Warehousing system

Abstract

This application provides a warehousing system, including: a carrier having storage positions and buffer positions, at least a portion of the storage positions being located above the buffer positions, and a load channel forming below the buffer positions; a transfer robot suspended on one side of the carrier and moving relative to the carrier, the transfer robot being configured to transfer target items between the storage positions and the buffer positions; and a handling robot configured to dock with the buffer positions to pick up and place target items, and the handling robot being able to carry the target items and move within the load channel; the handling robot includes a chassis and a first picking and placing mechanism located above the chassis, the chassis being configured to drive the first picking and placing mechanism to move on the operating surface of the warehousing system, the picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism being able to extend or retract horizontally onto the chassis to dock with the buffer positions, thereby realizing the picking and placing of target items.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of warehousing and logistics equipment technology, and particularly relates to warehousing systems. Background Technology

[0002] In a warehousing system, goods can be transferred between shelves and workstations in the storage area. Typically, to enable the transfer of goods between shelves and workstations, a warehousing system may include various types of robots.

[0003] Taking picking as an example, the first handling robot transfers the items to be picked from the storage position at the top of the shelf to the buffer position at the bottom. Then, the second handling robot takes out the items to be picked from the buffer position and moves them to the picking workstation, where the items to be picked are picked.

[0004] However, when the current second handling robot docks with the buffer position, it needs to run under the buffer position. This means that the width of the shelf must at least meet the length of the small robot and be greater than the length of the toy box, thus reducing the storage density of the shelf. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a warehousing system that can reduce the width of the carrier and increase the storage density of the shelves.

[0006] The warehousing system provided in this application includes:

[0007] The vehicle has storage bits and cache bits, with at least some storage bits located above the cache bits and a load channel formed below the cache bits;

[0008] The transfer robot, suspended on one side of the vehicle and moving relative to the vehicle, is configured to transfer target items between storage locations and buffer locations.

[0009] The transport robot is configured to interface with the buffer position to pick up and place target items, and the transport robot can carry the target items and move within the load channel;

[0010] The handling robot includes a chassis and a first picking and placing mechanism located above the chassis. The chassis is configured to drive the first picking and placing mechanism to move on the operating surface of the warehousing system. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism can extend horizontally or retract onto the chassis to dock with the buffer position to realize the picking and placing of target items.

[0011] In some implementations, the first picking and placing mechanism includes a telescopic member and a first picking and placing member, with the first picking and placing member disposed on the telescopic member and the picking end located on the first picking and placing member;

[0012] The telescopic component is configured to extend the first pick-and-place component out of the side wall of the chassis, or retract it onto the chassis, so that the first pick-and-place component can dock with the buffer position to pick up and place the target item.

[0013] In some implementations, the handling robot also includes a first lifting mechanism and a load-bearing component;

[0014] The first lifting mechanism is mounted on the chassis, and the load-bearing component is mounted on the first lifting mechanism. Under the drive of the first lifting mechanism, the component moves up or down in a direction closer to or further away from the chassis.

[0015] The first pick-and-place mechanism is located on the carrier, and the picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism can extend or retract to the carrier to transfer the target item between the buffer position and the carrier.

[0016] In some implementations, the width of the carrier is greater than or equal to n*H+a, where n is the number of transport robots and n≥1; H is the width of the transport robot, which is less than its length; and a is the width margin that the transport robot can operate in the load channel and a≥0.

[0017] In some implementations, the vehicle is a multi-depth vehicle;

[0018] The bottom layer of the vehicle includes multiple storage locations arranged along the width direction, and the bottom space of each storage location is configured as a load channel for the handling robot.

[0019] Among the multiple storage locations, at least the storage location located in the outer depth position is a buffer location.

[0020] In some implementations, among multiple storage locations, the one located in the inner depth is the storage location;

[0021] When it is necessary to retrieve a target item located in the inner deep position of the bottom layer of the vehicle, the transfer robot is configured to transfer the target item located in the inner deep position to the buffer position located in the outer deep position. The first pick-and-place mechanism extends out of the chassis side wall and docks with the buffer position to retrieve the target item.

[0022] When it is necessary to place the target item back into the inner deep position located at the bottom of the vehicle, the first pick-and-place mechanism extends out of the chassis side wall and docks with the buffer position located in the outer deep position to place the target item in the buffer position. The transfer robot is configured to transfer the target item located in the buffer position to the storage position located in the inner deep position.

[0023] In some implementations, the transfer robot includes:

[0024] The upright frame can move along the length of the vehicle; the vehicle is equipped with rails, and the upright frame travels along the rails.

[0025] Second lifting mechanism;

[0026] The second pick-up and place mechanism is connected to the second lifting mechanism and moves up and down along the upright under the drive of the second lifting mechanism.

[0027] In some implementations, both the stand and the track are higher than the buffer position, and the second pick-and-place mechanism descends to one side of the buffer position when it is in the first working state, and rises above the buffer position when it is in the second working state.

[0028] In some implementations, the second lifting mechanism is connected to the first position of the second picking and placing mechanism, the height between the first position and the bottom of the second picking and placing mechanism is greater than or equal to the height of the target item, and the second picking and placing component of the second picking and placing mechanism is located below the first position;

[0029] When the second pick-and-place mechanism needs to dock with the buffer position, the second lifting mechanism can drive the area below the first position of the second pick-and-place mechanism to extend out of the upright and descend to one side of the buffer position, so that the second pick-and-place component of the second pick-and-place mechanism docks with the buffer position.

[0030] In some implementations, when it is necessary to put the target item on the transport robot, the transport robot moves to the side of the vacant buffer position via its chassis. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism extends out of the side wall of the chassis to push the target item to the vacant buffer position until the target item is transferred to the vacant buffer position. Then the first picking and placing mechanism retracts to the top of the chassis. The transfer robot moves to the side of the buffer position containing the target item and transfers the target item to the storage position.

[0031] When it is necessary to retrieve the target item from the vehicle, the transfer robot moves the target item to an empty buffer position. The handling robot walks along the chassis to the side of the buffer position containing the target item. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism extends out of the side wall of the chassis until it reaches the side of the buffer position containing the target item, retrieves the target item, and carries the target item back to the top of the chassis.

[0032] The warehousing system provided in this application embodiment configures the handling robot as including a chassis and a first picking and placing mechanism located on the chassis. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism can extend horizontally out of the chassis to dock with the buffer position, or retract horizontally to the chassis. That is, the handling robot is configured as a forward picking and placing box structure, so that the handling robot does not need to enter under the buffer position, but can enter the buffer position from one side of the buffer position through the first picking and placing mechanism of the handling robot to pick and place boxes. In this way, the space under the vehicle can only be used as a load channel, and its width only needs to meet the load operation of the handling robot. That is, the width of the vehicle meets the width and operating width margin of the handling robot, thereby ensuring that the storage space of the upper layer of the vehicle is not wasted and improving the storage density of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2a This is a front view of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2b This is a partial schematic diagram of a vehicle and transfer robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 2c yes Figure 2b A magnified view of section A from a first-person perspective;

[0038] Figure 2d yes Figure 2b A partial schematic diagram of point A from a second-person perspective;

[0039] Figure 2e yes Figure 2b A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a side view of a vehicle provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one state of a handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another state of a handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the first pick-and-place mechanisms provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transfer robot provided in an embodiment of this application in its first working state;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transfer robot provided in the second working state according to an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0048] 10 - Storage area; 20 - Workstation;

[0049] 100 - Carrier; 110 - Cargo location; 110a - Inner depth location; 110b - Outer depth location; 111 - Storage location; 112 - Buffer location; 120 - Load channel; 130 - Track; 140 - Aisle;

[0050] 200 - Transfer robot; 210 - Frame; 220 - Second pick-and-place mechanism; 221 - Base plate; 222 - Side plate; 223 - Second pick-and-place item; 230 - Second lifting mechanism; 240 - Walking mechanism; 250 - Support column; 260 - Guide mechanism;

[0051] 300 - Handling robot; 310 - Chassis; 320 - First lifting mechanism; 330 - Load-bearing component; 340 - First pick-and-place mechanism; 341 - Telescopic component; 342 - First pick-and-place component; 343 - Mounting plate; 350 - Guide component; 360 - Movable base; 370 - Air supply equipment; 380 - Drive mechanism; 331 - First slide rail; 332 - Second slide rail;

[0052] 400 - Target item. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] It should be noted that many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0055] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature being "upper" or "lower" than the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium.

