Guide mechanism, connection station and connection system

Abstract

The utility model is suitable for the technical field of storage, and provides a guide mechanism, a connection station and a connection system. The guide mechanism is applied to the connection station and used for achieving lifting guide of a conveying mechanism relative to a stand column. The guide mechanism comprises a mounting plate, a lifting plate, a first guide part and a second guide part, the lifting plate, the first guide part and the second guide part are all mounted on the mounting plate, and the lifting plate is connected with the conveying mechanism. The number of the second guide parts is at least two, the first guide part is located between the two second guide parts, the first guide part and the two second guide parts are combined to form a containing space capable of containing the stand column, and the first guide part and the two second guide parts are all in rolling connection with the side wall of the stand column. The multiple guiding pieces make contact with the stand column at multiple positions and multiple degrees of freedom, the machining error of the stand column can be compensated, the error-tolerant rate of the assembly error is high, the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism on the stand column is lowered, and the machining difficulty of the stand column is also lowered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of warehousing, and in particular relates to a guiding mechanism, a docking station and a docking system. Background Art

[0002] The docking system is used to transport goods in warehouses, enabling the delivery and entry of goods. The docking system connects goods arriving and departing by setting up docking stations. The docking station includes columns and a conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism can be raised and lowered relative to the columns, allowing the conveying mechanism to transport goods at different heights. To ensure the stability of goods placed on the conveying mechanism, the conveying mechanism's lifting and lowering motion should be as smooth as possible. In related technologies, the mechanism connecting the conveying mechanism to the columns is relatively complex, requiring high precision machining of each component, with a low tolerance for assembly errors and greater difficulty in both machining and assembly. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a guiding mechanism, a docking station and a docking system to solve the technical problem of how to reduce the processing difficulty and assembly difficulty of connecting the conveying mechanism with the column.

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

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a guide mechanism, which is used for guiding the lifting and lowering of a conveying mechanism relative to a column in a docking station, and the guide mechanism includes: a mounting plate; a lifting plate, mounted on the mounting plate and connected to the conveying mechanism; a first guide member, mounted on the mounting plate; a second guide member, mounted on the mounting plate, and at least two are arranged at intervals; wherein, the first guide member is located between the two second guide members, the first guide member and the two second guide members are combined to form an accommodating space, at least a portion of the column is located in the accommodating space, and the first guide member and the two second guide members are both rollingly connected to the side walls of the column.

[0006] In some embodiments, the second guide members are grouped in pairs and are respectively installed at opposite ends of the mounting plate along the height direction of the column.

[0007] In some embodiments, at least one first guide member is disposed between two second guide members in each group.

[0008] In some embodiments, at least one first guide member and a group of second guide members are respectively provided at opposite ends of the lifting plate along the height direction of the column.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first guide member and the second guide member are respectively installed on opposite sides of the mounting plate; wherein an opening is provided on the mounting plate, and a portion of the first guide member passes through the opening and abuts against the column.

[0010] In some embodiments, the mounting plate is provided with an adjustment slot and an adjustment member for adjusting the distance between two second guide members, a portion of the second guide member is limited in the adjustment slot, and the adjustment member passes through each second guide member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the lifting plate is installed on a side of the mounting plate facing away from the column.

[0012] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a docking station, which includes the guide mechanism in the above-mentioned first aspect, and the docking station also includes: a column, which is rollingly connected to the guide mechanism; a conveying mechanism, which is connected to the lifting plate; along the first direction, the conveying mechanism is used to reciprocate the material box between the depalletizer and the sorting lines at different heights; and a lifting mechanism, which is used to drive the guide mechanism to rise and fall along the height direction of the column.

[0013] In some embodiments, the docking station is provided with two columns, the two columns are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction, and each column is rollingly connected to one of the guide mechanisms.

[0014] In the third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a docking system, which includes the docking station in the above-mentioned second aspect, and the docking system also includes: a sorting line for conveying material boxes to the docking station and receiving the material boxes conveyed by the docking station; a depalletizer for splitting the material box group into single material boxes, and conveying the material boxes to the docking station in sequence, and stacking the material boxes conveyed in sequence by the sorting line into material box groups; a handling robot, which is provided with a cache position, and the handling robot is used to store the material boxes in the cache position, and convey the material box group on the cache position to the depalletizer; the handling robot is also used to convey the material box group in the depalletizer to the cache position.

