Sorting shuttles and sorting systems

Abstract

This application discloses a sorting shuttle and a sorting system. The sorting shuttle's frame is equipped with three brush modules. Along the shuttle's travel direction, the three brush modules are arranged in a front-to-back sequence: ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush. Furthermore, along the sorting direction, the three brush modules are laterally staggered. Thus, when the sorting shuttle travels along the track and connects with the brush slots, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush connect with the slots sequentially. Similarly, when disengaging from the slots, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush disengage sequentially. This arrangement of brush modules in this embodiment effectively reduces the risk of the sorting shuttle becoming powered on and mitigates arcing, significantly lowering the safety risks during charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a sorting shuttle and sorting system. Background Technology

[0002] A sorting shuttle is an intelligent sorting vehicle that travels along a track and is used to sort and transfer materials from a material conveyor line to the corresponding slots.

[0003] When the sorting shuttle travels along the track, it is powered by a brush module installed on the vehicle body that connects with the brush slots on the track.

[0004] However, in the relevant solutions, the positive and negative brushes of the brush module are usually connected to the brush slot simultaneously, which inevitably leads to arcing and poses a danger. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address at least one aspect of the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a sorting shuttle and a sorting system. The sorting shuttle's frame is equipped with three brush modules. Along the shuttle's travel direction, the three brush modules are arranged in a front-to-back sequence as ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush. Furthermore, along the sorting direction, the three brush modules are laterally staggered. Thus, when engaging with the brush slots, the sorting shuttle of this embodiment achieves the technical effect of the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush engaging with the brush slots in sequence. Similarly, when disengaging from the brush slots, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush disengage in sequence. This arrangement of the three brush modules in this embodiment effectively reduces the risk of the sorting shuttle becoming electrically powered and mitigates arcing.

[0006] This application embodiment provides a sorting shuttle, the sorting shuttle comprising:

[0007] Frame;

[0008] A brush module is installed on the frame. The brush module is used to connect with the brush slot of the travel track for the sorting shuttle to provide power to the sorting shuttle.

[0009] The vehicle frame is equipped with three brush modules. Along the first direction, the three brush modules are arranged in front and behind in the order of ground brush, negative brush and positive brush. The first direction is the travel direction of the sorting shuttle.

[0010] Furthermore, along the second direction, the three brush modules are arranged in a laterally staggered manner, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction is the sorting direction of the sorting shuttle.

[0011] This ensures that when the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the three brush modules connect to the brush slot in the order of ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush, and disengage from the brush slot in the same order.

[0012] In one embodiment, preferably, the brush module includes:

[0013] A brush holder is fixedly installed on the vehicle frame;

[0014] The brush bracket is movably mounted on the brush fixing block;

[0015] The brush plate is movably mounted on the brush bracket;

[0016] The brush bracket is rotatably mounted on the brush fixing block at one end along the first direction via a first adapter shaft, and the brush plate is rotatably mounted on the other end of the brush bracket along the first direction via a second adapter shaft. The first adapter shaft and the second adapter shaft are arranged along the height direction of the sorting shuttle.

[0017] In one embodiment, preferably, the brush fixing block is provided with a pair of mounting ears on both sides of the brush bracket. The mounting ears are used to install adjusting screws along the second direction so that the pair of adjusting screws can be used to adjust the rotation angle of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

[0018] In one embodiment, preferably, a first spring is sleeved on the outside of the first adapter shaft to allow the brush bracket to be elastically mounted relative to the brush fixing block in a vertically floating manner.

[0019] The brush module further includes a brush fixing frame, which is used to limit the elastic floating amount of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

[0020] In one embodiment, preferably, the sorting shuttle includes:

[0021] A receiving and feeding module is installed on the vehicle frame. The receiving and feeding module includes a sorting conveyor belt, and the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt is set along the second direction.

[0022] Wherein, along the second direction, the two ends of the sorting conveyor belt are respectively provided with first guards, the first guards extend along the first direction, and in the area between the pair of first guards, along the first direction, the two sides of the sorting conveyor belt are respectively provided with second guards, the second guards extend along the second direction, so that the pair of first guards and the pair of second guards in the area enclosed by the sorting conveyor belt are used to carry materials.

[0023] Furthermore, along the second direction, a first photoelectric sensor is respectively provided next to both ends of the sorting conveyor belt, and the positions of the first photoelectric sensors are configured as follows:

[0024] When the sorting conveyor belt moves unidirectionally and / or bidirectionally along the second direction, a pair of first guard edges simultaneously trigger a pair of first photoelectric sensors.

