Stack unstacker and cage conveyor

Abstract

This utility model discloses a stacking and destacking device and a cage car conveyor. The stacking and destacking device includes a frame, a lifting mechanism, and a positioning mechanism. The frame includes two side frames arranged opposite each other along a first direction. The lifting mechanism includes a driving member fixed relative to the side frames and a load-bearing member movably connected to the side frames. The load-bearing member is driven to move vertically to move the cage car up or down. The positioning mechanism includes a lifting member and a contact member. The lifting member is located at the bottom of the frame. When the cage car is lifted by the lifting member, the contact member is driven to move and contact the cage car to push it to a set position. This stacking and destacking device achieves precise positioning and stable lifting of the cage car through automation, effectively improving the efficiency of stacking and destacking operations while significantly reducing the safety risks of manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of logistics equipment, and in particular to a stacking device and a cage car conveyor. Background Technology

[0002] Due to their large loading capacity and ease of movement, cage carts are widely used in express delivery distribution centers and warehousing logistics. To improve the efficiency of cage cart transfers, they are usually stacked so that multiple cage carts can be stably stacked together for overall handling or storage. In existing technology, operators often use electric stackers or forklifts to stack or palletize cage carts, but this method is not only inefficient but also poses certain safety hazards. Especially when the stacking height is large, cage cart tipping over or personnel injury accidents are prone to occur. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a stacking and destabilizing device that achieves precise positioning and stable lifting of the cage car through automation, effectively improving the efficiency of stacking and destabilizing operations while significantly reducing the safety risks of manual operation.

[0004] This utility model also proposes a cage car conveyor with the above-mentioned stacking and destabilizing device.

[0005] The stacking and unstacking device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0006] The frame includes two side frames arranged opposite each other along a first direction;

[0007] The lifting mechanism includes a driving component fixedly disposed relative to the side frame and a bearing component movably connected to the side frame. The bearing component is driven to move vertically to drive the cage car to move up or down.

[0008] The positioning mechanism includes a lifting member and a contact member. The lifting member is located at the bottom of the frame. When the cage is lifted by the lifting member, the contact member is driven to move to contact the cage to push the cage to a set position.

[0009] The stacking and unstacking device according to the embodiments of the present utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0010] The stacking and destacking device of this application achieves precise positioning and stable lifting of the cage car through automation, effectively improving the efficiency of stacking and destacking operations while significantly reducing the safety risks of manual operation. Furthermore, the positioning mechanism of this application can lift the cage car during the positioning process to achieve positioning, avoiding wear or jamming caused by direct friction between the cage car and the ground structure, further ensuring the smoothness and reliability of equipment operation.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the carrier includes a first main body and a fork tooth connected to the first main body. The fork tooth has a first state of being extended relative to the first main body and a second state of being retracted relative to the first main body. In the first state, the length direction of the fork tooth is arranged along the first direction. In the second state, the length direction of the fork tooth is toward the direction in which the cage car enters and exits the frame.

[0012] The carrier is configured to be able to carry the cage car in the first state.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the carrier members includes two fork teeth, which are rotatably connected to the first main body. The fork teeth are driven to rotate to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the stacking device further includes a limiting mechanism, which includes at least two stop members. At least one stop member is provided on the front side and the rear side of the frame. The stop member can be driven to rotate to a third state. In the third state, the stop member can abut against the outer peripheral surface of the cage car to limit the displacement of the cage car in the frame.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the stacking device further includes a guiding mechanism. Along the direction in which the cage car enters the frame, the guiding mechanism is disposed at the front end of the frame. The guiding mechanism includes two guide components disposed opposite to each other. Each guide component includes a second main body and a plurality of guide members rotatably connected to the second main body. The rotation axis of the guide members is arranged in the vertical direction. Along the direction in which the cage car enters the frame, the distance between the two guide components gradually decreases.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning mechanism includes two lifting members, which are respectively connected to the side frame. Each lifting member includes a telescopic part that can extend along the first direction and a lifting part that can drive the telescopic part to lift. When the telescopic part is inserted to the bottom of the cage, the lifting part drives the telescopic part and the cage to lift synchronously.

[0017] The cage car conveyor according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0018] A conveyor line for conveying cage cars;

[0019] The stacking device described in any of the above embodiments;

[0020] The conveyor line passes through the destacking device, so that the destacking device can destacking or stacking the cage cars on the conveyor line.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the conveyor line includes two buffer zones spaced apart and a transmission mechanism connecting the two buffer zones. The conveyor line also includes two docking mechanisms located at both ends of the transmission mechanism. The docking mechanisms can move to the corresponding buffer zone to transport the cage car in the buffer zone to the transmission mechanism, or to transport the cage car on the transmission mechanism to the buffer zone.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the docking mechanism includes a lifting component and a translating component. The lifting component can drive the translating component to move in a vertical direction so that the translating component has a first height position and a second height position.