[0015] The embodiment of the present invention provides a guide mechanism, a docking station and a docking system, wherein the guide mechanism is used for the lifting and lowering guidance of the conveying mechanism relative to the column in the docking station. The guide mechanism includes a mounting plate, a lifting plate, a first guide member and a second guide member. The lifting plate, the first guide member and the second guide member are all mounted on the mounting plate, and the lifting plate is connected to the conveying mechanism. There are at least two second guide members arranged at intervals, the first guide member is located between the two second guide members, the first guide member and the two second guide members are combined to form a receiving space, at least part of the column is located in the receiving space, and the first guide member and the two second guide members are both rollingly connected to the side walls of the column. In this arrangement, the first guide member and the two second guide members are rollingly connected to the column, and the contact area between each guide member and the column is small, so that the column does not require high processing accuracy, and the roughness requirement for the outer surface of the column is low, which reduces the processing difficulty of the column. Moreover, the first guide member and the two second guide members are combined to form an accommodating space, and the column is located in the accommodating space. The assembly error tolerance between the guide mechanism and the column is high, which reduces the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism on the column. The guide mechanism is simple and ingenious in design, with smooth guidance and good reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a docking station provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the guide mechanism and the column assembly provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide mechanism provided in the first embodiment of the present utility model, omitting the lifting plate;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide mechanism provided in the second embodiment of the present utility model, omitting the lifting plate;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the docking system provided by an embodiment of the present utility model, omitting the handling robot and the sorting line;

[0021] Figure 6 A simplified schematic diagram of a docking system provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a handling robot provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Description of reference numerals:

[0024] 10. Docking station; 1. Guide mechanism; 11. Mounting plate; 111. First side; 112. Second side; 113. Opening; 114. Adjustment slot; 12. Lifting plate; 13. First guide member; 14. Second guide member; 15. Accommodation space; 16. Adjustment member; 101. First guide group; 102. Second guide group; 2. Conveying mechanism; 3. Column; 31. First side wall; 32. Second side wall; 33. Third side wall; 4. Lifting mechanism; 41. Hydraulic cylinder; 42. Sprocket; 5. Base; 20. Sorting line; 30. Palletizer; 301. Transport mechanism; 302. Palletizer conveyor line; 303. Palletizer elevator; 40. Transport robot; 401. Cache position; 402. Fork arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, unless they are inconsistent. For example, different embodiments and technical solutions may be formed by combining different specific technical features. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in this utility model will not be described separately.

[0027] In the following description, the terms "first, second, etc." are used solely to distinguish different objects and do not imply any similarities or connections between the objects. It should be understood that the directions "above," "below," "outside," and "inside" refer to directions during normal use. The directions "left" and "right" refer to the left-right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left-right directions during normal use.

[0028] It should be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising that element. "A plurality" means greater than or equal to two.

[0029] The docking station provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used for the automatic transportation and sorting of goods. It should be noted that the goods in the embodiment of the present invention can be contained in boxes. For simplicity, boxes are used to represent goods. Boxes are not limited to parameters such as shape and size. All boxes in the warehouse can be one or more standard parts. Of course, in other embodiments, the stored goods can also be contained in boxes instead of boxes, and can be directly represented by the goods themselves or in other forms. Multiple boxes are stacked in the height direction to form a stack of boxes, which is called a box group. It can be understood that a box group includes at least two boxes, and multiple stacks of box groups can also be stored in the warehouse. The stacking of multiple boxes described in the embodiment of the present invention means that the stacking of boxes does not need to be supported by shelves, and the surfaces of adjacent boxes in the same row of boxes are at least partially in contact with each other in the height direction. It can be understood that the floor of the warehouse is generally horizontal, and the height direction of the material box group represents the vertical direction, that is, the height direction of each stack of material box groups is perpendicular to the ground; of course, the floor of the warehouse may be uneven in some areas, that is, the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal, so the corresponding height direction is not required to be absolutely vertical. The existence of ground levelness errors and material box processing errors is allowed, as long as it is roughly horizontal and vertical under normal use.

