Distribution station

Abstract

The utility model provides a distribution station which comprises a cabinet body, a conveying mechanism and a plurality of carriers. The conveying mechanism is used for conveying a carrier; the cabinet body is provided with a storage lattice group, the storage lattice group comprises a plurality of storage lattices, the storage lattices are used for containing a carrier, the carrier is used for bearing goods, the plurality of storage lattices forming the storage lattice group at least comprise conventional storage lattices and transfer storage lattices, and the side, facing a storage user or a taking user, of each conventional storage lattice is provided with a cabinet door capable of being opened and closed. And the transfer storage grids are used for manually storing or taking out goods from the outside of the distribution station into the conventional storage grids, the transfer storage grids receive the carriers conveyed by the robots outside the distribution station, and the carriers from the external robots are conveyed into the transfer storage grids firstly and then conveyed into the conventional storage grids without the carriers through the transfer storage grids.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of storage devices, and particularly to a distribution station. Background Art

[0002] At present, the application of meal pickup cabinets and robot food delivery are gradually becoming popular. However, the meal pickup cabinets only meet the needs of food deliverymen to store meals and customers to pick up meals, and human participation is required in the meal preparation action before robot food delivery. How to provide a storage device that can meet the simultaneous operations of riders, customers, and robots, and can meet relatively high storage requirements has become one of the important research topics in the related fields. Summary of the Utility Model

[0003] A main object of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one defect of the above-mentioned prior art, and to provide a distribution station that can meet the simultaneous operations of riders, customers, and robots, and can meet relatively high storage requirements.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a distribution station, wherein: the distribution station includes a cabinet body, a conveying mechanism, and a plurality of carriers; the conveying mechanism is used for conveying the carriers; the cabinet body is provided with a storage grid group, the storage grid group includes a plurality of storage grids, the storage grids are used for accommodating the carriers, the carriers are used for carrying goods, and at least some of the plurality of storage grids constituting the storage grid group include regular storage grids and transfer storage grids. The regular storage grids are provided with openable and closable cabinet doors on the side facing the storage user or the pick-up user, for manually storing goods in or taking out goods from the regular storage grids from outside the distribution station. The transfer storage grids receive the carriers transmitted by robots from outside the distribution station. The carriers from external robots are first transmitted into the transfer storage grids, and then transmitted from the transfer storage grids to the regular storage grids that do not store carriers.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first opening is provided on one side wall surface of the storage grid, and the first opening can allow the carrier carrying goods in the storage grid to be transmitted to the conveying mechanism through the first opening, and allow the empty carrier in the conveying mechanism to be transmitted to the storage grid through the first opening.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet body is provided with a connection port for connecting with the robot, for receiving the empty carrier of the robot through the connection port, and transmitting the carrier carrying goods transmitted from the storage grid to the robot.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station further includes a transfer area, and the transfer mechanism is disposed in the transfer area. It can pick up and place the vehicle in the storage compartment through the first opening, pick up and place the vehicle in the robot through the docking port, and carry the vehicle to move in the transfer area.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet door of the transfer storage compartment is closed or has limited outward opening.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet body is provided with a docking port for docking with the robot, and is used to receive the goods and the vehicle returned from the storage compartment of the robot through the docking port, and the returned goods are conveyed by the transfer mechanism to a designated regular storage compartment.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, for the distribution station according to the claim, the returned goods are conveyed by the transfer mechanism to a designated regular storage compartment, including: the returned goods and the vehicle carrying the returned goods pass through the transfer storage compartment and are conveyed to the regular storage compartment without a stored vehicle.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer storage compartment is a storage compartment at a predetermined position in the storage compartment group. The transfer storage compartment is used to receive and accommodate the vehicle transmitted by the robot to the distribution station. By receiving and accommodating the vehicle transmitted by the robot to the distribution station through the transfer storage compartment, the goods and the vehicle accommodated in the regular storage compartment are conveyed to the robot by the transfer mechanism, and the vehicle accommodated in the transfer storage compartment is conveyed to the regular storage compartment where the vehicle is vacant due to the removal of goods.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of storage compartments forming the storage compartment group are arranged in the vertical direction. Among the plurality of storage compartments forming the storage compartment group, the transfer storage compartment is located at a predetermined position on one side, and the remaining storage compartments are regular storage compartments.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the storage compartment is used as the transfer storage compartment, it is used to receive and accommodate the vehicle transmitted by the robot to the distribution station and convey the vehicle to the storage compartment without a stored vehicle. When the storage compartment is used as a regular storage compartment, it can receive and accommodate the goods manually placed from outside the distribution station. The storage compartment used as the transfer storage compartment is at least one storage compartment that does not currently accommodate goods and vehicles.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer mechanism includes a transfer bracket, a transfer table, and a transfer driving mechanism; the transfer table is movably arranged on the transfer bracket and is used for carrying a carrier; the transfer driving mechanism can drive the transfer table to move on the transfer bracket so as to move the carrier from the transfer storage grid to the conventional storage grid where there is a vacant carrier.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer table is provided with a picking and placing driving mechanism and a first locking mechanism; the picking and placing driving mechanism is configured to drive the carrier to move between the transfer table and the storage grid when the transfer table is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the storage grid, and drive the carrier to move between the transfer table and the robot when the transfer table is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the docking port; the first locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier on the transfer table. When the transfer table is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move on the transfer bracket, the first locking mechanism is in a locked state, and when the picking and placing driving mechanism drives the transfer table to move, the first locking mechanism is in an unlocked state.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least part of the material of the carrier is a magnetic metal. The first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, which can adsorb and lock the carrier when powered on and unlock when powered off. The picking and placing driving mechanism is used to drive the first electromagnet to move along a first horizontal direction or a second horizontal direction, so that the carrier adsorbed by the first electromagnet moves between the transfer table and the storage grid or the robot.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage grid is provided with a second locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier in the storage grid. When the transfer mechanism picks and places the carrier in the storage grid, the second locking mechanism is in an unlocked state, and when the storage grid stores the carrier, the second locking mechanism is in a locked state.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier is transferred to the storage grid in the storage grid group where there is no stored carrier via the transfer storage grid, the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage grid, the second locking mechanism of the transfer storage grid is unlocked, the carrier is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the transfer storage grid to the transfer table, the transfer table is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the storage grid where there is no stored carrier, the first locking mechanism is unlocked, and the carrier is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the transfer table to the storage grid.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second locking mechanism disposed in the storage compartment includes a second electromagnet, the second electromagnet being a power-off type electromagnet, and the second locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the vehicle when powered off by the second electromagnet and unlocks when powered on.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot is provided with a third locking mechanism that can control the locking and unlocking of the vehicle in the robot. When the transfer mechanism picks up and places the vehicle in the robot, the third locking mechanism is in an unlocked state, and when the robot transports the vehicle, the third locking mechanism is in a locked state.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the vehicle is transferred to the transfer storage compartment via the robot, the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align with the docking port. After the third locking mechanism of the robot is unlocked, the vehicle is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism to move from the robot through the docking port to the transfer table. The transfer table is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage compartment, the first locking mechanism is unlocked, and the vehicle is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism to move from the transfer table to the transfer storage compartment.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third locking mechanism includes a third electromagnet, the third electromagnet being a power-on type electromagnet, and the third locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the vehicle when powered on by the third electromagnet and unlocks when powered off.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an interaction mechanism is further included, and the interaction mechanism is coupled to the control unit of the cabinet door for the user to pick up and place goods.