[0023] Specifically, at the first height position, the translation member is lower than the bottom plate of the cage car, so that the translation member can enter or exit the gap between the bottom plate of the cage car and the ground; at the second height position, the translation member is flush with the transmission mechanism, so that the cage car can be driven to enter or exit the transmission mechanism.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present utility model, the docking mechanism further includes a telescopic member, and the lifting member and the translation member are both disposed on the telescopic member. The telescopic member can drive the lifting member and the translation member to move to the docking position.

[0025] When the lifting component is in the docking position, the translation component is driven to switch between the first height position and the second height position to lower or remove the cage car.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stacking and unstacking device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention (in the first state);

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention (second state);

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 1 (Enlarged diagram of region A in the middle);

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the guiding mechanism in an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 1 (Enlarged schematic diagram of region B in the middle);

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cage car conveyor according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying process of the cage car conveyor according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the destacking process of the cage car conveyor according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0037] Figure label:

[0038] Stacking / destacking device 10; conveyor line 20; transmission mechanism 21; buffer area 22; manual buffer area 22a; AGV buffer area 22b; docking mechanism 23; cage car 30;

[0039] Frame 100; Side frame 110;

[0040] Lifting mechanism 200; bearing component 210; first main body 211; fork tooth component 212; driving component 220;

[0041] Positioning mechanism 300; lifting component 310; telescopic part 311; lifting part 312; abutment part 320;

[0042] Limiting mechanism 400; Stopping component 410;

[0043] Guide mechanism 500; guide assembly 510; second main body 511; guide component 512; Detailed Implementation

[0044] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0045] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationship based on the directional or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0046] In the description of this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0047] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0048] In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0049] Due to their large loading capacity and ease of movement, cage carts are widely used in express delivery distribution centers and warehousing logistics. To improve the efficiency of cage cart transfers, they are usually stacked so that multiple cage carts can be stably stacked together for overall handling or storage. In existing technology, operators often use electric stackers or forklifts to stack or palletize cage carts, but this method is not only inefficient but also poses certain safety hazards. Especially when the stacking height is large, cage cart tipping over or personnel injury accidents are prone to occur.

[0050] To address the aforementioned problems, this application proposes an automated stacking and destacking device 10. This device includes a frame 100, a lifting mechanism 200, and a positioning mechanism 300. The frame 100 is used to mount the lifting mechanism 200 and the positioning mechanism 300. Figure 1 As shown, the frame 100 includes two side frames 110 arranged opposite each other along a first direction. The two side frames 110 are spaced apart, and a space for accommodating the cage car 30 is formed between the two side frames 110. The tops of the two side frames 110 are connected by a connecting beam, so that the overall structure of the frame 100 is stable.

[0051] For ease of understanding, the structure of the cage cart 30 to which the stacking and destacking device 10 of this application is applicable will be described first. The cage cart 30 includes a base plate and four vertically arranged columns, which are located at the four corners of the base plate, and foldable railings are provided between adjacent columns. Supports are provided at the bottom of the base plate, which can support the ground to leave a gap between the base plate and the ground, facilitating the insertion of forklift or stacker forks. The bottom end of each support column is provided with a positioning groove that matches the column of another cage cart 30. When multiple cage carts 30 are stacked, the top of the column of the lower cage cart 30 inserts into the positioning groove of the upper cage cart 30, thereby achieving a stable connection and positioning between adjacent cage carts 30.

[0052] It is understood that the cage car 30 described above is only one adaptable implementation method and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0053] refer to Figures 1 to 3 The lifting mechanism 200 of the stacking and destacking device 10 of this application is installed on the frame 100 and is used to drive the cage trolley 30 to move in the vertical direction so as to realize the stacking or destacking operation of the cage trolley 30. The lifting mechanism 200 includes a driving member 220 and a supporting member 210. The number of supporting members 210 can be one, two or more. For example, there are two supporting members 210, which are symmetrically distributed on two side frames 110 and movably connected to the side frames 110. The supporting members 210 are driven by the driving member 220 and can move in the vertical direction on the side frames 110. The supporting members 210 are used to support the bottom of the cage trolley 30 and drive the cage trolley 30 to rise and fall, thereby realizing the stacking or destacking operation.