[0030] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a guide mechanism 1, which is used in a docking station 10. The guide mechanism 1 is used to connect the conveying mechanism 2 and the column 3, and to achieve the lifting and guiding of the conveying mechanism 2 relative to the column 3. It can be understood that the conveying mechanism 2 is used to achieve the conveying of the material box. Therefore, after the conveying mechanism 2 is lifted and lowered to different heights relative to the column 3, the material box can be conveyed at different heights. The guide mechanism 1 includes a mounting plate 11, a lifting plate 12, a first guide member 13, and a second guide member 14; wherein the lifting plate 12, the first guide member 13, and the second guide member 14 are all mounted on the mounting plate 11, and the lifting plate 12 is connected to the conveying mechanism 2 for the installation of the conveying mechanism 2, and bears the weight of the conveying mechanism 2 and the load of the conveying mechanism 2. At least two second guide members 14 are arranged at intervals, and the first guide member 13 is located between the two second guide members 14. The first guide member 13 and the two second guide members 14 are combined to form an accommodating space 15. At least part of the column 3 is located in the accommodating space 15, and the first guide member 13 and the two second guide members 14 are all rollingly connected to the side walls of the column 3, that is, during the lifting process of the conveying mechanism 2, rolling friction is generated between the column 3 and the guide mechanism 1.

[0031] It should be noted that the above-mentioned "accommodating space 15" represents a virtual space. Optionally, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction of the "accommodating space 15" can be "semicircular" or approximately "semicircular", which can adapt to columns with a "cylindrical" or approximately "cylindrical" shape. Of course, the "accommodating space 15" can also be a virtual space surrounded by three sides, including a first plane, a second plane and a third plane, one side of the third plane is connected to the first plane, and the other side of the third plane is connected to the second plane. The extended planes of the opposite sides of the two second guide members 14 form the first plane and the second plane respectively, and the first guide member 13 is used to abut against the extended plane of one side of the column 3 to form the third plane. The specific shape of the "accommodating space 15" can be adjusted according to the shape of the column to be matched, and is not limited here.

[0032] Specifically, compared to the implementation method of sliding friction between the guide mechanism and the column, for example, the column is provided with an optical axis extending in the height direction, and the conveying mechanism is provided with a linear bearing sleeved outside the optical axis. The matching processing precision of the linear bearing and the optical axis is high, which makes the roughness requirement of the outer surface of the optical axis high. The error tolerance rate of the optical axis assembled on the linear bearing is small, and the assembly difficulty is relatively high. In contrast, the guide mechanism 1 and the column 3 in the embodiment of the present invention generate rolling friction, and the contact area of ​​the rolling friction is small, so that the conveying mechanism 2, driven by the guide mechanism 1, has better movement smoothness. Moreover, due to the small contact area between the guide member and the column 3, the assembly error tolerance rate between each guide member and the column 3 is high, which reduces the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism 2 on the column 3. In addition, even if there are certain processing errors in the column 3, for example, a certain side wall of the column 3 is concave or convex, other guide members at different positions and with different degrees of freedom are still rollingly connected to the column 3, and can still provide guidance, and will not affect the guide mechanism 1 driving the conveying mechanism 2 to rise and fall relative to the column 3; the guide members work together to compensate for the processing errors of the column 3, so that the column 3 does not require high processing precision, and the roughness requirement for the outer surface of the column 3 is low, which reduces the processing difficulty of the column 3.

[0033] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, when all adjacent side walls of the column 3 are perpendicular to each other, the first guide member 13 abuts the first side wall 31 of the column 3 in the first direction N1, and the two second guide members 14 abut the opposite side walls (the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33) of the column 3 in the second direction N2. The second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33 are opposite and spaced apart in the second direction N2, and the first side wall 31 connects the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33. The second guide member 14 abutting the second side wall 32 prevents the guide mechanism 1 from moving away from the column 3, while the second guide member 14 abutting the third side wall 33 prevents the guide mechanism 1 from moving toward the column 3. The two second guide members 14 abut opposite sides of the column 3, respectively, to limit the freedom of the conveying mechanism 2 to tilt horizontally in the second direction N2, thereby maintaining stability of the material box placed on the conveying mechanism 2. It should be noted that in the schematic diagram of this application, N1 represents the first direction, N2 represents the second direction, and N3 represents the height direction. The first direction N1 and the second direction N2 are perpendicular to each other, and both the first direction N1 and the second direction N2 are perpendicular to the height direction N3. Therefore, it can be understood that the first direction N1 and the second direction N2 are both in the horizontal direction. In the embodiment illustrated in the present invention, the first direction N1 represents the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 2 and is also the length direction of the conveying mechanism 2 in the three-dimensional coordinate system. Correspondingly, the second direction N2 represents the width direction of the conveying mechanism 2 in the three-dimensional coordinate system.

