Pallet fork assembly and transfer robot

Abstract

The utility model is suitable for the technical field of warehousing, and provides a pallet fork assembly and a transfer robot. The pallet fork assembly comprises a bin body, a carrying mechanism and a grabbing mechanism. The bin body is provided with a temporary storage area used for storing material boxes. The carrying mechanism is arranged in the bin body and used for carrying the material box to the temporary storage area and sending out the material box in the temporary storage area. The connecting end of the grabbing mechanism is rotationally connected to the carrying mechanism so that the grabbing end of the grabbing mechanism can turn over from bottom to top around the connecting end, and the grabbing mechanism is switched between the retraction state and the grabbing state. In the retraction state, the grabbing end of the grabbing mechanism retracts relative to the carrying mechanism and is located below the carrying part of the material box, and the highest point of the grabbing mechanism in the retraction state is lowered, so that the height of the carrying mechanism and the height of the pallet fork assembly are lowered, the size of the pallet fork assembly is reduced, and the goods taking height of the pallet fork assembly is increased; and the operation efficiency of the transfer robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of warehousing, and in particular relates to a fork assembly and a handling robot. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, automation technology, and information technology, the intelligence level of terminal logistics is also constantly improving. Intelligent logistics terminals are the development trend of terminal logistics. Handling robots are one of the main equipment that can realize intelligent logistics terminals and perform automated handling operations. Handling robots can reduce the heavy physical labor of humans and improve the efficiency of cargo handling. The handling robots in the related art lift and pick up goods through the fork assembly, but the parts of the fork assembly in the related art are arranged in a complicated manner, and the space utilization rate is poor, which makes the fork assembly larger in size and the maximum height of the fork assembly is limited, which affects the mobility and operation efficiency of the handling robot. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the utility model provides a fork assembly and a handling robot to solve the technical problem of how to reduce the volume of the fork assembly.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present utility model is implemented as follows:

[0005] A fork assembly comprises: a warehouse body, which is provided with a temporary storage area for storing material boxes; a conveying mechanism, which is used to lift the material boxes to the temporary storage area and send the material boxes from the temporary storage area, and at least one of the conveying mechanisms is arranged inside the warehouse body; a gripping mechanism, the connecting end of the gripping mechanism is rotatably connected to the conveying mechanism, so that the gripping end of the gripping mechanism is flipped from bottom to top and switches between a retracted state and a gripping state; in the retracted state, the gripping end of the gripping mechanism is retracted relative to the conveying mechanism and is located below the conveying portion of the material box; in the gripping state, the gripping end of the gripping mechanism is extended relative to the conveying mechanism and abuts against the conveying portion of the material box.

[0006] In some embodiments, the transport mechanism includes a back plate, the connecting end of the grasping mechanism is connected to the side of the back plate opposite to the temporary storage area, a through hole is opened on the back plate, and in the grasping state, the grasping end of the grasping mechanism passes through the through hole and extends into the temporary storage area.

[0007] In some embodiments, the grabbing mechanism includes: a base, rotatably connected to the back plate; a first driving member, connected to the base and used to drive the base to rotate; a grabbing member, one end of which is extended and used to abut against the conveying part of the material box; the other end is connected to the base and can slide back and forth relative to the base; wherein, in the grabbing state, one end of the grabbing member extends through the through hole and extends into the temporary storage area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the material grabbing member includes: an abutment head abutting against the transporting portion of the material box; a connecting member, one end of which is connected to the abutment head and the other end of which is movably connected to the base; and a first elastic member disposed between the abutment head and the base, the first elastic member being used to drive the connecting member to slide relative to the base.

[0009] In some embodiments, the gripping mechanism further includes a guide block for guiding the movement of the connecting member, a slide groove is provided on the base, the guide block is slidably connected in the slide groove, and is connected to the abutment head.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gripping mechanism further includes: a limiting component connected to the back plate, and in the gripping state, the limiting component abuts against the base and limits the rotation of the base.