[0054] It should be noted that, in order to ensure the stable support of the cage car 30 by the load-bearing component 210, the accurate positioning of the cage car 30 after entering the frame 100 must be guaranteed. Therefore, a positioning mechanism 300 is required to position the cage car 30. Specifically, as follows... Figure 4 As shown, each positioning mechanism 300 includes a lifting member 310 and an abutting member 320. The lifting member 310 is disposed at the bottom of the frame 100, which can be disposed on the ground at the bottom of the frame 100, or on the side frame 110 at the bottom. (Reference) Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the positioning mechanism 300 includes two... Figure 4 The lifting components 310 shown are symmetrically distributed at the bottom of the two side frames 110 to facilitate synchronous lifting and positioning of the bottom sides of the cage car 30.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the lifting member 310 may be equipped with a motor, pump, or other drive structure, which can abut against the bottom plate of the cage car 30 and lift the cage car 30 so that the cage car 30 is in a suspended state. The abutting member 320 is also equipped with a motor, pump, or other type of drive mechanism. When the cage car 30 is lifted by the lifting member 310, the abutting end of the abutting member 320 is driven to move toward the side of the cage car 30 and abut against the side of the cage car 30, thereby pushing the cage car 30 to a set position, thereby achieving precise positioning of the cage car 30.

[0056] Furthermore, it can be understood that when the cage trolley 30 enters the stacking and destacking device 10, the lifting members 310 on both sides simultaneously lift the cage trolley 30. After the lifting members 310 lift the cage trolley 30 to a suspended state, the two abutting members 320 extend simultaneously and push from both sides toward the center of the cage trolley 30, so that the cage trolley 30 moves horizontally within the frame 100 to the preset center position, thereby ensuring that the bearing member 210 can be evenly stressed during subsequent lifting and lowering processes, and improving the stability and safety of stacking or destacking.

[0057] Based on the above, the stacking and destabilizing device 10 of this application achieves precise positioning and stable lifting of the cage car 30 through automation, effectively improving the efficiency of stacking and destabilizing operations while significantly reducing the safety risks of manual operation. Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 300 of this application can lift the cage car 30 during the positioning process to achieve positioning, avoiding wear or jamming caused by direct friction between the cage car 30 and the ground structure, further ensuring the smoothness and reliability of equipment operation.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the carrier 210 includes a first main body 211 and a fork tooth 212. The fork tooth 212 can extend or retract relative to the first main body 211. For ease of description, the state in which the fork tooth 212 extends relative to the first main body 211 is named the first state (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown), the state in which the fork tooth portion 212 is retracted relative to the first main body portion 211 is named the second state (e.g., Figure 3 (As shown).

[0059] It should be noted that the fork tooth portion 212 can be rotatably connected to the first main body portion 211, such as... Figure 2 He Ru Figure 2 As shown, in the first state, the fork 212 is driven to rotate so that its length direction is aligned with the first direction. In the second state, the fork 212 rotates so that its length direction faces the direction in which the cage 30 enters or exits the frame 100. At this time, the projection of the fork 212 along the height direction of the frame 100 overlaps with the first main body 211, thereby reducing the overall space occupied by the support member 210. In the illustrated structure, each support member 210 includes two fork 212s, which are rotatably connected to the first main body 211. Each fork 212 is driven to rotate to switch between the first and second states. More specifically, as shown... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the two fork tines 212 rotate towards each other when switching from the first state to the second state, and the ends of the two fork tines 212 gradually approach each other. In other embodiments, the two fork tines 212 can also rotate in the same direction to achieve the unfolding and retraction of the fork tines 212. It can be understood that the rotatably connected fork tines 212 can make the structure of the support member 210 more compact, effectively save space, and avoid occupying too much space within the frame 100.

[0060] In other embodiments, the fork tooth 212 may also be slidably connected to the first main body 211 (not shown in the figure). For example, the fork tooth 212 can extend or retract along a first direction relative to the inner surface of the first main body 211, so that when it extends, it can be inserted into the bottom gap of the cage 30, and when it retracts, it can not interfere with the cage 30 entering and exiting the frame 100. It is understood that the slidably connected fork tooth 212 can make the carrier 210 more structurally stable, and it is easier to extend and retract the fork tooth 212, and the structure is simpler.

