Warehousing shelf and warehousing system

Abstract

The utility model provides a storage goods shelf and a storage system, the storage goods shelf comprises a goods shelf body, the goods shelf body comprises a plurality of interlayers arranged at intervals in the height direction, and each interlayer is provided with a plurality of storage spaces arranged in the width direction; a material box and at least one stay wire recoverer are arranged in each bin position; wherein the material box can be pulled out in the depth direction of the goods shelf body, and the pull wire recoverer is fixed to the inner side of the bin position in the depth direction; the stay wire recoverer comprises a recovery unit and a cable, the first end of the cable is connected with the recovery unit, and the second end of the cable is connected with the top of the inner side of the material box in the depth direction; the stay wire recoverer is arranged in the mode that when the material box is pulled out of the edge of the interlayer from the initial position in the depth direction, the cable is stretched to the maximum degree, so that the material box is suspended on the edge of the interlayer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of robotics technology, and more specifically, to a storage shelf and a storage system. Background Art

[0002] In traditional warehouse shelving systems, material boxes are simply placed on shelves without effective fixation and safety protection measures. When taking and placing materials, both manual and robotic operators face the risk of material boxes falling.

[0003] To solve the above problem, the material box and the shelf can be connected by a slide rail to restrict the movement of the material box, thereby reducing the possibility of the material box falling. However, this method is complicated to install and has high cost. Another feasible way is to set a blocking mechanism on the shelf to prevent the material box from falling. This method cannot make the material box hang on the edge of the shelf, causing inconvenience to the material removal and placement.

[0004] As material storage evolves from manual operations to robotic automation, traditional material bin storage methods and their fall prevention measures are no longer sufficient. There is an urgent need for a simple, low-cost solution to improve safety and efficiency during material handling. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present application provides a storage shelf and a storage system. The following describes various aspects of the embodiments of the present application.

[0006] In the first aspect, a storage shelf is provided, comprising: a shelf body, the shelf body comprising a plurality of compartments arranged at intervals along the height direction, each of the compartments having a plurality of bins arranged along the width direction; a material box and at least one wire retractor are provided in each bin; wherein the material box can be pulled out along the depth direction of the shelf body, and the wire retractor is fixed on the inner side of the bin along the depth direction; the wire retractor comprises a recovery unit and a cable, a first end of the cable is connected to the recovery unit, and a second end is connected to the top of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction; the wire retractor is configured such that when the material box is pulled out from an initial position along the depth direction to the edge of the compartment, the cable is stretched to a maximum extent so that the material box hovers over the edge of the compartment.

[0007] According to the above technical means, a wire retractor is used to connect the material box to the shelf. When the material box is pulled to the edge, the tension of the cable can make it hover stably, avoiding the material box from falling due to accidental collision or operational error, and ensuring the safety of personnel and materials.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pull cable retriever is further configured to, when the material box is pushed back along the depth direction, the retrieval unit tightens the cable to pull the material box back to the initial position.

[0009] According to the above technical means, the automatic tightening function of the retrieval unit when the material box is returned improves the convenience of operation, reduces the labor intensity of manually pushing back the material box, and makes the taking and placing operation of the material box more efficient.

[0010] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one pull cable retriever is at least two, and the at least two pull cable retrievers are arranged symmetrically along the width direction, wherein the second ends of the two cables are respectively connected to two top corners of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction.

[0011] According to the above technical means, the symmetrical arrangement of the two pull cable retrievers can better balance the weight of the material box, reduce the inclination or shaking caused by uneven force, and make the material box hover more stably at the edge of the layer, facilitating the taking and placing operation of the material by the operator, and improving the stability and reliability of the entire warehouse shelf.

[0012] In some embodiments, two first connecting parts are respectively arranged at two top corners of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction, and the second ends of the cables are detachably connected to the material box through the first connecting parts.

[0013] According to the above technical means, by arranging the detachable first connecting parts between the material box and the cable, the cable and the material box can be easily detached; when the material box or the pull cable retriever fails, the detachable connection allows the maintenance personnel to quickly separate the material box and the cable, and individually maintain or replace the faulty parts, without the need to disassemble the entire shelf or other parts, greatly saving the maintenance time and cost.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bottom of the material box is provided with a plurality of pulleys; the number of the plurality of pulleys is two, and the two pulleys are arranged at the bottom of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction; or the number of the plurality of pulleys is four, and the four pulleys are distributed at the four corners of the bottom of the material box.

