Sorting system and sorting method

Abstract

A sorting system and a sorting method, the sorting system including a sorting device, a first robot, and a second robot, the sorting device including a sorting mechanism, storage shelves, and a delivery shelf, the storage shelves are arranged in two rows and include multiple storage layers, each storage layer including multiple container openings, each container opening for storing one container to be loaded, the delivery shelves are arranged adjacent to the storage shelves and are used to temporarily store full containers or empty containers awaiting replenishment, the sorting mechanism is installed between the two rows of storage shelves and is positioned to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into the containers in the storage shelves, the first robot is positioned to move full or empty containers between the storage shelves and the delivery shelf, and the second robot is positioned to move full or empty containers between the delivery shelf and the container transfer station. According to an embodiment of the present invention, automatic container exchange in the sorting system can be realized, improving sorting efficiency and space utilization of the sorting system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This invention claims priority from the following Chinese patent applications filed with the China Patent Office on June 21, 2024, bearing application number 202410814791.5 and entitled "Sorting System and Sorting Method," application number 202421441602.6 and entitled "Sorting System," application number 202410815047.7 and entitled "Sorting System and Sorting Method," application number 202421441644.X and entitled "Sorting System," and application number 202423019927.8 and entitled "Sorting System," all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of logistics warehousing, and in particular to a sorting system and a sorting method. [Background technology]

[0003] With the advancement of intelligent warehouse storage technology, processes such as packaging and transportation can be completed by intelligent robots. However, the sorting process still requires human intervention. For example, in the sorting process, workers must remove full containers from the shelves of the sorting machine and place them in the next stage, and empty containers must be refilled into vacant spaces, reducing sorting efficiency.

[0004] Currently, related technologies mainly focus on the research of sorting machines to improve sorting efficiency. However, after the sorting machine loads the cargo to be sorted into the container, the container still needs to be replaced manually, which limits sorting efficiency. In addition, the height of the shelves in the sorting machine is limited by the height of the worker, resulting in low space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a sorting system and a sorting method that realizes automatic container exchange, improves sorting efficiency and space utilization.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sorting system including a sorting device, a first robot, and a second robot, the sorting device including a sorting mechanism, storage shelves, and a delivery shelf, the storage shelves are arranged in two rows and include a plurality of storage layers, each of the storage layers includes a plurality of container openings, each of the container openings stores one container to be loaded, the delivery shelf is arranged adjacent to the storage shelves and is used to temporarily store full containers or empty containers awaiting replenishment, the sorting mechanism is arranged between the two rows of storage shelves and is positioned to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into a container on the storage shelf, the first robot is arranged to transfer full or empty containers between the storage shelves and the delivery shelf, and the second robot is arranged to transfer full or empty containers between the storage shelves and the delivery shelf,

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sorting method using a control device communicatively connected to a sorting mechanism, a first robot, and a second robot of a sorting device in the sorting system, the sorting method including: instructing the sorting mechanism to accept cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially filled container on a storage shelf; instructing the first robot, if a filled container is present on the storage shelf, to move the filled container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, where the filled container is a container filled with cargo or a container for which all cargo for an associated order has been sorted; instructing the second robot to move the filled container on the delivery shelf to a container transfer station; and, if at least one container opening on the storage shelf is open, instructing the second robot to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf; and instructing the first robot to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an open container opening on the storage shelf.

[0008] The sorting system and sorting method provided in the embodiments of the present invention realizes automatic container exchange in the sorting system by using a first robot to move containers between the storage shelf and the delivery shelf, and a second robot to move containers between the delivery shelf and the container transfer station, thereby improving sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, using the first robot to exchange containers instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the storage shelf to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the width of the containers that can be placed on the storage shelf and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system.

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a sorting system including a sorting mechanism, shelves, a transport robot, and a container delivery transport line, the shelves including a plurality of vertically spaced storage layers arranged in two rows, each of the storage layers including a plurality of container openings, each of which is for storing one container to be loaded, the sorting mechanism installed between the two rows of shelves and arranged to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into the containers on the shelves, the container delivery transport line installed adjacent to the shelves and arranged to transport empty containers to the shelves or full containers away from the shelves, and the transport robot arranged to transfer full or empty containers between the shelves and the container delivery transport line.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a sorting method using a control device communicatively connected to a sorting mechanism, a transport robot, and a container delivery transport line in the sorting system, the sorting method including: instructing the container delivery transport line to activate the container delivery transport line so that the container delivery transport line can transport empty containers to the shelf and full containers away from the shelf; instructing the sorting mechanism to accept cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into partially full containers on the shelf; if a full container is present on the shelf, instructing the transport robot to move the full container on the shelf to the container delivery transport line; and if at least one container opening on the shelf is open, instructing the transport robot to move the empty container on the container delivery transport line to the open container opening on the shelf.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a control device, which includes a memory for storing a computer program, and a processor for executing the program stored in the memory to realize the sorting method according to any of the above embodiments.

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program being capable of implementing the sorting method according to any of the above embodiments when executed by a processor.

[0013] In the sorting system and sorting method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, a transport robot moves containers between the shelves and the container delivery transport line, thereby realizing automatic container exchange in the sorting system. This improves sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, using a transport robot to exchange containers instead of manual container exchange allows the shelf height to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the available container openings on the shelves and improving the sorting performance and space utilization of the sorting system. Furthermore, the container delivery transport line can transport empty containers to the shelves or full containers away from the shelves, realizing automatic transportation of empty and full containers and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a sorting system including at least two sorting devices, a container exchange robot, and a container transporting device, the at least two sorting devices being installed at an interval so that a container exchange robot passage is formed between two adjacent sorting devices in parallel, each of the sorting devices being capable of sorting received cargo to be sorted and placing it into each container, the at least two sorting devices being installed with a storage area for storing containers and a delivery area for docking with the container transporting device, the container transporting device being configured to transport empty containers to the delivery area of ​​the sorting device or to transport full containers located in the delivery area of ​​the sorting device outside the sorting device, the container exchange robot being installed hanging from either of the sorting devices on both sides of the container exchange robot passage and capable of traveling along the container exchange robot passage, and for transporting empty containers in the delivery area of ​​each of the two sorting devices on both sides of the container exchange robot passage to the storage area of ​​the sorting device or to transport full containers in the storage area to the delivery area of ​​the sorting device.

[0015] In the sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, a container exchange robot is installed on one of the sorters on either side of the container exchange robot aisle and can travel along the container exchange robot aisle to transport empty containers in the transfer area of ​​each of the two sorters on either side of the container exchange robot aisle to the storage area of ​​that sorter, or transport full containers in the storage area to the transfer area of ​​that sorter. This improves the utilization rate of the container exchange robot, reduces the cost of the sorting system, and enables automatic container exchange in the sorting system, improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange. In addition, using a container exchange robot to exchange containers instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the sorter to exceed the height limit of the worker, improving the storage capacity, sorting performance, and space utilization rate of the sorting system. The container transport device transports empty containers to the transfer area of ​​the sorter or transports full containers located in the transfer area of ​​the sorter out of the sorter, enabling automatic transportation of empty and full containers and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0016] The drawings described herein are provided for a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention, and the schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are merely used for interpreting the present invention and do not constitute an unduly limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sorting system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the first robot shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the first robot shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the first robot shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the first robot shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the delivery shelf shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a second robot shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the second robot shown in FIG. 1 lifting a container. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective schematic diagram illustrating the configuration when the second robot shown in FIG. 11 is docking with a container relay station. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second robot shown in FIG. 12 after docking with the container transfer station. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sorting system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a front view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 15 is a schematic side view of the sorting system shown in FIG. [Figure 18] 1 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a sorting method according to a first aspect of the present invention. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 22] 1 is a configuration diagram of a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 23a] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sorting system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23b] FIG. 23b is a front schematic view of the sorting system shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 23c] FIG. 23b is a schematic plan view of the sorting system shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 23d] 23b is a schematic side view of the sorting system shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 24] FIG. 23b is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship of the container delivery transportation line shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 25a] FIG. 23b is a perspective view of the transport robot shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 25b] FIG. 23b is a front view of the transport robot shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 25c] FIG. 23b is a schematic plan view of the transport robot shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 25d] FIG. 23b is a schematic side view of the transport robot shown in FIG. 23a. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] 4 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a sorting method according to a second aspect of the present invention. [Figure 28] 10 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the sorting method of the second aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 29] 10 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the sorting method of the second aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 30] 10 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the sorting method of the second aspect provided in the present invention. [Figure 31] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32a] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sorting system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32b] FIG. 32b is a schematic plan view of the sorting system shown in FIG. 32a. [Figure 32c] FIG. 32b is a front view of the sorting device shown in FIG. 32a. [Figure 33] FIG. 32b is a schematic plan view of the docking layer shown in FIG. 32a. [Figure 34]FIG. 32b is a perspective view of the relay robot shown in FIG. 32a. [Figure 35] FIG. 32b is a perspective view of the container exchange robot shown in FIG. 32a. [Figure 36a] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sorting system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 36b] FIG. 36b is a schematic plan view of the sorting system shown in FIG. 36a. [Figure 36c] FIG. 36b is a front view of the sorting device shown in FIG. 36a. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 38] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In order to clarify the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below by means of examples with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the described examples are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments that can be obtained by those skilled in the art fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] As described in the background art, with the advancement of intelligent warehouse storage technology, processes such as packing and transportation can all be performed by intelligent robots. However, the sorting process still requires human intervention. For example, in the sorting process, workers must remove full containers from the shelves of the sorting device and place them on the next stage, and empty containers must be refilled into vacant spaces, reducing sorting efficiency.

[0020] Currently, related technologies have focused on the research of sorting machines to improve sorting efficiency, but after the sorting machine has finished loading the cargo to be sorted into the container, the container still needs to be replaced manually, which limits sorting efficiency, and the height of the shelves in the sorting machine is limited by the height of the worker, resulting in low space utilization.

[0021] To achieve automatic container exchange and improve sorting efficiency and space utilization, embodiments of the present invention provide several sorting systems and methods, all of which realize automatic container exchange by using a robot dedicated to container exchange in cooperation with a transport device. Here, the transport device may be a separate dedicated robot or a transport line, etc., and can transport containers to shelves on either side of the sorting mechanism (picking mechanism) in the system or to a position away from the sorting mechanism. Each of these will be described in detail below.

[0022] First, a first type of sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the first robot 200, and the transport device capable of transporting containers to or away from the delivery shelves 130 on either side of the sorting mechanism 110 in the system is the second robot 300.

[0023] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a sorting system according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the sorting system shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the sorting system shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a side view of the sorting system shown in Figure 1.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a sorting device 100, a first robot 200, and a second robot 300, and the sorting device 100 includes a sorting mechanism 110, a storage shelf 120, and a delivery shelf 130.

[0025] The storage shelves 120 are arranged in two rows and include multiple storage layers 121, each of which includes multiple container openings 1211, each of which is for storing one container 500 to be loaded.

[0026] The delivery shelf 130 is installed adjacent to the storage shelf 120 and is used to temporarily store fully loaded containers 500 or empty containers 500 waiting to be replenished.

[0027] The sorting mechanism 110 is installed between two rows of storage shelves 120 and is arranged to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into the containers 500 of the storage shelves 120.

[0028] The first robot 200 is disposed between the storage shelf 120 and the delivery shelf 130 so as to take in and out a fully loaded container 500 or an empty container 500 .

[0029] The second robot 300 is disposed between the delivery shelf 130 and the container transfer station 400 so as to take in and out a fully loaded container 500 or an empty container 500 .

[0030] In the present invention, the delivery shelf 130 belongs to the sorting device, but in reality, the delivery shelf 130 may be arranged independently, and is installed independently of the sorting mechanism 110 and storage shelf 120 of the sorting device 100.

[0031] An embodiment of the present invention provides such a sorting system, in which the first robot 200 moves the container 500 between the storage shelf 120 and the delivery shelf 130, and the second robot 300 moves the container 500 between the delivery shelf 130 and the container transfer station 400, thereby realizing automatic exchange of the container 500 in the sorting system and improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, using the first robot 200 to exchange containers instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the storage shelf 120 to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the container opening 1211 that can be placed on the storage shelf 120 and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the storage shelf 120 may include a plurality of beams 122 spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the first robot 200 is attached to the outside of the storage shelf 120 by the beams 122. There may be a plurality of first robots 200, all of which are installed on the beams 122, and they move containers in and out of the storage shelf 120 and the delivery shelf 130, thereby improving transportation efficiency.

[0033] Specifically, the beam 122 extends from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf 120, and the first robot 200 slides along the beam 122 to achieve horizontal movement along the storage shelf 120. The specific arrangement method will be described in detail later.

[0034] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, with reference to Figures 5 to 8, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first robot shown in Figure 1, Figure 6 is a front view of the first robot shown in Figure 1, Figure 7 is a plan view of the first robot shown in Figure 1, and Figure 8 is a side view of the first robot shown in Figure 1.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the first robot 200 may include a column mast 210, a transport mechanism 220, and at least one slide rail 230.

[0036] The column mast 210 is attached along the vertical direction of the storage shelf 120 .

[0037] The transport mechanism 220 is mounted on the column mast 210 and is used to move containers 500 at different heights in the storage shelf 120 into and out of the storage shelf 120 .

[0038] At least one slide rail 230 is fixedly attached to the beam 122, and the column mast 210 is slidably connected to the at least one slide rail 230, and the column mast 210 and the transport mechanism 220 slide horizontally along the beam 122 to move different containers 500 in and out in the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf 120.

[0039] The first robot 200 is arranged to move a fully loaded container 500 on the storage shelf 120 to the delivery shelf 130 or to move an empty container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the storage shelf 120 .

[0040] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first robot 200 is fixed to the storage shelf 120 by two slide rails 230 installed at a distance from each other above and below, and the first robot 200 can move along the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf 120 by means of these two slide rails 230.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first robot 200 can load and unload each container 500 in the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf 120 by moving horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf 120. In addition, the pickup assembly 222 of the first robot 200 can load and unload containers 500 at different heights in the storage shelf 120 by moving up and down in the height direction of the storage shelf 120. Specific methods for loading and unloading cargo will be described in detail later.

[0042] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the transport mechanism 220 may include a lift assembly 221 and a pickup assembly 222, as shown in FIGS.

[0043] The lifting assembly 221 is mounted on the column mast 210 and is arranged to move the pickup assembly 222 along the vertical direction.