[0056] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral unit; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. However, specifying a direct connection indicates that the two entities connected are not linked by an intermediate structure, but are simply connected to form a whole. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] In this application, the use of terms such as "first," "second," etc., is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0058] With the rapid development of e-commerce, it plays an increasingly important role in consumers' lives. In e-commerce, the storage and handling of goods plays a crucial role. To facilitate the storage and handling of goods, warehousing systems can be equipped with various types of robots to move goods between different scenarios.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2a This is a front view of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2b This is a partial schematic diagram of a vehicle and transfer robot provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2c yes Figure 2b A magnified view of area A from a first-person perspective. Figure 2d yes Figure 2b A partial schematic diagram of point A from a second-person perspective; Figure 2e yes Figure 2b A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 3 This is a side view of a vehicle provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0060] Refer to 1 to Figure 3 As shown in the figure, this application provides a warehousing system, including a storage area 10, a workstation 20 and a control server.

[0061] In some examples, workstation 20 may include multiple work platforms spaced apart along a first direction. These multiple work platforms may include picking work platforms, shelving work platforms, or sorting work platforms, etc. It is understood that the area containing the picking work platforms can be picking workstation 20, the area containing the shelving work platforms can be shelving workstation 20, and the area containing the sorting work platforms can be sorting workstation 20. This application embodiment does not limit the structure and function of workstation 20.

[0062] In some examples, a vehicle 100 is placed within storage area 10. Exemplarily, vehicle 100 can be a stationary vehicle or a movable vehicle.

[0063] In some examples, there may be one or more vehicles 100. For example, there may be multiple vehicles 100, which may be spaced apart along a second direction (i.e., the width of the vehicle 100).

[0064] In some examples, a vehicle 100 may be set along the first direction (i.e., the lateral direction of the vehicle 100), or multiple vehicles 100 may be set at intervals.

[0065] Among them, the first direction reference Figure 1 As shown in the x-direction, the second direction can be referenced. Figure 1 As shown in the y-direction. The figure illustrates an example of a carrier 100 arranged along the x-direction. It should be noted that the carrier 100 may include, but is not limited to, shelves, pallet devices, etc.

[0066] Reference Figure 2a As shown, in some examples, the vehicle 100 has a plurality of cargo positions 110, which can be arranged along at least one of the height direction, a first direction, and a second direction of the vehicle 100. For example, along the height direction of the vehicle 100 (see reference...) Figure 1 and Figure 2a Multiple cargo positions 110 are provided in both the central z-direction and the first direction.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 As shown, in some examples, one or more storage locations 110 may be provided along the second direction of the vehicle 100. When one storage location 110 is provided along the second direction of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 is a single-depth vehicle. When multiple storage locations 110 are provided along the second direction of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 can be a multi-depth vehicle. For example, when two storage locations 110 are provided along the second direction of the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 is a double-depth vehicle, wherein the storage location 110 closer to the aisle 140 is the outer depth location 110b, and the storage location 110 farther from the aisle 140 is the inner depth location 110a.

[0068] Storage location 110 is configured to place target item 400. It should be noted that target item 400 may include, but is not limited to, goods, packages containing goods, containers containing goods such as bins or empty containers, etc.

[0069] In some examples, multiple cargo locations 110 on vehicle 100 may include storage locations 111 and buffer locations 112, wherein at least some storage locations 111 are located above buffer locations 112. For example, the bottom cargo location 110 of vehicle 100 may be a buffer location 112, and the other cargo locations 110 of vehicle 100 other than the bottom layer may be storage locations 111. It is understood that buffer locations 112 are used to temporarily store target items 400, and storage locations 111 are used to store target items 400 permanently.

[0070] In some examples, there is space below cache bit 112, which can be used as load channel 120.

[0071] Reference Figure 1 As shown, one side of the vehicle 100 along the second direction can be a passageway 140 for various types of robots to operate. For example, a passageway 140 is formed between two adjacent vehicles 100 along the second direction.

[0072] Reference Figures 2a to 2d As shown, the warehousing system also includes a transfer robot 200, which is suspended on one side of the carrier 100 and moves relative to the carrier 100. The transfer robot 200 is configured to transfer the target item 400 between storage location 111 and buffer location 112.

[0073] For example, after the transfer robot 200 retrieves the target item 400 from storage slot 111, it can transfer it to the cache slot 112 at the bottom of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the transfer robot 200 can retrieve the target item 400 from cache slot 112 and transfer it to storage slot 111.

[0074] In some examples, a track 130 may be provided on one side of the vehicle 100, such as the side of the aisle 140, and the transfer robot 200 is suspended on the track 130 and can move along the track 130 to different positions of the vehicle 100.

[0075] In some examples, the direction of extension of track 130 can be the first direction, i.e., the direction of extension of tunnel 140.

[0076] Reference Figure 2b As shown, by way of example, multiple tracks 130 can be provided on the carrier 100. The multiple tracks 130 can be spaced apart along the height direction of the carrier 100. The transfer robot 200 walks along the multiple tracks 130 on one side of the carrier 100, which can improve the walking stability of the transfer robot 200 on the carrier 100.

[0077] Reference Figure 2b and Figure 2c As shown, in some examples, the transfer robot 200 may include a stand 210, a second lifting mechanism 230, a walking mechanism 240, and a second pick-and-place mechanism 220.

[0078] In some examples, the upright 210 extends along the height direction of the carrier 100 and can also move along the length direction of the carrier 100, i.e., the first direction. Exemplarily, the upright 210 is provided with a traveling mechanism 240, which can be erected on the track 130 of the carrier 100 and can travel along the track 130 to drive the upright 210 to move along the column arrangement direction of the carrier 100, so as to realize the switching of the storage positions 110 in different columns.

[0079] Reference Figure 2b As shown, by way of example, multiple walking mechanisms 240 can be arranged at intervals in the height direction of the upright 210, and each walking mechanism 240 cooperates with the corresponding track 130 to walk along the corresponding track 130.

[0080] Reference Figure 2c and Figure 2d As shown, in some examples, the walking mechanism 240 may include a drive motor 241 and a walking wheel 242, the drive motor 241 driving the walking wheel 242 to walk along the first surface a of the track 130.

[0081] In some examples, the traveling mechanism 240 may include a guide wheel 243. Both the guide wheel 243 and the drive motor 241 are mounted on the mounting member 244, and the guide wheel 243 can travel along the second surface b of the track 130. This restricts the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism 240, ensuring it travels along the extension direction of the track 130 and preventing lateral deviation. For example, the first surface a and the second surface b can be surfaces of the track 130 with different orientations. For instance, the first surface a can be the inner bottom wall of the track 130, and the second surface b can be opposite sidewalls of the track 130 along its width.

