Connection station, material processing station, material processing system and warehousing system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of logistics warehousing, and discloses a docking station, a material processing station, a material processing system and a warehousing system.The docking station is provided with a conveying line in the first direction, a docking platform is formed at the end, in the first direction, of the conveying line, and a transferring mechanism is arranged at the other end of the conveying line; a channel extending in the first direction is formed in the bottom of the conveying line, the channel is used for allowing the transfer robot to enter and exit from the connection station in the first direction, and a connection position corresponding to the butt joint platform is arranged in the channel; the butt joint platform is used for being in butt joint with a transfer robot which enters the channel in the first direction and reaches the connection position so that the transfer robot can take the material box on the butt joint platform and / or place the material box; the conveying line is used for conveying material boxes between the butt joint platform and the transferring mechanism. The transferring mechanism is used for conveying the material box in the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. In this way, the material conveying and processing efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of logistics warehousing technology, and specifically to a docking station, a material handling station, a material handling system and a warehousing system. Background Art

[0002] As people's pace of life accelerates, the requirements for material handling efficiency in the logistics and warehousing fields are becoming increasingly higher.

[0003] In the existing warehousing system, most of the materials are processed by man-machine direct sorting workstations. Specifically, the handling robot carries the material box to the designated area, and the technicians directly pick the materials or perform other processing operations on the material box carried by the handling robot. In this processing method, due to the low efficiency of manual processing, the handling robots often have to wait in line, which seriously affects the working efficiency.

[0004] In some storage systems, corresponding material handling stations are set up, and docking stations that dock with handling robots are arranged at the head and tail ends of the material handling stations. The docking stations dock with the handling robots to be responsible for the input of the material boxes to be processed and the output of the processed material boxes. In order to make the layout neater, the direction of the input of the material boxes at the unloading docking station and the direction of the output of the material boxes at the loading docking station in the existing material handling stations are generally set in opposite directions, and both are perpendicular to the conveying direction of the material handling line, that is, the conveying track of the material boxes is "U" shaped as a whole, which also causes the conveying robot that delivers the material to unload the material box at the unloading docking station. It needs to make multiple turns to reach the loading docking station to transport the processed material box, which makes the entire process complicated and bloated, and the material transportation and processing efficiency is low. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a docking station, a material handling station, a material handling system and a warehousing system, which can improve the efficiency of material transportation and processing.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present application, a docking station is provided, wherein a conveyor line is arranged along a first direction on the docking station, a docking platform is formed at one end of the conveyor line along the first direction, and a transfer mechanism is arranged at the other end; a channel extending along the first direction is formed at the bottom of the conveyor line, the channel is used for a transport robot to enter and exit the docking station along the first direction, and the channel has a docking position corresponding to the docking platform; the docking platform is used to dock with a transport robot that enters the channel along the first direction and reaches the docking position, so that the transport robot can pick up a material box and / or place the material box on the docking platform; the conveyor line is used to transport the material box between the docking platform and the transfer mechanism; the transfer mechanism is used to transport the material box along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0007] In an optional manner, the dimension of the conveying line along the first direction is configured to be greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the two material boxes along the first direction.

[0008] In an optional manner, a notch is provided on the free end of the docking platform along the first direction, and the notch is used for the jacking mechanism of the transport robot to enter, so that the transport robot can descend through its jacking mechanism to place the material box on the docking platform, and / or rise through its jacking mechanism to lift the material box on the docking platform and transport it away.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the docking station also includes a top frame and multiple legs, the middle sections of the multiple legs are vertically connected to the outer edge of the conveyor line, and the middle sections of at least some of the legs are vertically connected to the outer edge of the end where the notch is located on the docking platform; a channel is formed between the multiple legs at a position located at the bottom of the conveyor line; and the top frame is connected between the tops of the multiple legs.

[0010] In an optional manner, baffles are provided on opposite sides of the docking platform along the second direction, and the baffles extend along the first direction. The baffles are used to limit the material box on the docking platform along the second direction and guide the material box on the docking platform along the first direction.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present application, a material handling station is provided, comprising a material box conveyor line and at least one docking station as described in any of the above items, wherein at least one docking station is connected to one end of the material box conveyor line, and the docking station is used to transport the material box to the material box conveyor line, and / or, to receive the material box on the material box conveyor line.

[0012] In an optional manner, at least two docking stations are included, wherein at least one docking station is a unloading docking station, and at least another docking station is a loading docking station; the conveying line on the unloading docking station is a unloading conveying line, the docking platform on the unloading docking station is a unloading platform, the transferring mechanism on the unloading docking station is an output transferring mechanism, the channel of the unloading docking station is a unloading channel, and the docking position in the unloading channel is a unloading docking position; the conveying line on the loading docking station is a loading conveying line, the docking platform on the loading docking station is a loading platform, the transferring mechanism on the loading docking station is an input transferring mechanism, the channel of the loading docking station is a loading channel, and the docking position in the loading channel is a loading docking position; the unloading docking station and the loading docking station are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, and the unloading platform and the loading platform are separated from each other along the first direction; the first direction is the direction from the unloading docking station to the loading docking station; the material box conveyor line is connected to the output end of the unloading docking station and the input end of the loading docking station The loading platform is used for the handling robot that enters the unloading channel along the first direction and reaches the unloading docking position to unload the carried material box thereon, the unloading conveyor line is used to transport the material box on the unloading platform along the first direction to the other end, and the output transfer mechanism is used to output the material box at the other end of the unloading conveyor line opposite to the unloading platform along the second direction to the input end of the material box conveyor line; an operating position is provided on the material box conveyor line for processing the material in the material box; the input transfer mechanism is used to receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveyor line along the second direction, and the loading conveyor line is used to transport the material box received by the input transfer mechanism along the first direction to the loading platform; the unloading channel is used for the handling robot after unloading the box to pass through along the first direction, and the loading channel is used for the handling robot that passes through the unloading channel along the first direction to enter; the loading platform is used to dock with the handling robot that enters the loading channel and reaches the loading docking position, so that the handling robot can transport the material box on it away.

