Warehousing system and elevator

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a warehousing system and an elevator, and the warehousing system comprises a carrier which is provided with stand columns, and a lifting space is defined by the multiple stand columns; the elevator is located in the lifting space and can ascend and descend along the stand column; the elevator comprises a bearing assembly and a driving assembly, the bearing assembly is configured to bear objects or shuttle vehicles, and the driving assembly is configured to drive the bearing assembly to ascend and descend along the stand columns; wherein the driving assembly is arranged on the bearing assembly, the occupied space of the elevator in the stereoscopic warehouse can be reduced, and the storage density of the stereoscopic warehouse is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, specifically relating to a warehousing system and a hoist. Background Technology

[0002] Warehousing systems can store goods and meet sorting requirements, and have broad application prospects in the logistics industry and intelligent manufacturing.

[0003] In existing automated warehouses, the movement of goods or four-way shuttles in the vertical direction of the racks requires the use of elevators. For example, elevators can be used to transport goods or shuttles from one rack level to another in the vertical direction, thereby improving the utilization of vertical space in the warehousing system.

[0004] However, in related technologies, the elevator is installed in the front area of ​​the automated warehouse, which occupies a large space and affects the storage density of the automated warehouse. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a warehousing system and a hoist, which can reduce the space occupied by the hoist in the automated warehouse and increase the storage density of the automated warehouse.

[0006] One embodiment of this application provides a warehousing system, including:

[0007] A vehicle, which has columns, with multiple columns forming a lifting space;

[0008] The hoist is located within a lifting space and can move up and down along a column; the hoist includes a load-bearing component and a drive component, the load-bearing component is configured to carry items or a shuttle, and the drive component is configured to drive the load-bearing component to move up and down along the column;

[0009] The driving component is set on the carrier component.

[0010] In some implementations, the load-bearing component includes a load-bearing frame and a load-bearing space located within the load-bearing frame. The load-bearing space is connected to the walking channels on each layer of the vehicle to receive items or shuttles entering through the walking channels, or to move items or shuttles out to the walking channels.

[0011] The drive components are located on the support frame.

[0012] In some implementations, the carrying framework includes:

[0013] Support platform;

[0014] The main frame is set above the support platform, and the support space is formed inside the main frame;

[0015] The drive components are mounted on the support platform.

[0016] In some implementations, the drive component is located below the mounting surface of the support platform; wherein, the mounting surface is the side surface of the support platform facing the support space.

[0017] In some implementations, when a shuttle needs to be transferred from the current layer to the target layer, the warehouse system performs the following actions:

[0018] The drive component drives the support component to move up and down along the column until it reaches the current floor of the shuttle.

[0019] The shuttle car located on the current floor moves along the current floor's walking corridor to the load-bearing component;

[0020] The drive component drives the support component to rise and fall along the column, thereby moving the shuttle to the target floor;

[0021] The shuttle car moves out of the carrying component and reaches the target storage location through the walking passage of the target layer to retrieve and return the target items.

[0022] In some implementations, the driving component includes:

[0023] Drive components;

[0024] A transmission component, connected to a driving component, to move under the drive of the driving component;

[0025] The column is equipped with a transmission fitting;

[0026] The transmission component is configured to cooperate with the transmission mating component under the drive of the drive component, thereby driving the load-bearing component to rise and fall along the column;

[0027] In some implementations, the drive and transmission components are located at the edge of the load-bearing assembly near the column.

[0028] In some implementations, the transmission component includes a gear, which is connected to a driving component to rotate under the drive of the driving component;

[0029] The transmission component includes a rack, and the gear is configured to rotate under the drive of the drive component to mesh with the rack, thereby driving the load-bearing assembly to move up and down along the column.

[0030] In some implementations, the transmission component includes a sprocket connected to a drive component to rotate under the drive of the drive component;

[0031] The transmission assembly includes a chain, and the sprockets are configured to rotate under the drive of the drive component to engage with the chain, thereby driving the load-bearing assembly to move up and down along the column.

[0032] In some implementations, the transmission components are mounted on the column;

[0033] Alternatively, the transmission components can be mounted on a reinforcing beam between two adjacent columns.

[0034] In some implementations, the driving element includes a servo motor, which is configured to drive the carrier assembly to move via a transmission element and determine the displacement of the carrier assembly.

[0035] In some implementations, the driving components include multiple groups;

[0036] Multiple sets of drive components are spaced apart along the material inlet and outlet direction of the carrier component;

[0037] And / or, multiple sets of drive components are spaced apart along the width direction of the carrier component; wherein the width direction of the carrier component intersects with the material inlet / outlet direction.

[0038] Another embodiment of this application provides a hoist, including:

[0039] The carrier component is configured to carry items or shuttles;

[0040] The drive assembly is configured to drive the load-bearing assembly to move up and down along the column of the vehicle;

[0041] The driving component is set on the carrier component.

[0042] In some implementations, the load-bearing component includes a load-bearing frame and a load-bearing space located within the load-bearing frame. The load-bearing space is connected to the walking channels on each layer of the vehicle to receive items or shuttles entering through the walking channels, or to move items or shuttles out to the walking channels.

[0043] The drive components are located on the support frame.

[0044] In some implementations, the driving component includes:

[0045] Drive components;

[0046] A transmission component, connected to a driving component, to move under the drive of the driving component;

[0047] The column is equipped with a transmission fitting;

[0048] The transmission component is configured to cooperate with the transmission mating component under the drive of the drive component, thereby driving the load-bearing component to rise and fall along the column.

