Climbing robot and warehousing system

Abstract

The present disclosure belongs to the field of intelligent warehousing, and particularly relates to a climbing robot and a warehousing system. The climbing robot provided by the present disclosure comprises a main machine, two climbing assemblies and a goods taking assembly. The two climbing assemblies are arranged on opposite sides of the main machine in a telescopic manner, and are configured to be extended from a storage position to be connected with corresponding guide rails on a shelf under the action of a telescopic driving mechanism, and after being connected, drive the main machine to climb from an initial position to a target storage position on the shelf along the guide rails under the action of a climbing driving mechanism. The goods taking assembly is arranged on the main machine in a movable manner, and is configured to take out target goods from the target storage position or put the target goods into the target storage position under the action of a goods taking driving mechanism. The two climbing assemblies are further configured to drive the main machine to descend from the target storage position to the initial position, and retract to the storage position under the action of the telescopic driving mechanism. In this way, the climbing robot of the present disclosure reduces the connection accuracy requirement between the climbing assembly and the guide rail.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure pertains to the field of intelligent warehousing, and specifically relates to a climbing robot and a warehousing system. Background Technology

[0002] Warehouse racks typically extend upwards to improve space utilization. However, conventional handling equipment is limited by height and space, making it difficult to reach goods on higher levels. Therefore, a warehouse rack climbing robot was designed. By connecting its climbing arm to the rack rails, it can climb agilely and accurately pick target boxes, thereby reducing the requirements for rack assembly accuracy and ground flatness.

[0003] Existing climbing robots require high precision in the docking of their climbing components with the guide rails. Typically, climbing components are installed at the four corners of the vehicle body to dock with the guide rails. Since guide rail installation is prone to errors, and the climbing components at the four corners need to dock and move synchronously with the corresponding guide rails, it is very easy for the climbing components to become misaligned, causing the climbing robot to get stuck or even unable to climb. In addition, the cost of the entire system is high. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a climbing robot and warehousing system.

[0005] Therefore, in a first aspect, this disclosure provides a climbing robot, the climbing robot comprising: Host; Two climbing components are retractably arranged on opposite sides of the main unit and configured to extend from the storage position to dock with the corresponding guide rail on the shelf under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism. After docking, the main unit is driven by the climbing drive mechanism to climb from the initial position along the guide rail to the target storage position on the shelf. A pickup component is movably disposed on the host and configured to retrieve a target item from the target storage location or place a target item into the target storage location under the action of a pickup drive mechanism. The two climbing components are also configured to lower the host from the target storage location to the initial position and retract to the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism.

[0006] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the two climbing components are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the host.

[0007] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing component is disposed in the middle of the host.

[0008] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing component includes: A climbing plate, which is retractably mounted on the host via a telescopic guide mechanism and is connected to the telescopic drive mechanism. At least two sets of main roller mechanisms are arranged sequentially and spaced apart on the climbing plate along a first direction, and each set of main roller mechanisms includes two main rollers arranged sequentially and spaced apart on the climbing plate along a second direction. The rotation axis of the main rollers extends along a third direction and is configured to be extended to the opposite sides of the guide rail by the telescopic drive mechanism as the climbing plate extends. Wherein, the first direction is the direction in which the climbing component climbs or descends along the guide rail, the second direction is the direction in which the aisle between two adjacent rows of the shelves extends, and the third direction is the direction in which the climbing component extends or retracts relative to the host.

[0009] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing component further includes: An auxiliary guiding mechanism is disposed on the climbing plate and configured to guide the two main rollers to dock with the guide rail.

[0010] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the auxiliary guiding mechanism includes two auxiliary guide wheels that are sequentially spaced apart on the climbing plate along a second direction, and the rotation axis of the auxiliary guide wheels extends along a first direction.

[0011] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing component further includes: A limiting mechanism is disposed on the climbing plate and configured to limit the extreme displacement of the climbing plate along the extension direction.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the limiting mechanism includes two limiting rollers that are sequentially spaced apart on the climbing plate along the second direction, and the rotation axis of the limiting rollers extends along the second direction.

[0013] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the telescopic drive mechanism includes: A telescopic motor, which is mounted on the main unit; An intermediate connecting rod, the middle part of which is rotatably mounted on the main unit via a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected to the telescopic motor in a transmission manner; Two auxiliary links are provided. One end of the auxiliary link is rotatably connected to one end of the intermediate connecting rod, and the other end is rotatably connected to the climbing plate of one of the climbing components. The other auxiliary link is rotatably connected to the other end of the intermediate connecting rod, and the other end is rotatably connected to the climbing plate of the other climbing component.

[0014] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing robot further includes a centering adjustment mechanism disposed between a climbing plate of one of the climbing components and an auxiliary link, and configured to adjust the relative displacement of the corresponding auxiliary link and the climbing plate in the second direction to make the two climbing components symmetrical.

[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the centering adjustment mechanism includes: An adjusting plate is disposed on the telescopic guide mechanism and is slidably disposed relative to the climbing plate along the second direction, and the adjusting plate is rotatably connected to one of the auxiliary connecting rods; Two adjusting springs are respectively pre-compressed along the second direction and disposed on opposite sides of the adjusting plate and the climbing plate.

[0016] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing drive mechanism includes: A climbing motor, which is mounted on the main unit; A climbing sprocket is rotatably mounted on the climbing plate and is directly or indirectly connected to the climbing motor. The climbing sprocket is configured to engage with a climbing chain mounted on the guide rail under the drive of the climbing motor to climb or descend.

[0017] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing sprocket is a double-toothed sprocket, and the climbing chain is a double-pitch roller chain.

[0018] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the telescopic guide mechanism includes two parallel I-shaped grooves disposed on the host machine; and, Two U-shaped slide rails are provided, with their openings facing each other. Two cantilever arms on one side are held in one I-shaped slide groove by rollers, and two cantilever arms on the other side are also held in another I-shaped slide groove by rollers. The two U-shaped slide rails are respectively fixedly connected to the climbing plates of the climbing components on the corresponding sides.

[0019] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the picking-up drive mechanism includes: A first driving mechanism is disposed on the host and configured to drive the picking component to move along the second direction so that the picking component corresponds to the target storage location; A second drive mechanism is disposed on the first drive mechanism and configured to drive the picking component to move along the third direction to extend to the target storage location or retract.

[0020] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first driving mechanism includes: A first drive motor is mounted on the host computer. A synchronous belt drive mechanism is connected to the first drive motor, and the synchronous belt of the synchronous belt drive mechanism is configured to move along the second direction under the action of the first drive motor. A gear and rack transmission mechanism, wherein the gear of the gear and rack transmission mechanism is rotatably mounted on the synchronous belt, the gear and rack transmission mechanism includes two racks arranged parallel to each other and both meshing with the gear, one rack is fixedly mounted on the main unit, and the other rack is fixedly mounted on the picking component, and both racks extend along the second direction.