[0044] The pickup assembly 222 is attached to the lifting assembly 221 and protrudes from the column mast 210, and is arranged to take in and out the container 500 on the storage shelf 120 or the delivery shelf 130.

[0045] Specifically, the column mast 210 includes two door posts 211, and the lifting assembly 221 can move the pickup assembly 222 up and down along the vertical direction of the storage shelf 120 by using a drive motor installed on the column mast 210, main driving wheels installed on the top and bottom of the two door posts 211, driven wheels, and two synchronous belts fitted to the main driving wheels and driven wheels.

[0046] The pickup assembly 222 may be embodied in various forms, including but not limited to, fork arm, suction cup, drum, hook arm, and the like.

[0047] The pickup assembly 222 may be attached to a synchronous belt, and may include an extendable structure, and the extension direction is bidirectional, allowing the pickup assembly 222 to move toward the storage shelf 120 or move away from the storage shelf 120, and the extendable structure allows the pickup assembly 222 to protrude into the storage shelf 120 or the delivery shelf 130 to take in and out the container 500.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first robot 200 can use the slide rail 230 to horizontally move the container 500 in and out of the storage shelf 120 or the delivery shelf 130, and can use the lifting assembly 221 to vertically move the container 500 in and out of the storage shelf 120 or the delivery shelf 130.

[0049] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows below the storage shelves 120 in correspondence therewith.

[0050] The delivery shelves 130 may be single-layer shelves and are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the storage shelves 120, with two delivery shelves 130 installed below two storage shelves 120, respectively, and multiple temporary storage locations 131 installed on the delivery shelves 130, arranged to temporarily store one fully loaded container 500 or one empty container 500.

[0051] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, reference is made to Fig. 9, which is a schematic plan view of the delivery shelf shown in Fig. 1. The delivery shelf 130 is installed below the storage shelf 120 and may be a standalone shelf, or may be installed as a shelf integrated with the storage shelf 120 as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, with the lowest shelf serving as the delivery shelf 130 for temporarily placing the containers 500.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, a groove 1311 is provided at the bottom of each temporary storage location 131 of the delivery shelf 130, and the second robot 300 uses the groove 1311 to take in and out the container 500 at the temporary storage location 131.

[0053] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the process in which the second robot 300 takes the fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130 is as follows.

[0054] The second robot 300 moves below the target temporary storage location 131, lifts the fully loaded container 500 through the groove 1311, and exits the temporary storage location 131 along the groove 1311.

[0055] The process by which the second robot 300 places an empty container on the delivery shelf 130 is as follows.

[0056] The second robot 300 moves below the target temporary storage location 131, descends through the groove 1311 to place the fully loaded container 500, and then exits the temporary storage location 131 along the groove 1311.

[0057] There are various types of delivery shelves, and they may be delivery shelves 130 having one groove 1311 in the middle as shown in Fig. 9, or in another embodiment of the present invention, delivery shelves 130 having comb-like grooves in the middle, the comb-like grooves being a plurality of strip grooves spaced apart, and accordingly, comb-like grooves are also provided on the load surface of the lift mechanism 320 of the second robot 300 so that the second robot 300 can avoid the comb-like grooves when ascending and descending to load and unload the container 500. There are no limitations on the specific type of delivery shelf 130 of the present invention.

[0058] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first aisle 600 and a second aisle 700 are provided parallel to each other and spaced apart on either side of each row of storage shelves 120 away from the sorting mechanism 110 .

[0059] The first aisle 600 is closer to the storage shelf 120 than the second aisle 700 .

[0060] A first aisle 600 and a second aisle 700 extend from the storage shelf 120 to the container transfer station 400 .

[0061] The second robot 300 is arranged as follows.

[0062] The empty second robot 300 travels along the first aisle 600 to the delivery shelf 130, receives the fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130, and travels along the second aisle 700 to transport the fully loaded container 500 to the container transfer station 400. Alternatively, the empty second robot 300 travels along the first aisle 600 to the container transfer station 400, receives the empty container 500 from the container transfer station 400, and travels along the second aisle 700 to transport the empty container 500 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0063] That is, the first aisle 600 is for the travel of the empty second robot 300. In the first aisle 600, the second robot 300 can receive a fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130, and can also receive an empty container 500 from the container transfer station 400.

[0064] The second aisle 700 is for the travel of the fully loaded second robot 300. In the second aisle 700, the second robot 300 can place an empty container 500 toward the delivery shelf 130, and can also place a fully loaded container 500 toward the container transfer station 400.

[0065] Here, the structural form of the container transfer station 400 includes, but is not limited to, a transport line, a delivery shelf, etc. The container transfer station 400 shown in Fig. 3 is in the form of a transport line, and includes a fully loaded container transport line 410 and an empty container replenishment line 420. The second robot 300 is arranged to move a fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the fully loaded container transport line 410, or to move an empty container 500 on the empty container replenishment line 420 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the second robot 300 moves a fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the fully loaded container transport line 410 along the second aisle 700, or moves an empty container 500 on the empty container replenishment line 420 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0067] 3 represent fully loaded containers 500, and white blocks represent empty containers 500. In the two second aisles 700 of the embodiment of the present invention, the second robot 300 carrying a fully loaded container 500 can pass through, and the second robot 300 carrying an empty container 500 can also pass through. FIG. 3 only shows an embodiment in which the second robot 300 carrying an empty container 500 travels on one second aisle 700, and the second robot 300 carrying a fully loaded container 500 travels on the other second aisle 700.

[0068] The arrangement direction of the first aisle 600 and the second aisle 700 is set based on the position of the container transfer station 400 relative to the sorting apparatus 100, and as shown in Fig. 3, when the container transfer station 400 is set at one end of the sorting apparatus 100, the direction of the first aisle 600 and the second aisle 700 is parallel to the long side of the storage shelf 120 and extends from one end of the storage shelf 120 away from the container transfer station 400 to the container transfer station 400. The first aisle 600 and the second aisle 700 may meet at one end closer to the container transfer station 400 and extend together to the container transfer station 400.

[0069] In order to ensure that the pickup assembly 222 of the first robot 200 can take in and out containers 500 on the storage shelves 120 and the delivery shelves 130, in the vertical direction, the height of the column mast 210 of the first robot 200 needs to extend from the top storage layer 121 to the delivery shelves 130.

[0070] Since the height of the empty second robot 300 is lower than the height at which the pickup assembly 222 of the first robot 200 places the container 500 on or removes it from the delivery shelf 130, the first passage 600 along which the empty second robot 300 travels can be installed as close to the storage shelf 120 as possible while still ensuring smooth passage of the second robot 300, thereby preventing interference between the first robot 200 and the second robot 300 and maximizing the area required for the placement of the sorting device 100.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the process of movement of the empty second robot 300 is as follows.

[0072] The empty second robot 300 passes under the first robot 200 along the first aisle 600, enters the temporary storage area 131 from the side of the temporary storage area 131 closest to the first aisle 600, picks up the fully loaded container 500, and then returns along the groove 1311 in the original direction, enters the second aisle 700, and heads towards the fully loaded container transport line 410; Alternatively, the second robot 300, which is empty, can pick up the empty container 500 along the first aisle 600 towards the empty container replenishment line 420.

[0073] The process of movement of the second robot 300 carrying the container 500 is as follows.

[0074] The second robot 300 carrying the empty container 500 travels along the second path 700, enters the temporary storage location 131, deposits the empty container 500, then retraces its steps along the groove 1311, enters the first path 600, and then along the first path 600 enters the temporary storage location 131 where another full container 500 is placed, receives the full container 500, and finally travels along the second path 700 to the full container transport line 410, Alternatively, the second robot 300 carrying the empty container 500 travels along the second aisle 700, enters the temporary storage area 131, deposits the empty container 500, then retraces its steps along the groove 1311, enters the first aisle 600, and heads toward the waiting area or empty container replenishment line 420.

[0075] The second robot 300 carrying the full container 500 travels along the second aisle 700 and may deposit the full container 500 towards the full container transport line 410 and then head to a waiting area, or towards the empty container replenishment line 420 to receive an empty container, or along the first aisle 600 towards the delivery shelf 130 to receive the full container 500.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows below the storage shelves 120, corresponding to the storage shelves 120, thereby saving the area required for the sorting device 100 and improving the utilization of the space where the storage shelves 120 are located. The travel path for the second robot 300 is divided into a first aisle 600 and a second aisle 700 for the empty second robot 300 and the second robot 300 carrying a container 500, respectively, improving the transportation efficiency of the second robot 300. The empty second robot 300 travels along the first aisle 600, avoiding interference between the first robot 200 and the second robot 300, thereby saving the area required for the sorting device 100 and improving the utilization of space. The container transfer station 400 is divided into a full container transport line 410 and an empty container replenishment line 420, allowing full containers 500 and empty containers 500 to be transported simultaneously, improving the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0077] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second robot shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second robot shown in FIG. 1 lifting a container.

[0078] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the second robot 300 includes a motion chassis 310 and a lift mechanism 320, which is installed on top of the motion chassis 310 and is configured to move along the motion chassis 310 and lift or place the container 500 through the groove 1311 along the vertical direction.

[0079] Specifically, the lift mechanism 320 includes a lift platform 321, and the groove 1311 is arranged such that its width dimension is smaller than that of the container 500 and larger than that of the lift platform 321, thereby allowing the lift platform 321 to lift or place the container 500 through the groove 1311 and also preventing the container 500 from falling through the groove 1311.

[0080] 1 to 3 and 9, the flow of the second robot 300 picking up the fully loaded container 500 is as follows: After the first robot 200 places the fully loaded container in the temporary storage location 131 on the delivery shelf 130, the second robot 300 moves below the temporary storage location 131, the lift platform 321 moves up, and lifts the fully loaded container 500 through the groove 1311, and then moves from the temporary storage location 131 along the groove 1311 to transport the fully loaded container 500 to the fully loaded container transport line 410.

[0081] The process by which the second robot 300 places the empty container 500 is as follows: The second robot 300 carries the empty container 500 and moves to the side of the temporary storage location 131, and the lift mechanism 320 lifts the empty container 500 to a position higher than the height of the temporary storage location 131. The second robot 300 then moves below the temporary storage location 131 along the groove 1311, and the lift mechanism 320 moves the empty container 500 downward until it contacts the top surface of the temporary storage location 131, and then moves downward and out of the temporary storage location 131.

[0082] Here, the vertical movement of the lift mechanism 320 and the horizontal movement of the mobile chassis 310 can be performed simultaneously, that is, when the mobile chassis 310 enters or leaves the temporary storage location 131, the lift mechanism can lift or lower the container 500.

[0083] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the first robot 200 can take in and out the container 500 without stopping its movement or by only temporarily stopping, thereby improving the efficiency with which the second robot takes in and out the container 500. In addition, the second robot 300 takes in and out the container 500 below the temporary storage area 131, which improves the space utilization rate of the delivery shelf 130.

[0084] 1, the fully loaded container transport line 410 and the empty container replenishment line 420 each consist of one delivery area 401 and one transport area 402, and the delivery area 401 and the transport area 402 move independently. The end portion is the delivery area 401, and the other portion is the transport area 402, and the delivery area 401 and the transport area 402 can work together to transport the container 500.

[0085] Specifically, the second robot 300 completes placing the full container 500 or picking up the empty container 500 by docking with the transfer area 401 of the full container transport line 410 or the empty container replenishment line 420.

[0086] The process in which the second robot 300 transports the fully loaded container 500 is as follows.

[0087] When the second robot 300 transfers the fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the delivery area 401 of the fully loaded container transport line 410, the rolling of the delivery area 401 stops, and after the second robot 300 has placed the fully loaded container 500, the rolling resumes and, in cooperation with the transport area 402, transports the fully loaded container 500 to the next processing stage, such as outbound or re-check packaging. After transferring the fully loaded container 500, the second robot 300 can head to a waiting area to wait, or head to the empty container replenishment line 420 to dock with the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420 to receive the empty container 500 and replenish it on the delivery shelf 130, or it can continue to receive the fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130.

[0088] The process in which the second robot 300 transports the empty container 500 is as follows.

[0089] When the second robot 300 moves to the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420, the delivery area 401 becomes stationary, and after the second robot 300 picks up the empty container 500, it resumes rolling, and the transportation area 402 replenishes the next empty container 500 in the delivery area 401, waiting for the second robot 300 to receive it.

[0090] After the second robot 300 has finished transporting the empty container 500, it can head to the waiting area to wait, or it can receive a fully loaded container 500 at the delivery shelf 130 and transport it to the fully loaded container transport line 410, or it can continue to receive empty containers 500 towards the empty container replenishment line 420.

[0091] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the delivery area 401 and the transportation area 402 are independent of each other and work together to transport. When the delivery area 401 needs to receive a fully loaded container 500 or the second robot 300 needs to take an empty container 500, the stationary state of the delivery area 401 does not affect the transportation area 402's ability to transport the container 500 placed on the transportation area 402, thereby improving the work efficiency of the container transfer station 400.

[0092] Referring to Figures 12 and 13, Figure 12 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second robot shown in Figure 11 when it docks with a container relay station, and Figure 13 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second robot shown in Figure 12 after it has docked with the container relay station.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 12, the input end of the fully loaded container transport line 410 and the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420 both include two parallel conveyors 430, with a running space provided between the two conveyors 430 for the second robot 300 to pass through.

[0094] As shown in Figures 11 to 13, when the second robot 300 docks with the delivery area 401 of the fully loaded container transport line 410 and places the fully loaded container 500, the conveyor 430 comes to a standstill, and the second robot 300 uses the lift mechanism 320 to lift the fully loaded container 500 to a position higher than the height of the conveyor 430 and moves toward the travel space. After the second robot 300 enters the travel space, the lift mechanism 320 places the fully loaded container 500 on the two conveyors 430, and the conveyors 430 begin to roll, cooperating with the transport area 402 to transport the fully loaded container 500 to the next processing stage. The second robot 300 continues to move, exits the travel space, and performs the next task.

[0095] The container transfer station 400 further includes an empty container shelf, and an operator or an automated device such as a robot arm places an empty container 500 on the empty container shelf onto the empty container replenishment line 420. The second robot 300 moves to the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420, docks with it, receives the empty container 500, and transports the empty container 500 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0096] When the second robot 300 docks with the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420 to receive an empty container 500, the second robot 300 moves to the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420, and after the empty container 500 moves to the delivery area 401 of the empty container replenishment line 420, the transfer area 401 stops rolling, and after the second robot 300 takes the empty container 500 by the lift mechanism 320, it continues to replenish the empty container replenishment line 420 with new empty containers 500 by humans or automated devices.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second robot 300 and the container transfer station 400 relay the fully loaded containers 500 and replenish the empty containers 500, thereby improving the work efficiency of the sorting system compared to manually transporting the fully loaded containers 500 and manually replenishing the empty containers 500.