[0013] In an optional manner, the direction of the output end of the unloading docking station toward the outside of the unloading docking station is the same as the direction of the input end of the loading docking station toward the outside of the loading docking station, and the second direction includes opposite first and second directions; the output transfer mechanism is used to output the material box at the other end of the unloading conveyor line opposite to the unloading platform from the output end of the unloading docking station to the input end of the material box conveyor line along the first direction; the input transfer mechanism is used to receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveyor line along the second direction.

[0014] In an optional manner, a plurality of unloading docking stations are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the output transfer mechanisms on the plurality of unloading docking stations are aligned with each other along the second direction, so that the material box on each unloading docking station can be output to the input end of the material box conveyor line through one or more output transfer mechanisms; and / or, a plurality of loading docking stations are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the input transfer mechanisms on the plurality of loading docking stations are aligned with each other along the second direction, so that each loading docking station can receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveyor line through one or more input transfer mechanisms.

[0015] In an optional manner, the unloading docking station has output ends on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction, and the loading docking station has input ends on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction; the number of material box conveying lines is multiple, and they are distributed on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction of the unloading docking station and the loading docking station.

[0016] In an optional manner, the material box conveyor line includes an input line, a processing line and an output line; the input line is configured to convey along a first direction, the output line is configured to convey along a second direction, the input end of the input line is docked with the output end of the unloading docking station, the output end of the output line is docked with the input end of the loading docking station, the processing line is configured to convey along a first direction, and the input end of the processing line is docked with the output end of the input line, the output end of the processing line is docked with the input end of the output line, and the operation position is set on the processing line.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present application, a material handling system is provided, comprising a transport robot and a material handling station as described in any of the above items, wherein the transport robot is used to unload the material box on it to the unloading docking station, and then move along a first direction to the loading docking station and transport the material box on the loading docking station away.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present application, a warehousing system is provided, including shelves and the above-mentioned material handling system, wherein the shelves are used to store material boxes, and the handling robot is used to transport the material boxes between the shelves and the material handling station.

[0019] In the docking station provided in the present application, a docking platform and a transfer mechanism are respectively arranged at both ends of the conveying line along the first direction, and a channel extending along the first direction is formed at the bottom of the conveying line. The docking platform is responsible for docking with the handling robot that moves into the channel along the first direction to realize unloading / loading, and the transfer mechanism is responsible for receiving or outputting the material box along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the conveying path of the material box is separated from the moving path of the handling robot, so that the handling robot after unloading / loading can continue to move out along the first direction, thereby maximizing the reduction and simplification of the moving path of the handling robot, reducing the control requirements of the handling robot, and improving the material box conveying efficiency and the material processing efficiency in the material box.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Also, the same reference symbols are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a material handling station in the related art from a top view;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a docking station provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an application scenario of a docking station provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the top view of the docking station provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a material processing system provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the top view of the material handling system provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the top view of the material handling system provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a material processing system provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the top view of the material handling system provided by another embodiment of the utility model;

[0031] Fig.10 This is a schematic top view of the structure of a material handling system provided in another embodiment of the utility model.

[0032] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0033] 10. Material handling station; 11. Unloading platform; 12. Loading platform; 21. Unloading robot; 22. Loading robot; 30. Material box;

[0034] 100, docking station; 100a, unloading docking station; 100a1, output end of unloading docking station; 100b, loading docking station; 100b1, input end of loading docking station;

[0035] 110, conveyor line; 110a, unloading conveyor line; 110b, loading conveyor line; 111, docking platform; 111a, unloading platform; 111b, loading platform; 1111, notch; 1112, baffle; 112, transfer mechanism;

[0036] 120, channel; 120a, unloading channel; 120b, loading channel; 121, docking position; 121a, unloading docking position; 120b, loading docking position;

[0037] 130, top frame;

[0038] 140, legs;

[0039] 200, material box conveyor line; 210, input end of material box conveyor line; 220, operation position; 230, output end of material box conveyor line; 201, input line; 202, processing line; 203, output line;

[0040] 300. handling robot; 310. lifting mechanism;

[0041] 400, material box;

[0042] 500. Material handling station;

[0043] 1000. Material handling system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, and are therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0047] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0050] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0052] As the intermediate link between supply and consumption, the warehousing system can buffer and balance the contradiction between supply and demand. The material processing in the warehousing system generally includes warehousing, unpacking, picking, inventory and outbound operations. Material handling efficiency is an important indicator of the warehousing system. With the increasing requirements for material handling efficiency, how to improve operating efficiency in each link has become a problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0053] The human-machine direct sorting workstation currently used in the warehousing system uses a handling robot (for example, an automated guided vehicle, AGV) to carry the material box to the operating area, and the technicians directly process the materials in the material box on the handling robot. This human-machine cross-operation method not only has great safety hazards, but also is limited by the low efficiency of manual processing, which will cause the handling robot to waste more time waiting in line, seriously affecting the operating efficiency.