[0021] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second drive mechanism includes: A second drive motor is mounted on the picking component; The chain and sprocket drive mechanism comprises two chain and sprocket drive mechanisms spaced apart on the first drive mechanism along the second direction and connected to the second drive motor. The drive chains of the two chain and sprocket drive mechanisms move along the third direction under the action of the second drive motor.

[0022] Secondly, this disclosure provides a warehousing system comprising at least two rows of shelves and a climbing robot that moves in an aisle between two adjacent rows of shelves, wherein the shelves are provided with guide rails extending in a vertical direction, and the climbing robot is the climbing robot as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0023] In one embodiment of this disclosure, two storage slots are provided between two adjacent guide rails on the shelf.

[0024] One of the beneficial effects of this disclosure is that the climbing robot of this disclosure has two climbing components that are retractably mounted on opposite sides of the main unit, and a retrieval component that is movably mounted on the main unit. In this way, the two climbing components extend from the storage position to dock with the corresponding guide rail on the shelf under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism. After docking, the main unit is driven to climb along the guide rail from the initial position to the target storage position under the action of the climbing drive mechanism. Then, the retrieval component is driven to retrieve the target item from the target storage position or place the target item into the target storage position. Subsequently, after the two climbing components drive the main unit to descend to the initial position, it retracts to the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism.

[0025] Thus, the climbing robot disclosed herein only requires the climbing components on both sides of the main unit to dock with the guide rail, which can climb or descend along the guide rail. This reduces the number of guide rails required, lowers the docking accuracy requirements between the climbing components and the guide rail, makes it easier for the climbing components and the guide rail to dock successfully, and avoids the climbing robot getting stuck.

[0026] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a storage system with at least two rows of shelves and vertically extending guide rails on the shelves. The climbing robot of this disclosure can walk in the aisle between two adjacent rows of shelves and dock with the guide rails. The storage system of this disclosure avoids the problem that the climbing component is prone to misalignment after docking with the guide rail, which can cause the climbing component to get stuck or be unable to climb when climbing along the guide rail. This facilitates the docking of the climbing component with the guide rail, improves the compatibility between the climbing robot and the guide rails on the shelves, and enhances the reliability and smoothness of the climbing robot when climbing or descending along the guide rails. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included and form part of this specification, and together with their description serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of a climbing robot climbing on a shelf according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is a top view of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the LL-direction cross-section structure; Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A partial structural diagram of the climbing robot with the main unit and retrieval components hidden. Figure 6 This is a top view of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural diagram showing the connection between the partial structure and the guide rail; Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the right-side view structure; Figure 9 yes Figure 7 An enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A magnified structural diagram at point B; Figure 11This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the climbing drive mechanism of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the axial cross-section structure; Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the first U-shaped slide rail of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 14 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the second U-shaped slide rail of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 15 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the first drive mechanism of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 16 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the second drive mechanism of a climbing robot provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 17 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a shelving unit in a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 18 yes Figure 17 Front view structural diagram; Figure 19 yes Figure 18 A magnified structural diagram at point C; Figure 20 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the guide rail of a storage system provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figures 1 to 20 The correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows: 1 host computer; 2. Climbing assembly, 21. Climbing plate, 22. Main roller mechanism, 221. Main roller, 23. Auxiliary guide mechanism, 231. Auxiliary guide wheel, 24. Limiting mechanism, 241. Limiting roller; 3 Telescopic drive mechanism, 31 Telescopic motor, 32 Intermediate connecting rod, 33 First auxiliary connecting rod, 34 Second auxiliary connecting rod; 4. Centering adjustment mechanism; 41. Adjustment plate; 42. Adjustment spring; 5. Climbing drive mechanism, 51. Climbing motor, 52. Climbing sprocket, 53. First gear, 54. Second gear; 6 Telescopic guide mechanism, 61 I-shaped slide groove, 62 First U-shaped slide rail, 621 Support plate, 63 Second U-shaped slide rail, 64 Slide rail roller, 65 Slide rail limit block; Picking-up drive mechanism: 71 First drive mechanism, 711 First drive motor, 712 Synchronous belt transmission mechanism, 7121 Synchronous belt, 7122 Driving pulley, 7123 Driven pulley, 713 Gear and rack transmission mechanism, 7131 Gear, 7132 Rack, 72 Linear slide rail, 73 Second drive mechanism, 731 Second drive motor, 732 Transmission shaft, 733 Transmission gear, 734 Chain and sprocket transmission mechanism, 7341 Driving sprocket, 7342 Driven sprocket, 7343 Transmission chain, 7344 Transmission sprocket, 74 Linear slide rail; 8. Shelf, 81. Guide rail, 811. Climbing chain, 812. First cantilever, 813. Second cantilever, 814. Guide section, 815. Fixing bolt, 82. Storage position. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0032] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0033] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0034] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0035] In this article, terms such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate the relative positional relationship between related parts, rather than to define the absolute position of these related parts.

[0036] In this article, "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish one another, and not to indicate degree of importance, order, or prerequisite for each other.

[0037] In this document, terms such as “equal” and “same” are not strict mathematical and / or geometric limitations, but also include errors that are understandable to those skilled in the art and permissible in manufacturing or use.

[0038] It should be noted that when describing the specific structure and working principle of climbing robots and warehousing systems, the directional terms used in this article are based on the movement direction of the climbing robot within the application scenario. Specifically, combining... Figure 1 In the application scenario of climbing robots climbing on shelves, the direction in which the climbing robot's climbing component climbs or descends along the guide rail is the "first direction," which can also be understood as the extension direction of the guide rail; the extension direction of the aisle between two adjacent shelves where the climbing robot is located is the "second direction"; and the extension direction of the climbing robot's climbing component relative to the host is the "third direction." The third direction is perpendicular to both the first and second directions, and the three form a relative positional relationship similar to a spatial coordinate system.

[0039] Warehouse racks typically extend upwards to improve space utilization. However, conventional handling equipment is limited by height and space, making it difficult to reach goods on higher levels. Therefore, a warehouse rack climbing robot was designed. By connecting its climbing arm to the rack rails, it can climb agilely and accurately pick target boxes, thereby reducing the requirements for rack assembly accuracy and ground flatness.

[0040] Existing climbing robots require high precision in the docking of their climbing components with the guide rails. Typically, climbing components are installed at the four corners of the vehicle body to dock with the guide rails. Since guide rail installation is prone to errors, and the climbing components at the four corners need to dock and move synchronously with the corresponding guide rails, it is very easy for the climbing components to become misaligned, causing the climbing robot to get stuck or even unable to climb. In addition, the cost of the entire system is high.