[0025] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages and positive effects of the distribution station proposed by the present disclosure are as follows:

[0026] The delivery station proposed in the present disclosure includes a cabinet body, a conveying mechanism, and multiple carriers; the conveying mechanism is used to convey the carriers; the cabinet body is provided with a storage grid group, the storage grid group includes multiple storage grids, the storage grids are used to accommodate the carriers, and the carriers are used to carry goods. Among the multiple storage grids that make up the storage grid group, there are at least a regular storage grid and a transfer storage grid. The regular storage grid is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door on the side facing the depositing user or the picking user, for manually storing or taking out goods from the outside of the delivery station into or from the regular storage grid. The transfer storage grid receives the carriers transmitted by the robot from the outside of the delivery station. The carriers from the external robot are first conveyed into the transfer storage grid, and then conveyed from the transfer storage grid to the regular storage grid that does not store the carriers. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure provides a set of design solutions for automatic transmission and connection of carriers in the delivery station. While realizing the robot connection task, it can meet the collaborative use requirements of riders, customers, and robots, so as to achieve the effects of improving user experience and reducing labor costs. The present disclosure can meet the high-concurrency processing storage requirements, can more flexibly coordinate the storage grids and robot delivery resources in the delivery station, and is conducive to realizing a more efficient pick-up and delivery function. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the transfer storage grid for carrier transfer, enabling the carriers to be recycled reciprocally between the delivery station and the robot, and ensuring that there is always a storage grid in the delivery station that can receive the carriers transmitted by the robot, that is, the transfer storage grid, thereby further improving the design rationality of the functional delivery station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] By considering the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various objectives, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent. The drawings are only illustrative diagrams of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, the same reference numerals always represent the same or similar components. Among them:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a delivery station shown according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a plan view of a partial structure in

[0030] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of a partial structure in

[0031] Figure 4 and Figure 5 are respectively Figure 1 side views of the robot in two different working states in

[0032] Figures 6 to 10 are respectively Figure 1 partial schematic diagrams of the delivery station shown in several different working states.

[0033] The description of the reference numerals is as follows:

[0034] 100. Cabinet

[0035] 110. Storage grid group

[0036] 111. Storage grid

[0037] 1111. Regular storage grid

[0038] 1112. Transfer storage grid

[0039] 112. Cabinet door

[0040] 120. Conveyor area

[0041] 130. Connection port

[0042] 131. Connection door

[0043] 200. Interaction mechanism

[0044] 300. Conveyor mechanism

[0045] 310. Conveyor bracket

[0046] 320. Conveyor table

[0047] 400. Robot

[0048] 410. Upper part

[0049] 411. Storage compartment

[0050] 412. Compartment door

[0051] 413. Second opening

[0052] 420. Walking part

[0053] 500. Vehicle

[0054] 510. Bearing part

[0055] 520. Back panel

[0056] X. First horizontal direction

[0057] Y. Second horizontal direction

[0058] Z. Vertical direction Detailed implementation manners

[0059] Typical embodiments that embody the features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present disclosure can have various changes in different embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and the descriptions and drawings therein are essentially for illustrative purposes rather than for limiting the present disclosure.

[0060] In the following description of different exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present disclosure and in which different exemplary structures, systems and steps that can implement multiple aspects of the present disclosure are shown by way of example. It should be understood that other specific schemes of components, structures, exemplary devices, systems and steps can be used, and structural and functional modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, although the terms "above", "between", "within", etc. may be used in this specification to describe different exemplary features and elements of the present disclosure, these terms are used herein only for convenience, such as according to the direction of the examples described in the accompanying drawings. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of the structure to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] See also Figure 1 , which is a representative structural diagram of the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure is described by taking the application of the delivery cabinet as an example. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that in order to apply the relevant design of the present disclosure to other types of logistics pick-up and delivery equipment, various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions or other changes are made to the specific embodiments described below, and these changes are still within the scope of the principle of the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station provided by the present disclosure includes a cabinet 100, a conveying mechanism 300 and a plurality of carriers 500. Figures 2 to 5 , Figure 2 Representatively shown in Figure 1 A schematic plan view of a part of the structure in FIG. 1 , which specifically shows the plan structure of the cabinet 100 and the interactive mechanism 200; Figure 3 Representatively shown in Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure in FIG. 1 , which specifically shows the cross-sectional structure of the cabinet 100 , wherein the cutting plane is parallel to the first horizontal direction X and perpendicular to the second horizontal direction Y, thereby revealing the planar structure of the conveying mechanism 300 ; Figure 4 and Figure 5 4 and 5 represent side views of the robot 400 in two different working states. The structure, connection mode and functional relationship of the main components of the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure will be described in detail below in conjunction with the above drawings.

[0063] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a transfer mechanism 300 is used to transfer a vehicle 500. A cabinet 100 is provided with a storage compartment group 110. The storage compartment group 110 includes a plurality of storage compartments 111, such as, but not limited to, the seven storage compartments 111 shown in the drawings. The storage compartment 111 is used to accommodate the vehicle 500, and the vehicle 500 is used to carry goods. Among the plurality of storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110, at least a regular storage compartment 1111 and a transfer storage compartment 1112 are included. The regular storage compartment 1111 is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door 112 on the side facing the user for storing or retrieving goods manually from the outside of the distribution station into or from the regular storage compartment 1111. The transfer storage compartment 1112 receives the vehicle 500 (which can be an empty vehicle 500 after the goods have been removed, or a vehicle 500 carrying goods that have not been normally retrieved or returned) transmitted by a robot from the outside of the distribution station. The vehicle 500 from the external robot is first transmitted into the transfer storage compartment 1112, and then transmitted from the transfer storage compartment 1112 to the regular storage compartment 1111 that does not store the vehicle 500. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure provides a design solution for the automatic transmission and connection of the vehicle 500 in the distribution station. While realizing the connection task of the robot 400, it can meet the needs of the three parties of the rider, the customer and the robot 400 to cooperate and use, so as to achieve the effects of improving the user experience and reducing the labor cost. The present disclosure can meet the high-concurrency processing storage requirements, can more flexibly coordinate the storage compartments 111 and the distribution resources of the robot 400 in the distribution station, and is beneficial to realizing a more efficient pick-up and delivery function. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the transfer storage compartment 1112 for vehicle 500 transfer, so that the vehicle 500 can be recycled reciprocally between the distribution station and the robot 400, and ensure that there is always a storage compartment in the distribution station that can receive the vehicle 500 transmitted by the robot 400, that is, the transfer storage compartment 1112, thereby further improving the design rationality of the functional distribution station.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first opening may be provided on one side wall surface of the storage compartment 111. The first opening can allow the vehicle 500 carrying goods in the storage compartment 111 to be transmitted to the transfer mechanism 300 through the first opening, and allow the empty vehicle 500 in the transfer mechanism 300 to be transmitted to the storage compartment 111 through the first opening.

