Distribution robot, carrier and distribution station

Abstract

The utility model provides a distribution robot, a carrier and a distribution station. The distribution robot comprises a walking part and a loading part; the loading part is arranged on the walking part, a storage cabin is arranged in the loading part, and the storage cabin is used for storing a carrier; the storage cabin is provided with a space penetrating in the first horizontal direction, and a first cabin opening and a second cabin opening are formed in the front side and the rear side of the upper part in the first horizontal direction correspondingly. The first hatch is provided with a hatch door capable of being opened and closed; the carrier comprises a bearing part and a back plate, the bearing part is used for bearing goods, and the back plate is located at one end of the carrier in the first horizontal direction; when the carrier is stored in the distribution robot, the bearing part is located in the storage cabin, and the back plate seals the second cabin opening.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Smart delivery stations need to simultaneously meet the needs of riders and users picking up and placing goods, as well as the needs of robots transporting goods. To facilitate the transfer of goods from the delivery station to the robot, carriers are currently used to carry goods. To facilitate users in retrieving goods, if the opening surfaces of the carrier in both the delivery station and the robot's warehouse are to face the user, the carrier will encounter difficulties in transferring from the delivery station to the robot's warehouse. If the carrier is placed with the opening facing forward in the delivery station, the delivery robot will use a single-door design on the front. After the carrier is transferred into the robot's warehouse, the opening will face the back of the robot, causing inconvenience to users when picking up items. When the single-door on the front of the robot is connected to the delivery station, the opening and closing angle of the hatch will form a gap between the robot and the delivery station, which poses a challenge to the transfer of the carrier between the delivery station and the robot. Utility Model Content

[0003] A main purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and to provide a delivery robot that can realize that the open sides of the carrier at the delivery station and in the robot are facing the user without rotating the carrier.

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

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a delivery robot is provided, wherein: the delivery robot includes a walking part and an upper part; the upper part is arranged on the walking part, and a storage compartment is provided in the upper part, and the storage compartment is used to store a vehicle; the storage compartment has a space that runs through along a first horizontal direction, and a first hatch and a second hatch are formed on the front and rear sides of the upper part along the first horizontal direction respectively; the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door; the vehicle includes a load-bearing part and a back plate, the load-bearing part is used to carry goods, and the back plate is located at one end of the vehicle in the first horizontal direction; when the vehicle is stored in the delivery robot, the load-bearing part is located in the storage compartment, and the back plate closes the second hatch.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the hatch of the delivery robot is opened, the user can take and place the goods carried in the vehicle through the first hatch, and the second hatch of the delivery robot allows the vehicle to enter and exit the storage compartment through the second hatch.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle is transferred into the storage compartment along the first horizontal direction via the second hatch, and the back panel of the vehicle closes the second hatch.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the carrier is transferred out of the storage compartment via the second hatch along the first horizontal direction, and the second hatch is opened after the carrier is moved out.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the delivery robot docks with the delivery station, the back panel faces and is close to the docking port of the delivery station, and the carrier is transferred from the delivery station into the storage compartment via the second hatch and the docking port, and / or, transferred from the storage compartment into the delivery station.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the back panel closes the second hatch, the surface of the upper part facing away from the hatch is flush with the surface of the back panel facing away from the hatch, so as to jointly form the surface of the delivery robot facing away from the hatch.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment is provided with a guide rail extending along the first horizontal direction, and the guide rail is used to guide the carrier to be transferred into or out of the storage compartment along the first horizontal direction.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment is provided with a first locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the vehicle in the storage compartment. When the vehicle in the storage compartment is taken or placed, the first locking mechanism is in a released state. When the delivery robot transports the vehicle, the first locking mechanism is in a locked state.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the carrier is made of magnetic metal, the first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, the first electromagnet is an energized electromagnet, and the first locking mechanism locks the carrier by adsorption when energized and releases the lock when de-energized.

[0014] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages and positive effects of the delivery robot proposed in this disclosure are:

[0015] The delivery robot disclosed herein includes a running section and a top section. The top section is disposed on the running section, and a storage compartment is provided in the top section for storing carriers. The storage compartment has a space extending along a first horizontal direction and forming a first hatch and a second hatch, respectively. The first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door. The carrier includes a load-bearing portion and a back panel. The load-bearing portion is used to carry cargo, and the back panel is located at one end of the carrier in the first horizontal direction. When the carrier is stored in the delivery robot, the load-bearing portion is located in the storage compartment, and the back panel seals the second hatch. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can ensure that the open side of the carrier in both the delivery station and the robot faces the user without rotating the carrier. This eliminates the need for an additional rotation mechanism to achieve carrier rotation, reduces the complexity of the delivery operation, avoids an increase in the number of parts, and helps reduce equipment costs. Furthermore, the present disclosure can use the carrier's back panel to seal the second hatch of the delivery robot's storage compartment, preventing the second hatch from being opened and causing the carrier and cargo stored in the storage compartment to be lost, contaminated, or damaged, while also improving the delivery robot's appearance.

[0016] Another main purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide a carrier that can be applied to the above-mentioned delivery robot.

[0017] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:

[0018] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier is provided, wherein: the carrier can be stored in a storage compartment of a delivery robot; the storage compartment is penetrated along a first horizontal direction, and a first hatch and a second hatch are formed on the front and rear sides of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction, respectively, and the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door; the carrier includes a load-bearing part and a back plate, the load-bearing part is used to carry goods, and the back plate is located at one end of the carrier in the first horizontal direction; when the carrier is stored in the delivery robot, the load-bearing part is located in the storage compartment, and the back plate closes the second hatch.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one side of the carrier is open, and cargo is taken and placed through the opening when the hatch is opened. The opening on at least one side is toward the hatch along the first horizontal direction, and the opening on at least one side is opposite to the back panel.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier is accommodated in a storage compartment of a delivery station, the opening of a side of the carrier opposite to the back panel faces the cabinet door of the storage compartment.

[0021] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages and positive effects of the vehicle proposed in this disclosure are:

[0022] The carrier proposed in this disclosure can be stored in the storage compartment of a delivery robot. The carrier includes a load-bearing portion and a backplate. The load-bearing portion is used to carry cargo, and the backplate is connected to one side of the load-bearing portion in a first horizontal direction. When the carrier is stored in the delivery robot, the load-bearing portion is located in the storage compartment, and the backplate closes the second hatch. Through this structural design, the present disclosure can use the backplate to seal the storage compartment of the delivery robot, preventing the carrier and cargo stored in the storage compartment from being lost, contaminated, or damaged, while also improving the delivery robot's appearance.

[0023] Another main purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide a.

[0024] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions:

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a distribution station is provided, wherein: the distribution station includes a cabinet, a conveying mechanism and multiple carriers; the cabinet is provided with a storage compartment group and a docking port, the storage compartment group includes multiple storage compartments, and the storage compartments are used to accommodate the carriers; the carrier includes a load-bearing portion and a backboard, the load-bearing portion is used to carry goods, at least one side of the carrier is open, and the opening is opposite to the backboard; when the carrier is accommodated in the storage compartment, the opening on the side opposite to the backboard faces the cabinet door of the storage compartment; the conveying mechanism takes and places the carrier accommodated in the storage compartment, and takes and places the carrier in the delivery robot via the docking port; the carrier is conveyed out of the distribution station from the storage compartment via the docking port, and enters the storage compartment through the second hatch of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction, the load-bearing portion of the carrier is located in the storage compartment, and the backboard closes the second hatch.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the carrier is transferred from the storage compartment of the delivery robot into the delivery station, the carrier enters the delivery station from the second hatch through the docking port, and is transferred to the storage compartment by the transfer mechanism.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second hatch is a hatch formed at one end of the first horizontal direction of the space that passes through the storage compartment of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction, and a first hatch is formed at the other end of the first horizontal direction opposite to the second hatch, and the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door on one side in the first horizontal direction, and when the carrier is accommodated in the storage compartment, the back panel is away from the cabinet door; the storage compartment is provided with a second opening on one side wall in the second horizontal direction, and the second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The second opening can allow the carrier carrying goods in the storage compartment to be transferred to the conveying mechanism via the second opening, and allow the empty carrier in the conveying mechanism to be transferred to the storage compartment via the second opening.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of storage compartments constituting the storage compartment group include at least conventional storage compartments and transit storage compartments, the conventional storage compartments being provided with an openable and closable cabinet door on the side facing the depositing user or the picking-up user, for manually depositing goods into or taking out goods from outside the distribution station, the transit storage compartments receiving carriers delivered by the distribution robot outside the distribution station, the carriers from the external distribution robot being first delivered into the transit storage compartments, and then being delivered to the conventional storage compartments where no carriers are stored via the transit storage compartments.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station further includes a charging pile, which is arranged at the bottom of the cabinet and below the docking port.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery station is provided with a first docking sensor, and the delivery robot is provided with a second docking sensor. When the delivery robot docks with the delivery station, through the cooperation of the first docking sensor and the second docking sensor, the position of the back plate of the delivery robot carrier is aligned with the docking port, and the side of the back plate of the delivery robot carrier is close to the side of the delivery station where the docking port is provided.