[0049] In some implementations, the drive and transmission components are located at the edge of the load-bearing assembly near the column.

[0050] This application provides a storage system and a hoist. By enclosing a lifting space within a carrier using multiple columns, the hoist is positioned within this lifting space and moves up and down along the columns. This effectively utilizes the space within the carrier, embedding the hoist inside without requiring additional space on one side of the carrier, thus saving space and increasing the storage density of the entire storage system. Furthermore, the hoist's movement along the columns ensures stability during lifting, and the columns directly serve as the hoist's external guide frame, meaning the hoist's external guide frame and the carrier's columns are interchangeable. This reduces the number of hoist components and facilitates installation. Additionally, compared to solutions where the drive assembly is mounted on the columns and the load-bearing assembly is connected to the drive assembly, this application places the hoist's drive assembly on the load-bearing assembly. This allows for a modular design of the overall structure of the drive and load-bearing assemblies, facilitating installation within the carrier and improving the hoist's compactness. This reduces the minimum descent height of the hoist, thereby lowering the minimum storage height of the storage space and increasing the overall storage density of the storage system. Attached Figure Description

[0051] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a first-view perspective;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a second perspective;

[0054] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hoist provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a third-person perspective;

[0056] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a fourth-person perspective.

[0058] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0059] 100 - Vehicle; 101 - Lifting space; 110 - Lane; 120 - Cargo channel; 111 - First track; 112 - Second track; 113 - Overlapping area; 130 - Column; 131 - Transmission components; 1311 - Rack; 140 - Reinforcing beam; P - Item;

[0060] 200 - Shuttle; 210 - First traveling wheel; 220 - Second traveling wheel;

[0061] 300-Elevator; 310-Bearing component; 311-Bearing frame; 312-Bearing space; 312a-Traveling track; 312b-Supporting surface; 313-Material inlet / outlet; 3111-Bearing platform; 311a-Horizontal plate; 311b-Vertical plate; 311c-Mounting surface; 311d-Bearing seat; 311e-Connecting beam; 3112-Main frame; 3112a-First support beam; 3112b-Second support beam; 320-Drive component; 321-Driver; 322-Transmission component; 3221-Gear. Detailed Implementation

[0062] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0063] It should be noted that many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0064] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature being "upper" or "lower" than the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium.

[0065] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral unit; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. However, specifying a direct connection indicates that the two entities connected are not linked by an intermediate structure, but are simply connected to form a whole. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0066] In this application, the use of terms such as "first," "second," etc., is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0067] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a first-view perspective. (Refer to...) Figure 1 As shown in the illustration, this application provides a warehousing system including a vehicle 100 and a shuttle 200. In some examples, the vehicle 100 may be a rack with multiple storage locations. For example, the rack may be a four-way mobile warehouse rack, which is densely arranged in the storage space.

[0068] In some examples, each shelf level has aisles 120, and storage locations are situated on the aisles 120. The aisles 120 can extend along a second direction of the shelf (see reference). Figure 1 Extending in the x-direction. It can be understood that each shelf layer extends along the first direction (refer to...). Figure 1 As shown in the y-direction, multiple aisles 120 can be arranged at intervals, and multiple storage locations can be set at intervals on each aisle 120, thus increasing the storage density of each layer of the shelf.

[0069] In some examples, each shelf level may have an aisle 110 extending along a first direction to communicate with a plurality of aisles 120 arranged along the first direction. Exemplarily, each shelf level may be provided with a plurality of aisles 110, spaced apart along a second direction. Each storage location has at least one aisle 110 on one side, allowing an item P retrieved from any storage location to be moved out through the aisle 110 on one side.

[0070] It should be noted that item P includes, but is not limited to, goods, original boxes or packages containing goods, containers containing goods or original boxes, etc., wherein containers may include, but are not limited to, bins, pallets, etc.

[0071] For example, there may be one or two storage locations between two adjacent aisles 110. Taking two storage locations as an example, an item P in one storage location can be moved out of the left aisle 110, and an item P in the other storage location can be moved out of the right aisle 110.

[0072] In some examples, the shuttle 200 may be a four-way shuttle. To enable the shuttle 200 to travel stably within the aisles 120 and 110, the vehicle 100 further includes a first track 111 and a second track 112. The first track 111 is disposed on one of the aisles 110 and 120 of the vehicle 100, and the second track 112 is disposed on the other. The shuttle 200 travels along the first track 111 and the second track 112 on each shelf.

[0073] For example, a first track 111 is provided in aisle 110 for shuttle 200 to travel within aisle 110. A second track 112 is provided in cargo aisle 120 for shuttle 200 to travel within cargo aisle 120.

[0074] For ease of description, the following description will use the example of the first track 111 being located in the lane 110 and the second track 112 being located in the cargo lane 120 to illustrate the specific structure of the tracks. Of course, the improved track structure in this embodiment can also be adapted to the scheme of the first track 111 being located in the cargo lane 120 and the second track 112 being located in the lane 110, which will not be elaborated here.

[0075] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application, viewed from a second perspective. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and 2 As shown, for example, the first traveling wheel 210 of the shuttle 200 can roll along the first track 111 so that the shuttle 200 can travel along the first track 111. The first track 111 can extend in a first direction.