[0082] For example, multiple walking mechanisms 240 may each be equipped with a drive motor 241 and walking wheels 242 to improve the walking power of the frame 210 on the carrier 100.

[0083] Exemplarily, some walking mechanisms 240 may be equipped with drive motors 241 and wheels 242, while others may not have drive motors 241 and wheels 242, but instead have guide wheels 243, to reduce the power consumption and weight of the transfer robot 200. For example, the frame 210 may have three walking mechanisms 240 along its height. The top walking mechanism 240 may include drive motors 241 and wheels 242, the bottom walking mechanism 240 may include drive motors 241 and wheels 242, and the middle walking mechanism 240 may not have drive motors 241 and wheels 242, but instead have guide wheels 243, so that the middle walking mechanism 240 moves along the middle track 130 via the guide wheels 243. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the arrangement of the walking mechanisms 240 on the frame 210. In some examples, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 is used to dock with the loading position 110 of the carrier 100 to pick up and place the target item 400. The second pick-and-place mechanism 220 is movably mounted on the upright 210 and can move relative to the upright 210 along the height direction of the carrier 100. For example, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can be connected to the second lifting mechanism 230 and can be lifted and lowered along the upright 210 under the drive of the second lifting mechanism 230, so that the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can move to the storage location 110 on different layers of the carrier 100. In this way, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can move in the first direction and the height direction of the carrier 100 to reach the target storage location 110 in the storage location 110, for example, to realize switching between different storage locations 111, or to realize switching between the upper storage location 111 and the lower buffer location 112.

[0084] Reference Figure 2e As shown, exemplarily, the second lifting mechanism 230 may include a transmission belt 232, a transmission shaft 233, and a lifting drive component 231. There may be two transmission belts 233, one on each of the two columns 211 of the support frame 210. A transmission belt 233 can be connected to each side of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 to lift and lower along the two columns 211 under the drive of the transmission belts 233. The transmission shaft 233 is connected to the two transmission belts 233. The lifting drive component 231 can be connected to either column 211 and to the transmission shaft 233, so that one lifting drive component 231 drives both transmission belts 232. This ensures that the strokes of the two transmission belts 232 remain synchronized, preventing the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 from tilting during lifting and lowering, and improving the operational stability of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220.

[0085] For example, drive wheels and driven wheels can be spaced apart on any one of the columns 211211, with a transmission belt 233 fitted onto the drive wheels and driven wheels. The lifting drive component 231 is connected to one of the drive wheels to drive the transmission belt 233. The connecting shaft 233 can be connected to the transmission belt 233 via the drive wheel. Thus, when the drive wheel on one column 211211 rotates, it can drive the connecting shaft 233 to rotate, thereby driving the drive wheel on the other column 211211 to rotate, and subsequently driving the transmission belt 233 on the other column 211211 to move.

[0086] It is understandable that the second lifting mechanism 230 can also be a gear rack, worm gear, or other structure. There are no restrictions on the configuration of the second lifting mechanism 230, as long as it can drive the second pick-up and put-down mechanism 220 to move along the height direction of the stand 210.

[0087] In some examples, the second lifting mechanism 230 is connected to the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 via a mounting member 230a. The mounting member 230a is provided with a guide member 2301, and a guide groove 210a is formed on the side wall of the upright 210. When the second lifting mechanism 230 moves up and down along the upright 210, the guide member 2301 slides along the guide groove 210a to guide the lifting and lowering of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 and prevent the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 from tilting left and right.

[0088] For example, the guide 2301 can be a guide wheel or a ball bearing, etc.

[0089] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can transfer the target item 400 through various methods such as adsorption, pulling, hooking, and clamping. For example, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can be a suction cup structure, which can be adsorbed onto the side wall of the target item 400 by negative pressure adsorption or magnetic adsorption; the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can also be a fork, a robotic arm, or other structure that can achieve pull-type transfer of the target item 400, or a hooking mechanism that can hook the front edge of the target item 400. This embodiment does not limit the structure of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220.

[0090] Reference Figure 2a and Figure 3 As shown, the warehousing system may also include a handling robot 300, which is configured to interface with the buffer position 112 to pick up and place target items 400, and the handling robot 300 can carry the target items 400 within the load channel 120.

[0091] It should be noted that the load channel 120 can be used by the transport robot 300 carrying the target item 400, or by the transport robot 300 when it is not in use.

[0092] For example, when it is necessary to pick a target item 400 on the carrier 100, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 of the transfer robot 200 can move to the target storage position 111 under the drive of the upright 210 and the second lifting mechanism 230, and take out the target item 400. Then, under the drive of the upright 210 and the second lifting mechanism 230, it moves to the side of the idle buffer position 112 and docks with the buffer position 112 to transfer the target item 400 to the buffer position 112. The handling robot 300 can reach the buffer position 112 with the target item 400 from the aisle 140 or the load channel 120 below the buffer position 112, and dock with the buffer position 112 to take out the target item 400. Then, it can reach the workstation 20 through the aisle 140 or the load channel 120 to transfer the target item 400 to the workstation 20 for subsequent picking work.

[0093] For example, when the selected target item 400 needs to be placed on the target storage position 111 of the carrier 100, the handling robot 300 carries the target item 400 from the workstation 20 to the empty buffer position 112 in the storage area 10 and docks with the buffer position 112 to transfer the target item 400 to the buffer position 112. Then, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 of the transfer robot 200 can move to the buffer position 112 under the drive of the stand 210 and the second lifting mechanism 230, and take out the target item 400, and then transfer the target item 400 to the target storage position 111.

[0094] In some examples, the handling robot 300 is a lifting handling robot 300, meaning that when the handling robot 300 docks with the buffer position 112 and transfers items, it needs to move below the buffer position 112. For example, the handling robot 300 includes a chassis 310, a lifting structure, and a load-bearing structure. The chassis 310 is used to drive the entire handling robot 300 to move on the operating surface of the storage system, such as the ground. The lifting structure is set on the chassis 310, and the load-bearing structure is set on the lifting structure. The lifting structure can drive the load-bearing structure to move up and down relative to the chassis 310. The load-bearing structure can be a comb-like structure, and the buffer position 112 can have a toothed structure corresponding to the comb-like structure.

[0095] When the target item 400 on the buffer position 112 needs to be transferred to the handling robot 300, the carrying structure of the handling robot 300 is lowered to a height below the buffer position 112 by the lifting mechanism. Then, it moves under the chassis 310 to below the buffer position 112. The lifting structure rises continuously, so that the comb structure is inserted into the insert structure and lifts the target item 400, so that the target item 400 is switched from being supported by the insert structure to being supported by the comb structure. Then, the chassis 310 drives the entire handling robot 300 to move horizontally, so that the comb structure is disengaged from the insert structure, and the handling robot 300 carries the target item 400 out of the carrier 100.

[0096] When the target item 400 of the handling robot 300 needs to be transferred to the buffer position 112 of the carrier 100, the lifting structure of the handling robot 300 drives the comb structure to move to the height position of the insert structure. Then, the chassis 310 drives the comb structure to be horizontally inserted into the insert structure, so that the target item 400 moves to the top of the comb structure. Then, the lifting mechanism drives the comb structure to continuously descend, so that the target item 400 is switched from being supported by the comb structure to being supported by the insert structure, until the comb structure moves to the bottom of the insert structure. The chassis 310 then drives the entire handling robot 300 to move horizontally out of the carrier 100.