[0015] According to the above technical means, by arranging the pulleys, the friction between the material box and the shelf can be effectively reduced. During the pulling out and pushing back of the material box, the pulleys can smoothly roll, making the operation more labor-saving; at the same time, the pulleys can also play a guiding role to some extent, making the material box more stable during movement and reducing the collision and friction with the edge of the shelf.

[0016] In some embodiments, the recovery unit comprises an elastic component and an adjusting component; wherein the elastic component is connected with the first end of the cable, the elastic component is used to generate an elastic force, the elastic force is used to tighten the cable; the adjusting component is used to adjust the size of the elastic force.

[0017] According to the above technical means, the elastic component is arranged to automatically tighten the cable after the material box is pulled out, so as to ensure that the material box can obtain effective pulling force assistance when returning; the adjustability makes the storage shelf applicable to material boxes of various weights, thereby improving the versatility and practicality.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cable is a steel wire or a nylon rope.

[0019] In some embodiments, the length of the cable is less than the sum of the distance by which the material box is pulled out and the height of the material box.

[0020] According to the above technical means, the length of the cable is reasonably set, so that the material box can stably hover at the edge of the layer.

[0021] In some embodiments, the elastic forces of the two cables in the two cable recovery devices are the same when the cables are tightened.

[0022] According to the above technical means, keeping the elastic force the same can ensure that the material box returns to the initial position stably, and reduce the wear and damage of the equipment caused by unbalanced stress. At the same time, for the robot operating automatically, the balanced returning force is helpful to the accuracy and efficiency of the robot in grabbing and placing the materials, and improves the automation level and overall operation efficiency of the storage operation.

[0023] In a second aspect, a storage system is provided, comprising a robot and a storage shelf as described in the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic structural view of a storage shelf provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the drawings;

[0025] Figure 2 A partial view of the storage shelf provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in the drawings; Figure 1

[0026] Figure 3 A state diagram of a material box and a cable recovery device when the material box is in an initial position is shown in the drawings;

[0027] Figure 4 A state diagram of a material box and a cable recovery device when the material box is at the edge of a layer is shown in the drawings.

[0028] ​Wherein, 100 - warehouse shelf, 110 - shelf body, 111 - floor, 112 - column, 120 - material box, 130 - pull line collector, 140 - pulley, 121 - locking part, 131 - recovery unit, 132 - cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The embodiment of the present application provides a warehouse shelf and a warehouse system. The technical scheme of the present application is further specifically explained below through embodiments and in combination with the drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present application with reference to the drawings is intended to explain the general concept of the present application and should not be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0030] Before introducing the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application, the problems existing in the warehouse system in the related art are described in detail.

[0031] In the field of, for example, industrial production, the storage of production materials is usually carried out by using material boxes arranged on shelves. This method can meet the basic needs in the early stage dominated by manual operation. When taking and placing materials, the material box on the shelf floor is pulled out and the taking and placing operation is completed. In this process, manual support is needed when the material box is pulled out to the edge of the shelf to prevent it from falling.

[0032] With the rapid development of science and technology, robot technology has gradually matured and is widely used in material handling scenarios, starting to replace manual operation for automatic taking and placing of materials. In the traditional warehouse shelf system, the material box is simply placed on the floor, lacking effective fixation and safety protection measures. When taking and placing materials, both manual and robotic operations face the risk of material box falling. More specifically, manual operation has high labor intensity and cannot independently complete the taking and placing of heavy materials, resulting in low efficiency. For robotic operation, it is difficult to manually support like humans. This makes it an urgent problem to prevent the material box from falling.

[0033] In order to solve the above problems, some measures are adopted in the related art, but all have some obvious defects, which are described in detail below.

[0034] One method in the related art is to use slide rails to connect material boxes and shelves, and use the slide rails to limit the movement of the material boxes, thereby reducing the possibility of the material boxes falling. However, this method is expensive. Not only does it require the purchase of additional slide rails, but it also involves a complex installation process, including the modification and adaptation of shelves and material boxes. For large-scale storage systems, this will significantly increase construction and operating costs. Moreover, the slide rails may also wear out, get stuck, and other faults during use, requiring regular maintenance and replacement, further increasing the cost and maintenance workload.