[0076] In some examples, each aisle 110 has two first tracks 111, spaced apart along the width direction (e.g., a second direction) of the aisle 110. The two first tracks 111 are configured to allow two opposing first wheels 210 of the shuttle 200 to travel along them. For example, the first wheels 210 on opposite sides of the shuttle 200 along the second direction can both be supported on their respective first tracks 111 and travel along the first tracks 111 in the first direction. For ease of description, two first tracks 111 on an aisle 110 that cooperate with the same shuttle 200 can be referred to as a first track group.

[0077] It should be noted that in some examples, the first track 111 can be set on the frame of each shelf layer. For example, the first track 111 can be detachably set on the frame of each shelf layer to improve the assembly stability of the first track 111 on the shelf and to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the first track 111.

[0078] In other examples, the first track 111 can directly serve as the frame for each layer of the shelving; that is, a set of first tracks directly forms an aisle 110 for each layer of the shelving. This simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process of the shelving.

[0079] In some examples, the second track 112 is disposed on the other of the aisle 110 and the cargo channel 120 of the vehicle 100. For example, the second track 112 is disposed on the cargo channel 120 to allow the shuttle 200 to travel within the cargo channel 120. For example, the shuttle 200 travels on the second track 112 via second wheels 220 to reach and dock with a storage location in the cargo channel 120 to retrieve or return item P. The second track 112 may extend in a second direction.

[0080] In some examples, each cargo lane 120 has two second tracks 112, which are spaced apart along the width direction (e.g., the first direction) of the cargo lane 120. Thus, the second wheels 220 of the shuttle 200 on opposite sides along the first direction can be supported on the corresponding second tracks 112 and travel along the second tracks 112 in the second direction. For ease of description, two second tracks 112 on a cargo lane 120 that cooperate with the same shuttle 200 can be referred to as a second track group.

[0081] It should be noted that in some examples, the second track 112 can be installed on the frame of each shelf layer. For example, the second track 112 can be detachably installed on the frame of each shelf layer to improve the assembly stability of the second track 112 on the shelf and to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the second track 112.

[0082] In other examples, the second track 112 can directly serve as the frame for each shelf level; that is, a set of second tracks directly forms a cargo aisle 120 for each shelf level. This simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process of the shelving. In some examples, the first track 111 and the second track 112 are arranged in an overlapping manner, that is, the first track 111 and the second track 112 have an overlapping support area 113, which allows the shuttle 200 to switch between aisle 110 and cargo aisle 120.

[0083] When the shuttle 200 in this embodiment receives a pick-up and return task, it performs the following actions:

[0084] The first traveling wheel 210 of the shuttle 200 travels along the first track 111 so that the shuttle 200 travels in the alley 110 until it reaches the cargo channel 120 where the target is located.

[0085] The first traveling wheel 210 of the shuttle 200 rises relative to the second traveling wheel 220 until the second traveling wheel 220 contacts the second track 112, at which point the first traveling wheel 210 disengages from the first track 111.

[0086] The second traveling wheel 220 travels along the second track 112 so that the shuttle 200 travels within the cargo channel 120 until it reaches the target storage location.

[0087] The shuttle 200 performs the action of retrieving and returning items.

[0088] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some examples, the warehousing system also includes a lift 300. A shuttle 200, driven by the lift 300, can move along the height of the shelving to switch between different shelves and the ground. For example, after the shuttle 200 retrieves a target box from a target shelf, it can descend to the ground under the lift 300 and be handed over to other robots, which then transfer the target box to a workstation or other location for picking operations. Alternatively, after descending to the ground, the shuttle 200 can directly carry the target box to a workstation for picking.

[0089] In some examples, an item P, such as goods, can move along the height of the shelf under the drive of the elevator 300 to switch between different shelves and the ground. For example, after the shuttle 200 retrieves a target box from the target shelf, it can move to the elevator 300, transfer the target box onto the elevator 300, and then move out of the elevator 300. The elevator 300 then lowers the target box to the ground and hands it over to other robots, who then transfer the target box to workstations or other locations for picking operations. As another example, when a target box to be stored arrives at one side of the shelf, it can first be transferred to the elevator 300, and then lifted to the target shelf. The shuttle 200 on the target shelf moves through aisle 110 to the elevator 300, retrieves the target box, and moves along aisle 110 and driveway 120 of the target shelf to the target storage location to place the target box there.

[0090] In related technologies, the elevator 300 is installed at the front end of a warehouse, such as a automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS). Additionally, an inbound buffer area and an outbound buffer area are located near the truck loading dock at the front end of the warehouse, such as the AS / RS. Items P awaiting inbound or outbound will circulate within these buffer areas. Upon inbound, goods are manually placed on the inbound conveyor line, which automatically moves forward, transporting the goods into the elevator 300. The elevator 300 lifts the goods to a designated shelf level and then transports them out of the elevator 300 to the inbound conveyor line connection point. Finally, a shuttle 200 transports the goods to the target storage location.

[0091] When goods are to be shipped out, the shuttle 200 lifts and transports them to the connecting conveyor line in front of the outbound elevator 300. The conveyor line transports the goods into the elevator 300, which lifts the goods to the first floor of the shelf. The conveyor line then automatically moves forward to deliver the goods to the outbound exit, where they await manual shipment.

[0092] However, the elevators 300 in the aforementioned warehouse system occupy additional space at the front of the shelving, resulting in a significant footprint. For example, each elevator 300 in the warehouse front area typically occupies six storage locations for its installation. The higher the efficiency of the project, the more elevators 300 are required. Consequently, the number of storage locations lost due to the installation of elevators 300 in the warehouse front area increases, reducing the storage density of the warehouse system.