[0034] Of course, in some possible embodiments, the side walls of the pillar 3 may not be connected perpendicularly. For example, the connection angle between the first side wall 31 and the second side wall 32 may be an obtuse angle, while the connection angle between the first side wall 31 and the third side wall 33 may be an acute angle. The side walls of the pillar 3 may also not extend in a straight line. For example, the second side wall 32 or the third side wall 33 of the pillar 3 may be curved. However, regardless of which embodiment the pillar 3 is arranged in, as long as a portion of the pillar 3 is disposed within the accommodation space 15, the first guide member 13 and the two second guide members 14 can be rollingly connected to the pillar 3 in multiple positions and multiple degrees of freedom to compensate for machining errors of the pillar 3 and reduce the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism 2 on the pillar 3.

[0035] The present invention provides a guide mechanism 1, comprising a mounting plate 11, a lifting plate 12, a first guide member 13, and a second guide member 14. The lifting plate 12, the first guide member 13, and the second guide member 14 are all mounted on the mounting plate 11, and the lifting plate 12 is connected to the conveying mechanism 2. At least two second guide members 14 are provided at intervals, with the first guide member 13 positioned between the two second guide members 14. The first guide member 13 and the two second guide members 14 form a receiving space 15, and at least a portion of the column 3 is positioned within the receiving space 15. The first guide member 13 and the two second guide members 14 are all in rolling contact with the sidewalls of the column 3. Compared to sliding friction, rolling friction has a smaller contact area, and multiple guide members contact the column 3 at multiple locations and multiple degrees of freedom. The contact area between the guide mechanism 1 and the column 3 is distributed across multiple locations and multiple degrees of freedom. The contact area between each guide member and the column 3 is smaller, resulting in a higher tolerance for assembly errors between the guide mechanism 1 and the column 3, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism 2 on the column 3. In addition, even if there is a certain processing error in the column 3, it will not affect the rolling connection between other guide members at different positions and different degrees of freedom and the column 3. The guide members work together to compensate for the processing error of the column 3, so that the column 3 does not require high processing precision, and the roughness requirement for the outer surface of the column 3 is low, which reduces the processing difficulty of the column 3.

[0036] In order to facilitate explanation of the specific structure of the guide mechanism 1 , the following explanation is given by taking an example in which all adjacent side walls of each side wall of the column 3 are perpendicular to each other.

[0037] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the second guide members 14 are grouped in pairs and are respectively mounted on opposite ends of the mounting plate 11 in the height direction N3. It can be understood that the two ends of the mounting plate 11 in the height direction N3 are the upper end of the mounting plate 11 and the lower end of the mounting plate 11 respectively; the second guide members 14 are grouped in pairs, which means that the guide mechanism 1 has two groups of second guide members 14, and each group includes two second guide members 14. The two groups of second guide members 14 are defined as a first guide group 101 and a second guide group 102, that is, the first guide group 101 has two second guide members 14, and the two second guide members 14 in the first guide group 101 are mounted on the upper end of the mounting plate 11 and respectively abut the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33; similarly, the second guide group 102 also has two second guide members 14, and the two second guide members 14 in the second guide group 102 are mounted on the lower end of the mounting plate 11 and respectively abut the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33. The second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33 are both supported by two second guide members 14, which increases the contact force of the guide mechanism 1 on the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33 to resist the torque of the guide mechanism 1 rotating about the first direction N1, reduces the possibility of the guide mechanism 1 deflecting relative to the column 3, and improves the accuracy of the guide mechanism 1 in a straight line in the height direction N3. In addition, during the process of the guide mechanism 1 being raised and lowered relative to the column 3 along the height direction N3, even if the column 3 is partially concave and convex so that one second guide member 14 cannot roll, the other second guide members 14 are still connected to the column 3 in a rolling manner, which is unlikely to affect the rolling of the guide mechanism 1 on the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33. The roughness requirements for the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33 are relatively low, which reduces the processing difficulty of the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33.