[0025] In one embodiment, preferably, the feeding module includes a pair of first rollers, the axial direction of the first rollers being arranged along the first direction;

[0026] Wherein, a pair of first rollers are respectively disposed at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt along the second direction, and at least one of the pair of first rollers is a power roller, so that the pair of first rollers drives the sorting conveyor belt to drive unidirectional and / or bidirectional transmission along the second direction;

[0027] Furthermore, a plurality of second rollers are arranged in parallel between a pair of first rollers.

[0028] In one embodiment, preferably, the feeding module includes a pair of roller supports that extend along the second direction;

[0029] The pair of roller supports are respectively disposed on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt along the first direction, so that the pair of roller supports are used for mounting the first roller and the second roller;

[0030] Furthermore, the first photoelectric sensor is mounted on the roller support.

[0031] In one embodiment, preferably, the sorting shuttle includes:

[0032] A roller encoder is mounted on the vehicle frame;

[0033] The roller encoder includes a first mounting component and a roller shaft mounted on the first mounting component via a bearing. The roller shaft is equipped with a roller and an encoder head. The encoder disk is fixedly mounted on the first mounting component.

[0034] Wherein, along the height direction of the vehicle frame, the first mounting member is mounted on the vehicle frame by an elastic clamping module, so that the roller is elastically mounted with vertical floating relative to the vehicle frame;

[0035] Furthermore, when the elastic clamping module is in a non-working state, the height of the roller is configured to be lower than the height of the drive wheels on the vehicle frame.

[0036] In one embodiment, preferably, the elastic clamping module includes a second mounting member, a third adapter shaft, a limiting screw, and a second spring;

[0037] The second mounting component is fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame;

[0038] One end of the first mounting member is rotatably mounted to the second mounting member via the third adapter shaft, the third adapter shaft being horizontally positioned, and the other end of the first mounting member being provided with the roller shaft;

[0039] At the position between the third adapter shaft and the roller shaft, a limiting screw is provided between the first mounting member and the second mounting member. The limiting screw is arranged in a vertical direction. The second spring is sleeved on the outside of the limiting screw, and the two ends of the second spring elastically abut against the first mounting member and the second mounting member, respectively.

[0040] In one embodiment, preferably, the sorting shuttle further includes:

[0041] An optoelectronic positioning module is installed on the vehicle frame;

[0042] When the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the photoelectric positioning module is configured to be triggered by the coded sheet metal fixedly installed on the track and used to distinguish different compartments, so that the photoelectric positioning module generates different trigger signals due to the different coded sheet metal.

[0043] In one embodiment, preferably, the sorting shuttle is equipped with a pair of photoelectric positioning modules;

[0044] Wherein, along the first direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively disposed at the front and rear ends of the sorting shuttle, and along the second direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively disposed at the left and right ends of the sorting shuttle, so that the pair of photoelectric positioning modules can be simultaneously triggered by a pair of coded sheet metals at the same compartment, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0045] This application provides a sorting system, which includes a walking track and a sorting shuttle that travels along the walking track. A material conveying line and grid slots are provided next to the walking track. The sorting shuttle is used to sort and transfer materials from the material conveying line to the corresponding grid slots.

[0046] In one embodiment, preferably, the walking track is fixedly installed with coded sheet metal for distinguishing different grids.

[0047] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0048] This application provides a sorting shuttle and a sorting system. The frame of the sorting shuttle is equipped with three brush modules. Along the traveling direction of the sorting shuttle, the three brush modules are arranged in front and behind in the order of ground brush, negative brush and positive brush. In addition, along the sorting direction of the sorting shuttle, the three brush modules are laterally staggered.

[0049] It is understood that in this embodiment, when the sorting shuttle travels along the track and docks with the brush slots, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush sequentially dock with the brush slots. Similarly, when disengaging from the brush slots, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush sequentially disengage. The brush module in this embodiment, using the above arrangement, effectively reduces the risk of the sorting shuttle becoming powered on and mitigates arcing.

[0050] First, when connecting to the brush slot, the ground brush is connected first to ensure that the electrical components of the sorting shuttle are grounded and conductive, preventing electrostatic breakdown. Then, the negative brush is connected to the brush slot. Finally, when the positive brush just touches the brush slot, a positive and negative path is formed, reducing the probability of sparking.