[0097] As can be seen, the aforementioned handling robot 300 needs to enter the carrier 100 when docking with the buffer position 112. It is understandable that when the handling robot 300 docks with the buffer position 112, its length direction is consistent with the width direction of the carrier 100. This requires the width and length of the carrier 100 to be at least the length of the handling robot 300. However, the length of a standard hopper is less than the length of the handling robot 300. This necessitates that the width and length of the storage positions 111 and buffer positions 112 on the carrier 100 be greater than the length of the standard hopper to accommodate the length of the handling robot 300. This results in wasted space in the width direction of the carrier 100, reducing the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0098] Taking a double-deep shelving unit as an example, the bottom layer of the shelving unit has two storage locations 110 arranged along the width direction, such as buffer locations 112. Therefore, the width design of the shelving unit must meet the following requirements: when a handling robot 300 is picking up or placing boxes under the buffer location 112 of the outer depth location 110b, the load channel 120 under the inner depth location 110a can still allow other handling robots 300 to move boxes. Therefore, the width of the shelving unit needs to be ≥1335mm (length + width + movement margin of one handling robot 300). However, the upper storage location 111 only has 1200mm to store two boxes with a length of 600mm. That is, since the first layer of the shelving unit needs to meet the simultaneous picking up and moving of two handling robots 300, 115mm is wasted.

[0099] In this embodiment, by setting the handling robot 300 to a forward-facing pick-and-place structure, the handling robot 300 does not need to enter below the buffer position 112. Instead, the first pick-and-place mechanism of the handling robot 300 extends into the buffer position 112 from one side to pick up and place the box. In this way, the space below the carrier 100 can only be used as the load channel 120, and its width only needs to meet the load operation of the handling robot 300. That is, the width of the carrier 100 meets the width and operating width margin of the handling robot 300, thereby ensuring that the storage space of the upper storage position 111 of the carrier 100 is not wasted and improving the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0100] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one state of a handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another state of a handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in some examples, the handling robot 300 includes a chassis 310 and a first pick-and-place mechanism 340 located above the chassis 310. The chassis 310 is configured to drive the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 to move on the operating surface of the storage system. The picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can extend horizontally out of the chassis 310 or retract onto the chassis 310. For example, the picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can extend out of the side wall of the chassis 310 or retract onto the top of the chassis 310 to dock with the buffer position 112 to realize the picking and placing of the target item 400.

[0101] The side wall of chassis 310 can be referenced. Figure 4 As shown in Figure a, the area above the chassis 310 refers to the upper region that can be projected onto the chassis 310 in a vertical direction, that is, the width of the upper region of the chassis 310 is the same as the width of the chassis 310.

[0102] The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 can extend horizontally out of the side wall of the chassis 310 to dock with the buffer position 112, or the picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 can retract horizontally to the top of the chassis 310 to reset the first picking and placing mechanism 340.

[0103] Reference Figure 3 As shown, arrow A indicates the extension and retraction direction of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 during its docking with the buffer bit 112, that is, the pick-and-place direction of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340.

[0104] When it is necessary to put the target item 400 on the handling robot 300 into storage, the handling robot 300 moves to the side of the vacant buffer position 112 via the chassis 310. For example, after the target item 400 has been picked, it needs to be returned to the storage area 10. The handling robot 300 takes the target item 400 from the workstation 20 and moves to the side of the vacant buffer position 112 via the chassis 310. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 extends out of the side wall of the chassis 310 to push the target item 400 to the vacant buffer position 112 until the target item 400 is transferred to the vacant buffer position 112. The first picking and placing mechanism 340 then retracts above the chassis 310. The transfer robot 200 moves to the side of the buffer position 112 containing the target item 400 and transfers the target item 400 to the storage position 111. When it is necessary to retrieve the target item 400 from the carrier 100, for example, when it is necessary to pick the target item 400, the transfer robot 200 moves the target item 400 to the empty buffer position 112. The handling robot 300 walks through the chassis 310 to the side of the buffer position 112 containing the target item 400. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 extends out of the side wall of the chassis 310 until it reaches the side of the buffer position 112 containing the target item 400, retrieves the target item 400, and carries the target item 400 back to the top of the chassis 310.

[0105] In this embodiment, by setting the handling robot 300 to a forward-facing pick-and-place structure, the handling robot 300 does not need to enter below the buffer position 112. Instead, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 of the handling robot 300 extends from one side of the buffer position 112 into the buffer position 112 to pick up and place the box. In this way, the space below the carrier 100 can only be used as the load channel 120, and its width only needs to meet the load operation of the handling robot 300. That is, the width of the carrier 100 meets the width and operating width margin of the handling robot 300, thereby ensuring that the storage space of the upper storage position 111 of the carrier 100 is not wasted and improving the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0106] It should be noted that the transport robot 300 can carry the target item 400 through the load channel 120 at the bottom of the carrier 100. Because the transport robot 300 in this embodiment does not need to enter below the buffer position 112 when docking with it, the load channel 120 below the buffer position 112 can be used by the transport robot 300 at any time. Therefore, the transport robot 300 in this embodiment has more path resources, resulting in a lower congestion rate and higher efficiency per unit. Furthermore, more transport robots 300 can be accommodated in the same area, leading to higher overall throughput efficiency.

[0107] It is understandable that the load channel 120 can be used for the movement of the loaded transport robot 300, or for the movement of the unloaded robot.

[0108] The first pick-and-place mechanism 340 in this application embodiment can be configured in various ways.

[0109] In some examples, the width of the carrier 100 may be greater than or equal to n*H+a, where n is the number of transport robots 300 and n≥1; H is the width of the transport robot 300, the width of the transport robot 300 is less than the length of the transport robot 300; and a is the width margin of the transport robot 300 that can operate in the load channel 120 and a≥0.

[0110] It is understandable that the number of n is the same as the number of load channels 120 at the bottom layer of vehicle 100.

[0111] For example, the carrier 100 is a single-depth carrier 100. The bottom layer of the carrier 100 has a storage location 110, which is a buffer location 112. Below the buffer location 112 is a load channel 120 for a handling robot 300 to walk on, i.e., n=1. Then the width of the carrier 100 is at least equal to the sum of the width of a handling robot 300 and the width margin that the handling robot 300 can walk on. Compared with the scheme that requires the handling robot 300 to enter the storage location 110 below the buffer location 112 to dock with the buffer location 112, the width of the carrier 100 can be reduced, thereby increasing the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0112] In some examples, the carrier 100 can be a multi-depth carrier 100, the bottom layer of which includes a plurality of storage locations 110 arranged along the width direction, and the bottom space of each storage location 110 is configured as a load channel 120 for the handling robot 300.

[0113] Taking a double-deep carrier 100 as an example, the bottom layer of the carrier 100 includes two storage locations 110 arranged along the width direction. The space below each storage location 110 can serve as a load channel 120 for the transport robot 300 to move. In this example, n=2, so the width of the carrier 100 is at least equal to the sum of the widths of the two transport robots 300 and the width margin that allows the two transport robots 300 to move. That is, the width of the carrier 100 only needs to meet the requirement of the two transport robots 300 operating in parallel, which can improve the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0114] In some examples, among the multiple storage locations 110 at the bottom of the vehicle 100, at least the storage location 110 located in the outer depth location 110b is a buffer location 112. That is, the handling robot 300 docks with the buffer location 112 in the outer depth location 110b to enable the target item 400 to be taken out of the vehicle 100 or placed on the vehicle 100.

[0115] Understandably, when the handling robot 300 docks with the buffer position 112 of the outer depth position 110b, since the handling robot 300 does not need to enter below the buffer position 112, the load channel 120 below the inner depth position 110a cargo position 110 is always available for the handling robot 300 to move with load, and the load channel 120 below the buffer position 112 can be used normally for the handling robot 300 to move with load at all times, so as to increase the path resources of the handling robot 300, reduce the congestion rate, and improve work efficiency.