[0093] This application provides a storage system and a hoist 300. By enclosing a lifting space 101 within a carrier 100 using multiple columns 130, the hoist 300 is positioned within the lifting space 101 and moves up and down along the columns 130. This system effectively utilizes the space within the carrier 100, embedding the hoist 300 within it without requiring additional space on one side of the carrier 100. This increases storage space within the carrier 100, thereby improving the overall storage density of the storage system. Furthermore, the hoist 300's movement along the columns 130 ensures stability during lifting. The columns 130 directly serve as the external guide frame for the hoist 300, meaning the external guide frame of the hoist 300 is interchangeable with the columns 130 of the carrier 100. This reduces the number of components in the hoist 300 and facilitates its installation.

[0094] In addition, compared to the scheme of setting the drive component 320 on the column 130 and connecting the bearing component 310 to the drive component 320, the embodiment of this application sets the drive component 320 of the hoist 300 on the bearing component 310. This enables a modular design of the overall structure of the drive component 320 and the bearing component 310, which facilitates the installation of the hoist 300 in the carrier 100 and improves the compactness of the hoist 300. This reduces the descent height of the hoist 300, i.e., reduces the minimum descent height of the hoist 300, thereby reducing the height of the minimum storage position in the warehousing system and increasing the storage density of the warehousing system.

[0095] The structure of the storage system and the elevator 300 provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0096] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hoist provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a third-person perspective. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle. Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application from a fourth-person perspective. (Refer to...) Figures 2 to 6 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the warehousing system includes a carrier 100 and a hoist 300.

[0097] The basic structure of vehicle 100 can be directly referred to the above content, and will not be repeated here.

[0098] The following explanation uses a four-way vehicle-mounted high-density warehouse racking system, vehicle 100, as an example.

[0099] In some examples, the shelving has uprights 130 for fixing horizontal frames that form storage locations on each shelf level. For example, multiple horizontal frames are spaced apart along the height of the uprights 130 to form storage locations on each shelf level.

[0100] For example, in the shelving, every four uprights 130 can be spaced apart along a circular track to form a row of storage locations.

[0101] In some examples, multiple uprights 130 in the shelving can enclose a lifting space 101.

[0102] For example, each column 130 surrounding the lifting space 101 can be a column 130 of different rows of storage positions. For instance, four rows of storage positions are arranged along a circular trajectory in the front, back, left, and right directions, and the lifting space 101 can be located within the area enclosed by these four rows of storage positions. As another example, two rows of storage positions are arranged in the left-right direction, and the lifting space 101 is located in the area between these two rows of storage positions, that is, the two rows of storage positions and the lifting space 101 are arranged in the same row in the left-right direction.

[0103] In some examples, the elevator 300 is located within the lifting space 101 of the shelf and can be raised and lowered along the upright 130.

[0104] It should be noted that the lifting machine 300 moving up and down along the column 130 means that the column 130 has a mating surface, and the lifting machine 300 contacts the mating surface during the lifting process, thereby playing a supporting and guiding role for the lifting machine 300.

[0105] In some examples, the lifting space 101 for operating the hoist 300 can be set at any location on the vehicle 100 (e.g., a shelf) to allow for the exchange of items P and shuttle 200 between different levels.

[0106] Reference Figure 1 As shown, for example, the lifting space 101 may overlap with the aisles 120 of each shelf layer in the height direction. Exemplarily, the lifting space 101 may be located inside the shelf and overlap with the aisles 120 in the height direction.

[0107] For example, the lifting space 101 can overlap with the aisles 110 of each shelf layer in the vertical direction. The aisles 110 include aisles located on the periphery of the shelf and aisles located in the internal area of ​​the shelf. In this way, when the elevator 300 rises along the lifting space 101 to different shelves, it can directly reach the aisle 110. When the elevator 300 is used to transfer the shuttle 200, the shuttle 200 located in the elevator 300 can be transferred from the elevator 300 to the track of the aisle 110, such as the first track 111, and move along the first track 111 to the target row of the target layer, and then move along the second track 112 in the target aisle 120 until it reaches the target storage location to pick up and put away goods.

[0108] When the elevator 300 is used to transfer items P, such as goods, the shuttle 200 located on the target floor can reach the elevator 300 via the first track 111 and take out the goods on the elevator 300. Then, the shuttle 200 carries the goods along the first track 111 to the target row of the target floor, and then moves along the second track 112 in the target cargo channel 120 until it reaches the target storage location to return the goods.

[0109] By enclosing a lifting space 101 within a carrier 100 using multiple uprights 130, and placing the hoist 300 within the lifting space 101, which then moves up and down along the uprights 130, the space within the carrier 100 is utilized efficiently. The hoist 300 is embedded within the carrier 100, eliminating the need to occupy additional space on one side of the carrier 100. This increases storage space within the carrier 100, thereby improving the overall storage density of the warehousing system. Furthermore, the hoist 300's movement along the uprights 130 ensures stability during lifting, and the uprights 130 directly serve as the external guide frame for the hoist 300. This means the external guide frame of the hoist 300 is interchangeable with the uprights 130 of the carrier 100, reducing the number of components and facilitating its installation.