[0065] As Figure 2 shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 100 may be provided with a connection port 130 for connecting with the robot. The connection port 130 is used to receive the empty vehicle 500 in the robot 400 through the connection port 130, and transmit the vehicle 500 carrying goods transferred from the storage compartment to the robot 400.

[0066] AsFigure 2 As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 100 may be provided with a docking port 130 for docking with a robot. The docking port 130 is used to receive the goods and carriers returned from the storage compartment of the robot via the docking port, and the returned goods are conveyed by a conveying mechanism to a designated conventional storage grid.

[0067] As Figure 2 shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the docking port 130 may be provided with an openable and closable docking door 131.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the returned goods are conveyed by a conveying mechanism 300 to a designated conventional storage grid, including: the returned goods and the carrier 500 carrying the returned goods are conveyed to the conventional storage grid 1111 without the carrier 500 stored via the transfer storage grid 1112.

[0069] As Figure 3 shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the conveying mechanism 300 is disposed in the conveying area 120 of the cabinet 100. The conveying mechanism 300 can pick up and place the carrier 500 in the storage grid 111 via the first opening, and can pick up and place the carrier 500 in the robot 400 via the docking port 130. The conveying mechanism 300 can also carry the carrier 500 and move in the conveying area 120, thereby realizing the conveyance of the carrier 500 between the storage grid 111 and the docking port 130.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer storage grid 1112 may adopt a structural design with a cabinet door closed or restricted outward opening. Taking the following embodiment as an example, when the transfer storage grid 1112 is the storage grid 111 at a predetermined position in the storage grid group 110, the transfer storage grid 1112 may be provided with a first opening, and the cabinet door of the transfer storage grid 1112 is closed (for example, no cabinet door is provided). Through the above structural design, since the transfer storage grid 1112 is the storage grid 111 at a predetermined position in the storage grid group 110 and will not be converted into a conventional storage grid 1111, that is, since the transfer storage grid 1112 is never used for manually picking up and placing the goods in the storage grid 111 outside the distribution station, the present disclosure may not need to provide a cabinet door 112 in the transfer storage grid 1112, which is beneficial to reducing the number of components and lowering the cost. In some embodiments, when the transfer storage grid 1112 is the storage grid 111 at a predetermined position in the storage grid group 110, the transfer storage grid 1112 may also be provided with a cabinet door 112, and the cabinet door 112 of the transfer storage grid 1112 may adopt a design with restricted opening, such as restricting the normal opening of the cabinet door 112 through structural locking or program locking, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0071] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer storage bin 1112 may be a storage bin 111 at a predetermined position in the storage bin group 110. The transfer storage bin 1112 is used to receive and accommodate the vehicle 500 transported by the robot 400 to the distribution station. By receiving and accommodating the vehicle 500 transported by the robot 400 through the transfer storage bin 1112, the goods accommodated in the regular storage bin 1111 together with the vehicle 500 are transported to the robot 400 through the transfer mechanism 300, and the vehicle 500 accommodated in the transfer storage bin 1112 is transported to the regular storage bin 1111 where the vehicle 500 is vacant due to the removal of goods through the transfer mechanism 300.

[0072] In addition, when the vehicle 500 transported by the robot 400 to the distribution station still carries goods (for example, the goods that are not picked up due to factors such as overtime and still remain in the robot 400), after the transfer storage bin 1112 receives them, the above-mentioned goods together with the vehicle 500 accommodated in the transfer storage bin 1112 are then transported to the regular storage bin 1111 where the goods have been removed through the transfer mechanism 300, and then the regular storage bin 1111 can be marked (for example, displayed on the interaction mechanism 200) as an overtime / return storage bin.

[0073] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, based on the structural design that the transfer storage bin 1112 is a storage bin 111 at a predetermined position in the storage bin group 110, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer storage bin 1112 may be located at a predetermined position on one side, and the remaining storage bins 111 are regular storage bins 1111. For example, the multiple storage bins 111 that make up the storage bin group 110 may be arranged along the vertical direction Z. Among the multiple storage bins 111 that make up the storage bin group 110, the lowermost one may be designated as the above-mentioned transfer storage bin 1112, and the remaining storage bins 111 are regular storage bins 1111. Through the above structural design, considering that the interaction convenience for users to access the lowermost storage bin 111 is poor, the present disclosure designates the lowermost storage bin 111 as the transfer storage bin 1112.

[0074] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, based on the structural design that the transfer storage bin 1112 is a storage bin 111 at a predetermined position in the storage bin group 110, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer storage bin 1112 may adopt the exact same structural design as other storage bins 111 (such as the regular storage bin 1111). For example, the transfer storage bin 1112 may be provided with a first opening and a cabinet door 112. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can achieve the structural unity of all storage bins 111, which is convenient for batch processing production and modular assembly, and can temporarily use other regular storage bins 1111 as the transfer storage bin 1112 when the transfer storage bin 1112 fails.

[0075] Different from Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, a structure design of a transfer storage bin 1112 at a predetermined position is adopted. In another embodiment not illustrated in the present disclosure, when the storage bin 111 is used as the transfer storage bin 1112, it is used to receive and accommodate the vehicle 500 transmitted by the robot 400 to the distribution station and transmit the vehicle 500 to the storage bin 111 that does not store the vehicle 500. When the storage bin 111 is used as a regular storage bin 1111, it can receive and accommodate the goods manually placed outside the distribution station. The storage bin 111 serving as the transfer storage bin 1112 is at least one storage bin 111 that does not currently accommodate goods and the vehicle 500. For example, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure can select a storage bin 111 that does not accommodate goods and the vehicle 500 as the transfer storage bin 1112, receive and accommodate the vehicle 500 transmitted by the robot 400 through the transfer storage bin 1112, transmit the goods and the vehicle 500 accommodated in other regular storage bins 1111 to the robot 400 through the transfer mechanism 300, and the regular storage bin 1111 from which the goods have been removed serves as an alternative storage bin when the transfer storage bin 1112 needs to be selected in the next exchange process. Through the above structure design, the present disclosure does not preset the position of the transfer storage bin 1112. When it is necessary to store the vehicle 500 transmitted by the robot 400, a storage bin 111 that is currently vacant for the vehicle 500 can be directly used as the transfer storage bin 1112, which can reduce the action steps of the transfer mechanism, improve the transfer efficiency, simplify the control complexity, and save energy and increase efficiency.

