Warehousing device and warehousing system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a warehousing device and a warehousing system, the warehousing device comprises a plurality of groups of goods shelf units arranged at intervals, and each group of goods shelf unit comprises a first robot goods shelf and a second robot goods shelf; a first robot channel is arranged between every two adjacent goods shelf units. A first butt joint channel is arranged at the bottom of the first robot goods shelf; a second robot channel is arranged between the first robot goods shelf and a material box carrying destination. The first robot runs along the first robot channel and at least takes and places the material boxes between the first robot goods shelf and the second robot goods shelf, and goods do not need to be conveyed to interact with the work station, and the second robot goods shelf is provided with a plurality of temporary storage bin positions. The second robot drives the second robot goods shelf to run along the first butt joint channel and the second robot channel, a plurality of material boxes can be put in or put out of a warehouse at a time, and the goods taking and putting efficiency is improved; the first robot and the second robot do not need to share a channel, the problem that mutual avoidance is needed is solved, and the carrying efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of warehousing, in particular to a warehousing device and a warehousing system. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, a warehousing system generally includes multiple shelves, a first robot, a second robot, and two workstations for docking with the first robot and the second robot respectively; the first robot is used to transport goods between the upper layers of the shelves and the workstations, and the second robot is used to transport goods between the lower layers of the shelves and the workstations.

[0003] Both the first and second robots need to carry goods back and forth between the shelves and the workstation, resulting in low cargo handling efficiency. Furthermore, the first and second robots need to share a common aisle when working, and the two robots may have to avoid each other, further reducing their handling efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a storage device and a storage system to improve handling efficiency. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a storage device, characterized in that it includes: a plurality of groups of shelf units arranged at intervals, each group of the shelf units includes a first robot shelf and a second robot shelf; the first robot shelf includes a first storage space and a first receiving space; the first storage space is provided with a plurality of storage locations for storing material boxes; the first receiving space is provided below the first storage space for receiving the second robot shelf; the second robot shelf includes a second storage space and a second receiving space; the second storage space is provided with a plurality of temporary storage locations for temporarily storing material boxes; the second receiving space is provided below the second storage space for allowing a second robot to move the second robot shelf;

[0006] A first robot channel for the first robot to travel is provided between adjacent shelf units, and the first robot is configured to pick up and place material boxes at least between the first robot shelf and the second robot shelf; a first docking channel for the second robot to travel is provided at the bottom of the first storage space of the first robot shelf, so that the first robot and the second robot can interact on the first docking channel; a one-way or two-way second robot channel for the second robot to travel is provided between the first robot shelf and the destination of the material box transportation.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present application, the first robot channel is parallel to the side of the shelf unit in the length direction; the first docking channel is parallel to the first robot channel; and the second robot channel extends from the end of the shelf unit in the length direction to the destination.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, each group of the shelf units includes: a plurality of the first robot shelves and a plurality of the second robot shelves; the plurality of the first robot shelves are arranged closely in two rows, and each of the second robot shelves is configured to move to the first storage space of each of the first robot shelves under the drive of the second robot; the first docking channels below the first robot shelves in the same row are connected; the first docking channels at the bottom of the left and right rows of the first storage spaces are connected through a switching channel, so that the second robot can move between the left and right first docking channels.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the first robot shelf is provided with a plurality of first support columns, which extend toward the ground to form the first storage space; the second robot shelf is provided with a plurality of second support columns, which extend toward the ground to form the second storage space.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the length and width of the cross section of the first robot shelf are greater than the length and width of the cross section of the second robot shelf; and the height of the first accommodation space of the first robot shelf is greater than the height of the second robot shelf.

[0011] An embodiment of a second aspect of the present application provides a warehousing system, comprising the warehousing device according to any of the above embodiments, a first robot, and a second robot; the first robot is disposed between adjacent shelf units and is configured to travel along the first robot aisle to move a container from a storage location on the first robot shelf to a temporary storage location on the second robot shelf, or to move a container from a temporary storage location on the second robot shelf to a storage location on the first robot shelf;

[0012] The second robot is configured to travel along the first docking channel and interact with the first robot; or travel along the second robot channel to transport the second robot shelf loaded with the boxes to be shipped out from the first storage space to the destination, or to transport the second robot shelf loaded with the boxes to be shipped in to the first storage space of the first robot shelf.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the first robot includes: a first motion chassis, a column gantry and a transport mechanism; the first motion chassis moves along the first robot channel; the column gantry is installed on the first motion chassis in a vertical direction; the transport mechanism is arranged on the column gantry and is configured to pick up and place boxes of different heights on the first robot shelf.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the transport mechanism includes: a lifting assembly and a fork assembly; the lifting assembly is arranged on the column gantry and is configured to drive the fork assembly to move up and down along the vertical direction of the first robot shelf; the fork assembly is installed on the lifting assembly and is configured to extend out of the column gantry to pick up and place the material box.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the first robot further includes: a storage unit; the storage unit is fixedly arranged on the column gantry; the storage unit includes a plurality of storage layers arranged in sequence along the column gantry;