[0038] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, at least one first guide member 13 is disposed between the two second guide members 14 in each group, i.e., there is at least one first guide member 13 between the two second guide members 14 in the first guide group 101, and there is at least one first guide member 13 between the two second guide members 14 in the second guide group 102. In other words, the mounting plate 11 is provided with at least two first guide members 13. When the mounting plate 11 is provided with only two first guide members 13, one first guide member 13 is mounted on the upper end of the mounting plate 11, and the other first guide member 13 is mounted on the lower end of the mounting plate 11. The multiple first guide members 13 collectively abut against the first side wall 31, increasing the contact torque of the guide mechanism 1 on the first side wall 31 to resist the torque of the guide mechanism 1 rotating about the second direction N2, further reducing the possibility of the guide column 3 deflecting relative to the column 3. Moreover, multiple first guide members 13 act together. Even if the column 3 is partially concave and convex, which makes one first guide member 13 unable to roll, the other first guide members 13 are still connected to the first side wall 31 by rolling, which is not easy to affect the rolling of the guide mechanism 1 on the first side wall 31. The roughness requirement for the first side wall 31 is relatively low, which reduces the processing difficulty of the first side wall 31.

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, along the height direction N3 of the column 3, at least one first guide member 13 and a set of second guide members 14 are respectively provided at opposite ends of the lifting plate 12. In other words, the lifting plate 12 is disposed between the first guide group 101 and the second guide group 102, i.e., the lifting plate 12 is located between the upper and lower ends of the mounting plate 11. This can be simply understood as the lifting plate 12 being disposed in the middle of the mounting plate 11. In the height direction N3, the contact torque between each first guide member 13 and each second guide member 14 and the column 3 passes through the lifting plate 12. The contact torque between the second guide group 102 and the first guide member 13 below the lifting plate 12 and the column 3 resists the torque that intends to rotate the lifting plate 12 downward. The contact torque between the first guide group 101 and the first guide member 13 above the lifting plate 12 and the column 3 resists the torque that intends to rotate the lifting plate 12 upward. The upper and lower ends of the lifting plate 12 are supported by torque, which reduces the possibility of deflection of the lifting plate 12. The movement accuracy of the lifting plate 12 in the height direction N3 is relatively high, which is conducive to the conveying mechanism 2 connected to the lifting plate 12 to remain stable during the lifting process, so that after the conveying mechanism 2 moves to different heights, the material box still maintains a high position accuracy, which is conducive to the conveying mechanism 2 accurately conveying the material box to the designated position.

[0040] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the first guide member 13 and the second guide member 14 are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the mounting plate 11. For ease of explanation, the side of the mounting plate 11 close to the column 3 can be defined as the first side 111, and correspondingly, the side of the mounting plate 11 away from the column 3 can be defined as the second side 112. The mounting plate 11 is provided with an opening 113 extending therethrough, that is, the opening 113 connects the first side 111 and the second side 112. A portion of the first guide member 13 passes through the opening 113 and abuts against the column 3, that is, the first guide member 13 is mounted on the second side 112, and the second guide member 14 is mounted on the first side 111, and a portion of the first guide member 13 passes through the opening 113 and extends into the first side 111 to abut against the column 3. Compared to the embodiment in which the first guide member is mounted on the first side, the embodiment of the present invention mounts the first guide member 13 on the second side 112. This allows the spacing between the mounting plate 11 and the first sidewall 31 to be unrestricted by the volume of the first guide member 13. Consequently, the second guide member 14 does not need to extend significantly beyond the mounting plate 11. The mounting plate 11 is located closer to the first sidewall 31, shortening the distance between the mounting position and the force application point of each guide member. This reduces the likelihood of damage to each guide member due to large load-bearing torque. The connection between the guide mechanism 1 and the column 3 is highly reliable, which helps improve the load-bearing capacity of the conveying mechanism 2.