[0116] Reference Figure 3 As shown, in some examples, two carriers 100 can be arranged back-to-back along the second direction, each carrier 100 being a multi-depth carrier 100. Taking each carrier 100 as a double-depth carrier 100 as an example, the four load channels 120 at the bottom of the two back-to-back carriers 100 are all-time available load channels 120, that is, at any time, the handling robot 300 can move within these four load channels 120, without being restricted by the docking status of the handling robot 300 and the buffer position 112.

[0117] In some examples, among the multiple cargo locations 110 at the bottom of the vehicle 100, the cargo location 110 located in the inner depth 110a can be a storage location 111.

[0118] Because the handling robot 300 in this embodiment docks with the buffer position 112 in a forward orientation, it does not need to run into the carrier 100. After retrieving the target item 400, it retracts horizontally into the aisle 140. The handling robot 300 does not need to exit from the inner depth position 110a to the load channel 120 below the inner depth position 110a. Therefore, the bottom inner depth position 110a in this embodiment can be set as a storage position 111 to store items for a long time without interfering with the handling robot 300. In this way, the number of storage positions 111 in the carrier 100 can be increased, and the storage density can be improved.

[0119] In addition, by setting the inner depth 110a of the bottom layer of the carrier 100 as the storage position 111, it is not necessary to set the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 as a structure with a long horizontal movement stroke, thereby simplifying the structure of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 and reducing the manufacturing cost of the handling robot 300.

[0120] In some examples, when it is necessary to retrieve a target item 400 located in the inner depth position 110a at the bottom of the vehicle 100, the transfer robot 200 is configured to transfer the target item 400 located in the inner depth position 110a to the buffer position 112 located in the outer depth position 110b. The first pick-and-place mechanism 340 extends out of the side wall of the chassis 310 and docks with the buffer position 112 to retrieve the target item 400.

[0121] When it is necessary to place the target item 400 back onto the inner deep position 110a at the bottom of the vehicle 100, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 extends out of the side wall of the chassis 310 and docks with the buffer position 112 located in the outer deep position 110b to place the target item 400 into the buffer position 112. The transfer robot 200 is configured to transfer the target item 400 located in the buffer position 112 to the storage position 111 located in the inner deep position 110a.

[0122] Of course, in some examples, the inner depth 110a at the bottom of the vehicle 100 can also be a buffer position 112 to increase the number of buffer positions 112. When the handling robot 300 needs to dock with the buffer position 112 of the inner depth 110a, the transfer robot 200 or the handling robot 300 can first remove the items from the outer depth 110b. Then, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 of the handling robot 300 extends through the outer depth 110b into the buffer position 112 of the inner depth 110a to pick up or place the target item 400. It can be understood that after the pick-and-place of the target item 400 is completed, the handling robot 300 or the transfer robot 200 returns the items on the outer depth 110b to the outer depth 110b.

[0123] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some examples, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can move horizontally as a whole. For example, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can move along the length of the transport robot 300 so that the first pick-and-place member 342 of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 extends out of the side wall of the chassis 310 or retracts to above the chassis 310.

[0124] For example, the handling robot 300 may include a carrier 330, which is disposed above the chassis 310. A first pick-and-place mechanism 340 is disposed on the carrier 330 and is movable relative to the carrier 330, so that the picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can extend or retract to the carrier 330, thereby transferring the target item 400 between the buffer position 112 and the carrier 330.

[0125] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, exemplarily, a driving mechanism is provided on the carrier 330. The driving mechanism drives the first picking and placing mechanism 340 to move to the left along the carrier 330, so that the picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 extends out of the carrier 330 and docks with the buffer position 112, or drives the first picking and placing mechanism 340 to move to the right along the carrier 330, so that the picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 retracts onto the carrier 330 to achieve a reset. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient.

[0126] In addition, the support member 330 facilitates the installation of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 and also provides support and buffer for the target item 400, thereby improving the stability of the target item 400 during the movement of the handling robot 300.

[0127] For example, when transferring the target item 400 from the handling robot 300 to the buffer position 112, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can push the target item 400 to the left until the picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 extends out of the carrier 330 and pushes the target item 400 above the buffer position 112. Then the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 moves to the right to return to the carrier 330 and achieves a reset.

[0128] For example, when it is necessary to retrieve the target item 400 from the buffer position 112, the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 moves to the left until the picking end of the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 extends out of the carrier 330 and reaches the buffer position 112. The picking end acts on the target item 400, and then the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 moves to the right to carry the target item 400 back to the carrier 330, so that the target item 400 is transferred to the handling robot 300.

[0129] The drive mechanism can be a motor, a drive cylinder, a synchronous belt pulley, or other structures. There are no restrictions on the structure of the drive mechanism, as long as it can drive the first pick-up and put-down mechanism 340 to move.

[0130] In some examples, the picking end of the first picking mechanism 340 can be a suction cup, magnetic attachment, or other structure. There are no restrictions here, as long as it can ensure that the target item 400 can be moved.

[0131] Figure 6a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another handling robot provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the first pick-and-place mechanisms provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 6a and Figure 6b As shown, in some examples, the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 includes a telescopic member 341 and a first pick-up and place member 342, the first pick-up and place member 342 being disposed on the telescopic member 341, and the pick-up end being located on the first pick-up and place member 342.

[0132] The telescopic component 341 is configured to extend the first pick-and-place component 342 out of the side wall of the chassis 310 or retract it onto the chassis 310 so that the first pick-and-place component 342 docks with the buffer position 112 to realize the pick-and-place of the target item 400.

[0133] In some examples, the telescopic component 341 can be a scissor fork 341a, a telescopic fork plate, or a telescopic rod, etc. This application embodiment does not limit the structural configuration of the telescopic component 341, as long as it can drive the first pick-up and put-down component 342 to extend out of the chassis 310 or retract to above the chassis 310.

[0134] For example, the scissor fork 341a may include at least one scissor arm unit 3411. The scissor arm unit 3411 includes two intersecting scissor arms 3411a, which are hinged at the intersection. By rotating the two scissor arms 3411a relative to each other, the included angle between the two scissor arms 3411a increases or decreases, thereby causing the scissor fork 341a to drive the first pick-and-place member 342 to extend or retract from the chassis 310. The intersection of the two scissor arms 3411a can be hinged via a connecting shaft 3412a.

[0135] For example, the scissor fork 341a may include multiple scissor arm units 3411 arranged along the extension direction. The scissor arms 3411a of adjacent scissor arm units 3411 are hinged together. Thus, movement of any one scissor arm unit 3411 can drive the movement of other scissor arm units 3411, thereby realizing the extension and retraction of the scissor fork 341a. The multiple scissor arm units 3411 can increase the extension and retraction stroke of the scissor fork 341a, thereby adapting to storage locations with different depths.

[0136] In some examples, in order to achieve the extension and retraction of the scissor fork 341a, the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 may also include a first drive structure (not shown in the figure), which can be connected to the connecting shaft 3412a of any scissor fork unit 3411 to drive the connecting shaft 3412a to move along the pick-and-place direction, such as the y direction, thereby driving the entire scissor fork 341a to extend and retract.

