Warehousing system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a warehousing system, relates to the technical field of logistics, and is used for improving the logistics efficiency. The warehousing system comprises a storage area, warehouse-in equipment, a goods shelf, warehouse-out equipment and a first box dumping robot. The warehousing equipment is used for bearing a first material box to be carried to a storage area when the warehousing system generates a warehousing task; the first material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be warehoused; the ex-warehouse equipment is used for obtaining the second material box when the warehousing system generates an ex-warehouse task, picking out the to-be-ex-warehouse goods from the second material box, and then carrying the to-be-ex-warehouse goods out of the warehouse; the second material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be delivered; the goods shelf is arranged in the storage area and comprises a plurality of bin positions used for containing material boxes. The first box dumping robot is movably arranged in the storage area and used for interacting with the warehousing equipment to put the first material box onto the goods shelf; and / or the second material box is unloaded from the goods shelf so as to interact with the warehouse-out equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to a warehousing system. Background Art

[0002] In the logistics solution of a warehousing system, when goods are received, the incoming goods need to be unloaded and put into the warehouse in the work area, and then the goods need to be moved to the shelves for storage. In the outbound goods scenario, the outbound goods need to be selected from the warehouse and then moved to the outbound work area for picking, labeling, and delivery. Current logistics solutions have a large number of manual processes (such as the need for personnel to pick outbound goods during the outbound process), which consumes a large amount of human resources costs and reduces logistics efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a warehousing system that can at least improve logistics efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide the following technical solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a warehousing system, which includes a storage area, warehousing equipment, shelves, outbound equipment and a first box-turning robot; the warehousing equipment is used to carry a first material box to be transported to the storage area when the warehousing system generates an warehousing task; the first material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be warehousing; the outbound equipment is used to obtain a second material box when the warehousing system generates an outbound task, and pick out the goods to be outbound from the second material box, and then transport the goods to be outbound out of the warehouse; the second material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be outbound; the shelves are arranged in the storage area, including a plurality of storage locations for placing materials; the first box-turning robot is movably arranged in the storage area, for interacting with the warehousing equipment to put the first material box on the shelf; and / or, to take the second material box off the shelf to interact with the outbound equipment.

[0006] The disclosed embodiment provides a warehousing system, including a storage area, warehousing equipment, shelves, outbound equipment and a first box-turning robot. When an warehousing task is generated, the first box containing the goods to be warehousing is put on the shelf for storage through the interaction between the first box-turning robot and the warehousing equipment. When an outbound task is generated, the first box-turning robot removes the second box from the shelf and interacts with the outbound equipment, so that the outbound equipment can pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box and transport the goods to be shipped out. Through the above-mentioned method, the automated warehousing process and the automated outbound process in the warehousing system can be realized, manual intervention can be reduced, the waste of human resource costs can be reduced, and the logistics efficiency can be improved. In addition, the outbound equipment in this solution can directly pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box. Compared with the traditional outbound process that requires additional manual picking by personnel, it can effectively avoid manual picking errors, low picking efficiency and other problems, and ensure the efficiency and accuracy of outbound delivery.

[0007] In some embodiments, the warehousing equipment is located in the storage area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the warehousing equipment is a first conveying device; the tail position of the first conveying device is located in the working area of the first box unloading robot.

[0009] In some embodiments, the warehousing equipment also includes: a camera; the camera is arranged at the end position of the first conveying device; the camera is used to identify the identification of the first material box carried by the first conveying device, so that the warehousing system determines the storage position of the first material box on the shelf.

[0010] In some embodiments, the tail end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf.

[0011] In some embodiments, the warehousing equipment is a shelf or a partial area of a shelf.

[0012] In some embodiments, the warehousing equipment is arranged in the warehousing work area; the warehousing system also includes: a second box unloading robot; the second box unloading robot is used to obtain the first material box from the warehousing equipment when the warehousing system generates a warehousing task, and transport it to the shelf for placement.

