Transmission system for storage shelf and intelligent three-dimensional storage system

Abstract

The utility model provides a transmission system and intelligent three-dimensional warehousing system for storage shelf, transmission system includes a plurality of transmission subsystems located at different heights, the plurality of transmission subsystems correspond to a plurality of storage areas located at different heights of storage shelf, each transmission subsystem includes shelf segment and task module, the goods shelf section comprises a stand column, and the stand column can move in the horizontal direction in an operation plane parallel to the storing and taking face of the storage goods shelf. The task modules can move along the stand columns and are used for carrying objects in the corresponding storage areas. At least one task module in each group of adjacent conveying subsystems in the height direction is further used for executing article handover operation, and adjacent stand columns in each group of adjacent conveying subsystems in the height direction are staggered in at least one of the height direction and the direction perpendicular to the storing and taking face at least when passing through each other in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the transmission system is higher in reliability, does not collide with each other during operation, and is simpler to maintain and replace.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, in particular to a kind of transmission system and intelligent stereoscopic warehousing system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the increase of logistics demand, the requirement of warehousing system is gradually improved. For example, common shelf warehousing, goods can be placed on multi-layer shelves, so as to utilize the storage space in the height direction, which can effectively reduce the floor area of the warehousing system.

[0003] To improve the efficiency of goods loading and unloading of the warehousing system, most of the warehousing systems are equipped with automated robots. These robots can include ground cargo robots, and loading and unloading robots installed on the shelves. The loading and unloading robots can transport goods between different heights of the shelves, and between the cargo robots and the shelves. The loading and unloading robots can walk on the horizontal rails fixed to the shelves, so as to achieve more accurate positioning with simpler positioning logic.

[0004] Considering the stress condition of the loading and unloading robot and the convenience of installing the horizontal guide rail, it is a more reasonable choice to install at least one horizontal guide rail on the upper part of the shelf. However, as the height of the shelf increases, the height of such loading and unloading robots also increases significantly, greatly increasing the installation and maintenance cost, and the reliability of the loading and unloading robots is also affected. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to at least partially solve the problems existing in the prior art, some embodiments of the utility model provide a transmission system for a warehousing shelf, the transmission system comprising a plurality of transmission subsystems located at different heights, the plurality of transmission subsystems corresponding to a plurality of storage areas of the warehousing shelf located at different heights, each transmission subsystem comprising: a shelf section, the shelf section comprising a column, the column being movable along a horizontal direction in an operation plane parallel to an access surface of the warehousing shelf; and a task module, the task module being movable along the column for transporting goods in the corresponding storage area, the goods comprising at least one of a cargo box and goods, wherein: at least one task module in each group of adjacent transmission subsystems in the height direction is also used to perform an article transfer operation, the article transfer operation comprising transporting goods from the corresponding storage area of the adjacent transmission subsystem; and adjacent columns in adjacent shelf sections of each group of adjacent transmission subsystems in the height direction are at least staggered in at least one of the height direction and a direction perpendicular to the access surface when passing each other along the horizontal direction.

[0006] Exemplarily, in each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems: at least one of the adjacent uprights is telescopic in length, wherein: the telescopic upright has an extended portion extending to a corresponding storage area of the adjacent transport subsystem in an extended state; and the telescopic upright is completely staggered with the adjacent uprights in a height direction in a retracted state; and a task module on the telescopic upright is movable onto the extended portion for performing an article transfer operation.

[0007] Exemplarily, the adjacent uprights are completely staggered in the height direction, a bottom end of an upper one of the adjacent uprights is connected with a first extension module, the first extension module has a first retracted position and a first extended position, wherein: the first extension module is spaced apart from a top end of a lower one of the adjacent uprights in the height direction when the first extension module is in the first retracted position; and the first extension module extends below the top end of the upright of the lower one of the adjacent uprights when the first extension module is in the first extended position; and a task module on the upper one of the uprights is movable onto the first extension module in the first extended position for performing an article transfer operation.

[0008] Exemplarily, the adjacent uprights are completely staggered in the height direction, a top end of a lower one of the adjacent uprights comprises a second extension module, the second extension module has a second retracted position and a second extended position, wherein: the second extension module is spaced apart from a bottom end of the adjacent uprights in the height direction when the second extension module is in the second retracted position; and the second extension module extends above the bottom end of an upper one of the adjacent uprights when the second extension module is in the second extended position; and a task module on the upper one of the uprights is movable onto the second extension module in the second extended position for performing an article transfer operation.

[0009] Exemplarily, the adjacent uprights have an overlapping portion in the height direction; and the adjacent uprights are completely staggered in a direction perpendicular to the access face.

[0010] Exemplarily, each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems is respectively located on shelves on two sides of a same aisle.

[0011] Exemplarily, each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems is respectively located on shelves on a same side of a same aisle.

[0012] Exemplarily, the shelf section further comprises a transverse rail extending in a horizontal direction within the operation plane, and the uprights are connected to the transverse rail and slidable along the transverse rail.

[0013] Exemplarily, in each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems, the adjacent task modules are configured to perform an article transfer operation by transferring articles between each other.

[0014] Exemplarily, each of the adjacent task modules comprises: a carrying mechanism; and a handling mechanism for handling the articles between the storage area of the rack and the carrying mechanism, the carrying mechanism being rotatable in a horizontal plane so that the carrying mechanism has a loading / unloading position and a handover position, wherein:

[0015] The carrying mechanism has a docking end for docking with the storage area on the rack, the docking end facing the storage area on the rack when the carrying mechanism is in the loading / unloading position; and the docking ends of the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules face each other when the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules are in the respective handover positions, to perform the article handover operation.

[0016] Exemplarily, in each of at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems: at least one of the adjacent task modules is configured to perform the article handover operation by placing the articles in the transit storage positions in the adjacent storage areas.

[0017] The application also provides an intelligent stereoscopic warehousing system, comprising: a warehousing rack and the above-mentioned transport system.

[0018] In the above technical solution, the article handover can be achieved between the transport subsystems adjacent in the height direction. Thus, the transport subsystem capable of handling articles in a higher height range can transfer the articles that cannot be reached by another transport subsystem to a height that can be reached by the transport subsystem capable of handling articles in a lower height range, and then the articles are handled by the transport subsystem to a height that cannot be reached by the transport subsystem capable of handling articles in a higher height range, so that the articles are relayed between different heights. Compared with setting one transport subsystem capable of handling articles in a sufficient height range, the relayed handling of articles by multiple subsystems with shorter strokes can greatly reduce the design difficulty, production cost, and maintenance and replacement of the transport system, and the reliability is higher. When multiple transport subsystems run along the horizontal direction, they can pass each other without interfering with each other.

[0019] A series of simplified forms are introduced in the utility model content, which will be further described in detail in the specific embodiment part. The utility model content part does not mean trying to limit the key features and necessary technical features of the claimed technical solution, and even less means trying to determine the protection scope of the claimed technical solution.