[0032] From the above technical solutions, it can be seen that the advantages and positive effects of the distribution station proposed in this disclosure are:

[0033] The distribution station proposed in the present disclosure includes a cabinet, a conveying mechanism, and multiple carriers; the cabinet is provided with a storage compartment group and a docking port, the storage compartment group includes multiple storage compartments, and the storage compartments are used to accommodate carriers; the carrier includes a load-bearing portion and a backboard, the load-bearing portion is used to carry goods, at least one side of the carrier is open, and the opening is opposite to the backboard; when the carrier is accommodated in the storage compartment, the side opposite to the backboard is open toward the cabinet door of the storage compartment; the conveying mechanism can take and place the carrier accommodated in the storage compartment, and can take and place the carrier in the delivery robot through the docking port. The carrier is conveyed out of the distribution station from the storage compartment through the docking port, and enters the storage compartment through the second hatch of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction. The load-bearing portion of the carrier is located in the storage compartment, and the backboard closes the second hatch. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can achieve that the open side of the carrier in the distribution station and the robot is facing the user without rotating the carrier, and no additional rotation mechanism is required to achieve carrier rotation, thereby reducing the complexity of the conveying action. On this basis, the present disclosure satisfies the design requirements of requiring the carrier to open toward the cabinet door of the delivery station when stored at the delivery station, and to open toward the first hatch when stored on the delivery robot, making it easier for users to access goods from the carrier at the delivery station or in the delivery robot. Furthermore, the present disclosure utilizes the carrier's back panel to seal the second hatch of the delivery robot's storage compartment, preventing the carrier and goods stored in the compartment from being lost, contaminated, or damaged due to the second hatch being open, while also improving the delivery robot's aesthetics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The various objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are merely illustrative illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts throughout.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a delivery robot according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0036] Figure 2 and Figure 3 They are Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the delivery robot in two different states from another perspective is shown;

[0037] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the delivery robot's opening module is shown;

[0038] Figure 5 and Figure 6 They are Figure 1 Side views of the delivery robot shown in two different working states;

[0039] Figure 7is a schematic structural diagram of a carrier according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a distribution station according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0041] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 The distribution station shown is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the working state of the delivery robot when docking;

[0042] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional diagram of ;

[0043] Figure 11 yes Figure 8 An enlarged schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a distribution station is shown;

[0044] Figure 12 yes Figure 8 A schematic plan view of a distribution station is shown;

[0045] Figure 13 yes Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional view of a distribution station is shown;

[0046] Figures 14 to 18 They are Figure 8 The diagram shows a partial view of the distribution station in several different working states.

[0047] The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals:

[0048] 100. Cabinet;

[0049] 110. Storage compartment group;

[0050] 111. Storage compartment;

[0051] 1111. Conventional storage compartment;

[0052] 1112. Transit storage grid;

[0053] 112. Cabinet door;

[0054] 120. Transmission area;

[0055] 130. Connection port;

[0056] 131. Connecting door;

[0057] 200. Second interactive mechanism;

[0058] 300.Transmission mechanism;

[0059] 310.Transmission bracket;

[0060] 320.Transmission platform;

[0061] 400. Delivery robots;

[0062] 410. Upper part;

[0063] 411. Storage compartment;

[0064] 412. Hatch door;

[0065] 413. Second hatch;

[0066] 420. Walking part;

[0067] 430. First interactive mechanism;

[0068] 440. Grid module;

[0069] 500. Vehicle;

[0070] 510. Bearing part;

[0071] 520. Backboard;

[0072] 530. Side panels. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] 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 variations in different embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and the description and drawings therein are essentially for illustrative purposes rather than for limiting the present disclosure.

[0074] In the following description of different exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure and in which are shown by way of example different exemplary structures, systems and steps that may implement aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that other specific schemes of components, structures, exemplary devices, systems and steps may be used, and structural and functional modifications may 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 for convenience only, for example, according to the directions of the examples depicted in the accompanying drawings. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of a structure to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] See Figure 1, which representatively shows a schematic structural diagram of the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure, specifically showing a front-side view of the delivery robot 400 with the carrier 500 stored therein. In this exemplary embodiment, the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure is described using the example of its application to a takeout cabinet. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that in order to apply the relevant designs of the present disclosure to other types of logistics pick-and-place delivery equipment, various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below, and such changes will still fall within the scope of the principles of the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure.

[0076] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure includes a walking part 420 and an upper part 410. The upper part 410 is arranged on the walking part 420, and the walking part 420 can realize the walking function of the delivery robot 400. Figures 2 to 6 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which are schematic diagrams of the structure of the delivery robot 400 in two different states from another perspective, specifically show a rear side view of the delivery robot 400 when the carrier 500 is stored. Figure 2 It is shown that a vehicle 500 is stored in one storage compartment 411 and no vehicle 500 is stored in the other storage compartment 411. Figure 3 It is shown that there is no vehicle 500 stored in either storage compartment 411 ; Figure 4 4 is a representative structural diagram of the delivery robot 400; Figure 5 and Figure 6 1 and 2 represent side views of the delivery robot 400 in two different working states. The following will describe in detail the structure, connection mode, and functional relationship of the main components of the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure in conjunction with the above-mentioned figures.

[0077] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage compartment 411 is provided in the upper portion 410, and the storage compartment 411 is used to store the vehicle 500. The storage compartment 411 has a space that runs through along a first horizontal direction (for example, the X direction shown in the figure), and forms a first hatch and a second hatch 413 on the front and rear sides of the upper portion 410 along the first horizontal direction, respectively. The first hatch of the storage compartment 411 is provided with an openable and closable door 412. The vehicle 500 includes a load-bearing portion 510 and a back plate 520. The load-bearing portion 510 is used to carry goods, and the back plate 520 is located at one end of the vehicle 500 in the first horizontal direction. When the vehicle 500 is stored in the delivery robot 400, the load-bearing portion 510 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back plate 520 closes the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can achieve that the open side of the carrier 500 in both the delivery station and the robot is facing the user without rotating the carrier 500. No additional rotation mechanism is required to achieve the rotation of the carrier 500, which reduces the complexity of the transfer operation, avoids an increase in the number of parts, and helps reduce equipment costs. On this basis, the present disclosure can meet the design requirements of requiring that the carrier 500 be stored at the delivery station with its opening facing the cabinet door 112 of the delivery station, and at the same time, requiring that the carrier 500 be stored at its opening facing the first hatch when stored in the delivery robot 400, making it easier for users to access goods from the carrier 500 in the delivery station or the delivery robot 400. At the same time, the present disclosure uses the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 to seal the second hatch 413 of the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, preventing the second hatch 413 from being opened and causing the carrier 500 and goods stored in the storage compartment 411 to be lost, contaminated, or damaged, while also improving the appearance of the delivery robot 400. Specifically, since the present disclosure utilizes the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 to close the second hatch 413, that is, the second hatch 413 does not need to be additionally provided with a hatch door, taking the hatch 412 provided at the first hatch as an example, if such a folding door is provided at the second hatch 413, it will extend a portion toward the rear side of the delivery robot 400 (for example, the side of the second hatch 413 away from the first hatch along the first direction) when it is opened. This will result in a gap between the rear side of the delivery robot 400 and the vertical surface of the docking port provided at the delivery station when the delivery robot 400 is docked at the delivery station, which is not conducive to the close fit between the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station during the docking process. In other words, the present disclosure can facilitate the connection port of the delivery station and the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400 to be located on the same continuous horizontal plane. Accordingly, taking the example of the conveying mechanism arranged in the storage compartment 411 and the conveying mechanism 300 of the delivery station both including conveyor belts, the present disclosure can achieve the flushness of the conveying planes of the two conveyor belts, and will not form a gap due to the opening and closing angle of the door when the second hatch 413 is provided with a hatch, which is beneficial to the conveying effect of the conveyor belt (i.e., the conveying mechanism) on the carrier 500.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the hatch 412 of the delivery robot 400 is opened, the user can take and place the goods carried in the carrier 500 through the first hatch, and the second hatch 413 of the delivery robot allows the carrier 500 to enter and exit the storage compartment 411 through the second hatch 413.

[0079] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the carrier 500 is transferred into the storage compartment 411 along a first horizontal direction through the second hatch 413 , and the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 closes the second hatch 413 .

[0080] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle 500 is transferred out of the storage compartment 411 along the first horizontal direction through the second hatch 413 , and the second hatch 413 is opened after the vehicle 500 is moved out.

[0081] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the delivery robot 400 docks with the delivery station, the back plate 520 faces and is close to the docking port 130 of the delivery station, and the carrier 500 is transferred from the delivery station into the storage compartment 411 via the second hatch 413 and the docking port 130, and / or, transferred from the storage compartment 411 into the delivery station.