[0013] In some embodiments, the shelf includes a docking layer arranged along the height direction and a storage layer located above the docking layer, and the docking layer includes the bottom layer of the shelf; the first box unloading robot can move in the vertical and horizontal directions, and is used to transport the material boxes placed on the docking layer to the storage layer, or to transport the material boxes placed on the storage layer to the docking layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the outbound delivery equipment includes: a picking device and a second conveying device; the picking device is located in the working area of the first box-depositing robot; the picking device is set at the starting position of the second conveying device, and is used to pick up the goods to be shipped from the second material box unloaded from the first box-depositing robot when the warehousing system generates an outbound delivery task, and place them on the second conveying device; the second conveying device is used to transport the goods to be shipped to the outbound delivery work area for delivery.

[0015] In some embodiments, the picking device includes a base and a robotic arm; the picking device is arranged under the shelf; the height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the picking device is greater than a preset threshold; the preset threshold is determined based on the maximum height of the robotic arm when it rotates freely.

[0016] In some embodiments, the outbound equipment includes: a third box-turning robot, a picking device and a second conveying device; the third box-turning robot is used to obtain the second material box taken off the shelf by the first box-turning robot from the shelf, and transport the second material box to the working area of the picking device; the picking device is arranged at the starting position of the conveying device, and is used to pick out the goods to be outbound from the second material box transported by the third box-turning robot, and place it on the second conveying device; the second conveying device is used to transport the goods to be outbound to the outbound work area for outbound delivery.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first box-unloading robot includes: a column gantry, a transport mechanism and a guide rail; wherein, the column gantry is installed along the vertical direction of the shelf; the transport mechanism is arranged on the column gantry, and is used to move vertically on the column gantry to transport goods at different heights on the shelf; the column gantry is movably connected to the guide rail so that the column gantry and the transport mechanism move horizontally along the guide rail to transport goods on the shelf in the length direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the rack includes multiple layers of bins arranged along the width direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only drawings of some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings. Furthermore, the drawings described below are schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual dimensions of the products, actual processes of the methods, actual timing of signals, and the like involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of a first box-unloading robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the composition of a first box unloading robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a first conveying device and a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 5 A front view of a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 6 A top view of a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a picking device and a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 8 A top view of another shelf provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0029] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "including" is to be interpreted as having an open, inclusive meaning, that is, "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "examples," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure. The schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0030] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0031] When describing some embodiments, the word "connected" and its derivatives may be used. The term "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium.

[0032] As used herein, "parallel" and "perpendicular" include the conditions described and conditions similar to the conditions described, and the range of the similar conditions is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range for approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range for approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°.

[0033] As used herein, the term "if" is optionally interpreted to mean "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined that" or "if [stated condition or event] is detected" are optionally interpreted to mean "upon determining" or "in response to determining" or "upon detecting [stated condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [stated condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0034] The use of "adapted to" or "configured to" herein is intended to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0035] Additionally, the use of “based on” is meant to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action “based on” one or more stated conditions or values may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values beyond those stated.

[0036] The directional words such as “up”, “down”, “left” and “right” described in some embodiments of the present disclosure are described based on the angles shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be understood as limitations on some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] First, the technical terms involved in this disclosure are explained.

[0038] 1. Material box: also known as logistics box or order box, it can be used to hold goods (cargo) and is easy to stack and manage.

[0039] 2. Sky Transfer Unit (STU): A rail-mounted bin handling robot comprising a gantry, a handling mechanism, and guide rails. The gantry is mounted vertically along the shelf; the handling mechanism is mounted on the gantry and is configured to move vertically on the gantry to handle cargo at varying heights on the shelf. The gantry is movably connected to the guide rails, enabling the gantry and handling mechanism to move horizontally along the rails to handle cargo lengthwise on the shelf. This is referred to as the first bin transfer robot.

[0040] 3. Lurking container handling robot: This robot includes a chassis and a lifting mechanism, and can handle containers on a level surface. This robot is referred to as the second container handling robot.

[0041] 4. Storage area: The area in the warehouse used to place shelves.