[0041] In some possible embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, an adjustment slot 114 and an adjustment member 16 can be provided on the mounting plate 11. Part of the second guide member 14 is limited in the adjustment slot 114. The adjustment member 16 passes through two second guide members 14 in the same group. The adjustment member 16 drives the two second guide members 14 or one of the second guide members 14 to move in the adjustment slot 114, thereby adjusting the distance between the two second guide members 14 in the same group. Specifically, the mounting shaft of the second guide member 14 is engaged in the adjustment slot 114, and the roller of the second guide member 14 rotates relative to the mounting shaft. The adjustment member 16 passes through the mounting shafts of the two second guide members 14 in the same group. The mounting shaft and the adjustment member 16 are threadedly engaged, and the threads of the two second guide members 14 in the same group rotate in opposite directions. Driving the adjustment member 16 can move the two second guide members 14 closer or farther away, thereby adjusting the distance between the two second guide members 14 in the same group so that the two second guide members 14 in the same group can fit on opposite sides of the column 3. Therefore, even if there is a dimensional error in the second direction N2 of the pillar 3, the two second guide members 14 in the same group can still fit the second side wall 32 and the third side wall 33 respectively, further reducing the difficulty of processing the pillar 3. At the same time, by adjusting the spacing between the two second guide members 14, the guide mechanism 1 can be assembled on pillars 3 of different sizes, making it compatible with pillars 3 of different sizes and providing greater flexibility.

[0042] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the lifting plate 12 is mounted on the side of the mounting plate 11 facing away from the column 3 (second side 112). As can be seen above, second side 112 is the outside of the mounting plate 11. Mounting the lifting plate 12 on the outside of the mounting plate 11 provides ample space for workers to assemble the lifting plate 12, facilitating assembly of the lifting plate 12. Furthermore, the spacing between the mounting plate 11 and the column 3 is unaffected by the thickness of the lifting plate 12. This allows the mounting plate 11 to be positioned close to the column 3, improving the reliability of the connection between the guide mechanism 1 and the column 3.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the embodiment of the present invention also provides a docking station 10, which includes the above-mentioned guide mechanism 1, and the docking station 10 also includes a column 3, a conveying mechanism 2 and a lifting mechanism 4. The column 3 is connected to the guide mechanism 1 in a rolling manner, the conveying mechanism 2 is connected to the lifting plate 12, and the lifting mechanism 4 is used to drive the guide mechanism 1 to rise and fall along the height direction N3. Along the first direction N1, the conveying mechanism 2 is used to reciprocate the material box between the depalletizer 30 and the sorting lines 20 at different heights. That is, the lifting mechanism 4 can drive the conveying mechanism 2 to move to different heights to receive the material boxes conveyed by the sorting lines 20 at different heights, and can also send the material boxes to the sorting lines 20 at different heights. The docking station 10 realizes the docking of the material boxes through the liftable conveying mechanism 2, and is compatible with the sorting lines 20 at different heights to transport the material boxes, and has high flexibility. In addition, since the docking station 10 provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned guide mechanism 1, it has the same technical effect, that is, the processing difficulty of the column 3 in the docking station 10 is relatively small, the difficulty of assembling the conveying mechanism 2 on the column 3 is relatively low, and the movement accuracy of the conveying mechanism 2 relative to the column 3 is relatively high, which is conducive to the material box remaining stable during the lifting and lowering process of the conveying mechanism 2, so as to improve the position accuracy of the material box after the conveying mechanism 2 moves to different heights.

[0044] It should be noted that, referring to Figure 1 , the lifting mechanism 4 can be driven by a hydraulic cylinder 41 as shown in the schematic diagram of the present invention, and is transmitted through a sprocket 42 and a chain (not shown in the figure). The sprocket 42 is connected to the power output end of the hydraulic cylinder 41, and the chain is wound on the sprocket 42, and one end of the chain is connected to the conveying mechanism 2, and the other end is fixed on the base 5 connected to the column 3. After the hydraulic cylinder 41 is driven, the sprocket 42 drives the end of the chain connected to the conveying mechanism 2 to move up and down, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the conveying mechanism 2. In some possible implementation schemes, the driving source of the lifting mechanism 4 can also be a motor; the transmission structure of the lifting mechanism 4 can be a synchronous wheel and synchronous belt, a gear rack, a roller wire rope, or a nut and screw structure. The embodiment of the present utility model does not limit the specific structure of the lifting mechanism 4, as long as the lifting mechanism 4 can drive the conveying mechanism 2 to rise and fall in the height direction N3.

