Climbing robot and warehousing system

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the present specification provide a climbing robot and a warehouse system. The climbing robot comprises a main body. A single set of climbing mechanism comprises one climbing wheel or a plurality of climbing wheels, and the plurality of climbing wheels are arranged side by side along a first direction, and the first direction, the axial direction of the climbing wheel and the height direction of the climbing robot are perpendicular to each other. In the height direction, the projection of the single set of climbing mechanism is located in the middle of the main body. The climbing robot of the present specification cooperates with the guide rail of the shelf by using a single set of climbing mechanism, reduces the number of docking structures of the climbing robot and the shelf, reduces the docking accuracy requirement of the climbing robot, improves the docking efficiency of the climbing robot and the shelf. At the same time, the number of shelf guide rails is reduced, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to one or more embodiments in the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and more particularly to a climbing robot and warehousing system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, automation, and information technology, smart warehousing has become a crucial link in the modern logistics system. The application of smart warehousing not only improves the speed of data input in all aspects of warehouse management but also greatly enhances the accuracy and reliability of operations. By introducing advanced technologies, warehousing operations are more efficient, significantly optimizing overall logistics performance.

[0003] The intelligent warehousing system includes shelves for placing goods and climbing robots. One side of the shelf has a guide rail for the climbing robot to climb. The climbing robot includes a climbing mechanism. The climbing robot can climb the shelf along the guide rail using the climbing mechanism to retrieve goods at different heights on the shelf or place goods at different heights on the shelf.

[0004] However, in related technologies, the climbing mechanism connects to the guide rail by extending climbing wheels from the four corners. Due to the large number of docking points and the high requirements for docking accuracy, the docking process between the climbing robot and the shelf is quite difficult, reducing the working efficiency of the climbing robot. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, one or more embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions: According to a first aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a climbing robot is provided, comprising: main body; A single climbing mechanism, wherein the single climbing mechanism includes one climbing wheel or the single climbing mechanism includes multiple climbing wheels, the multiple climbing wheels are arranged side by side along a first direction, and the first direction, the axis of the climbing wheel and the height direction of the climbing robot are perpendicular to each other; In the height direction, the projection of the single climbing mechanism is located in the middle of the main body.

[0006] Furthermore, the number of climbing wheels is set to two, and in the first direction, the two climbing wheels are arranged side by side.

[0007] Furthermore, the climbing mechanism also includes a mounting plate and an auxiliary climbing structure disposed on the mounting plate, the auxiliary climbing structure including at least two guide wheels; in the height direction, the projection of the climbing wheel is located between the two guide wheels; the axial direction of the guide wheel is parallel to the first direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the auxiliary climbing structure also includes at least two anti-scratch wheels, and in the height direction, the projection of the climbing wheel is located between the two anti-scratch wheels; the axial direction of the anti-scratch wheels is parallel to the height direction.

[0009] Furthermore, the auxiliary climbing structure also includes a limiting wheel, which is located at the bottom of the mounting plate in the height direction; and in the first direction, the limiting wheel is located on the side of the climbing wheel away from the main body.

[0010] Furthermore, the number of the auxiliary climbing structures is set to two, and in the height direction, the climbing wheel is located between the two auxiliary climbing structures.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a retrieval component, which is slidably connected to the body along the axial direction of the climbing wheel.

[0012] Furthermore, the main body is provided with a transmission component and a drive component. The transmission component connects the main body and the picking component, and the picking component moves along the axial direction of the climbing wheel with the transmission component.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a first rack, a second rack, and a gear. The first rack is disposed on the main body, and the second rack is connected to the picking assembly. The first rack and the second rack extend along the axial direction of the climbing wheel and are disposed opposite to each other in the height direction. The gear meshes with the first rack and the second rack, respectively. The transmission assembly also includes a timing belt, which is poweredly connected to the drive component; the gear is assembled to the timing belt and can drive the gear to move along the axial direction of the climbing wheel.

[0014] According to a first aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a storage system is provided, comprising: a shelf and the aforementioned climbing robot, the shelf including a guide rail arranged along the height direction, and warehouses arranged on both sides of the guide rail in a second direction, the single climbing mechanism cooperating with a single guide rail for translation.