[0137] In some examples, a first slide rail 331 can be provided on the carrier 330, and a first slider can be provided on the scissor fork 341a. For example, a first slider can be provided at one end of any connecting shaft 3412a. When the connecting shaft 3412a moves in the pick-up / placement direction, the first slider can slide along the first slide rail 331. This ensures that the scissor fork 341a extends and retracts in the pick-up / placement direction without deviating in direction, thus affecting the success rate of picking up and placing the target item. In some examples, the first pick-up / placement component 342 can be a suction cup 342a, a magnetic component, a dial, or other structures. The structural configuration of the first pick-up / placement component 342 is not limited here, as long as it can ensure the horizontal movement of the target item 400. For specific details, refer to the configuration of the second pick-up / placement mechanism 220.

[0138] Reference Figure 6bAs shown, taking the first pick-up and drop-off component 342 as a suction cup 342a as an example, the carrier component 330 can also be equipped with an air source device 370. The air source device 370 is connected to the suction cup 342a to control the pressure inside the suction cup 342a. Thus, when it is necessary to pick up the target item 400, the pressure inside the suction cup 342a is reduced so that the pressure is controlled to a negative pressure. When it is necessary to release the target item 400, the pressure inside the suction cup 342a is increased. For example, the pressure inside the suction cup 342a can be increased to atmospheric pressure.

[0139] To facilitate communication between the air source device 370 and the suction cup 342a, a mounting plate 343 can be provided at one end of the telescopic member 341 (e.g., scissor fork 341a), and the suction cup 342a can be mounted on the mounting plate 343. A channel is provided on the mounting plate 343, with one end of the channel communicating with the inner cavity of the suction cup 342a and the other end communicating with the pipeline of the air source device 370. In this way, the air source device 370 can control the pressure inside the suction cup 342a through the channel of the mounting plate 343.

[0140] For example, when transferring the target item 400 from the handling robot 300 to the buffer position 112, the telescopic member 341 of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can drive the first pick-and-place member 342 to extend to the left until the first pick-and-place member 342 reaches the buffer position 112, pushing the target item 400 above the buffer position 112. The suction cup 342a is controlled by the air source device 370 to release the force on the target item 400, and the telescopic member 341 retracts to the right to drive the first pick-and-place member 342 back to the top of the chassis 310, for example, back to the carrier member 330, to achieve reset.

[0141] For example, when it is necessary to retrieve the target item 400 from the buffer position 112, the telescopic member 341 of the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 drives the first pick-up and place member 342 to extend to the left until the picking end of the first pick-up and place member 342 extends out of the carrier 330 and reaches the buffer position 112. The suction cup 342a is controlled by the air source device 370 to pick up the target item 400. Then, the telescopic member 341 drives the first pick-up and place member 342 to retract to the right to carry the target item 400 back to the carrier 330 above the chassis 310, so that the target item 400 is transferred to the handling robot 300.

[0142] In some examples, in order to increase the travel of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340, a movable seat 360 is provided on the carrier 330. The movable seat 360 can move along the pick-and-place direction under the drive of the drive mechanism 380. The first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can be disposed on the movable seat 360 so that it can move along the carrier 330 as a whole under the drive of the movable seat 360, so that the first pick-and-place member 342 on the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 can move toward the target location or retract back onto the carrier 330.

[0143] For example, during the retrieval and return of the box, both the movable seat 360 and the telescopic member 341 can move, and the timing of the movement is not limited. For example, the movable seat 360 can first drive the telescopic member 341 to move as a whole, and then the telescopic member 341 can extend and retract. Alternatively, the movable seat 360 and the telescopic member 341 can move simultaneously. Or, the telescopic member 341 can extend and retract first, and then the movable seat 360 can move.

[0144] For example, the drive mechanism 380 may include a drive motor and a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly being connected to the drive motor to move under the drive of the drive motor, and the movable seat 360 being connected to the transmission assembly to move along the pick-up and put-down direction under the drive of the transmission assembly.

[0145] The transmission components can be pulley structures, worm gear structures, rack and pinion structures, etc. There are no restrictions on the way the transmission components are set.

[0146] Taking a pulley structure as an example, the transmission assembly may include a drive wheel, a driven wheel 381, and a transmission belt 382. The drive wheel and the driven wheel 381 are spaced apart on the bearing member 330 along the pick-up and put-out direction. The transmission belt 382 is sleeved on the drive wheel and the driven wheel 381. The drive wheel is connected to the drive motor so that it can rotate under the drive of the drive motor. The transmission belt 382 can move under the drive of the drive wheel, thereby driving the movable seat 360 to move.

[0147] For example, the drive wheel and driven wheel can be a synchronous belt pulley structure or a sprocket, and correspondingly, the transmission belt 382 can be a synchronous belt or a chain.

[0148] In some examples, a second slide rail 332 can be provided on the carrier 330. The extension direction of the second slide rail 332 can be the pick-up and put-down direction. A second slider is provided on the movable seat 360. When the movable seat 360 moves, the second slider can slide along the first slide rail 332, thereby ensuring that the movable seat 360 moves stably along the pick-up and put-down direction without tilting to the left or right.

[0149] In some examples, two opposing guides 350 can be provided on the carrier 330, and the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 is located between the two guides 350. A receiving cavity for accommodating the target item is formed between the two guides 350. In this way, when the first pick-and-place member 342 of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 moves the target item from the carrier 330 to the target storage location, the target item can be pushed out of the carrier 330 along the guides 350. Alternatively, when the first pick-and-place member 342 of the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 moves the target item from the target storage location to the carrier 330, the target item can enter the carrier 330 along the guides 350, so as to ensure that the target item moves stably along the pick-and-place direction without deflection.

[0150] In addition, during the movement of the handling robot 300, the guide 350 can limit the target item, preventing the target item from swaying left and right or even falling off the carrier 330.

[0151] By configuring the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 to include a telescopic member 341 and a first pick-and-place member 342, the extension length of the first pick-and-place member 342 can be precisely controlled through the telescopic member 341, facilitating accurate docking with the buffer position 112. Furthermore, the extension length of the first pick-and-place member 342 can be flexibly adjusted by controlling the telescopic stroke of the telescopic member 341, allowing the first pick-and-place mechanism 340 to adapt to single-depth or double-depth shelves, thereby improving the adaptability of the handling robot 300 in various scenarios. In some examples, the handling robot 300 may also include a first lifting mechanism 320, which is mounted on the chassis 310. The carrier 330 may be mounted on the first lifting mechanism 320 and may move up or down towards or away from the chassis 310 under the drive of the first lifting mechanism 320. The first pick-up and place mechanism 340 is located on the carrier 330, and the pick-up end of the first pick-up and place mechanism 340 may extend or retract to the carrier 330 to transfer the target item 400 between the buffer position 112 and the carrier 330.

[0152] The first lifting mechanism 320 allows for flexible adjustment of the height of the first picking and placing mechanism 340, enabling it to connect with storage locations 110 at different heights. For example, it can connect with picking platforms or conveyor lines on workstation 20. The heights of picking platforms and conveyor lines can differ, and different conveyor lines or picking platforms may also have different heights. Thus, the height of the first picking and placing mechanism 340 can be adjusted via the first lifting mechanism 320 according to actual needs, adapting to different scenarios.

[0153] In addition, when the handling robot 300 carries the target item 400 and walks on the ground of the storage system, the first lifting mechanism 320 can lower the first picking and placing mechanism 340 to the lowest height to improve the operational stability of the handling robot 300 and make the target item 400 more stable during the movement of the handling robot 300.

[0154] In addition, when the handling robot 300 carries the target item 400 and moves within the load channel 120 at the bottom of the carrier 100, the entire handling robot 300 can be lowered to its lowest height via the first lifting mechanism 320. This reduces the height of the bottom space of the carrier 100 and increases the storage density of the carrier 100.