[0045] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the docking station 10 has two columns 3 mounted on its base 5. These columns 3 are spaced apart and opposed to each other in a first direction N1, and each column 3 is in rolling connection with a guide mechanism 1. The two sets of guide mechanisms 1 work together to prevent the conveying mechanism 2 from disengaging from the columns 3 in the first direction N1 and increase the lever arm connecting the conveying mechanism 2 and the columns 3. This lever arm acts in the first direction N1, reducing the possibility of the conveying mechanism 2 tilting at either end in the first direction N1. Furthermore, the two sets of guide mechanisms 1 are connected together, resulting in a larger contact area, which improves the movement precision and smoothness of the conveying mechanism 2.

[0046] like Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a docking system, which includes the docking station 10 described above, as well as a sorting line 20, a depalletizer 30, and a handling robot 40. The sorting line 20 is used to deliver bins to the docking station 10 and also to receive bins delivered from the docking station 10. The depalletizer 30 is used to split a bin group into individual bins and sequentially deliver the split bins to the docking station 10 to achieve depalletizing. The depalletizer 30 is also used to stack the bins sequentially delivered from the sorting line 20 into bin groups to achieve palletizing. The handling robot 40 is provided with a buffer 401. The handling robot 40 is used to store bins in the buffer 401. When the handling robot 40 sequentially places multiple bins in the buffer 401, the multiple bins are stacked in the height direction N3 to form a bin group. The handling robot 40 is used to transport the bin group in the buffer 401 to the depalletizer 30 for depalletizing, thereby enabling the bins to be shipped out of the warehouse. After the depalletizer 30 stacks multiple bins into bin groups, the handling robot 40 is also used to transport the bin groups in the depalletizer 30 to the buffer 401 and move them to a designated location for storage. Because the docking system provided by the present invention includes the docking station 10, the conveying mechanism 2 in the docking station 10 has high motion accuracy. After the conveying mechanism 2 is raised and lowered to different heights, the bins remain stable during the raising and lowering process while maintaining good position accuracy. Therefore, the conveying mechanism 2 can smoothly transport the bins to the depalletizer 30 or the sorting line 20, thereby improving the docking efficiency of the docking system. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific structures of the handling robot 40, sorting line 20, and depalletizer 30. As long as the handling robot 40, sorting line 20, and depalletizer 30 can perform corresponding functions in the corresponding work sections, the sorting line 20 can be simply understood as an assembly line that can transport bins and enable workers to perform sorting and / or unpacking operations in a streamlined manner.

[0047] In some embodiments shown in the schematic diagram of this application, refer to Figure 7The handling robot 40 has a fork arm 402, which is used to lift the buffer position 401 and the material box group on the depalletizer 30. Figure 5 As shown, the depalletizing machine 30 includes a transport mechanism 301, a depalletizing conveyor line 302, and a depalletizing elevator 303. The depalletizing elevator 303 is connected to the depalletizing conveyor line 302 and drives the depalletizing conveyor line 302 to rise and fall in the height direction N3. The depalletizing elevator 303 can be a scissor-type elevator as shown in the schematic diagram of this application, or other sliding elevator structures, as long as it can drive the depalletizing conveyor line 302 to rise and fall. The transport mechanism 301 is installed on the frame and switches between a transport state and a retracted state. In the transport state, the transport mechanism 301 grabs the material box and the material box group. In the retracted state, the transport mechanism 301 avoids the movement of the material box and the material box group in the height direction N3.

[0048] like Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, the principle of depalletizing implemented by the docking system is as follows: the docking system receives the depalletizing instruction, and the handling robot 40 transports the material box group on the buffer position 401 to the depalletizing conveyor line 302. The handling mechanism 301 grabs the second-to-last layer of material boxes (a2) in the material box group, and the handling mechanism 301 limits the position of a2 and the material box groups above a2 (a3...an). Then, the depalletizing elevator 303 drives the depalletizing conveyor line 302 to descend to separate a1. Finally, the lifting mechanism 4 drives the conveying mechanism to rise and fall to the height of docking with the depalletizing conveyor line 302, and the depalletizing elevator 303 moves along Figure 6 The solid arrow in the figure conveys a1 to the conveying mechanism 2, and the lifting mechanism 4 drives the conveying mechanism 2 to the height of the corresponding sorting line 20 to convey a1 to the sorting line 20 at the corresponding height. Thereafter, this cycle continues until the depalletizer 30 sequentially separates the container group into multiple containers.