[0054] In this regard, corresponding processing stations can be set up to dock with the handling robots and cache the material boxes to avoid the situation where the robots have to wait in line. Figure 1 In the material handling station 10 shown in the top view, after the unloading robot 21 moves upward and unloads the material box 30 on it to the unloading platform 11 of the material handling station 10, the material box 30 is transported in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in the figure, and the unloading robot 21 moves upward from the unloading platform 11. Then, the unloaded unloading robot 21 can first move to the right and then move downward to the loading platform 12 of the material handling station 10, so as to act as the loading robot 22 to carry away the material box 30 at the loading platform 12. The movement trajectory of the robot can be shown as the dotted arrow in the figure. Although this method can achieve caching of the material box 30 by the corresponding conveyor line on the material handling station 10 to prevent the problem of large-scale waiting in line for the robot, since the robot's movement path from the unloading platform 11 to the loading platform 12 is long and the trajectory is complex, it will inevitably waste a lot of time, resulting in a decrease in transportation efficiency, and at the same time, it also puts higher requirements on the control of the robot.

[0055] Based on this, from the perspective of the moving efficiency of the handling robot, the present application sets the direction of the material box conveying at the docking station (i.e. the direction of input / output of the material box between the docking station and the conveyor line) perpendicular to the direction of movement of the handling robot in the docking station. The conveyor line of the material box and the moving path of the handling robot are separated from each other. The conveyor line of the material box will not affect the moving path of the handling robot, so that the handling robot always enters and exits the docking station in a straight line, reducing the control requirements for the handling robot, and improving the robot's moving efficiency, thereby improving the material box conveying efficiency and the material processing efficiency in the material box.

[0056] According to one aspect of the embodiment of the present application, a docking station is provided. Figure 2 , the structure of the docking station is shown in the figure, the first direction mentioned below is the direction shown by the X axis in the figure, and the second direction is the direction shown by the Y axis in the figure. As shown in the figure, a conveyor line 110 is arranged on the docking station 100 along the first direction in the figure, and a docking platform 111 is formed at one end of the conveyor line 110 along the first direction, and a transfer mechanism 112 is arranged at the other end. A channel 120 extending along the first direction is formed at the bottom of the conveyor line 110, and the channel 120 is used for a handling robot (not shown) to enter and exit the docking station 100 along the first direction, and a docking position 121 corresponding to the docking platform 111 is provided in the channel 120. The docking platform 111 is used to dock with a handling robot that enters the channel 120 along the first direction and arrives at the docking position 121, so that the handling robot can pick up a material box (not shown) on the docking platform 111, and / or place the material box. The conveyor line 110 is used to transport the material box between the docking platform 111 and the transfer mechanism 112. The transfer mechanism 112 is used to transport the material box along the second direction in the figure.

[0057] It should be noted that the first direction mentioned above does not refer to the positive direction of the X-axis, but to any one of the positive direction and the negative direction of the X-axis. The second direction is the same, and no further details are given. The following examples illustrate the working conditions of the docking station 100 when using different directions:

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, a material handling station with a docking station 100 provided in this embodiment is shown. When the docking station 100 is used as a material unloading docking station, as shown in the figure, Figure 3 As shown in the docking station 100 at the lower left of the middle, the docking platform 111 is located at one end of the conveyor line 110 facing the negative direction of the X-axis. The handling robot 300 enters the docking position 121 in the channel 120 along the positive direction of the X-axis and unloads the material box 400 on it to the docking platform 111. Then the material box 400 is transported by the conveyor line 110 along the positive direction of the X-axis to the transfer mechanism 112 ( Figure 2 ), the transfer mechanism 112 transfers the material box 400 to the material box conveying line 200 along the positive direction of the Y axis, and the conveying direction of the material box 400 is shown by the solid arrow in the figure. The handling robot 300 that has unloaded the material box 400 continues to move along the positive direction of the X axis and drives out of the channel 120, as shown by the dotted arrow in the figure.

[0059] When the docking station 100 is used as a loading docking station, Figure 3As shown in the docking station 100 in the upper right middle, the docking platform 111 is located at one end of the conveyor line 110 facing the positive direction of the X-axis. The handling robot 300 enters the channel 120 along the positive direction of the X-axis and reaches the docking position 121. The handling robot 300 entering the channel 120 may be the handling robot 300 that drives out of the unloading docking station. After the transfer mechanism 112 receives the material box 400 from the material box conveyor line 200 along the negative direction of the Y-axis, the received material box 400 is transported to the docking platform 111 by the conveyor line 110. The handling robot 300 that arrives at the docking position 121 transports the material box 400 on the docking platform 111 away along the positive direction of the X-axis.