[0016] The first robot is further configured to move multiple material boxes in the storage locations of the first robot shelf to the storage layer in sequence, and then move multiple material boxes on the storage layer to the temporary storage locations of the second robot shelf; or move multiple material boxes on the temporary storage locations of the second robot shelf to the storage layer, and then move multiple material boxes on the storage layer to the storage locations of the first robot shelf.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the first robot is further used to travel along the first robot channel to move the material boxes in the storage location of the first robot shelf to the storage locations of other first robot shelves; or to move the material boxes on the temporary storage locations of the second robot shelf to the temporary storage locations of other second robot shelves.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the second robot is a lifting mobile robot; the height of the second storage space of the second robot shelf is higher than that of the lifting mobile robot; so that the lifting mobile robot is configured to move into the second storage space, lift the second robot shelf and move it or place the second robot shelf on the ground.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, the second robot channel includes: a first driving channel whose destination is a workstation and a second driving channel whose destination is a review and packaging area; the second robot is configured to transport the second robot shelf carrying the loaded material box to the workstation along the first driving channel for picking and shipping; or transport the second robot shelf carrying the loaded material box to the first robot shelf for material box warehousing; the second robot is also configured to transport the second robot shelf carrying the loaded material box to the review and packaging area along the second driving channel to pack and ship all the goods in the material box; or transport the empty second robot shelf to the first robot shelf.

[0020] The embodiments of the present application provide such a storage device and storage system, in which the first robot only needs to carry the material boxes between the first robot shelf and the second robot shelf, and does not need to transport the material boxes to the workstation, which shortens the travel distance of the first robot and improves the material box handling efficiency of the first robot. The second robot shelf is provided with multiple temporary storage locations, and the second robot can drive the second robot shelf to move, so that the second robot can take out or store multiple material boxes at a time, which improves the material box handling efficiency of the second robot; the first robot travels along the first robot channel, and the second robot travels along the first docking channel and the second robot channel, without the need to share a channel, which solves the problem of the two robots needing to avoid each other and improves the material box handling efficiency. In addition, the workstation only needs to dock with the second robot, and there is no need to set up two workstations to dock with the two robots respectively, which simplifies the structure and control of the storage system.

[0021] Of course, any product implementing the present invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a storage device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first robot shelf and the second robot shelf in the illustrated embodiment;

[0025] Figure 3a for Figure 2 A top view of the first robotic shelf is shown;

[0026] Figure 3b for Figure 2 A top view of the second robotic rack is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic top view of a first embodiment of a storage system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial docking diagram of the storage system shown;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic top view of a second embodiment of the storage system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic top view of a third embodiment of the storage system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of the first robot in the illustrated embodiment;

[0032] Figure 9 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the second robot in the embodiment shown.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] Shelf unit 1;

[0035] First robotic shelf 100; first storage space 110; storage bin 111; first accommodation space 120; first support column 121;

[0036] Second robotic shelf 200; second storage space 210; temporary storage location 211; second storage space 220; second support column 221;

[0037] First robot 300; first moving chassis 310; column gantry 320; transport mechanism 330; lifting assembly 331; fork assembly 332; storage unit 340; storage shelf 341;

[0038] Second robot 400; second motion chassis 410; lifting mechanism 420; lifting platform 430;

[0039] First robot channel 500; first docking channel 610; switching channel 620;

[0040] Second robot channel 700; first travel channel 710; second travel channel 720;

[0041] Material box 800; workstation 910; review and packaging area 920. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on this application are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] As mentioned in the background technology, in the related technology, the warehousing system usually includes multiple shelves, a first robot, a second robot, and two workstations for docking with the first robot and the second robot respectively; the first robot is used to transport goods between the upper layers of the shelves and the workstations, and the second robot is used to transport goods between the lower layers of the shelves and the workstations.

[0044] Both the first and second robots need to carry goods back and forth between the shelves and the workstation, resulting in low cargo handling efficiency. Furthermore, the first and second robots need to share a common aisle when working, and the two robots may have to avoid each other, further reducing their handling efficiency.

[0045] In order to improve the handling efficiency, the embodiments of the present invention provide a storage device and a storage system, which are described in detail below.

[0046] First, the storage device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0047] See also Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a storage device provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first robot shelf and the second robot shelf in the illustrated embodiment; Figure 3a for Figure 2 A top view of the first robotic shelf is shown; Figure 3b for Figure 2 A top view of the second robotic rack is shown; Figure 4 A schematic top view of the first embodiment of the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the storage device includes: a plurality of groups of shelf units 1 arranged at intervals, each group of shelf units 1 includes a first robot shelf 100 and a second robot shelf 200.

[0049] The first robot rack 100 includes a first storage space 110 and a first accommodating space 120 ; the first storage space 110 is provided with a plurality of storage bins 111 for storing material boxes 800 ; the first accommodating space 120 is provided at the lower part of the first storage space 110 for accommodating the second robot rack 200 .

[0050] The second robot shelf 200 includes a second storage space 210 and a second accommodating space 220; the second storage space 210 is provided with a plurality of temporary storage locations 211 for temporarily storing material boxes 800; the second accommodating space 220 is provided at the lower part of the second storage space 210, for allowing the second robot 400 to move the second robot shelf 200.