[0011] In some embodiments, the limiting assembly includes: a limiting member, which abuts against the bottom of the base in the grasping state; a second driving member, which is installed on the back plate and connected to the limiting member, and the second driving member drives the limiting member to abut against or separate from the base.

[0012] In some embodiments, the limiting assembly further includes: a mounting block, through which the second driving member is fixed to the back plate; a second elastic member abutting between the mounting block and the limiting member, and the second elastic member is used to drive the limiting member to separate from the base.

[0013] In some embodiments, the transport mechanism is provided with a plurality of the grasping mechanisms in pairs in the length direction and / or width direction of the warehouse body.

[0014] The utility model also provides a transport robot, including the fork assembly, and further comprising: a mobile chassis; a column, one end of which is fixed to the mobile chassis and the other end of which is extended upward; a rotating mechanism, which is connected to the column and rises and falls relative to the column; and the fork assembly is rotatably connected to the mobile chassis.

[0015] The embodiment of the utility model provides a fork assembly and a handling robot, the fork assembly includes a warehouse, a handling mechanism and a grabbing mechanism, the warehouse is provided with a temporary storage area for storing a material box; the handling mechanism is used to lift the material box to the temporary storage area and send the material box from the temporary storage area out, and at least one handling mechanism is provided inside the warehouse. The connection end of the grabbing mechanism is rotatably connected to the handling mechanism so that the grabbing end of the grabbing mechanism is turned from bottom to top around the connection end, and the grabbing mechanism switches between a retracted state and a grabbing state. In the retracted state, the grabbing end of the grabbing mechanism is retracted relative to the handling mechanism and is located below the handling part of the material box; in the grabbing state, the grabbing end of the grabbing mechanism is extended relative to the handling mechanism and abuts against the handling part of the material box. In this way, the grabbing mechanism is turned from bottom to top to grab the goods, the highest point of the grabbing mechanism in the retracted state is reduced, thereby reducing the height of the handling mechanism and the fork assembly, facilitating the increase of the height of the fork assembly to pick up the goods, and also reducing the volume of the fork assembly, which is conducive to reducing the dead weight of the fork assembly and improving the mobility and operation efficiency of the handling robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a transport robot provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a fork assembly provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the grabbing mechanism and the back plate provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the gripping mechanism provided by the embodiment of the utility model in the gripping state;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the grabbing mechanism provided by an embodiment of the utility model in a retracted state;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the fork assembly and the rotating mechanism provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0022] Description of reference numerals:

[0023] 10. Fork assembly; 1. Warehouse body; 11. Temporary storage area; 2. Transport mechanism; 21. Back plate; 211. Through hole; 3. Grabbing mechanism; 31. Connecting end; 32. Grabbing end; 33. Base; 331. Slide; 34. First driving member; 35. Grabbing member; 351. Abutment; 352. Connecting member; 353. First elastic member; 36. Guide block; 37. Limiting assembly; 371. Limiting member; 372. Second driving member; 373. Mounting block; 374. Second elastic member; 20. Mobile chassis; 30. Column; 40. Rotating mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0025] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction, for example, different embodiments and technical solutions can be formed by combining different specific technical features. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in the utility model will not be described separately.

[0026] In the following description, the terms "first, second, etc." are only used to distinguish different objects, and do not mean that the objects have the same or related points. It should be understood that the directions "above", "below", "outside" and "inside" are all directions in normal use, and the directions "left" and "right" refer to the left and right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left and right directions in normal use.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "comprises", "includes" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. "Multiple" means greater than or equal to two.

[0028] It should be noted that the goods in the embodiments of the utility model can be contained in boxes. For the sake of simplicity, the goods are represented by boxes. The boxes are not limited to parameters such as shape and size. All boxes in the warehouse can be one or more standard parts. Of course, in other embodiments, the stored goods may not be contained in boxes, but may be directly represented by the goods themselves or in other forms.

