Article picking robot

Abstract

To provide an article picking robot.SOLUTION: This article picking robot comprises a travel mechanism. A storage mechanism which is a horizontally installed multistage shelf plate is provided in the top of the travel mechanism. Similar lifting traverse mechanisms are provided on both sides of the storage mechanism. A robot hand mechanism is provided in the bottom of the lifting traverse mechanisms. The article picking robot moves the robot hand mechanism by the lifting traverse mechanisms, picks up an article by the robot hand mechanism, and stretches it as a whole downward to be able to grip the article when the robot hand mechanism picks up the article. Thus, operation is easy and quick. Then, the lifting traverse mechanisms bring the robot hand mechanism close to the storage mechanism after the article has been picked up, traversely move the robot hand mechanism directly above the shelf plate after it is raised to the corresponding shelf plate, and open the robot hand mechanism, and the storage mechanism is multistage. Thus, more articles can be transported at once, and picking performance can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to an item-picking robot. [Background technology]

[0002] With the rapid development of the modern logistics industry, automation technology, computer technology and other high-tech, industrial robots are gradually being incorporated into the industrial design process. As a representative example of digital mechatronics equipment, industrial robots have high technical added value and a wide range of applications. They are a key technology in cutting-edge manufacturing and an emerging industry in the information society, and play a very important role in the development of industry, future production and society. In robot pick-up and operation, one robot gripper is usually placed for one item to realize pick-and-place of one item.

[0003] When working with a robot's robot hand, when grasping an object through the robot hand, the robot arm first positions the robot hand above the object, then lowers the robot hand to grasp the object with the robot hand, and finally the robot hand places the object into the transfer mechanism, and in this process it is necessary to ensure the stability of the object grasped by the robot hand.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus and method for high-speed, multi-item picking using a robot, comprising a control cabinet, a picking robot, a transfer mechanism, a storage case, a conveying line, and a picking case provided on the conveying line; the picking robot is provided on one side of the conveying line and attached within the transfer mechanism and used to pick up items from the storage case to the picking case; the transfer mechanism is provided with a storage case, and the transfer mechanism is connected to the control cabinet and used to receive item information and transport the storage case within the picking range of the picking robot; the control cabinet is connected to the picking robot and the transfer mechanism via cables, and is used to control the picking robot to pick items and transmit the item information to the transfer mechanism, and this invention discloses that since the storage case replacement work and the picking work in the work area are physically isolated and can be performed in parallel without interfering with each other, it ensures high-speed and continuous progress of the work of sorting items for small quantities of a variety of items and increases the speed and efficiency of the work of sorting items.

[0005] However, in order to pick a wide variety of items, the device of Patent Document 1 sacrifices flexibility, which results in the device being fixed in place and taking up a large amount of space in a complex work environment, making it less practical.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to invent an article-picking robot that is not only flexible and not fixed, but also capable of picking different types of articles simultaneously and picking a larger number of articles at one time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent No. CN114643205A Publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention focuses on the above-mentioned problems and provides an item-picking robot to solve the problems mentioned in the background art above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical means: An article-picking robot having a traveling mechanism with a storage mechanism, which is a multi-level shelf arranged horizontally on the top, in which identical lifting traverse mechanisms are provided on both sides of the storage mechanism, and a robot hand mechanism is provided on the bottom of the lifting traverse mechanism.

[0010] Preferably, the lifting traverse mechanism comprises two vertical guide rails respectively attached to both sides of the shelf plate, horizontal hydraulic cylinders are provided in front of the sliding members of the two vertical guide rails, the same support plate is provided in front of the two horizontal hydraulic cylinders, a limit plate is horizontally inserted into the bottom of the support plate, a tooth portion is provided on the top of the limit plate, a drive motor is provided on the top of the support plate, a main gear is provided on the end of the output shaft of the drive motor, a through groove is provided on the top of the support plate, and the main gear is embedded downwardly in the through groove from the top of the support plate and engages with the tooth portion on the top of the limit plate.