[0035] Another approach in the related art is to install a blocking mechanism, such as a baffle, on the shelf to prevent the material boxes from falling. This method is complex to install and requires precise positioning of the baffle to ensure its effectiveness. However, the baffle does not allow the material boxes to be suspended over the shelf edge, which makes it inconvenient to pick and place materials. Furthermore, when using robots for automated operations, the baffle may interfere with the robot's operation, affecting its path planning and operational accuracy.

[0036] In summary, as material storage evolves from manual operation to robotic automation, traditional material bin storage methods and their drop prevention measures no longer meet practical needs. These methods suffer from numerous drawbacks, including high cost, complex installation, and inconvenient operation. There is an urgent need for a simple, low-cost technical solution to improve safety and efficiency during material handling.

[0037] In view of the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a storage shelf and a storage system. The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a storage shelf provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 The storage rack 100 in the figure includes a rack body 110, which includes multiple layers 111 spaced apart along the height direction as shown. The multiple layers 111 are fixedly connected to columns 112. Each layer 111 has multiple storage spaces arranged along the width direction. This layered and sub-storage layout facilitates the classified storage of materials of different types and specifications, thereby improving the utilization rate of storage space and management efficiency.

[0039] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial view of . Figure 2 As shown, a material box 120 and a wire retractor 130 are provided in the bin. The material box 120 can be pulled out along the depth direction of the shelf body 110 (ie, the depth direction shown in the figure), and the wire retractor 130 is fixed on the inner side of the bin along the depth direction.

[0040] The pull cable retriever 130 comprises a retrieving unit 131 and a cable 132, the first end of the cable 132 being connected to the retrieving unit 131, and the second end of the cable 132 being connected to the top of the inner side of the material box 120 along the depth direction.

[0041] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is Figure 2 side views showing the states of the material box 120 and the pull cable retriever 130 when the material box 120 is located at the initial position and at the edge of the layer 111, respectively.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , when the material box 120 is located at the initial position as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the inner side edge of the material box 120 along the depth direction is close to the pull cable retriever 130, and the cable 132 is in a tightened state; when the material box 120 is pulled out by an operator or a robot, the second end of the cable 132 moves with the material box 120 and is stretched, and when the material box 120 is located at the edge position of the layer 111 as shown in Figure 4 , the cable 132 is stretched to the maximum extent, at which time the material box 120 cannot be pulled out under the constraint of the cable 132, and the lower edge of the material box 120 does not leave the layer 111, forming a stable triangular support, so that the material box 120 can be suspended at the edge of the layer 111 without falling.

[0043] According to the above technical means, the material box is connected to the shelf by the pull cable retriever, and when the material box is pulled to the edge, the tension of the cable can make it stably suspended, avoiding the falling of the material box due to accidental collision or operation error, and ensuring the safety of personnel and materials.

[0044] In some embodiments, after the taking and placing of the materials are completed, the material box 120 is pushed into the shelf, at which time the retrieving unit 131 tightens the cable 132, thereby pulling the material box 120 back from the edge position of the layer 111 as shown in Figure 4 to the initial position as shown in Figure 3 .

[0045] According to the above technical means, the automatic tightening function of the retrieving unit when the material box is returned not only improves the convenience of operation, but also reduces the labor intensity of manually pushing back the material box, making the taking and placing operation of the material box more efficient.

[0046] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one pull cable retriever mentioned in the foregoing can be at least two, i.e., the number of the pull cable retrievers can be two or more.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2As shown, when there are two wire retractors, the two wire retractors are spaced apart in the width direction. The second ends of the cables 132 in the two wire retractors are respectively connected to the two inner corners of the material box 120 in the depth direction.

[0048] Similarly, when there are multiple wire retractors, these multiple wire retractors can be spaced apart along the width direction shown in the figure. It should be noted that the spacing arrangement mentioned here can refer to the wire retractors being arranged at equal intervals or at unequal intervals, and this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0049] As an implementation method, a plurality of wire reclaimers may be symmetrically arranged on both sides of a center line of the material box along the width direction.