[0076] Based on the structure design of dynamically selecting the transfer storage bin 1112, in an embodiment not illustrated in the present disclosure, the transfer storage bin 1112 can be determined from a set composed of all the storage bins 111 of a storage bin group 110. In another embodiment, the transfer storage bin 1112 can also be determined from a set composed of a part of the storage bins 111 of a storage bin group 110. Further, at least one of the other part of the storage bins 111 of the storage bin group 110 can also be the transfer storage bin 1112 at the above-mentioned predetermined position, and all are not limited to this embodiment.

[0077] It should be noted that for the structural design in which the storage compartment 111 includes a regular storage compartment 1111 and a transfer storage compartment 1112, the present disclosure can be further marked for the user to distinguish. For example, an indicator light can be provided on the outer side of the storage compartment 111 or on the cabinet door 112, and through the pattern or the change of the light color of the indicator light, the user can obtain information about the regular storage compartment 1111 and the transfer storage compartment 1112. Another example is that the type information of each storage compartment 111 can be marked in the interaction mechanism 200 (such as a display screen, a touch screen, etc.), so that the user can obtain information about the regular storage compartment 1111 and the transfer storage compartment 1112 when operating the interaction mechanism 200.

[0078] During the actual operation of the distribution station proposed by the present disclosure, there is a situation where the goods in the robot 400 are not taken out normally. Taking the hotel delivery scenario as an example, after the goods together with the carrier 500 are transferred from the distribution station to the robot 400, the robot 400 moves to the location of the user waiting for the goods (for example, in front of the ordered room door), but the goods are not taken out after the time limit. At this time, in the solution of the transfer storage compartment 1112 at the above-mentioned predetermined position, after the robot 400 returns to the distribution station, the distribution station can transfer the goods together with the carrier 500 that are not taken out normally in the robot 400 to the transfer storage compartment 1112 through the transfer mechanism 300, and then the transfer mechanism 300 takes out the goods together with the carrier 500 (or the empty carrier 500) required for the next delivery work from a regular storage compartment 1111 and transfers them to the robot 400, and then transfers the above-mentioned abnormal goods together with the carrier 500 from the transfer storage compartment 1112 to this regular storage compartment 1111. Or, in the solution of dynamically selecting the transfer storage compartment 1112, the distribution station can also transfer the goods together with the carrier 500 that are not taken out normally in the robot 400 to the current transfer storage compartment 1112 through the transfer mechanism 300, and then the transfer mechanism 300 takes out the goods together with the carrier 500 (or the empty carrier 500) required for the next delivery work from a regular storage compartment 1111 and transfers them to the robot 400. After that, this regular storage compartment 1111 serves as an alternative storage compartment when selecting the transfer storage compartment 1112 in the next exchange process. Based on the above design, when the abnormal goods return to the distribution station, the present disclosure can prompt the user through a remote communication method, and the user can select the robot 400 for re-delivery or pick up the goods at the distribution station site through an app on the mobile device. In addition, the robot 400 can also directly interact with other users (such as hotel front desk staff, etc.) to allow other users to manually take out the goods that are not taken out normally.

[0079] Such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of storage bins 111 forming the storage bin group 110 may be arranged along the vertical direction Z, and a first opening of the storage bin 111 may be provided on a wall surface of the storage bin 111 perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X. A cabinet door 112 may be provided on one side of the storage bin 111 in the second horizontal direction Y, and the first horizontal direction X is perpendicular to the second horizontal direction Y. On this basis, a transfer area 120 may be provided on one side of the storage bin group 110 in the first horizontal direction X, and a connection port 130 may be provided on one side of the transfer area 120 in the second horizontal direction Y. In some embodiments, the plurality of storage bins 111 forming the storage bin group 110 may also be arranged in other directions, such as along the first horizontal direction X. At this time, the first opening may be provided on a wall surface of the storage bin 111 perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the cabinet door 112 may be provided on one side of the storage bin 111 in the second horizontal direction Y, the transfer area 120 may be provided on one side of the storage bin group 110 in the vertical direction Z, and the connection port 130 may be provided on one side of the transfer area 120 in the second horizontal direction Y. It should be understood that in various possible embodiments that conform to the design concept of the present disclosure, the plurality of storage bins 111 forming the storage bin group 110 may be arranged in various possible directions, and are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0080] As Figure 3 As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer mechanism 300 may include a transfer bracket 310, a transfer table 320, and a transfer driving mechanism. Specifically, the transfer bracket 310 may be provided with a track extending along the vertical direction Z, and the transfer table 320 is movably provided on the transfer bracket 310. For example, the transfer table 320 is slidably engaged with the track. The transfer table 320 can carry the carrier 500 to realize the moving transfer of the carrier 500. The transfer driving mechanism can drive the transfer table 320 to move on the transfer bracket 310 to move the carrier 500 from the transfer storage bin 1112 to the regular storage bin 1111 lacking a carrier 500. The transfer driving mechanism may be, for example, a motor, an electric push rod, etc.

[0081] Based on the structural design that the transfer mechanism 300 includes a transfer table 320, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transfer table 320 may be provided with a pick-and-place driving mechanism and a first locking mechanism. Specifically, the pick-and-place driving mechanism is configured to drive the carrier 500 to move between the transfer table 310 and the storage bin 111 when the transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the storage bin 111, and when the transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the docking port 130, drive the carrier 500 to move between the transfer table 310 and the robot 400. For example, the pick-and-place driving mechanism can drive the carrier 500 to move along the first horizontal direction X, thereby realizing the movement of the carrier 500 between the storage bin 111 and the transfer table 320. The pick-and-place driving mechanism can also drive the carrier 500 to move along the second horizontal direction Y, thereby realizing the movement of the carrier 500 between the robot 400 (such as the storage compartment 411) and the transfer table 320. The first locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier 500 in the transfer table 320. When the transfer mechanism 300 picks up or places the carrier 500 from the storage bin 111 or the robot 400, the first locking mechanism is in the unlocked state. At this time, the carrier 500 and the transfer table 320 can move relative to each other, so that it is convenient for the pick-and-place driving mechanism to drive the carrier 500 to move. When the transfer mechanism 300 transfers the carrier 500 (i.e., when the transfer table 320 moves), the first locking mechanism is in the locked state. At this time, the carrier 500 carried on the transfer table 320 is locked by the first locking mechanism and cannot move relative to the transfer table 320. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can prevent the carrier 500 from falling during the movement process, and ensure the stability and reliability of the transfer mechanism 300 when moving and transferring the carrier 500.