[0015] Furthermore, the climbing wheel includes a sprocket, and the guide rail includes a pair of guide rail plates disposed opposite each other and a roller connected between the pair of guide rail plates, the roller cooperating with the sprocket.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide rail includes multiple sub-guide rails, which are detachably assembled along the height direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the multiple sub-rails are connected by pins along the height direction.

[0018] Furthermore, the guide rail also includes a connecting block, which is connected to the adjacent sub-guide rails by pins along the first direction.

[0019] The climbing robot described in this manual utilizes a single climbing mechanism in conjunction with the guide rails of the shelf, reducing the number of docking structures between the climbing robot and the shelf, lowering the docking accuracy requirements of the climbing robot, improving the docking efficiency between the climbing robot and the shelf, and reducing the number of shelf guide rails, thus lowering costs. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a climbing robot provided in an exemplary embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a climbing mechanism provided in an exemplary embodiment; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point B in the image; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a climbing robot provided in an exemplary embodiment; Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of a transmission assembly and a drive component provided in an exemplary embodiment; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a warehousing system provided in an exemplary embodiment; Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the cross-section of the center guide rail; Figure 8 This is an exploded perspective view of a guide rail provided in an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Reference numerals: Main body 10; Transmission assembly 11; First rack 111; Second rack 112; Gear 113; Synchronous belt 114; Connecting bracket 115; Gear slide rail 116; Drive component 12; Climbing mechanism 20; Climbing wheel 21; Mounting plate 22; Auxiliary climbing structure 23; Guide wheel 231; Anti-scratch wheel 232; Limiting wheel 233; Mounting base 234; Support arm 235; Climbing motor 24; Telescopic mechanism 25; Picking assembly 30; First arm body 31; Second arm body 32; Picking hook 33; Sprocket and chain mechanism 34; Shelf 40; Guide rail 41; Sub-guide rail 410; Pin connection part 4101; Guide rail plate 411; Roller 412; Connecting block 413; Guide plate 414; Limiting block 415; Storage compartment 42; First pin 43; Second pin 44. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In related technologies, climbing mechanisms connect to guide rails via climbing wheels extending from four corners. Due to the numerous docking points and the high precision requirements, the docking process between the climbing robot and the shelf is difficult, reducing the robot's working efficiency. This specification provides a climbing robot and warehousing system to solve these technical problems.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, according to a first aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a climbing robot is proposed, including a main body 10 and a single climbing mechanism 20. The single climbing mechanism 20 includes one climbing wheel 21 or multiple climbing wheels 21. When the single climbing mechanism 20 includes one climbing wheel 21, the climbing wheel 21 is mounted to one side of the main body 10. When the single climbing mechanism 20 includes two climbing wheels 21, the multiple climbing wheels 21 are arranged side-by-side along a first direction X. The first direction X, the axial direction A of the climbing wheels 21, and the height direction H of the climbing robot are all perpendicular to each other.

[0024] In the height direction H, the projection of the single climbing mechanism 20 is located in the middle of the main body 10; that is, when viewed from the top of the climbing robot downwards, the single climbing mechanism 20 is located in the middle position of the main body 10. When the climbing robot enters the rail, the climbing wheel 21 moves along the first direction X, thereby engaging with the guide rail. After entering the rail, the climbing wheel 21 rotates, enabling the climbing robot to move along the height direction H.

[0025] The climbing robot described in this manual utilizes a single climbing mechanism 20 in conjunction with the guide rails of the shelf, which reduces the number of docking structures between the climbing robot and the shelf, lowers the docking accuracy requirements of the climbing robot, improves the docking efficiency between the climbing robot and the shelf, and reduces the number of shelf guide rails, thereby reducing costs.