[0029] The utility model embodiment provides a fork assembly 10 and a handling robot, referring to Figure 1 The fork assembly 10 is installed in the handling robot, referring to Figure 2 , the fork assembly 10 includes a warehouse body 1, a transport mechanism 2 and a gripping mechanism 3. At least one transport mechanism 2 is provided inside the warehouse body 1, for example, two or three transport mechanisms 2 are provided inside the warehouse body 1, and it can be understood that "one transport mechanism 2" here means the minimum number that can realize the transport of the material box, for example, in the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, one transport mechanism 2 includes two telescopic arms arranged oppositely; the fork assembly 10 includes two transport mechanisms 2, which are defined as a first transport mechanism 2a and a second transport mechanism 2b, respectively, wherein the first transport mechanism 2a is located above the second transport mechanism 2b.

[0030] Reference Figure 2 A temporary storage area 11 for storing material boxes is provided inside the warehouse body 1. The transport mechanism 2 is used to carry the material boxes to the temporary storage area 11 and to send the material boxes out of the temporary storage area 11. It can be understood that the temporary storage area 11 represents the interval space between two telescopic arms in the transport mechanism 2. The shortest distance between the two telescopic arms is the width dimension of the temporary storage area 11 in the three-dimensional coordinate system. Figure 2 The dotted frame in the figure is roughly the location of the temporary storage area 11. With this arrangement, the temporary storage area 11 can be used to temporarily store the material boxes. When the transport mechanism 2 transports multiple material boxes at one time, at least some of the material boxes are stored in the temporary storage area 11, and the side wall of the warehouse body 1 can at least provide a barrier to some of the material boxes, so that the warehouse body 1 can be used to reduce the possibility of the entire row of material boxes tipping over.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The gripping mechanism 3 has a connecting end 31 and a gripping end 32, wherein the connecting end 31 of the gripping mechanism 3 is rotatably connected to the conveying mechanism 2. After the gripping mechanism 3 is driven, the gripping end 32 of the gripping mechanism 3 rotates around the connecting end 31, so that the gripping mechanism 3 switches between the retracted state and the gripping state. In the gripping state, the gripping end 32 of the gripping mechanism 3 extends into the temporary storage area 11 relative to the conveying mechanism 2, and is used to abut the conveying portion of the material box. It can be understood that the conveying portion of the material box can be a groove formed on the outer surface of the material box, or it can be a boss protruding from the outer surface of the material box. The present application does not limit the specific structure of the conveying portion, as long as the conveying portion of the material box forms a step surface that can abut the gripping end 32.

[0032] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the retracted state, the gripping end 32 of the gripping mechanism 3 is retracted relative to the transporting mechanism 2 (e.g. Figure 1 ), and is located below the transporting part of the material box, then when the grabbing mechanism 3 switches from the retracted state to the grabbing state, the grabbing end 32 of the grabbing mechanism 3 turns from bottom to top around the connecting end 31 to abut against the bottom of the transporting part in the direction from bottom to top. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the gripping end 32 is located below the connecting end 31, which means that the highest point of the gripping mechanism 3 in the retracted state is located at the connecting end 31 rather than the gripping end 32. Compared with the implementation method in which the gripping mechanism 3 flips from top to bottom to grab the material box, the gripping mechanism 3 in the embodiment of the utility model flips from bottom to top to grab the material box, so as to lower the highest point of the gripping mechanism 3 in the retracted state, thereby reducing the height of the transport mechanism 2 and the fork assembly (the distance from the highest point to the lowest point), so that the volume of the fork assembly is reduced, which is convenient for reducing the deadweight of the fork assembly and improving the mobility of the transport robot; at the same time, after the height of the fork assembly is reduced, the highest height to which the fork assembly can rise as a whole is increased, which is convenient for the fork assembly to pick up and place the material box on the highest layer, and there is no need for the transport robot to climb a slope to pick up and place the material box on the highest layer, which is conducive to improving the operating efficiency of the transport robot.