[0082] Based on the structural design with a pick-and-place driving mechanism provided on the transfer table 320, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least part of the material of the carrier 500 can be a magnetic metal, such as but not limited to iron. For example, the carrier 500 can be composed of components or materials such as sheet metal parts and ABS plastics. On this basis, the first locking mechanism can include a first electromagnet, which can adsorb and lock the carrier 500 when powered on and unlock it when powered off. The pick-and-place driving mechanism is used to drive the first electromagnet to move along the first horizontal direction X or the second horizontal direction Y, so as to realize the movement of the carrier 500 adsorbed by the first electromagnet between the transfer table 320 and the storage compartment 111 or the robot 400. For example, the pick-and-place driving mechanism can adopt a conveyor belt, a linear motor, etc. In other words, on the one hand, the above-mentioned first electromagnet can be used as the first locking mechanism to realize the locking and unlocking between the transfer table 320 and the carrier 500, and on the other hand, it can transfer the driving force of the driving wheel of the pick-and-place driving mechanism to the adsorbed carrier 500 to realize the driving of the carrier 500. Specifically, the first locking mechanism can specifically include two first electromagnets to respectively realize the movement of the adsorbed carrier 500 along the first horizontal direction X or the second horizontal direction Y. The first locking mechanism can also include one first electromagnet, and the pick-and-place driving mechanism can drive the first electromagnet to move along the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can utilize the first electromagnet to realize the locking function of the carrier 500 and indirectly participate in the translational driving of the carrier 500, with a simple structure and convenient control.

[0083] Based on the structural design that the first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first electromagnet is a power-on type electromagnet. Accordingly, the first locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the carrier 500 when the first electromagnet is powered on and unlocks it when powered off. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure uses an electromagnet to realize the locking and unlocking functions of the first locking mechanism, with a simple structure, convenient control, and easy maintenance. For example, it is convenient for staff to take out (unlock) the carrier 500 or goods on the transfer table 320. On this basis, considering the working period characteristics of the distribution station, taking the food delivery cabinet as an example, its main working period is usually concentrated during the meal time, that is, the working time of the transfer mechanism 300 is less than the non-working time. Therefore, the present disclosure uses a power-on type electromagnet as the first electromagnet of the first locking mechanism, so that the first electromagnet is in the non-powered state for more time, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumption of the distribution station and the use cost.

[0084] Based on the structural design with the first locking mechanism provided on the transfer table 320, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment 111 may be provided with a second locking mechanism, and the second locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier 500 in the storage compartment 111. Accordingly, when the transfer mechanism 300 picks up and places the carrier 500 in the storage compartment 111, the second locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, at this time the carrier 500 and the storage compartment 111 can move relative to each other. When the storage compartment 111 stores the carrier 500, the second locking mechanism is in the locked state, at this time the carrier 500 and the transfer table 320 cannot move relative to each other. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can prevent the carrier 500 from shaking or falling from the first opening when placed in the storage compartment 111, ensuring the stability and reliability of the storage compartment 111 when storing the carrier 500.

[0085] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier 500 is transferred to the storage compartment 111 in the storage compartment group 110 that does not store the carrier 500 via the transfer storage compartment 1112, the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage compartment 1112, the second locking mechanism of the transfer storage compartment 1112 is unlocked, the carrier 500 is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the transfer storage compartment 1112 to the transfer table 310, the transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the storage compartment 111 that does not store the carrier 500, the first locking mechanism is unlocked, and the carrier 500 is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the transfer table 310 to the storage compartment 111.

[0086] Based on the structural design with the second locking mechanism provided on the storage compartment 111, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second locking mechanism may include a second electromagnet, and the second electromagnet is a power-off type electromagnet. Accordingly, the second locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the carrier 500 when the second electromagnet is powered off and unlocks when powered on. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure uses an electromagnet to implement the locking and unlocking functions of the second locking mechanism, with a simple structure and convenient control. Since a power-off type electromagnet is used, the present disclosure can ensure that the carrier 500 stored in the storage compartment 111 will not slip even when the distribution station loses power. On this basis, considering the working period characteristics of the distribution station, taking a food delivery cabinet as an example, its main working period is usually concentrated during meal times, that is, the time when the storage compartment 111 places the carrier 500 (the second locking mechanism is in the locked state) is more than the time when the transfer mechanism 300 picks up and places the carrier 500 from the storage compartment 111 (the second locking mechanism is in the unlocked state). Therefore, the present disclosure uses a power-off type electromagnet as the second electromagnet of the second locking mechanism, so that the second electromagnet is in the non-powered state for more time, which is conducive to reducing the energy consumption of the distribution station and the use cost.

[0087] Based on the structural design in which the first locking mechanism is provided on the transfer table 320, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 400 (such as the storage compartment 411) may be provided with a third locking mechanism, and the third locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the vehicle 500 in the robot 400. Accordingly, when the transfer mechanism 300 picks up and places the vehicle 500 in the robot 400, the third locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, and at this time, the vehicle 500 and the robot 400 can move relative to each other. When the robot 400 transports the vehicle 500, the third locking mechanism is in the locked state, and at this time, the vehicle 500 and the robot 400 cannot move relative to each other. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can avoid the shaking of the vehicle 500 when it is placed in the robot 400 or transported by the robot 400, avoid the dumping and damage of the goods carried by the vehicle 500, and ensure the stability and reliability of the robot 400 when transporting goods.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the vehicle 500 is transported to the transfer storage grid 1112 via the robot 400, the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the connection port 130. After the third locking mechanism of the robot 400 is unlocked, the vehicle 500 is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the robot 400 through the connection port 130 to the transfer table 310. The transfer table 310 is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage grid 1112, the first locking mechanism is unlocked, and the vehicle 500 is driven by the picking and placing driving mechanism to move from the transfer table 310 to the transfer storage grid 1112.

[0089] Based on the structural design in which the third locking mechanism is provided on the robot 400, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the third locking mechanism may include a third electromagnet, and the third electromagnet is a power-on type electromagnet. Accordingly, the third locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the vehicle 500 when the third electromagnet is powered on and unlocks when it is powered off. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure uses an electromagnet to implement the locking and unlocking functions of the third locking mechanism, with a simple structure and convenient control. On this basis, considering the working period characteristics of the distribution station, taking a food delivery cabinet as an example, its main working period is usually concentrated during meal times, that is, the time when the robot 400 (such as the storage compartment 411) places the vehicle 500 (the third locking mechanism is in the locked state) is more than the time when the transfer mechanism 300 picks up and places the vehicle 500 from the robot 400 (the third locking mechanism is in the unlocked state). Therefore, the present disclosure uses a power-on type electromagnet as the third electromagnet of the third locking mechanism, so that the third electromagnet is in the non-powered state for more time, which is beneficial to reducing the energy consumption of the distribution station and the usage cost.

[0090] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, both the storage compartment 111 and the robot 400 (such as the storage bin 411) can be provided with control and detection units. These control and detection units can respectively detect each storage compartment 111 and each storage bin 411 to detect whether the vehicle 500 is in place and whether there is goods in the vehicle 500, and feed this back to the control of the second locking mechanism and the third locking mechanism. For example, when the material of the vehicle 500 includes metal, the control and detection unit can include a metal detection sensor, or the control and detection unit can also include other devices such as optoelectronic sensor devices. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can realize the real-time detection of the in-place state and the cargo state of the vehicle 500 in each storage compartment 111 and the storage bin 411 through the control and detection unit, and accordingly feedback to the control of the corresponding vehicle 500 locking components in the storage compartment 111 and the robot 400, so as to realize a closed-loop control mechanism based on automatic acquisition and detection, and further improve the automation degree of the distribution station.