[0061] In some embodiments, the positioning mechanism 300 includes two lifting members 310, such as Figure 4 As shown, two lifting members 310 are connected to the side frame 110 respectively. The two lifting members 310 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cage car 30 and can be raised synchronously to support the cage car 30. More specifically, each lifting member 310 includes a telescopic part 311 and a lifting part 312. The telescopic part 311 can be driven to extend in a first direction and insert into the bottom of the cage car 30. Then, the lifting part 312 can drive the telescopic part 311 to raise the cage car 30 synchronously. It can be understood that the function of the lifting part 312 is only to allow the cage car 30 to leave the ground so that the abutment member 320 can push the cage car 30 to move. Therefore, the lifting stroke of the lifting mechanism 200 is much greater than the lifting stroke of the lifting part 312.

[0062] Taking the stacking of two cage cars 30 as an example: when the frame 100 does not contain a cage car 30, the fork 212 is in the second state to avoid interfering with the entry and exit of the cage car 30. When the cage car 30 enters the frame 100, it first goes through the positioning process of the positioning mechanism 300. After the positioning is completed, the carrier 210 moves to the bottom position of the cage car 30, and the fork 212 switches from the second state to the first state to insert into the bottom gap of the cage car 30. Finally, the lifting mechanism 200 is activated to raise the carrier 210 and the cage car 30 synchronously. After the other cage car 30 enters the frame 100 and is positioned, the carrier 210 descends to make the two cage cars 30 stacked, thereby completing the stacking action.

[0063] Taking the destacking of a cage car assembly consisting of two stacks as an example (see reference) Figure 8 (As shown): When the frame 100 does not contain a cage car assembly, the fork 212 is in the second state to avoid interfering with the entry and exit operation of the cage car assembly. When the cage car assembly enters the frame 100, it first goes through the positioning process of the positioning mechanism 300. After the positioning is completed, the lifting mechanism 200 descends to a position aligned with the bottom of the upper cage car 30. The fork 212 switches from the second state to the first state to insert into the bottom gap of the upper cage car 30. Then the lifting mechanism 200 is activated to raise the carrier 210 and the upper cage car 30 synchronously so that the upper cage car 30 is separated from the lower cage car 30. After the lower cage car 30 is transported away, the carrier 210 and the upper cage car 30 are lowered to place the upper cage car 30 on the conveyor line 20, thereby completing the destacking operation.

[0064] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the stacking and destacking device 10 also includes a limiting mechanism 400, which includes at least two stoppers 410. Along the direction of the cage 30 entering and exiting the frame 100, at least one stopper 410 is provided on the front side and the rear side of the frame 100, respectively, so as to limit the forward and backward movement of the cage 30, so as to prevent the cage 30 from shifting or misaligning during the stacking or destacking process, and further improve the stability and safety of the stacking and destacking process.

[0065] It is understood that the stop member 410 can be set at the middle or bottom of the frame 100 in the vertical direction. For example, in some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 400 is provided with eight stop members 410, of which four stop members 410 are set at the bottom of the frame 100, in pairs on the front and rear sides of the frame 100 respectively, and the other four stop members 410 are set at the middle of the frame 100, in pairs on the front and rear sides of the frame 100 respectively. The stop members 410 in the middle can not only limit the cage car 30, but also prevent the cage car 30 from overturning.

[0066] In some embodiments, the destacking device 10 further includes a guide mechanism 500, which is located at the front end of the frame 100 along the direction in which the cage trolley 30 enters the frame 100. Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the guide mechanism 500 includes two guide components 510 disposed opposite to each other. Each guide component 510 includes a second main body 511 and a plurality of guide members 512 rotatably connected to the second main body 511, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the guide members 512 are arranged along the direction in which the cage trolley 30 enters the frame 100. The rotation axis of each guide member 512 is set in the vertical direction, so that the cage trolley 30 can smoothly slide into the frame 100 along the rolling direction of the guide members 512. Furthermore, along the direction in which the cage trolley 30 enters the frame 100, the distance between the two guide members 510 gradually decreases, so as to guide the cage trolley 30 to accurately enter the interior of the frame 100 and automatically center it, reducing the offset of the cage trolley 30. This facilitates the positioning mechanism 300 to quickly complete the positioning of the cage trolley 30, further improving the efficiency and accuracy of stacking or destacking operations.