[0042] 5. Warehouse work area: The area in the warehouse generally used for unloading and packing of goods to be stored.

[0043] 6. Outbound work area: The area in the warehouse generally used for picking, labeling, and loading goods for shipment.

[0044] The disclosed embodiment provides a warehousing system, including a storage area, warehousing equipment, shelves, outbound equipment and a first box-turning robot. When an warehousing task is generated, the first box containing the goods to be warehousing is put on the shelf for storage through the interaction between the first box-turning robot and the warehousing equipment. When an outbound task is generated, the first box-turning robot removes the second box from the shelf and interacts with the outbound equipment, so that the outbound equipment can pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box and transport the goods to be shipped out. Through the above-mentioned method, the automated warehousing process and the automated outbound process in the warehousing system can be realized, manual intervention can be reduced, the waste of human resource costs can be reduced, and the logistics efficiency can be improved. In addition, the outbound equipment in this solution can directly pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box. Compared with the traditional outbound process that requires additional manual picking by personnel, it can effectively avoid manual picking errors, low picking efficiency and other problems, and ensure the efficiency and accuracy of outbound delivery.

[0045] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage system, such as Figure 1 As shown, the warehousing system includes a storage area, warehousing equipment, shelves, outbound equipment and a first box unloading robot.

[0046] The warehousing equipment is used to carry the first material box to be transported to the storage area when the warehousing system generates a warehousing task; the first material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be stored;

[0047] The outbound equipment is used to obtain the second material box when the warehousing system generates an outbound task, and after picking out the goods to be outbound from the second material box, transport the goods to be outbound out of the warehouse; the second material box is a material box for accommodating the goods to be outbound;

[0048] The racks are set up in the storage area and include multiple locations for placing bins;

[0049] The first box unloading robot is movably arranged in the storage area, and is used to interact with the warehousing equipment to put the first material box on the shelf; and / or, to unload the second material box from the shelf to interact with the outbound equipment.

[0050] It should be noted that Figure 1 A lane is shown in the figure, with shelves on both sides of the lane. A first box unloading robot moves in the lane and can operate on the shelves on both sides of the lane at the same time.

[0051] It should be noted that the outbound equipment can be an integrated device that combines the capabilities of material box acquisition, cargo picking, and cargo handling, or it can be a system composed of multiple interacting devices.

[0052] In addition, the warehousing system also includes scheduling equipment ( Figure 1 (not shown), the scheduling device is used to control the operation of the entire warehousing system. For example, the scheduling device can be connected to various robots / equipment in the warehousing system via wired or wireless connections to send instructions to the robots / equipment to instruct them to carry out cargo handling operations. The scheduling device can be a server, or other equipment with data processing and communication capabilities. The server mentioned here can be a server cluster composed of multiple servers, or a single server, or a computer. The scheduling device can specifically be a processor or processing module in the server, etc. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific device form of the above-mentioned server.

[0053] In some embodiments, Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of a first box unloading robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 The following is a schematic diagram of the composition of a first box unloading robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the first box unloading robot includes: a column door frame 301, a transport mechanism 302 and a guide rail 303 ( Figure 2 The guide rails are not shown).

[0054] Among them, the column gantry 301 is installed along the vertical direction of the shelf; the conveying mechanism 302 is arranged on the column gantry 301, and is used to move vertically on the column gantry 301 to convey goods at different heights on the shelf; the column gantry 301 is movably connected to the guide rail 303, so that the column gantry 301 and the conveying mechanism 302 can move horizontally along the guide rail 303 to convey goods on the shelf in the length direction.

[0055] It should be noted that the structure of the above-mentioned transport mechanism 302 includes but is not limited to a fork, a hook arm, a suction cup, etc., and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0056] The following describes the warehousing process in conjunction with specific embodiments. The warehousing process includes the following schemes 1 and 2.