[0060] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the specific embodiment shown, the conveyor line 110 can use the roller mechanism shown in the figure to realize the conveyance of the material box 400, and the short rollers on both sides of the docking platform 111 can realize the input and output of the material box 400 at the docking platform 111. Correspondingly, the transfer mechanism 112 can use a jacking transfer mechanism to realize the change of the input and output direction of the material box 400. Specifically, the jacking transfer mechanism is provided with a conveying mechanism moving along the second direction. When no transfer is required, the jacking transfer mechanism is lowered to a height lower than the roller. At this time, the material box 400 is conveyed by the roller along the first direction. When transfer is required, the jacking transfer mechanism extends from the gap between the rollers and rises to a position higher than the roller, and the material box 400 is lifted to a position higher than the roller conveying plane. Then, the conveying mechanism on the jacking transfer mechanism receives the material box 400 or outputs the material box 400 along the second direction.

[0061] It is understandable that the above is only an exemplary description. In other embodiments, the conveying line 110 may also adopt mechanisms such as a conveyor belt, and the transfer mechanism 112 may also adopt mechanisms such as a push plate that slides along the second direction, which is not limited here.

[0062] In the docking station 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, a docking platform 111 and a transfer mechanism 112 are respectively arranged at both ends of the conveying line 110 along the first direction, and a channel 120 extending along the first direction is formed at the bottom of the conveying line 110. The docking platform 111 is responsible for docking with the handling robot 300 that moves into the channel 120 along the first direction to realize unloading / loading, and the transfer mechanism 112 is responsible for receiving the material box 400 or outputting the material box 400 along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the conveying path of the material box 400 is separated from the moving path of the handling robot 300, so that the handling robot 300 after unloading / loading can continue to move out along the first direction, thereby maximizing the reduction and simplification of the moving path of the handling robot 300, reducing the control requirements of the handling robot 300, and improving the conveying efficiency of the material box 400 and the processing efficiency of the material in the material box 400.

[0063] In order to ensure the working efficiency and avoid the queuing of the handling robots, this application proposes an implementation method. Figure 4 , the figure shows the structure of the docking station provided by the embodiment of the present application from a top view. As shown in the figure, the dimension d1 of the conveyor line 110 along the first direction is configured to be greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the two material boxes 400 along the first direction (2d2).

[0064] It should be noted that, since the docking platform 111 and the transfer mechanism 112 are both disposed on the conveying line 110 , the size of the conveying line 110 along the first direction already covers the size of the docking platform 111 and the transfer mechanism 112 along the first direction.

[0065] After the dimension d1 of the conveyor line 110 along the first direction is set to be greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the two material boxes 400 (2d2), for the unloading docking station, the material box 400 unloaded by the previous handling robot 300 to the docking platform 111 can be transported to the transfer mechanism 112 along the first direction through the conveyor line 110, so that the docking platform 111 is vacant and the next handling robot 300 can dock and unload the box; for the loading docking station, the material box 400 received by the transfer mechanism 112 can be transported to the docking platform 111 along the first direction through the conveyor line 110, so that the transfer mechanism 112 is vacant and ready to receive the next material box 400. In the above manner, the material boxes 400 can be cached in the docking station 100, effectively avoiding the situation where the handling robots 300 are affected by the docking efficiency and a large number of queues appear at the docking station 100.

[0066] Regarding the docking method between the docking platform and the handling robot, this application proposes an implementation method. Please refer to the Figure 2 As shown in the figure, a notch 1111 is provided on the free end of the docking platform 111 along the first direction, and the notch 1111 is used for the lifting mechanism 310 (such as Figure 3 ) to enter, so that the handling robot 300 descends through its lifting mechanism 310 to place the material box 400 on the docking platform 111, and / or rises through its lifting mechanism 310 to lift the material box 400 on the docking platform 111 and transport it away.

[0067] It should be noted that the width of the notch 1111 along the second direction needs to be smaller than the width of the material box 400 along this direction, and larger than the width of the lifting mechanism 310 along this direction, so as to ensure that the lifting mechanism 310 can enter the notch 1111 from the opening of the notch 1111 along the first direction, and pass through the notch 1111 from the bottom of the notch 1111, while also ensuring that the material box 400 can be stably placed on the docking platform 111 and will not fall.

[0068] Specifically, the lifting mechanism 310 of the transport robot 300 can be implemented by a connecting rod mechanism, a scissor mechanism, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, etc., without specific limitation.

[0069] By providing a notch 1111 on the docking platform 111 , the transport robot 300 can be quickly docked with the docking station 100 , thereby improving the efficiency of unloading / loading.

[0070] In order to ensure the structural stability of the unloading docking station, this application further proposes an implementation method. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the docking station 100 further includes a top frame 130 and a plurality of legs 140, wherein the middle sections of the plurality of legs 140 are vertically connected to the outer edge of the conveyor line 110, and the middle sections of at least some of the legs 140 are vertically connected to the outer edge of the end where the notch 1111 is located on the docking platform 111. A channel 120 is formed between the plurality of legs 140 at a position located at the bottom of the conveyor line 110. The top frame 130 is connected between the tops of the plurality of legs 140.

[0071] Due to the existence of the notch 1111, the structural strength of the docking platform 111 is relatively weak. If only a simple support is provided for the docking platform 111, the docking platform 111 is very likely to bend and deform when supporting a heavy material box. In severe cases, the docking platform 111 may collapse, causing irreversible damage.

[0072] Based on this, in this embodiment, multiple legs 140 are used to vertically connect the outer edge of the conveyor line 110 in the middle section, and at least part of the legs 140 are connected to the outer edge of the end where the notch 1111 is located on the docking platform 111, so as to provide support for the conveyor line 110 and the docking platform 111 thereon, and a top frame 130 is connected between the tops of the multiple legs 140, and the top frame 130 provides a force between the multiple legs 140 to avoid bending and deformation of the legs 140 due to the force, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the docking platform 111 when supporting the material box.