[0050] By setting up more than two wire recoveries, on the one hand, the pulling force on the material box can be increased, so that this technical solution can be applied in heavy-load situations; on the other hand, when the weight distribution of materials in the material box is uneven, the joint action of multiple wire recoveries can increase the stability of the material box during movement.

[0051] According to the above technical means, the symmetrical setting of two or even more wire retractors can better balance the weight of the material box, reduce the tilting or shaking caused by uneven force, and enable the material box to hover more stably on the edge of the partition, making it easier for operators to take and place materials, while also improving the stability and reliability of the entire storage shelf.

[0052] In some embodiments, two first connection portions are provided at the two inner corners of the material box 120 along the depth direction, respectively, for detachably connecting to the second end of the cable 132. The first connection portion may be, for example, a quick-release buckle, etc., which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0053] By setting a detachable first connecting part between the material box and the cable, the disassembly of the cable and the material box can be facilitated; when the material box or the wire retractor fails, the detachable connection enables maintenance personnel to quickly separate the material box from the cable and repair or replace the faulty components separately without the need to disassemble the shelf or other components as a whole, greatly saving maintenance time and costs.

[0054] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of pulleys 140 are provided at the bottom of the material box 120 . During the movement of the material box 120 , the pulleys 140 at the bottom can reduce the friction between the material box 120 and the partition 111 .

[0055] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of the plurality of pulleys 140 . The plurality of pulleys 140 may be, for example, two, three, four or more.

[0056] As an implementation method, the number of the above-mentioned multiple pulleys can be two, and the two pulleys are arranged at the bottom of the inner side of the material box 120 along the depth direction; or, the number of the above-mentioned multiple pulleys can be four, and the four pulleys are arranged at the four corners of the bottom of the material box 120.

[0057] The embodiment of the present application does not limit the installation method of the pulley 140. For example, the pulley 140 can be connected to the material box 120 through threaded fasteners, or can be connected through bonding or other methods.

[0058] The above-mentioned technical means, by providing pulleys, can effectively reduce the friction between the material box and the shelf. When the material box is pulled out and pushed back, the pulleys can roll smoothly, making the operation easier and more labor-saving. At the same time, the pulleys can also play a certain guiding role, making the material box more stable during movement and reducing collisions and friction with the shelf edges.

[0059] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the material box 120 is provided with a locking portion 121, which is arranged at the bottom of the inner side of the material box 120 in the depth direction. When the material box 120 is pulled out to the edge of the partition 111, the locking portion 121 can abut against the outer edge of the partition 111 to provide support for the material box 120. As a possible implementation, the locking portion 121 can be two or more protrusions arranged at intervals along the width direction.

[0060] In some embodiments, the recovery unit 131 includes an elastic component and an adjustment component. The elastic component is connected to the first end of the cable 132 and is used to generate elastic force to tighten the cable 132.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present application, the elastic component may be, for example, a scroll spring. When the cable 132 is pulled out, the scroll spring deforms and stores potential energy. When the material box 120 is pushed back, the elastic potential energy is released, pulling the material box 120 back to its initial position.

[0062] The adjustment component is used to adjust the elastic force of the elastic component. For example, for lighter material boxes, the elastic force can be appropriately reduced to avoid excessive tension causing unnecessary wear and tear on the material box and the shelf; while for heavier material boxes, the elastic force can be increased to ensure that it can pull the material box back to its original position.

[0063] According to the above technical means, the setting of the elastic component enables the cable to be automatically tightened after the material box is pulled out, ensuring that the material box can receive effective pulling assistance when returning to its position; the adjustability enables the storage shelf to be suitable for material boxes of various weights, thereby improving versatility and practicality.

[0064] In some embodiments, the cable 132 is a steel wire or a nylon rope. The steel wire has high strength and wear resistance, can withstand a large pulling force, and can be suitable for use in some industrial storage environments with high weight requirements. The nylon rope has a light weight and good flexibility, can have high flexibility while ensuring strength, and is suitable for use in storage of electronic components and other scenarios.