[0041] For ease of understanding, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 20 The specific structure and working principle of the climbing robot and warehousing system provided in this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0042] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 In one embodiment, this disclosure provides a climbing robot, which includes a main unit 1, two climbing components 2, and a retrieval component. The two climbing components 2 are retractably disposed on opposite sides of the main unit 1 and are configured to extend from the storage position to dock with the corresponding guide rail 81 on the shelf 8 under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3. After docking, the main unit 1 is driven by the climbing drive mechanism 5 to climb from the initial position along the guide rail 81 to the target storage position on the shelf 8. The retrieval component is movably disposed on the main unit 1 and is configured to retrieve a target item from the target storage position or place a target item into the target storage position under the action of the retrieval drive mechanism. The two climbing components 2 are also configured to drive the main unit 1 down from the target storage position to the initial position and retract to the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3.

[0043] In detail, when the climbing robot of this disclosure moves on the working surface, the climbing component 2 can be retracted to the storage position of the host 1 to avoid collision between the climbing component 2 and the shelf 8, which would hinder the normal movement of the climbing robot and make the climbing robot move more flexibly under the shelf 8. When the climbing robot of this disclosure moves to the target shelf 8, the climbing component 2 extends under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 to dock with the guide rail 81, and then, under the action of the climbing drive mechanism 5, drives the host 1 to climb along the guide rail 81 to the target storage position on the shelf 8. After that, the picking component takes out the target item from the target storage position or puts the target item into the target storage position under the action of the picking drive mechanism. After the task is completed, the two climbing components 2 drive the host 1 to descend to the initial position and retract to the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3.

[0044] Thus, the climbing robot disclosed herein avoids the problem that the climbing component 2 may become misaligned after docking with the guide rail 81, causing the climbing component 2 to get stuck or unable to climb when climbing along the guide rail 81. This facilitates the docking of the climbing component 2 with the guide rail 81 and reduces the docking accuracy requirements between the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81.

[0045] In one embodiment, the host 1 of this disclosure can be an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle).

[0046] Specifically, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are transport vehicles equipped with electromagnetic or optical automatic navigation devices, capable of traveling along a prescribed navigation path, and possessing safety protection and various transfer functions. In industrial applications, these driverless transport vehicles are powered by rechargeable batteries. Their movement and behavior are typically controlled by a computer, or their path is established using an electromagnetic path-following system. The electromagnetic track is attached to the ground, and the AGV moves based on the information conveyed by the track, or uses ground QR codes or SLAM navigation.

[0047] SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), also known as CML (concurrent mapping and localization), is a method for simultaneous localization and mapping, or concurrent mapping and localization. The problem can be described as follows: Given a robot in an unknown location within an unknown environment, is there a way to allow the robot to gradually create a complete map of that environment as it moves? A complete map (a consistent map) means that the robot can move unimpeded to every accessible corner of the room.

[0048] See Figure 2 and Figure 3In one embodiment of this disclosure, two climbing components 2 are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the host 1.

[0049] In detail, the two climbing components 2 of this disclosure are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the host 1. When moving in the aisle between two adjacent rows of shelves 8, they climb or descend along the corresponding guide rails 81 on the two rows of shelves 8. In this way, the layout of the climbing components 2 and the guide rails 81 is directly matched, which reduces the difficulty of docking the climbing components 2 and the guide rails 81, and reduces the risk of the climbing components 2 getting stuck or derailing due to positional deviation. Furthermore, the two climbing components 2 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the host 1 to balance the force on the host 1, avoid unilateral overload or tipping due to the shift of the center of gravity during climbing, and ensure that the host 1 does not shake or deviate during climbing or descending, thereby improving the stability of control.

[0050] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing component 2 is disposed in the middle of the host 1 along a first direction.

[0051] Thus, in the first direction, the climbing component 2 of this disclosure is located in the middle of the host 1, which makes the force on the climbing component 2 more uniform and can improve the movement stability of the climbing robot. Specifically, during the movement of the host 1, if the climbing component 2 is located on the upper part of the host 1, it needs to bear a larger torque, which requires higher strength and rigidity of the host 1 frame. If the climbing component 2 is located on the lower part of the host 1, it will interfere with the arrangement of the travel system at the bottom of the host 1. Therefore, the middle part of the host 1 has enough space to arrange two symmetrical climbing components 2 and corresponding telescopic drive mechanism 3 and climbing drive mechanism 5.

[0052] See Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing assembly 2 includes a climbing plate 21 and two sets of main roller mechanisms 22. The climbing plate 21 is telescopically mounted on the host 1 via a telescopic guide mechanism 6 and is connected to the telescopic drive mechanism 3. At least two sets of main roller mechanisms 22 are sequentially spaced on the climbing plate 21 along a first direction, and each set of main roller mechanisms 22 includes two main rollers 221 sequentially spaced on the climbing plate 21 along a second direction. The rotation axis of the main rollers 221 extends along a third direction and is configured to extend to the opposite sides of the clamping guide rail 81 as driven by the telescopic drive mechanism 3.

[0053] In detail, the climbing plate 21 of the climbing assembly 2 extends along the first direction and is disposed on the telescopic guide mechanism 6. The telescopic guide mechanism 6 is slidably disposed on the host 1. Furthermore, the climbing plate 21 is connected to the telescopic drive mechanism 3 for transmission, so that it extends from the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 and then docks with the guide rail 81 to drive the telescopic guide mechanism 6 and the host 1 to climb along the guide rail 81.

[0054] Furthermore, at least two sets of main roller mechanisms 22 are sequentially spaced along the first direction on the climbing plate 21, and each set of main roller mechanisms 22 includes two main rollers 221. These two main rollers 221 are sequentially spaced along the second direction on the climbing plate 21. Thus, a space for accommodating the guide rail 81 is formed between the two main rollers 221, so that under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3, the climbing plate 21 extends to clamp the opposite sides of the guide rail 81.

[0055] Furthermore, combining Figure 5 The present invention is provided with two sets of main roller mechanisms 22, which cooperate with each other to form a guide space extending along the first direction, so that the guide rail 81 is restricted within the vertical guide space, thus avoiding lateral displacement of the climbing component 2 when climbing or descending along the guide rail 81.

[0056] In addition, those skilled in the art can arrange three or more sets of main roller mechanisms 22 along the second direction to enable the climbing robot to stably climb or descend vertically along the guide rail 81, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0057] Furthermore, combined Figure 6 as well as Figure 20 The guide rail 81 disclosed herein is a T-shaped guide rail. The fixing part of the guide rail 81 near the shelf 8 is fixed to the shelf 8 by fixing bolts 815, and the two ends of the fixing part extend into the aisle in a third direction to form a first cantilever 812. The links of the climbing chain 811 are fixedly arranged between the two first cantilever 812 and are spaced apart in a first direction. Then the first cantilever 812 expands outward by a preset distance in a second direction and extends into the aisle in a third direction to form two second cantilever 813. The two second cantilever 813 retract inward to form a symmetrical inclined guide part 814.