[0051] When the brush detaches from the brush slot, the ground brush detaches first. At this time, the positive and negative brushes maintain a conductive path, ensuring that the sorting shuttle is free from electrical risks. Then, when the negative brush detaches from the brush slot, the sorting shuttle's battery is fully charged, with no voltage difference, and no sparking will occur. Therefore, the positive brush will not spark whether it is connected to or disconnected from the brush slot, greatly reducing the safety risks when the sorting shuttle is charging. Attached Figure Description

[0052] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0053] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting shuttle described in the embodiments of this application.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sorting conveyor belt in this embodiment of the application, which has the first guard and the second guard.

[0055] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the roller bracket for mounting the first and second rollers in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the brush module installed on the vehicle frame in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the brush module described in the embodiments of this application.

[0058] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the roller encoder described in the embodiments of this application.

[0059] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the walking track with coded sheet metal installed in the embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the photoelectric positioning module in this embodiment when it is triggered by the coded sheet metal.

[0061] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0062] 10- Feeding module,

[0063] 11-Sorting conveyor belt, 12-First photoelectric sensor, 13-First roller, 14-Second roller, 15-Roller support

[0064] 111 - First retaining edge, 112 - Second retaining edge,

[0065] 20-frame,

[0066] 21-Drive shaft, 22-Drive wheel

[0067] 30-Brush Module

[0068] 31-Ground brush, 32-Negative brush, 33-Positive brush

[0069] 34-Brush fixing block, 35-Brush bracket, 36-Brush plate, 37-Adjusting screw, 38-Brush fixing frame

[0070] 361 - Second Adapter Shaft

[0071] 40-roller encoder,

[0072] 41-First mounting component, 42-Second mounting component, 43-Roller shaft, 44-Roller, 45-Magnetic head, 46-Encoder disk, 47-Third adapter shaft, 48-Limit screw,

[0073] 50-Photoelectric positioning module,

[0074] 60-Travel track,

[0075] 70-Coded Sheet Metal

[0076] 71- Gap,

[0077] X - First direction, Y - Second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0078] To better understand the above technical solutions, exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0079] Typically, when a sorting shuttle travels along a track, it is powered by a brush module mounted on the vehicle body that connects to the brush slots on the track. However, the positive and negative brushes of the brush module usually connect to the brush slots simultaneously, which inevitably leads to arcing and poses a danger.

[0080] To address this situation, one embodiment of this application provides a sorting shuttle, which includes a frame and a brush module. The brush module is mounted on the frame and is used to connect with the brush slots of the running track for the sorting shuttle to provide power to the sorting shuttle.

[0081] The vehicle frame is equipped with three brush modules. Along a first direction, the three brush modules are arranged in a front-to-back manner in the order of ground-level brush, negative brush, and positive brush, which is the traveling direction of the sorting shuttle. Along a second direction, the three brush modules are arranged laterally in a staggered manner, which is perpendicular to the first direction and is the sorting direction of the sorting shuttle. This ensures that when the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the three brush modules sequentially engage with the brush slots in the order of ground-level brush, negative brush, and positive brush, and sequentially disengage from the brush slots in the same order.

[0082] That is, see Figure 4 Along the X-direction of travel of the sorting shuttle, in this embodiment, the ground brush, negative brush and positive brush are sequentially installed on the frame of the sorting shuttle.

[0083] It is understandable that when the sorting shuttle travels along the track and docks with the brush slot, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush will dock with the brush slot in sequence. At the same time, when it disengages from the brush slot, the ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush will disengage from the brush slot in sequence.

[0084] It is understood that the brush module in this embodiment, with the above arrangement, can effectively reduce the risk of powering up the sorting shuttle and mitigate sparking.

[0085] First, when connecting to the brush slot, the ground brush is connected first to ensure that the electrical components of the sorting shuttle are grounded and conductive, preventing electrostatic breakdown. Then, the negative brush is connected to the brush slot. Finally, when the positive brush just touches the brush slot, a positive and negative path is formed, reducing the probability of sparking.

[0086] When the brush detaches from the brush slot, the ground brush detaches first. At this time, the positive and negative brushes maintain a conductive path, ensuring that the sorting shuttle is free from electrical risks. Then, when the negative brush detaches from the brush slot, the sorting shuttle's battery is fully charged, with no voltage difference, and no sparking will occur. Therefore, the positive brush will not spark whether it is connected to or disconnected from the brush slot, greatly reducing the safety risks when the sorting shuttle is charging.