[0033] The embodiment of the utility model provides a fork assembly 10, which includes a warehouse body 1, a conveying mechanism 2 and a grabbing mechanism 3. The warehouse body 1 is provided with a temporary storage area 11 for storing material boxes; the conveying mechanism 2 is used to lift the material boxes to the temporary storage area 11 and send the material boxes in the temporary storage area 11 out, and at least one conveying mechanism 2 is provided inside the warehouse body 1. The connecting end 31 of the grabbing mechanism 3 is rotatably connected to the conveying mechanism 2, so that the grabbing end 32 of the grabbing mechanism 3 flips around the connecting end 31 and switches between a retracted state and a grabbing state. In the retracted state, the grabbing end 32 of the grabbing mechanism 3 is retracted relative to the conveying mechanism 2 and is located below the conveying portion of the material box; in the grabbing state, the grabbing end 32 of the grabbing mechanism 3 is extended relative to the conveying mechanism 2 and abuts against the conveying portion of the material box. In this way, when the grasping mechanism 3 switches from the retracted state to the grasping mechanism, the grasping end 32 flips from bottom to top around the connecting end 31 to lower the highest point of the grasping mechanism 3 in the retracted state, thereby lowering the height of the transporting mechanism 2 and the fork assembly 10. The maximum height of the fork assembly 10 that can rise as a whole for picking up goods is increased, and the volume of the fork assembly 10 is reduced, which is beneficial to reducing the dead weight of the fork assembly 10 and improving the mobility and working efficiency of the transport robot.

[0034] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The transport mechanism 2 includes a back plate 21, and the connection end 31 of the grabbing mechanism 3 is connected to the side of the back plate 21 opposite to the temporary storage area 11. A through hole 211 is provided on the back plate 21. In the grabbing state, the grabbing end 32 of the grabbing mechanism 3 passes through the through hole 211 and extends into the temporary storage area 11. It can be understood that transmission components such as synchronous wheels, synchronous belts, sprocket chains, and slide rails are connected between the warehouse body 1 and the transport mechanism 2, so that the transport mechanism 2 can be extended and retracted relative to the warehouse body 1, thereby transporting the material box to the temporary storage area 11 and sending the material box in the temporary storage area 11 out. The above-mentioned transmission components are installed between the warehouse body 1 and the transport mechanism 2 and are located on the side of the back plate 21 away from the temporary storage area 11, and the connection end 31 of the grabbing mechanism 3 is also located on the side of the back plate 21 away from the temporary storage area 11, so that the grabbing mechanism 3 can use the installation space of the transmission components in the retracted state without occupying additional space, and the structure is compact and the space utilization rate is high. At the same time, when the gripping mechanism 3 is in the gripping state, the back plate 21 is located between the connection end 31 and the gripping end 32, and the total width of the transport mechanism 2 does not need to include the width of the back plate 21, which reduces the overall width of the fork assembly 10 and further reduces the volume of the fork assembly 10. It should be noted that the length direction of the fork assembly 10 is the direction of the maximum dimension of the fork assembly 10 in the three-dimensional coordinate system, that is, the extension direction of the transport mechanism 2 after extension and contraction. Then the width direction of the fork assembly 10 is the direction perpendicular to the length direction in the horizontal direction. Figure 2 In the figure, Y represents the width direction of the fork assembly 10, and X represents the length direction of the fork assembly 10.