[0058] The two main rollers 221 cooperate with the outer sides of the two second cantilever arms 813 of the guide rail 81 to ensure the stability of the climbing component 2 as it climbs or descends along the guide rail 81. This also makes the opening of the guide rail 81 larger, allowing the climbing drive component to easily extend into the opening of the guide rail 81 and cooperate with the climbing chain 811. Furthermore, if there is a misalignment between the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81, the auxiliary guiding mechanism 23 described later in this disclosure can contact the inclined guide part 814 and move along the inclined surface to correct the movement deviation, so that the climbing component 2 can smoothly connect with the guide rail 81.

[0059] Meanwhile, the rotation axis of each main roller 221 of the main roller mechanism 22 extends along a third direction, so that when the climbing component 2 drives the host 1 to climb or descend, these guide main rollers 221 roll along the side of the second cantilever 813 on the guide rail 81. Rolling friction avoids sliding friction, solving the problems of wear, jamming, and uneven force caused by sliding friction. The surface of the guide rail 81 will hardly suffer additional wear, extending the service life of the components.

[0060] In detail, if the guide rail 81 has slight deformation or dust or other impurities on its surface, the sliding guide may easily cause the movement to jam or stop. In addition, when the climbing component 2 starts or stops under the action of the climbing drive mechanism 5, it will generate impact. Using rollers can absorb some of the impact, reduce the damage of vibration to the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81, and reduce operating noise.

[0061] See Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing assembly 2 further includes an auxiliary guide mechanism 23, which is disposed on the climbing plate 21 and configured to guide the two main rollers 221 to dock with the guide rail 81.

[0062] Thus, this disclosure provides an auxiliary guide mechanism 23 on the climbing plate 21, and an auxiliary guide mechanism 23 is provided below each main roller mechanism 22, which can slide along the opposite sides of the guide rail 81, thereby guiding the two main rollers 221 to dock with the guide rail 81.

[0063] See Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the auxiliary guide mechanism 23 includes two auxiliary guide wheels 231 that are sequentially spaced on the climbing plate 21 along a second direction, and the rotation axis of the auxiliary guide wheels 231 extends along a first direction.

[0064] In detail, the climbing plate 21 of this disclosure is vertically arranged on the telescopic guide mechanism 6 along a first direction. The climbing plate 21 has a U-shaped plate that extends parallel to the guide rail 81 along a third direction to form a width matching the guide rail 81. Two auxiliary guide wheels 231 are arranged at the free arm end of the U-shaped plate, and the rotation axis of each auxiliary guide wheel 231 extends along the first direction.

[0065] Furthermore, combined Figure 8 Two U-shaped plates can be spaced apart on the climbing plate 21 along the first direction to cooperate with the main roller mechanism 22 for guidance, so that the main roller 221 can smoothly clamp the opposite sides of the guide rail 81. At the same time, those skilled in the art can arrange three or more U-shaped plates along the second direction so that the main roller mechanism 22 can smoothly clamp the two sides of the guide rail 81, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0066] In this way, the auxiliary guide wheel 231 rolls along the side of the guide rail 81 in a third direction, avoiding sliding friction and solving problems such as wear, jamming, and uneven force caused by sliding friction. The surface of the guide rail 81 will hardly have any additional third-direction scratches, avoiding adverse effects on the movement of the main roller 221 and extending the service life of the components.

[0067] See Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing assembly 2 further includes a limiting mechanism 24 disposed on the climbing plate 21 and configured to limit the extreme displacement of the climbing plate 21 in the extension direction.

[0068] In detail, this disclosure provides a limiting mechanism 24 on the climbing plate 21. Simultaneously, a backplate of a preset length is provided at the docking point at the lower end of the guide rail 81. When the climbing component 2 docks with the guide rail 81, the limiting mechanism 24 abuts against the backplate, thereby limiting the extreme displacement of the climbing plate 21 along the extension direction. This prevents the climbing component 2 from extending too far under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism 3, which could lead to excessive pressure between the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81, causing structural deformation or even damage. At the same time, after the limiting mechanism 24 abuts against the backplate, it ensures that the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81 are successfully docked, allowing the climbing component 2 to move precisely along the preset trajectory. This prevents excessive distance between them, uneven force on the guide rail 81, and avoids the climbing robot slipping uncontrollably, causing damage to objects or even equipment collisions.

[0069] See Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the limiting mechanism 24 includes two limiting rollers 241 that are sequentially spaced on the climbing plate 21 along a second direction, and the rotation axis of the limiting rollers 241 extends along the second direction.

[0070] In detail, along the first direction, the two free arm ends of the U-shaped plate at the lower end of the climbing plate 21 extend downward at an angle to form two limiting parts, and two limiting rollers 241 are arranged opposite to each other on the free ends of the two limiting parts, and the rotation axis of each limiting roller 241 extends along the second direction.

[0071] In this way, the limiting roller 241 extends along the third direction with the climbing plate 21 until it comes into contact with the back plate, and then rolls along the first direction on the back plate, avoiding sliding friction and solving problems such as wear, jamming, and uneven force caused by sliding friction, thus extending the service life of the component.

[0072] See Figure 8 , Figure 13 and Figure 14In one embodiment of this disclosure, the telescopic guide mechanism 6 includes two parallel I-shaped slide grooves 61 and two U-shaped slide rails arranged on the host 1. The openings of the two U-shaped slide rails are arranged opposite each other, and two cantilever arms on one side are clamped in one I-shaped slide groove 61 by slide rail rollers 64. Two cantilever arms on the other side are also clamped in another I-shaped slide groove 61 by slide rail rollers 64. The two U-shaped slide rails are respectively fixedly connected to the climbing plate 21 of the climbing assembly 2 on the corresponding side.

[0073] For ease of explanation, the two U-shaped slide rails are referred to as the first U-shaped slide rail 62 and the second U-shaped slide rail 63, respectively.

[0074] In detail, the telescopic guide mechanism 6 of the climbing robot disclosed herein has two parallel I-shaped slide grooves 61 arranged on the host 1, and the two I-shaped slide grooves 61 extend in a third direction. Further, the openings of the first U-shaped slide rail 62 and the second U-shaped slide rail 63 are arranged opposite to each other, and the outer sides of the two cantilever arms of the first U-shaped slide rail 62 are provided with slide rail rollers 64 and slide rail limiting blocks 65, which respectively cooperate with the slots on the inner sides of the two I-shaped slide grooves 61 to slide in a third direction. The inner sides of the two cantilever arms of the second U-shaped slide rail 63 are provided with slide rail rollers 64 and slide rail limiting blocks 65, which respectively cooperate with the slots on the outer sides of the two I-shaped slide grooves 61 to slide in a third direction. Thus, the second U-shaped slide rail 63 is sleeved on the outer side of the first U-shaped slide rail 62.

[0075] Furthermore, combined Figure 10 Two U-shaped slide rails are fixedly connected to the climbing plates 21 of the corresponding climbing components 2. In this way, when the telescopic drive mechanism 3 drives the two climbing components 2 to extend to dock with or separate from the guide rail 81, the climbing plates 21 of the two climbing components 2 can move along the two I-shaped slide grooves 61 through the two U-shaped slide rails, ensuring that the two climbing components 2 move along the preset straight trajectory and accurately dock with the guide rail 81, avoiding misalignment or collision with the shelf 8 due to path deviation.