[0091] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station proposed by the present disclosure can include an interaction mechanism 200. The interaction mechanism 200 is coupled to the control unit of the cabinet door 112 and is used for users to pick up and place goods. It should be noted that the so-called user can be understood to include at least riders and customers. For example, the rider can open and close the cabinet door 112 through the interaction mechanism 200, so as to put the goods into the storage compartment 111. Another example is that the customer can open and close the cabinet door 112 through the interaction mechanism 200, so as to take out the goods from the storage compartment 111.

[0092] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet door 112 of the storage compartment 111, the interaction mechanism 200, and the connection port 130 may be located on the same side in the second horizontal direction Y, and the interaction mechanism 200 is located above the connection port 130. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure arranges the cabinet door 112 and the interaction mechanism 200 on the same side, which can facilitate the user to pick up and place goods from the storage compartment 111 more conveniently after using the interaction mechanism 200, improving the user experience. Further, the present disclosure also arranges the connection port 130 on the same side, which can realize the single-sided use of the entire distribution station, that is, the structures and components for the rider, the customer, and the robot 400 to use in the distribution station are located on a single side, which is beneficial to the reasonable layout of the overall structure of the distribution station and is also beneficial to the installation and use of the distribution station. For example, the other side of the distribution station in the second horizontal direction Y can be close to or abutted against a wall surface without reserving an operating space. Moreover, the present disclosure arranges the interaction interface above the connection port 130, which can avoid the inconvenience of user operation caused by the low layout height of the interaction interface (for example, when the interaction interface is at a low height, the user needs to bend down to operate), further improving the user experience. In some embodiments, according to the application environment and usage requirements of the distribution station, the connection port 130 may also be located on the other side opposite to the cabinet door 112 and the interaction mechanism 200, or the interaction mechanism 200 may also be located below the connection port 130, and the interaction mechanism 200 and the connection port 130 may also be arranged at intervals in the first horizontal direction X, which are not limited to this embodiment.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interaction mechanism 200 may include one or a combination of at least two of a touch screen, a voice recognition module, and a face recognition module. In some embodiments, the interaction mechanism 200 may also include other types of interaction modules, which are not limited to this embodiment.

[0094] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet body 100 may be provided with two storage compartment groups 110, and these two storage compartment groups 110 are respectively located on both sides of the conveying area 120 in the first horizontal direction X. On this basis, the opening directions of the first openings of the storage compartments 111 belonging to different storage compartment groups 110 are arranged oppositely. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can increase the number of goods that can be stored simultaneously in the distribution station, which is beneficial to improving the distribution efficiency. In some embodiments, the cabinet body 100 may also be provided with only one storage compartment group 110, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0095] As Figures 1 to 3As shown, based on the structural design of the cabinet body 100 with two storage cell groups 110, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of storage cells 111 included in each of the two storage cell groups 110 may be equal. In some embodiments, when the cabinet body 100 is provided with two storage cell groups 110, the number of storage cells 111 included in each of the two storage cell groups 110 may also be unequal.

[0096] It should be noted that, in Figures 1 to 3 the illustrated embodiment, it is described by taking the distribution station including a set of transfer mechanisms 300, the cabinet body 100 including a transfer area 120 and a connection port 130 as an example. It should be understood that in various possible embodiments conforming to the design concept of the present disclosure, the distribution station proposed by the present disclosure may also include more than two transfer mechanisms 300. Taking two transfer mechanisms 300 as an example, the two transfer mechanisms 300 can cooperate with one storage cell group 110 to work, and the two transfer mechanisms 300 can also respectively cooperate with their corresponding storage cell groups 110 to work, that is, one transfer mechanism 300 cooperates with one or two storage cell groups 110, and the other transfer mechanism 300 cooperates with one or two other storage cell groups 110. Accordingly, when there are two transfer mechanisms 300, the storage cell groups 110 can be one, two, three, or four. At this time, the interaction mechanism 200 can be one, that is, using one interaction mechanism 200 to integrate the interaction functions of all storage cell groups 110, and the interaction mechanism 200 can also be multiple. Furthermore, one or more transfer mechanisms 300 can be provided in one transfer area 120, and one or more connection ports 130 can be provided in the transfer area 120. In addition, one connection port 130 can be matched with one or more transfer mechanisms 300. On this basis, regardless of the number of the above-mentioned storage cell groups 110, transfer mechanisms 300, transfer areas 120, and connection ports 130, the robot 400 can be one or more.

[0097] Such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot 400 may include a walking part 420 and an upper mounting part 410. Specifically, the upper mounting part 410 is disposed on the walking part 420, and a storage compartment 411 is provided in the upper mounting part 410 for storing the vehicle 500. Along the second horizontal direction Y, a hatch 412 is provided on one side of the storage compartment 411, and a second opening 413 is provided on the other side of the storage compartment 411. On this basis, the vehicle 500 may include a carrying part 510 and a back plate 520. The carrying part 510 can carry goods, and the back plate 520 is connected to one side of the carrying part 510 in the second horizontal direction Y. Accordingly, when the vehicle 500 is accommodated in the robot 400, the carrying part 510 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back plate 520 closes the second opening 413. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can use the back plate 520 of the vehicle 500 to close the second opening 413 of the storage compartment 411, so that there is no need to provide an additional door opening and closing structure to close the second opening 413, saving the setting of additional components and additional control systems, which is beneficial to reducing the structural complexity and equipment cost.

[0098] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, still taking the robot 400 including the walking part 420 and the upper mounting part 410 as an example, at least two storage compartments 411 may be provided in the upper mounting part 410, such as but not limited to the two storage compartments 411 shown in the drawings, and the at least two storage compartments 411 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction Z. On this basis, the range of the docking port 130 simultaneously covers the ranges of the two storage compartments 411 (such as the second opening 413). Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can use one robot 400 to simultaneously realize the distribution of at least two pieces of goods, which is beneficial to improving the distribution efficiency of the robot 400 in the distribution station. In some embodiments, when the robot 400 is provided with at least two storage compartments 411, the at least two storage compartments 411 may also be arranged in other ways, such as arranged at intervals along the first horizontal direction X, or the robot 400 may also be provided with only one storage compartment 411, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0099] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the charging pile of the robot 400 may be integrated below the docking port 130. Accordingly, the present disclosure can use the positioning action of the robot 400 to dock with the charging pile during charging to realize the docking and relative positioning of the robot 400 and the distribution station cabinet 100.

[0100] Based on the above detailed description of several exemplary embodiments of the distribution station proposed by the present disclosure, the following will be combined with Figures 6 to 10, a brief description of the pick-up process for the robot 400 in the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure to complete a single delivery is provided. In addition, when the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure realizes the user self-pickup function, the operation of user self-pickup can adopt a manner similar to that of a traditional takeaway cabinet, which will not be elaborated here. When robot 400 delivery is selected, the transfer mechanism 300 is linked with robot 400.