[0087] In addition, along the sorting direction (or width direction) of the sorting shuttle, i.e., the second direction, the three brush modules mentioned above are distributed laterally in a staggered manner; that is, the three brush modules are distributed at different width positions of the sorting shuttle. This prevents the brush modules from contacting each other, eliminates the risk of short circuits, and improves the safety of the sorting shuttle.

[0088] In addition, regarding the potential issue of misalignment between the brush module and the brush slot, please refer to... Figure 5 In one specific embodiment, the brush module includes a brush fixing block, a brush bracket, and a brush plate. The brush fixing block is fixedly installed on the vehicle frame; the brush bracket is movably installed on the brush fixing block; and the brush plate is movably installed on the brush bracket.

[0089] The brush holder is rotatably mounted on the brush fixing block at one end along the first direction via a first adapter shaft, and the brush plate is rotatably mounted on the other end of the brush holder along the first direction via a second adapter shaft. The first adapter shaft and the second adapter shaft are arranged along the height direction of the sorting shuttle.

[0090] In this embodiment, firstly, the brush fixing block is fixedly installed on the vehicle frame. Then, one end of the brush bracket is rotatably installed on the brush fixing block via, for example, a vertically arranged first adapter shaft, so that the brush bracket can rotate relative to the vehicle frame in the horizontal plane. Then, at the other end of the brush bracket, the brush plate is rotatably installed on the brush bracket via a similarly vertically arranged second adapter shaft, so that the brush plate can rotate relative to the brush bracket in the horizontal plane.

[0091] It is understandable that by rotating the brush bracket relative to the frame and the brush plate relative to the brush bracket, the range of motion of the brush plate relative to the frame can be adjusted to the maximum extent, solving the problem of misalignment between the brush module and the brush slot. At the same time, it is also applicable to brush slots of different sizes and specifications, improving the applicability of the sorting shuttle to different brush slots.

[0092] In one specific embodiment, the brush fixing block is provided with a pair of mounting ears on both sides of the brush bracket. The mounting ears are used to install adjusting screws along the second direction so that the pair of adjusting screws can be used to adjust the rotation angle of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

[0093] See Figure 5 In this embodiment, mounting ears are respectively provided on the brush fixing block at the positions corresponding to both sides of the brush bracket. The mounting ears are provided with mounting through holes for the adjustment screws to be installed in the second direction. In this way, according to the different positions of the brush slots on the travel track, the brush bracket can be fixed relative to the brush fixing block at a preset rotation angle by adjusting the screwing amount of a pair of adjustment screws respectively. This allows the brush plate to better match the brush slots at different positions and be smoothly guided into the correct position.

[0094] In one specific embodiment, a first spring is sleeved on the outside of the first adapter shaft to allow the brush bracket to be elastically installed relative to the brush fixing block in a vertical floating manner. The brush module also includes a brush fixing frame, which is used to limit the elastic floating amount of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

[0095] That is, in this embodiment, the brush bracket can be elastically installed by sleeved with a first spring on the outside of the first adapter shaft. This allows the brush plate to fully contact the brush groove of the walking track when the sorting shuttle is placed on the walking track, thus preventing poor contact.

[0096] Typically, the sorting shuttle travels along a track. Next to the track are material conveyors and several compartments. The sorting shuttle travels along the track to the material conveyor and receives materials from it. Then, the sorting shuttle carries the materials to the corresponding compartment and releases the materials into the compartment, thus completing the sorting and conveying of the materials.

[0097] However, existing sorting shuttles are usually only equipped with sorting conveyor belts. In this case, during the receiving and traveling process, round or cylindrical materials often fall out of the vehicle. Furthermore, during the feeding process, that is, during the release of materials into the grid, round materials will roll backward on the sorting conveyor belt, making it impossible to send round materials out of the vehicle.

[0098] In view of the above situation, another embodiment of this application provides a sorting shuttle. Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a sorting shuttle. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a sorting conveyor belt with a first and second retaining edge is provided. Please refer to the diagram. Figure 1 and Figure 2 A sorting shuttle includes a receiving and feeding module mounted on a frame. The receiving and feeding module is used to receive materials from the material conveyor line and release the materials to the corresponding slots.

[0099] The material receiving and feeding module includes a sorting conveyor belt. The conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt is set along a second direction perpendicular to a first direction, where the first direction is the travel direction of the sorting shuttle. Along the second direction, first guards are provided at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt, extending along the first direction. In the area between a pair of first guards, second guards are provided on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt along the first direction, extending along the second direction, so that the area enclosed by the pair of first guards and the pair of second guards is used to carry materials. Furthermore, along the second direction, first photoelectric sensors are provided beside both ends of the sorting conveyor belt, and the positions of the first photoelectric sensors are configured as follows:

[0100] When the sorting conveyor belt moves unidirectionally and / or bidirectionally along the second direction, a pair of first guard edges simultaneously trigger a pair of first photoelectric sensors.