[0020] The advantages and features of the utility model will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] The following drawings of the utility model are hereby incorporated as part of the utility model for understanding the utility model. The drawings show the embodiments of the utility model and their description, which are used to explain the principles of the utility model. In the drawings,

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a shelf structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a freight robot structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a track conveying device structure of a warehouse shelf in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a track conveying device structure of a warehouse shelf in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a track conveying device structure of a warehouse shelf in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a shelf local structure in a conveying system in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a goods sorting device structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a smart three-dimensional warehouse conveying system structure in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 17 Structure diagram of an intelligent stereoscopic warehouse transmission system according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of the present application. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that the application can be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes have not been described in order not to obscure the application.

[0040] For a thorough understanding of the present application, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is apparent that the present application can be practiced without specific details, which are well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The preferred embodiments of the present application are described below in detail, but other embodiments of the present application can exist.

[0041] The transmission system provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve the utilization rate of warehouse space, the speed of goods in and out, and the sorting efficiency of the existing transmission system, and greatly reduce the investment cost of warehouse deployment.

[0042] First of all, it should be clear that the internal height of a warehouse is usually classified into different levels according to storage capacity and design. These levels mainly depend on the design of the warehouse, the type of racking system or other handling equipment used, and the type of goods stored. Here are some common warehouse height classifications:

[0043] Low-Bay: The height is generally below 6 meters. This type of warehouse is suitable for manual handling or basic forklift operation.

[0044] Medium-Bay: The height is usually between 6 meters and 12 meters. It is suitable for the use of reach trucks and some automated storage systems.

[0045] High-Bay: These warehouses have a height exceeding 12 meters, sometimes even reaching 20 meters or higher. They are usually used with highly automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) to maximize space utilization.

[0046] Ultra-High-Bay: This is a less common type, with a height possibly exceeding 30 meters. These warehouses rely heavily on highly automated and precise logistics management systems.

[0047] Traditional warehouse height is often only 10 meters, when the warehouse height reaches higher meters, that is, the warehouse reaches high-rise warehouse standard, even super high-rise warehouse standard, the warehouse transmission and exchange efficiency is limited by the height of the warehouse, and special, customized transmission system or picking system is needed to participate, the deployment complexity is high and the configuration cost is very high. In order to solve this problem, the utility model discloses a transmission system.

[0048] The warehouse to which the transmission system is applied can include multiple warehouse shelves arranged at intervals, and a lane can be formed between adjacent warehouse shelves, in which a freight robot, a forklift or personnel can walk. On this basis, the coordinate system in the utility model is defined: the lane direction of the multiple shelves is denoted as the x-axis, the direction perpendicular to the x-axis in the horizontal plane is denoted as the y-axis, and the height direction of the shelf is denoted as the z-axis.

[0049] The transmission system includes multiple transmission subsystems located at different heights, and the multiple transmission subsystems correspond to multiple storage areas of the warehouse shelves located at different heights. Each transmission subsystem can include a shelf section and a task module. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the transmission system of the present application can not include the warehouse shelves, but only include multiple transmission subsystems. These transmission subsystems can be applied to existing warehouse shelves. In some embodiments, the transmission system of the present application can also include warehouse shelves.

[0050] As Figure 1As shown, each transport subsystem includes a shelf segment. Optionally, a shelf segment of a transport subsystem may correspond to part or all of the storage area of ​​a single warehouse rack. Each storage area may include multiple storage spaces 101 arranged along the height direction, and each storage space 101 may place multiple items side by side in the horizontal direction. The items described herein may include goods stored in their original packaging boxes, individually stored goods, or goods placed in a unified bin, and may also include cargo boxes for holding goods, such as the bins mentioned above. In some embodiments, empty cargo boxes may be stored on the warehouse rack. In some embodiments with goods picking equipment mentioned below, empty cargo boxes may be used to hold loose goods picked by the goods picking equipment. Unless otherwise stated, the items described herein may be stored in any form. Optionally, each storage space 101 may place items side by side along the x-axis direction, while each storage space 101 may place only one row of items in the y-direction. In other words, each storage space 101 may include multiple storage positions 103 in the x-direction, while only one storage position 103 in the y-direction. Optionally, two or more rows of items can be placed along the y-direction. The conveying subsystem can extend into the shelving along the y-direction to retrieve or place items, or after removing the outermost item, the inner items can be added to the outermost layer. The conveying system can be generally arranged within the aisle and can store or retrieve items from the shelving facing the aisle. The surface of the shelving used for storing and retrieving items is called the retrieval surface, which can be perpendicular to the y-direction. Optionally, adjacent shelving units can have opposing retrieval surfaces. Figure 1 The storage racks are shown from the access side.

[0051] A racking section may include uprights that are horizontally movable within an operating plane parallel to the access surface of the storage rack. For example... Figure 6 As shown, exemplarily, a shelf segment may include a transverse rail 11 extending in a horizontal direction parallel to the operating plane. Optionally, there may be one or more transverse rails. When there are multiple transverse rails, they may be spaced apart (see [reference]). Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 17 This illustrates the configuration of two transverse tracks 11 and 31. There can be one or more uprights. When there are multiple uprights, they can be spaced out; see [reference needed]. Figures 8 to 17Two uprights 12 and 21 are shown. Optionally, one transverse rail can fit one or more uprights; optionally, multiple transverse rails can also fit one upright. Or multiple transverse rails fit multiple uprights. The uprights are connected to and slidable along the transverse rails. Optionally, the transverse rails can also be formed by or mounted on the storage racks, and not belong to the rack segments. In other embodiments, the rack segments can also not include transverse rails, and the uprights can be movable in the horizontal direction by other means, such as wheels walking on the storage racks.

[0052] The task modules are movable along the uprights for handling items in the corresponding storage spaces. The task modules can access the items via the access faces of the storage racks 10. The task modules 14 are connected to and slidable along the uprights. Optionally, guide rails and motors can be provided on the uprights to drive the task modules to move. For example, the task module 1003 takes an item, while the task module 1003 moves on the operation plane, the task module 1003 does not interfere with the structure of the storage racks 10, such as the shelves, uprights, etc., and when it reaches the location of the item, the item can be transferred to the carrying mechanism (to be described below) of the task module 1003 by, for example, a push-pull mechanism provided on the task module 1003. Optionally, the push-pull mechanism can also be provided in the storage racks 10 instead of on the task module 1003. Optionally, the task module 1003 can also be configured to take the item from the storage racks 10 or place the item on the storage racks 10 by means of a clamping mechanism, a vacuum suction cup, an electromagnetic suction cup, etc. As shown, the task module 1003 can place the item A from the upper storage location along the path indicated by the arrow to the target storage location B. The task module 1004 can place the item on the freight robot 105. For ease of understanding, the embodiments in which the push-pull mechanism is provided on the task modules 1003 and 1004, and the task modules 1003 and 1004 have a carrying surface for placing the item will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the carrying surface does not necessarily include a complete support surface. Optionally, the carrying surface can include one or more spaced-apart planes, as long as it can support the item.