[0098] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sorting apparatus 100 further includes a lift mechanism 140 and a supply table 150, and the sorting mechanism 110 includes a guide mechanism 111 and a sorting shuttle 112, as shown in FIGS.

[0099] The lift mechanism 140 is installed at both ends of the storage shelf 120 and is used to move the sorting shuttle 112 up and down along the height direction of the storage shelf 120 when the sorting shuttle 112 moves to one end of the storage shelf 120.

[0100] The supply platform 150 is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism 140 and docks with the lift mechanism 140 .

[0101] The guide mechanism 111 is installed between two rows of storage shelves 120 and includes multiple shuttle rails 1111 corresponding to the height of each storage layer 121, and the shuttle rails 1111 dock with the lift mechanism 140 so that the sorting shuttle 112 moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the storage shelves 120.

[0102] The sorting shuttle 112 switches between shuttle rails 1111 of different heights using the lift mechanism 140, sorts the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 150 and places it into containers 500 with container openings 1211 of different heights, and uses the guide mechanism 111 to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 150 and place it into containers 500 with container openings 1211 of different heights in the longitudinal direction.

[0103] Specifically, the supply platform 150 may dock with a freight transport line, which may transport the freight to the supply platform 150, and workers may place the freight on the supply platform 150 for pickup by the sorting shuttle 112.

[0104] The sorting system further includes a control device that is communicatively connected to the sorting shuttle 112 and that controls the sorting shuttle 112 to place each cargo item to be sorted into the corresponding container 500 by issuing commands.

[0105] The control device is communicatively connected to the lift mechanism 140, and when the control device issues a command, the lift mechanism 140 moves the sorting shuttle 112 along the height of the storage shelf 120 to the height of the storage layer 121 where the corresponding container 500 is located, and the sorting shuttle 112 continues to move along the shuttle rail 1111 in the storage layer 121 where the corresponding container 500 is located to the corresponding container 500, thereby placing cargo into the container 500.

[0106] The above operation is repeatedly performed, and when a certain container 500 on the storage shelf 120 is filled with cargo, or when all cargo of an order associated with the container 500 has been sorted, the container 500 is considered to be a fully loaded container 500. A control device is communicatively connected to the first robot 200 and the second robot 300, and the control device issues a command, so that the first robot 200 moves the fully loaded container 500 on the storage shelf 120 to the delivery shelf 130, the second robot 300 moves the fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the container transfer station 400, and moves the empty container 500 on the container transfer station 400 to a vacant location on the delivery shelf 130, and finally, the first robot 200 moves the empty container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to a vacant container entrance 1211 on the storage shelf 120.

[0107] At least one first robot 200 and one second robot 300 correspond to each row of storage shelves 120. The multiple first robots 200 can concurrently move a fully loaded container 500 to the delivery shelf 130 or move an empty container 500 to an open container opening 1211. The multiple second robots 300 can concurrently move a fully loaded container 500 to the container transfer station 400 or move an empty container 500 to the delivery shelf 130. This improves the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0108] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the lift mechanism 140 and the guide mechanism 111 allow the sorting shuttle 112 to move vertically and longitudinally within the storage shelves 120. The sorting mechanism 110 is installed between two rows of storage shelves 120, thereby saving space and improving space utilization. The sorting shuttle 112 uses the shuttle rails 1111 to simultaneously sort orders for the containers 500 within the two rows of storage shelves 120, thereby improving the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0109] 1, the delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows below the storage shelves 120 in correspondence with the storage shelves 120. In other sorting system embodiments, the delivery shelves 130 may be installed in two rows parallel to and spaced apart from the storage shelves 120 on the side away from the sorting mechanism 110 in correspondence with each row of storage shelves 120.

[0110] A second type of sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the first robot 200, and the transport device capable of transporting containers to the delivery shelves 130 on either side of the sorting mechanism 110 in the sorting system or to a position away from the delivery shelves 130 is the second robot 300.

[0111] Specifically, with reference to Figures 14 to 17, Figure 14 is a perspective view of the configuration of a sorting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 15 is a front view of the sorting system shown in Figure 14, Figure 16 is a plan view of the sorting system shown in Figure 14, and Figure 17 is a side view of the sorting system shown in Figure 14.

[0112] As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows parallel to the storage shelves 120 at intervals on the side away from the sorting mechanism 110, corresponding to each row of the storage shelves 120.

[0113] A third aisle 800 is provided in the space between each row of delivery shelves 130 and storage shelves 120, and a fourth aisle 900 parallel to the third aisle 800 is provided on the side of each row of delivery shelves 130 away from the storage shelves 120.

[0114] A third aisle 800 and a fourth aisle 900 extend from the storage shelf 120 to the container transfer station 400 .

[0115] The second robot 300 is arranged as follows.

[0116] The empty second robot 300 travels along the third aisle 800 to the delivery shelf 130, receives a fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130, and travels along the fourth aisle 900 to transport the fully loaded container 500 to the container transfer station 400. Alternatively, the empty second robot 300 travels along the third aisle 800 to the container transfer station 400, receives an empty container 500 from the container transfer station 400, and travels along the fourth aisle 900 to transport the empty container 500 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0117] That is, the third aisle 800 is for the travel of the empty second robot 300. The second robot 300 may receive a fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130 on the third aisle 800, or may receive an empty container 500 from the container transfer station 400.

[0118] The fourth aisle 900 is for the travel of the fully loaded second robot 300. The second robot 300 may place an empty container 500 toward the delivery shelf 130 on the fourth aisle 900, or may place a fully loaded container 500 toward the container transfer station 400.

[0119] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the second robot 300 moves a fully loaded container 500 on the delivery shelf 130 to the fully loaded container transport line 410 along the fourth aisle 900, or moves an empty container 500 on the empty container replenishment line 420 to the delivery shelf 130.

[0120] 16 represents a fully loaded container 500, and a white block represents an empty container 500. In the two fourth passages 900 of the embodiment of the present invention, the second robot 300 carrying a fully loaded container 500 may pass through, or the second robot 300 carrying an empty container 500 may pass through. In FIG. 16, only an embodiment is shown in which the second robot 300 carrying an empty container 500 travels down one fourth passage 900, and the second robot 300 carrying a fully loaded container 500 travels down the other fourth passage 900.

[0121] The first robot 200 is installed on the outer surface of the storage shelf 120, i.e., the first robot 200 is located between the storage shelf 120 and the delivery shelf 130. The pickup assembly 222 of the first robot 200 can extend and retract in both directions, and can protrude toward the storage shelf 120 to receive a full container 500 or place an empty container 500, and can protrude toward the delivery shelf 130 to place a full container 500 or receive an empty container 500.

[0122] The arrangement direction of the third aisle 800 and the fourth aisle 900 is based on the position of the container transfer station 400 relative to the sorting apparatus 100, and as shown in Fig. 16, when the container transfer station 400 is installed at one end of the sorting apparatus 100, the direction of the third aisle 800 and the fourth aisle 900 is parallel to the long side of the storage shelf 120 and extends from one end of the storage shelf 120 away from the container transfer station 400 to the container transfer station 400. The third aisle 800 and the fourth aisle 900 may meet at one end closer to the container transfer station 400 and extend together to the container transfer station 400.

[0123] As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the process of movement of the empty second robot 300 is as follows.

[0124] The empty second robot 300 passes under the first robot 200 along the third aisle 800, enters the temporary storage area 131 from the side of the temporary storage area 131 closest to the third aisle 800, picks up the fully loaded container 500, and then passes along the groove 1311 into the fourth aisle 900 toward the fully loaded container transport line 410, Alternatively, the empty second robot 300 can pick up the empty container 500 along the third path 800 toward the empty container replenishment line 420.

[0125] The process of movement of the second robot 300 carrying the container 500 is as follows.

[0126] The second robot 300 carrying the empty container 500 travels along the fourth path 900, enters the temporary storage location 131, deposits the empty container 500, then travels along the groove 1311 to the third path 800, then along the third path 800 to the temporary storage location 131 where another full container 500 is placed, receives the full container 500, and finally travels along the fourth path 900 to the full container transport line 410, Alternatively, the second robot 300 carrying the empty container 500 travels along the fourth aisle 900, enters the temporary storage area 131, places the empty container 500 therein, and then travels along the groove 1311 into the third aisle 800 and heads toward the waiting area or the empty container replenishment line 420.

[0127] The second robot 300 carrying the full container 500 may travel along the fourth aisle 900 and deposit the full container 500 towards the full container transport line 410 and then head to a waiting area, or towards the empty container replenishment line 420 to receive an empty container, or along the third aisle 800 towards the delivery shelf 130 to receive the full container 500.

[0128] According to an embodiment of the present invention, delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows away from the sorting mechanism 110, corresponding to each row of storage shelves 120, and more container openings 1211 are provided on the storage shelves 120, improving the sorting performance of the sorting apparatus 100. The travel path of the second robot 300 is divided into a third aisle 800 and a fourth aisle 900 for the empty second robot 300 and the second robot 300 carrying a container 500, respectively, improving the transportation efficiency of the second robot 300. The first robot 200 and the empty second robot 300 can move between the storage shelves 120 and the delivery shelves 130 without interfering with each other, saving the area of ​​the sorting apparatus 100 installation area, improving space utilization, and avoiding a scenario in which the first robot 200 and the second robot 300 need to move away from each other.

[0129] In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the structure of the sorting mechanism 110 in the sorting device 100, the structure of the first robot 200 and its mounting method, the structure of the second robot 300, and the structure of the container transfer station 400 may all be exactly the same as the sorting mechanism 110, the first robot 200, the second robot 300, and the container transfer station 400 in the first form of sorting system shown in Figure 1, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted here.

[0130] In other words, the main difference between the second type sorting system shown in Figure 14 and the first type sorting system shown in Figure 1 is that the storage shelves 120, delivery shelves 130, and running tracks of the second robot 300 are different, but the rest may be installed in the same way.

[0131] In actual applications, whether using the sorting system of the first or second type described above, or a modified version of the two embodiments described above, the first robot 200 moves the container 500 between the storage shelf 120 and the delivery shelf 130, and the second robot 300 moves the container 500 between the delivery shelf 130 and the container transfer station 400, thereby achieving automatic container exchange in the sorting system, and improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, using the first robot 200 to exchange containers instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the storage shelf 120 to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the container opening 1211 that can be placed on the storage shelf 120 and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system.

[0132] Then, the sorting method of the first type provided in the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0133] The sorting method provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used in a control device, and the control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism 110, the first robot 200, and the second robot 300 of the sorting device 100 in the sorting system.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 18, FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided in the present invention, and the flow includes the following steps. Step S1800: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the storage shelf. In step S1810, if there is a full container on the storage shelf, the first robot is instructed to move the full container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, and the full container is a container that is full of cargo or a container in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted. In step S1820, the second robot is instructed to move the fully loaded container on the delivery shelf to the container transfer station. In step S1830, if at least one container opening of the storage shelf is empty, the second robot is instructed to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf. In step S1840, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an empty container opening on the storage shelf.

[0135] This embodiment is used in the above-mentioned sorting system, and the method involves instructing the first robot 200 to move a fully loaded container 500 from the storage shelf 120 to the delivery shelf 130 and the second robot 300 to move the fully loaded container 500 from the delivery shelf 130 to the container transfer station 400, and instructing the second robot 300 to move an empty container 500 from the container transfer station 400 to the delivery shelf 130 and the first robot 200 to move the empty container 500 from the delivery shelf 130 to an available container opening 1211 on the storage shelf 120. This realizes automatic container 500 exchange in the sorting system, and improves sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, container exchange by the first robot 200 instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the storage shelf 120 to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the number of container openings 1211 that can be placed on the storage shelf 120, thereby improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system.

[0136] In actual applications, steps S1810 and S1830 may be performed in parallel, and steps S1810 and S1830 may be performed separately if there are fully loaded containers on the storage shelf or if at least one container opening on the storage shelf is open; the order in which the steps are performed is not limited.

[0137] In actual applications, when the sorting system is initially started, all the container openings on the storage shelves are empty, so that empty containers can be first moved to the container openings on the storage shelves in preparation for subsequent sorting.

[0138] Specifically, refer to FIG. 19, which is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided in the present invention, and the flow includes the following steps. In step S1801, the second robot is instructed to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf. In step S1802, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to the container entrance of the storage shelf.

[0139] In this way, empty containers are present at the container opening of the storage shelf for sorting by the sorting mechanism.

[0140] Step S1800: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the storage shelf.

[0141] In actual applications, this step can be performed if there are empty containers and cargo to be sorted at the container openings of the storage shelf; if there are empty containers at all container openings of the storage shelf, this step does not need to be started. For example, this step may be started when there are empty containers at a certain number of container openings of the storage shelf. The number can be flexibly set according to the situation and is not limited here. In other words, sorting can be performed in bulk, further improving sorting efficiency.

[0142] In step S1810, if there is a full container on the storage shelf, the first robot is instructed to move the full container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, and the full container is a container that is full of cargo or a container in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted.

[0143] Specifically, in practical application, the control device records how much cargo has been put into each container, and in this step, it can determine whether each container is full based on this record.

[0144] In step S1820, the second robot is instructed to move the fully loaded container on the delivery shelf to the container transfer station.

[0145] In step S1830, if at least one container opening of the storage shelf is empty, the second robot is instructed to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf.

[0146] Specifically, in practical application, the control device records the status of each container opening, and in this step, it determines whether each container opening is open or not based on the record.

[0147] In step S1840, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an empty container opening on the storage shelf.

[0148] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, after step S1840, empty containers are replenished in the storage shelves, at which point the process returns to step S1800 and instructs the sorting mechanism to continue sorting. In this way, a cyclical process is performed, further improving sorting efficiency.