[0065] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4 , the length L1 of the cable 132 is less than the sum of the distance L2 by which the material box 120 is pulled out and the height L3 of the material box 120, so that a stable triangular support can be formed when the material box 120 is pulled out, and the material box 120 can be stably suspended.

[0066] Preferably, the lengths L1, L2 and L3 of the cable 132 are configured to satisfy the following condition:

[0067]

[0068] When the condition of formula (1) is satisfied, the triangle formed between the side wall of the material box 120, the partition 111 and the cable 132 is approximately a right triangle, so that the material box 120 can be in a substantially horizontal state.

[0069] In some embodiments, the elastic forces of the cables 132 in the two cable recovery devices are the same when the cables are tightened.

[0070] In the case of two cable recovery devices, if the elastic forces of the two cables are different, the material box may tilt or jam when returning, affecting the smoothness and accuracy of the return. Keeping the elastic forces the same can ensure that the material box returns smoothly to the initial position, reducing wear and damage to the equipment caused by unbalanced forces. At the same time, for robots that operate automatically, balanced return force helps improve the accuracy and efficiency of the robot in picking and placing materials, and improves the automation level and overall operating efficiency of the storage operation.

[0071] The present application also provides a storage system comprising a robot and a storage rack as described in any of the preceding embodiments. The robot can be a collaborative robot, an industrial robot or a humanoid robot, without limitation.

[0072] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0073] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0074] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0075] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature is "on" or "under" the second feature, which can be direct contact between the first and second features, or indirect contact between the first and second features through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature can be directly above or obliquely above the first feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature can be directly below or obliquely below the first feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0076] In the description of the specification, the description using the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the particular feature, structure, material or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. The illustrative appearances of the above-mentioned terms in various places in the specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "include", "including", "has", "having" or the like are used in the description and in the claims to specify the presence of stated features, structures, materials or characteristics, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, structures, materials or characteristics.

[0077] The above description is merely illustrative of the application, and not in limitation of the principles of the application. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the application should be included in the scope of the application.

Claims

1. A storage rack characterized by, The application relates to a storage shelf, comprising: a shelf body comprising multiple layers arranged at intervals along a height direction, each layer having multiple positions arranged along a width direction; a material box and at least one pull line retractor arranged in each position, the material box being capable of being pulled out along a depth direction of the shelf body, the pull line retractor being fixed to an inner side of the position along the depth direction; the pull line retractor comprising a retraction unit and a cable, a first end of the cable being connected to the retraction unit, a second end of the cable being connected to a top of an inner side of the material box along the depth direction, the pull line retractor being arranged such that when the material box is pulled out from an initial position to an edge of the layer along the depth direction, the cable is stretched to the maximum extent to make the material box hover at the edge of the layer.

2. The storage rack of claim 1, wherein, the pull line retractor being further arranged such that when the material box is pushed back from the edge of the layer along the depth direction, the retraction unit tightens the cable to pull the material box back to the initial position.

3. The storage rack of claim 2, wherein, the number of the at least one pull line retractor being at least two, the at least two pull line retractors being arranged at intervals along the width direction, wherein the second ends of the cables of the two pull line retractors are respectively connected to two top corners of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction.

4. The storage and retrieval system of claim 3, wherein, two first connecting parts are respectively arranged at the two top corners of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction, the second ends of the cables being detachably connected to the material box through the first connecting parts.

5. The storage rack of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, a bottom of the material box is provided with multiple pulleys; the number of the multiple pulleys being two, the two pulleys being arranged at the bottom of the inner side of the material box along the depth direction; or the number of the multiple pulleys being four, the four pulleys being distributed at four corners of the bottom of the material box.

6. The storage rack of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the retraction unit comprising an elastic component and an adjusting component; wherein the elastic component is connected to the first end of the cable, the elastic component being used to generate an elastic force for tightening the cable; the adjusting component being used to adjust the size of the elastic force.

7. The storage rack of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the cable being a steel wire or a nylon rope.

8. The storage rack of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the length of the cable being less than the sum of the height of the material box and the distance by which the material box is pulled out.

9. The storage rack of claim 3 or 4, wherein, the elastic forces of the two cables of the two pull line retractors being the same when the two cables are tightened.

10. A warehousing system characterized by, the application further relates to a storage shelf and a robot, wherein the storage shelf is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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