[0053] In the height direction, at least one task module in each group of adjacent transport subsystems is further configured to perform an article handover operation. The article handover operation includes transferring an article from a storage area corresponding to an adjacent transport subsystem. As described above, taking the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem as an example, the task module of either of the two transport subsystems can transfer an article from the task module of the other. For example, the task module of the first transport subsystem can transfer an article from any storage location in the first height range H1 to its carrying surface, and the storage location can be higher than the highest point of the second height range H2. Subsequently, the task module of the first transport subsystem can place the article on its carrying surface in a storage location that is not higher than the highest point of the second height range H2, and the task module of the second transport subsystem can transfer the article in the storage location to its carrying surface and further place it in any storage location in the second height range H2. The storage location can be lower than the lowest point of the first height range H1. In another example embodiment, the task module 1003 of the first transport subsystem can also cooperate with the task module 1004 of the second transport subsystem to directly hand over the article between the task modules of the two transport subsystems.

[0054] In the height direction, adjacent upright columns in each group of adjacent transport subsystems are staggered in the height direction at least when passing each other in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the adjacent upright columns can be staggered in a direction perpendicular to the access surface when passing each other in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the adjacent upright columns can be staggered in both the height direction and the direction perpendicular to the access surface when passing each other in the horizontal direction. When the upright columns do not pass each other in the horizontal direction, they can not need to be staggered. In some embodiments, the adjacent upright columns can be completely staggered at any time. In Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the task modules can be elongated to hand over the article between the task modules of the two transport subsystems. The adjacent upright columns can avoid each other by not walking in the same plane or by being telescopic.

[0055] In the above technical solution, the adjacent transport subsystems in the height direction can implement the handover of the articles. Thus, the transport subsystem capable of carrying the articles in a higher height range can transfer the articles that cannot be reached by another transport subsystem to a height that can be reached by the transport subsystem capable of carrying the articles in a lower height range, and then the transport subsystem capable of carrying the articles in a lower height range carries the articles to a height that cannot be reached by the transport subsystem capable of carrying the articles in a higher height range, thereby relayingly carrying the articles between different heights. Compared with setting one transport subsystem capable of carrying the articles in a sufficient height range, the relayed carrying of the articles by the multiple subsystems with shorter strokes can greatly reduce the design difficulty, production cost, and maintenance and replacement of the transport system, and the reliability is higher. When the multiple transport subsystems run along the horizontal direction, they can pass each other without interfering with each other.

[0056] Exemplarily, in each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems, at least one of the adjacent task modules is configured to perform the article handover operation by placing the article in a transfer storage position in the adjacent storage area. Taking the above adjacent group of transport subsystems, i.e., the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem, as an example, the task module of the first transport subsystem can place the article in the storage space that can be taken and placed by the task module of the second transport subsystem, thereby realizing the handover of the article. This mode can be referred to as "indirect handover". Whether it is the aforementioned "direct handover" or the "indirect handover" here, at least one task module in each group of adjacent transport subsystems can carry the article from the storage area corresponding to the adjacent transport subsystem. It can be understood that when there are multiple groups of adjacent transport subsystems, some groups can adopt "direct handover" and the other groups can adopt "indirect handover". Of course, all groups can adopt "direct handover" or all groups can adopt "indirect handover". The storage areas of the two transport subsystems can overlap with each other. It is easy to understand that the more the overlapping parts of the storage areas of the two transport subsystems, the smaller the total storage area range of the storage space 101 that can be covered by the two transport subsystems. For the storage space 101 in the overlapping area, a part of the storage positions can be used as transfer storage positions. For the convenience of understanding, one or more layers of storage space are taken as examples in the following detailed description, but the application also does not exclude the embodiment in which only a part of the storage positions in one or more layers of storage space 101 are used as transfer storage positions.

[0057] Exemplarily, the length of at least one of the adjacent columns is telescopic. The column can be telescopic in any suitable manner, including but not limited to telescopic through linear guide, telescopic like sleeve of frequency modulation antenna, etc. The telescopic column has an extended part in the extended state, which extends to the storage space corresponding to the adjacent transport subsystem; and the telescopic column is completely staggered with the adjacent column in the height direction in the retracted state. The task module on the telescopic column can be moved to the extended part for performing the article transfer operation. As shown in Figure 5 Taking the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem as examples, optionally, the column of the first shelf section 1001 of the first transport subsystem can be extended, and the column of the second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem cannot be extended. The first transport subsystem can take or place articles in the storage space 101 corresponding to the second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem with the column extended, or directly transfer articles with the task module of the second transport subsystem. And in the case that the column is not extended, the movement of the two does not interfere with each other.

[0058] Specifically, for example, Figure 5 The original position of the article A is within the storage area of the first transport subsystem, and the target storage position B is located in a position that can be reached only after the column of the shelf section of the first transport subsystem is extended. Thus, each storage position in the storage space 101 of the layer where the storage position is located can be used as a transfer storage position. The second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem can take or place the article of the storage position B without extension. Optionally, the column of the second shelf section 1002 can be extended, and the column of the first shelf section 1001 cannot be extended. In this case, the transfer storage position can be set in the storage space 101 corresponding to the first shelf section 1001 of the first transport subsystem, or the task module of the second transport subsystem can transfer articles with the task module of the first transport subsystem when moving to the extended column of the second shelf section 1002. Optionally, the column of the first shelf section 1001 and the column of the second shelf section 1002 can be extended, and the transfer storage position can be set in the storage space 101 between the two shelf sections in the non-extended state, and both of them can access the article in the transfer storage space 101 after being extended. By accessing the article through the transfer storage position, the transport subsystem does not need to directly transfer the article, the risk of collision is smaller, the control logic is simple, and the precision requirement is also lower. However, the time consumed for transferring the article can be longer than that of directly transferring the article by the adjacent transport subsystem.

[0059] It should be noted that the above adjacent transport subsystems still refer to a group of transport subsystems adjacent in the height direction, and not to two transport subsystems adjacent in the horizontal direction and moving at substantially the same height.

[0060] For example, adjacent columns can be completely offset along the height direction. The bottom end of the upper column among the adjacent columns is connected to a first extension module C, the first extension module C (e.g., Figure 5 As shown, the first extension module C has a first retracted position and a first extended position, wherein: in the first retracted position, the first extension module C is spaced apart from the top of the upright of the lower shelf segment in the adjacent shelf segment in the height direction; and in the first extended position, the first extension module C extends below the top of the upright of the lower shelf segment in the adjacent shelf segment. Optionally, a transmission mechanism including, for example, a synchronous belt, chain, motor, etc., can be provided on the transverse track and the upright to drive the upright to move on the transverse track, and the task module 14 to move on the upright. The first extension module C includes, but is not limited to, a structure that uses slide rails, optical shafts, etc. for limiting, and a structure that is driven by linear motors, lead screws, cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, electric cylinders, etc., and can move between the first extended position and the first retracted position in a straight line. This application also does not exclude embodiments in which the first extension module C moves on a curve. The task module on the upper upright can be moved to the first extension module in the first extended position to perform the item handover operation, thus increasing the stroke of the task module 14. When task module 14 is in the column segment formed by the first extension module C, it may collide with the columns of adjacent shelf segments. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the position of adjacent shelf segments in this situation to prevent collisions between adjacent shelf segments and task module 14. In addition, it may be necessary to avoid the transverse tracks affecting the movement of task module 14 on the columns during the design phase.