[0110] In some examples, the elevator 300 includes a carrying component 310 and a drive component 320. The carrying component 310 is configured to carry an item P or a shuttle 200, and the drive component 320 is configured to drive the carrying component 310 to move up and down along the column 130 to achieve the transfer of goods or shuttle 200 on the carrying component 310.

[0111] The drive assembly 320 is mounted on the support assembly 310. Compared to mounting the drive assembly 320 on the column 130 and connecting the support assembly 310 to the drive assembly 320, this design allows for a modular design of the overall structure of the drive assembly 320 and the support assembly 310. This facilitates the installation of the elevator 300 within the carrier 100 and improves the compactness of the elevator 300. Consequently, the descent height of the elevator 300 can be reduced, which in turn reduces the minimum picking height of the elevator 300. This, in turn, reduces the minimum storage height of the warehousing system and increases the storage density of the warehousing system.

[0112] In some examples, the carrier assembly 310 may include a carrier frame 311 and a carrier space 312 located within the carrier frame 311. The carrier space 312 communicates with the walkways on each floor of the vehicle 100 to receive shuttles 200 entering via the walkways or to move shuttles 200 out of the walkways. It is understood that the carrier space 312 is configured to accommodate and carry shuttles 200.

[0113] For example, the travel channels on each floor of the carrier 100 may include cargo aisles 120 and lanes 110. For example, the carrying assembly 310 may include material inlets / outlets 313, which are connected to the carrying space 312 and the travel channels of the carrier 100, respectively. Thus, a shuttle 200 located on the travel channel can enter the carrying space 312 of the elevator 300 via the travel channel and material inlets / outlets 313, and then the carrying assembly 310 is raised and lowered via the drive assembly 320 to achieve floor changing for the shuttle 200. Alternatively, when the elevator 300 reaches the target floor, the shuttle 200 located in the carrying space 312 can travel to the travel channel of the target floor via the material inlets / outlets 313, and then reach the target storage location along the travel channel.

[0114] For example, the carrying space 312 can be connected to the aisles 110 of each layer on the carrier 100. A travel track 312a is formed in the carrying space 312. The travel track 312a is configured to connect with the first track 111 of each layer of aisle 110, so that the shuttle 200 located in the carrying space 312 can travel along the travel track 312a to the first track 111 of aisle 110, and then travel through aisle 110 to any target cargo channel 120. Alternatively, the shuttle 200 moved out of any target cargo channel 120 can travel through the first track 111 of aisle 110 to the travel track 312a in the carrying space 312. In this way, the path length between each target cargo channel 120 and the elevator 300 can be reduced, and the operating efficiency of the shuttle 200 between the target storage location and the elevator 300 can be improved.

[0115] In some examples, when shuttle 200 needs to be transferred from the current layer to the target layer, the warehouse system performs the following actions:

[0116] S100 and drive component 320 drive the support component 310 to rise and fall along the column 130 until they reach the current floor of the shuttle 200.

[0117] For example, the drive assembly 320 itself (e.g., an encoder within the drive assembly 320) can determine the lifting displacement of the carrier assembly 310, or a structure such as a positioning sensor can be installed on the shelf to determine the current position of the carrier assembly 310, so as to determine whether the carrier assembly 310 has reached the current layer of the shuttle 200.

[0118] S200, the shuttle 200 located on the current floor runs along the walking channel of the current floor to the bearing component 310.

[0119] For example, when the initial position of the shuttle 200 is on the lane 110 of the current layer, the shuttle 200 can move along the first track 111 of the lane 110 of the current layer to the carrier assembly 310.

[0120] S300 and drive component 320 drive the load-bearing component 310 to rise and fall along the column 130, so as to drive the shuttle 200 to the target floor;

[0121] S400 and shuttle 200 move out of the carrying component 310 and reach the target storage location through the walking passage of the target layer to carry out the retrieval and return of goods.

[0122] For example, after the shuttle 200 moves out of the carrying component 310, it can travel along the aisle 110 of the target layer to the target cargo channel 120, and then travel along the second track 112 of the target cargo channel 120 to the target storage location, thereby realizing the retrieval and return of the target item P.

[0123] The following describes the operation process of a warehousing system by taking the example of transferring goods located at the bottom of the shelf to the target storage location on the target layer.

[0124] The shuttle 200, located at the bottom of the shelf, can run along the aisle until it reaches the location of the goods and receives them.

[0125] The drive assembly 320 drives the load-bearing assembly 310 to rise and fall along the column 130 until it reaches the current layer of the shuttle 200, that is, the bottom layer of the shelf.

[0126] The shuttle 200 carrying goods travels along the current floor's walkway and arrives at the carrying component 310 of the hoist 300;

[0127] The drive component 320 drives the support component 310 to move up and down along the column 130, so as to drive the shuttle 200 to the target floor;

[0128] The shuttle 200 moves out of the carrying component 310 and reaches the target storage location via the walking passage of the target layer, and then transfers the goods to the target storage location.

[0129] In some examples, goods at the bottom of the shelf can be directly transported to the elevator 300 at the bottom of the shelf via the inbound conveyor line. The elevator 300 then directly transfers the goods to the target layer, where the shuttle 200 receives the goods and carries them to the target storage location, thus realizing the return of the target item P.

[0130] For example, the carrying space 312 has a support surface 311d above it. The support surface 311d can be located above the walking track 312a and is spaced apart from the walking track 312a. When the shuttle 200 carrying the item P enters the carrying space 312 along the walking track 312a, the bottom surface of the item P can be located above the support surface 311d. As the carrying surface of the shuttle 200 descends, the item P also descends until the item P is supported on the support surface 311d. The shuttle 200 then exits the carrying space 312 along the walking track 312a through the logistics inlet and outlet 313, completing the task of transferring the item P from the shuttle 200 to the elevator 300.