[0026] The number of climbing wheels 21 is set to two, and the two climbing wheels 21 are arranged side by side in the first direction. In this embodiment, the climbing robot can climb between two shelves and retrieve and place goods from the shelves on both sides, improving the retrieval and placement efficiency of the climbing robot. In other embodiments, the number of climbing wheels 21 is not limited.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a telescopic mechanism 25 is connected between the two climbing wheels 21. The telescopic mechanism 25 can drive the two climbing wheels 21 to extend or retract, so that the distance between the two climbing wheels 21 can be adapted to the size of the shelves on both sides, thereby improving the climbing stability of the climbing robot.

[0028] The climbing mechanism 20 also includes a mounting plate 22, an auxiliary climbing structure 23, and a climbing motor 24. The climbing motor 24 is fixed to the mounting plate 22 and drives the climbing wheels 21 to move. The auxiliary climbing structure 23 is disposed on the mounting plate 22. The auxiliary climbing structure 23 includes at least two guide wheels 231. In the height direction H, the projection of the climbing wheels 21 is located between the two guide wheels 231; that is, when viewed from the top of the climbing robot, the climbing wheels 21 are located between the two guide wheels 231. The axial direction of the guide wheels 231 is parallel to the first direction X.

[0029] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 As shown, when the climbing robot moves, the guide rail 41 is located between the two guide wheels 231. The axis of the guide wheel 231 is parallel to the first direction X and cooperates with the guide plate 414 of the guide rail 41. The guide wheel 231 can rotate in the direction of movement of the climbing robot, thereby guiding the climbing robot and improving the operational stability of the climbing robot.

[0030] The auxiliary climbing structure 23 also includes at least two anti-scratch wheels 232. In the height direction H, the projection of the climbing wheel 21 is located between the two anti-scratch wheels 232, that is, when viewed from the top of the climbing robot looking down, the climbing wheel 21 is located between the two anti-scratch wheels 232. The axial direction of the anti-scratch wheels 232 is parallel to the height direction H.

[0031] When the climbing robot moves, due to limitations in manufacturing precision and fit tolerances, it will experience a certain amount of displacement in the vertical direction H, causing it to scrape against the side wall of the guide rail 41. By installing anti-scratching wheels 232 and placing them horizontally, when the climbing robot experiences displacement in the vertical direction H, the arc surface of the anti-scratching wheels 232 contacts the side wall of the guide rail 41, reducing scratch damage.

[0032] The auxiliary climbing structure 23 also includes a limiting wheel 233, which is located at the bottom of the mounting plate 22 in the height direction H. The limiting wheel 233 can also be located in the middle or at the top of the mounting plate 22, and the specific position is not limited. In the first direction X, the limiting wheel 233 is located on the side of the climbing wheel 21 away from the main body 10. The limiting wheel 233 is used to abut against the limiting block 415 on the back of the guide rail 41 to limit the displacement of the climbing robot, prevent the climbing wheel 21 from continuously moving along the first direction X after entering the rail and squeezing the guide rail 41, and improve the stability of the climbing robot.

[0033] In the vertical direction H, the climbing wheel 21 is located between two auxiliary climbing structures 23. The auxiliary climbing structures 23 are located both above and below the climbing wheel 21, improving their guiding effect.

[0034] The auxiliary climbing structure 23 may include a mounting base 234. The mounting base 234 is U-shaped, and the anti-scratch wheels 232 are mounted to both ends of the U-shaped mounting base 234. The auxiliary climbing structure 23, located below the climbing wheels 21, is provided with two support arms 235, which extend diagonally downwards from both ends of the auxiliary climbing structure 23. There may be two limiting wheels 233, with each limiting wheel 233 corresponding to one of the two support arms 235. The specific number of limiting wheels 233 is not limited.

[0035] Please refer to the following: Figure 4 As shown, the climbing robot also includes a retrieval component 30, which is slidably connected to the main body 10 along the axis A of the climbing wheel 21.

[0036] In traditional warehousing systems, climbing robots use two guide rails to climb, and can only operate on the warehouses located between these two rails. Therefore, each warehouse on the rack needs guide rail structures on both sides. For example, if the rack needs to accommodate four warehouses horizontally, at least five vertically arranged guide rails are required, with warehouses located between every two rails. Furthermore, because traditional climbing robots traverse the guide rails on both sides of the warehouse during climbing, their adaptability is poor; the climbing robot needs to be modified entirely for racks with different warehouse sizes.