[0082] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the back plate 520 closes the second hatch 413, the surface of the upper part 410 facing away from the hatch 412 is flush with the surface of the back plate 520 facing away from the hatch 412, so as to jointly form the surface of the delivery robot 400 facing away from the hatch 412.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a recessed portion may be provided on the rear side of the upper portion 410, located at the edge of the second hatch 413. When the back panel 520 closes the second hatch 413, the back panel 520 is at least partially embedded in the recessed portion. Through this structural design, the present disclosure can utilize the recessed portion to accommodate the back panel 520, further ensuring that the surface of the back panel 520 facing away from the hatch 412 is flush with the surface of the upper portion 410 facing away from the first side of the hatch 412.

[0084] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment 411 is provided with a guide rail extending along a first horizontal direction, and the guide rail is used to guide the vehicle 500 to be transferred into or out of the storage compartment 411 along the first horizontal direction.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment 411 is provided with a conveying mechanism that can convey the carrier 500 into or out of the storage compartment 411. Furthermore, the conveying mechanism provided in the storage compartment 411 can cooperate with the conveying mechanism 300 of the delivery station described below to jointly realize the transfer of the carrier between the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station.

[0086] like Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment 411 can adopt a modular structural design. For example, the delivery robot 400 can include a grid module 440, the upper part 410 is provided with a cavity that runs through along the first horizontal direction, the grid module 440 is arranged in the cavity of the upper part 410, the grid module 440 forms a storage compartment 411, the two end openings of the grid module 440 in the first horizontal direction are the first hatch and the second hatch 413, and the grid module 440 is provided with a hatch 412 at the front end opening (i.e., the first hatch) in the first horizontal direction. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can realize the modular design of the delivery robot 400, facilitate the rapid assembly of the storage compartment 411 and the upper part 410, and facilitate the disassembly and replacement of the storage compartment 411, which is conducive to extending the service life of the delivery robot 400.

[0087] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hatch 412 may include a folding door that can be opened or closed along a second horizontal direction (e.g., the Y direction shown in the drawings), the second horizontal direction being perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. Specifically, the folding door may utilize a folding structure comprising multiple door panels that are stacked in multiple layers when opened, thereby reducing the space occupied by the hatch 412 when opened, minimizing obstruction to the storage compartment 411, and facilitating user access to goods.

[0088] like Figure 1 As shown, based on the structural design of the hatch 412 including a folding opening and closing door, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hatch 412 may further include two folding opening and closing doors, the two folding opening and closing doors being arranged along the second horizontal direction, and the two folding opening and closing doors opening and closing in opposite directions. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure adopts a structure in which the hatch 412 adopts a two-fold opening and closing door structure. Compared with a design in which a single folding opening and closing door opens and closes on one side, the space occupied by the hatch 412 when opening can be further reduced, while also speeding up the opening and closing speed of the hatch 412.

[0089] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper portion 410 is provided with at least two storage compartments 411 arranged in a vertical direction (e.g., the Z direction shown in the accompanying drawings), and at least two doors 412 are respectively provided on the same side of the at least two storage compartments 411 in the first horizontal direction, and the opening and closing of the at least two doors 412 are independently controlled. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can realize a multi-warehouse structure design with multiple layers in the upper and lower layers of the delivery robot 400, thereby enabling the delivery robot 400 to complete the delivery of at least two orders of goods at a time, which is conducive to improving the delivery efficiency of the delivery robot 400. In some embodiments, when the delivery robot 400 is provided with at least two storage compartments 411, the at least two storage compartments 411 can also be arranged in other ways, such as being arranged at intervals along the second horizontal direction, or the delivery robot 400 can also be provided with only one storage compartment 411, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0090] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery robot 400 (e.g., the storage compartment 411) may be provided with a first locking mechanism that can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier 500 in the delivery robot 400. Accordingly, when the delivery station (e.g., via the conveying mechanism 300) takes or places the carrier 500 in the delivery robot 400, the first locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, at which time the carrier 500 and the delivery robot 400 can move relative to each other. When the delivery robot 400 transports the carrier 500, the first locking mechanism is in the locked state, at which time the carrier 500 and the delivery robot 400 cannot move relative to each other. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can prevent the carrier 500 from shaking when it is placed on the delivery robot 400 or transported by the delivery robot 400, prevent the goods carried by the carrier 500 from tipping over or being damaged, and ensure the stability and reliability of the delivery robot 400 when transporting goods.

[0091] Based on the structural design that the storage compartment 411 is provided with a first locking mechanism, in one 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. The first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, and the first electromagnet is an energized electromagnet. The first locking mechanism absorbs and locks the carrier 500 when energized through the first electromagnet and releases the lock when the power is lost. For example, the carrier 500 can be composed of components or materials such as sheet metal and ABS plastic. On this basis, the first locking mechanism can include a first electromagnet, and the first electromagnet is an energized electromagnet. Accordingly, the first locking mechanism absorbs and locks the carrier 500 when energized through the first electromagnet and releases the lock when the power is lost. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure uses electromagnets to realize the locking and releasing functions of the first locking mechanism, which has a simple structure and is easy to control. On this basis, taking into account the working period characteristics of the delivery robot 400 applied to the delivery station, taking the takeaway cabinet as an example, its main working period is usually concentrated in the meal time, that is, the time when the delivery robot 400 (for example, the storage compartment 411) places the carrier 500 (the first locking mechanism is in a locked state) is longer than the time when the carrier 500 is taken and placed by the delivery robot 400 (the first locking mechanism is in an unlocked state). Therefore, the present disclosure adopts an energized electromagnet as the first electromagnet of the first locking mechanism, so that the first electromagnet is in a de-energized state for more time, which is beneficial to reduce the energy consumption of the delivery station and reduce the cost of use.

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure may further include a first interaction mechanism 430, which may be, for example, disposed on the top of the delivery robot 400. The first interaction mechanism 430 is coupled to the control unit of the hatch 412, and is used for allowing a user to open the hatch 412. It should be noted that the so-called user may be understood as a customer. For example, a customer may open the hatch 412 through the first interaction mechanism 430, thereby taking out the goods in the carrier 500 stored in the storage compartment 411. In addition, the control unit may automatically close the hatch 412 after a preset time after the customer operates the first interaction mechanism 430 to open the hatch 412.

[0093] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first interaction mechanism 430 may include one of a touch screen, a voice recognition module, a face recognition module, or a combination of at least two thereof. In some embodiments, the first interaction mechanism 430 may also include other types of interaction modules, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0094] It should be noted that the delivery robots shown in the drawings and described in this specification are only a few examples of the many types of delivery robots that can employ the principles of the present disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of the present disclosure are in no way limited to any detail or any component of the delivery robots shown in the drawings or described in this specification.

[0095] In summary, the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure includes a walking portion 420 and an upper portion 410. The upper portion 410 is disposed on the walking portion 420 and is provided with a storage compartment 411 for storing a vehicle 500. The storage compartment 411 has a space extending along a first horizontal direction and forming a first hatch and a second hatch 413, respectively. The first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door 412. The vehicle 500 includes a load-bearing portion 510 and a back plate 520. The load-bearing portion 510 is used to carry cargo, and the back plate 520 is located at one end of the vehicle 500 in the first horizontal direction. When the vehicle 500 is stored in the delivery robot 400, the load-bearing portion 510 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back plate 520 closes the second hatch 413. The delivery robot 400 allows users to take and place goods carried in the carrier 500 through the hatch 412, and allows users to take and place carriers 500 stored in the storage compartment 411 through the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can achieve that the open side of the carrier 500 in the delivery station and the robot is facing the user without rotating the carrier 500, and no additional rotation mechanism is required to rotate the carrier 500, which reduces the complexity of the transmission action, avoids the increase in the number of parts, and helps to reduce equipment costs. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 to close the second hatch 413 of the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, preventing the second hatch 413 from being opened and causing the carrier 500 and goods stored in the storage compartment 411 to be lost, contaminated or damaged, while also improving the aesthetics of the delivery robot 400.

[0096] Based on the above detailed description of several exemplary embodiments of the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure, an exemplary embodiment of the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure will be described below.

[0097] See Figure 7 , which representatively shows a schematic structural diagram of the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure is described using the example of a takeout cabinet. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that in order to apply the relevant designs of the present disclosure to other types of logistics pick-up and delivery equipment, various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below, and such changes will still fall within the scope of the principles of the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure.

[0098] like Figure 7 As shown, refer to Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure can be stored in the delivery robot 400, specifically in the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400. The storage compartment 411 is continuous along the first horizontal direction, and forms a first hatch and a second hatch 413 on the front and rear sides of the delivery robot 400 along the first horizontal direction, respectively. The first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door 412. The carrier 500 includes a load-bearing portion 510 and a back plate 520. The load-bearing portion 510 is used to carry goods, and the back plate 520 is connected to one end of the load-bearing portion 510 in the first horizontal direction. When the carrier 500 is stored in the delivery robot 400, the load-bearing portion 510 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back plate 520 closes the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can use the back panel 520 to seal the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, thereby preventing the vehicle 500 and goods stored in the storage compartment 411 from being lost, contaminated or damaged, and at the same time can improve the appearance of the delivery robot 400.

[0099] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one side of the carrier 500 is open, and cargo is taken in and out through the opening when the hatch 412 is opened. The opening on at least one side faces the hatch 412 along a first horizontal direction, and the opening on at least one side is opposite to the back panel 520 .