[0035] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The grabbing mechanism 3 includes a base 33, a first driving member 34 and a material grabbing member 35. The base 33 is rotatably connected to the back plate 21. The first driving member 34 is connected to the base 33. The first driving member 34 can be directly connected to the base 33 or indirectly connected to the base 33 through other components. The first driving member 34 is used to drive the base 33 to rotate, so it can be understood that the "connecting end 31" mentioned above is set on the base 33. The first driving member 34 can indirectly drive the base 33 to rotate through a transmission structure such as a gear, a screw, a worm gear, etc.; the first driving member 34 can also use a motor or a rotary cylinder and other components to directly drive the base 33 to rotate. In this embodiment, the driving shaft of the first driving member 34 is coaxially connected to the base 33. This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the first driving member 34 driving the base 33 to rotate, as long as the first driving member 34 can drive the base 33 to rotate.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 , one end of the grabbing member 35 is extended and used to abut against the transporting part of the material box, that is to say, one end of the grabbing member 35 is the "grabbing end 32" mentioned above. In the grabbing state, one end (grabbing end 32) of the grabbing member 35 passes through the through hole 211 and extends into the temporary storage area 11. The other end of the grabbing member 35 in the extension direction is connected to the base 33 and reciprocates relative to the base 33, that is to say, the other end of the grabbing member 35 is slidably connected to the base 33; that is to say, the distance between the grabbing end 32 on the grabbing member 35 and the base 33 is variable, so the extended size of the grabbing mechanism 3 relative to the back plate 21 in the grabbing state is variable, so that the grabbing mechanism 3 can adaptively adjust the extended length according to the width of the material box, so that the material boxes of different widths can be grabbed respectively, thereby improving the utilization rate of the grabbing mechanism 3. Users do not need to replace the grabbing mechanism 3 for material boxes of different widths, which is convenient for users to use.

[0037] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4The material grabbing member 35 includes an abutment joint 351, a connecting member 352 and a first elastic member 353. The abutment joint 351 is used to abut against the transporting part of the material box to form the above-mentioned "grabbing end 32". One end of the connecting member 352 is connected to the abutment joint 351, and the other end is movably connected to the base 33, so the other end of the connecting member 352 is also the "other end of the material grabbing member 35" mentioned above. The first elastic member 353 abuts between the abutment joint 351 and the base 33. The first elastic member 353 is used to drive the connecting member 352 to slide relative to the base 33. In other words, the rebound force of the first elastic member 353 can be used to drive the connecting member 352 to slide on the base 33, thereby automatically adjusting the distance from the abutment joint 351 to the base 33 without manual adjustment. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the connecting member 352 is configured as a connecting rod, and the first elastic member 353 is a spring sleeved outside the connecting rod. In the process of switching the gripping mechanism 3 from the retracted state to the gripping state, the abutment joint 351 abuts against the material box, and the abutment joint 351 moves toward the direction close to the base 33, so that the first elastic member 353 is compressed and deformed, and the distance from the abutment joint 351 to the base 33 becomes shorter; after the abutment joint 351 is separated from the material box, the first elastic member 353 rebounds, and the rebound force of the first elastic member 353 drives the connecting member 352 to automatically reset, so that the distance from the abutment joint 351 to the base 33 automatically returns to the original size. It can be understood that the entire process of the gripping member 35 realizing the size change is automatically realized by the abutment and separation of the abutment joint 351 and the material box, without the need for manual control and adjustment, saving labor costs and improving the operating efficiency of the gripping mechanism 3. Of course, the first elastic member 353 can also be a spring, and the two ends of the spring are respectively abutted against the base 33 and the abutment joint 351, which can also realize the relative sliding between the connecting member 352 and the base 33.

[0038] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 The gripping mechanism 3 further includes a guide block 36 for guiding the movement of the connecting member 352. A slide groove 331 is provided on the base 33. The guide block 36 is slidably connected in the slide groove 331 and is connected to the abutting joint 351. In other words, the connecting member 352 and the guide block 36 are jointly connected to the abutting joint 351. After the abutting joint 351 abuts against the material box, the force exerted on the abutting joint 351 drives the guide block 36 and the connecting member 352 to slide together, and the guide block 36 is limited in the slide groove 331, so that the connecting member 352 slides along a straight line, which improves the stability of the connecting member 352 during the sliding process, so that the abutting joint 351 accurately abuts against the conveying part of the material box, thereby improving the accuracy of the gripping mechanism 3 in taking and placing the material box.