[0061] For example, the top of the lower upright in an adjacent shelf segment includes a second extension module. The second extension module has a second retracted position and a second extended position, wherein: in the second retracted position, the second extension module is spaced apart from the bottom end of the upright of the upper shelf segment in the adjacent shelf segment in the height direction; and in the second extended position, the second extension module extends above the bottom end of the upright of the upper shelf segment in the adjacent shelf segment. The task module on the upper upright can be moved to the second extension module in the second extended position to perform an item transfer operation. The structure of the second extension module and the first extension module C can be the same, and will not be described again here.

[0062] In some example embodiments, the adjacent columns have an overlapping part in the height direction. This makes the area where the two transport subsystems can take and place items overlap on the storage shelves, thereby enabling the handover of items. If the adjacent columns travel in the same vertical plane, they can collide with each other. The adjacent shelf sections can be completely staggered along the direction perpendicular to the access face. At this time, when traveling, the task modules of both need to avoid colliding with the shelf sections of the adjacent transport subsystems. For example, the columns of the first shelf section 1001 of the first transport subsystem are arranged on the outer side, and the columns of the second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem can be arranged on the inner side, and the overlapping area of the two is one storage space 101 high. The task module 1003 of the first transport subsystem and the task module 1004 of the second transport subsystem can only extend to the access face direction, and will not intersect the plane where the shelf section of the first transport subsystem is located in the direction away from the access face. In this case, the task module 1004 of the second transport subsystem can travel arbitrarily. When the task module 1003 of the first transport subsystem reaches the height of the lowermost storage space 101, the distance between the second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem and the first shelf section 1001 of the first transport subsystem cannot be too small, otherwise the task module 1003 of the first transport subsystem extending to the access face can collide with the second shelf section 1002 of the second transport subsystem. When the task module 1003 of the first transport subsystem is at other heights, the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem can be of any shape and allow them to cross each other. When the task module 1004 of the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem extends to the access face direction and the direction away from the access face, the task module 1004 of the second transport subsystem can collide with the shelf section of the first transport subsystem located on the outer side, so when the task module 1004 of the second transport subsystem is at the highest storage space 101, the distance between the first transport subsystem and the second transport subsystem also needs to be controlled. Of course, the present application also does not exclude embodiments in which the task module does not interfere with the travel of the two transport subsystems at any time. In summary, by completely staggering the columns along the direction perpendicular to the access face, the collision between the columns can be relatively simply avoided, and the collision between the task module and the column can be avoided by controlling the position.

[0063] For the transport system of the above several embodiments, each of at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems can be located on the storage shelves on the same side of the same aisle, for example. Figure 4 As shown, each of at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems is located on the storage shelves on both sides of the same aisle. In this case, any one of the two transport subsystems can take and place items in the storage positions of the storage shelves where it is located and the storage positions of the adjacent storage shelves within its corresponding height range.

[0064] As mentioned above, exemplary, in each of the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems, the adjacent task modules are configured to perform the handoff operation by passing the items between each other. When there are multiple groups of transport subsystems, the way the task modules of different groups handoff the items can be different. For example, one or more of the groups can adopt a "direct passing" handoff mode. Instead of controlling a task module to place the item at a storage location of a certain level of the storage rack 10, and then another task module picks up the item from the storage location, by having a task module of one transport subsystem directly pass the item to a task module of another transport subsystem, the time required for the handoff can be reduced. Optionally, the task modules of the two transport subsystems can both stop at a position that is level with the storage space of a certain level of the storage rack 10, at which the items are handed off. Optionally, the task modules of the two transport subsystems can also stop at a position that is not level with the storage space of any level of the storage rack, and only the task modules of the two transport subsystems are aligned with each other and hand off the items. In this way, the flexibility of the system is increased. In some embodiments, the scheduling device that controls the two transport subsystems can calculate the distance between the task modules of the two transport subsystems, and determine the height at which the handoff of the items requires the least time. Optionally, the task modules of the transport subsystems can also be provided with sensors for alignment, or detectors for collision avoidance. For some embodiments of the transport subsystems, the task modules can also be at different heights when passing the items between each other, for example, the task modules of one transport subsystem can be at a higher position, and the task modules of another transport subsystem can be at a lower position, and the items are passed between each other by means of vacuum suction cups, electromagnetic suction cups, etc. Optionally, the two adjacent transport subsystems can have different task modules, for example, the transport subsystem that handles items in a higher range can have task modules that grab and suction the items from above, and the transport subsystem that handles items in a lower range can have task modules that support the items from below. Optionally, the task modules can include manipulators with multiple degrees of freedom, and can hand off the items to the manipulators of another task module from any direction. In summary, by controlling the at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems to directly pass the items between each other, the time for handling the items can be reduced, and the logistics efficiency can be improved.

[0065] Exemplarily, each of the adjacent task modules comprises a carrying mechanism and a handling mechanism. The aforementioned carrying surface can be located on the carrying mechanism. The handling mechanism is used to handle the items between the storage area of the rack and the carrying mechanism. When the adjacent task modules transfer the items between each other, the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules are located at the same height, and the handling mechanism is further used to transfer the items between the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules in a translational manner. Compared with the above-mentioned embodiments in which the items are not handled by the carrying mechanism, the task module using the carrying mechanism can be suitable for a wider range of item types. It is easy to understand that the items that can be stored in the storage area of the rack can be stably placed with the support at the bottom. For the task module provided with the carrying mechanism, it can be suitable for almost all items that can be stored by using the warehouse rack. In contrast, the task module using, for example, a vacuum suction cup and an electromagnetic suction cup can only be suitable for goods with smooth surfaces or goods with ferromagnetic properties, or goods provided with smooth boxes, ferromagnetic boxes, etc. Exemplarily, the carrying mechanism is rotatable in the horizontal plane, so that the carrying mechanism has a loading and unloading position and a transfer position. For example, the carrying mechanism can be rotated by 90 degrees. The carrying mechanism has a docking end for docking with the storage area on the rack. Via the docking end, the handling mechanism can transfer the items between the carrying mechanism and the rack. When the carrying mechanism is in the loading and unloading position, the docking end faces the storage area on the warehouse rack 10. When the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules are respectively in the respective transfer positions, the docking ends of the carrying mechanisms of the adjacent task modules face each other to perform the item transfer operation.

[0066] As described above, for the common transport subsystem, the handling mechanism is only used to handle the items between the storage area of the rack and the carrying mechanism, and the direction of its action is limited. In some embodiments, the length and width of the carrying mechanism can also be different, so as to carry standard containers of different lengths and widths, such as totes. By rotating the carrying mechanism in the horizontal plane, the handling mechanism thereon can change the direction of motion, thereby allowing the task module to transfer the items thereon to another task module. For items of different lengths and widths, the rotated carrying mechanism can allow the items to be more stably transferred to the carrying mechanism of another task module along the length direction of the items. For embodiments of the carrying mechanism in which the carrying surface is not a complete plane but is formed by one or more planes spaced from each other, the carrying mechanism can be rotated to allow the items to be smoothly transferred without being stuck at the spacing between the multiple planes.