[0149] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the sorting system has two rows of delivery shelves 130 installed below the storage shelves 120, corresponding to the delivery shelves 130. On either side of each row of storage shelves 120, away from the sorting mechanism 110, a first aisle 600 and a second aisle 700 are installed parallel to each other and spaced apart. The first aisle 600 is closer to the storage shelves 120 than the second aisle 700. The first aisle 600 and the second aisle 700 extend from the storage shelves 120 to the container transfer station 400. Detailed explanations of the specific structure will be omitted here. For the sorting process of the sorting system, see FIG. 20 , which is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided by the present invention. The flow includes the following steps:

[0150] In step S1801, the second robot is instructed to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf. In step S1802, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to the container entrance of the storage shelf. Step S1800: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the storage shelf. In step S1810, if there is a full container on the storage shelf, the first robot is instructed to move the full container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, and the full container is a container that is full of cargo or a container in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted. In step S1821, the empty second robot is instructed to travel along the first aisle to the delivery shelf, pick up the fully loaded container from the delivery shelf, and travel along the second aisle to transport the fully loaded container to the container transfer station. In step S1831, if at least one container opening on the storage shelf is open, an empty second robot is instructed to travel along the first aisle to the container transfer station, pick up the empty container from the container transfer station, and travel along the second aisle to transport the empty container to the delivery shelf. In step S1840, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an empty container opening on the storage shelf.

[0151] In the sorting system of this embodiment, the track for the second robot 300 is divided into a first passage 600 and a second passage 700 for the empty second robot 300 and the second robot 300 carrying the container 500, respectively, thereby improving the efficiency of transportation of the second robot 300.

[0152] 14 to 16 , in the sorting system, the delivery shelves 130 are installed in two rows on the side away from the sorting mechanism 110 corresponding to the storage shelves 120 in each row, and are parallel to the storage shelves 120 at intervals. A third aisle 800 is installed in the space between the delivery shelves 130 in each row and the storage shelves 120, and a fourth aisle 900 parallel to the third aisle 800 is installed on the side of the delivery shelves 130 in each row away from the storage shelves 120. The third aisle 800 and the fourth aisle 900 extend from the storage shelves 120 to the container transfer station 400.

[0153] The sorting process of this sorting system is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 20. Specifically, refer to Figure 21, which is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the sorting method of the first aspect provided by the present invention. The flow includes the following steps:

[0154] In step S1801, the second robot is instructed to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf. In step S1802, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to the container entrance of the storage shelf. Step S1800: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the storage shelf. In step S1810, if there is a full container on the storage shelf, the first robot is instructed to move the full container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, and the full container is a container that is full of cargo or a container in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted. In step S1822, the empty second robot is instructed to travel along the third aisle to the delivery shelf, pick up the fully loaded container from the delivery shelf, and travel along the fourth aisle to transport the fully loaded container to the container transfer station. In step S1832, if at least one container opening on the storage shelf is open, the second robot, which is empty, is instructed to travel along the third aisle to the container transfer station, pick up the empty container from the container transfer station, and travel along the fourth aisle to transport the empty container to the delivery shelf.

[0155] In step S1840, the first robot is instructed to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an empty container opening on the storage shelf.

[0156] In the sorting system of this embodiment, the track along which the second robot 300 travels is divided into a third passage 800 and a fourth passage 900 along which the empty second robot 300 and the second robot 300 carrying the container 500 travel, respectively, thereby improving the efficiency of transporting the second robot 300.

[0157] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the container transfer station 400 shown in FIG. 3 is in the form of a transport line, and the container transfer station 400 includes a full container transport line 410 and an empty container replenishment line 420. In this case, step S1810 shown in FIG. 18 specifically instructs the second robot to move the full container on the delivery shelf to the full container transport line when a full container is present on the storage shelf. In response, step S1830 specifically instructs the second robot to move an empty container from the container transfer station to the delivery shelf when at least one container opening on the storage shelf is open.

[0158] In this embodiment, the container transfer station 400 is divided into a fully loaded container transport line 410 and an empty container replenishment line 420, so that fully loaded containers 500 and empty containers 500 can be transported simultaneously, improving the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0159] In one embodiment, the sorting apparatus 100 further includes a lift mechanism 140 and a supply tray 150, the sorting mechanism 110 includes a guide mechanism 111 and a sorting shuttle 112, and the control device is further communicatively connected to the lift mechanism 140 and the sorting shuttle 112.

[0160] In this case, step S1800 shown in Figure 18 specifically involves, when the sorting shuttle moves to one end of the storage shelf, instructing the lift mechanism to move the sorting shuttle up and down along the height direction of the storage shelf, instructing the sorting shuttle to switch between shuttle rails of different heights using the lift mechanism, sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table and placing it into containers with container openings of different heights, and sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table and placing it into containers with container openings of different heights in the longitudinal direction using the guide mechanism.

[0161] In this embodiment, the sorting device 100 has a lift mechanism 140, a guide mechanism 111, and a sorting shuttle 112, which can quickly sort cargo in the longitudinal and vertical directions, further improving sorting efficiency.

[0162] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a control device. The control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism, the first robot, and the second robot of the sorting device in any of the above-mentioned sorting systems. Referring to Fig. 22, Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the control device of the first embodiment provided by the present invention. As shown in Fig. 22, the control device a memory 2201 for storing computer programs; a processor 2202 for implementing the steps of the above sorting method when a program stored in the memory 2201 is executed; The method comprises: directing the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on a storage shelf; When a full container is present on the storage shelf, instructing the first robot to move the full container on the storage shelf to a delivery shelf, the full container being a container that is full with cargo or a container in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted; Instructing the second robot to move the fully loaded container on the delivery shelf to a container transfer station; When at least one container opening of the storage shelf is empty, instructing the second robot to move an empty container from a container transfer station to the delivery shelf; and instructing the first robot to move the empty container from the delivery shelf to an empty container opening of the storage shelf.

[0163] The electronic device may further include a communication bus and / or a communication interface, and the processor 2202, the communication interface, and the memory 2201 communicate with each other via the communication bus.

[0164] The control device can be realized by a computer. The control device may further include a wired or wireless network card for communication with, for example, the transport robot and the sorting robot.

[0165] The following is a detailed description of a third type of sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the transport robot 2-300, and the transport device that can transport containers to shelves 2-200 on both sides of the sorting mechanism 2-100 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 2-200 is the container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0166] Referring to Figures 23a to 23d, Figure 23a is a perspective view schematic diagram of a sorting system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, Figure 23b is a front view schematic diagram of the sorting system shown in Figure 23a, Figure 23c is a plan view schematic diagram of the sorting system shown in Figure 23a, and Figure 23d is a side view schematic diagram of the sorting system shown in Figure 23a.

[0167] As shown in FIGS. 23a to 23d, the sorting system provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes a sorting mechanism 2-100, a shelf 2-200, a transport robot 2-300, and a container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0168] The shelf 2-200 includes a plurality of storage layers 2-210 arranged in two rows and spaced apart vertically, each storage layer 2-210 including a plurality of container openings 2-211, each of which is for storing one container 2-500 to be loaded.

[0169] The sorting mechanism 2-100 is installed between two rows of shelves 2-200 and is arranged to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into the containers 2-500 on the shelves 2-200.

[0170] The container delivery transport line 2-400 is installed adjacent to the shelf 2-200 and is arranged to transport empty containers 2-500 toward the shelf 2-200 or to transport fully loaded containers 2-500 away from the shelf 2-200.

[0171] The transport robot 2-300 is arranged between the shelf 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400 so as to take in and out a fully loaded container 2-500 or an empty container 2-500.

[0172] In the sorting system provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the transport robot 2-300 transfers containers 2-500 between the shelf 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400, realizing automatic container exchange of the sorting system and improving sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, by using the transport robot 2-300 to exchange containers instead of manually, the height of the shelf 2-200 can be exceeded by the height limit of the worker, increasing the container opening 2-211 that can be placed on the shelf 2-200 and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system. Furthermore, the container delivery transport line 2-400 can transport empty containers 2-500 toward the shelf 2-200 or full containers 2-500 away from the shelf 2-200, realizing automatic transportation of empty and full containers 2-500 and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0173] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figures 23a and 23c, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is installed in two rows, each docking with two rows of shelves 2-200, so that the transport robot 2-300 can use the shelves 2-200 to transfer fully loaded or empty containers 2-500 between the shelves 2-200 and the container delivery and transportation line 2-400.

[0174] Specifically, Figures 23a to 23c show only a portion of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 located on shelf 2-200, but the actual container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is installed within the logistics warehouse storage system along the container transportation route and transports containers 2-500 between the sorting system and each of the other stages.

[0175] In one embodiment, a container delivery transport line 2-400 is installed at a distance from the shelf 2-200, a transport robot 2-300 is installed on the shelf 2-200, and a pickup assembly of the transport robot 2-300 moves containers 2-500 in and out of the space between the container delivery transport line 2-400 and the shelf 2-200. There may be multiple transport robots 2-300, with at least one transport robot 2-300 moving containers 2-500 in and out between each row of shelves 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400, and each transport robot 2-300 is for transporting containers 2-500 within a preset length section of the shelf 2-200.

[0176] If the shelves 2-200 are long, two, three or more transport robots 2-300 may be installed on each row of shelves 2-200. The shelves 2-200 are divided into multiple sections along their length corresponding to the number of transport robots 2-300, and each transport robot 2-300 is responsible for transporting containers 2-500 within one length section of the shelf 2-200. Note that the length sections may be divided based on the distribution area of ​​the containers 2-500 that need to be transported on the shelf 2-200, and therefore the length sections do not have to be constant. According to this embodiment, the efficiency with which the transport robots 2-300 transport containers 2-500 can be improved.

[0177] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23a to 23c, for example, there are two transport robots 2-300, and each transport robot 2-300 is used to cooperate with one row of shelves 2-200 and one container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0178] Specifically, Figures 23a to 23c only show the case where the arrangement direction of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200, but the actual arrangement direction of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is set based on a specific scenario, and the present invention does not have any specific restrictions on this.

[0179] According to an embodiment of the present invention, two container delivery and transportation lines 2-400 are installed, each docking with two rows of shelves 2-200, which can improve the efficiency of replenishing empty containers 2-500 in the sorting system and the efficiency of transporting fully loaded containers 2-500.

[0180] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figures 23a to 23c, one or more transfer areas 2-410 are installed on the container delivery and transportation line 2-400, and the transfer areas 2-410 are installed within a section corresponding to the long side of the shelf 2-200 on the container delivery and transportation line 2-400, and each transfer area 2-410 may be installed adjacent to each other or at intervals, and the present invention has no restrictions on the distance between each transfer area 2-410.

[0181] The transport robot 2-300 is arranged to transport a fully loaded container 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 to a delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transport line 2-400, or to transport an empty container 2-500 on the delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transport line 2-400 to the shelf 2-200.

[0182] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more transfer areas 2-410 are installed on the container transfer transport line 2-400, and the transport robot 2-300 does not need to move along the longitudinal direction of the container transfer transport line 2-400 to take in and out the container 2-500, but can simply move along the horizontal direction of the shelf 2-200 and dock with the transfer area 2-410 to complete the take-in and take-out of the container 2-500, thereby improving the efficiency of the transport robot 2-300 in taking in and out the container 2-500 and improving the sorting performance of the sorting system.

[0183] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, with reference to Figure 24, Figure 24 is a perspective configuration schematic diagram of the container delivery transportation line shown in Figure 23a. As shown in Figures 23c and 24, the part of the container delivery transportation line 2-400 other than the delivery area 2-410 is a transportation area 2-420, The transport area 2-420 is for transporting empty containers 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 or for transporting full containers 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410 away from the shelf 2-200.

[0184] Specifically, the sorting system further includes a control device, which can control the operations of the sorting mechanism 2-100, the transport robot 2-300, and the container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0185] As shown in Figure 24, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 may be a roller transportation line, and both the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 may include multiple rollers, allowing for rolling transportation. The container delivery and transportation line 2-400 may further include a driving device (not shown in the drawing), and both the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 may be equipped with a detection device (not shown in the drawing). The control device may control the driving device to start or stop the rotation of the rollers in the delivery area 2-410 or the transportation area 2-420 based on the detection information fed back from the detection devices in the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420. The specific transportation process will be described in detail later.

[0186] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 includes an independent delivery area 2-410 and transportation area 2-420, and the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 can work together to transport the container 2-500.Even if the container 2-500 is temporarily placed in the delivery area 2-410 and cannot be moved, this does not affect transportation in the transportation area 2-420, thereby improving the work efficiency of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400.

[0187] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figure 24, when the transport robot 2-300 needs to place a fully loaded container 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410, it stops rolling in the delivery area 2-410, and resumes rolling after the placement is completed, working in cooperation with the transportation area 2-420 to transport the fully loaded container 2-500 and leave.

[0188] When an empty container 2-500 is transported to the delivery area 2-410, the rolling of the delivery area 2-410 stops, and when the transport robot 2-300 picks up the empty container 2-500, the rolling resumes and continues until the next empty container 2-500 is transported to the delivery area 2-410.

[0189] When a container 2-500 in the transportation area 2-420 is transported to an area immediately adjacent to the delivery area 2-410 and the delivery area 2-410 is in a rolling stopped state, the area in the transportation area 2-420 where the container 2-500 is loaded stops rolling, and after the delivery area 2-410 starts rolling, the area where the container 2-500 is loaded also starts rolling, and the container 2-500 continues to be transported.

[0190] Specifically, the control device of the sorting system is communicatively connected to the transport robot 2-300 and the container delivery transport line 2-400, and the control device can independently control the start and stop of the delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transport line 2-400. By cooperating with the transport robot 2-300, the transport robot 2-300 can take in and out containers 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410 when the delivery area 2-410 is in a rolling stopped state.

[0191] When the transport robot 2-300 intends to place the fully loaded container 2-500, the control device sends a command to the container delivery transport line 2-400, instructing the delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transport line 2-400 to stop rolling, the rollers in the delivery area 2-410 are stationary, and since the placement of the fully loaded container 2-500 is complete, the control device instructs the delivery area 2-410 to resume rolling, and in cooperation with the transport area 2-420, sends the fully loaded container 2-500 to the next processing stage, such as warehousing or packaging. When an empty container 2-500 is transported to the delivery area 2-410, the rollers in the delivery area 2-410 stop rolling, and after the transport robot 2-300 picks up the empty container 2-500, the container delivery transport line 2-400 transports the next empty container 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 and waits for the transport robot 2-300 to receive it.

[0192] In the transportation area 2-420, photoelectric sensors may be installed in the area adjacent to the downstream transfer area 2-410, and when the downstream transfer area 2-410 is placing a fully loaded container 2-500 or when an empty container 2-500 is placed in the transfer area, the rollers in the transfer area 2-410 are stationary, and the area in the transportation area 2-420 moving away from the transfer area 2-410 remains in a rolling state. When the photoelectric sensor detects that the container 2-500 is being transported to an area adjacent to the downstream transfer area 2-410, the adjacent area carrying the container 2-500 stops rolling, and after the transfer area 2-410 starts rolling, the adjacent area carrying the container 2-500 also starts rolling, and the container 2-500 continues to be transported.