[0101] In this embodiment, the first direction is the traveling direction of the sorting shuttle, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, which is the transport direction of the sorting conveyor belt.

[0102] In this embodiment, along the second direction, the sorting conveyor belt has first guards at both ends, which extend along the first direction. Then, in the area between the pair of first guards, the sorting conveyor belt also has a pair of second guards, which extend along the second direction. The pair of second guards are located on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt. It can be understood that, in this way, the area enclosed by the pair of first guards and the pair of second guards can be used to carry materials.

[0103] In addition, the sorting shuttle in this embodiment is also equipped with a pair of first photoelectric sensors. The pair of first photoelectric sensors are respectively located at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt along the second direction. That is, at the two ends of the sorting conveyor belt along its transmission direction, this embodiment sets a first photoelectric sensor next to the sorting conveyor belt. The distance between the two first photoelectric sensors should be the same as the distance between the pair of first guard edges. In this way, it can be understood that when the sorting conveyor belt is moving, the pair of first photoelectric sensors can be triggered by the pair of first guard edges at the same time. In other words, the situation where the pair of first photoelectric sensors are triggered at the same time has a unique position relative to the sorting conveyor belt. Through this unique position, the position of the first guard edge on the sorting conveyor belt can be confirmed. Then, the sorting shuttle can know that the sorting conveyor belt is adjusted to the correct position based on the simultaneous trigger signal of the pair of first photoelectric sensors, that is, the area enclosed by the pair of first guard edges and the pair of second guard edges mentioned above accurately carries the material.

[0104] It is understandable. On the one hand, a pair of first guards and a pair of second guards can limit and block the material from four directions. In this way, even if the material is round or cylindrical, it will not fall out of the vehicle body during the receiving and moving process.

[0105] On the other hand, regarding the release process of round materials, when the sorting conveyor belt is in motion, a first stop behind the round material can push the round material to the grid opening, eliminating the situation where the round material cannot be sent out of the trolley.

[0106] On the other hand, for cylindrical materials, the axial direction of the cylindrical material can be set along the second direction. In this way, during the movement of the sorting shuttle, a pair of second guards can also limit the forward and backward rolling of the cylindrical material.

[0107] As can be seen, by simultaneously setting a pair of first guards and a pair of second guards on the sorting conveyor belt, this embodiment enables the sorting shuttle to be used for sorting and transporting round or cylindrical materials.

[0108] Of course, in other embodiments, multiple pairs of second guards may be provided on the sorting conveyor belt, wherein each pair of second guards shall be provided on the left and right sides of the sorting conveyor belt along the width direction (i.e., the first direction).

[0109] This application provides a sorting shuttle and a sorting system. The sorting shuttle includes a sorting conveyor belt. Along the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt, i.e., the second direction mentioned in this application, first guards are provided at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt. In the area between the pair of first guards, second guards are provided on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt along the first direction (i.e., the traveling direction of the sorting shuttle). In this way, the sorting conveyor belt can carry materials through the area enclosed by the pair of first guards and the pair of second guards. In addition, the sorting shuttle also includes a pair of first photoelectric sensors, which are located next to the two ends of the sorting conveyor belt along its conveying direction and are used to be triggered simultaneously by the pair of first guards.

[0110] Thus, it can be understood that, firstly, when receiving materials, the sorting shuttle can accurately adjust the transmission position of the sorting conveyor belt based on the simultaneous trigger signals of a pair of first photoelectric sensors, that is, accurately carry materials in the area enclosed by the sorting conveyor belt through a pair of first guards and a pair of second guards.

[0111] Then, during travel, a pair of first guards and a pair of second guards prevent materials from falling out of the vehicle body.

[0112] Furthermore, on the one hand, when the material is round, the sorting shuttle can push the round material with the first stop when releasing it, preventing the round material from being unable to be sent out of the trolley; on the other hand, when the material is cylindrical, the sorting shuttle can limit the cylindrical material (the axis of the cylindrical material is placed along the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt) with a pair of second stops during its movement, preventing the cylindrical material from shaking, thus solving the technical problem that the existing sorting shuttle is not suitable for sorting and conveying round or cylindrical materials.