[0067] A second aspect of this application provides a cage car conveyor, which includes a conveyor line 20 and a destacking device 10 as mentioned in any of the above embodiments. The conveyor line 20 can be a chain conveyor, a roller conveyor, or a pulley conveyor, etc., and can be used to transport cage cars 30 to the working area of ​​the destacking device 10. Figure 7 As shown, the conveyor line 20 passes through the depalletizing and palletizing device, which can depalletize or palletize the cage cars 30 on the conveyor line 20 to realize automated depalletizing, palletizing and conveying functions.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7As shown, the conveyor line 20 includes two spaced buffer zones 22 and a transmission mechanism 21 connecting the two buffer zones 22. The buffer zones 22 are used to temporarily store cage cars 30 to be depalletized or stacked. The transmission mechanism 21 is used to transfer the cage cars 30 between the two buffer zones 22, thereby realizing continuous operation. The conveyor line 20 also includes two docking mechanisms 23 located at both ends of the transmission mechanism 21. The docking mechanisms 23 can move to the corresponding buffer zone 22 to transport the cage cars 30 from the buffer zone 22 to the transmission mechanism 21, or to transport the cage cars 30 from the transmission mechanism 21 to the buffer zone 22, thereby realizing the flow of the cage cars 30 between the buffer zone 22 and the transmission mechanism 21.

[0069] It should be noted that the transmission mechanism 21 is often set higher than the ground level of the buffer area 22. Therefore, the docking mechanism 23 needs to have a lifting function to raise the cage car 30 from the ground level of the buffer area 22 to the height of the transmission mechanism 21, or to lower the cage car 30 from the transmission mechanism 21 to a height that can touch the ground. The docking mechanism 23 also needs to have a translation function to move the cage car 30 horizontally between the buffer area 22 and the transmission mechanism 21. Specifically, the docking mechanism 23 includes a lifting component and a translation component (not shown in the figure). The lifting component is used to drive the cage car 30 to move vertically, and the translation component is used to drive the cage car 30 to move horizontally. The two work together to achieve efficient docking of the cage car 30 between the buffer area 22 and the transmission mechanism 21.

[0070] Driven by the lifting component, the translating component has a first height position that docks with the buffer area 22 and a second height position that docks with the transmission mechanism 21. It should be noted that the first height position of the translating component does not need to be flush with the ground of the buffer area 22. It is sufficient that the cage car 30 is supported by the ground and the translating component can enter or exit the gap between the bottom plate of the cage car 30 and the ground. Taking the docking mechanism 23 carrying the cage car 30 to the buffer area 22 and placing the cage car 30 as an example, during the process of the lifting component driving the translation component and the cage car 30 descending to the first height position, the translation component keeps the bottom plate of the cage car 30 in contact. As the lifting component continues to descend, the height of the translation component and the cage car 30 gradually decreases until the support column of the cage car 30 contacts the ground and provides support. At this time, the cage car 30 is in contact with the translation component and the ground respectively. On this basis, the lifting component continues to drive the translation component to descend to the first height position. When the translation component is at the first height position, the cage car 30 is completely supported by the ground, and the translation component is located below the bottom plate of the cage car 30. Furthermore, the translation component separates from the bottom plate of the cage car 30 and can exit through the gap between the bottom plate of the cage car 30 and the ground. Similarly, when the docking mechanism 23 receives the cage car 30 from the buffer area 22, the translation component, after reaching the first height position, can be inserted into the gap between the cage car 30 and the ground.

[0071] At the second height position, the translation component is flush with the transmission mechanism 21, allowing the cage car 30 to enter or exit the transmission mechanism 21. It is understood that the translation component can be a conveyor belt, rollers, or other structures used to stably move the cage car 30 in the horizontal direction.

[0072] Furthermore, the docking mechanism 23 also includes a telescopic component (not shown in the figure). Both the lifting component and the translating component are mounted on the telescopic component. The telescopic component can extend or retract along the length of the transmission mechanism 21, thereby extending the lifting component and the translating component to the bottom of the cage 30 or retracting them from the bottom of the cage 30. It is understood that when the lifting component is driven to the docking position by the telescopic component, the translating component is driven to switch between a first height position and a second height position to lower or remove the cage 30.

[0073] In related technologies, when unloading the cage car 30, the operator calls the AGV trolley through the control system, waits for the AGV trolley to arrive at the unloading position, then manually docks the AGV trolley with the cage car 30, and waits for the AGV trolley to take the cage car 30 away from the waiting area before performing the next round of call docking operation. The whole process is inefficient and requires a lot of manpower.

[0074] The cage car conveyor of this application can effectively solve the above problems. Specifically, the two buffer areas 22 mentioned above are set as a manual buffer area 22a and an AGV buffer area 22b, respectively. The manual buffer area 22a is used for manual picking and sending of cage cars 30, and the AGV buffer area 22b is used for AGV trolley picking and sending of cage cars 30.