[0193] In addition, when the rolling of the delivery area 2-410 stops, the sorting system temporarily suspends the transportation of containers 2-500 only in the area adjacent to the delivery area 2-410 in the transportation area 2-420 upstream of the delivery area 2-410, and does not affect the transportation of containers 2-500 in the area away from the delivery area 2-410 in the transportation area 2-420.

[0194] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transportation in the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 is independent of each other, but also interconnected. When the delivery area 2-410 needs to receive a fully loaded container 2-500, or when the transport robot 2-300 needs to retrieve an empty container 2-500, the stationary state of the delivery area 2-410 does not affect the transportation area 2-420's ability to transport the container 2-500 placed on the transportation area 2-420, thereby improving the working efficiency of the container delivery transportation line 2-400.

[0195] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figures 23a and 24, the container delivery transport line 2-400 includes a full container delivery transport line 2-430 and an empty container delivery transport line 2-440 spaced apart vertically, and the transport robot 2-300 is arranged to transport a full container 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 to the full container delivery transport line 2-430, or to transport an empty container 2-500 on the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 to the shelf 2-200.

[0196] Specifically, one row of container delivery and receiving transport lines 2-400 includes one fully loaded container delivery and receiving transport line 2-430 and one empty container delivery and receiving transport line 2-440, and the fully loaded container delivery and receiving transport line 2-430 and the empty container delivery and receiving transport line 2-440 have the same specific structures, and both consist of one or more delivery areas 2-410 and transport areas 2-420.

[0197] The full container delivery transport line 2-430 may be installed above or below the empty container delivery transport line 2-440, and the present invention does not limit the vertical positional relationship between the full container delivery transport line 2-430 and the empty container delivery transport line 2-440. As shown in Figures 23a and 24, the full container delivery transport line 2-430 is installed above the empty container delivery transport line 2-440, with a gap between the two transport lines to provide adequate space for the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 to transport empty containers 2-500.

[0198] 24, as the container delivery transport line 2-400 extends in a direction away from the shelf 2-200, the full container delivery transport line 2-430 and the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 are separated and extend to different stations. The full container delivery transport line 2-430 transports full containers 2-500 to a packing house, and the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 extends to an empty container transfer station, where the empty containers 2-500 are transported to the delivery area 2-410 of the empty container delivery transport line 2-440, where the transport robot 2-300 picks them up and replenishes the vacant container opening 2-211.

[0199] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is divided into a full container delivery and transportation line 2-430 and an empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440 installed at a vertical interval, and the roles of the full container delivery and transportation line 2-430 and the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440 are clearly defined. This allows the work of transporting a full container 2-500 to the next processing stage and the work of transporting an empty container 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 to be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the work efficiency of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400. The transport robot 2-300 can place a full container 2-500 on the full container delivery and transportation line 2-430 and then pick up an empty container 2-500 from the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440, thereby simplifying the movement path of the transport robot 2-300 and improving the work efficiency of the transport robot 2-300.

[0200] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figures 23a to 23d, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is installed on the side of the shelf 2-200 away from the sorting mechanism 2-100, and here, the delivery areas 2-410 of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 are installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200 at intervals.

[0201] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 23a to 23d, the two rows of container delivery transport lines 2-400 are installed on the outside corresponding to the two rows of shelves 2-200, that is, on the side away from the sorting mechanism 2-100.

[0202] Note that Figures 23a to 23d only show the case where the arrangement direction of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200, but the actual arrangement of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 needs to be set based on a specific scenario, and in order for the transport robot 2-300 to put in and take out the container 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410, the delivery area 2-410 needs to be installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200, and the transportation area 2-420 may be arranged based on the position of the processing stage to which the fully loaded container 2-500 is heading and the position of the empty container replenishment station, and the present invention has no specific restrictions on this.

[0203] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 is installed outside the shelf 2-200, and the delivery areas 2-410 are installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200 at intervals, which does not occupy space on the shelf 2-200 and allows more container openings 2-211 to be installed on the shelf 2-200, thereby improving the sorting performance of the sorting system.

[0204] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, as shown in Figures 23a to 23d, the shelf 2-200 includes multiple beams 2-230 installed along the vertical direction, and the transport robot 2-300 is attached to the outside of the shelf 2-200 by the beams 2-230.

[0205] Specifically, the multiple transport robots 2-300 are mounted on beams 2-230 on the outer sides of the two rows of shelves 2-200, respectively. The multiple transport robots 2-300 slide along the beams 2-230, thereby achieving movement along the horizontal direction of the shelves 2-200. This allows the multiple transport robots 2-300 to simultaneously transfer containers between the shelves 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400, thereby improving transportation efficiency. The specific arrangement method will be explained in detail later.

[0206] In the embodiment shown in Figure 23a, with reference to Figures 25a to 25d, Figure 25a is a perspective view schematic diagram of the transport robot shown in Figure 23a, Figure 25b is a front view schematic diagram of the transport robot shown in Figure 23a, Figure 25c is a plan view schematic diagram of the transport robot shown in Figure 23a, and Figure 25d is a side view schematic diagram of the transport robot shown in Figure 23a.

[0207] As shown in FIGS. 25a to 25c, the transport robot 2-300 includes a column mast 2-310, a transport mechanism 2-320, and at least one slide rail 2-330.

[0208] The column mast 2-310 is mounted along the vertical direction of the shelf 2-200.

[0209] The transport mechanism 2-320 is installed on the column mast 2-310 and is for loading and unloading containers 2-500 at different heights of the shelves 2-200 or the container delivery transportation line 2-400.

[0210] At least one slide rail 2-330 is fixedly mounted to the beam 2-230. The column mast 2-310 is slidably connected to the at least one slide rail 2-330 so that the column mast 2-310 and the transport mechanism 2-320 can be slid horizontally along the beam 2-230 to load and unload different containers 2-500 along the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery transport line 2-400 in the longitudinal direction.

[0211] Specifically, as shown in Figures 23a and 23b, the transport robot 2-300 is fixed to the shelf 2-200 by two slide rails 2-330 installed at a distance from each other above and below, and the transport robot 2-300 can move along the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200 by means of these two slide rails 2-330.

[0212] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transport robot 2-300 can move horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200 to load and unload each container 2-500 in the longitudinal direction of the shelf 2-200 or the container 2-500 in the transfer area 2-410 of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400. In addition, the pickup assembly 2-322 of the transport robot 2-300 can move up and down along the height direction of the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 to load and unload containers 2-500 in storage layers 2-210 at different heights of the shelf 2-200, in the fully loaded container delivery and transportation line 2-430, or in the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440. Specific methods for loading and unloading containers 2-500 will be described in detail later.

[0213] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 23a, as shown in FIGS. 25a-25d, the transport mechanism 2-320 of the transport robot 2-300 includes a lifting assembly 2-321 and a pickup assembly 2-322.

[0214] The lifting assembly 2-321 is mounted on the column mast 2-310 and is arranged to move the pickup assembly 2-322 along the vertical direction.

[0215] The pickup assembly 2-322 is mounted on the lifting assembly 2-321 and protrudes from the column mast 2-310 toward the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery transport line 2-400, and is positioned to retrieve and place containers 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0216] Specifically, the column mast 2-310 includes two door posts 2-311, and the lifting assembly 2-321 can move the pickup assembly 2-322 up and down along the vertical direction of the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery transport line 2-400 by using a drive motor installed on the column mast 2-310, main and driven wheels installed on the top and bottom of the two door posts 2-311, and two synchronous belts fitted to the main and driven wheels.

[0217] The pickup assembly 2-322 may be of a type including, but not limited to, a fork arm type, a suction cup type, a drum type, a hook arm type, and the like.

[0218] The pickup assembly 2-322 may be attached to a synchronous belt, and may include an extendable structure, which has a bidirectional extension direction and can move toward or away from the shelf 2-200, and the extendable structure allows it to protrude into the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery transport line 2-400 to load or unload the container 2-500.

[0219] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transport robot 2-300 can use the slide rail 2-330 to horizontally move the container 2-500 in and out of the shelf 2-200 or the container delivery and transportation line 2-400, and can use the lifting assembly 2-321 to vertically move the container 2-500 in and out of storage layers 2-210 at different heights on the shelf 2-200, the fully loaded container delivery and transportation line 2-430, or the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440.

[0220] Hereinafter, based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 23a, the taking in and out of the container 2-500 by the transport robot 2-300 will be described in detail.

[0221] Specifically, the control device of the sorting system can control the operations of the sorting mechanism 2-100, the transport robot 2-300, and the container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0222] The process of transporting a fully loaded container 2-500 specifically includes the following steps:

[0223] In step A, the transport robot 2-300 moves along the slide rail 2-330 to the row where the target fully loaded container 2-500 is located along the length of the shelf 2-200.

[0224] In step B, the lifting assembly 2-321 moves the pickup assembly 2-322 along the height direction of the shelf 2-200 to the row where the target fully loaded container 2-500 is located.

[0225] Here, the order of performing steps A and B does not matter, and step B may be performed after step A has been performed. Alternatively, step B may be performed, and the pickup assembly 2-322 may move to the row where the target container 2-500 is located, and then step A may be performed, and the transport robot 2-300 may move by the slide rail 2-330 to the column where the target fully loaded container 2-500 is located. Furthermore, steps A and B may be performed in parallel, and the pickup assembly 2-322 may move vertically and the transport robot 2-300 may move horizontally in parallel.

[0226] Step C, the pickup assembly 2-322 protrudes into the fully loaded container 2-500 by means of its telescopic structure, and is withdrawn after picking up the fully loaded container 2-500.

[0227] In step D, the pickup assembly 2-322 is loaded with the fully loaded container 2-500 by the slide rail 2-330 and the lifting assembly 2-321 and moves to the front of the delivery area 2-410 of the fully loaded container delivery transport line 2-430. Here, horizontal movement by the slide rail 2-330 and vertical movement by the lifting assembly 2-321 can be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the relay efficiency of the transport robot 2-300.

[0228] Step E, the pickup assembly 2-322 extends, by its telescopic structure, into the delivery area 2-410 of the fully loaded container delivery transport line 2-430 and places the fully loaded container 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410.

[0229] The subsequent work flow of the container delivery transport line 2-400 is as follows: The fully loaded container delivery transport line 2-430 transports the fully loaded container 2-500 to the next processing stage, and at the same time, the control device sends a command to replenish the empty container 2-500 at the vacant container opening 2-211 of the shelf 2-200, and the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 transports the empty container 2-500.

[0230] The process of transporting the empty container 2-500 specifically includes the following steps:

[0231] Step F, the slide rails 2-330 and the lift assembly 2-321 move the pickup assembly 2-322 to the front of the delivery area 2-410 of the empty container delivery transport line 2-440.

[0232] Step G, the pickup assembly 2-322 extends into the delivery area 2-410 of the empty container delivery transportation line 2-440 by means of its telescopic structure, and is retrieved after picking up the empty container 2-500.

[0233] At step H, the pickup assembly 2-322 moves in front of the open container opening 2-211 by the slide rail 2-330 and the lifting assembly 2-321.

[0234] Step I: The pickup assembly 2-322 projects into the open container opening 2-211 by means of its telescopic structure, and retrieves the empty container 2-500 placed at the open container opening 2-211.

[0235] The subsequent work flow of the container delivery transport line 2-400 is as follows: After the transport robot 2-300 picks up the empty container 2-500, the control device controls the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 to continue transporting the next empty container 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 so that it waits for the transport robot 2-300 to receive it.

[0236] After the transport robot 2-300 performs step E, the lifting assembly 2-321 can directly move the pickup assembly 2-322 to the front of the delivery area 2-410 of the empty container delivery transport line 2-440, and then steps G to I are performed to complete the loading and unloading of the container 2-500.

[0237] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transport robot 2-300 can simply dock with the shelf 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400 to remove full containers and replenish empty containers instead of using humans, automating the container flow of the sorting system and improving sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container replacement. Furthermore, by using the transport robot 2-300 to replace containers on the shelf 2-200 instead of using humans, the design height of the shelf 2-200 can be exceeded due to the height of the worker, increasing the container opening 2-211 that can be placed on the shelf 2-200 and improving the sorting performance and space utilization of the sorting system. Furthermore, the container delivery transport line 2-400 can transport empty containers 2-500 toward the shelf 2-200 or transport fully loaded containers 2-500 away from the shelf 2-200, realizing automatic transport of empty and fully loaded containers 2-500 and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0238] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 23a, the sorting mechanism 2-100 is installed between two rows of shelves 2-200 and is capable of receiving cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into the containers 2-500 on said shelves 2-200.

[0239] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 23a to 23d, the sorting mechanism 2-100 includes a supply table 2-110, a lift mechanism 2-120, a guide mechanism 2-130, and a sorting shuttle 2-140.

[0240] The lift mechanisms 2-120 are installed on both ends of the shelf 2-200 and are used to move the sorting shuttle 2-140 up and down along the height direction of the shelf 2-200.

[0241] The supply platform 2-110 is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism 2-120 and docks with the lift mechanism 2-120.

[0242] The guide mechanism 2-130 is installed between two rows of shelves 2-200 and includes multiple shuttle rails 2-131 corresponding to the height of each storage layer 2-210.When the shuttle rails 2-131 dock with the lift mechanism 2-120, the sorting shuttle 2-140 moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the shelves 2-200.

[0243] The sorting shuttle 2-140 uses the lift mechanism 2-120 to switch between shuttle rails 2-131 of different heights, thereby sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 2-110 into containers 2-500 with container openings 2-211 of different heights, and uses the guide mechanism 2-130 to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 2-110 into containers 2-500 with container openings 2-211 of different heights in the longitudinal direction.

[0244] Specifically, the supply tray 2-110 may dock with a cargo transport line, and the cargo to be sorted may be transported to the supply tray 2-110 by the cargo transport line, or the cargo to be sorted may be placed on the supply tray 2-110 by an operator for pickup by the sorting shuttle 2-140.

[0245] A control device is communicatively connected to the sorting shuttle 2-140, and the control device issues commands to control the sorting shuttle 2-140 to place each cargo to be sorted into the corresponding container 2-500.

[0246] The control device is communicatively connected to the lift mechanism 2-120, and the control device can send commands to control the lift mechanism 2-120 to move the sorting shuttle 2-140 along the height direction of the shelf 2-200 to the height of the storage layer 2-210 where the corresponding container 2-500 is located, and the sorting shuttle 2-140 continues to move to the corresponding container 2-500 along the shuttle rail 2-131 in the storage layer 2-210 where the corresponding container 2-500 is located, and places the cargo into the container 2-500.