[0100] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier 500 is accommodated in the storage compartment 111 of the delivery station, the surface of the carrier 500 opposite to the back panel 520 is open toward the cabinet door 112 of the storage compartment 111 .

[0101] For example, if Figure 7 As shown, the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure may also include a side panel 530, which is connected to one side of the carrying portion 510 in the second horizontal direction. Accordingly, the carrier 500 is roughly a trough structure (or a "dustpan"-shaped structure) with a single-side opening (i.e., the aforementioned opening), and the open side is the side facing the hatch 412 when the carrier 500 is stored in the delivery robot 400, that is, the side facing the front end of the delivery station (cabinet door 112) when the carrier 500 is stored in the delivery station. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can utilize the side panel 530 to provide limiting and protective functions, limit the position of the goods carried by the carrier 500 in the second horizontal direction, and at the same time prevent the goods from being impacted from the side when carried on the carrier 500.

[0102] Different from vehicle 500 Figure 7The illustrated embodiment employs a structure. In another embodiment not shown in this disclosure, the carrier 500 may further include a top plate connected to the tops of the side panels 530 and back panel 520 (i.e., the side away from the load-bearing portion 510). Thus, the carrier 500 generally has a box-like structure with a single-side opening (i.e., the aforementioned open-top). Through this structural design, the present disclosure can further optimize the protective function for cargo, preventing impacts from above when the cargo is carried on the carrier 500.

[0103] It should be noted that the vehicles shown in the drawings and described in this specification are only a few examples of the many vehicles that can employ the principles of the present disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of the present disclosure are in no way limited to any details or any components of the vehicles shown in the drawings or described in this specification.

[0104] In summary, the carrier 500 proposed in the present disclosure can be stored in the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400. The carrier 500 includes a load-bearing portion 510 and a back plate 520. The load-bearing portion 510 is used to carry cargo, and the back plate 520 is connected to one side of the load-bearing portion 510 in the first horizontal direction. When the carrier 500 is stored in the delivery robot 400, the load-bearing portion 510 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back plate 520 closes the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can use the back plate 520 to seal the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, preventing the carrier 500 and cargo stored in the storage compartment 411 from being lost, contaminated, or damaged, while also improving the aesthetics of the delivery robot 400.

[0105] Based on the above detailed description of several exemplary embodiments of the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments of the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure will be described below.

[0106] See Figure 8 , which representatively illustrates the schematic structural diagram of the delivery station proposed in this disclosure. In this exemplary embodiment, the delivery station proposed in this disclosure is described using a takeout cabinet as an example. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, or other changes may be made to the specific embodiments described below in order to apply the relevant designs of this disclosure to other types of logistics pick-up and delivery equipment. These changes remain within the scope of the principles of the delivery station proposed in this disclosure.

[0107] like Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure includes a cabinet 100, a conveying mechanism 300 and a plurality of carriers 500. Figures 9 to 13 , Figure 9 : A schematic diagram of the working state when the delivery station and the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure are docked is representatively shown; Figure 10Representatively shown in Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional schematic diagram, which specifically shows the state of the carrier 500 when it is transferred between the delivery station and the delivery robot 400; Figure 11 , which is a representative enlarged schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of a distribution station; Figure 12 A schematic plan view of a distribution station is representatively shown in FIG; Figure 13 The following will be combined with the above drawings to describe in detail the structure, connection mode and functional relationship of the main components of the distribution station proposed in this disclosure.

[0108] like Figures 8 to 11 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 100 is provided with a storage compartment group 110 and a docking port 130. 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 accompanying drawings. The storage compartments 111 are used to accommodate carriers 500. The docking port 130 is used to dock with the delivery robot 400. The delivery station can receive the empty carrier 500 in the delivery robot 400 through the docking port 130, and can deliver the carrier 500 carrying goods delivered from the storage compartment 111 to the delivery robot 400. At least one side of the carrier 500 is open, and the opening is opposite to the back panel 520. When the carrier 500 is accommodated in the storage compartment 111, the side opposite to the back panel 520 is open to the cabinet door 112 of the storage compartment 111. The conveying mechanism 300 can pick up and place the carrier 500 stored in the storage compartment 111, and can also pick up and place the carrier 500 in the delivery robot 400 via the docking port 130. The carrier 500 is conveyed out of the delivery station from the storage compartment 111 via the docking port 130, and enters the storage compartment 411 along the first horizontal direction through the second hatch 413 of the delivery robot. The carrier portion 510 of the carrier 500 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back panel 520 closes the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can achieve that the open side of the carrier 500 in the delivery station and the robot is facing the user without rotating the carrier 500. There is no need to configure an additional rotation mechanism to achieve the rotation of the carrier 500, which reduces the complexity of the conveying action, avoids an increase in the number of parts, and helps reduce equipment costs. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 to close the second hatch 413 of the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, preventing the second hatch 413 from being opened and causing the carrier 500 and goods stored in the storage compartment 411 to be lost, contaminated or damaged, while also improving the appearance of the delivery robot 400.

[0109] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier 500 is transferred from the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot to the delivery station, the carrier 500 enters the delivery station from the second hatch 413 through the docking port 130 and is transferred to the storage compartment 111 by the transfer mechanism 300 .

[0110] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second hatch 413 is a hatch formed at one end of the first horizontal direction of the space that passes through the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction, and a first hatch is formed at the other end of the first horizontal direction opposite to the second hatch 413, and the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door 412.

[0111] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure may be provided with a first docking sensor, and the delivery robot 400 may be provided with a second docking sensor. When the delivery robot 400 docks with the delivery station, through the cooperation of the first docking sensor and the second docking sensor, the back plate 520 of the carrier 500 of the delivery robot 400 is aligned with the docking port 130, and the side of the back plate 520 of the carrier 500 of the delivery robot 400 is close to the side of the delivery station provided with the docking port 130. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can ensure the docking accuracy when the delivery robot 400 docks with the delivery station, thereby being suitable for achieving close proximity between the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station during docking, and preventing the carrier 500 and goods from falling during the transfer process between the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station.

[0112] like Figures 8 to 11 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage compartment 111 may be provided with an openable and closable cabinet door 112 on one side in the first horizontal direction. When the carrier 500 is accommodated in the storage compartment 111, the back panel 520 is away from the cabinet door 112, that is, the single-side opening of the carrier 500 is facing the cabinet door 112. A first opening may be provided on one side wall of the storage compartment 111 in the second horizontal direction. The first opening can allow the carrier 500 carrying goods in the storage compartment 111 to be transferred to the conveying mechanism 300 via the first opening, and also allows the empty carrier 500 in the conveying mechanism 300 to be transferred to the storage compartment 111 via the first opening.

[0113] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 100 may be provided with at least two docking ports 130 , and the at least two docking ports 130 are arranged corresponding to the two second hatches 413 of the at least two storage compartments 411 .

[0114] like Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the docking port 130 may be provided with an openable and closable docking door 131 .

[0115] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure may further include a charging station, which is disposed at the bottom of the cabinet 100 and below the docking port 130. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can utilize the positioning action of the delivery robot 400 docking with the charging station during charging to achieve docking between the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station.

[0116] For reference Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple storage compartments 111 that constitute the storage compartment group 110 include at least a conventional storage compartment 1111 and a transit storage compartment 1112. The conventional 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, which is used for manually storing goods in or taking out goods from the conventional storage compartment 1111 outside the distribution station. The transit storage compartment 1112 receives the carrier 500 delivered by the delivery robot 400 outside the distribution station (which can be an empty carrier 500 after the goods are taken out, or a carrier 500 carrying goods that are not normally taken out or returned). The carrier 500 from the external delivery robot 400 is first transferred to the transit storage compartment 1112, and then transferred to the conventional storage compartment 1111 where no carrier 500 is stored via the transit storage compartment 1112. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure provides a design scheme for the automatic transmission and docking of a vehicle 500 for the distribution station. While realizing the docking task of the delivery robot 400, it can meet the needs of the three parties of the rider, the customer and the delivery robot 400 for collaborative use, so as to achieve the effect of improving user experience and reducing labor costs. The present disclosure can meet the high concurrent processing storage needs, and can more flexibly coordinate the storage compartments 111 of the distribution station and the distribution resources of the delivery robot 400, which is conducive to realizing a more efficient pick-up and delivery function. On this basis, the present disclosure can use the transit storage compartment 1112 to realize the transfer of the vehicle 500, so that the vehicle 500 can be recycled back and forth between the distribution station and the delivery robot 400, and ensure that the distribution station always has a storage compartment 111 that can receive the vehicle 500 transmitted by the delivery robot 400, that is, the transit storage compartment 1112, thereby further improving the design rationality of the functional distribution station.

[0117] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the returned goods are transported by the transport mechanism 300 to the designated regular storage compartment 1111, including: the returned goods and the carrier 500 carrying the returned goods are transported to the regular storage compartment 1111 where the carrier 500 is not stored via the transit storage compartment 1112.