[0067] In one embodiment, the first transport subsystem can reach a storage space 101 in which two layers of storage spaces 101 are reached by the second transport subsystem. In other words, the storage area corresponding to the first transport subsystem and the storage area corresponding to the second transport subsystem form an overlapping area including two layers of storage spaces 101. In this case, the storage positions in the lowest layer of storage spaces 101 of the first transport subsystem can be used as transfer storage positions. For the first transport subsystem, the task module reaches the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located only when the article needs to be transferred from the storage position of the other layer of storage spaces 101 to the transfer storage position, or the article in the transfer storage position needs to be transferred to the storage position of the other layer of storage spaces 101. In this case, the second transport subsystem reaches the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located only when the article is taken from or placed into the transfer storage position, and walks below the layer of storage spaces 101 at other times. In this way, the two transport subsystems do not interfere with each other during normal operation, and can relay the transfer of articles.

[0068] For another embodiment in which the storage area corresponding to the first transport subsystem and the storage area corresponding to the second transport subsystem form an overlapping area including two layers of storage spaces 101, the uppermost layer of the second transport subsystem can also be used as the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located, i.e., the storage positions in the second layer of storage spaces 101 below the first transport subsystem are used as transfer storage positions. In this case, the task module of the first transport subsystem walks above the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located except when the article is being transferred, and the task module of the second transport subsystem walks below the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located except when the article is being transferred. For embodiments in which more layers of storage spaces 101 exist in the overlapping area, one or more layers of storage spaces 101 can be used as transfer storage positions in the above-described manner, i.e., the task module of the transport subsystem located relatively higher walks above the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located except when the article is being transferred, and the task module of the transport subsystem located relatively lower walks below the storage space 101 in which the transfer storage position is located except when the article is being transferred.

[0069] Another aspect of the present application provides an intelligent three-dimensional warehousing system including a warehousing rack and the above-described transport system. In this way, the throughput of the warehousing system can be improved, and the reliability of the transport system can be improved.

[0070] The application also provides a conveying system for a warehouse rack, the conveying system comprising a first conveying subsystem corresponding to a first storage area of the warehouse rack. The first conveying subsystem comprises a first rack section and a first task module movable on the first rack section in an operation plane parallel to an access plane of the warehouse rack, for carrying articles in the first storage area. The first task module is also used for carrying the articles in the first storage area to a top storage position of a second storage area, and / or transferring the articles in the first storage area to a corresponding second task module of the second storage area, the first storage area being higher than the second storage area. In this way, the first conveying subsystem can transfer the articles in the first storage area at a higher position of the warehouse rack to the second storage area at a lower height, and the articles in the second storage area can be carried by other conveying subsystems, such as a second conveying subsystem, or directly carried by manual, forklift, freight robot, etc.

[0071] Exemplarily, the first rack section comprises a first transverse rail extending along a horizontal direction parallel to the operation plane, and a first upright column connected to the first transverse rail and slidable along the first transverse rail, and the first task module is connected to the first upright column and slidable along the first upright column, wherein: a bottom end of the first upright column comprises a first extension module having a first retracted position and a first extended position, wherein: when the first extension module is in the first retracted position, the first extension module is located above the second storage area; and when the first extension module is in the first extended position, the first extension module extends to the top storage position of the second storage area, so that the first task module can be slid onto the first extension module and carry the articles to the top storage position of the second storage area.

[0072] Reference Figure 3 The rack 10 comprises a first rack section 1001 and a second rack section 1002. The first rack section 1001 and the second rack section 1002 can be on the same rack, or on the racks 10 on both sides of the same aisle. The first rack section 1001 and the second rack section 1002 can be equipped with task modules 1003, 1004, wherein at least one of the task modules can access a plurality of box positions of an adjacent rack section. The task module can be a picking task module or an access conveying task module.

[0073] It should be noted that the adjacent rack section is specifically implemented as: two rack sections in the z-axis direction of the same rack; or two rack sections in the y-axis direction on both sides of the aisle.

[0074] Reference Figure 3 The first rack section 1001 and the second rack section 1002 are located on the same side of the same rack, and after the first rack section 1001 is equipped with the task module 1003, one or more box positions at the upper end of the second rack can be reached.

[0075] When the task module transfers the target box A, when the target box is located at a higher shelf layer of the high-meter shelf, the task module 1003 on the first shelf section 1001 extracts the target box A and lowers to the lower end of the first shelf section 1001, at this time, the z-axis height of the target box A corresponds to the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, then the task module 1003 of the first shelf section can actually place the target box A at the target box position B at the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, when the target box A participates in the fulfillment outbound, the target box A can be directly extracted from the target box position by the task module 1004 of the second shelf section 1002.

[0076] Reference Figure 4 , the first shelf section 1001 and the second shelf section 1002 are located on both sides of the aisle, the first shelf section 1001 can reach one or more box positions at the upper end of the second shelf after installing the task module 1003; when the task module transfers the target box A, when the target box is located at a higher shelf layer of the high-meter shelf, the task module 1003 on the first shelf section 1001 extracts the target box A and lowers to the lower end of the first shelf section 1001, at this time, the z-axis height of the target box A corresponds to the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, then the task module 1003 of the first shelf section can actually place the target box A at the target box position B at the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, when the target box A participates in the fulfillment outbound, the target box A can be directly extracted from the target box position by the task module 1004 of the second shelf section 1002.

[0077] In the picking scenario, the task module 1003 on the first shelf section 1001 extracts the target box A and lowers to the lower end of the first shelf section 1001, at this time, the target box A is located at the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, when the target box A participates in the fulfillment picking outbound, the target item D of the target box A can be directly extracted from the target box position by the task module 1004 of the second shelf section 1002 that can complete picking.

[0078] Reference Figure 5The diagram illustrates the task module 1003 of the first shelf section 1001, which retrieves the target box A. If it needs to descend to more box positions (in the z-axis direction) at the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, an extension module C can be used. This extension module C can be in the form of a stacked slider, a telescopic column, or an extension section extending from within the column. Here, a stacked slider is used as an example. With the assistance of the stacked slider's length, the task module 1003 of the first shelf section 1001 can move to more box positions in the z-axis direction at the upper end of the second shelf section 1002, thus facilitating the retrieval of boxes from higher levels of high-meter shelves and the allocation of slow-moving boxes.

[0079] It is important to emphasize that the extension module C can be configured with multiple layers, multiple interlocking sections, and multiple release segments to achieve a longer travel distance and access to more bin positions in the z-axis direction, depending on actual needs. This can be applied to corresponding... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The implementation method.

[0080] It should be further explained that the first shelf segment 1001, the second shelf end 1002, and the extension module C are all set according to actual application requirements. The examples listed in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to illustrate the full disclosure and working principle, and do not mean that the position or number of the first shelf segment 1001, the second shelf end 1002, and the extension module C are limited by the examples.

[0081] For clarity and full disclosure, references are made to the present invention. Figure 6 This section describes the structure of track transmission equipment in a transmission system. However, it should be noted that different transmission equipment can be adapted to different transmission systems to complete the task. Figures 3 to 5 The technical solution described herein is such that the transmission device disclosed in this invention does not limit the scope of the invention. As an example, see reference [link to reference]. Figure 6 The track transmission device disclosed in this invention includes: a connection mechanism for a transverse track 11, a first column 12, a first movable component 13 and a task module 14, wherein: the transverse track 11 can be installed on the shelf 10.