[0073] In order to ensure that the position of the material box on the docking platform is accurate and reliable, this application proposes an implementation method. Please refer to the following for details. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, baffles 1112 are provided on the docking platform 111 on two opposite sides along the second direction, and the baffles 1112 are extended along the first direction. The baffles 1112 are used to limit the material box on the docking platform 111 along the second direction and guide the material box on the docking platform 111 along the first direction.

[0074] exist Figure 2In the specific embodiment shown, the baffle 1112 is a strip-shaped plate extending in the first direction. The baffle 1112 limits the position of the material box and guides the conveying of the material box, so that the material box can be in the best position during the subsequent transmission or transportation process, avoiding the risk of the material box falling due to position deviation.

[0075] According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present application, a material processing station is also provided. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the material handling station 500 includes a material box conveyor line 200 and at least one docking station 100 provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments, wherein at least one docking station 100 is connected to one end of the material box conveyor line 200, and the docking station 100 is used to transport the material box 400 to the material box conveyor line 200, and / or receive the material box 400 on the material box conveyor line 200.

[0076] In this embodiment, by adopting at least one of the docking stations 100 in the above-mentioned embodiments to connect with one end of the material box conveyor line 200, that is, one end of the material box conveyor line 200 is docked with the transfer mechanism 112, so that the conveying path of the material box 400 (that is, the layout position of the material box conveyor line 200) is separated from the moving path of the handling robot 300, and the layout of the material box conveyor line 200 will not interfere with the movement of the handling robot 300, so that the handling robot 300 after unloading / loading can continue to move out in the first direction, thereby maximizing the reduction and simplification of the moving path of the handling robot 300, reducing the control requirements of the handling robot 300, and improving the conveying efficiency of the material box 400.

[0077] For further information, please refer to Figure 5 , and further combined with Figure 6 , Figure 6 , a top view of the material handling station is shown in FIG. In some embodiments, the material handling station 500 includes at least two docking stations, wherein at least one docking station is a discharge docking station 100a, and at least another docking station is a loading docking station 100b. The conveying line on the discharge docking station 100a is a discharge conveying line 110a, the docking platform on the discharge docking station 100a is a discharge platform 111a, the transfer mechanism on the discharge docking station 100a is an output transfer mechanism 112a, the channel of the discharge docking station 100a is a discharge channel 120a, and the docking position in the discharge channel 120a is a discharge docking position 121a. The conveying line on the loading docking station 100b is the loading conveying line 110b, the docking platform 111b on the loading docking station 100b is the loading platform 111b, the transfer mechanism on the loading docking station 100b is the input transfer mechanism 112b, the channel of the loading docking station 100b is the loading channel 120b, and the docking position in the loading channel 120b is the loading docking position 121b.

[0078] In this embodiment, the first direction is the direction from the unloading docking station 100a to the loading docking station 100b, which is the positive direction of the X axis shown in the figure. The material box conveyor line 200 is connected between the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station.

[0079] The conveying path of the material box 400 in the material processing station 500 is shown by the arrow in the figure, specifically: the unloading platform 111a is used for the handling robot 300 that enters the unloading channel 120a along the first direction and reaches the unloading docking position 121a to unload the carried material box 400 thereon, the unloading conveyor line 110a is used to convey the material box 400 on the unloading platform 111a to the other end along the first direction, and the output transfer mechanism 112a is used to output the material box 400 at the other end of the unloading conveyor line 110a opposite to the unloading platform 111a along the second direction to the input end 210 of the material box conveyor line. An operating position 220 is provided on the material box conveyor line 200 for processing the material in the material box 400. The input transfer mechanism 112b is used to transfer the material box 400 received by the input transfer mechanism 112b to the loading platform 111b along the first direction from the output end 230 of the material box conveying line along the second direction. The loading conveying line 110b is used to transfer the material box 400 received by the input transfer mechanism 112b to the loading platform 111b along the first direction.

[0080] The moving path of the handling robot 300 in the material handling station 500 is shown by the dotted arrow in the figure, specifically: after the handling robot 300 enters the unloading channel 120a along the first direction and unloads the box at the unloading docking position 121a, the unloading channel 120a is used for the handling robot 300 to pass through along the first direction after unloading the box, and the loading channel 120b is used for the handling robot that passes through the unloading channel 120a along the first direction to enter. The loading platform 111b is used to dock with the handling robot 300 that enters the loading channel 120b and arrives at the loading docking position 121b, so that the handling robot 300 can transport the material box 400 on it.

[0081] The material box conveyor line 200 is connected between the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station. This does not mean that the material box conveyor line 200 must be arranged in the space between the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station. Instead, it means that the material box conveyor line 200 can receive the material box 400 output from the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and convey the material box 400 to the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station after processing. Specifically, the material box conveyor line 200 can be as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 6 The overall U-shape is arranged on one side of the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b along the second direction.