[0037] The climbing robot provided in this manual, while using a single climbing mechanism 20 for climbing, allows the picking component 30 to slide along the axis A of the climbing wheel 21. Therefore, the climbing robot of this manual can operate the warehouses on both sides of a single guide rail on the shelf. For example, if four warehouses need to be set up in the horizontal direction of the shelf, only two vertically set guide rails are required, with each guide rail located between two warehouses.

[0038] The climbing robot described in this manual reduces the number of guide rails required for shelving, thus lowering costs. At the same time, reduced obstructions between warehouses allow for a more compact arrangement of goods, increasing inventory density and improving space utilization. Furthermore, the climbing robot's movement on the guide rails is not limited by warehouse size, exhibiting high adaptability and compatibility with shelving of varying warehouse dimensions.

[0039] like Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the main body 10 is equipped with a transmission assembly 11 and a drive component 12. The transmission assembly 11 connects the main body 10 and the picking assembly 30. The picking assembly 30 moves axially along the climbing wheel 21 along with the transmission assembly 11. By setting the transmission assembly 11, the force on the picking assembly 30 during operation is improved, thereby improving the structural stability of the climbing robot.

[0040] The transmission assembly 11 includes a first rack 111, a second rack 112, and a gear 113. The first rack 111 is disposed on the main body 10. The second rack 112 is connected to the picking assembly 30. The first rack 111 and the second rack 112 extend along the axial direction A of the climbing wheel 21 and are arranged opposite each other in the height direction H. The gear 113 meshes with the first rack 111 and the second rack 112 respectively. The transmission assembly 11 also includes a timing belt 114. The timing belt 114 is poweredly connected to the drive member 12. The gear 113 is assembled to the timing belt 114 and can drive the gear 113 to move along the axial direction of the climbing wheel 21.

[0041] The gear and rack structure has high structural strength, and by setting multiple racks to distribute the force required by the transmission component 11, the structural strength is improved and the overall stability of the climbing robot is enhanced.

[0042] The timing belt 114 is assembled with a connecting bracket 115. The gear 113 is assembled with the connecting bracket 115. The main body 10 is provided with a gear slide rail 116. The connecting bracket 115 and the gear slide rail 116 are slidably connected.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the picking assembly 30 includes a first arm 31 and a second arm 32 that can slide relative to each other, a picking hook 33, and a sprocket and chain mechanism 34. Through the movement of the sprocket and chain mechanism 34, the picking hook 33 can move along a first direction X. When the picking hook 33 moves to its limit position on the first arm 31, the first arm 31 moves relative to the second wall 32, causing the first arm 31 to extend and the picking hook 33 to pick up or place goods.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, according to a second aspect of one or more embodiments of this specification, a storage system is proposed. The storage system includes a rack 40 and the climbing robot described above. The rack 40 includes a guide rail 41 arranged along the height direction H, and the guide rail 41 has storage compartments 42 arranged on both sides of the axial direction A of the climbing wheel 21. A single climbing mechanism 20 cooperates with a single guide rail 41 for translation.

[0045] Because the climbing robot provided in this manual has low requirements for docking precision, the docking efficiency between the shelf 40 and the climbing robot in the storage system provided in this manual is improved. At the same time, the climbing robot only needs a single guide rail 41 for cooperative translation, reducing the number of rails and lowering the overall cost.

[0046] Please refer to the following: Figure 7As shown, the climbing wheel 21 can be a sprocket. The guide rail 41 includes a pair of guide rail plates 411 disposed opposite each other and rollers 412 connected to the pair of guide rail plates 411. The rollers 412 cooperate with the sprocket. There are multiple rollers 412, which are spaced apart along the height direction H.

[0047] By setting roller 412 to cooperate with sprocket, compared with the traditional chain structure, roller 412 structure has higher structural rigidity and will not deform due to the pulling force of climbing robot, thus improving the stability of the storage system.