[0155] In some examples, the first lifting mechanism 320 can be a telescopic cylinder, a scissor fork, or other similar structures. There are no restrictions on the first lifting mechanism 320 here, as long as it can ensure the lifting and lowering of the first pick-up and put-down mechanism 340.

[0156] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transfer robot provided in an embodiment of this application in its first working state. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer robot provided in an embodiment of this application in its second working state. (Refer to...) Figure 2a , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in some examples, in order to ensure that the transfer robot and the handling robot 300 do not interfere with each other when they are working separately, the stand 210 and the track 130 can be set to be higher than the buffer position 112, and the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can be lowered to one side of the buffer position 112 when it is in the first working state, and raised above the buffer position 112 when it is in the second working state.

[0157] It should be noted that cache position 112 refers to the bottom shelf of vehicle 100 (see reference). Figure 2a (as shown in B) and the second layer of the plate (refer to) Figure 2a The space between (as shown in C). The lowest height of cache position 112 is the height of the upper surface of the bottom shelf, and the highest height of cache position 112 is the height of the lower surface of the second shelf. Thus, the support frame 210 is set higher than cache position 112, which can be understood as the bottom of the support frame 210 being flush with or higher than the lower surface of the second shelf.

[0158] The height of the shelf is the same as the height of the 100 crossbeam of the carrier.

[0159] It is understandable that the stand 210 and the track 130 are stationary relative to the carrier 100. By setting the stand 210 and the track 130 at a position higher than the buffer position 112, the handling robot 300 can dock normally with the buffer position 112 when the stand 210 moves in the first direction. That is, the stand 210 moving in the first direction will not interfere with the handling robot 300 during the docking process, thereby improving the working efficiency of the transfer robot 200 and the handling robot 300.

[0160] In addition, in the first operating state, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can descend to one side of the buffer position 112 to dock with the buffer position 112 and realize the pick-and-place operation. In the second operating state, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 rises above the buffer position 112 to avoid the buffer position 112.

[0161] It is understood that the first working state is the state in which the transfer robot 200 is docked with the cargo position 110 at the bottom layer of the carrier 100, and the second working state is any other state of the transfer robot 200 besides docking with the cargo position 110. This other state may be the state in which the transfer robot 200 moves in the first direction of the carrier 100, or the idle state, or the state in which it is docked with the upper storage position 111, etc. This application embodiment does not limit the other states.

[0162] Since the transfer robot 200 and the handling robot 300 do not operate the same buffer position 112 simultaneously, when the handling robot 300 in the aisle 140 is retrieving boxes from the front of the buffer position 112, the transfer robot 200, having already raised the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 above the bottom storage position 110 during its lateral (i.e., first direction) movement, can directly pass over the handling robot 300 that is currently performing box retrieval operations at the buffer position 112, and the two robots can operate independently. To allow the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 to descend to the side of the buffer position 112 below the upright 210 when the upright 210 is above the buffer position 112, in some examples, the second lifting mechanism 230 is connected to the first position of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220. The height between the first position and the bottom of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 is greater than or equal to the height of the target item 400, and the second pick-and-place component 223 of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 is located below the first position.

[0163] When the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 needs to dock with the buffer position 112, the second lifting mechanism 230 can drive the area below the first position of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 to extend the upright 210 (see reference). Figure 7 (as shown), and descends to one side of the buffer position 112 so that the second pick-and-place member 223 of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 docks with the buffer position 112.

[0164] When the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 does not need to dock with the buffer position 112, the second lifting mechanism 230 can drive the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 to rise to the side of the upright 210, so as to rise above the buffer position 112, to avoid affecting the docking of the handling robot 300 with the buffer position 112 (see reference). Figure 8 (As shown).

[0165] In some examples, the first position can be the top of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220, that is, the second lifting mechanism 230 is connected to the top of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220, so that the second lifting mechanism 230 can drive the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 down to below the stand 210, similar to forming a basket structure, so that the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 can properly dock with the buffer position 112 to realize the pick-and-place of the box.

[0166] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, exemplarily, the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 may include a base plate 221 and side plates 222 disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the base plate 221. The base plate 221 and the two side plates 222 form a receiving cavity for accommodating the target item 400. The second pick-and-place member 223 of the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 may be disposed within this receiving cavity. In configuration, the second lifting mechanism 230 may be connected to a first position (e.g., the top) of the side plate 222 so that when the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 needs to dock with the buffer position 112, the second lifting mechanism 230 can be used to suspend the second pick-and-place mechanism 220 on one side of the buffer position 112 below the stand 210.

[0167] By connecting the second lifting mechanism 230 to the second position of the second pick-up and place mechanism 220, such as the top, it is possible to ensure that the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 can be lowered to below the stand 210 under the drive of the second lifting mechanism 230. On the other hand, it can simplify the structure of the second lifting mechanism 230 and the second pick-up and place mechanism 220, improve the assembly efficiency of the transfer robot 200, and reduce the manufacturing cost of the transfer robot 200.

[0168] In some examples, a telescopic member 341 (not shown in the figure) may be provided between the second lifting mechanism 230 and the second pick-up and place mechanism 220. The second lifting mechanism 230 is connected to the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 through the telescopic member 341. When the second lifting mechanism 230 drives the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 to descend to the bottom position of the stand 210, the telescopic member 341 can be driven so that the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 extends out of the stand 210 under the drive of the telescopic member 341 and is suspended on one side of the buffer position 112 to achieve docking with the buffer position 112.

[0169] It is understandable that when the second lifting mechanism 230 drives the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 to descend to the bottom of the upright 210, the second lifting mechanism 230 can stop moving and switch to the operation of the telescopic component 341 to drive the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 to continue to descend, so that the second pick-up and place mechanism 220 descends to one side of the buffer position 112.

[0170] In some examples, the telescopic component 341 can be a telescopic cylinder, telescopic rod, or other structure. There are no restrictions on the telescopic component 341 here, as long as it can drive the second pick-up and put-down mechanism 220 to extend and retract relative to the second lifting mechanism 230.

[0171] It is readily understood that, based on the several embodiments provided in this application, those skilled in the art can combine, split, or reorganize the embodiments of this application to obtain other embodiments, none of which exceed the protection scope of this application.

[0172] The above detailed embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the above are merely specific embodiments of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A warehousing system characterized by, include: The carrier (100) has a storage bit (111) and a cache bit (112), at least a portion of the storage bit (111) being located above the cache bit (112), and a load channel (120) being formed below the cache bit (112). A transfer robot (200) is suspended on one side of the vehicle (100) and moves relative to the vehicle (100). The transfer robot (200) is configured to transfer the target item (400) between the storage position (111) and the buffer position (112). A transport robot (300) is configured to dock with the buffer position (112) to pick up and place the target item (400), and the transport robot (300) can carry the target item (400) and move within the load channel (120); The handling robot (300) includes a chassis (310) and a first picking and placing mechanism (340) located above the chassis (310). The chassis (310) is configured to drive the first picking and placing mechanism (340) to move on the operating surface of the storage system. The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism (340) can extend horizontally or retract onto the chassis (310) to dock with the buffer position (112) to realize the picking and placing of the target item (400).

2. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transport robot (300) also includes a first lifting mechanism (320) and a carrier (330); The first lifting mechanism (320) is mounted on the chassis (310), and the bearing member (330) is mounted on the first lifting mechanism (320), and moves up or down towards or away from the chassis (310) under the drive of the first lifting mechanism (320). The first pick-and-place mechanism (340) is located on the carrier (330), and the picking end of the first pick-and-place mechanism (340) can extend or retract to the carrier (330) to transfer the target item (400) between the buffer position (112) and the carrier (330).