[0057] Option 1

[0058] In some embodiments, the warehousing device is arranged in the storage area. In this way, the warehousing device can directly interact with the shelves in the storage area to achieve rapid warehousing of goods.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the warehousing equipment is a first conveyor device (conveyor line), the end of which is located within the working area of the first box-unloading robot. This allows the first box-unloading robot to directly transport goods delivered by the first conveyor device to the shelves, thereby automating the warehousing and shelving process and improving logistics efficiency.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the warehousing equipment further includes: a camera; the camera is arranged at the tail position of the first conveying device; the camera is used to identify the identification of the first material box carried by the first conveying device, so that the warehousing system can determine the storage position of the first material box on the shelf. That is to say, after the first material box transported by the conveyor line reaches the tail end, the camera can scan the box code on the first material box to obtain the identification of the first material box, and then report it to the warehousing system (scheduling). The scheduling device can assign a storage location on the shelf to the first material box according to the identification. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific allocation rules. Exemplary, the allocation rules include but are not limited to, 1. According to the hotness of the goods, the material boxes corresponding to the hottest goods are allocated to the empty positions of the shelves close to the warehousing work area; 2. If the outbound task can be determined in advance, the material boxes that are about to be shipped out are allocated to the empty positions of the shelves close to the outbound work area.

[0061] Exemplarily, the end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf. The shelf mentioned here can be called the first shelf, which is the shelf closest to the warehousing work area among the multiple shelves in the storage area.

[0062] For example, Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a first conveying device and a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the first conveying device is placed along the width of the shelf (ie, the movement direction of the first conveying device is parallel to the width direction of the shelf). In addition, the end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf.

[0063] It should be noted that, by using the first conveying device as a warehousing device, personnel can place the goods to be stored on the first conveying device to realize the automatic transportation of the goods into the warehouse. The end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf. The advantage of such a setting is: on the one hand, the shelf is set above the first conveying device, which can make full use of the vacant space above the first conveying device, increase the cargo storage density of the storage system, and improve the cargo capacity of the storage system. On the other hand, the end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf, which means that it is located in the working area of the first box-turning robot. The first box-turning robot operating on the shelf can directly move the goods transported by the first conveying device and put them on the shelf, thereby realizing the automated warehousing and shelving process of the goods and improving logistics efficiency.

[0064] In addition, the movement direction of the first conveying device can be forward or reverse. When the first conveying device moves in the reverse direction, the empty material boxes in the storage area can be transported to the warehousing work area to realize the packing of the goods to be stored and realize a closed-loop process.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the warehousing device is a shelf or a portion of a shelf. The shelf mentioned here can be called a first shelf, which is one or more shelves closest to the warehousing work area among multiple shelves in the storage area.

[0066] For example, the first shelf in the storage area is set as the warehousing device. When warehousing is required, personnel can carry goods and place them on the first shelf, or a preset area of the first shelf (such as the bottom layer, the leftmost side, or the M×N storage spaces in the lower left corner, etc.). Then, the personnel inform the scheduling device through a terminal device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). The scheduling device dispatches the first box unloading robot to carry the goods to be stored from the first shelf (or part of the first shelf) and place them on other shelves or the upper layers of the first shelf for storage, thus completing the warehousing process.

[0067] Option 2

[0068] In some embodiments, the inbound equipment is located in the inbound work area. The storage system further includes a second box unloading robot. The second box unloading robot is configured to retrieve the first bin from the inbound equipment and transport it to a shelf for placement when an inbound task is generated by the storage system. The shelf referred to herein may be referred to as a second shelf, which is the shelf designated by the inbound task.

[0069] The warehousing equipment mentioned here can be a conveying device or a cache shelf (the type is the same or similar to the shelf in the storage area, and is called a cache shelf for the convenience of distinguishing the functions of the two).

[0070] In some embodiments, the shelf includes a docking layer arranged along the height direction and a storage layer located above the docking layer, and the docking layer includes the bottom layer of the shelf; the first box unloading robot can move in the vertical and horizontal directions, and is used to transport the material boxes placed on the docking layer to the storage layer, or to transport the material boxes placed on the storage layer to the docking layer.