[0247] The above operation is repeated, and when a certain container 2-500 on a shelf 2-200 is filled with cargo, or when all the cargo of the order associated with that container 2-500 has been sorted, that container 2-500 is considered to be a fully loaded container 2-500. The control device is communicatively connected to the transport robot 2-300 and controls the transport robot 2-300 to move the fully loaded container 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 to the delivery area 2-410 of the fully loaded container delivery transport line 2-430, and the fully loaded container delivery transport line 2-430 transports the fully loaded container away from the sorting system, and then the transport robot 2-300 moves the empty container 2-500 in the delivery area 2-410 of the empty container delivery transport line 2-440 to an empty container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200.

[0248] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the lift mechanism 2-120 and guide mechanism 2-130 allow the sorting shuttle 2-140 to move vertically and longitudinally on the shelf 2-200. The sorting mechanism 2-100 is installed between two rows of shelves 2-200, saving space and improving space utilization. The sorting shuttle 2-140 uses the shuttle rails 2-131 to simultaneously sort orders into the containers 2-500 on the two rows of shelves 2-200, improving the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0249] As described above, in the third type of sorting system shown in Figure 23a, the container delivery transport line 2-400 is installed on the side of the shelf 2-200 away from the sorting mechanism 2-100, and in other sorting system embodiments, the container delivery transport line 2-400 may be installed at one longitudinal end of the shelf 2-200.

[0250] The following is a detailed description of a fourth type of sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the transport robot 2-300, and the transport device that can transport containers to shelves 2-200 on both sides of the sorting mechanism 2-100 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 2-200 is the container delivery transport line 2-400.

[0251] 26, which is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the sorting system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, a container delivery transport line 2-400 is installed at one end of the shelf 2-200 in the longitudinal direction, a storage space 2-220 is installed at the bottom of one end of the shelf 2-200 close to the container delivery transport line 2-400, and a delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transport line 2-400 extends and is installed in the storage space 2-220.

[0252] Specifically, in this embodiment, there is one lift mechanism 2-120, and two rows of container delivery and transportation lines 2-400 are installed corresponding to the ends of the two rows of shelves 2-200 that are away from the lift mechanism 2-120, and their delivery areas 2-410 are installed corresponding to the storage spaces 2-220 at the bottom of the two rows of shelves 2-200, respectively.

[0253] To provide the receiving space 2-220 for the delivery area 2-410, the shelf 2-200 can be placed high enough to provide sufficient height at its bottom to receive the delivery area 2-410.

[0254] If the shelf 2-200 is not raised, the length of one or two storage layers 2-210 that may interfere with the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 at the bottom of the shelf 2-200 may be shortened. That is, the bottom one or two storage layers 2-210 are shortened toward the lift mechanism 2-120, and two more supporting door posts are installed at the shortened end, and these two door posts and two door posts on the shelf 2-200 closest to the container delivery and transportation line 2-400 surround the storage space 2-220, thereby accommodating the delivery area 2-410.

[0255] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the delivery area 2-410 of the container delivery transportation line 2-400 is installed at the bottom of the shelf 2-200, which saves the transport robot 2-300 the distance it takes to travel to the delivery area 2-410, improves the efficiency of the transport robot 2-300 in taking in and out containers 2-500, improves the sorting performance of the sorting system, saves the area required for the sorting system to be installed, and improves space utilization.

[0256] In addition, in the fourth form of sorting system, except for the number of lift mechanisms 2-120, the installation position of the container delivery and transport line 2-400, and the structure of the shelf 2-200, the structure of the sorting mechanism 2-100, the structure and installation method of the transport robot 2-300, and the structure of the container delivery and transport line 2-400 are all exactly the same as the sorting mechanism 2-100, the transport robot 2-300, and the container delivery and transport line 2-400 in the third form of sorting system shown in Figure 23a, and detailed explanations will be omitted here.

[0257] In other words, the main differences between the fourth type sorting system shown in Figure 26 and the third type sorting system shown in Figure 23a are the number of lift mechanisms 2-120, the installation position of the container delivery transport line 2-400, and the structure of the shelves 2-200, and the rest may be installed in the same way.

[0258] In actual applications, the sorting system of the third or fourth form, or a modified configuration of the above two forms, can realize automatic container exchange of the sorting system by having the transport robot 2-300 move the container 2-500 between the shelf 2-200 and the container delivery transport line 2-400, thereby improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange. Furthermore, container exchange by the transport robot 2-300 instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the shelf 2-200 to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the container opening 2-211 that can be placed on the shelf 2-200 and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system. In addition, the container delivery transport line 2-400 can transport empty containers 2-500 toward the shelf 2-200 or transport fully loaded containers 2-500 away from the shelf 2-200, enabling automatic transportation of empty and fully loaded containers 2-500 and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0259] After that, the second type of sorting method provided in the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0260] The sorting method of the second form provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used in a control device, and the control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism 2-100, the transport robot 2-300, and the container delivery transport line 2-400 in the sorting system.

[0261] Referring to FIG. 27, FIG. 27 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the sorting method of the second aspect provided in the present invention, and the flow includes the following steps.

[0262] Step S500: Command and activate the container delivery transport line so that the container delivery transport line can transport empty containers to the shelf and full containers away from the shelf.

[0263] Step S510: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the shelf.

[0264] Step S520: If there are fully loaded containers on the shelf, the transport robot is instructed to move the fully loaded containers on the shelf to the container delivery transport line.

[0265] Specifically, a full container 2-500 is a container 2-500 that is full of cargo or has all of the cargo in the associated order sorted. In actual application, the control device records how much cargo has been placed in each container 2-500. In this step, it can be determined whether each container 2-500 is full based on this record.

[0266] Step S530: If at least one container opening on the shelf is vacant, the transport robot is instructed to move an empty container on the container delivery transport line to the vacant container opening on the shelf.

[0267] Specifically, in practical application, the control device records the status of each container 2-500 and the container opening 2-211. In this step, based on this record, it can be determined whether each container opening 2-211 is open or not.

[0268] This embodiment is used in the above-mentioned sorting system, and the method instructs the transport robot 2-300 to move a fully loaded container 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 to the container delivery transport line 2-400, and moves an empty container 2-500 on the container delivery transport line 2-400 to an available container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200, thereby realizing automatic container exchange in the sorting system and improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to manual container exchange.In addition, container exchange using the transport robot 2-300 instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the shelf 2-200 to exceed the height limit of the worker, increasing the number of container openings 2-211 that can be placed on the shelf 2-200, and improving the sorting performance and space utilization rate of the sorting system. In addition, the method instructs the container delivery transport line 2-400 to transport empty containers 2-500 toward the shelf 2-200 and transport full containers 2-500 away from the shelf 2-200, thereby realizing automatic transportation of empty containers 2-500 and full containers 2-500, and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0269] In actual applications, steps S520 and S530 can be performed in parallel, and steps S520 and S530 can be performed respectively when there are fully loaded containers 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 or when at least one container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200 is empty, and the order in which the steps are performed is not limited.

[0270] In one embodiment, the container delivery transport line 2-400 as shown in Figure 24 includes a full container delivery transport line 2-430 and an empty container delivery transport line 2-440 spaced apart vertically. Referring to Figure 28, Figure 28 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the sorting method of the second form provided by the present invention, which includes the following steps:

[0271] Step S501: Instruct and activate the full container delivery transport line and the empty container delivery transport line in the container delivery transport line so that the empty container delivery transport line can transport an empty container to the shelf and the full container delivery transport line can transport a full container away from the shelf.

[0272] Step S510: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the shelf.

[0273] Step S521: If there is a fully loaded container on the shelf, the transport robot is instructed to move the fully loaded container on the shelf to the fully loaded container delivery transport line.

[0274] Step S531: If at least one container opening on the shelf is empty, the transport robot is instructed to move the empty container on the empty container delivery transport line to the empty container opening on the shelf.

[0275] In actual applications, steps S521 and S531 can be performed in parallel, and steps S521 and S531 can be performed respectively when there are fully loaded containers 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 or when at least one container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200 is empty, and the order in which the steps are performed is not limited.

[0276] In this embodiment, the transport robot 2-300 is instructed to move the fully loaded container 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 to the fully loaded container delivery and transportation line 2-430, and the empty container 2-500 on the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440 to the open container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200, thereby clarifying the roles of the fully loaded container delivery and transportation line 2-430 and the empty container delivery and transportation line 2-440, and the work of transporting the fully loaded container 2-500 to the next processing stage and the work of transporting the empty container 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 are performed simultaneously, further improving the work efficiency of the container delivery and transportation line 2-400.

[0277] In one embodiment, the container delivery transportation line 2-400 is provided with one or more delivery areas 2-410, and the portion other than the delivery areas 2-410 is a transportation area 2-420. Referring to Figure 29, Figure 29 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the sorting method of the second form provided by the present invention, and the flow includes the following steps.

[0278] Step S502: Instruct and start the container delivery transport line so that a transport area on the container delivery transport line can transport empty containers to the delivery area, receive full containers transported from the delivery area and transport them away from the shelf, and so that the delivery area can transport the full containers to the transport area.

[0279] Step S510: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the shelf.

[0280] In step S522, if there is a fully loaded container on the shelf, the transport robot is instructed to move the fully loaded container on the shelf to the delivery area.

[0281] In step S532, if at least one container opening on the shelf is empty, the transport robot is instructed to move the empty container in the delivery area to the empty container opening on the shelf.

[0282] In specific implementation, the control device may independently control the start and stop of the transfer area 2-410 in cooperation with the transport robot 2-300. This allows the transport robot 2-300 to take in and out the container 2-500 in the transfer area 2-410 when the transfer area 2-410 is in a rolling stopped state.

[0283] In actual application, step S522 and step S532 may be performed in parallel, and step S522 and step S532 may be performed respectively when there are fully loaded containers 2-500 on the shelf 2-200 or when at least one container opening 2-211 on the shelf 2-200 is empty. The order of performing the steps is not limited.

[0284] In this embodiment, the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 can work together to transport the container 2-500, and the transportation area 2-420 can transport empty containers 2-500 to the delivery area 2-410 and receive fully loaded containers 2-500 transported from the delivery area 2-410 and transport them away from the shelf 2-200, and the delivery area 2-410 can transport the fully loaded containers 2-500 to the transportation area 2-420, and the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 can also operate independently of each other, which will be explained in detail later.

[0285] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 30, FIG. 30 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the sorting method of the second aspect provided in the present invention, and the flow includes the following steps:

[0286] Step S502: Instruct and start the container delivery transport line so that a transport area on the container delivery transport line can transport empty containers to the delivery area, receive full containers transported from the delivery area and transport them away from the shelf, and so that the delivery area can transport the full containers to the transport area.

[0287] Step S510: Instruct the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the shelf.

[0288] In step S5221, when the transport robot needs to place the fully loaded container in the delivery area, it instructs the delivery area and stops rolling.

[0289] In step S5222, the transport robot places the fully loaded container in the delivery area, and then instructs the delivery area to start rolling, and in cooperation with the transport area, transports the fully loaded container in a direction away from the shelf.

[0290] In step S5223, when a container in the transportation area is transported to an area adjacent to the delivery area and the delivery area is in a stopped state, a photoelectric sensor installed in the transportation area triggers the stopping of the rolling of the area in the transportation area where the container is placed, and after the delivery area starts rolling, the area where the container is placed also starts rolling, and the container continues to be transported.

[0291] In step S5321, if an empty container is placed in the delivery area, the delivery area is designated and the rolling is stopped.

[0292] In step S5322, if there is no empty container in the delivery area, a transportation area is designated and the empty container is transported to the delivery area.

[0293] In step S5323, after the transport robot takes the empty container from the delivery area, it instructs the delivery area to start rolling, and instructs the transport area to transport the next empty container to the delivery area.

[0294] In this embodiment, the delivery area 2-410 and the transportation area 2-420 can operate independently of each other, and when the delivery area 2-410 needs to receive a fully loaded container 2-500 or the transport robot 2-300 needs to pick up an empty container 2-500, the delivery area 2-410 being stationary does not affect the transportation area 2-420's ability to transport the container 2-500 loaded on the transportation area 2-420, thereby improving the working efficiency of the container delivery transportation line 2-400.

[0295] In one embodiment, the sorting mechanism 2-100 includes a supply table 2-110, a lift mechanism 2-120, a guide mechanism 2-130, and a sorting shuttle 2-140, the guide mechanism 2-130 includes a plurality of shuttle rails 2-131, and the control device is further communicatively connected to the lift mechanism 2-120 and the sorting shuttle 2-140. In this case, in step S510 shown in FIG. 27, specifically, When the sorting shuttle moves to one end of the shelf, the lift mechanism is instructed to move the sorting shuttle up and down along the height direction of the shelf, the sorting shuttle is instructed to switch between shuttle rails of different heights using the lift mechanism, the cargo to be sorted on the supply table is sorted and placed into containers with container openings of different heights, and the guide mechanism is used to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table and place it into containers with container openings of different heights in the longitudinal direction.

[0296] In this embodiment, the sorting mechanism 2-100, which has a lift mechanism 2-120, a guide mechanism 2-130, and a sorting shuttle 2-140, enables quick sorting of cargo in both the longitudinal and vertical directions, further improving sorting efficiency.

[0297] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a control device. The control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism, the transport robot, and the container delivery transport line in any of the sorting systems described above. Referring to Fig. 31, Fig. 31 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a control device of a second form provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 31, the control device a memory 901 for storing computer programs; and a processor 902 for implementing the steps of the above sorting method when executing a program stored in a memory 901, the method comprising: directing and activating the container delivery transport line so that the container delivery transport line can deliver empty containers to the shelf and full containers away from the shelf; directing the sorting mechanism to accept the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container on the shelf; If there is a fully loaded container on the shelf, instructing the transport robot to move the fully loaded container on the shelf to a container delivery transport line; When at least one container opening on the shelf is vacant, instructing the transport robot to move an empty container on the container delivery transport line to the vacant container opening on the shelf.

[0298] Moreover, the electronic device may further include a communication bus and / or a communication interface, and the processor 902, the communication interface, and the memory 901 communicate with each other via the communication bus.

[0299] The control device can be realized by a computer, and may further include a communication module, such as a wired network card or a wireless network card, for communicating with the transport robot and the sorting robot.

[0300] In the above electronic devices, the mentioned communication bus may be a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. The communication bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For convenience of illustration, only one thick line is shown in the figure, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0301] The communication interface is used for communication between the electronic device and other devices.