[0082] Understandably, Figure 5-6This is only an exemplary description of the material box conveyor line 200 provided in the present application, and it does not constitute a limitation on the specific shape and structure of the material box conveyor line 200. In some other embodiments, the material box conveyor line 200 may also extend in a curved or irregular shape and be connected between the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station, as long as the structure of the material box conveyor line 200 does not intrude into the space passed by the transport robot 300 when moving from the unloading channel 120a to the loading channel 120b, that is, it does not affect the normal movement of the transport robot 300.

[0083] The operating position 220 can be a platform for technicians to perform manual processing operations, or it can be a platform for automated processing mechanisms such as robots to perform operations.

[0084] In order to facilitate the understanding of the operation mode of the material handling station 500, the specific operation process is provided below:

[0085] First, the transport robot 300 picks up the material box 400 from a shelf or other location, then moves along the Figure 6 The first direction enters the unloading channel 120a to the right and docks with the unloading platform 111a to unload the transported material box 400 onto the unloading platform 111a.

[0086] After unloading the box, the transport robot 300 continues to move to the right along the first direction. If there is a transport robot 300 queuing in front, it joins the queue. If there is no transport robot 300 queuing in front, the transport robot 300 after unloading the box drives out of the unloading channel 120a and enters the loading channel 120b, then docks with the loading platform 111b and transports the material box 400 on it to the right along the first direction.

[0087] The material box 400 unloaded to the unloading platform 111a is output from the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station to the material box conveyor line 200. If there is a material box 400 waiting to be processed in line in front, it will be added to the queue. If there is no material box 400 waiting in line, the material box 400 will be transported to the operating position 220, and the materials therein will be processed by manual or automated processing mechanisms, such as picking and inventory operations. After processing, the material box 400 will be transported to the loading platform 111b on the loading docking station 100b, waiting for the transport robot 300 to arrive and transport it away.

[0088] During the operation of the material handling station 500 provided in the embodiment of the present application, multiple handling robots 300 continuously dock, unload, move and load boxes for transportation, and the entire process moves in a straight line in the same direction, that is, they all move in a straight line in the first direction from the unloading docking station 100a to the loading docking station 100b, so as to achieve the best transportation efficiency and have low control requirements for the handling robots. The material boxes 400 are continuously input, processed and output, and the material box conveyor line 200 provides a buffer for the material boxes 400 to accommodate the speed difference between the processing operation and the material box handling, so as to avoid the situation where a large number of handling robots are waiting in line. At the same time, the unloading, loading and material handling operations of the handling robots 300 are carried out synchronously to ensure the high efficiency of material handling. There is no cross-operation between man and machine in the entire material handling station 500, which ensures the safety of the operation.

[0089] In order to provide a reliable moving space for the transport robot, the present application further proposes an implementation method. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the direction of the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station toward the outside of the unloading docking station 100a is the same as the direction of the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station toward the outside of the loading docking station 100b, both of which are Figure 5 and 6 The second direction includes the opposite first direction (positive direction of the Y axis in the figure) and the second direction (negative direction of the Y axis in the figure). The output transfer mechanism 112a is used to output the material box 400 at the other end of the unloading conveying line 110a opposite to the unloading platform 111a from the output end 110a1 of the unloading docking station to the input end 210 of the material box conveying line along the first direction. The input transfer mechanism 112b is used to receive the material box 400 from the output end 230 of the material box conveying line along the second direction.

[0090] It should be noted that Figure 6 For example, the direction of the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station toward the outside of the unloading docking station 100a is the same as the direction of the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station toward the outside of the loading docking station 100b, which refers to the direction along the second direction ( Figure 6 The output end of the unloading docking station 100a is located on the side where the input end of the loading docking station 100b is located, and the two are located on the same side of the docking station where they are located.

[0091] Specifically, the material box conveying line 200 can be as follows Figure 5 and Figure 6The configuration shown is U-shaped, and may also be serpentine, semicircular, etc. The specific shape of the material box conveyor line 200 is not limited here, but it is necessary to ensure that the head end and the end of the material box conveyor line 200 are respectively connected to the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station. Figure 7 As shown in , the material box conveyor line 200 can also be configured as a linear conveying mechanism along the first direction (the direction shown by the X-axis) to simplify the structure and reduce space occupancy.

[0092] By setting the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station and the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station to face the same outward direction and setting the material box conveyor line 200 on this side, it can be ensured that there is sufficient space between the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b for the handling robot 300 to move from the unloading docking station 100a along the first direction to the loading docking station 100b, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the moving operation of the handling robot 300. At the same time, it can be ensured that the technician at the operating position 220 is far away from the handling robot 300, thereby ensuring the safety of the operation, and the distance of the material box conveyor line 200 can be increased, so that more material boxes 400 can be cached.

[0093] In order to improve the efficiency of unloading boxes, this application proposes an implementation method, please refer to Figure 8 , the figure shows the structure of a material handling stand provided by another embodiment of the present application from a three-dimensional perspective. As shown in the figure, a plurality of unloading docking stations 100a are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the output transfer mechanisms 112a (such as Figure 6 ) are aligned with each other along the second direction so that the material box 400 on each unloading docking station 100a can be output to the input end 210 of the material box conveying line through one or more output transfer mechanisms 112a.

[0094] By arranging multiple unloading docking stations 100a side by side, the material handling station 500 can simultaneously dock multiple handling robots 300 for unloading, so as to fully improve the unloading efficiency. At the same time, in order to ensure that the material box 400 can be normally transferred to the operating position 220 of the material box conveyor line 200 for processing, output transfer mechanisms 112a aligned with each other along the Y-axis direction (i.e., the second direction) are arranged on multiple unloading docking stations 100a, so that the unloading docking stations 100a far from the material box conveyor line 200 can be transported to the material box conveyor line 200 after passing through one or more output transfer mechanisms 112a between them and the material box conveyor line 200.