[0101] Step 1, before the robot 400 arrives, the connection door 131 is opened. The transfer table 320 moves along the vertical direction Z to the position of the storage compartment 411 above the robot 400. The electromagnet adsorbs the empty carrier 500 in the storage compartment 411 above the robot 400 and moves it along the second horizontal direction Y through the connection port 130 to the transfer table 320.

[0102] Step 2, the transfer table 320 moves along the vertical direction Z to the position of the transfer storage compartment 1112. The electromagnet adsorbs the empty carrier 500 carried by the transfer table 320 and pushes it along the first horizontal direction X into the transfer storage compartment 1112 (such as storage compartment 111 of No. 7).

[0103] Step 3, after the transfer table 320 has no carrier 500, the transfer table 320 moves along the vertical direction Z to the first opening on the side of the storage compartment 111 (such as storage compartment 111 of No. 6) where the goods to be picked up are located. The electromagnet adsorbs the carrier 500 carrying the target goods in the storage compartment 111 and moves it along the first horizontal direction X, so that the carrier 500 moves from the storage compartment 111 through the first opening to the transfer table 320.

[0104] Step 4, after the carrier 500 carrying the target goods moves to the transfer table 320 and is in place, the transfer table 320 moves along the vertical direction Z to the position of the storage compartment 411 above the robot 400. The electromagnet adsorbs the carrier 500 on the transfer table 320 and moves it along the second horizontal direction Y through the connection port 130 into the storage compartment 411.

[0105] Step 5, when the carrier 500 is transferred into the storage compartment 411 of the robot 400, the control and detection unit in the storage compartment 411 detects the in-place signal and triggers. The third electromagnet of the storage compartment 411 is energized to adsorb the carrier 500 to achieve fixation. The connection door 131 is closed, and the robot 400 starts to deliver. The transfer table 320 transfers the empty carrier 500 in the above-mentioned transfer storage compartment 1112 to the storage compartment 111 (such as storage compartment 111 of No. 6) without a carrier after the carrier 500 carrying the target goods is removed.

[0106] In actual operation, during the delivery process of the robot 400, there may be a situation where the user fails to pick up the order within the time limit. To avoid affecting the operation of subsequent orders, the robot 400 will perform an order cancellation operation. The robot 400 returns to the delivery station and exchanges the vehicle 500 carrying the uncollected goods for an empty vehicle 500, and then the background notifies the user to pick up the goods at the delivery station. The order cancellation process of the robot 400 is the reverse of the above steps and will not be elaborated here. Additionally, in combination with the requirements of some hotels, after the robot 400 fails to pick up the order due to delivery timeout, a solution can be adopted where the robot 400 delivers the goods to the hotel front desk, and the front desk staff takes them out for subsequent processing. Accordingly, the delivery station proposed in this disclosure uses vehicles 500 of a unified specification, avoiding the connection and transfer problems caused by different sizes of takeaway packages. Through the effective scheduling and transfer of the vehicles 500 by the background server, the autonomous docking of the robot 400 and the delivery station is efficiently achieved, bringing a new solution for end - point delivery.

[0107] It should be noted here that the delivery stations shown in the drawings and described in this specification are only a few examples of the many delivery stations that can adopt the principles of this disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of this disclosure are by no means limited to any details or any components of the delivery stations shown in the drawings or described in this specification.

[0108] In summary, the delivery station proposed by the present disclosure includes a cabinet 100, a conveying mechanism 300, and a plurality of carriers 500; the conveying mechanism 300 is used to convey the carriers 500; the cabinet 100 is provided with a storage compartment group 110, and the storage compartment group 110 includes a plurality of storage compartments 111. The storage compartments 111 are used to accommodate the carriers 500, and the carriers 500 are used to carry goods. At least the regular storage compartment 1111 and the transfer storage compartment 1112 are included in the plurality of storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110. The regular storage compartment 1111 is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door 112 on the side facing the depositing user or the picking-up user, for manually storing or taking out goods from the delivery station to the regular storage compartment 1111. The transfer storage compartment 1112 receives the carrier 500 conveyed by the robot 400 from outside the delivery station. The carrier 500 from the external robot 400 is first conveyed into the transfer storage compartment 1112, and then conveyed from the transfer storage compartment 1112 to the regular storage compartment 1111 that does not store the carrier 500. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure provides a set of design solutions for the automatic transmission and connection of the carrier 500 in the delivery station. While realizing the connection task of the robot 400, it can meet the needs of the three-party collaborative use of the rider, the customer, and the robot 400, so as to achieve the effects of improving the user experience and reducing the labor cost. The present disclosure can meet the high-concurrency processing storage requirements, can more flexibly coordinate the storage compartments 111 and the distribution resources of the robot 400 in the delivery station, and is conducive to realizing a more efficient pick-up and delivery function. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the transfer storage compartment 1112 to realize the transfer of the carrier 500, so that the carrier 500 can be recycled reciprocally between the delivery station and the robot 400, and it is ensured that there is always a storage compartment in the delivery station that can receive the carrier 500 conveyed by the robot 400, that is, the transfer storage compartment 1112, thereby further improving the design rationality of the functional delivery station.

[0109] The exemplary embodiments of the delivery station proposed by the present disclosure have been described and / or illustrated in detail above. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments described here. On the contrary, each component and / or step of each embodiment can be used independently and separately from other components and / or steps described here. Each component and / or each step of one embodiment can also be combined with other components and / or steps of other embodiments. When introducing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated here, terms such as "a", "an", and "the above" are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion meaning and mean that there may be additional elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. in the claims and the specification are only used as labels and are not numerical limitations on their objects.

[0110] Although the delivery stations presented in this disclosure have been described according to different specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications can be made to the implementation of this disclosure within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A distribution station, characterized in that: The distribution station includes a cabinet body (100), a conveying mechanism (300) and a plurality of carriers (500); The conveying mechanism (300) is used to convey the carriers (500); The cabinet body (100) is provided with a storage grid group (110), the storage grid group (110) includes a plurality of storage grids (111), the storage grids (111) are used to accommodate the carriers (500), the carriers (500) are used to carry goods, and at least the conventional storage grid (1111) and the transfer storage grid (1112) are included in the plurality of storage grids (111) that make up the storage grid group (110). A switchable cabinet door (112) is provided on one side of the conventional storage grid (1111) facing the depositing user or the picking user, for manually storing or taking out goods from the outside of the distribution station into or from the conventional storage grid (1111). The transfer storage grid (1112) receives the carriers (500) transmitted by the robot from the outside of the distribution station. The carriers (500) from the external robot are first transmitted into the transfer storage grid (1112), and then transmitted from the transfer storage grid (1112) to the conventional storage grid (1111) that does not store the carriers (500).