[0302] The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk memory. Optionally, the memory may be a storage device remote from the at least one processor.

[0303] The processor may be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc., or may be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware assembly.

[0304] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program implementing the steps of any of the above sorting methods when executed by a processor.

[0305] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a computer program product including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the sorting methods in the above embodiments.

[0306] In the above embodiments, all or part of the invention can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the invention is realized in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded into a computer and executed, all or part of the instructions implement the flow or functions described in the embodiments of the present invention. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, microwave, etc.) methods. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center where one or more available media are aggregated. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or solid state drives (SSDs).

[0307] To improve sorting efficiency, multiple sorting devices may be installed in the sorting system, and if one robot is responsible for container exchange in one device, the utilization rate of the robot will be low and the cost of the sorting system will be high.

[0308] The following is a detailed description of a fifth type of sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the container exchange robot 3-200, and the transport device that can transport containers to the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the sorting mechanism 3-110 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 3-120 is the relay robot 3-300A.

[0309] Referring to Figures 32a to 32c, Figure 32a is a perspective view of the configuration of a sorting system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, Figure 32b is a plan view of the sorting system shown in Figure 32a, and Figure 32c is a front view of the sorting device shown in Figure 32a.

[0310] As shown in FIGS. 32a to 32c, the sorting system includes at least two sorting apparatuses 3-100, a container exchange robot 3-200, and a container transport apparatus 3-300.

[0311] At least two sorting devices 3-100 are installed in parallel with a gap between them, and a container exchange robot passage 3-400 is formed between two adjacent sorting devices 3-100 in parallel, and each sorting device 3-100 sorts the cargo to be sorted that it receives and places it into each container 3-500.

[0312] At least two sorting apparatuses 3-100 are provided with a storage area for storing containers 3-500 and a delivery area 3-140 for docking with the container transport apparatus 3-300.

[0313] The container transport device 3-300 is for transporting empty containers 3-500 to the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100, or for transporting fully loaded containers 3-500 located in the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100 out of the sorting device 3-100.

[0314] The container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on either sorting device 3-100 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 and can move along the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, transporting empty containers 3-500 in the transfer area 3-140 of each of the two sorting devices 3-100 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 to the storage area of ​​that sorting device 3-100, or transporting fully loaded containers 3-500 in the storage area to the transfer area 3-140 of that sorting device 3-100.

[0315] In addition, if the sorting system has multiple sorting devices 3-100, the two sorting devices 3-100 must meet the above-mentioned condition of being installed in parallel with a gap between them, and the containers 3-500 must be transported by a common container exchange robot 3-200.

[0316] In the sorting system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on either of the sorting devices 3-100 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and can run along the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, to transport empty containers 3-500 in the delivery area 3-140 of each of the two sorting devices 3-100 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 to the storage area of ​​the sorting device 3-100, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 in the storage area to the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100, thereby improving the utilization rate of the container exchange robot, reducing the cost of the sorting system, realizing automatic container exchange in the sorting system, and improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared with the method of manually exchanging containers. In addition, using a container exchange robot instead of a human to exchange containers allows the height of the sorting device to exceed the height limit of the worker, improving the storage capacity, sorting performance, and space utilization rate of the sorting system.

[0317] The container transport device 3-300 is used to transport empty containers 3-500 to the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 located in the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100, thereby enabling automatic transportation of empty containers 3-500 and fully loaded containers 3-500 and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0318] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32a, as shown in FIGS. 32a-32c, a sorting apparatus 3-100 includes a sorting mechanism 3-110 and a shelf 3-120.

[0319] The shelves 3-120 are arranged in two rows, and storage areas are located on the shelves 3-120. A plurality of storage layers 3-121 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction, and the plurality of storage layers 3-121 are for storing the containers 3-500 to be loaded. Each storage layer 3-121 is divided into a plurality of storage locations 3-1211, and each of the storage locations 3-1211 is for storing one container 3-500 to be loaded.

[0320] The sorting mechanism 3-110 is installed between two rows of shelves 3-120, and is for receiving cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into each container 2-500 on the shelves 3-120.

[0321] The container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on the side away from the sorting mechanism 3-110 of the shelf 3-120 of one of the sorting devices 3-100 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and is used to transport empty containers 3-500 in the delivery area 3-140 to the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 in the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the delivery area 3-140, for the two shelves 3-120 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0322] In each sorting device 3-100, when one shelf 3-120 is adjacent to the container exchange robot passage 3-400, at least one container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on the side of the other shelf 3-120 away from the sorting mechanism 3-110.

[0323] As shown in Figure 32c, the sorting system in an embodiment of the present invention includes two sorting apparatuses 3-100, and one container exchange robot aisle 3-400 is formed between the two sorting apparatuses 3-100. One container exchange robot 3-200 is installed in the container exchange robot aisle 3-400. The container exchange robot 3-200 is installed by hanging it on a shelf 3-120 of the sorting apparatus 3-100 on one side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and is used to take in and out containers 3-500 on the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0324] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32c, only one container exchange robot 3-200 is installed in the container exchange robot passage 3-400.

[0325] A container exchange robot aisle 3-400 may be equipped with multiple container exchange robots 3-200. The container exchange robots 3-200 are installed by hanging them on the shelves 3-120 of either sorting device 3-100 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and each robot is responsible for loading and unloading containers 3-500 in a certain area of ​​the two shelves 3-120, thereby improving container exchange efficiency and avoiding retraction between the container exchange robots 3-200. For example, in the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 32a, two container exchange robots 3-200 are installed, each hanging on the shelves 3-120 of the two sorting devices 3-100. One container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on each shelf 3-120 located on the side away from the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 of the two sorting devices 3-100, and the container exchange robot 3-200 is responsible for loading and unloading containers 3-500 on the shelf 3-120 and its delivery area 3-140.

[0326] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sorting mechanism 3-110 is installed between two rows of shelves 3-120 to perform sorting, and the container exchange robot 3-200 is installed in the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 to load and unload containers 3-500, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the sorting system. The container exchange robot 3-200 installed in the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 can load and unload containers 3-500 on the shelves 3-120 of the two sorting devices 3-100 and in the delivery area 3-140, thereby improving the utilization rate of the container exchange robot 3-200. The container exchange robot 3-200 is also installed on shelves 3-120 that are not adjacent to the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 in the sorting device 3-100, ensuring that containers 3-500 on all shelves 3-120 in the sorting system can be automatically exchanged.

[0327] In the embodiment shown in Figure 32a, as shown in Figures 32a-32c, the delivery area 3-140 is located below the storage layer 3-121, the lowest layer of the shelf 3-120, and a docking layer 3-122 is installed for temporarily storing full or empty containers 3-500. The docking layer 3-122 is divided into multiple docking locations 3-1221, and each docking location 3-1221 is for temporarily storing one full or empty container 3-500.

[0328] The container transport device 3-300 is a relay robot 3-300A, which is used to transport empty containers 3-500 to the docking layer 3-122 or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 in the docking layer 3-122 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100.

[0329] The container exchange robot 3-200 is for transporting a fully loaded container 3-500 in the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the docking layer 3-122, or for transporting an empty container 3-500 in the docking layer 3-122 of the shelf 3-120 to the storage layer 3-121.

[0330] Specifically, the container exchange robot 3-200 moves along the container exchange robot path 3-400 to transport a fully loaded container 3-500 in a storage location 3-1211 on the shelf 3-120 to an empty docking location 3-1221, or to transport an empty container 3-500 in the docking location 3-1221 to an empty storage location 3-1211.

[0331] The relay robot 3-300A moves along the relay robot path 3-700 to transport empty containers 3-500 outside the sorting device 3-100 to an empty docking location 3-1221, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 at the docking location 3-1221 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100.

[0332] The container exchange robot passage 3-400 is a two-way passage, and part of the relay robot passage 3-700 overlaps with the container exchange robot passage 3-400. The container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on the shelf 3-120 and has a preset distance from the ground, so that the container exchange robot 3-200 and the relay robot 3-300A can move without interfering with each other in the overlapping part of the two passages and move simultaneously to take in and out the container 3-500, improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0333] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container exchange robot 3-200 transfers containers 3-500 between the storage location 3-1211 and the docking layer 3-122, and the relay robot 3-300A transports containers 3-500 between the docking layer 3-122 and the outside of the sorting device 3-100, thereby realizing automatic container exchange of the sorting system and improving sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container exchange. The docking layer 3-122 is installed, and both the relay robot 3-300A and the container exchange robot 3-200 dock with the docking layer 3-122 to transfer containers 3-500. This improves the transport efficiency of the containers 3-500 in the sorting system compared to when the relay robot 3-300A and the container exchange robot 3-200 dock directly, thereby improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0334] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 32a, with reference to Fig. 33 and Fig. 34, Fig. 33 is a schematic plan view of the docking layer shown in Fig. 32a, and Fig. 34 is a schematic perspective view of the relay robot shown in Fig. 32a. As shown in Fig. 32a, Fig. 33, and Fig. 34, a groove 3-1222 is installed at the bottom of the docking location 3-1221, and the relay robot 3-300A uses the groove 3-1222 to take in and out the container 3-500 at the docking location 3-1221.

[0335] The relay robot 3-300A includes a traveling mechanism 3-310 and a lift mechanism 3-320, and the lift mechanism 3-320 is installed above the traveling mechanism 3-310.

[0336] The relay robot 3-300A has a running mechanism 3-310 that moves the lift mechanism 3-320 along the relay robot passage 3-700 to a position corresponding to the docking location 3-1221, and then moves to the bottom of the docking location 3-1221, where the lift mechanism 3-320 moves vertically through the groove 3-1222 to lift or place the container 3-500.

[0337] Specifically, as shown in Figures 32a and 33, the groove 3-1222 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 3-120. The width of the groove 3-1222 is smaller than the dimensions of the container 3-500 and larger than the width of the top of the lift mechanism 3-320, which allows the lift mechanism 3-320 to lift or place the container 3-500 through the groove 3-1222 and also prevents the container 3-500 from falling through the groove 3-1222.

[0338] The relay robot 3-300A takes the fully loaded container 3-500 from the docking layer 3-122 as follows.

[0339] The traveling mechanism 3-310 of the empty relay robot 3-300A moves the lift mechanism 3-320 along the relay robot passage 3-700 to a position corresponding to the docking location 3-1221, then moves to the bottom of the docking location 3-1221, and the lift mechanism 3-320 rises through the groove 3-1222 to lift the fully loaded container 3-500, and the traveling mechanism 3-310 moves the lift mechanism 3-320 along the groove 3-1222 to exit the docking location 3-1221, and then moves along the relay robot passage 3-700 away from the sorting device 3-100.

[0340] The relay robot 3-300A places the empty container 3-500 on the docking layer 3-122 as follows.

[0341] The running mechanism 3-310 of the relay robot 3-300A moves the lift mechanism 3-320 carrying the empty container 3-500 along the relay robot passage 3-700 to a position corresponding to the docking location 3-1221, then the lift mechanism 3-320 moves up to lift the empty container 3-500, the running mechanism 3-310 moves below the docking location 3-1221, the lift mechanism 3-320 descends through the groove 3-1222 to place the empty container 3-500 at the docking location 3-1221, and then the running mechanism 3-310 moves the lift mechanism 3-320 to exit the docking location 3-1221. The relay robot 3-300A can then move along the relay robot path 3-700 to another docking location 3-1221 to receive a full container 3-500, or move along the relay robot path 3-700 away from the sorting device 3-100 to receive a subsequent empty container 3-500.

[0342] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the relay robot 3-300A connects to the docking layer 3-122, it is located at the bottom of the docking layer 3-122, improving the space utilization rate of the sorting system, and the lift mechanism 3-320 of the relay robot 3-300A can lift or place the container 3-500 through the groove 3-1222 by vertical movement, allowing the container 3-500 to be taken in and out without stopping or temporarily halting its movement, thereby improving the efficiency of the relay robot 3-300A in taking in and out the container 3-500.

[0343] In the embodiment shown in Figure 32a, the sortation system further includes a container transfer station 3-600, as shown in Figure 32c.

[0344] The relay robot 3-300A moves between the shelf 3-120 and the container transfer station 3-600 to transport empty containers 3-500 at the container transfer station 3-600 to the docking layer 3-122 of the shelf 3-120, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 at the docking layer 3-122 to the container transfer station 3-600.

[0345] Here, the structural form of the container transfer station 3-600 includes, but is not limited to, a transportation line, a delivery shelf, etc. The container transfer station 3-600 shown in Fig. 32c is in the form of a transportation line.

[0346] Specifically, the container relay station 3-600 transports empty containers 3-500 in the direction toward the sorting device 3-100, or receives fully loaded containers from the sorting device 3-100 transported from the relay robot 3-300A, and then ships and packs them.

[0347] The process of retrieving the fully loaded container 3-500 is as follows: The container exchange robot 3-200 transports the fully loaded container 3-500 from the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the docking layer 3-122 at the bottom of the shelf 3-120, and the relay robot 3-300A moves to the docking layer 3-122 to receive the fully loaded container 3-500 and transports it to the container relay station 3-600.

[0348] The process of receiving an empty container 3-500 is as follows: The relay robot 3-300A moves to the container relay station 3-600, receives the empty container 3-500, and transports the empty container 3-500 to the docking layer 3-122 at the bottom of the shelf 3-120 where the target empty storage location 3-1211 is located. The container exchange robot 3-200 then transports the empty container 3-500 from the docking layer 3-122 to the target empty storage location 3-1211.

[0349] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the container transfer station 3-600 can transport empty containers 3-500 in a direction toward the sorting device 3-100, or can receive, unload, and pack fully loaded containers from the sorting device 3-100 transported from the relay robot 3-300A. The installation of the container transfer station 3-600 reduces the length of the travel path of the relay robot 3-300A, so that the relay robot 3-300A only needs to transport the containers 3-500 between the container transfer station 3-600 and the sorting device 3-100, improving the transportation efficiency of the relay robot 3-300A and the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0350] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32a, the container transfer station 3-600 includes a first full container transport line 3-610 and a first empty container transport line 3-620, as shown in FIG. 32c.

[0351] The relay robot 3-300A is for transporting empty containers 3-500 on the first empty container transport line 3-620 to the docking layer 3-122 of the shelf 3-120, or for transporting full containers 3-500 on the docking layer 3-122 to the first full container transport line 3-610.