[0071] For example, Figure 5 This is a front view of a shelf provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 As shown, the rack consists of multiple layers, each with multiple storage spaces for bins. The bottom layer of the rack can be called the docking layer, while the other layers can be called storage layers. The storage layer is used for storing goods, while the docking layer is used for interaction with the second bin unloading robot.

[0072] That is to say, compared with the above scheme, there is a certain distance between the setting position of the warehousing equipment and the setting position of the shelf. In this case, the second box-turning robot can be used for transfer. When warehousing is required, the personnel can place the first material box containing the goods to be stored on the cache shelf or on the conveyor line. The second box-turning robot obtains the first material box from the cache shelf or the end position of the conveyor line and transports it to the docking layer of the second shelf (the specific location can be determined by the scheduling equipment, such as selecting an empty docking position closest to the placement location for placing the first material box). Then, the first box-turning robot obtains the first material box from the docking layer of the second shelf and transports it to the storage layer of the second shelf for storage.

[0073] In this solution, the first box-unloading robot travels along rails between shelves, while the second box-unloading robot can travel beneath the shelves. Specifically, when the second box-unloading robot is not carrying cargo, it can travel under all routes beneath the shelves. When carrying cargo, the second robot can travel under shelves without docking layers (caching positions) (i.e., shelves whose lowest level is greater than a certain threshold above the ground). The routes of the first and second robots do not interfere with each other.

[0074] For example, Figure 6 This is a top view of a shelf provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 As shown in FIG, the bold black part is the bottom layer of the shelf (called the docking layer or cache position), which is used for the relay interaction between the first box-depositing robot and the second box-depositing robot.

[0075] As can be seen, this solution incorporates both a first and second box-turning robot into the warehousing process. The first box-turning robot is used to transfer goods between shelf areas, such as moving goods from the lowest shelf to the upper shelf, or vice versa. The second box-turning robot is used to transfer goods between different areas, such as moving goods from the incoming work area to the storage area. This fully utilizes the unique characteristics of the robots, allowing each type of robot to perform its specialized handling tasks, effectively improving the robots' handling efficiency and, in turn, the logistics efficiency of the warehousing system. Furthermore, it can effectively reduce the number of robots of a single type used, lowering logistics costs.

[0076] The following describes the outbound process in conjunction with specific embodiments. The outbound process includes the following schemes 3 and 4.

[0077] Option 3

[0078] In some embodiments, the outbound delivery equipment includes: a picking device and a second conveying device; the picking device is located in the working area of the first box-depositing robot; the picking device is set at the starting position of the second conveying device, and is used to pick up the goods to be shipped from the second material box unloaded from the first box-depositing robot when the warehousing system generates an outbound delivery task, and place them on the second conveying device; the second conveying device is used to transport the goods to be shipped to the outbound delivery work area for delivery.

[0079] That is, since the picking device is located within the working area of the first box-turning robot, when shipment is required, the first box-turning robot can transport the second bin containing the goods to be shipped, place the second bin on the workbench of the picking device, and have the picking device perform the picking. Alternatively, the first box-turning robot moves to the working area of the picking device, and the picking device directly picks from the second bin carried by the first box-turning robot. During the picking process, the picking device can, based on instructions from the dispatching device and using technologies such as image recognition, pick the goods to be shipped from the second bin and place them on the second conveyor device for shipment.

[0080] In some embodiments, the picking device includes a base and a robotic arm; the picking device is arranged under the shelf; the height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the picking device is greater than a preset threshold; the preset threshold is determined based on the maximum height of the robotic arm when it rotates freely.

[0081] For example, Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a picking device and a shelf provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the picking device is set below the shelf. This allows the second box-inverting robot to interact directly with the picking device. On the other hand, it can make full use of the empty space above the picking device, increase the storage density of the warehouse system, and improve the cargo capacity of the warehouse system.