[0131] After the elevator 300 carries the item P to the target floor, the shuttle 200 located on the target floor enters the carrying space 312, which is below the item P, through the logistics inlet / outlet 313. Then, the carrying surface of the shuttle 200 rises and lifts the item P, so that the item P is no longer supported by the support surface 311d but by the shuttle 200. Then, the shuttle 200 carries the item P out of the carrying space 312, completing the task of transferring the item P from the elevator 300 to the shuttle 200.

[0132] In some examples, the drive component 320 may be located on the support frame 311 and offset from the support space 312 to reduce the size occupied by the support space 312, so that the shuttle 200 or the storage of goods is not disturbed.

[0133] In specific configurations, the drive component 320 can be located at any position on the support frame 311.

[0134] In some examples, the support frame 311 may include a support platform 3111 and a main frame 3112, wherein the support platform 3111 is configured to house components such as controllers and circuit elements.

[0135] The main frame 3112 is positioned above the support platform 3111, and a support space 312 is formed within the main frame 3112.

[0136] In some examples, the main frame 3112 is formed by crossbeams and longitudinal beams that are fixed together, forming an internal load-bearing space 312. The crossbeams may include a first support beam 3112a and a second support beam 3112b spaced apart along the height direction, with the first support beam 3112a located below the second support beam 3112b.

[0137] For example, the first support beam 3112a includes two beams, which are spaced apart along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the shuttle 200 enters and exits the carrying space 312 (i.e., the x-direction). The two first support beams 3112a can serve as a travel track 312a for the shuttle 200 to travel in the carrying space 312.

[0138] For example, the second support beam 3112b includes two beams, which are spaced apart along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the shuttle 200 entering and exiting the carrying space 312 (i.e., the x-direction). The upper surfaces of the two second support beams 3112b can serve as support surfaces 312b for supporting the item P.

[0139] In some examples, the drive component 320 is mounted on the carrier platform 3111.

[0140] For example, the support platform 3111 may include a support seat 311d and a connecting beam 311e. There are two support seats 311d, which can be spaced apart along the x-direction. There can be multiple connecting beams 311e, which are spaced apart along the y-direction and connected to two support seats 311d at both ends. For example, the support seat 311d may include a horizontal plate-like member 311a and a vertical plate-like member 311b. The horizontal plate-like member 311a is disposed above the vertical plate-like member 311b, and the side of the horizontal plate-like member 311a facing the support space 312 forms the mounting surface 311c of the support platform 3111. The support space 312 for accommodating the shuttle 200 is formed above the mounting surface 311c. The vertical plate-shaped member 311b is used to strengthen the structural strength of the horizontal plate-shaped member 311a. The drive assembly 320 can be fixed on the surface of the vertical plate-shaped member 311b or on the horizontal plate-shaped member 311a to improve the connection stability between the drive assembly 320 and the bearing assembly 310.

[0141] In some examples, the drive assembly 320 may be located below the mounting surface 311c of the support platform 3111 to reduce the horizontal dimensions occupied by the drive assembly 320 on the support platform 3111. This reduces the horizontal dimensions of the elevator 300, facilitating its installation in the lifting space 101 within the rack. In other words, it reduces the horizontal space occupied by the elevator 300 within the rack, thus providing suitable space for expanding the storage locations of the rack. The mounting surface 311c is the surface of the support platform 3111 facing the support space 312.

[0142] It should be noted that the horizontal direction of the elevator 300 refers to the width direction (x direction) or the material inlet / outlet direction (y direction) of the elevator 300.

[0143] In some examples, the drive assembly 320 includes a drive component 321 and a transmission component 322. The drive component 321 can be a drive motor, a drive cylinder, or other structures. The embodiments of this application do not limit the structural configuration of the drive component 321.

[0144] The transmission component 322 is connected to the drive component 321 so as to move under the drive of the drive component 321.

[0145] A transmission coupling component 131 is provided on the column 130. The transmission component 322 is configured to cooperate with the transmission coupling component 131 under the drive of the drive component 321, thereby driving the bearing component 310 to rise and fall along the column 130.

[0146] Both the driving component 321 and the transmission component 322 are mounted on the bearing assembly 310.

[0147] In some examples, the drive member 321 and the transmission member 322 may be located at the edge of the support assembly 310 near the column 130 to facilitate the engagement of the transmission member 322 with the transmission mating member 131 on the column 130 while reducing the size of the transmission member 322. Additionally, positioning the drive member 321 and the transmission member 322 at the edge of the support assembly 310 saves space in other areas of the support assembly 310, providing suitable space for the installation of other devices. In some examples, the transmission member 322 may include a gear 3221 connected to the drive member 321 to rotate under the drive of the drive member 321. For example, the rotation shaft of the gear 3221 may be connected to the output shaft of a drive motor to rotate under the drive of the drive motor's output shaft.

[0148] In some examples, the drive member 321 may be located on the inner side of the support 311d (e.g., the side facing the support space 312), and the transmission member 322 may be located on the outer side of the support 311d (e.g., the side facing away from the support space 312). In this way, the space between the two support 311ds can be used in a reasonable way, and the horizontal dimension of the entire support assembly 311 can be reduced.