[0049] like Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, the principle of palletizing implemented by the docking system is as follows: the docking system receives the palletizing instruction, the lifting mechanism 4 drives the conveying mechanism 2 to rise and fall to the height of docking with the corresponding sorting line 20, and the sorting line 20 and the conveying mechanism 2 move along the palletizing line 20. Figure 6The dashed arrows indicate movement in the direction indicated by the dashed arrows. The sorting line 20 sequentially delivers multiple bins to the conveyor mechanism 2. For example, the sorting line 20 first delivers bin a3 to the conveyor mechanism 2. The lifting mechanism 4 then drives the conveyor mechanism 2 up to a height where it interfaces with the depalletizing conveyor line 302. The conveyor mechanism 2 then delivers bin a3 to the depalletizing conveyor line 302. The depalletizing elevator 303 drives the depalletizing conveyor line 302 upward, and the handling mechanism 301 grabs bin a3. The depalletizing elevator 303 then drives the depalletizing conveyor line 302 downward. The depalletizing conveyor line 302 receives bin a2 from the sorting line 20 and drives bin a2 to the bottom of bin a3. The transport mechanism 301 switches back to the retracted state, allowing a2 and a3 to be stacked on the depalletizing conveyor line 302. The depalletizing elevator 303 drives the depalletizing conveyor line 302 to rise again. The transport mechanism 301 switches back to the transport state and grabs a2, so that the stacked a2 and a3 are limited on the transport mechanism 301. The depalletizing conveyor line 302 continues to receive the next material box (such as a1), and the cycle continues. In some possible implementations, after the material boxes are stacked to a material box group (a1, a2...a10) of a specified height (such as ten layers), the transport mechanism 301 extends the fork arm 402 and removes the material box group on the depalletizing conveyor line 302.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A guide mechanism for guiding the lifting and lowering of a conveying mechanism relative to a column in a docking station, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism comprises: Mounting plate; a lifting plate, mounted on the mounting plate and connected to the conveying mechanism; a first guide member, mounted on the mounting plate; Second guide members are mounted on the mounting plate, and at least two are provided at intervals; The first guide member is located between the two second guide members, the first guide member and the two second guide members are combined to form a receiving space, at least part of the column is located in the receiving space, and the first guide member and the two second guide members are rollingly connected to the side walls of the column.

2. The guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The second guide members are grouped in pairs and are respectively mounted on opposite ends of the mounting plate along the height direction of the column.

3. The guide mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one first guide member is provided between the two second guide members in each group.

4. The guide mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: Along the height direction of the column, at least one first guide member and a group of second guide members are respectively provided at opposite ends of the lifting plate.

5. The guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The first guide member and the second guide member are respectively mounted on opposite sides of the mounting plate; Wherein, an opening is provided on the mounting plate, and a portion of the first guide member passes through the opening and abuts against the column.

6. The guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The mounting plate is provided with an adjusting slot and an adjusting member for adjusting the distance between the two second guide members. Part of the second guide member is limited in the adjusting slot, and the adjusting member passes through each of the second guide members.

7. The guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The lifting plate is installed on a side of the mounting plate away from the column.

8. A docking station, characterized in that: The guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the docking station further comprises: A column, rollingly connected to the guide mechanism; A conveying mechanism connected to the lifting plate; along a first direction, the conveying mechanism is used to reciprocate the material box between the depalletizer and the sorting lines at different heights; The lifting mechanism is used to drive the guide mechanism to move up and down along the height direction of the column.

9. The docking station according to claim 8, characterized in that The docking station is provided with two columns, which are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction, and each column is rollingly connected to a guide mechanism.

10. A docking system, characterized in that: The docking station according to claim 9, wherein the docking system further comprises: A sorting line is used to deliver boxes to the docking station and receive boxes delivered by the docking station; a depalletizer for splitting a material box group into individual material boxes, conveying the material boxes sequentially to the docking station, and stacking the material boxes conveyed sequentially by the sorting line into material box groups; The transport robot is provided with a cache position, and is used to store the material box in the cache position and transport the material box group on the cache position to the depalletizer; the transport robot is also used to transport the material box group in the depalletizer to the cache position.

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