[0075] like Figure 8 The dashed box shown represents buffer area 22. It should be noted that the size of the dashed box does not represent the actual size of buffer area 22; the size of buffer area 22 needs to be designed according to the actual situation. In the diagram, the buffer area 22 on the right is the manual buffer area 22a, and the buffer area 22 on the left is the AGV buffer area 22b. Figure 8 The demonstration shows the process where, after a stack of two cage cars 30 is manually pushed to the manual buffer area 22a, a cage car conveyor receives, transports, and separates the cage car stack into two individual cage cars 30. These individual cage cars are then transported to the AGV buffer area 22b to dock with AGVs. Thus, during unloading, the cage car 30 is manually moved by the operator to the manual buffer area 22a and docked with the conveyor line 20. Driven by the conveyor line 20, the cage car 30 moves to the AGV buffer area 22b, where it docks with a waiting AGV, or waits in the AGV buffer area 22b for a corresponding AGV to dock with. It is then pulled or transported by the AGV to the target storage location.

[0076] It is understandable that the cage car conveyor can also be used during the loading process. For example, after the AGV trolley retrieves the cage car 30 from the warehouse, it transports it to the AGV buffer area 22b, and then the conveyor line 20 transfers the cage car 30 to the manual buffer area 22a, facilitating subsequent loading operations by the operator. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the cage car 30 can be manually placed in the manual buffer area 22a, and then the conveyor line 20 transfers the cage car 30 to the AGV buffer area 22b, after which the AGV trolley transfers the cage car 30 from the AGV buffer area 22b to the loading position.

[0077] Understandably, the cage car conveyor also includes a control system. This control system can acquire the number of cage cars 30 in the manual buffer zone 22a and the number of cage cars 30 in the AGV buffer zone 22b. Based on the number of cage cars 30 in each buffer zone 22, the system can pre-call AGVs, ensuring that the AGVs arrive at their standby position before the cage car conveyor completes the transport of cage cars 30 to the AGV buffer zone 22b. This achieves seamless integration between cage car transport and AGV scheduling. The timing of AGV calling can be adjusted based on the actual operating status of the cage car conveyor. For example, in other embodiments, the transmission mechanism 21 is equipped with sensors that, upon detecting a cage car 30, trigger the control system to automatically call the AGV. Alternatively, the operator may have a terminal device, allowing the control system to automatically schedule AGVs based on operator instructions or pre-set system logic.

[0078] Because the operator can call and match AGVs in advance during the process of cage car 30 moving from manual buffer area 22a to AGV buffer area 22b, the AGVs can arrive at AGV buffer area 22b earlier or simultaneously with cage car 30, greatly reducing the waiting time for AGVs and facilitating the efficient turnover of cage car 30. Furthermore, the transfer via the cage car conveyor effectively avoids the peak working periods of cage car 30 and AGVs after unloading.

[0079] In related technologies, after a truck delivers goods to its destination, the cage car 30 begins loading. Once fully loaded, the operator moves the cage car 30 to the docking area and calls an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) to transport the fully loaded cage car 30 to the designated storage location. Understandably, a surge in the number of cage cars 30 awaiting transport can lead to a backlog of cage cars 30 in the docking area. Consequently, the number of AGVs in the docking area will also increase, causing congestion, longer waiting times, and impacting operational efficiency during peak hours. By using the cage car conveyor of this application, the manual buffer area 22a and the AGV buffer area 22b are separated. After the cage car 30 is fully loaded, the operator promptly pushes the cage car 30 onto the transmission mechanism 21 and moves it to the AGV buffer area 22b. During the operation of the cage car 30 or when the cage car 30 enters the manual buffer area 22a, the AGV cart is called in advance so that the time when the AGV cart arrives at the AGV buffer area 22b matches the time when the cage car 30 arrives at the AGV buffer area 22b. This results in a certain time lag between the peak operating period of the AGV cart and the peak operating period of the cage car 30, avoiding congestion and waiting, and achieving high-speed operation of the AGV cart.

[0080] A third aspect of this application also proposes a destacking method, which can be applied to the above-mentioned cage car conveyor. The destacking method includes the following steps:

[0081] S100. Place N cage car groups on the conveyor line 20. Each cage car group includes at least one cage car 30. Control the conveyor line 20 to transport each cage car group to the destacking device 10 in sequence.

[0082] It should be noted that a cage car group may include one cage car 30, so that multiple cage car groups are transported to the destacking device 10 for stacking operations, or a cage car group may include multiple cage cars 30, so that a single cage car group is transported to the destacking device 10 for destacking operations.