[0076] In one embodiment, the telescopic guide mechanism 6 of this disclosure may also be two linear guides arranged parallel to each other on the host 1, and each linear guide has a sliding block at both ends. A connecting plate is fixedly arranged on the two sliding blocks on the same side. The two climbing components of this disclosure are respectively fixedly arranged on the connecting plate on the same side. In this way, the telescopic drive mechanism connected between the two climbing plates can drive the climbing components to extend or retract along the two linear guides.

[0077] See Figure 6In one embodiment of this disclosure, the telescopic drive mechanism 3 includes a telescopic motor 31, an intermediate connecting rod 32, and two auxiliary connecting rods. The telescopic motor 31 is mounted on the host 1. The middle part of the intermediate connecting rod 32 is rotatably mounted on the host 1 via a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft and the telescopic motor 31 are connected in a transmission manner. One end of one auxiliary connecting rod is rotatably connected to one end of the intermediate connecting rod 32, and the other end is rotatably connected to the climbing plate 21 of a climbing assembly 2. One end of the other auxiliary connecting rod is rotatably connected to the other end of the intermediate connecting rod 32, and the other end is rotatably connected to the climbing plate 21 of another climbing assembly 2.

[0078] For ease of explanation, the two auxiliary links are referred to as the first auxiliary link 33 and the second auxiliary link 34, respectively.

[0079] In detail, the telescopic drive mechanism 3 is disposed between the two climbing components 2, and a rotating bearing is fixedly disposed in the middle of the intermediate connecting rod 32. The rotating shaft is fixedly disposed in the inner ring of the rotating bearing and is connected to the telescopic motor 31 for transmission. The rotation axis of the rotating shaft extends along the first direction, and the telescopic motor 31 is fixedly disposed on the host 1.

[0080] Furthermore, both ends of the intermediate connecting rod 32 and the two auxiliary connecting rods are provided with rotating bearings. Rotating shafts are fixedly installed inside the rotating bearings at both ends of the intermediate connecting rod 32. The rotating bearing at one end of the first auxiliary connecting rod 33 is sleeved on the rotating shaft at one end of the intermediate connecting rod 32, and the other end is sleeved on the rotating shaft fixedly installed on the climbing plate 21 of the climbing assembly 2 on the corresponding side, so that both ends of the first auxiliary connecting rod 33 can rotate relative to the intermediate connecting rod 32 and the climbing plate 21 respectively. The rotating bearing at one end of the second auxiliary connecting rod 34 is sleeved on the rotating shaft at the other end of the intermediate connecting rod 32, and the other end is sleeved on the rotating shaft fixedly installed on the climbing plate 21 of the climbing assembly 2 on the corresponding side, so that both ends of the second auxiliary connecting rod 34 can rotate relative to the intermediate connecting rod 32 and the climbing plate 21 respectively.

[0081] Thus, when the climbing component 2 is in the storage position, the middle connecting rod 32 and the two auxiliary connecting rods fold and retract. Then, when the climbing component 2 is ready to dock with the guide rail 81, the telescopic motor 31 drives the rotating shaft to rotate, which in turn drives the middle connecting rod 32 to rotate counterclockwise, so that the two auxiliary connecting rods push the corresponding climbing components 2 on both sides to dock with the guide rail 81. When the climbing component 2 is ready to detach from the guide rail 81, the telescopic motor 31 drives the rotating shaft to rotate, which in turn drives the middle connecting rod 32 to rotate clockwise, so that the two auxiliary connecting rods pull the corresponding climbing components 2 on both sides into the storage position of the main unit 1 to separate them from the guide rail 81.

[0082] See Figure 7 and Figure 9 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing robot further includes a centering adjustment mechanism 4, which is disposed between a climbing plate 21 of a climbing component 2 and an auxiliary link, and is configured to adjust the relative displacement of the corresponding auxiliary link and the climbing plate 21 in a second direction so that the two climbing components 2 are symmetrical.

[0083] In detail, this disclosure provides a centering adjustment mechanism 4 between the climbing plate 21 and the second auxiliary link 34 of a climbing assembly 2. Since the guide rail 81 on the shelf 8 may tilt due to installation errors, long-term use, or cargo load, without the centering adjustment mechanism 4, one side of the climbing assembly 2 may run tightly against the inner side of the guide rail 81, while the other side will have a large gap with the guide rail 81, leading to abnormal friction between the climbing sprocket 52 and the guide rail 81, and problems such as operational jamming. The centering adjustment mechanism 4 of this disclosure adjusts the relative displacement of the second auxiliary link 34 and the correspondingly connected climbing plate 21 in the second direction to make the two climbing assemblies 2 symmetrical.

[0084] See Figure 7 and Figure 9 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the centering adjustment mechanism 4 includes an adjustment plate 41 and two adjustment springs 42. The adjustment plate 41 is disposed on the telescopic guide mechanism 6 and is slidably disposed relative to the climbing plate 21 along the second direction. The adjustment plate 41 is rotatably connected to the second auxiliary connecting rod 34. The two adjustment springs 42 are respectively pre-pressed on opposite sides of the adjustment plate 41 and the climbing plate 21 along the second direction.

[0085] The adjusting plate 41 is fixedly mounted on the telescopic guide mechanism 6 and extends vertically along the first direction. It can slide relative to the climbing plate 21 along the second direction. Specifically, the climbing plate 21 has a U-shaped notch with its opening facing the telescopic guide mechanism 6. A shaft extending along the second direction is provided in the U-shaped notch. The adjusting plate 41 is sleeved on the shaft through a linear bearing and has a gap with both sides of the U-shaped notch. Two adjusting springs 42 are pre-pressed in the gap. Furthermore, an ear plate is fixedly mounted on the adjusting plate 41. A rotating shaft is fixedly mounted on the ear plate through a rotating bearing and is rotatably connected to the second auxiliary connecting rod 34.

[0086] This allows the auxiliary link of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 and the climbing plate of the climbing assembly 2 to slide relative to each other. When the second auxiliary link 34 of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 pushes the climbing assembly 2, the elastic cooperation of the adjusting plate 41 and the two adjusting springs 42 keeps the telescopic drive mechanism 3 in the middle position, thereby adapting to the installation error of the guide rail 81.

[0087] Furthermore, combining Figure 13A support plate 621 is provided on the first U-shaped slide rail 62 on one side of the climbing plate 21 where the centering adjustment mechanism 4 is provided. The support plate 621 cooperates with the adjustment plate 41 of the centering adjustment mechanism 4 to support the centering adjustment mechanism 4 to adjust the relative sliding of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 and the climbing component 2, and to adapt to the installation error of the guide rail 81.