[0149] For example, each support 311d includes two spaced-apart vertical plate-like members 311b, one of which (the inner vertical plate-like member 311b) is positioned close to the support space 312, and the other (the outer vertical plate-like member 311b) is positioned away from the support space 312. A drive member 321 may be positioned inside the inner vertical plate-like member 311b, and a transmission member 322 may be positioned outside the outer vertical plate-like member 311b. The transmission engagement member 131 may include a rack 1311, and a gear 3221 is configured to rotate under the drive member 321 to mesh with the rack 1311, thereby driving the support assembly 310 to move up and down along the column 130.

[0150] The engagement of gear 3221 and rack 1311 simplifies the structure of drive assembly 320, reduces the space occupied by drive assembly 320 on load-bearing assembly 310, and allows for a reduction in the size of load-bearing assembly 310, thereby reducing the space occupied by elevator 300 within the rack. Conversely, with the reduced space occupied by drive assembly 320 on load-bearing assembly 310, the space available for load-bearing assembly 310 to carry goods or shuttle 200 is increased, thus improving the versatility of elevator 300.

[0151] In other examples, the transmission component 322 may include a sprocket, and the transmission mating component 131 may be a chain mounted on the column 130. The sprocket rotates under the drive of the drive component 321 and engages with the chain, causing the sprocket to drive the entire load-bearing assembly 310 up or down along the chain.

[0152] This application does not impose any restrictions on the structure of the transmission component 322 and the transmission mating component 131, as long as it can be ensured that the driving component 321 and the transmission component 322 are mounted on the bearing component 310 and are independent of each other from the column 130, so that the driving component 320 and the bearing component 310 form a modular structure as a whole.

[0153] In some examples, the drive assembly 320 may include multiple sets. For example, at least two sets of drive assemblies 320 may be arranged at intervals along the material feed direction of the elevator 300. For example, at least one set of drive assemblies 320 may be arranged at one end (e.g., the first end) of the bearing assembly 310 along the material feed direction, such that the transmission member 322 of the drive assembly 320 engages with the transmission engagement member 131 on the first end side of the bearing assembly 310. At least another set of drive assemblies 320 may be arranged at the other end (e.g., the second end) of the bearing assembly 310 along the material feed direction, such that the transmission member 322 of the drive assembly 320 engages with the transmission engagement member 131 on the second end side of the bearing assembly 310.

[0154] Reference Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the material inlet and outlet direction of the elevator 300 can be referenced to the y-direction, and the width direction of the elevator 300 can be referenced to the x-direction. For example, the x-direction can intersect the y-direction, for example, perpendicularly.

[0155] In some examples, at least two sets of drive components 320 may be spaced apart along the width direction of the support component 310. For example, at least one set of drive components 320 is disposed at one end (e.g., the third end) of the support component 310 along the width direction, such that the transmission member 322 of the drive component 320 engages with the transmission engagement member 131 at the third end of the support component 310. At least another set of drive components 320 is disposed at the other end (e.g., the fourth end) of the support component 310 along the width direction, such that the transmission member 322 of the drive component 320 engages with the transmission engagement member 131 at the fourth end of the support component 310.

[0156] The arrangement of multiple drive components 320 provides a distributed driving force for the load-bearing component 310, making the driving force on the load-bearing component 310 more uniform. Therefore, there is no need for counterweights, which saves the space occupied by the configuration block at the upper and lower ends of the lifting space 101. This reduces the minimum descent height of the elevator 300 and increases the maximum lifting height of the elevator 300, thereby expanding the layout of the storage locations of the rack and realizing dense storage in the warehousing system.

[0157] In some examples, the transmission fitting 131 can be directly mounted on the column 130 or indirectly mounted on the column 130.

[0158] For example, the transmission mating component 131, such as rack 1311, can be directly mounted on the column 130.

[0159] In some examples, the transmission fitting 131 may be an additional component fixed to the column 130. For example, the transmission fitting 131 may be detachably fixed to the column 130 by means of screws, snap-fit ​​or adhesive so that the transmission fitting 131 can be removed separately when it is damaged, so as to facilitate replacement and maintenance.

[0160] In other examples, the transmission mating component 131 may be an integral part formed with the column 130. For example, when manufacturing the column 130, a rack 1311 with external teeth may be integrally formed on the surface of the column 130 to simplify the assembly process of the transmission mating component 131 and the column 130.

[0161] In some examples, the transmission mating element 131, such as rack 1311, is provided on the reinforcing beam 140 between two adjacent columns 130.

[0162] For example, to enhance the structural strength between two adjacent columns 130, a horizontal reinforcing beam 140 can be provided between the two adjacent columns 130. Exemplarily, multiple reinforcing beams 140 can be provided at intervals along the height direction of the columns 130.

[0163] When specifically setting the transmission fitting component 131, the transmission fitting component 131 can be fixed on the reinforcing beam 140. For example, different parts of the transmission fitting component 131 along the height direction can be fixed on multiple reinforcing beams 140 by screws, snap-fits or adhesives to achieve the stability of the transmission fitting component 131.

[0164] In this embodiment, by setting the transmission component 322 as a gear 3221 and meshing with the rack 1311, which is a transmission mating component 131, the number of parts of the drive component 320 is reduced compared to the transmission method of the synchronous belt pulley structure in the related art. This simplifies the structure of the drive component 320, facilitates the installation of the drive component 320, and also improves the stable driving of the drive component 320 on the bearing component 310.