[0039] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3The gripping mechanism 3 further includes a limit assembly 37, which is connected to a side of the back plate 21 away from the temporary storage area. In the gripping state, the limit assembly 37 abuts against the base 33 and limits the rotation of the base 33. It can be understood that the limit assembly 37 can abut against the bottom of the base 33, or can be inserted into the base 33, as long as in the gripping state, the limit assembly 37 can abut against any surface of the base 33 in the vertical direction to limit the rotation of the base 33. This arrangement allows the limit assembly 37 to provide a supporting torque to the base 33 in the vertical direction to resist the bearing torque of the base 33, thereby improving the bearing capacity of the gripping mechanism 3 for the material box.

[0040] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The limiting assembly 37 includes a limiting member 371 and a second driving member 372, and the bearing torque acts on the upper side of the base 33. Figure 4 The stopper 371 abuts against the bottom of the base 33 to limit the freedom of the base 33 to move downward and resist the freedom of the base 33 to rotate from top to bottom. The second driving member 372 is installed on the back plate 21 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown) and connected to the limiter 371, the second drive member 372 drives the limiter 371 to abut or separate from the base 33. Specifically, the second drive member 372 can drive the limiter 371 to slide, and can also drive the limiter 371 to rotate. In the implementation mode in which the second drive member 372 drives the limiter 371 to slide, the second drive member 372 can indirectly drive the limiter 371 to slide in the direction close to or away from the base 33 through a transmission structure such as a gear, a lead screw, a worm gear, etc.; the second drive member 372 can also use a linear cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder and other components to directly drive the limiter 371 to slide in the direction close to or away from the base 33. In this implementation mode, the driving shaft of the second drive member 372 is coaxially connected to the limiter 371. The present application does not limit the specific implementation method of the second drive member 372 driving the limiter 371 to move, nor does it limit the specific movement form of the limiter 371, as long as the second drive member 372 can drive the limiter 371 to abut or separate from the base 33.

[0041] Specifically, Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the grasping mechanism 3 switches to the grasping state, the abutting head 351 flips upward from the bottom to a horizontally extended state, and then the second driving member 372 drives the limiting member 371 to extend and abut under the base 33 to limit the downward movement and flipping of the base 33. When the grasping mechanism 3 switches to the retracted state, as shown in FIG. Figure 5As shown, the second driving member 372 drives the limiting member 371 to retract. After the limiting member 371 is separated from the base 33, the first driving member 34 can drive the base 33 to flip from top to bottom. In this way, the state change of the limiting component 37 is related to the state change of the base 33. The limiting component 37 limits the rotation of the base 33 in the grasping state, and avoids the rotation of the base 33 in the retracted state, so as to improve the carrying capacity of the grasping member 35 on the material box without affecting the rotation and sliding of the grasping member 35.

[0042] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 The limiting component 37 also includes a mounting block 373 and a second elastic member 374. The second driving member 372 is fixed to the back plate 21 through the mounting block 373. The second elastic member 374 abuts between the mounting block 373 and the limiting member 371. The second elastic member 374 is used to drive the limiting member 371 to separate from the base 33. That is to say, the second elastic member 374 causes the limiting member 371 to slide toward or away from the base 33. When the second driving member 372 drives the limiting member 371 to slide in the direction approaching the base 33, the second elastic member 374 abutting between the limiting member 371 and the mounting block 373 is compressed and deformed. The second elastic member 374 stores elastic potential energy. When the second driving member 372 drives the limiting member 371 to slide in the direction away from the base 33, the second elastic member 374 expands to make the limiting member 371 and the base 33 separate smoothly, thereby reducing the possibility of the limiting member 371 interfering with the downward flipping and resetting of the base 33 due to movement jamming, and improving the efficiency of the separation of the limiting member 371 and the base 33, so that the grasping mechanism 3 can be quickly reset to the retracted state from the grasping state, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the fork assembly in placing the material box.