[0113] For information on the drive of the sorting conveyor belt, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 In one specific embodiment, the feeding module includes a pair of first rollers, the axial direction of which is arranged along a first direction; wherein, the pair of first rollers are respectively disposed at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt along a second direction, at least one of the pair of first rollers is a power roller, so that the pair of first rollers drives the sorting conveyor belt to drive unidirectional and / or bidirectional transmission along the second direction; and, the first rollers are, for example, knurled rollers, and a plurality of second rollers are arranged in parallel between the pair of first rollers.

[0114] In this embodiment, first rollers can be specifically provided at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt along its transmission direction. At least one first roller is a powered roller, and the first roller is a knurled roller. In this way, it can be understood that, under proper tension, the knurled roller can increase the friction between itself and the sorting conveyor belt, prevent the roller from slipping, and enable the sorting conveyor belt to automatically center itself, preventing deviation.

[0115] In addition, between a pair of first rollers, this embodiment can specifically provide several second rollers, the roller surfaces of the second rollers being flush with the roller surfaces of the first rollers. This satisfies the material bearing requirements, reduces the weight of the sorting shuttle, and lowers structural costs.

[0116] In one specific implementation, continue to combine Figure 3 The feeding module includes a pair of roller supports extending along a second direction; wherein the pair of roller supports are respectively disposed on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt along a first direction, so that the pair of roller supports are used for mounting a first roller and a second roller; and a first photoelectric sensor is mounted on the roller supports.

[0117] That is, the first and second rollers mentioned above can be mounted via roller brackets, and the roller brackets can also be used to mount the first photoelectric sensor mentioned above.

[0118] Generally speaking, when a sorting shuttle travels along the track, its position is recorded by a roller encoder installed on the vehicle body; however, the roller encoder often experiences inaccurate recording due to slippage or other issues.

[0119] To address this situation, another embodiment of this application provides a sorting shuttle, see below. Figure 6 The sorting shuttle includes a frame and a roller encoder mounted on the frame. The frame is equipped with drive wheels. The roller encoder is mounted on the frame and includes a first mounting member and a roller shaft mounted on the first mounting member via bearings. The roller shaft is equipped with a roller and an encoder head. The encoder disk is fixedly mounted on the first mounting member. Along the height direction of the frame, the first mounting member is mounted on the frame via an elastic clamping module, so that the roller is elastically mounted with vertical movement relative to the frame. When the elastic clamping module is not in operation, the height of the roller is configured to be lower than the height of the drive wheels.

[0120] That is, the roller encoder of this embodiment includes a roller shaft for mounting the roller and the encoder's magnetic head. The roller shaft is rotatably mounted on a first mounting member, and the encoder's encoder disk is fixedly mounted on the first mounting member.

[0121] In this embodiment, the first mounting component is installed on the frame along the height direction of the frame using an elastic clamping module. This allows the roller to be elastically mounted with the roller floating up and down relative to the frame. Furthermore, in the non-working state, the height of the roller is lower than the height of the frame's drive wheels. Thus, when the sorting shuttle is placed on the travel track, the roller encoder's roller is pressed against the travel track by the elastic force of the elastic clamping module, preventing the roller from slipping.

[0122] In one specific embodiment, the elastic clamping module includes a second mounting member, a third adapter shaft, a limiting screw, and a second spring; wherein, the second mounting member is fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame; one end of the first mounting member is rotatably mounted on the second mounting member via the third adapter shaft, the third adapter shaft being horizontally positioned, and the other end of the first mounting member being provided with a roller shaft; a limiting screw is provided between the first mounting member and the second mounting member at a position between the third adapter shaft and the roller shaft, the limiting screw being vertically positioned, the second spring being sleeved outside the limiting screw, and both ends of the second spring elastically abutting against the first mounting member and the second mounting member, respectively.

[0123] This embodiment provides one possible structural form of the elastic compression module mentioned above.

[0124] Specifically, see Figure 6 The elastic clamping module includes a second mounting component fixed to the vehicle frame. One end of the first mounting component is rotatably mounted to the second mounting component via a horizontally placed third adapter shaft. The other end of the first mounting component is provided with the roller shaft. A limiting screw is provided between the two mounting components at the position between the roller shaft and the third adapter shaft. A second spring is fitted outside the limiting screw. The two ends of the second spring elastically abut against the two mounting components respectively. In this way, when the sorting shuttle is placed on the travel track, the roller of the roller encoder can be pressed against the travel track by the elastic force of the second spring to prevent the roller from slipping.

