 is to rotate and actively drive the goods horizontally to the corresponding fixed platform 9 of each storage compartment 15 when the goods transition from the lifting platform 807 to the fixed platform 9. A baffle 10 is also vertically mounted on the edge of the fixed platform 9 away from the storage cabinet 1 to prevent goods from accidentally falling off the rear side while moving on the platform.

[0022] A key structural feature of the storage room 15 is that it is open from front to back, meaning that each storage room 15 has openings on both the front and back sides—the front opening is closed by the cabinet door 2, while the rear opening faces the fixed platform 9, allowing goods to enter the storage room 15 from the rear through the collection structure.

[0023] The collection structure consists of multiple movable covers 12. Each movable cover 12 has a three-sided semi-open structure, including a top surface and two side surfaces, while the bottom surface and the front surface that contacts the goods are open, forming a semi-enclosed cover shape. On the top surface and one side surface (the side away from the control cabinet 3 in the figure), several first horizontal grooves 13 are respectively opened in the horizontal direction. A rack 14 is fixedly installed in the first horizontal groove 13, with the tooth surface of the rack 14 facing down or towards the side.

[0024] Correspondingly, on the inner wall 16 of the top surface and the inner wall 16 of the side surface away from the control cabinet 3 of each storage chamber 15, a second horizontal groove 17 is provided in the horizontal direction. A gear 18 is rotatably installed in the second horizontal groove 17, and the toothed part of the gear 18 extends into the first horizontal groove 13 and maintains a meshing relationship with the rack 14. The gear 18 is driven to rotate by a drive motor (not shown in the figure) installed in the wall of the storage chamber 15. The drive motor is electrically connected to and controlled by the control cabinet 3. When the gear 18 rotates under the drive of the drive motor, the meshing rack 14 drives the entire movable cover 12 to slide horizontally in the front-back direction of the storage chamber 15.

[0025] The storage cabinet 1 and the control cabinet 3 are equipped with rain shelters 5 on top to protect them from sunlight and wind and rain.

[0026] The following description, in conjunction with the above structural description, illustrates a complete side-entry-automatic warehousing operation process of the present invention to help understand the collaborative relationship between the various components.

[0027] Storage Process: After the replenishment administrator authenticates their identity via the second operating terminal 7, the system automatically assigns a target storage room 15 based on the goods information (such as size, weight, or preset allocation rules). The administrator places the goods into the storage room 4 on the side of the control cabinet 3, and the goods fall onto the lifting platform 807. The control cabinet 3 controls the motor 806 to drive the lead screw 802 to rotate, causing the lifting platform 807 to rise to the same height as the fixed platform 9 corresponding to the target storage room 15. Once in position, the collection mechanism is activated: the gear 18 rotates, driving the moving cover 12 to extend backward from inside the storage room 15 via the rack 14; the cam 11 rotates to move the goods horizontally onto the fixed platform 9 of the corresponding storage room 15, at which point the goods are covered by the moving cover 12; then the gear 18 rotates in the opposite direction, and the moving cover 12 moves the goods forward together, finally smoothly collecting the goods into the storage room 15. The moving cover 12 returns to its original position, the storage operation is completed, and the relevant records are automatically updated to the system database.

[0028] Retrieval Process: The user enters the retrieval code or scans the QR code through the first operating terminal 6. The system identifies the corresponding storage room 15 and controls the cabinet door 2 of that storage room 15 to open. The user can directly retrieve the goods from the front and close the cabinet door 2. The entire retrieval process does not involve the operation of the lifting mechanism 8 or the collection structure, nor does it require entering the side operating area, thus achieving complete separation of storage and retrieval operations.

[0029] To further clarify, the aforementioned fixed connection should be interpreted broadly unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited. For example, it may be welding, gluing, or integral molding, or other conventional methods well known to those skilled in the art.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet, comprising a storage cabinet (1) and a control cabinet (3), wherein the storage cabinet (1) is provided with a plurality of storage compartments (15), and each storage compartment (15) is provided with a door (2) rotatably disposed at the front opening, characterized in that: The control cabinet (3) is fixedly connected to one side of the storage cabinet (1), and the bottom side of the control cabinet (3) is provided with a loading port (4); the rear side of the storage cabinet (1) and the inner side of the control cabinet (3) are provided with a lifting mechanism (8), the lifting mechanism (8) is electrically connected to the control cabinet (3) and controlled by the control cabinet (3); the storage room (15) is arranged in a front-to-back manner, and a collection structure is slidably provided on the inner wall (16) of the storage room (15), the collection structure is used to collect the goods on the lifting mechanism (8) into the storage room (15).

2. The side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (8) inside the control cabinet (3) includes a lifting platform (807), which is movably installed inside the control cabinet (3). A vertical groove (801) is vertically opened on the inner wall of the control cabinet (3), and a lead screw (802) is rotatably installed in the vertical groove (801). A connecting block (804) is provided on one side of the lifting platform (807), and a through hole (805) is opened on the connecting block (804). A ball screw sleeve (803) is respectively fitted on the upper and lower surfaces of the through hole (805). The lead screw (802) passes through the ball screw sleeve (803) and the through hole (805) in sequence and is threadedly connected to them. A motor (806) is provided at the bottom of the lead screw (802), and the motor (806) is used to drive the lead screw (802) to rotate.

3. The side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (8) at the rear of the storage cabinet (1) includes a fixed platform (9), and the fixed platform (9) is fixedly installed at the lower edge of the rear of each storage room (15); multiple cams (11) are rotatably installed on the upper surface of the fixed platform (9) and the lifting platform (807); a baffle (10) is also fixedly installed on the side of the fixed platform (9) away from the storage cabinet (1).

4. The side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collection structure includes multiple movable covers (12), each of which is a three-sided semi-open structure. Each movable cover (12) has a first horizontal groove (13) on its top surface and one side surface, and a rack (14) is fixedly installed in the first horizontal groove (13). Each storage room (15) has a second horizontal groove (17) on its top surface and the side surface away from the control cabinet (3), and a gear (18) is rotatably installed in the second horizontal groove (17). The rack (14) meshes with the gear (18) to drive the collection structure to move.

5. The side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the control cabinet (3) is provided with a first operating terminal (6) and a second operating terminal (7). The first operating terminal (6) and the second operating terminal (7) are respectively used to control the opening and closing of the cabinet door (2) and the movement of the lifting mechanism (8) and the collection structure.

6. The side-entry fully automated storage and retrieval cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage cabinet (1) and control cabinet (3) are equipped with rain shelters (5) on top.

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