[0051] A first robot channel 500 for the first robot 300 to travel is provided between adjacent shelf units 1 . The first robot 300 is configured to pick up and place the material box 800 at least between the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200 .

[0052] A first docking channel 610 for the second robot 400 to travel is provided at the bottom of the first accommodation space 120 of the first robot rack 100 , so that the first robot 300 and the second robot 400 can interact on the first docking channel 610 .

[0053] A unidirectional or bidirectional second robot channel 700 for the second robot 400 to travel is provided between the first robot shelf 100 and the destination of the material box 800 .

[0054] The present embodiment provides a warehousing device in which the first robot 300 only needs to move boxes 800 between the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200, eliminating the need to transport the boxes 800 to a workstation. This shortens the travel distance of the first robot 300 and improves the box handling efficiency of the first robot 300. The second robot shelf 200 is equipped with multiple temporary storage locations 211. The second robot 400 can drive the second robot shelf 200, allowing the second robot 400 to load or unload multiple boxes 800 at a time, improving the box handling efficiency of the second robot 400. The first robot 300 travels along the first robot aisle 500, while the second robot 400 travels along the first docking aisle 610 and the second robot aisle 700. Without sharing a common aisle, this eliminates the need for the two robots to avoid each other and improves box handling efficiency. Furthermore, the workstation only needs to dock with the second robot 400, eliminating the need to set up two workstations to dock with each robot, simplifying the structure and control of the warehousing system.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the first robot channel 500 is parallel to the side of the shelf unit 1 in the length direction; the first docking channel 610 is parallel to the first robot channel 500; and the second robot channel 700 extends from the end of the shelf unit 1 in the length direction to the destination.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present application, the second robot shelf 200 can also be configured as a pallet, and the pallet can be divided into multiple temporary storage locations 211 for stacking material boxes 800. In other embodiments of the present application, the second robot shelf 200 can also be used to store special-shaped parts that cannot be handled by the first robot 300. Special-shaped parts can be moved from the second robot shelf 200 by the second robot 400 along the first docking channel 610 and the second robot channel 700 for storage and retrieval.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 4 As shown, each group of shelf units 1 includes: multiple first robot shelves 100 and multiple second robot shelves 200; multiple first robot shelves 100 are arranged closely in two rows, and each second robot shelf 200 is configured to move to the first storage space 120 of each first robot shelf 100 under the drive of the second robot 400; the first docking channels 610 below the first robot shelves 100 in the same row are connected; the first docking channels 610 at the bottom of the left and right rows of first storage spaces 120 are connected through a switching channel 620, so that the second robot 400 can move between the left and right first docking channels 610.

[0058] Specifically, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 4 The partial docking diagram of the storage device is shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in the shelf unit 1, a switching channel 620 is provided at the bottom of every two closely arranged first robot shelves 100. The second robot 400, driving the second robot shelf 200, can travel along the first docking channel 610 to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100 and interact with the first robot 300 on the side of the target first robot shelf 100. Alternatively, the second robot 400 can travel along the first docking channel 610 to the first storage space 120 of the first robot shelf 100 that is closely adjacent to the left or right side of the target first robot shelf 100, and then move along the switching channel 620 to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100 and interact with the first robot 300 on the side of the target first robot shelf 100.

[0059] Applying the embodiment of the present application, the route for the second robot to travel to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100 can be to travel in a straight line along the first docking channel 610 below the target first robot shelf 100 to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100; or it can be to travel in a straight line along the first docking channel 610 below the first robot shelf 100 that is closely adjacent to the left or right side of the target first robot shelf 100, move to the first docking channel 610 below the target first robot shelf 100 through the switching channel 620 during travel, and then continue to travel to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100.

[0060] The above-mentioned driving mode allows the second robot 400 to go to the first storage space 120 of the target first robot shelf 100, which can be selected according to the actual state of the first docking channel 610. For example, if the second robot shelf 200 already exists on the first docking channel 610 below the current target first robot shelf 100, blocking the driving of the second robot 400, the second robot 400 can change the channel through the switching channel 620, thereby improving the handling efficiency of the second robot and the practicality of the warehousing system.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first robot shelf 100 is provided with multiple first support columns 121, which extend toward the ground to form a first accommodating space 120; the second robot shelf 200 is provided with multiple second support columns 221, which extend toward the ground to form a second accommodating space 220.

[0062] By using the embodiments of the present application, a first storage space 120 is formed by a simple first support column 121, which can provide multiple channels for the second robot 400 to drive the second robot shelf 200 to move, making the storage and retrieval operations more flexible. At the same time, a second storage space 220 is formed by a simple second support column 221, which can provide multiple channels for the second robot 400 to move to the bottom of the second robot shelf 200, allowing the second robot 400 to move to the bottom of the second robot shelf 200 from all directions without being restricted in the direction of movement. At the same time, through the second storage space 220, the second robot 400 can lift the second robot shelf 200 off the ground or place the second robot shelf 200 on the ground.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 2 、 Figure 3a and Figure 3bAs shown, the length and width of the cross section of the first robot rack 100 are greater than those of the second robot rack 200 ; the height of the first accommodation space 120 of the first robot rack 100 is greater than that of the second robot rack 200 .