[0082] It should be noted that the transverse track 11 is on the beam or upright of the rack 10. When the length of the rack beam is long, the transverse track needs to be supported by the beam and upright of the individual rack and extends to the beam of the adjacent rack.

[0083] The first upright 12 is vertically mounted on the transverse track 11 and can slide laterally. The lateral sliding of the upright 12 on the transverse track enables the first movable part 13 to be positioned in each column of the storage rack.

[0084] The first movable member 13 is arranged on the first column 12 and can slide along the first column 12. The above arrangement of the first movable member 13 can move laterally and longitudinally, so that the first movable member 13 can be positioned at each tier of the shelf.

[0085] The first movable member 13 is arranged on the first column 12 and can slide along the first column 12. The above arrangement of the first movable member 13 can move laterally and longitudinally, so that the first movable member 13 can be positioned at each tier of the shelf.

[0086] The task module 14 is driven by the first movable member 13 to access at least one of the carton and the goods, and is placed into the docking assembly of the freight robot 105 operating at the bottom 16 of the warehouse shelf.

[0087] The above arrangement enables the task module to complete at least one of sorting and accessing, and to transfer, sort, and deliver the at least one of the accessed carton and the goods to the destination location or the sorting location, or even the completed transport location, through the docking of the freight robot 105.

[0088] The task module 14 can be a component with one or more tasks of identification, extraction, playback, grabbing, and carrying, etc. The task module 14 is positioned to the storage slot of the shelf by the first movable member 13, and the connection mechanism of the task module is a basic structure that can be connected with different task modules.

[0089] When the task module is a carton accessing module, a support structure such as a loading and unloading rack supports the carton accessing module. A conveying assembly such as a conveying belt of the carton accessing module is driven by a conveying motor.

[0090] However, if it is other task modules, the connection members are arranged according to the specific functions of the task modules, and are not limited thereto.

[0091] Through the above embodiment, the warehouse shelf is arranged with a lateral track for the movement of the column, and the movable member arranged on the column drives the task module to complete the identification and access of the carton. This device fundamentally solves the problem of waste of warehouse space in the existing warehouse system, and avoids the need for the freight robot or the sorting robot to maintain an ultra-high weight or an excessively high requirement for the warehouse floor to complete the warehouse transfer or warehouse sorting action.

[0092] Reference Figure 7 , a track transmission device of a warehouse shelf is shown. In Figure 6On the basis of the illustration and description, the conveying device further comprises a second upright column 21 and a second movable member 22. The second upright column 21 is vertically arranged on the lateral track 11 and is laterally slidable. The second movable member 22 is arranged on the second upright column 21 and is slidable along the second upright column. The second movable member 22 is provided with a connecting mechanism 23 of the task module 14. The task module 14 is arranged between the first upright column 12 and the second upright column 21 through the connecting mechanism 23. The first movable member 13 and the second movable member 22 drive the task module 14 to be positioned to the storage location 24 on the storage shelf 10 or the docking location 25. The docking location 25 is a location where the task module 14 completes the transfer of goods from the task module 14 to the ground transportation robot after at least one of the task module 14 accessing the goods box and the goods from the storage location of the shelf.

[0093] Optionally, the bottom layer of the storage shelf is high enough from the ground to provide a matching height to support the ground transportation robot to run on the ground and complete the docking action. Optionally, at least one bottom layer of the storage shelf between adjacent upright columns is high enough from the ground to form the docking location 25 of the ground transportation robot.

[0094] Reference Figure 8 , a track conveying device of a storage shelf is shown. In Figure 1 and Figure 2 On the basis of the illustration and description, in Figure 8 , another lateral track 31 is arranged at the lower part of the storage shelf 10. Both the lateral track 11 and the other lateral track 31 can be connected with the first upright column 12 and the second upright column 21 through a sliding block. The sliding block moves on the lateral track under the drive of a roller, and the roller is driven by a motor.

[0095] It should be noted that the roller is a preferred scheme, and in fact, the movement of the upright column on the beam can be realized by using a gear or a combination of a gear and a roller. When a gear is used as a conveying mode, a sprocket chain needs to be matched to complete the movement, and the specific mode can be referred to the prior art. In the case of a combination of a gear and a roller, the movement of the roller is driven by the engagement of the gear and the sprocket chain. Further, the motor-driven roller can be realized by using a wired (cable, flexible conductive material, and anti-wear wire) or a wireless mode such as a lithium battery after charging to support operation. The specific mode is not limited.

[0096] In this embodiment, a large-scale shelf system requires a stable track conveying device. Therefore, two lateral tracks are arranged on the track assembly to fully support the first upright column 12 and the second upright column 21, so that the tasks such as taking out and putting back the goods box and the goods, docking, and sorting can be reliably performed.

[0097] Preferably, the ground cargo robot is under the control of a server to plan a path, or, the ground cargo robot plans a path autonomously, and is provided with a flat moving component and a transfer component to support the placement of a cargo box. In order to improve the efficiency of transportation, the ground cargo robot can directly run on the ground where the storage shelves are located, and can cooperate with the storage shelves to remove the bottom partition, and the cargo box is driven by a movable member to take at least one of the cargo box and the cargo to be accessed, and places it on the transfer component of the cargo robot. The ground cargo robot can be a cargo robot or a sorting robot. The above cooperation makes it possible to complete the storage, transportation and sorting of goods in the storage space.

[0098] As an implementable way, the movable member running on the slide rail of the column can be illustrated by the following figure, and the specific control method is not limited and is not specifically illustrated.

[0099] Reference Figure 9 A synchronous pulley driven by a motor 41 and controlled by a reducer supports the first movable member to move on the slide rail of the first column. A synchronous pulley driven by a motor and controlled by a reducer supports the second movable member to move on the slide rail of the second column.

[0100] The above arrangement can not only accurately position the position between the task module and the cargo box, but also greatly improve the utilization rate of the storage space of the existing storage system, the speed of goods in and out, and the sorting efficiency.

[0101] Reference Figure 10 A partial view of a storage shelf track transmission device is shown. In this embodiment, Figure 5 The connection structure of the transverse track 11 and the first column 12 and the second column 21 is shown. Reference Figure 10 The first column 12 and the second column 21 are connected to the slide block 52, and the roller 51 is in contact with the transverse track 31 to achieve smooth movement.

[0102] The above arrangement can be an implementation way, and is not limited thereto.

[0103] Reference Figure 11 The goods sorting device 1 is installed on the shelf, and the first task module 2 drives the goods 3 to be placed into the transfer component or transfer box 4 of the cargo robot 105 running at the bottom of the shelf 10, or to be taken out from the transfer component or transfer box 4 and placed into the cargo box 104. The first task module 2 at least includes a first movable member 13 and a sorting mechanism 20.

[0104] The goods picking device 1 can include a transverse rail 11, a first upright 12, a first movable member 13 and a connecting mechanism of the first task module 2. The transverse rail 11 is on the rack 10. It is to be noted that the transverse rail 11 is on the beam or upright of the rack 10, and when the rack is transversely long, the transverse rail needs to pass through the beam and upright of the single rack, and extend to the beam of the adjacent rack.