[0048] Please refer to the following: Figure 8 As shown, the guide rail 41 includes multiple sub-guide rails 410, which are detachably assembled along the height direction. By setting multiple sub-guide rails 410 and assembling them to form the guide rail 41, the manufacturing difficulty of the guide rail 41 is reduced and the production efficiency is improved.

[0049] The shelf 40 also includes a first pin 43 and a second pin 44. Multiple sub-rails 410 are connected by pins along the height direction H. Each sub-rail 410 has a pin connecting portion 4101 near both ends. The first pin 43 securely connects the pin connecting portions 4101 of adjacent sub-rails 410. The rail 41 also includes a connecting block 413. The connecting block 413 is connected to adjacent sub-rails 410 by pins along a first direction X. Using pin connections improves the mating accuracy and installation strength of the multiple sub-rails 410. The fixing directions of the first pin 43 and the second pin 44 are perpendicular, further improving the mating accuracy and installation strength of the sub-rails 410.

Claims

1. A climbing robot, comprising: main body; A single climbing mechanism, wherein the single climbing mechanism includes one climbing wheel or the single climbing mechanism includes multiple climbing wheels, the multiple climbing wheels are arranged side by side along a first direction, and the first direction, the axis of the climbing wheel and the height direction of the climbing robot are perpendicular to each other; In the height direction, the projection of the single climbing mechanism is located in the middle of the main body.

2. The climbing robot according to claim 1, wherein the number of climbing wheels is set to two, and the two climbing wheels are arranged side by side in a first direction.

3. The climbing robot according to claim 1, wherein the climbing mechanism further includes a mounting plate and an auxiliary climbing structure disposed on the mounting plate, the auxiliary climbing structure including at least two guide wheels; in the height direction, the projection of the climbing wheel is located between the two guide wheels; the axial direction of the guide wheel is parallel to the first direction.

4. The climbing robot according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary climbing structure further includes at least two anti-scratch wheels, wherein the projection of the climbing wheel is located between the two anti-scratch wheels in the height direction; the axial direction of the anti-scratch wheels is parallel to the height direction.

5. The climbing robot according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary climbing structure further includes a limiting wheel, wherein in the height direction, the limiting wheel is located at the bottom of the mounting plate; and in the first direction, the limiting wheel is located on the side of the climbing wheel away from the main body.

6. The climbing robot according to claim 3, wherein the number of auxiliary climbing structures is set to two, and in the height direction, the climbing wheel is located between the two auxiliary climbing structures.

7. The climbing robot according to claim 1 further includes a retrieval component, the retrieval component being slidably connected to the main body along the axial direction of the climbing wheel.

8. The climbing robot according to claim 7, wherein the main body is provided with a transmission component and a drive component, the transmission component connects the main body and the retrieval component, and the retrieval component moves along the axial direction of the climbing wheel with the transmission component.

9. The climbing robot according to claim 8, wherein the transmission assembly includes a first rack, a second rack, and a gear, the first rack being disposed on the main body, the second rack being connected to the retrieval assembly, the first rack and the second rack extending along the axial direction of the climbing wheel and being disposed opposite to each other in the height direction, and the gear meshing with the first rack and the second rack respectively; The transmission assembly also includes a timing belt, which is poweredly connected to the drive component; the gear is assembled to the timing belt and can drive the gear to move along the axial direction of the climbing wheel.

10. A warehousing system, comprising: The shelf and the climbing robot as described in any one of claims 1-9, the shelf including a guide rail arranged along the height direction, with storage compartments arranged on both sides of the guide rail in a second direction, the single climbing mechanism cooperating with a single guide rail for translation.

11. The storage system according to claim 10, wherein the climbing wheel includes a sprocket, and the guide rail includes a pair of guide rail plates disposed opposite each other and a roller connected between the pair of guide rail plates, the roller cooperating with the sprocket.

12. The storage system according to claim 10, wherein the guide rail includes a plurality of sub-guide rails, and the plurality of sub-guide rails are detachably assembled along the height direction.

13. The storage system according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of the sub-guide rails are connected by pins along the height direction.

14. The storage system according to claim 12, wherein the guide rail further comprises a connecting block, the connecting block being pin-connected to adjacent sub-guide rails along the first direction.

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