[0095] Similarly, in order to improve the efficiency of loading boxes, Figure 8As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of loading docking stations 100b are arranged along the second direction, and the input transfer mechanisms 112b on the plurality of loading docking stations 100b are aligned with each other along the second direction, so that each loading docking station 100b can receive the material box 400 from the output end 230 of the material box conveyor line through one or more input transfer mechanisms 112b.

[0096] Similarly, by arranging multiple loading docking stations 100b side by side, the material handling station 500 can simultaneously dock with multiple handling robots 300 to load boxes, so as to fully improve the loading efficiency. At the same time, by arranging an input transfer mechanism 112b on the loading docking station 100b, the transfer of the material box 400 between multiple loading docking stations 100b can be realized.

[0097] In order to further improve the efficiency of material processing, this application also proposes an implementation method, please refer to Fig. 9 , the figure shows the structure of a material handling station provided by another embodiment of the present application from a top view. As shown in the figure, the unloading docking station 100a has an output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction, and the loading docking station 100b has an input end 100b1 of the loading docking station on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction. There are multiple material box conveyor lines 200, which are distributed on both sides opposite to each other along the second direction of the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b.

[0098] By setting up a material box conveyor line 200 on both sides of the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b opposite to each other along the second direction, the length of the material box conveyor line 200 can be increased, which can not only increase the buffer quantity of the material box 400, but also add more operating positions 220 to improve the efficiency of material processing in the material box 400.

[0099] Regarding the arrangement of the material box conveyor line, this application proposes an implementation method. For details, please refer to Fig.10, the figure shows a top view structure of a material processing station provided by another embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the material box conveyor line 200 includes an input line 201, a processing line 202 and an output line 203. Among them, the input line 201 is configured to convey along a first direction (positive direction of the Y axis in the figure), and the output line 203 is configured to convey along a second direction (negative direction of the Y axis in the figure). The input end of the input line 201 (i.e., the input end 210 of the material box conveyor line) is connected to the output end 100a1 of the unloading docking station, and the output end of the output line 203 (i.e., the output end 230 of the material box conveyor line) is connected to the input end 100b1 of the loading docking station. The processing line 202 is configured to transport along a first direction (the positive direction of the X-axis in the figure), and the input end of the processing line 202 (the left end of the processing line 202 in the figure) is connected to the output end of the input line 201 (the lower end of the input line 201 in the figure), and the output end of the processing line 202 (the right end of the processing line 202 in the figure) is connected to the input end of the output line 203 (the lower end of the output line 203 in the figure), and the operation position 220 is set on the processing line 202.

[0100] By setting up the input line 201, the processing line 202 and the output line 203, the overall conveying length of the material box conveyor line 200 can be effectively increased, and more material box buffer positions can be provided to accommodate the speed difference between material processing and material box handling, ensuring that material processing operations and material box handling operations can be carried out in an orderly manner.

[0101] In addition, the distance between the processing line 202 and the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b is increased through the input line 201 and the output line 203. On the one hand, it can ensure that there is sufficient space between the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b, and the movement of the handling robot 300 between the unloading docking station 100a and the loading docking station 100b is stable and reliable and not easily disturbed. On the other hand, the distance between the technician's operating area and the moving area of ​​the handling robot 300 is increased to avoid cross-operation between man and machine, thereby ensuring the safety of the operation.

[0102] According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present application, a material processing system is provided. Figure 5 , the figure shows the structure of the material handling system in a three-dimensional perspective. As shown in the figure, the material handling system 1000 includes a handling robot 300 and a material handling station 500 provided by any of the above embodiments. The handling robot 300 is used to unload the material box 400 on it to the unloading docking station 100a, and then move along the first direction to the loading docking station 100b and transport the material box 400 on the loading docking station 100b away.

[0103] The material handling system 1000 provided in the embodiment of the present application adopts the material handling station 500 provided in any of the above embodiments, so as to minimize and simplify the moving path of the transport robot 300, reduce the control requirements of the transport robot 300, and improve the conveying efficiency of the material box 400.

[0104] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a warehousing system is also provided, including a shelf and the material handling system 1000 provided in the above embodiment, the shelf is used to store material boxes 400, and the handling robot 300 is used to transport the material boxes 400 between the shelf and the material handling station 500.

[0105] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application is described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. A docking station, characterized in that: A conveying line is arranged on the docking station along the first direction, a docking platform is formed at one end of the conveying line along the first direction, and a transfer mechanism is arranged at the other end; A channel extending along the first direction is formed at the bottom of the conveying line, the channel is used for the transport robot to enter and exit the docking station along the first direction, and the channel has a docking position corresponding to the docking platform; The docking platform is used to dock with a transport robot that enters the channel along the first direction and reaches the docking position, so that the transport robot can pick up a material box and / or place a material box on the docking platform; The conveying line is used to transport the material box between the docking platform and the transfer mechanism; The transfer mechanism is used to transport the material box along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The docking station according to claim 1, characterized in that: A dimension of the conveying line along the first direction is configured to be greater than or equal to a sum of dimensions of two boxes along the first direction.