[0083] S200: Obtain the stacking / destacking mode and the number of cage cars 30 in the cage car group of the stacking / destacking device 10, and perform stacking or destacking according to the stacking / destacking mode and the number of cage cars 30.

[0084] The stacking / destacking mode includes both stacking and destacking modes. This means that the stacking / destacking mode can be selected based on operator instructions or automatically switched by the system based on current operational needs. For example, when the number of cage cars in the cage car group (30) is 1, a stacking operation is performed; when the number of cage cars in the cage car group (30) is greater than 1, a destacking operation is performed.

[0085] Based on the foregoing, when the cage car group in the destacking device 10 includes multiple cage cars 30, the destacking device 10 switches to destacking mode. The destacking device 10 lifts at least one cage car 30 from the upper layer of the cage car group so that the remaining cage cars 30 in the cage car group can be transported away by the conveyor line 20. For ease of understanding, as follows... Figure 9 As shown, taking a cage car group consisting of two cage cars 30 as an example, the destacking device 10 lifts the upper cage car 30 in the cage car group and then transports the lower individual cage cars 30 away. In other embodiments, the number of destackings can be customized. For example, if a cage car group includes five cage cars 30, the destacking device 10 can select to lift the two upper cage cars 30 in the cage car group according to instructions and transport the remaining three cage cars 30 away, thereby splitting the cage car group into a sub-cage car group with two cage cars 30 and another sub-cage car group with three cage cars 30. This destacking method allows the number of splits to be adjusted according to actual operational needs, improving operational efficiency.

[0086] In the stacking mode, the destacking device 10 needs to stack the cage car groups that have passed through the destacking device one after another to form a higher stack. Therefore, the destacking device 10 needs to lift the previous cage car group to avoid affecting the entry of the next cage car group into the destacking device 10. Then, after the next cage car group enters the destacking device 10, the previous cage car group is stacked on top of the next cage car group.

[0087] It should be noted that, in conjunction with the positioning mechanism 300 and the limiting mechanism 400 mentioned in the foregoing embodiments, the stacking device 10 can accurately position and limit the cage car group delivered by the transmission mechanism 21, thereby ensuring the stacking accuracy of each cage car group during the stacking process.

[0088] Furthermore, the destacking device also includes a custom destacking mode, which can set the splitting height or the number of splitting layers according to actual needs, thereby splitting a cage car group into two or more sub-cage car groups, each sub-cage car group including at least one cage car 30. It is understood that when the destacking device 10 is in custom destacking mode, it can obtain the destacking quantity. This quantity can be obtained by the operator entering it, or it can be automatically obtained by scanning the identification code on the cage car 30, etc. Then, based on the destacking quantity and the number of cage cars 30, a lifting quantity is obtained, so that the destacking device 10 lifts some of the cage cars 30 on the upper layer of the cage car group according to the lifting quantity, so that the remaining cage cars 30 form a new sub-cage car group and are transported away by the conveying mechanism 21.

[0089] For example, if a cage car group includes 5 cage cars 30, it can be split into two sub-cage car groups including 3 cage cars 30 and 2 cage cars 30 in the custom destacking mode, or further split into three sub-cage car groups including 2 cage cars 30, 2 cage cars 30 and 1 cage car 30.

[0090] It should also be noted that in some embodiments, the cage cars 30 are stacked at most one layer when fully loaded, meaning that a cage car group includes at most two cage cars 30. In other embodiments, to save storage space when the cage cars 30 are not in operation, the empty cage cars 30 can be folded, so that a cage car group can include more folded cage cars 30, such as three or more. Therefore, the stacking and unstacking device 10 can also be equipped with a sensor to detect whether the cage cars 30 are in a folded state. If the cage cars 30 are in a folded state, the number of stacking layers can be increased during stacking; if the cage cars 30 are in an unfolded state, the number of stacking layers should be reduced accordingly to avoid exceeding the equipment's load-bearing capacity or affecting stacking stability.

[0091] In some embodiments, the destacking mode further includes a continuous destacking mode, which is used to split the cage car group into multiple individual cage cars 30. Specifically, when the destacking device 10 is in the continuous destacking mode, the destacking device 10 includes the following steps:

[0092] S201. The lifting quantity is obtained based on the number of cage cars (30).

[0093] S202. Lift some of the cage cars 30 on the upper layer of the cage car group according to the lifting quantity, so that the cage car group has a single cage car 30 remaining on the conveyor line 20.