[0064] By applying the embodiment of the present application, the length and width of the cross-section of the first robot shelf 100 are greater than the length and width of the cross-section of the second robot shelf 200, so that the first robot shelf 100 can accommodate the second robot shelf 200; and the number of storage locations 111 of the first robot shelf 100 can be increased. In addition, multiple first robot shelves 100 are arranged sequentially along their length direction, which can also increase the number of storage locations 111 and improve the storage capacity of the first robot shelf 100.

[0065] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a top view of the second embodiment of the storage system provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the multiple shelf units 1 of the storage device provided in the embodiment of the present application can be arranged according to Figure 4 Arrange in a single line as shown; or Figure 6 As shown in an array, the ends of the first robot channels 500 in the same column are connected, and the ends of the first docking channels 610 in the same column are connected.

[0066] Next, the storage system provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0067] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a top view of the third embodiment of the storage system provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the warehousing system provided by the embodiment of the present application includes: multiple shelf units 1, a first robot 300 and a second robot 400; wherein, each shelf unit 1 includes: a first robot shelf 100 and a second robot shelf 200.

[0068] The first robot rack 100 includes a first storage space 110 and a first accommodating space 120 ; the first storage space 110 is provided with a plurality of storage bins 111 for storing material boxes 800 ; the first accommodating space 120 is provided at the lower part of the first storage space 110 for accommodating the second robot rack 200 .

[0069] The second robot shelf 200 includes a second storage space 210 and a second accommodating space 220; the second storage space 210 is provided with a plurality of temporary storage locations 211 for temporarily storing material boxes 800; the second accommodating space 220 is provided at the lower part of the second storage space 210, for allowing the second robot 400 to move the second robot shelf 200.

[0070] A first robot channel 500 for the first robot 300 to travel is provided between adjacent shelf units 1 . The first robot 300 is used to pick up and place material boxes 800 at least between the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200 .

[0071] A first docking channel 610 for the second robot 400 to travel is provided at the bottom of the first accommodation space 120 of the first robot rack 100 , so that the first robot 300 and the second robot 400 can interact on the first docking channel 610 .

[0072] A unidirectional or bidirectional second robot channel 700 for the second robot 400 to travel is provided between the first robot shelf 100 and the destination of the material box 800 .

[0073] The first robot 300 is arranged between adjacent shelf units 1 and is configured to travel along the first robot channel 500 to move the material box 800 in the storage location 111 of the first robot shelf 100 to the temporary storage location 211 of the second robot shelf 200, or to move the material box 800 on the temporary storage location 211 of the second robot shelf 200 to the storage location 111 of the first robot shelf 100.

[0074] The second robot 400 is configured to travel along the first docking channel 610 and interact with the first robot 300; or travel along the second robot channel 700 to transport the second robot shelf 200 loaded with the material box 800 to be shipped out from the first storage space 120 to the destination, or to transport the second robot shelf 200 loaded with the material box 800 to be shipped in to the first storage space 120 of the first robot shelf 100.

[0075] In the warehousing system provided by the present application, the first robot 300 picks up and places the material boxes 800 between the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200 without the need to transport the goods and interact with the workstation. The second robot shelf 200 is provided with multiple temporary storage locations 211. The second robot 400 can drive the second robot shelf 200 to move, so that the second robot 400 can take out or put in multiple material boxes 800 at a time, thereby improving the efficiency of picking and placing goods; the first robot 300 travels along the first robot channel 500, and the second robot 400 travels along the first docking channel 610 and the second robot channel 700, without the need to share a channel, which solves the problem that the two robots need to avoid each other and improves the handling efficiency of the robots.

[0076] It should be noted that the shelf unit 1, the first robot channel 500, the first docking channel 610, and the second robot channel 700 in this embodiment constitute the aforementioned storage device, and its specific structure can be found in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the first robot 300 is also used to travel along the first robot channel 500 to move the material box 800 in the storage location 111 in the first robot shelf 100 to the storage location 111 in other first robot shelves 100; or, to move the material box 800 on the temporary storage location 211 of the second robot shelf 200 to the temporary storage location 211 of other second robot shelves 200.

[0078] Specifically, the destination of the transport of the material box 800 can be a workstation. The first robot 300 can move the material box 800 from the first robot shelf 100 to other first robot shelves 100 through the above process of moving the material box 800 from the workstation to the first robot shelf 100 close to the workstation, thereby improving the efficiency of outbound delivery. Alternatively, the first robot 300 can move the material box 800 containing the same type of goods scattered across multiple second robot shelves 200 to the same second robot shelf 200 through the above process of moving the material box 800 from the second robot shelf 200 to other second robot shelves 200, thereby saving the temporary storage space 211 on the second robot shelf 200. By applying the embodiments of the present application, the first robot 300 is equipped with a sorting function, thereby improving the efficiency of the warehousing system in terms of inbound and outbound delivery.