[0118] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transit storage grid 1112 can be designed with a cabinet door closed or with a limited outward opening. Taking the following embodiment as an example, when the transit storage grid 1112 is a storage grid 111 at a predetermined position in the storage grid group 110, the transit storage grid 1112 can be provided with a first opening, and the cabinet door of the transit storage grid 1112 is closed (for example, no cabinet door is provided). Through the above-mentioned structural design, since the transit storage grid 1112 is a 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 transit storage grid 1112 is never used for manually taking and placing goods in the storage grid 111 outside the distribution station, the present disclosure can be provided with no cabinet door 112 in the transit storage grid 1112, which is conducive to reducing the number of parts and reducing costs. In some embodiments, when the intermediate storage compartment 1112 is the storage compartment 111 at a predetermined position in the storage compartment group 110, the intermediate storage compartment 1112 may also be provided with a cabinet door 112, and the cabinet door 112 of the intermediate storage compartment 1112 may adopt a restricted opening design, for example, by structural locking or program locking to restrict the cabinet door 112 from opening normally, but this is not limited to the present embodiment.

[0119] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transit storage compartment 1112 can be a storage compartment 111 at a predetermined position in the storage compartment group 110, and the transit storage compartment 1112 is used to receive and accommodate the carrier 500 delivered to the delivery station by the delivery robot 400, and the carrier 500 delivered to the delivery station by the delivery robot 400 is received and accommodated by the transit storage compartment 1112, and the goods contained in the conventional storage compartment 1111 together with the carrier 500 are transferred to the delivery robot 400 through the conveying mechanism 300, and the carrier 500 contained in the transit storage compartment 1112 is transferred to the conventional storage compartment 1111 which is vacant due to the removal of the goods through the conveying mechanism 300.

[0120] In addition, when the carrier 500 delivered to the delivery station by the delivery robot 400 still carries goods (for example, goods that have not been retrieved due to timeout or other factors and still remain in the delivery robot 400), the transit storage compartment 1112 receives the goods and then transfers the above-mentioned goods contained in the transit storage compartment 1112 together with the carrier 500 to the regular storage compartment 1111 from which the goods have been removed through the conveying mechanism 300. The regular storage compartment 1111 can then be marked as (for example, displayed on the second interactive mechanism 200) a timeout / return storage compartment.

[0121] like Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, based on the structural design that the transit storage compartment 1112 is the storage compartment 111 at the predetermined position in the storage compartment group 110, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transit storage compartment 1112 can be located at a predetermined position on one side, and the remaining storage compartments 111 are conventional storage compartments 1111. For example, the multiple storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110 can be arranged in a vertical direction, and among the multiple storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110, the one located at the bottom can be predetermined as the above-mentioned transit storage compartment 1112, and the remaining storage compartments 111 are conventional storage compartments 1111. Through the above-mentioned structural design, considering that the user's interaction convenience with the bottom storage compartment 111 is poor when accessing, the present disclosure reserves the bottom storage compartment 111 as the transit storage compartment 1112.

[0122] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, based on the structural design that the transit storage compartment 1112 is a storage compartment 111 at a predetermined position in the storage compartment group 110, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transit storage compartment 1112 can adopt a structural design that is completely identical to that of other storage compartments 111 (e.g., conventional storage compartments 1111), for example, the transit storage compartment 1112 can be provided with a first opening and a cabinet door 112. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can achieve structural unification of all storage compartments 111, facilitate batch processing and modular assembly, and can temporarily call other conventional storage compartments 1111 as transit storage compartments 1112 when the transit storage compartment 1112 fails.

[0123] Different from Figure 12 and Figure 13The illustrated embodiment adopts a structural design of a transit storage compartment 1112 at a predetermined position. In another embodiment not shown in the present disclosure, the storage compartment 111, when used as a transit storage compartment 1112, is used to receive and accommodate the vehicle 500 delivered to the delivery station by the delivery robot 400 and to deliver the vehicle 500 to the storage compartment 111 where the vehicle 500 is not stored. The storage compartment 111, when used as a conventional storage compartment 1111, can receive and accommodate goods manually placed in from outside the delivery station. The storage compartment 111 used as a transit storage compartment 1112 is at least one storage compartment 111 that currently does not accommodate goods and vehicles 500. For example, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure can select a storage compartment 111 that does not contain goods and a carrier 500 as a transit storage compartment 1112, and receive and accommodate the carrier 500 delivered to the distribution station by the distribution robot 400 through the transit storage compartment 1112, and transmit the goods contained in other conventional storage compartments 1111 together with the carrier 500 to the distribution robot 400 through the transmission mechanism 300, and the conventional storage compartment 1111 that has been removed from the goods is used as an alternative storage compartment when the transit storage compartment 1112 needs to be selected in the next exchange process. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure does not preset the position of the transit storage compartment 1112. When it is necessary to store the carrier 500 delivered by the distribution robot 400, a storage compartment 111 of the currently vacant carrier 500 can be directly used as the transit storage compartment 1112, which can reduce the action steps of the transmission mechanism, improve the transmission efficiency, simplify the control complexity, and save energy and increase efficiency.

[0124] Based on the structural design of dynamically selecting the transit storage compartment 1112, in one embodiment not shown in the present disclosure, the transit storage compartment 1112 can be determined from a set consisting of all the storage compartments 111 of a storage compartment group 110. In another embodiment, the transit storage compartment 1112 can also be determined from a set consisting of a portion of the storage compartments 111 of a storage compartment group 110. Furthermore, at least one of the other portion of the storage compartments 111 of the storage compartment group 110 can also be the transit storage compartment 1112 at the predetermined position described above, all of which are not limited to this embodiment.

[0125] It should be noted that, for the structural design of the storage compartment 111 including the conventional storage compartment 1111 and the transit storage compartment 1112, the present disclosure can be further identified for the user to distinguish. For example, an indicator light can be set on the outside of the storage compartment 111 or on the cabinet door 112, and the user can obtain the information of the conventional storage compartment 1111 and the transit storage compartment 1112 by changing the pattern of the indicator light or the color of the light. For another example, the type information of each storage compartment 111 can be identified in the second interactive mechanism 200 (such as a display screen, a touch screen, etc.), so that the user can obtain the information of the conventional storage compartment 1111 and the transit storage compartment 1112 when operating the second interactive mechanism 200.

[0126] During the actual operation of the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure, there is a situation where the goods in the distribution robot 400 are not taken out normally. Taking the hotel distribution scenario as an example, after the goods and the carrier 500 are transferred from the distribution station to the distribution robot 400, the distribution robot 400 moves to the user to receive the goods (for example, in front of the door of the room where the order is placed), but the goods are not taken out within the time limit. At this time, in the solution of the transit storage compartment 1112 at the predetermined position mentioned above, after the distribution robot 400 returns to the distribution station, the distribution station can transfer the goods and the carrier 500 that were not taken out normally from the distribution robot 400 to the transit storage compartment 1112 through the transmission mechanism 300, and then the transmission mechanism 300 takes out the goods and the carrier 500 (or the empty carrier 500) required for the next distribution work from a regular storage compartment 1111 and transfers it to the distribution robot 400, and then transfers the above-mentioned abnormal goods and the carrier 500 from the above-mentioned transit storage compartment 1112 to the regular storage compartment 1111. Alternatively, in the above-mentioned scheme of dynamically selecting the transit storage grid 1112, the distribution station may also transmit the goods that are not normally taken out from the distribution robot 400 together with the carrier 500 to the current transit storage grid 1112 through the transmission mechanism 300, and then the transmission mechanism 300 takes out the goods together with the carrier 500 (or the vacant carrier 500) required for the next distribution work from a conventional storage grid 1111 and transmits it to the distribution robot 400, after which the conventional storage grid 1111 serves as an alternative storage grid when the transit storage grid 1112 needs to be selected 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 distribution robot 400 to deliver again or pick up the goods on site at the distribution station through methods such as the app of a mobile device. In addition, the distribution robot 400 can also directly interact with other users (such as hotel front desk staff) to manually take out the goods that are not normally taken out for other users.

[0127] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the conveying mechanism 300 is arranged in the conveying area 120 of the cabinet 100. The conveying mechanism 300 can take and place the carrier 500 in the storage compartment 111 through the first opening, and can take and place the carrier 500 in the delivery robot 400 through the docking port 130. The conveying mechanism 300 can also carry the carrier 500 to move in the conveying area 120, thereby realizing the transfer of the carrier 500 between the storage compartment 111 and the docking port 130.