[0088] See Figure 11 and Figure 12 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing drive mechanism 5 includes a climbing motor 51 and a climbing sprocket 52. The climbing motor 51 is mounted on the host machine 1. The climbing sprocket 52 is rotatably mounted on the climbing plate 21 and is directly or indirectly connected to the climbing motor 51. It is configured to engage with the climbing chain 811 mounted on the guide rail 81 under the drive of the climbing motor 51 to climb or descend.

[0089] In detail, combined Figure 5 The climbing drive mechanism 5 of this disclosure has a climbing motor 51 mounted on the host 1, and a climbing sprocket 52 rotatably mounted on the climbing plate 21 via a fixed shaft and extending out from the opening at the corresponding position of the climbing plate 21. Thus, when the climbing assembly 2 docks with the guide rail 81, it meshes with the climbing chain 811 mounted on the guide rail 81. The climbing motor 51 and the climbing sprocket 52 are connected in a transmission. Specifically, a first gear 53 is sleeved on the output shaft of the climbing motor 51. The first gear 53 meshes with a second gear 54, and the second gear 54 is coaxially fixed with the climbing sprocket 52.

[0090] Therefore, by adjusting the gear ratio between the first gear 53 and the second gear 54, the power output by the climbing motor 51 can be decelerated or accelerated, and then transmitted to the climbing sprocket 52; furthermore, the climbing motor 51 and the climbing sprocket 52 are not coaxial, so the transmission direction can be adjusted.

[0091] When the climbing drive mechanism 5 is in operation, the output shaft of the climbing motor 51 drives the first gear 53 to rotate, the first gear 53 transmits power to the second gear 54, and then the second gear 54 drives the climbing sprocket 52 to rotate. Thus, the climbing motor 51 can drive the climbing sprocket 52 to engage with the climbing chain 811 set on the guide rail 81 to climb or descend.

[0092] In this way, by setting the first gear 53 and the second gear 54, the climbing motor 51 and the climbing sprocket 52 are connected for transmission. The first gear 53 with a smaller number of teeth drives the second gear 54 with a larger number of teeth, which can gradually reduce the transmission speed and at the same time amplify the output torque, so that the climbing sprocket 52 can stably mesh with the climbing chain 811 on the guide rail 81 and climb or descend.

[0093] The climbing chain 811 on the guide rail 81 is a rigid chain, which has a simple structure and balanced force distribution, reducing the probability of damage to the climbing chain 811. In detail, flexible chains are prone to bending or twisting due to lateral forces, causing the climbing sprocket 52 to deviate; while the overall rigidity of the rigid chain can resist lateral forces, and can maintain a straight running trajectory when transmitting power on the long guide rail 81, avoiding the risk of chain jamming of the climbing sprocket 52. Furthermore, the rigid chain transmits power through rigid engagement with the climbing sprocket 52 without slippage, resulting in high transmission efficiency.

[0094] Furthermore, through the transmission of the first gear 53 and the second gear 54, the climbing motor 51 and the climbing sprocket 52 do not need to be coaxially set, thereby allowing the climbing motor 51 to avoid the obstruction of the climbing plate 21, avoiding spatial layout conflicts, and ensuring the continuity of power transmission.

[0095] See Figure 9 and Figure 19 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the climbing sprocket 52 is a double-toothed sprocket, and the climbing chain 811 is a double-pitch roller chain.

[0096] Thus, the lifting sprocket 52 of this disclosure is configured as a double-toothed sprocket, and the lifting chain 811 is configured as a double-pitch roller chain, which is suitable for conveying scenarios with low speed, heavy load, and long-distance transmission. When a regular sprocket meshes with a single-pitch chain, there is a risk of it hitting the rollers of the lifting chain 811. The roller spacing of the double-pitch chain is larger, and the tooth profile of the double-toothed sprocket is adapted to the roller distribution of the double-pitch chain, allowing for slight lateral offset of the double-pitch chain, ensuring precise meshing, and reducing the risk of skipped teeth or chain derailment. Moreover, the pitch of the double-pitch chain is doubled, and for the same transmission distance, the number of chain links is only half that of a regular chain, which can reduce the overall weight and cost.

[0097] See Figure 4 , Figure 15 and Figure 16 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the picking drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism 71 and a second drive mechanism 73. The first drive mechanism 71 is disposed on the host 1 and configured to drive the picking component to move along a second direction so that the picking component corresponds to the target storage position. The second drive mechanism 73 is disposed on the first drive mechanism 71 and configured to drive the picking component to move along a third direction to extend to the target storage position or retract.

[0098] In detail, the picking drive mechanism of this disclosure has a first drive mechanism 71 disposed on the host 1 and a second drive mechanism 73 disposed on the first drive mechanism 71. The first drive mechanism 71 can drive the picking component to move along a second direction until the picking component corresponds to the target storage position. The second drive mechanism 73 drives the picking component to move along a third direction until the picking component places the target item on the target storage position or retrieves the target item from the target storage position.

[0099] Obviously, after the climbing robot of this disclosure climbs to the target height of the shelf 8, the first drive mechanism 71 and the second drive mechanism 73 cooperate to make the picking component contact the four storage positions 82 on both sides of the guide rail 81 connected to the climbing component 2, which has high picking and placing flexibility.

[0100] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 15 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first drive mechanism 71 includes a first drive motor 711, a synchronous belt drive mechanism 712, and a gear and rack drive mechanism 713. The first drive motor 711 is mounted on the host machine 1. The synchronous belt drive mechanism 712 is connected to the first drive motor 711, and the synchronous belt 7121 of the synchronous belt drive mechanism 712 is configured to move along a second direction under the action of the first drive motor 711. The gears of the gear and rack drive mechanism 713 are rotatably mounted on the synchronous belt 7121. The gear and rack drive mechanism 713 includes two racks 7132 that are parallel to each other and mesh with the gears. One rack 7132 is fixedly mounted on the host machine 1, and the other rack 7132 is fixedly mounted on the picking component. Both racks 7132 extend along the second direction.

[0101] In detail, the first drive mechanism 71 of this disclosure is powered by a first drive motor 711, and the first drive motor 711 is connected to a synchronous belt drive mechanism 712 mounted on the host machine 1. The synchronous belt 7121 of the synchronous belt drive mechanism 712 moves in a second direction under the action of the first drive motor 711. The synchronous belt drive mechanism 712 includes a drive pulley 7122, a driven pulley 7123, and a synchronous belt 7121 tensioned on the drive pulley 7122 and the driven pulley 7123. The first drive motor 711 can be connected to the drive pulley 7122 via a multi-stage gear, thereby driving the synchronous belt 7121 to rotate.

[0102] Further, see also Figure 4 and Figure 15The first drive mechanism 71 of this disclosure also includes a gear and rack transmission mechanism 713, wherein the gear 7131 of the gear and rack transmission mechanism 713 is rotatably mounted on the timing belt 7121 and meshes with two racks 7132 that extend in the second direction and are arranged parallel to each other, wherein one rack 7132 is fixedly mounted on the host 1 and the other rack 7132 is fixedly mounted on the picking component.