[0082] Option 4

[0083] In some embodiments, the outbound delivery equipment includes: a third box-depositing robot, a picking device, and a second conveying device; the third box-depositing robot is used to, when a warehouse system generates an outbound delivery task, obtain the second material box removed from the shelf by the first box-depositing robot and transport the second material box to the working area of the picking device; the picking device is set at the starting position of the conveying device and is used to pick out the goods to be shipped from the second material box transported by the third box-depositing robot and place them on the second conveying device; the second conveying device is used to transport the goods to be shipped to the outbound delivery work area for shipment. The shelf mentioned here can be the third shelf, which is the shelf indicated by the outbound delivery task.

[0084] The third box-unloading robot mentioned here may be of the same type as the second box-unloading robot mentioned above.

[0085] That is, when shipment is required, the first box-depositing robot transports the second bin containing the goods to be shipped to the docking layer, and the third box-depositing robot transports the second bin from the docking layer to the working area of the picking device (the third box-depositing robot may place the second bin on the work shelf of the picking device, or the third box-depositing robot may stay in the working area of the picking device and lift the bin via a lifting mechanism for the picking device to pick). The picking device can, according to the instructions of the dispatching device, use image recognition and other technologies to pick out the goods to be shipped from the second bin and place them on the second conveyor device for shipment.

[0086] In addition, after picking is completed, the third box-turning robot can carry the second material box back to the docking layer, and the first box-turning robot will carry the second material box to the shelf.

[0087] In other words, compared to the previous solution, if the outbound equipment is located a certain distance from the shelf, a third unloading robot can be used for transfer. This allows the characteristics of different robots to be fully utilized, allowing each robot to perform its own specialized handling tasks, thereby improving the efficiency of outbound cargo.

[0088] In some embodiments, the shelf includes multiple layers of storage spaces arranged along the width direction. That is, the shelf is multi-deep (such as double-deep or triple-deep). The aforementioned first box-turning robot has the ability to take or put boxes at multiple depths, which can further increase the cargo capacity of the storage system, and use a smaller number of first box-turning robots to achieve the handling of more goods, saving costs. For example, Figure 8 This is a top view of a shelf provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, the shelf includes multiple storage locations in the width direction (three storage locations are shown in the figure), and the first box unloading robot set on one side of the shelf can access the goods in the storage locations on the other side.

[0089] It should be noted that the aforementioned solutions 1 and 2 for the inbound process can be combined with solutions 3 and 4 for the outbound process to form a complete inbound and outbound solution. The following describes the complete inbound and outbound process using a combination of solutions 1 and 3 (i.e., without the use of a latent bin handling robot).

[0090] Warehousing system warehousing plan:

[0091] 1. Generate a warehousing task, set up a shelf as a buffer shelf, and manually move the goods to the buffer shelf, waiting for the first box-unloading robot to move the first box into the warehouse. You can also manually place the first box on the conveyor line, and the conveyor line will move the first box into the warehouse, and then the first box-unloading robot will directly move the first box from the conveyor line into the warehouse.

[0092] a) If the incoming container is a conveyor line, when the first container arrives at the end of the conveyor line, a camera at the end of the conveyor line or a robot scans the container code, and the incoming container is assigned a location based on the code. The warehousing system assigns a location to the first container (allocation rules include, but are not limited to, assigning hotter items to locations on shelves near the incoming work area based on the hotness of the items. If the outgoing container can be determined in advance, the container to be shipped will be assigned to a location on a shelf near the outgoing work area).

[0093] b) If the incoming storage device is a buffer shelf, the manual process of binding the bin to the buffer shelf is performed through a PDA. After successful binding, the system dispatches a second bin unloading robot to pick up the bin and put it into storage (the allocation rules include, but are not limited to, allocating hot commodities to the bins on the shelves close to the incoming storage work area based on the hotness of the commodities. If the outgoing storage task can be determined in advance, the bins to be shipped out will be allocated to the bins on the shelves close to the outgoing storage work area).

[0094] 2. The second box unloading robot moves the first material box to a high position (storage layer of the shelf) for storage.

[0095] Warehousing system outbound and shelf removal plan:

[0096] 1. The warehousing system receives the outbound task.