[0011] Preferably, the robot hand mechanism comprises a main body plate, a vertical hydraulic cylinder is provided on the top of the main body plate, the vertical hydraulic cylinder is attached to the bottom surface of the limiting plate, a sliding groove is provided on the bottom of the main body plate, two sliders are provided in the sliding groove, gripping claws are provided on the bottom of the sliders, return springs are connected and fixed to both ends of the sliding groove on opposite sides of the two sliders, a wire rope is provided on the side of the slider near the center of the bottom of the support plate, the top end of the wire rope is connected and fixed to the bottom surface of the limiting plate, and limiting rollers are provided on the corners of the wire rope.

[0012] Preferably, a gear chain structure is provided at the bottom of the shelf plate of each stage, the gear chain structure is made up of two sets, a power rod is provided between the two sets, a sub-gear corresponding to the teeth portion at the top of the limiting plate is fitted and attached to the center of the power rod, and an auxiliary plate is provided suspended from the bottom of the gear chain structure.

[0013] Preferably, a T-shaped plate is provided at the top of the auxiliary plate, the top end of the T-shaped plate is slidably connected to the bottom of the corresponding shelf plate, the T-shaped plate is near the front end of the shelf plate, and a ball is embedded in the surface of the T-shaped plate.

[0014] Preferably, rubber pads are provided on the opposing surfaces of the two gripping claws, and grooves are formed in the surfaces of the rubber pads.

[0015] Preferably, an indicator rod is inserted horizontally into the bottom ends of the two gripping claws, a right-angle plate is provided on the opposite side of the two gripping claws, and a pressure sensor is provided on the surface of the right-angle plate at the same height as the indicator rod.

[0016] Preferably, a horizontal spring is fitted and attached to the outside of the indicator rod, and when the horizontal spring is in a restored state, one end of the indicator rod is located completely inside the gripping jaws and the other end extends between the two gripping jaws.

[0017] The technical effects and advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. In the present invention, the lifting traverse mechanism moves the robot hand mechanism, and the robot hand mechanism picks up the article. When the robot hand mechanism picks up the article, it can extend downward to grasp it, so that the operation is simple and quick. Then, the lifting traverse mechanism moves the robot hand mechanism after picking up the article close to the storage mechanism, rises to the corresponding shelf, and then moves the robot hand mechanism laterally to just above the shelf and opens the robot hand mechanism. Since the storage mechanism has multiple levels, more articles can be carried at one time and the picking capacity is improved.

[0019] 2. In the present invention, the teeth at the top of the limiting plate rotate the main gear to operate the gear chain structure, which then moves the bottom auxiliary plate with the stored items backward, so that there is enough space left just above the shelf to store the large items, and the small items can be moved backward and the large items can be sent to the surface of the shelf in one operation, which is more efficient. In addition, since the small items are at the top of the rear auxiliary plate and the large items are at the top of the shelf, the variety of items that can be picked up is increased, and the orderly storage of items is facilitated, which makes the practicality better.

[0020] 3. The storage mechanism and the robot hand mechanism of the present invention are an integrated design, which facilitates movement and travel at the same time, improves the flexibility of the device, and is more suitable for complex on-site work environments. The robot hand mechanism of the present invention uses an indicator rod design to make it easier for the operator to determine whether the item is being held, reducing the possibility of accidents that cause damage to the item due to the item not being held during the process of moving the item.

[0021] 4. The present invention uses a T-shaped plate to make the auxiliary plate more stable, allowing more items to be stored while improving the stability of the item storage.

[0022] In order to clearly describe the embodiments of the present invention or the technical means in the prior art, the accompanying drawings that need to be used to depict the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below. The accompanying drawings depicted below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other accompanying drawings based on these accompanying drawings without any creative activity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of an item-picking robot according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the item-picking robot of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 2 according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a robot hand mechanism according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] In order to make the objectives, technical means and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer and more obvious, the technical means in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and in detail below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, but it goes without saying that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention and do not include all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without any creative activity are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," etc. are orientations or positional relationships indicated based on the drawings, and are merely for the purpose of making the present invention easier to explain, and do not indicate or suggest that the devices or members shown necessarily have a specific orientation, or are configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the present invention. In addition, in the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly limited.