[0079] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the structure of the first robot in the embodiment shown is as follows. Figure 8As shown, the first robot 300 includes: a first moving chassis 310, a column gantry 320 and a transport mechanism 330; the first moving chassis 310 moves along the first robot channel; the column gantry 320 is installed on the first moving chassis 310 in the vertical direction; the transport mechanism 330 is arranged on the column gantry 320 and is configured to pick up and place material boxes 800 at different heights on the first robot shelf 100.

[0080] Specifically, if Figure 7 As shown, the first robot 300 can pick up and place goods from the two rows of first robot shelves on the left or right side of the first robot channel 500, reducing the number of robots in the storage system and simplifying the storage system structure.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 9 As shown, the transport mechanism 330 of the first robot 300 includes: a lifting assembly 331 and a fork assembly 332; the lifting assembly 331 is arranged on the column door frame 320, and is configured to drive the fork assembly 332 to move up and down along the vertical direction of the first robot shelf 100; the fork assembly 332 is installed on the lifting assembly 331, and is configured to extend out of the column door frame 320 to pick up and place the material box 800.

[0082] Specifically, the first robot rack 100 and the second robot rack 200 can both be double-deep racks, i.e., racks capable of accommodating two bins 800 in the width direction. The fork assembly 332 of the first robot 300 is capable of accessing and placing two deep bins 800. A rotating assembly is provided at the bottom of the fork assembly 332, allowing it to rotate relative to the first motion chassis 310, aligning the opening of the fork assembly 332 toward the shelf unit 1 on the left or right side of the first robot 300, thereby accessing and placing bins 800 from the shelf units 1 on both sides.

[0083] Take warehousing as an example, Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the lifting assembly 331 can move the fork assembly 332 up and down in the height direction, so that it moves to the height corresponding to the material box 800 on the second robot shelf 200, and removes the material box 800; then move the fork assembly 332 to the height corresponding to the idle storage position 111, and the fork assembly 332 moves the material box 800 to be stored to the idle storage position 111.

[0084] The fork assembly 332 may include a telescopic structure that extends into the first robotic rack 100 or the second robotic rack 200 to retrieve and place containers 800 located in single-deep and / or multi-deep positions. The fork assembly 332 may be in the form of a fork arm, a suction cup, a roller, or a hook arm.

[0085] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 8 As shown, the first robot 300 further includes: a storage unit 340 ; the storage unit 340 is fixedly disposed on the column gantry 320 ; the storage unit 340 includes a plurality of storage layers 341 sequentially arranged along the column gantry 320 .

[0086] The first robot 300 is also configured to move the multiple material boxes 800 in the storage positions 111 of the first robot shelf 100 to the storage layer 341 in sequence, and then move the multiple material boxes 800 on the storage layer 341 to the temporary storage position 211 of the second robot shelf 200; or move the multiple material boxes 800 on the temporary storage position 211 of the second robot shelf 200 to the storage layer 341, and then move the multiple material boxes 800 on the storage layer 341 to the storage position 111 of the first robot shelf 100.

[0087] Specifically, the interval between the storage layers 341 is greater than the height of the material box 800. When there are multiple material boxes 800 to be shipped out, the first robot 300 can first take out the material box 800 from the storage position 111 of the first robot shelf 100 and place it on the storage layer 341. When the goods are taken out or the storage layer 341 is full, it is moved to the second robot shelf 200 for delivery.

[0088] In addition, when the material box 800 to be shipped on the first robot shelf 100 is close to the second robot shelf 200, the first robot 300 can also take the material box 800 from the storage location 111 of the first robot shelf 100, without temporarily storing it in the storage unit 340, and directly place it on the second robot shelf 200; or, when the material box 800 to be shipped on the second robot shelf 200 is close to the first robot shelf 100, the first robot 300 can also take the material box 800 from the temporary storage location 211 of the second robot shelf 200, without temporarily storing it in the storage unit 340, and directly place it on the first robot shelf 100. By applying the embodiments of the present application, the first robot 300 is equipped with a temporary storage function, and the efficiency of picking and placing goods by the first robot 300 is improved.

[0089] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 9 , Figure 9 for Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the structure of the second robot in the embodiment shown is as follows. Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, the second robot 400 is a lifting mobile robot; the height of the second storage space 220 of the second robot shelf 200 is higher than the lifting mobile robot; so that the lifting mobile robot is configured to move into the second storage space 220, lift the second robot shelf 200 to move or place the second robot shelf 200 on the ground.

[0090] like Figure 9 As shown, the second robot 400 includes a second motion chassis 410, a lifting mechanism 420, and a lifting platform 430. The second motion chassis 410 is located at the bottom of the second robot 400 and may include universal wheels to enable multi-directional movement. The lifting mechanism 420 and the lifting platform 430 are located on top of the second motion chassis 410. When the second robot 400 is located in the second storage space 220 of the second robot rack 200, the lifting mechanism 420 can raise the lifting platform 430 to a certain height, allowing the second robot rack 200 to be lifted off the ground and move with the second robot 400.