2. The distribution station according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first opening is provided on one side wall surface of the storage grid (111). The first opening can allow the carrier (500) carrying goods in the storage grid (111) to be transmitted to the conveying mechanism (300) through the first opening, and can allow the empty carrier (500) in the conveying mechanism (300) to be transmitted to the storage grid (111) through the first opening.

3. The distribution station according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cabinet body (100) is provided with a connection port (130) for connecting with the robot, for receiving the empty carrier in the robot through the connection port (130), and transmitting the carrier carrying goods transmitted from the storage grid to the robot.

4. The distribution station according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distribution station further includes a transfer area (120), the conveying mechanism (300) is arranged in the transfer area (120), it can pick up and place the carrier (500) in the storage grid (111) through the first opening, and can pick up and place the carrier (500) in the robot (400) through the connection port (130), and carry the carrier (500) to move in the transfer area (120).

5. The distribution station according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cabinet door of the transfer storage grid (1112) is closed or has limited outward opening.

6. The distribution station according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cabinet body (100) is provided with a connection port for connecting with the robot, for receiving the goods and carriers returned from the storage compartment of the robot through the connection port, and the returned goods are transmitted by the conveying mechanism to the designated conventional storage grid.

7. The distribution station according to claim 6, characterized in that, The returned goods are conveyed by the conveying mechanism to a designated conventional storage bin, including: The returned goods and the carrier carrying the returned goods are conveyed through the transfer storage bin to the conventional storage bin (1111) where the carrier (500) is not stored.

8. The delivery station according to claim 1, wherein, The transfer storage bin (1112) is a storage bin (111) at a predetermined position in the storage bin group (110). The transfer storage bin (1112) is used to receive and accommodate the carrier (500) conveyed to the distribution station by the robot (400). By receiving and accommodating the carrier (500) conveyed to the distribution station by the robot (400) through the transfer storage bin (1112), the goods and the carrier (500) accommodated in the conventional storage bin (1111) are conveyed to the robot (400) through the conveying mechanism (300), and the carrier (500) accommodated in the transfer storage bin (1112) is conveyed to the conventional storage bin (1111) where the carrier (500) is vacant due to the removal of goods through the conveying mechanism (300).

9. The delivery station according to claim 1, characterized in that, A plurality of the storage bins (111) constituting the storage bin group (110) are arranged in the vertical direction (Z). Among the plurality of the storage bins (111) constituting the storage bin group (110), the transfer storage bin (1112) is located at a predetermined position on one side, and the remaining storage bins (111) are the conventional storage bins (1111).

10. The distribution station according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the storage bin (111) is used as the transfer storage bin (1112), it is used to receive and accommodate the carrier (500) conveyed to the distribution station by the robot (400) and convey the carrier (500) to the storage bin (111) where the carrier (500) is not stored. When the storage bin (111) is used as the conventional storage bin (1111), it can receive and accommodate the goods manually placed outside the distribution station. The storage bin (111) serving as the transfer storage bin (1112) is at least one storage bin (111) that does not currently accommodate goods and the carrier (500).

11. The distribution station according to claim 3 or 6, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism (300) includes a conveying support, a conveying table (310), and a conveying drive mechanism; the conveying table (310) is movably arranged on the conveying support and is used to carry the carrier (500); the conveying drive mechanism can drive the conveying table (310) to move on the conveying support so as to move the carrier (500) from the transfer storage bin (1112) to the conventional storage bin (1111) where the carrier (500) is vacant.

12. The distribution station according to claim 11, characterized in that, The transfer table (310) is provided with a pick-and-place driving mechanism and a first locking mechanism; the pick-and-place driving mechanism is configured to drive the carrier (500) to move between the transfer table (310) and the storage compartment (111) when the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the storage compartment (111), and drive the carrier (500) to move between the transfer table (310) and the robot (400) when the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move to the docking port (130); the first locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier (500) on the transfer table (310). When the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move on the transfer bracket, the first locking mechanism is in a locked state, and when the pick-and-place driving mechanism drives the transfer table (310) to move, the first locking mechanism is in an unlocked state.

13. The distribution station according to claim 12, characterized in that, At least part of the material of the carrier (500) is magnetic metal. The first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, which can adsorb and lock the carrier (500) when powered on and unlock when powered off. The pick-and-place driving mechanism is used to drive the first electromagnet to move along the first horizontal direction (X) or the second horizontal direction (Y), so that the carrier (500) adsorbed by the first electromagnet moves between the transfer table (310) and the storage compartment (111) or the robot (400).

14. The delivery station according to claim 12, characterized in that, The storage compartment (111) is provided with a second locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier (500) in the storage compartment (111). When the transfer mechanism (300) picks up and places the carrier (500) in the storage compartment (111), the second locking mechanism is in an unlocked state, and when the storage compartment (111) stores the carrier (500), the second locking mechanism is in a locked state.

15. The distribution station according to claim 14, characterized in that, When the carrier (500) is transferred to the storage compartment (111) in the storage compartment group (110) that does not store the carrier (500) via the transfer storage compartment (1112), the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage compartment (1112), the second locking mechanism of the transfer storage compartment (1112) is unlocked, the carrier (500) is driven by the pick-and-place driving mechanism to move from the transfer storage compartment (1112) to the transfer table (310), the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer driving mechanism to move and align with the storage compartment (111) that does not store the carrier (500), the first locking mechanism is unlocked, and the carrier (500) is driven by the pick-and-place driving mechanism to move from the transfer table (310) to the storage compartment (111).

16. The distribution station according to claim 14, characterized in that, The second locking mechanism provided in the storage compartment (111) includes a second electromagnet, which is a power-off type electromagnet. The second locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the carrier (500) when the second electromagnet is powered off and unlocks when powered on.

17. The distribution station according to claim 12, characterized in that, The robot (400) is provided with a third locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the vehicle (500) in the robot (400). When the transfer mechanism (300) picks up and places the vehicle (500) in the robot (400), the third locking mechanism is in an unlocked state. When the robot (400) transports the vehicle (500), the third locking mechanism is in a locked state.

18. The distribution station according to claim 17, wherein When the vehicle (500) is transported to the transfer storage compartment (1112) via the robot (400), the distribution station is configured such that the transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align with the connection port (130). After the third locking mechanism of the robot (400) is unlocked, the vehicle (500) is driven by the picking and placing drive mechanism to move from the robot (400) through the connection port (130) to the transfer table (310). The transfer table (310) is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align with the transfer storage compartment (1112), and the first locking mechanism is unlocked. The vehicle (500) is driven by the picking and placing drive mechanism to move from the transfer table (310) to the transfer storage compartment (1112).

19. The distribution station according to claim 17, characterized in that, The third locking mechanism includes a third electromagnet, which is a power-on type electromagnet. The third locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the vehicle (500) when the third electromagnet is powered on and unlocks when it is powered off.

20. The delivery station according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes an interaction mechanism (200), which is coupled to the control unit of the cabinet door (112) and is used for users to pick up and place goods.

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