[0125] One embodiment of this application also provides a sorting shuttle, see below. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The sorting shuttle also includes a photoelectric positioning module mounted on the frame; wherein, when the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the photoelectric positioning module is configured to be triggered by the coded sheet metal fixedly mounted on the track and used to distinguish different compartments, so that the photoelectric positioning module generates different trigger signals due to the different coded sheet metal.

[0126] In this embodiment, for example, for the grid, a coding sheet metal can be fixedly installed at the position corresponding to the grid on the walking track. The coding sheet metal installed at different grids is different, for example, it can be achieved by different notches on the coding sheet metal. Then, when the sorting shuttle moves along the walking track, the photoelectric positioning module installed on it can be triggered by the coding sheet metal.

[0127] Since different coded sheet metals have different notches to distinguish different compartments, the photoelectric positioning module will generate different trigger signals depending on the different coded sheet metals. In other words, when the sorting shuttle moves to different compartments, the photoelectric positioning module will be triggered to generate different trigger signals. At this time, the sorting shuttle can identify different compartments or know its own position on the travel track based on the different trigger signals generated by the photoelectric positioning module, which plays an auxiliary positioning role.

[0128] The photoelectric positioning module includes a second photoelectric sensor, which may be a slotted photoelectric sensor.

[0129] In one specific embodiment, the sorting shuttle is equipped with a pair of photoelectric positioning modules; wherein, along a first direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the sorting shuttle, and along a second direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively located at the left and right ends of the sorting shuttle, so that the pair of photoelectric positioning modules can be simultaneously triggered by a pair of coded sheet metal at the same compartment.

[0130] Specifically, in this embodiment, two photoelectric positioning modules can be fixedly installed on the sorting shuttle. The two photoelectric positioning modules are located at the front and rear ends of the frame, and also at the left and right ends of the frame. Correspondingly, a pair of coded sheet metal can be fixedly installed at each grid. In this way, when the sorting shuttle moves to the grid, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules on the frame can be triggered simultaneously by the pair of coded sheet metal at the grid, thus realizing the counting function of the grid.

[0131] For example, in a pair of coded sheet metal at a grid, the number of notches on one sheet metal is used to indicate the number of units in the grid, and the number of notches on the other sheet metal is used to indicate the number of tens in the grid. In this way, when the sorting shuttle moves along the track and reaches different grids, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules on it can read the notches on the pair of coded sheet metal at the grid to know the grid number or the number of rows, thereby realizing the counting function of the grids.

[0132] Of course, combined with the roller encoder mentioned above, since the distance between adjacent slots is the same, the sorting shuttle can also achieve the function of calibrating the roller encoder by reading the slot count based on a pair of photoelectric positioning modules.

[0133] Based on the sorting shuttles of the above embodiments, this application also discloses a sorting system. The sorting system includes a walking track and a sorting shuttle that walks along the walking track. A material conveying line and a grid are provided next to the walking track. The sorting shuttle is used to sort and transfer materials from the material conveying line to the corresponding grid. The sorting shuttle is the sorting shuttle described above.

[0134] Specifically, the travel track can be fixedly installed with coded sheet metal for distinguishing different grids.

[0135] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0136] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0137] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, equipment, and methods of this application, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0138] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0139] The above description has been given for illustrative and descriptive purposes. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A sorting shuttle, characterized in that, The sorting shuttle includes: Frame; A brush module is installed on the frame. The brush module is used to connect with the brush slot of the travel track for the sorting shuttle to provide power to the sorting shuttle. The vehicle frame is equipped with three brush modules. Along the first direction, the three brush modules are arranged in front and behind in the order of ground brush, negative brush and positive brush. The first direction is the travel direction of the sorting shuttle. Furthermore, along the second direction, the three brush modules are arranged in a laterally staggered manner, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction is the sorting direction of the sorting shuttle. This ensures that when the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the three brush modules connect to the brush slot in the order of ground brush, negative brush, and positive brush, and disengage from the brush slot in the same order.

2. The sorting shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brush module includes: A brush holder is fixedly installed on the vehicle frame; The brush bracket is movably mounted on the brush fixing block; The brush plate is movably mounted on the brush bracket; The brush bracket is rotatably mounted on the brush fixing block at one end along the first direction via a first adapter shaft, and the brush plate is rotatably mounted on the other end of the brush bracket along the first direction via a second adapter shaft. The first adapter shaft and the second adapter shaft are arranged along the height direction of the sorting shuttle.