[0043] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 In the length direction X and / or width direction Y of the warehouse body 1, the transport mechanism 2 is provided with a plurality of gripping mechanisms 3 in pairs. When the transport mechanism 2 is provided with a plurality of gripping mechanisms 3 in pairs along the length direction X of the warehouse body 1, each gripping mechanism 3 on one side abuts against the material box at multiple positions to improve the stability of the material box during the transport process; when the transport mechanism 2 is provided with a plurality of gripping mechanisms 3 in pairs along the width direction X of the warehouse body 1, the plurality of gripping mechanisms 3 carry the target material box in the middle, so that the material box is supported at both ends symmetrically, which also facilitates the fork assembly 10 to carry the material box stably. Each gripping mechanism 3 abuts against the material box at multiple positions along the length direction X and / or width direction Y of the warehouse body 1, which increases the contact area of ​​the transport mechanism 2 for carrying the material box, thereby improving the carrying capacity of the transport mechanism 2.

[0044] For ease of understanding, the material box that the handling robot intends to carry is defined as a "target material box". The embodiment of the utility model also provides a handling robot, including the fork assembly 10 mentioned above, the handling robot also includes a mobile chassis 20, a column 30 and a rotating mechanism 40, the mobile chassis 20 is provided with rollers on the side close to the ground, and the mobile chassis 20 can be driven by the rollers to move on the warehouse floor, so that the handling robot drives the target material box to move in the horizontal direction. After responding to the storage instruction or the outbound instruction of the target material box, the rollers of the mobile chassis 20 can be driven to move, so that the handling robot moves to a position close to the target material box or near the position where the target material box is to be stored according to the position information in the instruction. It can be understood that under normal working conditions, the ground or other surface moved by the mobile chassis 20 is a horizontal plane, but this does not mean that the horizontal plane needs to be absolutely horizontal. The horizontal plane allows the existence of ground convexity errors and the existence of ground slopes, as long as it is roughly horizontal under normal working conditions.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 The column 30 extends in the vertical direction (up and down direction), and one end of the column 30 is fixed to the mobile chassis 20, and the other end extends upward. Figure 6 , the rotating mechanism 40 is connected to the column 30, and can be raised and lowered relative to the column 30 in the vertical direction, and the fork assembly 10 is rotatably connected to the rotating mechanism 40. In other words, the fork assembly 10 can rotate in the Mz direction, so that the transport mechanism 2 can be extended and retracted in any direction in the horizontal direction, so that it can be compatible with a variety of positions and angles to pick up and place the target material box. The fork assembly 10 is assembled on the column 30 through the rotating mechanism 40, and the rotating mechanism 40 can drive the fork assembly 10 to rise and fall in the vertical direction, so that the fork assembly 10 can move to any height to pick up and place the target material box, and because the grasping mechanism 3 in the above-mentioned fork assembly 10 flips from bottom to top when grasping the material box, then in the process of grasping the material box, the fork assembly 10 does not need to first descend to a certain height to avoid the step surface of the transport part of the material box. The handling robot provided by the embodiment of the utility model is equipped with the above-mentioned fork assembly 10, so that it can directly move to the height where the target material box is located, and drive the grasping mechanism 3 to directly switch to the grasping state to grasp the target material box, thereby improving the working efficiency of the handling robot. Moreover, because the height of the fork assembly 10 is relatively small, the highest point that the handling robot can drive the fork assembly 10 to rise is increased, which is convenient for the handling robot to pick up and place the target material box at a high level.

[0046] Combination Figures 1 to 6The implementation principle of the handling robot in the embodiment of the utility model carrying the material boxes to be shipped out of the warehouse in a specific scenario is explained. It should be noted that the aforementioned "specific scenario" means that the handling robot without carrying the material boxes receives an outbound instruction, which instructs the handling robot to move the target material box in the middle layer of the entire row of material boxes out of the designated position of the warehouse. For example, the entire row of material boxes has ten layers, and the outbound instruction requires the handling of the material box on the third layer.