[0097] 2. The system assigns a docking location for the goods to be shipped (this can be assigned after receiving the shipment task or after the first unloading robot retrieves the second bin). The system prioritizes the nearest empty docking location based on distance.

[0098] 3. The system dispatches the first box unloading robot to pick up the goods.

[0099] 4. The first box unloading robot moves the goods to the working area of the picking device. The robotic arm of the picking device places the goods to be shipped in the material box on the conveyor line according to the requirements of the outbound task.

[0100] 5. The conveyor line transports the goods to be shipped out of the warehouse.

[0101] The following describes the complete warehousing and outbound process by combining Option 2 and Option 4 (i.e., using a latent bin handling robot).

[0102] Warehousing system warehousing and shelving solution:

[0103] 1. When a warehousing task is generated, the storage system dispatches the second bin robot to the warehousing equipment (buffer rack or conveyor line) to transport the goods. The storage system assigns a shelf location (storage layer) to the incoming bin.

[0104] 2. The warehousing system selects an empty docking position closest to the shelf location based on the current occupancy of the shelf docking layer.

[0105] 3. The second bin robot moves the goods to the docking station on the first shelf layer.

[0106] 4. The first bin robot moves the goods to the assigned shelf location.

[0107] Warehousing system outbound and shelf removal plan:

[0108] 1. When the warehousing system receives the outbound task, it assigns a docking location for the goods (the system can prioritize the closest and available docking location to the storage location based on distance).

[0109] 2. Dispatch the first container robot to move the goods from the storage layer to the docking layer.

[0110] 3. The system dispatches the second material box robot to go to the docking layer to pick up the goods.

[0111] 4. The second bin robot moves the goods to the working area of the picking device.

[0112] 5. The second material box robot is in a jacking state waiting for the robotic arm to pick it up, or the material box is placed on the workbench, and the robotic arm picks the goods to be shipped out and places them on the conveyor line.

[0113] 6. The second bin robot takes the picked bin and places it on the docking station, and the first bin robot moves it to a high position on the shelf for storage.

[0114] The disclosed embodiment provides a warehousing system, including a storage area, warehousing equipment, shelves, outbound equipment and a first box-turning robot. When an warehousing task is generated, the first box containing the goods to be warehousing is put on the shelf for storage through the interaction between the first box-turning robot and the warehousing equipment. When an outbound task is generated, the first box-turning robot removes the second box from the shelf and interacts with the outbound equipment, so that the outbound equipment can pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box and transport the goods to be shipped out. Through the above-mentioned method, the automated warehousing process and the automated outbound process in the warehousing system can be realized, manual intervention can be reduced, the waste of human resource costs can be reduced, and the logistics efficiency can be improved. In addition, the outbound equipment in this solution can directly pick out the goods to be shipped from the second box. Compared with the traditional outbound process that requires additional manual picking by personnel, it can effectively avoid manual picking errors, low picking efficiency and other problems, and ensure the efficiency and accuracy of outbound delivery.

[0115] In the disclosed embodiment, the shelf can be set above the conveying device or above the picking device to improve the storage density of goods and increase the cargo capacity of the storage system.

[0116] It should be understood that the warehousing system of the disclosed embodiments provides a solution in which goods are transferred between shelves and inbound (or outbound) workspaces by robots, sorted by robotic arms, and then transported outbound via conveyor lines. Compared to manual operations, robots can work continuously without fatigue, thereby improving overall operational efficiency.

[0117] Furthermore, manual labor can lead to various errors during operations, such as misplacement, omission, or improper handling. Robots, however, can use programming and sensor technology to ensure that each step is executed according to the predetermined process, thereby significantly reducing human errors and ensuring the integrity of goods and the continuity of logistics.

[0118] In cases where goods require refrigerated storage (e.g., vaccines), the storage system can be equipped with monitoring equipment that tracks and records ambient temperature in real time and adjusts operations as needed to ensure the goods are always kept in suitable storage conditions. Furthermore, this solution can reduce the time goods are exposed to unsuitable temperatures, lowering the risk of failure. Furthermore, the implementation of automated processes can reduce the number of times warehouse doors are opened, thereby reducing the chance of external heat entering the warehouse and helping to maintain a stable low-temperature environment within the warehouse.