3. The sorting shuttle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The brush fixing block is provided with a pair of mounting ears on both sides of the brush bracket. The mounting ears are used to install adjusting screws along the second direction so that the pair of adjusting screws can be used to adjust the rotation angle of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

4. The sorting shuttle according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first spring is fitted around the outside of the first adapter shaft to allow the brush bracket to be elastically mounted relative to the brush fixing block, allowing it to float up and down. The brush module further includes a brush fixing frame, which is used to limit the elastic floating amount of the brush bracket relative to the brush fixing block.

5. The sorting shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting shuttle includes: A receiving and feeding module is installed on the vehicle frame. The receiving and feeding module includes a sorting conveyor belt, and the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt is set along the second direction. Wherein, along the second direction, the two ends of the sorting conveyor belt are respectively provided with first guards, the first guards extend along the first direction, and in the area between the pair of first guards, along the first direction, the two sides of the sorting conveyor belt are respectively provided with second guards, the second guards extend along the second direction, so that the pair of first guards and the pair of second guards in the area enclosed by the sorting conveyor belt are used to carry materials. Furthermore, along the second direction, a first photoelectric sensor is respectively provided next to both ends of the sorting conveyor belt, and the positions of the first photoelectric sensors are configured as follows: When the sorting conveyor belt moves unidirectionally and / or bidirectionally along the second direction, a pair of first guard edges simultaneously trigger a pair of first photoelectric sensors.

6. The sorting shuttle according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feeding module includes a pair of first rollers, the axial direction of which is arranged along the first direction; Wherein, a pair of first rollers are respectively disposed at both ends of the sorting conveyor belt along the second direction, and at least one of the pair of first rollers is a power roller, so that the pair of first rollers drives the sorting conveyor belt to drive unidirectional and / or bidirectional transmission along the second direction; Furthermore, a plurality of second rollers are arranged in parallel between a pair of first rollers.

7. The sorting shuttle according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feeding module includes a pair of roller supports that extend along the second direction; The pair of roller supports are respectively disposed on both sides of the sorting conveyor belt along the first direction, so that the pair of roller supports are used for mounting the first roller and the second roller; Furthermore, the first photoelectric sensor is mounted on the roller support.

8. The sorting shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting shuttle includes: A roller encoder is mounted on the vehicle frame; The roller encoder includes a first mounting component and a roller shaft mounted on the first mounting component via a bearing. The roller shaft is equipped with a roller and an encoder head. The encoder disk is fixedly mounted on the first mounting component. Wherein, along the height direction of the vehicle frame, the first mounting member is mounted on the vehicle frame by an elastic clamping module, so that the roller is elastically mounted with vertical floating relative to the vehicle frame; Furthermore, when the elastic clamping module is in a non-working state, the height of the roller is configured to be lower than the height of the drive wheels on the vehicle frame.

9. The sorting shuttle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The elastic clamping module includes a second mounting component, a third adapter shaft, a limit screw, and a second spring. The second mounting component is fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame; One end of the first mounting member is rotatably mounted to the second mounting member via the third adapter shaft, the third adapter shaft being horizontally positioned, and the other end of the first mounting member being provided with the roller shaft; At the position between the third adapter shaft and the roller shaft, a limiting screw is provided between the first mounting member and the second mounting member. The limiting screw is arranged in a vertical direction. The second spring is sleeved on the outside of the limiting screw, and the two ends of the second spring elastically abut against the first mounting member and the second mounting member, respectively.

10. The sorting shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting shuttle also includes: An optoelectronic positioning module is installed on the vehicle frame; When the sorting shuttle travels along the track, the photoelectric positioning module is configured to be triggered by the coded sheet metal fixedly installed on the track and used to distinguish different compartments, so that the photoelectric positioning module generates different trigger signals due to the different coded sheet metal.

11. The sorting shuttle according to claim 10, characterized in that, The sorting shuttle is equipped with a pair of the aforementioned photoelectric positioning modules; Wherein, along the first direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively disposed at the front and rear ends of the sorting shuttle, and along the second direction, the pair of photoelectric positioning modules are respectively disposed at the left and right ends of the sorting shuttle, so that the pair of photoelectric positioning modules can be simultaneously triggered by a pair of coded sheet metals at the same compartment, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

12. A sorting system, characterized in that, The sorting system includes a walking track and a sorting shuttle that travels along the walking track. A material conveying line and grid slots are provided beside the walking track. The sorting shuttle is used to sort and transfer materials from the material conveying line to the corresponding grid slots. The sorting shuttle is the sorting shuttle as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The sorting system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The walking track is fixedly equipped with coded sheet metal for distinguishing different grid slots.

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