[0105] The first upright 12 is vertically arranged on the transverse rail 11 and can slide transversely. The upright 12 slides along the transverse rail 11 to enable the first movable member 13 to be positioned at each column of the rack.

[0106] The first movable member 13 is arranged on the first upright 12 and can slide along the first upright 12. The first movable member 13 is arranged to move transversely and longitudinally to enable the first movable member 13 to be positioned at each tier of the rack.

[0107] The first movable member 13 is provided with the connecting mechanism 15 of the first task module 2. The first task module 2 is driven by the first movable member 13 to access the goods 3 by the picking mechanism, and put into and run in the docking assembly or docking box of the freight robot 105 at the bottom of the rack.

[0108] It is to be particularly noted that in the present application, the partition of the warehouse rack represents a component that provides support for the storage positions of different types of warehouse racks, and provides a component that stabilizes the periphery of each beam. For a warehouse rack that has already been built, the partition can be removed to provide a matching height that actually needs to block the periphery of the freight robot running on the ground. The partition is not limited to the material and style of the partition in the warehouse rack, and supports the freight robot to run on the ground and complete the docking action. The bottom partition between the adjacent uprights of the warehouse rack is removed to form the docking position 25 of the freight robot. It is to be noted that the bottom partition of the rack includes the partition itself and the beam, thereby providing a moving space for the freight robot.

[0109] More specifically, the picking mechanism has at least one of a suction mechanism 201 and a picking mechanism. The suction mechanism 201 and / or the picking mechanism (not shown) can pass through the connecting mechanism 15 of the first task module, i.e., the extension member of the suction mechanism 201 and / or the picking mechanism. The extension member can be a multi-section mechanical arm with degrees of freedom, and is connected to the first movable member 13. The suction mechanism 201 can form contact with the goods by generating suction force and maintain the contact until the goods 3 are put into the docking assembly or docking box of the freight robot running at the bottom of the rack, or the goods are taken out from the docking assembly and put into the goods box.

[0110] Reference Figure 12 In this embodiment, the implementation enables the access goods to be transferred, sorted, delivered to the destination storage location or sorting location, or the sorting completed transport location, through the docking of the freight robot 105 when at least one of the sorting and accessing of the goods is completed.

[0111] In Figure 12 In the embodiment, the ground travel path of the freight robot 105 between two racks is also shown.

[0112] Reference Figure 13 In the case where the first task module 2 and the second task module 14 are both installed on the first transverse rail, the first upright column, and the first movable member, the connection mechanism of the first task module and the connection mechanism of the second task module can be integrally arranged to drive the first task module to sort goods and drive the second task module to store the box.

[0113] Reference Figure 14 In another case, when the first task module and the second task module are both installed on the first transverse rail, the first upright column, and the first movable member, the connection mechanism of the first task module and the connection mechanism of the second task module are separately arranged and cooperated according to the current task.

[0114] When the task module is a box accessing module, it at least includes a support structure of the box accessing module, such as a loading and unloading rack, and a conveying assembly of the box accessing module, such as a conveying belt, of course, the conveying belt needs to be driven by a conveying motor.

[0115] The track conveying device pulls out the target box at the target storage location of the target rack by using the box accessing module, and the sorting mechanism of the goods sorting device system sorts the target goods in the target box to realize that the goods sorting device drives the first task module to put the goods into the docking assembly or the docking box of the freight robot running at the bottom of the rack;

[0116] Alternatively, the sorting mechanism of the goods sorting device system takes out the target goods from the docking assembly or the docking box of the freight robot, and the track conveying device pulls out the target box at the target storage location of the target rack by using the box accessing module, and the sorting mechanism puts the target goods into the target box;

[0117] The box accessing module pushes the target box back.

[0118] It should be particularly noted that the access module of the access box task module 14 can realize the operation of accessing the adjacent or hook-connected positions of the densely arranged boxes in the stereoscopic storage, such as in the longitudinal direction (y-axis), using the access arm of the access box task module to realize the access of a certain box in the multiple boxes.

[0119] In actual application, however, as described above, the connecting mechanism of the task module is a basic structure capable of being connected with different task modules, and if it is other task modules, the connecting piece is set according to the specific function of the task module, and is not limited thereto.

[0120] It should be particularly noted that in the embodiment, through the modification of the configuration of the bottom shelf layer of the shelf, and the cooperation of the goods sorting equipment 1, the freight robot 105, or the sorting robot (not shown), the problem of low efficiency of existing shelf storage goods transfer and sorting is fundamentally solved, and the application scenario of the shelf is expanded, so that the goods storage, goods transfer and goods sorting are completed in the storage space, thereby greatly improving the utilization rate of the storage space of the existing shelf transmission system, the goods in-out speed and the sorting efficiency.

[0121] In order to fully disclose, the freight robot can select the freight robot or sorting robot in the published text: the freight robot plans a path under the control of a server, or autonomously plans a path, and is provided with a planar moving component and a connection component supporting the access and placement of the box. In order to improve the transportation efficiency, the freight robot can directly run on the ground directly below the shelf, and can cooperate with the storage shelf to remove the bottom partition, the goods are placed on the connection component of the freight robot under the driving of the movable part of the task module, and the freight robot can be a ground freight robot, a freight robot with a support or a telescopic support, or a sorting robot. The above cooperation enables the goods storage, goods transfer and goods sorting to be completed in the storage space.

[0122] The above settings can be used as the disclosed task module and box position in the present application, which can not only accurately position the task module and the box, but also greatly improve the utilization rate of the storage space of the existing transmission system, the goods in-out speed and the sorting efficiency.

[0123] Reference Figure 15 , shows a transmission system, and the setting of the track transmission device on the shelf further includes: a third column 33, and the second task module 14 is arranged between the second column 21 and the third column 33 through the connecting mechanism; and the second task module 14 is driven to be positioned to the goods location or the connection location on the shelf 10.

[0124] In the embodiment, the track transmission device and the goods sorting device are respectively arranged on different columns. In a large dense storage scene, such as storage of more than 100,000 boxes, a warehouse with a flow of 5000 boxes per hour, the track transmission device and the goods sorting device can be respectively installed on the same rack in multiple sets to meet the demand of large flow orders. When the track transmission device and the goods sorting device system work together, for example, an order is shipped out, X goods or a certain SKU (Stock Keeping Unit, i.e., the basic unit of inventory in and out measurement) of an A order needs to be shipped out. The track transmission device uses a second task module, i.e., a box access module, to pull out the target box at the target storage position of the target rack so that the X goods or the certain SKU can be sucked by the suction mechanism 201 or the picking mechanism of the goods sorting device system. Before suction, an identification module needs to identify the X goods or the certain SKU. The identification module can be arranged on at least one of the goods sorting device and the track transmission device. The identification module can be a monocular camera, a laser camera, or a depth-of-field camera.

[0125] After the above sorting process is completed, the identification module is used to accurately position, and the goods sorting device is used to place the X goods or the certain SKU indicated by the order on the docking position of the freight robot. The freight robot will drive to the next docking position or workstation.