[0128] like Figure 8 、 Figure 9 、 Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the multiple storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110 can be arranged in a vertical direction, and the first opening of the storage compartment 111 can be set on a wall of the storage compartment 111 that is perpendicular to the second horizontal direction. The cabinet door 112 can be set on one side of the storage compartment 111 in the first horizontal direction, and the second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. On this basis, the transfer area 120 can be set on one side of the storage compartment group 110 in the second horizontal direction, and the docking port 130 can be set on one side of the transfer area 120 in the first horizontal direction. In some embodiments, the multiple storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110 can also be arranged in other directions, such as along the second horizontal direction. In this case, the first opening can be set on the wall of the storage compartment 111 that is perpendicular to the vertical direction, the cabinet door 112 can be set on one side of the storage compartment 111 in the first horizontal direction, the transfer area 120 can be set on one side of the storage compartment group 110 in the vertical direction, and the docking port 130 can be set on one side of the transfer area 120 in the first horizontal direction. It should be understood that in various possible embodiments consistent with the design concept of the present disclosure, the multiple storage compartments 111 that make up the storage compartment group 110 can be arranged in various possible directions, and are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0129] like Figure 13 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the conveying mechanism 300 may include a conveying bracket 310, a conveying platform 320 and a conveying drive mechanism. Specifically, the conveying bracket 310 may be provided with a track extending in the vertical direction, and the conveying platform 320 may be movably provided on the conveying bracket 310, for example, the conveying platform 320 is slidably matched with the track. The conveying platform 320 can carry the carrier 500, thereby realizing the mobile conveyance of the carrier 500. The conveying drive mechanism can drive the conveying platform 320 to move on the conveying bracket 310 to move the carrier 500 from the transit storage compartment 1112 to the conventional storage compartment 1111 of the vacant carrier 500. The conveying drive mechanism can be, for example, a motor, an electric push rod, etc.

[0130] Based on the structural design of the conveying mechanism 300 including the conveying platform 320, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the conveying platform 320 can be provided with a pick-and-place drive mechanism and a second locking mechanism. Specifically, the pick-and-place drive mechanism is configured to drive the carrier 500 to move between the conveying platform 310 and the storage compartment 111 when the conveying platform 310 is driven by the conveying drive mechanism to move to the storage compartment 111, and to drive the carrier 500 to move between the conveying platform 310 and the delivery robot 400 when the conveying platform 310 is driven by the conveying drive mechanism to move to the docking port 130. For example, the pick-and-place drive mechanism can drive the carrier 500 to move along the second horizontal direction, thereby realizing the movement of the carrier 500 between the storage compartment 111 and the conveying platform 320. The pick-and-place drive mechanism can also drive the carrier 500 to move along the first horizontal direction, thereby realizing the movement of the carrier 500 between the delivery robot 400 (such as the storage compartment 411) and the conveying platform 320. The second locking mechanism can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier 500 on the conveyor platform 320. When the conveyor mechanism 300 is picking up and placing the carrier 500 from the storage compartment 111 or the delivery robot 400, the second locking mechanism is in the unlocked state. At this time, the carrier 500 and the conveyor platform 320 can move relative to each other, thereby facilitating the pick-and-place drive mechanism to drive the carrier 500 to move. When the conveyor mechanism 300 is transporting the carrier 500 (i.e., when the conveyor platform 320 is moving), the second locking mechanism is in the locked state. At this time, the carrier 500 carried on the conveyor platform 320 is locked by the second locking mechanism and cannot move relative to the conveyor platform 320. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can prevent the carrier 500 from falling during movement and ensure the stability and reliability of the conveyor mechanism 300 when transporting the carrier 500.

[0131] Based on the design of the transport platform 320 being equipped with a pick-and-place drive mechanism, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the carrier 500 may be made of a magnetic metal, such as, but not limited to, iron. For example, the carrier 500 may be composed of components or materials such as sheet metal and ABS plastic. Furthermore, the second locking mechanism may include a second electromagnet that can attract and lock the carrier 500 when energized and release it when de-energized. The pick-and-place drive mechanism is configured to drive the second electromagnet to move along a second horizontal direction or a first horizontal direction, thereby enabling the carrier 500, attracted by the second electromagnet, to move between the transport platform 320 and the storage compartment 111 or the delivery robot 400. For example, the pick-and-place drive mechanism may utilize a conveyor belt, a linear motor, or the like. In other words, the second electromagnet can function as a second locking mechanism to lock and release the transport platform 320 and the carrier 500, while also transmitting the drive wheel of the pick-and-place drive mechanism to the attracted carrier 500, thereby driving the carrier 500. Specifically, the second locking mechanism can include two second electromagnets to respectively enable the adsorption carrier 500 to move in the second horizontal direction or the first horizontal direction. The second locking mechanism can also include a single second electromagnet, and the pick-and-place drive mechanism can drive the second electromagnet to move in both the second horizontal direction and the first horizontal direction. Through the above structural design, the present disclosure can utilize the second electromagnet to achieve the locking function of the carrier 500 and indirectly participate in the translational drive of the carrier 500, resulting in a simple structure and convenient control.

[0132] Based on the structural design of the second locking mechanism including a second electromagnet, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second electromagnet is an energized electromagnet. Accordingly, the second locking mechanism uses the second electromagnet to attract and lock the carrier 500 when energized and release the lock when de-energized. Through this structural design, the present disclosure uses electromagnets to achieve the locking and releasing functions of the second locking mechanism, which has a simple structure, convenient control, and convenient maintenance. For example, it facilitates staff to remove (or de-energize) the carrier 500 or goods from the conveyor platform 320. Furthermore, considering the operating hours of the distribution station, for example, the main operating hours of takeout counters are generally concentrated during meal times, that is, the operating hours of the conveyor mechanism 300 are less than non-operating hours. Therefore, the present disclosure uses an energized electromagnet as the second electromagnet of the second locking mechanism, so that the second electromagnet is in a de-energized state more of the time, thereby helping to reduce energy consumption and operating costs of the distribution station.

[0133] Based on the structural design of the conveyor platform 320 being provided with a second locking mechanism, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartment 111 may be provided with a third locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier 500 in the storage compartment 111. Accordingly, when the conveyor mechanism 300 takes or places the carrier 500 in the storage compartment 111, the third locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, at which 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 third locking mechanism is in the locked state, at which time the carrier 500 and the conveyor platform 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 stored in the storage compartment 111, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the storage compartment 111 when storing the carrier 500.

[0134] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the carrier 500 is transferred to the storage compartment 111 in the storage compartment group 110 where the carrier 500 is not stored via the transit storage compartment 1112, the distribution station is configured such that the transfer platform 310 is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align to the transit storage compartment 1112, the third locking mechanism of the transit storage compartment 1112 is unlocked, the carrier 500 is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism to move from the transit storage compartment 1112 to the transfer platform 310, the transfer platform 310 is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align to the storage compartment 111 where the carrier 500 is not stored, the second locking mechanism is unlocked, and the carrier 500 is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism to move from the transfer platform 310 to the storage compartment 111.

[0135] Based on the structural design of the storage compartment 111 being provided with a third locking mechanism, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third locking mechanism may include a third electromagnet, and the third electromagnet is a power-off type electromagnet. Accordingly, the third locking mechanism uses the third electromagnet to attract and lock the carrier 500 when the power is off and release the lock when the power is on. Through this structural design, the present disclosure uses electromagnets to achieve the locking and releasing functions of the third locking mechanism, which has a simple structure and convenient control. Due to the use of a power-off type electromagnet, the present disclosure can ensure that the carrier 500 stored in the storage compartment 111 will not slip even if the distribution station loses power. On this basis, taking into account the working period characteristics of the distribution station, taking the takeaway cabinet as an example, its main working period is usually concentrated in the meal time, that is, the time when the storage compartment 111 places the carrier 500 (the third locking mechanism is in a locked state) is longer than the time when the conveying mechanism 300 takes and places the carrier 500 from the storage compartment 111 (the third locking mechanism is in an unlocked state). Therefore, the present disclosure adopts a power-off type electromagnet as the third electromagnet of the third locking mechanism, so that the third electromagnet is in a power-off state for more time, which is beneficial to reduce the energy consumption of the distribution station and reduce the use cost.

[0136] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first locking mechanism is provided in the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, when the carrier 500 is transferred to the transit storage compartment 1112 via the delivery robot 400, the delivery station is configured such that the transfer platform 310 is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align to the docking port 130, after the first locking mechanism of the delivery robot 400 is unlocked, the carrier 500 is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism and is moved by the delivery robot 400 through the docking port 130 to the transfer platform 310, the transfer platform 310 is driven by the transfer drive mechanism to move and align to the transit storage compartment 1112, the second locking mechanism is unlocked, and the carrier 500 is driven by the pick-and-place drive mechanism and is moved by the transfer platform 310 to the transit storage compartment 1112.

[0137] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage compartments 111 and the delivery robot 400 (e.g., the storage cabin 411) can be provided with control detection units. These control detection units can respectively detect each storage compartment 111 and each storage cabin 411, detect whether the carrier 500 is in place and whether there is cargo in the carrier 500, and thereby feed back to the control of the third locking mechanism and the first locking mechanism. For example, when the material of the carrier 500 includes metal, the control detection unit may include a metal detection sensor, or the control detection unit may also include other devices such as photoelectric sensors. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can realize real-time detection of the in-place status and cargo loading status of the carrier 500 in each storage compartment 111 and the storage cabin 411 through the control detection unit, and accordingly feed back to the control of the corresponding carrier 500 locking components in the storage compartment 111 and the delivery robot 400, thereby realizing a closed-loop control mechanism based on automatic acquisition and detection, further improving the degree of automation of the delivery station.