[0047] After the handling robot receives the outbound instruction, it drives the roller to rotate, and the handling robot navigates to the position near the target material box in the warehouse. The handling robot raises and lowers the rotating mechanism 40 in the vertical direction according to the height position information of the target material box, so that the fork assembly 10 rises to the height of the material box on the third layer. The handling robot scans the 2D or 3D position information of the target material box to achieve the alignment of the two handling mechanisms and the target material box: the angle deviation of the fork assembly 10 in the Mz direction is adjusted by the rotating mechanism 40. Then, the first handling mechanism 2a and the second handling mechanism 2b extend along the length direction X of the warehouse body, and the grasping mechanism 3 in the first handling mechanism 2a and the second handling mechanism 2b extends in the width direction Y. Among them, the first handling mechanism 2a carries the material box group above the target material box, and the second handling mechanism 2b carries the target material box. Thereafter, the rotating mechanism 40 drives the fork assembly 10 to rise to a certain height to separate the target material box from the material box group below the target material box. Then, the first transport mechanism 2a remains extended, the second transport mechanism 2b retracts into the warehouse body 1, the fork assembly 10 descends, and the material box group above the original target material box is re-stacked with the warehouse material box below the original target material box, so that the target material box is grabbed once.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fork assembly, characterized in that: include: The warehouse body is provided with a temporary storage area for storing material boxes; A transport mechanism, used for transporting the material box to the temporary storage area and sending the material box out of the temporary storage area, and at least one such transport mechanism is arranged inside the warehouse body; A gripping mechanism, wherein the connecting end of the gripping mechanism is rotatably connected to the conveying mechanism so that the gripping end of the gripping mechanism flips from bottom to top and switches between a retracted state and a gripping state; in the retracted state, the gripping end of the gripping mechanism is retracted relative to the conveying mechanism and is located below the conveying portion of the material box; in the gripping state, the gripping end of the gripping mechanism is extended relative to the conveying mechanism and abuts against the conveying portion of the material box.

2. The fork assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport mechanism includes a back plate, the connection end of the gripping mechanism is connected to the side of the back plate opposite to the temporary storage area, a through hole is opened on the back plate, and in the gripping state, the gripping end of the gripping mechanism passes through the through hole and extends into the temporary storage area.

3. The fork assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The grabbing mechanism comprises: A base, rotatably connected to the back plate; A first driving member, connected to the base and used to drive the base to rotate; A material grabbing member, one end of which is extended to abut against the transporting portion of the material box; the other end is connected to the base and can slide back and forth relative to the base; Wherein, in the grasping state, one end of the grasping member extends through the through hole and extends into the temporary storage area.

4. The fork assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material grabbing member comprises: An abutment head abuts against a transporting portion of the material box; A connecting member, one end of which is connected to the abutment head, and the other end of which is movably connected to the base; The first elastic member is arranged between the abutting head and the base, and is used for driving the connecting member to slide relative to the base.

5. The fork assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The grabbing mechanism further comprises a guide block for guiding the movement of the connecting member. A slide groove is arranged on the base. The guide block is slidably connected in the slide groove and is connected to the abutment head.

6. The fork assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gripping mechanism also includes: A limiting component is connected to the back plate. In the grasping state, the limiting component abuts against the base and limits the rotation of the base.

7. The fork assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The limiting component comprises: a limiting member, wherein in the grasping state, the limiting member abuts against the lower side of the base; The second driving member is mounted on the back plate and connected to the limiting member, and the second driving member drives the limiting member to abut against or separate from the base.

8. The fork assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The limiting component also includes: a mounting block, through which the second driving member is fixed to the back plate; The second elastic member is abutted between the mounting block and the limiting member, and the second elastic member is used for driving the limiting member to separate from the base.

9. The fork assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: In the length direction and / or width direction of the warehouse body, the transport mechanism is provided with a plurality of the grasping mechanisms in pairs.

10. A transport robot, characterized in that: The fork assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the transport robot further comprises: Mobile chassis; A column, one end of which is fixed to the mobile chassis and the other end of which is extended upward; The rotating mechanism is connected to the column and rises and falls relative to the column; the fork assembly is rotatably connected to the mobile chassis.

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