[0026] The present invention provides an article-picking robot equipped with a traveling mechanism, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. The traveling mechanism 1 is a swivel wheel, and a storage mechanism consisting of horizontally arranged multi-level shelves 2 is provided on the top of the traveling mechanism 1. Identical lifting traverse mechanisms 3 are provided on both sides of the storage mechanism, and a robot hand mechanism 4 is provided on the bottom of the lifting traverse mechanism 3.

[0027] The lifting traverse mechanism 3 moves the robot hand mechanism 4, and an article is picked up through the robot hand mechanism 4. When the robot hand mechanism 4 picks up an article, it can extend its entirety downward to grasp it, making operation simple and quick. The lifting traverse mechanism then moves the robot hand mechanism 4, which has picked up the article, close to the storage mechanism and rises to the corresponding shelf 2, then moves the robot hand mechanism 4 laterally to directly above the shelf 2 and opens the robot hand mechanism 4. As the storage mechanism has multiple tiers, more articles can be transported at one time, improving picking capacity.

[0028] 1 to 3, the lifting traverse mechanism 3 includes two vertical guide rails 31, which are powered linear guides such as electronically controlled slide rails attached to both sides of the shelf board 2, and horizontal hydraulic cylinders 32 are provided in front of the sliding members of the two vertical guide rails 31. The same support plate 33 is provided in front of the two horizontal hydraulic cylinders 32. A limit plate 34 is horizontally inserted into the bottom of the support plate 33, and the top of the limit plate 34 forms a toothed portion 35. A drive motor 36 is provided on the top of the support plate 33, and a main gear 37 is provided at the end of the output shaft of the drive motor 36. A through groove is provided on the top of the support plate 33, and the main gear 37 is embedded downwardly in the through groove from the top of the support plate 33 and engages with the toothed portion 35 at the top of the limit plate 34.

[0029] When the lifting traverse mechanism 3 operates, the support plate 33 at the front end of the horizontal hydraulic cylinder 32 can be moved up and down via the vertical guide rail 31, thereby moving the robot hand mechanism 4 at the bottom up and down, and the horizontal hydraulic cylinder 32 can push the support plate 33, causing the robot hand mechanism 4 at the bottom to move away from the shelf 2 and pick up an item that is far away. After the pick-up is completed, the horizontal hydraulic cylinder 32 drives the robot hand mechanism 4 to move closer to the shelf 2, and finally the drive motor 36 rotates the main gear 37, which moves the limiting plate 34 horizontally, causing the robot hand mechanism 4 and the bottom item to reach directly above the shelf 2, and when the item is released, the storage of the item is completed.

[0030] 1 to 4, the robot hand mechanism 4 includes a main body plate 41, a vertical hydraulic cylinder 42 is provided on the top of the main body plate 41, the vertical hydraulic cylinder 42 is attached to the bottom surface of the limiting plate 34, and the top of the vertical hydraulic cylinder 42 is embedded in the limiting plate 34 to reduce the distance between the bottom end of the vertical hydraulic cylinder 42 and the limiting plate 34. A sliding groove is provided on the bottom of the main body plate 41, two sliders 43 are provided in the sliding groove, gripping claws 44 are provided on the bottom of the sliders 43, rubber pads 10 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the two gripping claws 44, and grooves are drilled on the surface of the rubber pads 10. The rubber pads 10 on the surfaces of the gripping claws 44 can be deformed when gripping, thereby reducing damage to the article and increasing frictional force. Furthermore, drilling the grooves allows air to escape from the grooves when the rubber pads 10 are deformed, thereby exerting the effect of negative pressure suction and improving gripping stability. On the opposite sides of the two sliders 43, return springs 45 are provided which are connected and fixed to both ends of the sliding groove, and a wire rope 46 is provided on the side closer to the center of the bottom of the slider support plate 33, with the top end of the wire rope 46 connected and fixed to the bottom surface of the limiting plate 34, and limiting rollers are provided at the corners of the wire rope 46.

[0031] When the robot hand mechanism 4 picks up an article, it pushes and moves the main body plate 41 via the vertical hydraulic cylinder 42, and as the main body plate 41 moves downward, the sliders 43 are pulled by the wire rope 46 to bring the two sliders 43 closer to each other, and finally the sliders 43 move the gripping claws 44 to grip the article, and the operation is also easier because the article can be gripped simply by moving the vertical hydraulic cylinder 42 downward.