[0138] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure may include a second interactive mechanism 200. The second interactive mechanism 200 is coupled to the control unit of the cabinet door 112, and is used for users to take and place goods. It should be noted that the so-called users can be understood to include at least riders and customers. For example, the rider can open and close the cabinet door 112 through the second interactive mechanism 200, thereby putting the goods into the storage compartment 111. For another example, the customer can open and close the cabinet door 112 through the second interactive mechanism 200, thereby taking the goods out of the storage compartment 111.

[0139] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet door 112, the second interactive mechanism 200 and the docking port 130 of the storage compartment 111 can be located on the same side in the first horizontal direction, and the second interactive mechanism 200 is located above the docking port 130. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure sets the cabinet door 112 and the second interactive mechanism 200 on the same side, which can facilitate the user to take and put goods from the storage compartment 111 more conveniently after using the second interactive mechanism 200, thereby improving the user experience. Furthermore, the present disclosure also sets the docking port 130 on the same side, which can realize the single-sided use of the entire distribution station, that is, the structures and components of the distribution station for use by the riders, customers, and the distribution robot 400 are located on a single side, which is conducive to the rational layout of the overall structure of the distribution station, and is also conducive to the installation and use of the distribution station. For example, the other side of the distribution station in the first horizontal direction can be close to or against a wall, without reserving operating space. Furthermore, the present disclosure arranges the interactive interface above the docking port 130, thereby avoiding user operational inconvenience caused by the lower height of the interactive interface (e.g., requiring the user to bend down to operate the interactive interface when the height is lower), further enhancing the user experience. In some embodiments, depending on the application environment and usage requirements of the delivery station, the docking port 130 may also be located on the other side opposite the cabinet door 112 and the second interactive mechanism 200, or the second interactive mechanism 200 may also be located below the docking port 130. The second interactive mechanism 200 and the docking port 130 may also be spaced apart in the second horizontal direction, all of which are not limited to this embodiment.

[0140] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second interaction mechanism 200 may include one of a touch screen, a voice recognition module, a face recognition module, or a combination of at least two thereof. In some embodiments, the second interaction mechanism 200 may also include other types of interaction modules, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0141] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the cabinet 100 can be provided with two storage compartment groups 110, and the two storage compartment groups 110 are respectively located on both sides of the conveying area 120 in the second horizontal direction. On this basis, the opening directions of the first openings of the storage compartments 111 belonging to different storage compartment groups 110 are arranged relative to each other. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can increase the number of goods that can be stored at the same time in the distribution station, which is conducive to improving distribution efficiency. In some embodiments, the cabinet 100 can also be provided with only one storage compartment group 110, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0142] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, based on the structural design of the cabinet 100 being provided with two storage compartment groups 110, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of storage compartments 111 included in each of the two storage compartment groups 110 can be equal. In some embodiments, when the cabinet 100 is provided with two storage compartment groups 110, the number of storage compartments 111 included in each of the two storage compartment groups 110 can also be unequal.

[0143] It should be noted that in Figure 8 and Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the distribution station includes a set of conveyor mechanisms 300, and the cabinet 100 includes a conveying area 120 and a docking port 130. It should be understood that, in various possible embodiments consistent with the design concepts of the present disclosure, the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure may also include more than two conveyor mechanisms 300. Taking two conveyor mechanisms 300 as an example, the two conveyor mechanisms 300 can work in conjunction with one storage compartment group 110. The two conveyor mechanisms 300 can also work in conjunction with their respective corresponding storage compartment groups 110, that is, one conveyor mechanism 300 works with one or two storage compartment groups 110, and the other conveyor mechanism 300 works with another one or two storage compartment groups 110. Accordingly, when there are two conveyor mechanisms 300, the number of storage compartment groups 110 can be one, two, three, or four. In this case, the second interactive mechanism 200 can be one, that is, the interactive functions of all storage compartment groups 110 are integrated into one second interactive mechanism 200. There can also be multiple second interactive mechanisms 200. Furthermore, a delivery zone 120 may be equipped with one or more delivery mechanisms 300, and a delivery zone 120 may be equipped with one or more docking ports 130. Furthermore, a docking port 130 may be connected to one or more delivery mechanisms 300. Based on this, regardless of the number of storage compartment groups 110, delivery mechanisms 300, delivery zones 120, and docking ports 130, there may be one or more delivery robots 400.

[0144] Based on the above detailed description of several exemplary embodiments of the distribution station proposed in the present disclosure, the following will be combined with Figures 14 to 18 The following briefly describes the pickup process for a delivery robot 400 at the delivery station proposed in this disclosure. Furthermore, when implementing a self-service pickup feature at the delivery station proposed in this disclosure, the user pickup process can be performed in a manner similar to that of a traditional takeout locker, which will not be described in detail here. When delivery robot 400 is selected for delivery, the conveyor mechanism 300 is linked to the delivery robot 400.

[0145] Step 1: Before the delivery robot 400 arrives, the docking door 131 opens. The transfer platform 320 moves vertically to the storage compartment 411 above the delivery robot 400. Electromagnetic attraction forces the empty carrier 500 in the storage compartment 411 above the delivery robot 400 to move horizontally through the docking port 130 onto the transfer platform 320.

[0146] In step 2, the transfer platform 320 moves vertically to the position of the transfer storage compartment 1112, and the electromagnet attracts the empty carrier 500 carried by the transfer platform 320 and pushes it into the transfer storage compartment 1112 (for example, storage compartment No. 7 111) along the second horizontal direction.

[0147] In step 3, after the conveying platform 320 is empty of the carrier 500, the conveying platform 320 moves vertically to the first opening on the side of the storage compartment 111 (for example, storage compartment 111 No. 6) where the goods need to be picked up. The electromagnet attracts the carrier 500 carrying the target goods in the storage compartment 111 and moves it along the second horizontal direction, so that the carrier 500 moves from the storage compartment 111 through the first opening to the conveying platform 320.

[0148] Step 4: After the carrier 500 carrying the target goods moves to the conveying platform 320 and is in place, the conveying platform 320 moves vertically to the storage compartment 411 above the delivery robot 400. The electromagnet attracts the carrier 500 on the conveying platform 320 and moves it along the first horizontal direction through the docking port 130 into the storage compartment 411.

[0149] In step 5, the carrier 500 is transferred to the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400. The control detection unit in the storage compartment 411 detects the in-position signal and triggers the first electromagnet in the storage compartment 411 to attract and secure the carrier 500. The docking door 131 closes, and the delivery robot 400 begins delivery. The transfer platform 320 transfers the empty carrier 500 from the transit storage compartment 1112 to the storage compartment 111 (e.g., compartment 6) where the carrier 500 carrying the target cargo has been removed.

[0150] In actual operation, the delivery robot 400 may encounter a situation where the user has timed out and failed to pick up the goods during the delivery process. In order not to affect the subsequent order processing, the delivery robot 400 will execute a return operation. The delivery robot 400 returns to the delivery station and exchanges the carrier 500 that has not taken the goods for an empty carrier 500. The backend will then notify the user to come to the delivery station to pick up the goods. The return process of the delivery robot 400 is the opposite of the above steps and will not be repeated here. In addition, in combination with the needs of some hotels, it is also possible to adopt a solution in which the delivery robot 400 delivers the goods to the hotel front desk after the delivery timeout and fails to pick up the goods. The front desk staff will pick them up and then handle them later. Accordingly, the delivery station proposed in this disclosure uses carriers 500 of uniform specifications, avoiding the docking and transmission problems caused by different takeout packaging sizes. Through the effective scheduling and transfer of the carrier 500 by the backend server, the autonomous docking of the delivery robot 400 and the delivery station is efficiently realized, bringing a new solution to terminal delivery.

[0151] It should be noted that the delivery stations shown in the drawings and described in this specification are only a few examples of the many types of delivery stations that can employ the principles of the present disclosure. It should be clearly understood that the principles of the present disclosure are in no way limited to any details or any components of the delivery stations shown in the drawings or described in this specification.

[0152] In summary, the delivery station proposed in the present disclosure includes a cabinet 100, a conveyor mechanism 300, and multiple carriers 500. The cabinet 100 is provided with a storage compartment group 110 and a docking port 130. The storage compartment group 110 includes multiple storage compartments 111, which are used to accommodate carriers 500. At least one side of the carrier 500 is open, and the open side is opposite the back panel 520. When the carrier 500 is accommodated in the storage compartment 111, the side opposite the back panel 520 is open toward the cabinet door 112 of the storage compartment 111. The conveyor mechanism 300 can remove and place carriers 500 stored in the storage compartment 111, and can also remove and place carriers 500 from the delivery robot 400 proposed in the present disclosure through the docking port 130. The carrier 500 is transferred from the storage compartment 111 through the docking port 130 out of the distribution station, and enters the storage compartment 411 along the first horizontal direction through the second hatch 413 of the distribution robot. The load-bearing portion 510 of the carrier 500 is located in the storage compartment 411, and the back panel 520 closes the second hatch 413. Through the above-mentioned structural design, the present disclosure can achieve that the open side of the carrier 500 in the distribution station and the robot is facing the user without rotating the carrier 500, and no additional rotation mechanism is required to rotate the carrier 500, thereby reducing the complexity of the transfer action. On this basis, the present disclosure can meet the design requirements of requiring that the carrier 500 be stored at the distribution station with its opening facing the cabinet door 112 of the distribution station, and that the carrier 500 be stored at the distribution robot 400 with its opening facing the first hatch, making it convenient for users to store and retrieve goods from the carrier 500 in the distribution station or the distribution robot 400. At the same time, the present disclosure utilizes the back panel 520 of the carrier 500 to seal the second hatch 413 of the storage compartment 411 of the delivery robot 400, thereby preventing the second hatch 413 from being opened and causing the carrier 500 and goods stored in the storage compartment 411 to be lost, contaminated or damaged, while also improving the appearance of the delivery robot 400.