[0103] Thus, when the first drive motor 711 drives the drive wheel 7122 to rotate, the tensioned synchronous belt 7121 drives the driven wheel 7123 to rotate together. The synchronous belt 7121 can drive the gear 7131 to move in the second direction, and the gear 7131 meshes with the rack 7132 on the main unit 1. Therefore, the gear 7131 rotates under the action of the rack 7132 on the main unit 1. At the same time, since the gear 7131 meshes with the rack 7132 fixedly installed on the picking component, when the gear 7131 rotates, it drives the rack 7132 on the picking component to move in the second direction, thereby driving the picking component to move in the second direction.

[0104] Furthermore, two linear slide grooves 72 extending along the second direction are provided on both sides of the first drive mechanism 71. Correspondingly, two linear slide rails 74 extend along the second direction and are fixedly mounted on the picking component. They are respectively engaged with the two linear slide grooves 72 by rollers, so that the second drive mechanism 73 can slide along the second direction. In this way, the first drive mechanism 71 can provide stable support for the picking component and avoid the picking component being connected to the first drive mechanism 71 only through the gear and rack transmission mechanism 713, which would cause the picking component to tilt to both sides of the rack 7132 in the third direction.

[0105] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 16 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second drive mechanism 73 includes a second drive motor 731 and a chain sprocket transmission mechanism 734. The second drive motor 731 is mounted on the picking component. Two chain sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 are spaced apart on the first drive mechanism 71 along a second direction and are connected to the second drive motor 731. The chains of the two chain sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 move along a third direction under the action of the second drive motor 731.

[0106] In detail, the second drive mechanism 73 of this disclosure is powered by a second drive motor 731. The second drive motor 731 is connected to two chain and sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 disposed on the first drive mechanism 71. The transmission chains 7343 of the two chain and sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 move in a third direction under the action of the second drive motor 731. The driving sprocket 7341 of the chain and sprocket transmission mechanism 734 is rotatably disposed on the picking component. Two driven sprockets 7342 are disposed on both sides of the driving sprocket 7341 and are rotatably connected to the picking component. The driving sprocket 7341 and the two driven sprockets 7342 mesh with the transmission chain 7343, and the transmission chain 7343 is tensioned by the two driven sprockets 7342. Furthermore, a transmission sprocket 7344 is disposed between the driving sprocket 7341 and the corresponding driven sprocket 7342. The transmission sprocket 7344 meshes with the transmission chain 7343 and is fixedly connected to the picking component.

[0107] Furthermore, the driving sprockets 7341 of the two chain sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 of this disclosure are connected by a transmission shaft 732 so that the two chain sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 rotate synchronously. A transmission gear 733 is fixedly installed on the transmission shaft 732. The second drive motor 731 is located next to the transmission shaft 732, and another transmission gear 733 is installed on the output shaft of the second drive motor 731 and meshes with the transmission gear 733 on the transmission shaft 732. In this way, the second drive motor 731 drives the transmission shaft 732 to rotate, thereby causing the driving sprockets 7341 of the two chain sprocket transmission mechanisms 734 to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the corresponding chain and driven sprockets 7342 to rotate, thereby causing the transmission sprockets 7344 to drive the picking component to move, thereby causing the picking component installed on the second drive mechanism 73 to move in a third direction.

[0108] Furthermore, the picking component can be a robotic arm, thereby reducing the need for a picking drive mechanism. After the climbing robot climbs along guide rail 81 to the target layer on the shelf, the robotic arm directly picks up the target item from the target storage location or sends the target item into the target storage location along a third direction.

[0109] See Figure 1 and Figure 17 The present disclosure also provides a storage system including at least two rows of shelves 8 and a climbing robot that moves in the aisle between two adjacent rows of shelves 8. The shelves 8 are provided with guide rails 81 extending in the vertical direction, and the climbing robot is the climbing robot shown in any of the above embodiments.

[0110] The warehousing system disclosed herein is provided with at least two rows of shelves 8 and guide rails 81 extending vertically on the shelves 8. The climbing robot of this disclosure can walk in the aisle between two adjacent rows of shelves 8 and dock with the guide rails 81. The warehousing system of this disclosure avoids the problem that the climbing component 2 is prone to misalignment after docking with the guide rail 81, which would cause the climbing component 2 to get stuck or unable to climb when climbing along the guide rail 81. This facilitates the docking of the climbing component 2 with the guide rail 81, improves the compatibility between the climbing robot and the guide rail 81 on the shelf 8, and enhances the reliability and smoothness of the climbing robot when climbing or descending along the guide rail 81.

[0111] See Figure 18 In one embodiment of this disclosure, two storage slots 82 are provided between two adjacent guide rails 81 on the shelf 8.

[0112] In this way, two storage positions 82 are provided between two adjacent guide rails 81 on the shelf 8 of this disclosure, thereby increasing the density of storage positions 82 on the shelf 8 and reducing the number of guide rails 81 installed. Specifically, the storage positions 82 on the shelf 8 are arranged in n columns. When n is even, the number of guide rails 81 is n / 2, and when n is odd, the number of guide rails 81 is (n+1) / 2. In this way, by reducing the number of guide rails 81, the travel distance of the climbing robot on the working surface is shortened, the processing efficiency of the warehousing system is increased, and after the climbing robot of this disclosure climbs to the target layer on the shelf 8, it can operate the goods on the four corresponding storage positions 82 on two adjacent shelves 8, increasing the picking and placing flexibility of the climbing robot of this disclosure.

[0113] The following application scenario will further illustrate the working principle of the climbing robot and warehousing system provided in this disclosure.

[0114] In the warehousing system disclosed herein, a climbing robot traverses between shelves 8. Then, according to the assigned task, it moves to the target shelf 8 and enters the aisle between the target shelf 8 and the adjacent shelf 8. It then moves along a second direction to the target guide rail 81. Next, the telescopic motor 31 of the telescopic drive mechanism 3 drives the intermediate connecting rod 32 to rotate, causing the auxiliary connecting rods at both ends to push the climbing component 2 out along a third direction. The climbing component 2 begins to dock with the guide rail 81. The auxiliary guide wheel 231 on the climbing component 2 contacts the guide rail 81 and guides the main roller 221 to clamp onto the opposite sides of the guide rail 81. The limiting roller 241 moves along a third direction until it abuts against the back plate of the guide rail 81, thereby limiting the extreme position between the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81. The climbing sprocket 52 engages with the climbing chain 811 installed on the guide rail 81. At this point, the climbing component 2 and the guide rail 81 are docked, and the telescopic drive mechanism 3 stops working. Meanwhile, if there are slight errors in the target guide rails 81 on both sides, the centering adjustment mechanism 4 will make the climbing component 2 slide relative to the auxiliary connecting rod, so that the climbing component 2 can adapt to the error of the guide rail 81.