[0032] 2 and 3, a gear chain structure 5 is provided at the bottom of the shelf board 2 of each level, and the gear chain structure 5 is made up of two sets, with a power rod 6 provided between the two sets. A sub-gear 7 corresponding to the teeth portion 35 at the top of the limiting plate 34 is fitted and attached to the center of the power rod 6, and an auxiliary plate 8 suspended from the bottom of the gear chain structure 5 is provided.

[0033] When picking, first the small item is picked by the robot hand mechanism 4, and at this time, the vertical guide rail 31 moves the robot hand mechanism 4 to a height where the tooth portion 35 is lower than the sub-gear 7, and when the drive motor 36 moves the limiting plate 34 to the top of the shelf board 2 via the main gear 37, the tooth portion 35 does not contact the sub-gear 7, so the gear chain structure 5 does not operate and the auxiliary plate 88 is in its original position, and then the gripping claws 44 are released and the small item is placed on the auxiliary plate 8, and then the larger item is picked by the robot hand mechanism 4, and ... then the vertical guide rail When the robot hand mechanism 4 is moved to a height where the teeth 35 are flush with the sub-gear 7 via the wheel 31, and the main gear 37 is driven again by the drive motor 36 to move the limiting plate 34, the teeth 35 at the top of the limiting plate 34 rotate the sub-gear 7 to operate the gear chain structure 5, and the gear chain structure 5 moves the auxiliary plate 8 at the top where the article is stored backward, so that finally, a sufficient space for storing a large article remains directly above the shelf board 2, and it is more efficient to move small articles backward and send large articles to the surface of the shelf board 2 with only one operation. Also, since the small articles are at the top of the rear auxiliary plate 8 and the large articles are at the top of the shelf board 2, the amount of articles that can be picked up increases, orderly storage of articles is ensured, and practicality is improved.

[0034] 1 and 2, a T-shaped plate 9 is provided on the top of the auxiliary plate 8, and the top end of the T-shaped plate 9 is slidably connected to the bottom of the corresponding shelf plate 2. The T-shaped plate 9 is close to the front end of the shelf plate 2, and a ball is embedded in the surface of the T-shaped plate 9.

[0035] The T-shaped plate 9 approaches the front end of the shelf plate 2 and can slide back and forth on the bottom of the shelf plate 2, so that when the auxiliary plate 8 is moved backward by the gear chain structure 5, the T-shaped plate 9 can pull up the auxiliary plate 8 and prevent it from tilting back and forth, and the balls on the surface of the T-shaped plate 9 can reduce the frictional force when the T-shaped plate 9 moves.

[0036] 2 and 4, an indicator rod 11 is inserted horizontally into the bottom ends of the two gripping jaws 44, a right-angle plate 12 is provided on the opposite side of the two gripping jaws 44, and a pressure sensor 13 is provided on the surface of the right-angle plate 12 close to the indicator rod 11, the height of the pressure sensor 13 is the same as that of the indicator rod 11, and an MPX10 type pressure sensor is used for the pressure sensor 13. A horizontal spring 14 is fitted and attached to the outside of the indicator rod 11, and when the horizontal spring 14 is in a restored state, one end of the indicator rod 11 is completely located inside the gripping jaws 44, and the other end extends between the two gripping jaws 44.

[0037] When gripping, if the indicator rod 11 is pushed and moved by the reaction force of the object, when the indicator rod 11 is completely pressed against the pressure sensor 13 on the right-angle plate 12, the detected pressure of the pressure sensor 13 stops changing, which indicates that the indicator rod 11 has been completely subjected to the action of the object and has been pushed into a position flush with the inner vertical surface of the gripping jaws 44, and thus indicates that the gripping jaws 44 and the object are completely attached to each other.