3. The docking station according to claim 1, characterized in that: A notch is provided on the free end of the docking platform along the first direction, and the notch is used for the jacking mechanism of the transport robot to enter, so that the transport robot can descend through its jacking mechanism to place the material box on the docking platform, and / or can rise through its jacking mechanism to lift up the material box on the docking platform and transport it away.

4. The docking station according to claim 3, characterized in that: The docking station further comprises a top frame and a plurality of legs, wherein the middle sections of the plurality of legs are vertically connected to the outer edge of the conveyor line, and the middle sections of at least some of the legs are vertically connected to the outer edge of the end of the docking platform where the notch is located; The channel is formed between the plurality of legs at a position located at the bottom of the conveyor line; The top frame is connected between the tops of the plurality of supporting legs.

5. The docking station according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The docking platform is provided with baffles on two opposite sides along the second direction, and the baffles are extended along the first direction. The baffles are used to limit the material box on the docking platform along the second direction and guide the material box on the docking platform along the first direction.

6. A material handling station, characterized in that: It comprises a material box conveying line and at least one docking station as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the docking stations is connected to one end of the material box conveying line, and the docking station is used to transport the material box to the material box conveying line and / or receive the material box on the material box conveying line.

7. The material handling station according to claim 6, characterized in that It comprises at least two docking stations, wherein at least one docking station is a material unloading docking station, and at least another docking station is a material loading docking station; The conveying line on the unloading docking station is a unloading conveying line, the docking platform on the unloading docking station is a unloading platform, the transfer mechanism on the unloading docking station is an output transfer mechanism, the channel of the unloading docking station is a unloading channel, and the docking position in the unloading channel is a unloading docking position; The conveying line on the loading docking station is a loading conveying line, the docking platform on the loading docking station is a loading platform, the transfer mechanism on the loading docking station is an input transfer mechanism, the channel of the loading docking station is a loading channel, and the docking position in the loading channel is a loading docking position; The unloading docking station and the loading docking station are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction, and the unloading platform and the loading platform are separated from each other along the first direction; The first direction is the direction from the unloading docking station to the loading docking station; The material box conveying line is connected between the output end of the unloading docking station and the input end of the loading docking station; The unloading platform is used for a handling robot that enters the unloading channel along the first direction and reaches the unloading docking position to unload the carried material boxes thereon, the unloading conveyor line is used to convey the material boxes on the unloading platform to the other end along the first direction, and the output transfer mechanism is used to output the material boxes at the other end of the unloading conveyor line opposite to the unloading platform along the second direction to the input end of the material box conveyor line; The material box conveying line is provided with an operating position for processing the materials in the material box; The input transfer mechanism is used to receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveyor line along the second direction, and the loading conveyor line is used to convey the material box received by the input transfer mechanism to the loading platform along the first direction; The unloading channel is used for the transport robot to pass through along the first direction after unloading the box, and the loading channel is used for the transport robot to enter through the unloading channel along the first direction; The loading platform is used to dock with a handling robot that enters the loading channel and reaches the loading docking position, so that the handling robot can transport the material box on it.

8. The material handling station according to claim 7, characterized in that The direction of the output end of the unloading docking station toward the outside of the unloading docking station is the same as the direction of the input end of the loading docking station toward the outside of the loading docking station, and the second direction includes a first direction and a second direction that are opposite to each other; The output transfer mechanism is used to output the material box at the other end of the unloading conveying line opposite to the unloading platform along the first direction from the output end of the unloading docking station to the input end of the material box conveying line; The input transfer mechanism is used to receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveying line along the second direction.

9. The material handling station according to claim 7, characterized in that: The unloading docking stations are arranged in parallel in a plurality along the second direction, and the output transfer mechanisms on the plurality of unloading docking stations are aligned with each other along the second direction, so that the material box on each of the unloading docking stations can be output to the input end of the material box conveying line through one or more of the output transfer mechanisms; and / or, The loading docking stations are arranged in parallel along the second direction, and the input transfer mechanisms on the multiple loading docking stations are aligned with each other along the second direction, so that each of the loading docking stations can receive the material box from the output end of the material box conveyor line through one or more of the input transfer mechanisms.

10. The material handling station according to claim 7, characterized in that The unloading docking station has output ends on two opposite sides along the second direction, and the loading docking station has input ends on two opposite sides along the second direction; There are multiple material box conveying lines, which are distributed on two opposite sides of the unloading docking station and the loading docking station along the second direction.

11. The material handling station according to claim 8, characterized in that The material box conveying line includes an input line, a processing line and an output line; The input line is configured to convey along the first direction, the output line is configured to convey along the second direction, the input end of the input line is docked with the output end of the unloading docking station, the output end of the output line is docked with the input end of the loading docking station, the processing line is configured to convey along the first direction, the input end of the processing line is docked with the output end of the input line, the output end of the processing line is docked with the input end of the output line, and the operation position is set on the processing line.

12. A material handling system, characterized in that: It comprises a transport robot and a material handling station as described in any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the transport robot is used to unload the material boxes on it to the unloading docking station, move along the first direction to the loading docking station and transport the material boxes on the loading docking station away.

13. A storage system, characterized in that: It comprises a shelf and the material handling system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the shelf is used to store material boxes, and the handling robot is used to transport material boxes between the shelf and the material handling station.

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