[0115] Then, the climbing drive assembly starts to work. The output shaft of the climbing motor 51 drives the first gear 53 to rotate, which in turn causes the meshing second gear 54 to rotate, and finally drives the climbing sprocket 52 to rotate, so that the climbing sprocket 52 climbs upward along the climbing chain 811 on the guide rail 81.

[0116] After climbing to the target level, the climbing robot identifies the target storage location among the four storage positions 82 on both sides of the guide rail 81 of the two rows of shelves. Then, the retrieval drive mechanism begins operation. The first drive motor 711 of the first drive mechanism 71 drives the synchronous belt 7121 to move along the second direction, which in turn drives the retrieval component to move along the second direction to the front of the target storage location via the gear and rack transmission mechanism 713. Then, the second drive motor 731 of the second drive mechanism 73 drives the transmission chain 7343 of the sprocket and chain transmission mechanism to move along the third direction, which in turn drives the retrieval component to move along the third direction to the target storage location via the transmission sprocket 7344. The retrieval component then delivers the target goods to the target storage location or retrieves the target goods from the target storage location. Finally, the retrieval component resets.

[0117] The climbing motor 51 of the climbing drive mechanism 5 drives the climbing sprocket 52 to rotate, so that the climbing component 2 drives the main unit 1 to descend to the working surface along the climbing chain 811 on the guide rail 81. Then, the telescopic motor 31 drives the intermediate connecting rod 32 to rotate and reset, and then pulls the climbing component 2 back to the storage position through the auxiliary connecting rod and disengages from the guide rail 81. At this point, the task is completed.

[0118] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A climbing robot, characterized in that, The climbing robot includes: Host (1); Two climbing components (2) are telescopically arranged on opposite sides of the host (1) and configured to extend from the storage position to dock with the corresponding guide rail (81) on the shelf (8) under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism (3), and after docking, the host (1) is driven by the climbing drive mechanism (5) to climb from the initial position along the guide rail (81) to the target storage position on the shelf (8); A pickup component is movably disposed on the host (1) and configured to retrieve a target item from the target storage location or place a target item into the target storage location under the action of a pickup drive mechanism. The two climbing components (2) are also configured to drive the host (1) down from the target storage location to the initial position and retract to the storage position under the action of the telescopic drive mechanism (3).

2. The climbing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two climbing components (2) are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the host (1).

3. The climbing robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The climbing component (2) is located in the middle of the host (1).

4. The climbing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The climbing component (2) includes: The climbing plate (21) is mounted on the host (1) in a retractable manner through the telescopic guide mechanism (6) and is connected to the telescopic drive mechanism (3) in a transmission manner. At least two sets of main roller mechanisms (22) are arranged sequentially and spaced apart on the climbing plate (21) along a first direction, and each set of main roller mechanisms (22) includes two main rollers (221) arranged sequentially and spaced apart on the climbing plate (21) along a second direction. The rotation axis of the main rollers (221) extends along a third direction and is configured to be driven by the telescopic drive mechanism (3) to extend along the climbing plate (21) to the opposite sides of the guide rail (81). Wherein, the first direction is the direction in which the climbing component (2) climbs or descends along the guide rail (81), the second direction is the direction of extension of the aisle between two adjacent rows of the shelves (8), and the third direction is the direction of extension and retraction of the climbing component (2) relative to the host (1).

5. The climbing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The climbing component (2) also includes: An auxiliary guide mechanism (23) is disposed on the climbing plate (21) and configured to guide the two main rollers (221) to dock with the guide rail (81).

6. The climbing robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The auxiliary guide mechanism (23) includes two auxiliary guide wheels (231) arranged sequentially at intervals on the climbing plate (21) along the second direction, and the rotation axis of the auxiliary guide wheels (231) extends along the first direction.

7. The climbing robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The climbing component (2) also includes: A limiting mechanism (24) is disposed on the climbing plate (21) and configured to limit the limit displacement of the climbing plate (21) in the extension direction.

8. The climbing robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, The limiting mechanism (24) includes two limiting rollers (241) arranged at intervals along the second direction on the climbing plate (21), and the rotation axis of the limiting rollers (241) extends along the second direction.

9. The climbing robot according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The telescopic drive mechanism (3) includes: Telescopic motor (31), the telescopic motor (31) is mounted on the host (1); The middle connecting rod (32) is rotatably mounted on the host (1) via a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected to the telescopic motor (31) in a transmission manner. Two auxiliary links, one end of which is rotatably connected to one end of the intermediate connecting rod (32), and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the climbing plate (21) of one climbing assembly (2); the other auxiliary link, one end of which is rotatably connected to the other end of the intermediate connecting rod (32), and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the climbing plate (21) of the other climbing assembly (2).

10. The climbing robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The climbing robot also includes a centering adjustment mechanism (4), which is disposed between a climbing plate (21) of one of the climbing components (2) and an auxiliary link, and is configured to adjust the relative displacement of the corresponding auxiliary link and the climbing plate (21) in the second direction so that the two climbing components (2) are symmetrical.

11. The climbing robot according to claim 10, characterized in that, The centering adjustment mechanism (4) includes: Adjustment plate (41), the adjustment plate (41) is disposed on the telescopic guide mechanism (6) and is slidably disposed relative to the climbing plate (21) in the second direction, and the adjustment plate (41) is rotatably connected to one of the auxiliary connecting rods; Two adjusting springs (42) are respectively pre-pressed along the second direction and disposed on opposite sides of the adjusting plate (41) and the climbing plate (21).

12. The climbing robot according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The climbing drive mechanism (5) includes: A climbing motor (51) is mounted on the host (1); A climbing sprocket (52) is rotatably mounted on the climbing plate (21) and is directly or indirectly connected to the climbing motor (51) for transmission. It is configured to engage with a climbing chain (811) mounted on the guide rail (81) under the drive of the climbing motor (51) to climb or descend.

13. The climbing robot according to claim 12, characterized in that, The climbing sprocket (52) is a double-toothed sprocket, and the climbing chain (811) is a double-pitch roller chain.

14. The climbing robot according to claim 13, characterized in that, The telescopic guide mechanism (6) includes two parallel I-shaped grooves (61) arranged on the host (1); and, Two U-shaped slide rails are provided with their openings facing each other. Two cantilever arms on one side are held in one I-shaped groove (61) by slide rail rollers (64), and two cantilever arms on the other side are also held in another I-shaped groove (61) by slide rail rollers (64). The two U-shaped slide rails are fixedly connected to the climbing plates (21) of the climbing components (2) on the corresponding sides.

15. A warehousing system, characterized in that, The warehousing system includes at least two rows of shelves (8) and a climbing robot that moves in the aisles between two adjacent rows of shelves (8), wherein the shelves (8) are provided with guide rails (81) extending in a vertical direction, and the climbing robot is the climbing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The warehousing system according to claim 15, characterized in that, Two storage slots (82) are provided between two adjacent guide rails (81) on the shelf (8).

Images