[0038] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art may modify the technical means described in each of the above embodiments or replace some of the technical features with equivalents, which modification or replacement does not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical means from the spirit and scope of the technical means of each of the embodiments of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Rubber pad 1. Running mechanism 11 Indicator rod 12 Right angle plate 13 Pressure Sensor 14 Horizontal spring 2 Shelves 3 Lifting traverse mechanism 31 Vertical guide rail 32 Horizontal hydraulic cylinder 33 Support plate 34 Restriction Board 35 Teeth 36 Drive motor 37 Main Gear 4. Robot hand mechanism 41 Body plate 42 Vertical hydraulic cylinder 43 Slider 44 Gripping claw 45 Return spring 46 Wire Rope 5 Gear chain structure 6 Power Rod 7 Sub Gear 8 Auxiliary plate 9 T-shaped board

Claims

1. An article picking robot having a traveling mechanism (1) with a storage mechanism, which is a multi-stage shelf board (2) arranged horizontally at the top, and identical lifting traverse mechanisms (3) are provided on both sides of the storage mechanism, and a robot hand mechanism (4) is provided at the bottom of the lifting traverse mechanism (3); The lifting traverse mechanism (3) comprises two vertical guide rails (31) respectively attached to both sides of the shelf plate (2), horizontal hydraulic cylinders (32) are provided in front of the sliding members of the two vertical guide rails (31), and the same support plate (33) is provided in front of the two horizontal hydraulic cylinders (32), a limit plate (34) is horizontally inserted into the bottom of the support plate (33), a teeth portion (35) is provided on the top of the limit plate (34), a drive motor (36) is provided on the top of the support plate (33), a main gear (37) is provided on the end of the output shaft of the drive motor (36), a through groove is provided on the top of the support plate (33), and the main gear (37) is embedded downward from the top of the support plate (33) into the through groove and engages with the teeth portion (35) on the top of the limit plate (34); A gear chain structure (5) is provided at the bottom of the shelf board (2) of each stage, and the gear chain structure (5) is made up of two sets, with a power rod (6) provided between the two sets, and a sub-gear (7) corresponding to the teeth portion (35) at the top of the limiting plate (34) is fitted and attached to the center of the power rod (6), and an auxiliary plate (8) is provided that is suspended from the bottom of the gear chain structure (5). An article picking robot comprising:

2. The robot hand mechanism (4) includes a main body plate (41), a vertical hydraulic cylinder (42) is provided on the top of the main body plate (41), the vertical hydraulic cylinder (42) is attached to the bottom surface of the limiting plate (34), a sliding groove is provided on the bottom of the main body plate (41), two sliders (43) are provided in the sliding groove, gripping claws (44) are provided on the bottom of the sliders (43), return springs (45) are connected and fixed to both ends of the sliding groove are provided on the opposite sides of the two sliders (43), a wire rope (46) is provided on the side of the slider (43) close to the center of the bottom of the support plate (33), the top end of the wire rope (46) is connected and fixed to the bottom surface of the limiting plate (34), and limiting rollers are provided at the corners of the wire rope (46). The article-picking robot according to claim 1 .

3. A T-shaped plate (9) is provided on the top of the auxiliary plate (8), and the top end of the T-shaped plate (9) is slidably connected to the bottom of the corresponding shelf plate (2). The T-shaped plate (9) can slide back and forth on the bottom of the shelf plate (2), and a ball is embedded in the surface of the T-shaped plate (9). The article-picking robot according to claim 1 .

4. A rubber pad (10) is provided on the opposing surfaces of the two gripping claws (44), and a groove is formed in the surface of the rubber pad (10). The article-picking robot according to claim 2.

5. An indicator rod (11) is inserted horizontally into the bottom ends of the two gripping jaws (44), a right-angle plate (12) is provided on the opposite side of the two gripping jaws (44), and a pressure sensor (13) is provided on the surface of the right-angle plate (12) close to the indicator rod (11), and the height of the pressure sensor (13) is the same as the height of the indicator rod (11). The article-picking robot according to claim 2.

6. A horizontal spring (14) is fitted and attached to the outside of the indicator rod (11). When the horizontal spring (14) is in a restored state, one end of the indicator rod (11) is completely located inside the gripping jaws (44) and the other end extends between the two gripping jaws (44). The article-picking robot according to claim 5.

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