3. The warehousing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first picking and placing mechanism (340) includes a telescopic member (341) and a first picking and placing member (342), the first picking and placing member (342) is disposed on the telescopic member (341), and the picking end is located on the first picking and placing member (342); The telescopic component (341) is configured to drive the first pick-and-place component (342) to extend out of the side wall of the chassis (310) or retract onto the chassis (310) so that the first pick-and-place component (342) docks with the buffer position (112) to realize the pick-and-place of the target item (400).

4. The warehousing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic component (341) includes a scissor fork (341a); The scissor fork (341a) includes two intersecting scissor arms (3411a), which are hinged together by a connecting shaft (3412a), and the first pick-and-place member (342) is disposed at one end of the two scissor arms (3411a). The two scissor arms (3411a) rotate relative to each other, so that the included angle between the two scissor arms (3411a) increases or decreases, so that the scissor forks (341a) drive the first pick-and-place member (342) to extend or retract into the chassis (310).

5. The warehousing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The two intersecting scissor arms (3411a) form a scissor arm unit (3411), and the scissor fork (341a) includes multiple stages of the scissor arm units (3411) arranged along the extension direction. The scissor arms (3411a) of two adjacent stages of the scissor arm units (3411) are hinged to each other.

6. The warehousing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first pick-and-place mechanism (340) further includes a first drive structure, which is connected to one of the connecting shafts (3412a) of the scissor forks (341a) to drive the connecting shaft (3412a) to move along the pick-and-place direction, thereby causing the scissor forks (341a) to extend and retract.

7. The warehousing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support member (330) is provided with a first slide rail (331), and the telescopic member (341) is provided with a first slider. During the extension and retraction of the telescopic member (341), the first slider slides along the first slide rail (331).

8. The warehousing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, A movable seat (360) is provided on the support member (330), and the movable seat (360) moves relative to the support member (330); The first pick-and-place mechanism (340) is connected to the movable seat (360) so as to move relative to the carrier (330) under the drive of the movable seat (360).

9. The warehousing system of claim 1, wherein, The width of the carrier (100) is greater than or equal to n*H+a, where n is the number of the transport robots (300) and n≥1; H is the width of the transport robot (300), the width of the transport robot (300) is less than the length of the transport robot (300), a is the width margin of the transport robot (300) that can run in the load channel (120), and a≥0.

10. The warehousing system of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle (100) is a multi-depth vehicle (100); The bottom layer of the carrier (100) includes a plurality of storage locations arranged along the width direction, and the bottom space of each storage location is configured as a load channel (120) of the handling robot (300). Among the plurality of storage locations, at least the storage location located in the outer depth location (110b) is the buffer location (112).

11. The warehousing system according to claim 10, characterized in that, Of the plurality of storage locations, the storage location located in the inner deep position (110a) is the storage location (111); When it is necessary to retrieve a target item (400) located in the inner deep position (110a) at the bottom of the vehicle (100), the transfer robot (200) is configured to transfer the target item (400) located in the inner deep position (110a) to the buffer position (112) located in the outer deep position (110b), wherein the first pick-and-place mechanism (340) extends out of the side wall of the chassis (310) and docks with the buffer position (112) to retrieve the target item (400); When it is necessary to place the target item (400) back onto the inner deep position (110a) at the bottom of the vehicle (100), the first pick-and-place mechanism (340) extends out of the side wall of the chassis (310) and docks with the buffer position (112) located in the outer deep position (110b) to place the target item (400) into the buffer position (112). The transfer robot (200) is configured to transfer the target item (400) located in the buffer position (112) to the storage position (111) located in the inner deep position (110a).

12. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The transfer robot (200) includes: The upright (210) is movable along the length of the carrier (100); wherein the carrier (100) is provided with a track (130), and the upright (210) travels along the track (130); Second lifting mechanism (230); The second pick-up and place mechanism (220) is connected to the second lifting mechanism (230) and moves up and down along the upright (210) under the drive of the second lifting mechanism (230).

13. The warehousing system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The stand (210) and the track (130) are both higher than the buffer position (112), and the second pick-and-place mechanism (220) descends to one side of the buffer position (112) when it is in the first working state, and rises above the buffer position (112) when it is in the second working state.

14. The warehousing system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second lifting mechanism (230) is connected to the first position of the second picking and placing mechanism (220), the height between the first position and the bottom of the second picking and placing mechanism (220) is greater than or equal to the height of the target item (400), and the second picking and placing component (223) of the second picking and placing mechanism (220) is located below the first position; When the second pick-and-place mechanism (220) needs to dock with the buffer position (112), the second lifting mechanism (230) can drive the area below the first position of the second pick-and-place mechanism (220) to extend out of the stand (210) and descend to one side of the buffer position (112) so that the second pick-and-place component (223) of the second pick-and-place mechanism (220) docks with the buffer position (112).

15. The warehousing system of claim 12, wherein, The support frame (310) is provided with at least one traveling mechanism (240), which travels along the track (130); At least one of the walking mechanisms (240) includes a drive motor (241) and a walking wheel (242), the drive motor (241) driving the walking wheel (242) to walk along a first surface (a) of the track (130).

16. The warehousing system according to claim 15, characterized in that, At least one of the walking mechanisms (240) further includes a guide wheel (243) that travels along the second surface (b) of the track (130); The first surface (a) and the second surface (b) have different orientations.

17. The warehousing system of claim 12, wherein, The second lifting mechanism (230) includes a lifting drive component (231) and a lifting transmission component (232a); The lifting drive component (231) is connected to the lifting transmission component (232a) to drive the lifting transmission component (232a) to move; The second pick-up and place mechanism (220) is connected to the lifting transmission member (232a) to move up and down along the upright frame (210) under the drive of the lifting transmission member (232a).

18. The warehousing system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The lifting transmission component (232a) includes a transmission shaft (233) and two transmission belts (232); The support frame (210) includes two spaced columns (211), each column (211) is provided with a transmission belt (232), the two transmission belts (232) are connected to the transmission shaft (233) and both transmission belts (232) are connected to the second pick-and-place mechanism (220); The lifting drive (231) is connected to the transmission shaft (233) so as to drive the two transmission belts (232) to move through the transmission shaft (233), thereby driving the second pick-up and put-down mechanism (220) to move up and down along the two columns (211).

19. The warehousing system of claim 12, wherein, The second lifting mechanism (230) is connected to the second picking and placing mechanism (220) via a mounting component (230a); The mounting component (230a) is provided with a guide component (2301), and a guide groove (210a) is formed on the side wall of the upright (210). When the second lifting mechanism (230) moves up and down along the upright (210), the guide component (2301) slides along the guide groove (210a).

20. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, When it is necessary to put the target item (400) on the handling robot (300), the handling robot (300) moves to the side of the vacant buffer position (112) via the chassis (310). The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism (340) extends out of the side wall of the chassis (310) to push the target item (400) to the vacant buffer position (112) until the target item (400) is transferred to the vacant buffer position (112). The first picking and placing mechanism (340) then retracts to above the chassis (310). The transfer robot (200) moves to the side of the buffer position (112) containing the target item (400) and transfers the target item (400) to the storage position (111). When it is necessary to remove the target item (400) from the carrier (100), the transfer robot (200) moves the target item (400) to an empty buffer position (112). The handling robot (300) walks to the side of the buffer position (112) with the target item (400) via the chassis (310). The picking end of the first picking and placing mechanism (340) extends out of the side wall of the chassis (310) until it reaches the side of the buffer position (112) with the target item (400), picks up the target item (400), and carries the target item (400) back to the top of the chassis (310).

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