[0126] In another embodiment, one or more racks are included, and the structure and working principle of the rack are described with reference to Figures 11 to 15 The rack can be arranged on at least one of the warehouse sorting device and the track transmission device. When running, the rack can be independently operated under the control of a control chip and software instructions or can be coordinated and operated on the server side with built-in warehouse management software. At the same time, the one or more racks can be ordinary racks or precision racks, and are not limited to rack height and ground flatness. In addition, the present application also discloses a transmission system configured as Figure 16 The transmission system and the plurality of freight robots 105 can further improve the efficiency of goods access, transportation, and sorting, and meet the technical requirements of rapid transfer and transmission in various warehouse scenarios.

[0127] In summary, the transmission system provided by the embodiment of the application is applied in a high-meter cuboid warehouse, a task module is arranged on a shelf section in the cuboid warehouse, a plurality of box positions of an adjacent shelf section are accessed by using the task module, and the task module can be a picking task module or a storage and transmission task module. The task module can be cooperated with a horizontal track, a vertical column sliding and an extension module, so that the task module of the warehouse can reach a storage position outside the shelf section in the high-meter warehouse, thereby supporting the fulfillment business of the high-meter cuboid warehouse. Further, a track transmission device accesses a box under the driving of the movable member and puts the box into a connection assembly or a connection box of a freight robot running at the bottom of the shelf or takes the box out of the connection assembly, so that the goods and the box of the warehouse are cooperated with the freight robot or the sorting robot, and the goods storage, the goods and the box transfer and the goods and the box sorting are smoothly completed in the warehouse space. Therefore, the utilization rate of the warehouse space of the existing shelf transmission system is improved, the complexity of the deployment and maintenance of the high-meter warehouse is reduced, and the deployment investment cost is greatly reduced.

[0128] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation words such as "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "horizontal", "vertical", "vertical", "horizontal" and "top", "bottom" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate and imply that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore it cannot be understood as a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application; the orientation words "in" and "out" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component.

[0129] For the convenience of description, regional relative terms such as "on", "above", "upper surface", "upper" and the like can be used herein to describe the regional positional relationship of one or more components or features shown in the drawings with other components or features. It should be understood that the regional relative terms not only include the orientation of the components described in the drawings, but also include different orientations in use or operation. For example, if the components in the drawings are inverted as a whole, the components "above" or "on" other components or features will include the case of "below" or "under" other components or structures. Therefore, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". In addition, the components or features can also be positioned at other different angles (for example, rotated by 90 degrees or other angles), and all these cases are intended to be included herein.

[0130] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting, as the scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application is limited only by the appended claims. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, elements, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, components, elements, and / or groups thereof.

[0131] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", and the like, herein do not necessarily have an either chronological or spatial relation to each other, but are used to distinguish a certain element from another, unless specifically stated otherwise. It should be understood that the use of the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be understood that the use of the terms "includes", "including", "comprising", "comprises" or "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed.

[0132] The application has been described through the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to limit the application to the scope of the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can understand that the application is not limited to the above embodiments, and more various modifications and changes can be made according to the teachings of the application, and these modifications and changes all fall within the scope of the application claimed. The scope of protection of the application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A transport system for a warehouse rack, characterized in that, The transport system comprises a plurality of transport subsystems located at different heights, the plurality of transport subsystems corresponding to a plurality of storage areas of the warehouse rack located at different heights, each of the transport subsystems comprising: a rack section comprising uprights movable along a horizontal direction in an operation plane parallel to an access plane of the warehouse rack; and a task module movable along the uprights for handling items in the corresponding storage area, the items comprising at least one of a bin and a cargo, wherein: at least one task module in each group of adjacent transport subsystems in the height direction is further configured to perform an item handover operation, the item handover operation comprising handling items from the corresponding storage area of the adjacent transport subsystem; and adjacent uprights in adjacent rack sections of each group of adjacent transport subsystems in the height direction are at least staggered in at least one of the height direction and a direction perpendicular to the access plane when passing each other along the horizontal direction.

2. The transmission system of claim 1, wherein, In each of at least one group of adjacent transport subsystems: at least one of the adjacent uprights is telescopic, wherein: the telescopic upright has an extended portion extending to the corresponding storage area of the adjacent transport subsystem in an extended state; and the telescopic upright is fully staggered from the adjacent uprights in the height direction in a retracted state; the task module on the telescopic upright is movable to the extended portion for performing the item handover operation.

3. The transmission system of claim 1, wherein, The adjacent uprights are fully staggered in the height direction, a bottom end of an upper upright of the adjacent uprights is connected with a first extension module, the first extension module has a first retracted position and a first extended position, wherein: the first extension module is spaced apart from a top end of a lower upright of the adjacent uprights in the height direction when the first extension module is in the first retracted position; the first extension module extends below the top end of the upright of a lower rack section of the adjacent rack sections when the first extension module is in the first extended position; and the task module on the upper upright is movable to the first extension module in the first extended position for performing the item handover operation.

4. The transmission system of claim 1, wherein, The adjacent uprights are fully staggered in the height direction, a top end of a lower upright of the adjacent uprights comprises a second extension module, the second extension module has a second retracted position and a second extended position, wherein: the second extension module is spaced apart from a bottom end of the adjacent uprights in the height direction when the second extension module is in the second retracted position; the second extension module extends above the bottom end of the upper upright of the adjacent uprights when the second extension module is in the second extended position; the task module on the upper upright is movable to the second extension module in the second extended position for performing the item handover operation.

5. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein: the adjacent uprights have an overlapping portion in the height direction; and the adjacent uprights are fully staggered in a direction perpendicular to the access plane.

6. The transport system according to any one of claims 1-5, comprising at least one of: each of the at least one set of adjacent transport subsystems is located on shelves on opposite sides of the same aisle; and each of the at least one set of adjacent transport subsystems is located on shelves on the same side of the same aisle; and the shelf section further comprises a transverse rail extending along a horizontal direction within the plane of operation, the upright being connected to the transverse rail and slidable along the transverse rail.

7. The transport system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, In each of the at least one set of adjacent transport subsystems, the adjacent task modules are configured to perform the item handoff operation by passing items between each other.

8. The transmission system of claim 7, wherein, each of the adjacent task modules comprises: a carrier mechanism; and a handling mechanism for handling items between a storage area of a shelf and the carrier mechanism, the carrier mechanism being rotatable within a horizontal plane such that the carrier mechanism has a loading and unloading position and a handoff position, wherein: the carrier mechanism has a docking end for docking with a storage area on a shelf, the docking end facing the storage area on the shelf when the carrier mechanism is in the loading and unloading position; and the docking ends of the carrier mechanisms of the adjacent task modules face each other when the carrier mechanisms of the adjacent task modules are in their respective handoff positions to perform the item handoff operation.

9. The transport system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, In each of the at least one set of adjacent transport subsystems: at least one of the adjacent task modules is configured to perform the item handoff operation by placing items in a transit storage location within an adjacent storage area.

10. An intelligent stereoscopic warehousing system, characterized in that, comprises: a warehouse shelf; and one or more transport systems according to any one of claims 1-9. ​

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