[0094] S203, transport the remaining single cage car 30 away;

[0095] S204. Return the lifted portion of the cage car 30 to the conveyor line 20;

[0096] S205. The number of lifts is used as the new number of cage cars 30. If the new number of cage cars 30 is greater than 1, the new number of lifts is obtained based on the new number of cage cars 30, and the lifting, conveying and returning actions of S202 to S204 are repeated. If the new number of cage cars 30 is equal to 1, the remaining single cage cars 30 are conveyed away.

[0097] It is understandable that the above continuous destacking mode can realize the layer-by-layer splitting of the cage car group, thereby splitting a cage car group containing multiple cage cars 30 into multiple individual cage cars 30 in sequence, and conveying them one by one to the buffer area 22 through the conveyor line 20.

[0098] Similarly, when stacking layer by layer, the first cage car 30 is lifted, and after the second cage car 30 enters the stacking device 10, the first cage car 30 is accurately placed on the second cage car 30. When multiple layers need to be stacked, the above lifting and stacking actions are repeated to achieve stacking layer by layer.

[0099] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A stacking and destacking device, characterized in that, include: The frame includes two side frames arranged opposite each other along a first direction; The lifting mechanism includes a driving component fixedly disposed relative to the side frame and a bearing component movably connected to the side frame. The bearing component is driven to move vertically to drive the cage car to move up or down. The positioning mechanism includes a lifting member and a contact member. The lifting member is located at the bottom of the frame. When the cage is lifted by the lifting member, the contact member is driven to move to contact the cage to push the cage to a set position.

2. The stacking and destacking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier includes a first main body and a fork tooth connected to the first main body. The fork tooth has a first state of being extended relative to the first main body and a second state of being retracted relative to the first main body. In the first state, the length direction of the fork tooth is set along the first direction. In the second state, the length direction of the fork tooth is toward the direction in which the cage car enters and exits the frame. The carrier is configured to be able to carry the cage car in the first state.

3. The stacking and unstacking device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the carriers includes two fork-tooth portions, which are rotatably connected to the first main body portion. The fork-tooth portions are driven to rotate to switch between the first state and the second state.

4. The stacking and destacking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes two lifting members, which are respectively connected to the side frame. Each lifting member includes a telescopic part that can extend along the first direction and a lifting part that can drive the telescopic part to lift. When the telescopic part is inserted into the bottom of the cage, the lifting part drives the telescopic part and the cage to lift synchronously.

5. The stacking and unstacking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stacking device further includes a limiting mechanism, which includes at least two stop members. At least one stop member is provided on the front side and the rear side of the frame. The stop member can be driven to rotate to a third state. In the third state, the stop member can abut against the outer peripheral surface of the cage car to limit the displacement of the cage car in the frame.

6. The stacking and destacking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stacking device further includes a guiding mechanism. Along the direction in which the cage car enters the frame, the guiding mechanism is located at the front end of the frame. The guiding mechanism includes two oppositely arranged guiding components. Each guiding component includes a second main body and multiple guiding members rotatably connected to the second main body. The rotation axis of the guiding members is arranged in the vertical direction. Along the direction in which the cage car enters the frame, the distance between the two guiding components gradually decreases.

7. A cage car conveyor, characterized in that, include: A conveyor line for conveying cage cars; The stacking device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; The conveyor line passes through the destacking device, so that the destacking device can destacking or stacking the cage cars on the conveyor line.

8. The cage car conveyor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveyor line includes two spaced buffer zones and a transmission mechanism connecting the two buffer zones. The conveyor line also includes two docking mechanisms located at both ends of the transmission mechanism. The docking mechanisms can move to the corresponding buffer zone to transport the cage car in the buffer zone to the transmission mechanism, or to transport the cage car on the transmission mechanism to the buffer zone.

9. The cage car conveyor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The docking mechanism includes a lifting component and a translating component. The lifting component can drive the translating component to move in a vertical direction so that the translating component has a first height position and a second height position. Specifically, at the first height position, the translation member is lower than the bottom plate of the cage car, so that the translation member can enter or exit the gap between the bottom plate of the cage car and the ground; at the second height position, the translation member is flush with the transmission mechanism, so that the cage car can be driven to enter or exit the transmission mechanism.

10. The cage car conveyor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The docking mechanism also includes a telescopic component, and the lifting component and the translation component are both mounted on the telescopic component. The telescopic component can drive the lifting component and the translation component to move to the docking position. When the lifting component is in the docking position, the translation component is driven to switch between the first height position and the second height position to lower or remove the cage car.

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