[0091] Specifically, the height of the second storage space 220 of the second robot shelf 200 is higher than that of the lifting mobile robot; in this way, the lifting mobile robot can move into the second storage space 220, lift the lifting platform 430 through the lifting mechanism 420, so that the lifting platform 430 contacts the top of the second storage space 220, and then lift the entire second robot shelf 200 and drive the entire second robot shelf 200 to move; or lower the lifting platform 430 through the lifting mechanism 420 to place the second robot shelf 200 on the ground.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the second robot channel 700 includes: a first driving channel 710 whose destination is the workstation 910 and a second driving channel 720 whose destination is the review and packaging area 920.

[0093] The second robot 400 is configured to move the second robot shelf 200 carrying the loaded material box 800 to the workstation 910 along the first driving channel 710 for picking and shipping; or to move the second robot shelf 200 loaded with the material box 800 to the first robot shelf 100 for storing the material box.

[0094] The second robot 400 is also configured to transport the second robot shelf 200 carrying the loaded material box 800 along the second driving channel 720 to the review and packaging area 920 to pack all the goods in the material box 800 for shipment; or to transport the empty second robot shelf 200 to the first robot shelf 100.

[0095] The following is based on Figure 7 The embodiment shown provides a detailed description of the storage and outbound process.

[0096] In the warehousing system of the embodiment of the present application, a control device can also be provided, which can communicate with the first robot 300 and the second robot 400 to control the first robot 300 and the second robot 400 to complete the functions of picking up and placing goods and entering and leaving the warehouse.

[0097] Specifically, the process of outbound delivery can be controlled by a control device, which includes the following steps:

[0098] Step A: According to the position of the storage location 111 where the to-be-out material box 800 is located in the first robotic shelf 100 , the second robotic shelf 200 closest to the storage location is selected to determine the optimal docking position of the first docking channel 610 .

[0099] Here, the selected second robot rack 200 may be one that has no loaded boxes, i.e., is completely idle, or one that has been partially loaded with boxes 800 but has an idle temporary storage location 211. As long as the second robot rack 200 can load the boxes 800 to be shipped, it will be sufficient.

[0100] Step B: Control the second robot 400 to drive the selected second robot shelf 200 to move to the optimal docking position.

[0101] Step C: Control the first robot 300 to move along the first robot channel 500 to the position of the storage column where the to-be-out material box 800 is located. The storage column refers to a column formed by a plurality of storage bins 111 in the vertical direction.

[0102] Step D, control the first robot 300, use the lifting assembly 331 to move the fork assembly 332 up and down along the height direction of the first robot shelf 100, so that it moves to the height corresponding to the storage position 111 where the to-be-outbound material box 800 is located, and use the fork assembly 332 to take out the to-be-outbound material box 800 and move it to the vacant temporary storage position 211 of the second robot shelf 200.

[0103] If there are multiple boxes 800 to be shipped out, a new optimal docking position can be determined based on the position of the boxes 800 to be shipped out on the first robot shelf 100, and the above steps B to D can be repeated to move all the boxes 800 to be shipped out to the vacant temporary storage position 211 of the second robot shelf 200.

[0104] In step E, after the second robot shelf 200 is full or a predetermined time is reached, the second robot 400 is controlled to move the second robot shelf 200 to a destination along the second robot channel 700 .

[0105] When the goods to be shipped are in the shipping box 800 and there are goods that do not need to be shipped in the shipping box 800, the second robot 400 is controlled to travel along the first driving channel 710 to the workstation 910.

[0106] At the workstation 910, the goods to be shipped out can be picked out manually and shipped out, and other goods that do not need to be shipped out can be kept in the raw material box 800. At the same time, the goods to be stored can be added to the raw material box 800. As a material box 800 to be stored, the second robot 400 transports it to the first robot shelf 100 for storage.

[0107] When the material box 800 to be shipped out needs to be shipped out in its entirety, that is, when the material box 800 to be shipped out is filled with goods to be shipped out, the second robot 400 is controlled to travel along the second driving channel 720 to the review and packaging area 920, and directly ships out after completing the automatic review and packaging; after shipping out, the second robot 400 moves the empty second robot shelf 200 back to the first robot shelf 100.

[0108] During the warehousing process, the goods are first loaded manually onto the second robot 400. Specifically, at the workstation 910, the goods to be stored can be manually placed into the storage bin 800, which is then placed on the vacant temporary storage location 211 of the second robot 400. The control device then executes the following steps:

[0109] Step F, according to the position of the idle storage position 111 of the first robot shelf 100, based on the principle of from near to far and / or the number of the to-be-stored material boxes 800 on the shelf of the second robot 200 ≤ the number of multiple idle storage positions 111 concentrated at the position of the first robot shelf 100, allocate the idle storage position 111 to the second robot shelf 200.

[0110] The second robotic rack 200 in this step can be the second robotic rack 200 that has been fully loaded at the workstation 910 , or it can be the second robotic rack 200 that is not fully loaded. It only needs to be loaded with the material box 800 to be stored.

[0111] Step G: Determine the optimal docking position of the first docking channel 610 based on the position of the allocated free storage space 111 .

[0112] In step H, the second robot 400 is controlled to drive the second robot shelf 200 loaded with the material box 800 to be stored to move to the optimal docking position.

[0113] At the optimal docking position, the vertical position of the to-be-stored material box 800 on the second robotic shelf 200 corresponds to the position of the storage column where the vacant storage location 111 is located.