[0119] Furthermore, warehouse systems involving robots can flexibly adjust their operating modes. For example, during peak demand periods, more robots can be added to the workload, while during periods of low demand, their use can be reduced. This flexibility allows warehouse systems to better respond to changes in market demand and improve resource utilization.

[0120] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0121] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that a person skilled in the art can conceive within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A warehousing system, characterized in that: The warehousing system includes a storage area, a storage device, a shelf, a storage device and a first box unloading robot; The warehousing equipment is used to carry the first material box to be transported to the storage area when the warehousing system generates a warehousing task; the first material box is a material box for accommodating goods to be stored; The outbound equipment is used to obtain a second material box when the warehousing system generates an outbound task, and after picking out the goods to be outbound from the second material box, transport the goods to be outbound out of the warehouse; the second material box is a material box for accommodating the goods to be outbound; The shelf is arranged in the storage area and includes a plurality of storage spaces for placing material boxes; The first box unloading robot is movably arranged in the storage area, and is used to interact with the warehousing equipment to put the first material box on the shelf; and / or, to unload the second material box from the shelf to interact with the outbound equipment.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The warehousing equipment is arranged in the storage area.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The warehousing equipment is a first conveying device; The tail end position of the first conveying device is located in the working area of the first box unloading robot.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The warehousing equipment further includes: a camera; the camera is arranged at the end position of the first conveying device; The camera is used to identify the identification of the first material box carried by the first conveying device, so that the warehousing system determines the storage position of the first material box on the shelf.

5. The storage system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The tail end position of the first conveying device is located below the shelf.

6. The storage system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The warehousing equipment is the shelf or a partial area of the shelf.

7. The storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The warehousing equipment is arranged in the warehousing work area; the warehousing system further comprises: a second box unloading robot; The second box unloading robot is used to obtain the first material box from the warehousing equipment and transport it to the shelf for placement when the warehousing system generates a warehousing task.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The shelf includes a connecting layer arranged along the height direction and a storage layer located above the connecting layer, and the connecting layer includes the bottom layer of the shelf; The first box unloading robot can move in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and is used to transport the boxes placed on the connecting layer to the storage layer, or to transport the boxes placed on the storage layer to the connecting layer.

9. The storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The outbound equipment includes: a picking device and a second conveying device; the picking device is located in the working area of the first box-unloading robot; The picking device is arranged at the starting position of the second conveying device, and is used to pick out the goods to be shipped from the second material box unloaded by the first box-unloading robot and place them on the second conveying device when the warehousing system generates a shipping task; The second conveying device is used to convey the goods to be shipped out to the shipping work area for shipping out.

10. The storage system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The picking device includes a base and a mechanical arm; the picking device is arranged below the shelf; The height of the bottom layer of the shelf from the picking device is greater than a preset threshold; the preset threshold is determined based on the maximum height of the robotic arm when it rotates freely.

11. The storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The outbound equipment includes: a third box unloading robot, a picking device and a second conveying device; The third box unloading robot is used to, when the warehousing system generates a delivery task, obtain the second material box unloaded by the first box unloading robot from the shelf, and transport the second material box to the working area of the picking device; The picking device is arranged at the starting position of the second conveying device, and is used to pick out the goods to be shipped from the second material box transported by the third box-unloading robot and place them on the second conveying device; The second conveying device is used to convey the goods to be shipped out to the shipping work area for shipping out.

12. The storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first box unloading robot comprises: a column door frame, a transport mechanism and a guide rail; In which, the column gantry is installed along the vertical direction of the shelf; the conveying mechanism is arranged on the column gantry, and is used to move vertically on the column gantry to convey goods of different heights on the shelf; the column gantry is movably connected to the guide rail so that the column gantry and the conveying mechanism can move horizontally along the guide rail to convey the goods on the shelf in the length direction.

13. The storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shelf includes multiple layers of storage spaces arranged along the width direction.

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