[0165] In some examples, the drive unit 321 may include a servo motor.

[0166] By setting the drive component 321 as a servo motor, the displacement of the carrying component 310 can be determined by the encoder in the servo motor, achieving height positioning of the carrying component 310. This ensures that the drive component 321 can be stopped in time when the carrying component 310 reaches the target layer, allowing for the transfer of goods or the shuttle 200. Furthermore, the servo motor has high operational stability and will not vibrate even at low speeds, reducing noise during the lifting process of the hoist 300. The above detailed embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the above are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application should be included within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A warehousing system characterized by, The application relates to a carrier (100) having a plurality of columns (130) enclosing a lifting space (101) therebetween; a lifting machine (300) located in the lifting space (101) and capable of lifting along the columns (130); the lifting machine (300) comprising a carrying assembly (310) configured to carry an article or a shuttle vehicle (200) and a driving assembly (320) configured to drive the carrying assembly (310) to lift along the columns (130); wherein the driving assembly (320) is arranged on the carrying assembly (310). The carrying assembly (310) comprises a carrying frame (311) and a carrying space (312) located in the carrying frame (311) and communicating with a walking channel of each layer of the carrier (100) to receive an article or a shuttle vehicle (200) entering through the walking channel or to move the article or the shuttle vehicle (200) out of the walking channel. The driving assembly (320) is arranged on the carrying frame (311). The carrying frame (311) comprises a carrying table (3111) and a main frame (3112) arranged above the carrying table (3111) and forming the carrying space (312) therein.

2. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving assembly (320) is arranged on the carrying table (3111). The driving assembly (320) is located below a mounting surface (311c) of the carrying table (3111); wherein the mounting surface (311c) is a side surface of the carrying table (3111) facing the carrying space (312).

3. The warehousing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the shuttle vehicle (200) needs to be transferred from a current layer to a target layer, the storage system performs the following actions: The driving assembly (320) drives the carrying assembly (310) to lift along the columns (130) until reaching the current layer of the shuttle vehicle (200); The shuttle vehicle (200) located at the current layer runs along the walking channel of the current layer to the carrying assembly (310); The driving assembly (320) drives the carrying assembly (310) to lift along the columns (130) to drive the shuttle vehicle (200) to the target layer; 4. The warehousing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The shuttle vehicle (200) moves out of the carrying assembly (310) and reaches a target storage location through the walking channel of the target layer to perform a pick or put action of a target article.

5. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving assembly (320) comprises a driving member (321) and a transmission member (322) connected with the driving member (321) to move under the driving of the driving member (321). The columns (130) are provided with a transmission matching member (131). The transmission member (322) is configured to cooperate with the transmission matching member (131) under the driving of the driving member (321) to drive the carrying assembly (310) to lift along the columns (130). ​ ​ 6. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The driving member (321) and the transmission member (322) are arranged at the edge of the bearing assembly (310) close to the column (130).

8. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission member (322) comprises a gear (3221) connected with the driving member (321) to rotate under the driving of the driving member (321). The transmission matching member (131) comprises a gear rack (1311), and the gear (3221) is configured to rotate under the driving of the driving member (321) to mesh with the gear rack (1311), thereby driving the bearing assembly (310) to ascend or descend along the column (130).

9. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission member (322) comprises a sprocket connected with the driving member (321) to rotate under the driving of the driving member (321). The transmission matching member (131) comprises a chain, and the sprocket is configured to rotate under the driving of the driving member (321) to mesh with the chain, thereby driving the bearing assembly (310) to ascend or descend along the column (130).

10. The warehousing system of claim 6, wherein, The transmission matching member (131) is arranged on the column (130). Alternatively, the transmission matching member (131) is arranged on the reinforcing beam (140) between two adjacent columns (130).

11. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The driving member (321) comprises a servo motor configured to drive the bearing assembly to move through the transmission member and determine the movement displacement of the bearing assembly.

12. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The driving assembly (320) comprises multiple groups. Multiple groups of the driving assembly (320) are arranged along the material in-out direction of the bearing assembly (310). And / or, multiple groups of the driving assembly (320) are arranged along the width direction of the bearing assembly (310); wherein the width direction of the bearing assembly (310) intersects with the material in-out direction.

13. A hoist characterized by Comprise: a bearing assembly (310) configured to bear an article or a shuttle vehicle (200); a driving assembly (320) configured to drive the bearing assembly (310) to ascend or descend along a column (130) of a carrier (100); wherein the driving assembly (320) is arranged on the bearing assembly (310).

14. The elevator of claim 13, wherein, The bearing assembly (310) comprises a bearing frame (311) and a bearing space (312) in the bearing frame (311), and the bearing space (312) is in communication with a walking passage of each layer of the carrier (100) to receive an article or a shuttle vehicle (200) entering through the walking passage or to move the article or the shuttle vehicle (200) out of the walking passage; The driving assembly (320) is arranged on the bearing frame (311).

15. A hoist according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that, The driving assembly (320) comprises: a driving member (321); a transmission member (322) connected with the driving member (321) to move under the driving of the driving member (321); The column (130) is provided with a transmission matching member (131). The transmission member (322) is configured to cooperate with the transmission matching member (131) under the driving of the driving member (321) to drive the bearing assembly (310) to ascend or descend along the stand column (130).

16. The elevator of claim 15, wherein, The driving member (321) and the transmission member (322) are arranged at the edge of the bearing assembly (310) close to the stand column (130).

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