[0114] Step I: Control the first robot 300 to move along the first robot channel 500 to the position of the storage column where the vacant storage location 111 is located.

[0115] Step J, control the first robot 300, use the lifting assembly 331 to move the fork assembly 332 up and down in the vertical direction, so that it moves to the height corresponding to the to-be-stored material box 800 on the second robot 400, and use the fork assembly 332 to load the to-be-stored material box 800 onto the fork assembly 332; and use the lifting assembly 331 to move the fork assembly 332 upward in the height direction of the first robot shelf 100, so that the loaded to-be-stored material box 800 moves to the height corresponding to the vacant storage position 111, and use the fork assembly 332 to move the to-be-stored material box 800 to the vacant storage position 111 of the first robot shelf 100.

[0116] If there are multiple boxes 800 to be stored, a new optimal docking position can be determined based on the position of the boxes 800 to be stored on the first robotic shelf 100, and steps H to J above are repeated to move all the boxes 800 to be stored to the vacant storage locations 111 of the first robotic shelf 100. This completes the storage operation.

[0117] By applying the embodiments of the present application, the following beneficial effects can be achieved:

[0118] First, in the embodiment of the present application, the first robot 300 can transport the material box 800 on the first robot shelf 100 to the second robot shelf 200, or store the material box 800 on the second robot shelf 200 on the first robot shelf 100. The first robot 300 is only responsible for picking up and placing goods, and does not need to drive out of the shelf unit 1. The second robot 400 only transports the second robot shelf 200 to the workstation 910 for picking the goods in pieces or shipping out the whole box, which improves the picking and placing efficiency of the first robot 300. At the same time, the operator of the workstation 910 does not need to interact with multiple robots, which reduces the complexity of the operation, can improve the picking efficiency of the operator, reduce the intensity and difficulty of manual labor, and reduce the difficulty of training operators in the warehousing industry.

[0119] Second, in the embodiment of the present application, through the picking and placing of goods by the first robot 300, when only part of the goods in the material box 800 need to be shipped out, the material box 800 containing the goods that need to be shipped out can be transported to the second robot shelf 200, and then transported to the workstation 910 by the second robot 400. After manual picking at the workstation 910, the goods that do not need to be shipped out are retained in the raw material box 800, and then the second robot 400 transports the second robot shelf 200 loaded with the raw material box 800 to the first robot shelf 100, and the first robot 300 moves the raw material box 800 to the first robot shelf 100.

[0120] This method can improve the shelf hit rate of the second robot 400; at the same time, when the material boxes 800 of the second robot shelf 400 all need to be shipped out in full boxes, the number of times the second robot 400 carries out the work is reduced, and the handling efficiency of the second robot 400 is improved.

[0121] Third, in the embodiment of the present application, the containers 800 stored on both the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200 can be moved by the second robot 400 via the second robot shelf 200. The second robot shelf 200 is provided with multiple temporary storage locations 211. Therefore, multiple containers 800 can be transferred during a single transfer by the second robot 400, thereby improving transfer efficiency. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the use of the first robot shelf 100 and the second robot shelf 200 to store and transfer containers 800 increases vertical storage space compared to a solution in which only the second robot shelf is used for storage and transfer.

[0122] Fourth, in the embodiment of the present application, for the scenario of full-case delivery, that is, the scenario where all the goods in the container need to be delivered, the first robot 300 can move the container 800 from the first robot shelf 100 to the second robot shelf 200, and then the second robot 400 can move the second robot shelf 200 to the review and packaging area 920. After the process is completed, the second robot 400 is triggered to move the second robot shelf 200 back. Therefore, the second robot shelf 200 can play the dual role of transportation and buffering.

[0123] Fifth, in the embodiment of the present application, for the scenario of full-box delivery, the material box 800 is transported from the first robot shelf 100 to the picking area of ​​the workstation 910 and shipped out. Since full-box delivery does not require manual picking, unmanned picking can be achieved, which has the effect of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

[0124] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A storage device, characterized in that: include: A plurality of groups of shelf units (1) arranged at intervals, each group of the shelf units (1) comprising a first robot shelf (100) and a second robot shelf (200); The first robot shelf (100) comprises a first storage space (110) and a first accommodating space (120); the first storage space (110) is provided with a plurality of storage bins (111) for storing material boxes (800); the first accommodating space (120) is provided at the lower portion of the first storage space (110) and is used to accommodate the second robot shelf (200); The second robot shelf (200) comprises a second storage space (210) and a second accommodating space (220); the second storage space (210) is provided with a plurality of temporary storage locations (211) for temporarily storing material boxes (800); the second accommodating space (220) is provided at the bottom of the second storage space (210) and is used for the second robot (400) to move the second robot shelf (200); A first robot channel (500) for a first robot (300) to travel is provided between adjacent shelf units (1), and the first robot (300) is configured to pick up and place a material box (800) at least between the first robot shelf (100) and the second robot shelf (200); A first docking channel (610) for the second robot (400) to travel is provided at the bottom of the first accommodating space (120) of the first robot shelf (100), so that the first robot (300) and the second robot (400) can interact on the first docking channel (610); A unidirectional or bidirectional second robot channel (700) for the second robot (400) to travel is provided between the first robot shelf (100) and the destination to which the material box (800) is transported.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first robot channel (500) is parallel to the side of the shelf unit (1) in the length direction; The first docking channel (610) is parallel to the first robot channel (500); The second robot channel (700) extends from the end of the shelf unit (1) in the length direction to the destination.