[0153] The exemplary embodiments of the delivery robot, carrier and delivery station proposed in the present disclosure are described and / or illustrated in detail above. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the components and / or steps of each embodiment can be used independently and separately from the other components and / or steps described herein. Each component and / or each step of an embodiment can also be used in combination with other components and / or steps of other embodiments. When introducing the elements / components / etc. described and / or illustrated herein, the terms "one", "an" and "above" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are used to express an open-ended inclusion and mean that in addition to the listed elements / components / etc., there may be additional elements / components / etc. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" in the claims and the specification are used only as marks and are not numerical limitations on their objects.

[0154] While the delivery robots, vehicles, and delivery stations of the present disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure can be implemented with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A delivery robot (400), characterized in that: The delivery robot (400) includes a walking part (420) and an upper part (410); The upper part (410) is arranged on the walking part (420), and a storage compartment (411) is provided in the upper part (410), and the storage compartment (411) is used to store the vehicle (500); the storage compartment (411) has a space that passes through along a first horizontal direction, and a first hatch and a second hatch (413) are formed on the front and rear sides of the upper part (410) along the first horizontal direction respectively; the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door (412); The carrier (500) comprises a carrying portion (510) and a back plate (520), wherein the carrying portion (510) is used for carrying goods, and the back plate (520) is located at one end of the carrier (500) in the first horizontal direction; when the carrier (500) is stored in the delivery robot (400), the carrying portion (510) is located in the storage compartment (411), and the back plate (520) closes the second hatch (413).

2. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the hatch (412) of the delivery robot (400) is opened, a user can take or place goods carried in the carrier (500) through the first hatch, and the second hatch (413) of the delivery robot allows the carrier (500) to enter and exit the storage compartment (411) through the second hatch (413).

3. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier (500) is transferred into the storage compartment (411) along the first horizontal direction via the second hatch (413), and the back panel (520) of the carrier (500) closes the second hatch (413).

4. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier (500) is transferred out of the storage compartment (411) along the first horizontal direction via the second hatch (413), and the second hatch (413) is opened after the carrier (500) is transferred out.

5. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the delivery robot (400) is docked with the delivery station, the back plate (520) faces and is close to the docking port (130) of the delivery station, and the carrier (500) is transferred from the delivery station to the storage compartment (411) via the second hatch (413) and the docking port (130), and / or, is transferred from the storage compartment (411) to the delivery station.

6. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the back plate (520) closes the second hatch (413), the surface of the upper part (410) facing away from the hatch (412) is flush with the surface of the back plate (520) facing away from the hatch (412), so as to jointly form the surface of the delivery robot (400) facing away from the hatch (412).

7. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 6, characterized in that: A recessed portion is provided on the rear side of the upper portion (410), and the recessed portion is located at the edge of the second hatch (413). When the back plate (520) closes the second hatch (413), the back plate (520) is at least partially embedded in the recessed portion.

8. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage compartment (411) is provided with a guide rail extending along the first horizontal direction, and the guide rail is used to guide the carrier (500) to be transferred into or out of the storage compartment (411) along the first horizontal direction.

9. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage compartment (411) is provided with a first locking mechanism, which can control the locking and unlocking of the carrier (500) in the storage compartment (411); when the carrier (500) in the storage compartment (411) is taken in or put out, the first locking mechanism is in the unlocked state; when the delivery robot (400) transports the carrier (500), the first locking mechanism is in the locked state.

10. The delivery robot (400) according to claim 9, characterized in that: At least part of the carrier (500) is made of magnetic metal, the first locking mechanism includes a first electromagnet, the first electromagnet is an energized electromagnet, and the first locking mechanism adsorbs and locks the carrier (500) when energized and releases the lock when de-energized.

11. A carrier (500), characterized in that: The carrier (500) can be stored in a storage compartment (411) of a delivery robot (400); the storage compartment (411) is continuous along a first horizontal direction, and a first hatch and a second hatch (413) are formed on the front and rear sides of the delivery robot (400) along the first horizontal direction, respectively; the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable door (412); The carrier (500) includes a carrying portion (510) and a back plate (520), the carrying portion (510) is used to carry goods, and the back plate (520) is located at one end of the carrier (500) in the first horizontal direction; When the carrier (500) is stored in the delivery robot (400), the carrying portion (510) is located in the storage compartment (411), and the back panel (520) closes the second hatch (413).

12. The carrier (500) according to claim 11, characterized in that At least one side of the carrier (500) is open, and cargo is taken in and out through the opening when the hatch (412) is opened. The opening on at least one side faces the hatch (412) along the first horizontal direction, and the opening on at least one side is opposite to the back panel (520).

13. The carrier (500) according to claim 12, characterized in that When the carrier (500) is accommodated in a storage compartment (111) of a distribution station, the opening on a side of the carrier (500) opposite to the back panel (520) faces the cabinet door (112) of the storage compartment (111).

14. A distribution station, characterized by: The distribution station includes a cabinet (100), a conveying mechanism (300), and a plurality of carriers (500); The cabinet (100) is provided with a storage compartment group (110) and a docking port (130), wherein the storage compartment group (110) includes a plurality of storage compartments (111), and the storage compartments (111) are used to accommodate the carrier (500); The carrier (500) comprises a carrying portion (510) and a back plate (520), wherein the carrying portion (510) is used to carry goods, and at least one side of the carrier (500) is open, and the opening is opposite to the back plate (520); when the carrier (500) is accommodated in the storage compartment (111), the opening on the side opposite to the back plate (520) faces the cabinet door (112) of the storage compartment (111); The conveying mechanism (300) takes in and places the carrier (500) contained in the storage compartment (111), and takes in and places the carrier (500) in the delivery robot (400) via the docking port (130); The carrier (500) is transferred out of the distribution station from the storage compartment (111) via the docking port (130), and enters the storage compartment (411) along a first horizontal direction through the second hatch (413) of the distribution robot. The carrying portion (510) of the carrier (500) is located in the storage compartment (411), and the back panel (520) closes the second hatch (413).

15. The distribution station according to claim 14, characterized in that: The carrier (500) is transferred from the storage compartment (411) of the delivery robot into the delivery station. The carrier (500) enters the delivery station from the second hatch (413) through the docking port (130) and is transferred to the storage compartment (111) by the transfer mechanism (300).

16. The distribution station according to claim 14, characterized in that The second hatch (413) is a hatch formed at one end of the first horizontal direction of the space passing through the storage compartment (411) of the delivery robot along the first horizontal direction, and a first hatch is formed at the other end of the first horizontal direction opposite to the second hatch (413), and the first hatch is provided with an openable and closable hatch door (412).

17. The distribution station according to claim 14, characterized in that The storage compartment (111) is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door (112) on one side in the first horizontal direction, and when the carrier (500) is accommodated in the storage compartment (111), the back panel (520) is away from the cabinet door (112); the storage compartment (111) is provided with a second opening on one side wall in the second horizontal direction, and the second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The second opening can allow the carrier (500) carrying goods in the storage compartment (111) to be transferred to the conveying mechanism (300) via the second opening, and can also allow the empty carrier (500) in the conveying mechanism (300) to be transferred to the storage compartment (111) via the second opening.

18. The delivery station according to claim 14, wherein: The plurality of storage compartments (111) constituting the storage compartment group (110) include at least a conventional storage compartment (1111) and a transit storage compartment (1112). The conventional storage compartment (1111) is provided with an openable and closable cabinet door (112) on a side facing a user who deposits or retrieves items, and is used for manually depositing goods into or taking out goods from outside the distribution station. The transit storage compartment (1112) receives a carrier (500) delivered by a distribution robot (400) outside the distribution station. The carrier (500) from the external distribution robot (400) is first delivered into the transit storage compartment (1112), and then delivered to the conventional storage compartment (1111) where no carrier (500) is stored, via the transit storage compartment (1112).

19. The delivery station according to claim 14, wherein: The distribution station further comprises a charging pile, which is arranged at the bottom of the cabinet (100) and located below the docking port (130).

20. The delivery station according to claim 14, wherein: The delivery station is provided with a first docking sensor, and the delivery robot (400) is provided with a second docking sensor. When the delivery robot (400) docks with the delivery station, through the cooperation of the first docking sensor and the second docking sensor, the position of the back plate (520) of the carrier (500) of the delivery robot (400) is aligned with the docking port (130), and the side surface of the back plate (520) of the carrier (500) of the delivery robot (400) is close to the side surface of the delivery station where the docking port (130) is provided.

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