3. The storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each group of the shelf units (1) comprises: a plurality of the first robot shelves (100) and a plurality of the second robot shelves (200); the plurality of the first robot shelves (100) are arranged closely together in two rows, and each of the second robot shelves (200) is configured to move to the first accommodation space (120) of each of the first robot shelves (100) under the drive of the second robot (400); the first docking channels (610) below the first robot shelves (100) in the same row are connected; The first docking channels (610) at the bottom of the left and right rows of the first accommodating spaces (120) are connected via a switching channel (620) to enable the second robot (400) to move between the left and right first docking channels (610).

4. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first robot shelf (100) is provided with a plurality of first support columns (121), and the plurality of first support columns (121) extend toward the ground to enclose the first accommodation space (120); The second robot shelf (200) is provided with a plurality of second support columns (221), and the plurality of second support columns (221) extend toward the ground to enclose the second accommodation space (220).

5. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length and width of the cross section of the first robot shelf (100) are greater than the length and width of the cross section of the second robot shelf (200); and the height of the first accommodation space (120) of the first robot shelf (100) is greater than the height of the second robot shelf (200).

6. A storage system, characterized in that: include: The storage device, the first robot (300) and the second robot (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The first robot (300) is arranged between adjacent shelf units (1) and is configured to travel along the first robot channel (500) to move a material box (800) in a storage location (111) of the first robot shelf (100) to a temporary storage location (211) of the second robot shelf (200), or to move a material box (800) in a temporary storage location (211) of the second robot shelf (200) to a storage location (111) of the first robot shelf (100); The second robot (400) is configured to travel along the first docking channel (610) and interact with the first robot (300); or travel along the second robot channel (700) and transport the second robot shelf (200) loaded with the material box (800) to be shipped out from the first storage space (120) to the destination, or transport the second robot shelf (200) loaded with the material box (800) to be shipped in to the first storage space (120) of the first robot shelf (100).

7. The storage system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first robot (300) comprises: a first motion chassis (310), a column gantry (320), and a transport mechanism (330); The first motion chassis (310) moves along the first robot channel; The column gantry (320) is mounted on the first motion chassis (310) in a vertical direction; the transport mechanism (330) is arranged on the column gantry (320) and is configured to pick up and place material boxes (800) at different heights on the first robot shelf (100).

8. The storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The transport mechanism (330) includes: a lifting assembly (331) and a fork assembly (332); The lifting assembly (331) is disposed on the column gantry (320) and is configured to drive the fork assembly (332) to move up and down in the vertical direction of the first robot shelf (100); The fork assembly (332) is mounted on the lifting assembly (331) and is configured to extend out of the column gantry (320) to pick up and place the material box (800).

9. The storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first robot (300) further comprises: a storage unit (340); the storage unit (340) is fixedly arranged on the column door frame (320); the storage unit (340) comprises a plurality of storage layers (341) sequentially arranged along the column door frame (320); The first robot (300) is further configured to sequentially move the plurality of material boxes (800) in the storage bins (111) of the first robot shelf (100) to the storage layer (341), and then move the plurality of material boxes (800) on the storage layer (341) to the temporary storage bins (211) of the second robot shelf (200); or to move the plurality of material boxes (800) on the temporary storage bins (211) of the second robot shelf (200) to the storage layer (341), and then move the plurality of material boxes (800) on the storage layer (341) to the storage bins (111) of the first robot shelf (100).

10. The storage system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first robot (300) is further configured to travel along the first robot channel (500) to move a material box (800) in a storage location (111) in the first robot shelf (100) to a storage location (111) in another first robot shelf (100); or to move a material box (800) in a temporary storage location (211) in the second robot shelf (200) to a temporary storage location (211) in another second robot shelf (200).

11. The storage system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second robot (400) is a lifting mobile robot; The height of the second accommodating space (220) of the second robot shelf (200) is higher than that of the lifting mobile robot; so that the lifting mobile robot is configured to move into the second accommodating space (220), lift the second robot shelf (200) to move, or place the second robot shelf (200) on the ground.

12. The storage system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second robot channel (700) includes: a first driving channel (710) whose destination is the workstation (910) and a second driving channel (720) whose destination is the review and packaging area (920); The second robot (400) is configured to move the second robot shelf (200) carrying the loaded material box (800) along the first driving channel (710) to the workstation (910) for picking and unloading; or to move the second robot shelf (200) carrying the loaded material box (800) to the first robot shelf (100) for loading the material box into the warehouse; The second robot (400) is further configured to move the second robot shelf (200) carrying the loaded material box (800) along the second driving channel (720) to the review and packaging area (920) to package all the goods in the material box (800) for shipment; or to move the empty second robot shelf (200) to the first robot shelf (100).

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