[0352] Specifically, as shown in Figure 32c, the first full container transport line 3-610 and the first empty container transport line 3-620 are installed in parallel outside the sorting device 3-100, and the first empty container transport line 3-620 is used for placing empty containers 3-500 by people or equipment, docking with the relay robot 3-300A, and transporting the empty containers 3-500 to the relay robot 3-300A.

[0353] The first fully loaded container transport line 3-610 receives the fully loaded containers 3-500 in the sorting device 3-100 carried by the relay robot 3-300A, transports them to the shipping area, and performs shipping and packaging.

[0354] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container transfer station 3-600 is equipped with two transport lines for transporting fully loaded containers 3-500 and empty containers 3-500, respectively, and the relay robot 3-300A can dock with different transport lines depending on the task to be performed, thereby improving the efficiency of container transport by the sorting system.

[0355] In the embodiment shown in Figure 32a, as shown in Figure 32c, a relay robot passage 3-700 is further installed between the container transfer station 3-600 and the sorting device 3-100, and the relay robot passage 3-700 extends from the container transfer station 3-600 to the sorting device 3-100.

[0356] The relay robot 3-300A moves along the relay robot passage 3-700 to transport empty containers 3-500 at the container transfer station 3-600 to the shelves 3-120 of the sorting device 3-100, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 at the shelves 3-120 of the sorting device 3-100 to the container transfer station 3-600.

[0357] The relay robot passage 3-700 includes a first passage 3-710, a second passage 3-720, and a third passage 3-730.

[0358] The first aisle 3-710 extends from the container transfer station 3-600 to the sorting device 3-100, and partially overlaps with the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0359] The second aisle 3-720 and the third aisle 3-730 extend from the first aisle 3-710, of which the second aisle 3-720 is located in the delivery area 3-140 and the third aisle 3-730 is located on the side of the sorting device 3-100 away from the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and both the second aisle 3-720 and the third aisle 3-730 are parallel to the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0360] The relay robot 3-300A moves along the first passage 3-710 or the third passage 3-730 to a position corresponding to the target position in the docking layer 3-122, then moves to the second passage 3-720 at the bottom of the docking layer 3-122, docks with the docking layer 3-122 to load or unload the container 3-500, and then moves to the first passage 3-710 or the third passage 3-730 and heads for the container relay station 3-600.

[0361] Specifically, as shown in Figure 32c, part of the first aisle 3-710 is located between the two sorting devices 3-100, and another part extends to the container transfer station 3-600, and multiple branch aisles extend from the first aisle 3-710, of which four branch aisles are located in the second aisle 3-720 in the transfer area 3-140, and two branch aisles are located in the third aisle 3-730 on the side away from the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 of the sorting device 3-100.

[0362] The process by which relay robot 3-300A transports fully loaded container 3-500 is as follows:

[0363] The empty relay robot 3-300A moves to a position corresponding to the target docking location 3-1221 in the second aisle 3-720, lifts the fully loaded container 3-500 through the groove 3-1222, and then exits along the groove 3-1222 to the first aisle 3-710 or the third aisle 3-730 outside the shelf 3-120 and travels toward the container transfer station 3-600.

[0364] The process by which the relay robot 3-300A transports the empty container 3-500 is as follows.

[0365] The relay robot 3-300A, which receives an empty container 3-500 from the container transfer station 3-600, moves along the first aisle 3-710 to a position close to the sorting device 3-100, and then, depending on the position of the target docking location 3-1221, travels along the corresponding first aisle 3-710 or third aisle 3-730 to a position corresponding to the target docking location 3-1221, picks up the container 3-500, moves to the second aisle 3-720 toward the target docking location 3-1221, and after placing the container 3-500, it can move directly along the second aisle 3-720 under another docking location 3-1221 to receive a full container 3-500, or exit the shelf 3-120 and continue toward the container transfer station 3-600 to receive the empty container 3-500.

[0366] In the drawings, the first passage 3-710 and the container exchange robot passage 3-400 are shown to distinguish the widths of the two passages, but in an actual scenario, there is no limitation to the width of the two passages. The width of the third passage 3-730 is also not limited, and the relay robot 3-300A may travel in the space on the side of the sorting device 3-100 away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400.

[0367] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the installation of the above-mentioned relay robot passage 3-700 can standardize the movement of the relay robot 3-300A and facilitate the management of multiple relay robots 3-300A in the sorting system. The relay robot 3-300A can switch between the first passage 3-710, the second passage 3-720, and the third passage 3-730 and retreat from each other, improving the efficiency of container transportation.

[0368] In the embodiment shown in Figure 32a, refer to Figure 35, which is a perspective configuration schematic diagram of the container exchange robot shown in Figure 32a. As shown in Figures 32a, 32b, and 35, on the side of the shelf 3-120 closer to the container exchange robot passage 3-400, multiple horizontal rails 3-130 are installed at intervals in the vertical direction, and the container exchange robot 3-200 is attached to the outside of the shelf 3-120 by the horizontal rails 3-130.

[0369] The container exchange robot 3-200 includes a mounting frame 3-210 and a cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220, the mounting frame 3-210 being movably mounted on a horizontal rail 3-130, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 being installed on the mounting frame 3-210 and capable of moving vertically along the mounting frame 3-210 and horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 together with the mounting frame 3-210 to load and unload containers 3-500 at different positions in the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 and in the transfer area 3-140.

[0370] Specifically, the structure of the mounting frame 3-210 is various, and it may be a single door post or a column mast consisting of two door posts, and the present invention has no specific limitations thereon. In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figures 32a, 32b and 35, the mounting frame 3-210 is a column mast and includes two door posts 3-211 installed opposite each other, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 is installed between the two door posts 3-211 of the mounting frame 3-210, and both sides of it are movably connected to one door post 3-211 each.

[0371] The cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 includes, but is not limited to, a fork arm type, a suction cup type, a drum type, a hook arm type, etc. In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figures 32a and 32b, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 can extend relative to the mounting frame 3-210 toward the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 or toward the docking layer 3-122 at the bottom of the shelf 3-120 to load and unload containers 3-500.

[0372] The process by which the container exchange robot 3-200 transports the fully loaded container 3-500 is as follows:

[0373] The mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 to the row where the target storage location 3-1211 where the fully loaded container 3-500 is stored is located, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210 to the row where the target storage location 3-1211 is located, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the target storage location 3-1211 to receive the fully loaded container 3-500 and then retrieve it, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 together with the mounting frame 3-210 and moves vertically down along the mounting frame 3-210 to the vacant docking location 3-1221, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the vacant docking location 3-1221 to place the fully loaded container 3-500.

[0374] The process by which the container exchange robot 3-200 transports the empty container 3-500 is as follows.

[0375] The mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210, so that the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves to the target docking location 3-1221 where the empty container 3-500 is temporarily placed, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the target docking location 3-1221 to receive the empty container 3-500 and then be recovered, and the mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210, so that the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves to the vacant storage location 3-1211, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the vacant storage location 3-1211 to place the empty container 3-500.

[0376] During the process in which the container exchange robot 3-200 transports the container 3-500, the order in which the mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 to move horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210 can be reversed; the vertical movement can be followed by the horizontal movement, or the horizontal movement can be followed by the vertical movement, or the horizontal movement and the vertical movement can be performed in parallel, thereby improving the efficiency of container exchange by the container exchange robot 3-200.

[0377] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the container exchange robot 3-200 can use the horizontal rail 3-130 to horizontally move containers 3-500 in the storage layers 3-121 or docking layers 3-122 of the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and can vertically move containers 3-500 in the storage layers 3-121 or docking layers 3-122 at different heights of the shelf 3-120 by vertical movement along the mounting frame 3-210 of the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220.

[0378] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 32a, the sorting mechanism 3-110 shown in FIGS. 32a to 32c includes a supply table 3-111, a lift mechanism 3-112, a guide mechanism 3-113, and a sorting shuttle 3-114.

[0379] The lift mechanism 3-112 is installed at one or both ends of the shelf 3-120 and moves the sorting shuttle 3-114 up and down along the height direction of the shelf 3-120.

[0380] The supply table 3-111 is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism 3-112 and docks with the lift mechanism 3-112.

[0381] The guide mechanism 3-113 is installed between two rows of shelves 3-120 and includes multiple shuttle rails 3-1131 corresponding to the height of each storage layer 3-121, and the shuttle rails 3-1131 dock with the lift mechanism 3-112 so that the sorting shuttle 3-114 moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the shelves 3-120.

[0382] The sorting shuttle 3-114 uses the lift mechanism 3-112 to switch between shuttle rails 3-1131 of different heights, sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 3-111 and placing it into containers 3-500 in storage locations 3-1211 of different heights, and uses the guide mechanism 3-113 to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table 3-111 and placing it into containers 3-500 in storage locations 3-1211 that are different in the longitudinal direction.

[0383] Specifically, the supply table 3-111 may dock with a cargo transport line, and the cargo to be sorted may be transported to the supply table 3-111 by the cargo transport line, or the cargo to be sorted may be placed on the supply table 3-111 by an operator and supplied for pickup by the sorting shuttle 3-114.

[0384] The sorting system further includes a control device that is communicatively connected to the sorting shuttle 3-114 and that can issue commands to control the sorting shuttle 3-114 to place each cargo item to be sorted into a corresponding container 500.

[0385] The control device is communicatively connected to the lift mechanism 3-112, and the control device sends a command to control the lift mechanism 3-112 to move the sorting shuttle 3-114 along the height of the shelf 3-120 to the height of the storage layer 3-121 where the corresponding container 3-500 is located, and the sorting shuttle 3-114 moves along the shuttle rail 3-1131 in the storage layer 3-121 where the corresponding container 3-500 is located to the corresponding container 3-500, and then places the cargo into the container 3-500.

[0386] The above operation is repeated, and when a container 3-500 on a shelf 3-120 is filled with cargo, or when all the cargo of the order associated with that container 3-500 has been sorted, that container 3-500 is considered to be a fully loaded container 3-500. The control device is connected to the container exchange robot 3-200 by communication, and the container exchange robot 3-200 moves the fully loaded container 3-500 on the storage layer 3-121 to the docking layer 3-122, and the relay robot 3-300A transports the fully loaded container 3-500 away from the sorting device 3-100, and then the container exchange robot 3-200 moves the empty container 3-500 on the docking layer 3-122 to an empty storage location 3-1211 on the storage layer 3-121.

[0387] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the lift mechanism 3-112 and the guide mechanism 3-113 allow the sorting shuttle 3-114 to move vertically and longitudinally along the shelf 3-120. The sorting shuttle 3-114 can simultaneously sort orders for the containers 3-500 on the two rows of shelves 3-120 of the sorting device 3-100 using the shuttle rails 3-1131, thereby improving the work efficiency of the sorting system.

[0388] As mentioned above, in the fifth type sorting system shown in Figure 32a, the container transport device 3-300 is a relay robot 3-300A, which transports empty containers 3-500 to the docking layer 3-122 of the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, or transports fully loaded containers 3-500 on the docking layer 3-122 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100. In other sorting system embodiments, the container transport device 3-300 may be the first container transport line 3-300B or the second container transport line 3-300C.

[0389] Below, we will explain in detail the sixth type of sorting system in which the container transport device 3-300 is the first container transport line 3-300B. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the container exchange robot 3-200, and the transport device that can transport containers to the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the sorting mechanism 3-110 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 3-120 is the first container transport line 3-300B.

[0390] Referring to Figures 36a to 36c, Figure 36a is a perspective view of a sorting system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, Figure 36b is a plan view of the sorting system shown in Figure 36a, and Figure 36c is a front view of the sorting device shown in Figure 36a.

[0391] As shown in FIGS. 36a to 36c, the delivery area 3-140 is located outside one end of the shelf 3-120 in the longitudinal direction.

[0392] The container transport device 3-300 is a first container transport line 3-300B, which is installed in two rows, with a portion of each row of the first container transport line 3-300B installed in the delivery area 3-140.

[0393] The container exchange robot 3-200 moves between the shelf 3-120 and the delivery area 3-140 by traveling along the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and transports empty containers 3-500 on the first container transport line 3-300B located in the delivery area 3-140 to the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120, or transports fully loaded containers 3-500 on the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the first container transport line 3-300B located in the delivery area 3-140, for the two shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0394] Specifically, Figures 36a to 36c only show the case where the placement direction of the first container transport line 3-300B is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 3-120, but the actual placement of the first container transport line 3-300B needs to be set based on a specific scenario, and the first container transport line 3-300B located in the transfer area 3-140 needs to be installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 3-120 so that the container exchange robot 3-200 can put in and take out containers 3-500 on the first container transport line 3-300B, and the part not located in the transfer area 3-140 may be placed based on the source position of the empty container 3-500 and the destination position of the fully loaded container 3-500, and the present invention has no specific restrictions on this.

[0395] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the first container transport line 3-300B directly delivers empty containers 3-500 to the shelf 3-120, and transports the fully loaded containers 3-500 on the shelf 3-120 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100. This eliminates the need for multiple relay robots 3-300A, thereby reducing the cost of the sorting system. Furthermore, since one row of shelves 3-120 corresponds to one row of the first container transport line 3-300B, the number of container transport devices 3-300 is reduced, and control and maintenance are simplified. Furthermore, since the transfer area 3-140 is located outside one longitudinal end of the shelf 3-120, there is no need to reserve space at the bottom of the shelf 3-120, and more storage layers 3-121 can be installed, thereby improving the storage density of the shelf 3-120 and improving the storage capacity of the sorting system.

[0396] In the embodiment shown in Figure 36a, as shown in Figures 36a to 36c, the horizontal rail 3-130 extends to the transfer area 3-140, allowing the container exchange robot 3-200 to move along the horizontal rail 3-130 between the shelf 3-120 and the transfer area 3-140 to load and unload containers 3-500 at different positions in the storage layers 3-121 of the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 and the first container transport line 3-300B.

[0397] In this embodiment, each sorting apparatus 3-100 has one lift mechanism 3-112 for the sorting mechanism 3-110, and the two rows of first container transport lines 3-300B of the sorting apparatus 3-100 are installed corresponding to the ends of the two rows of shelves 3-120 of the sorting apparatus 3-100 that are away from the lift mechanism 3-112.

[0398] Except for the number of lift mechanisms 3-112, the structure of the container transport device 3-300, shelves 3-120 and horizontal rails 3-130, and the position of the delivery area 3-140, the structure of the sorting mechanism 3-110 and container exchange robot 3-200 in the sorting device 3-100 of this embodiment may be the same as that of the fifth form sorting system shown in Figure 32a, and detailed description will be omitted here.

[0399] In the embodiment shown in Figure 36a, as shown in Figure 36c, one or multiple spaced apart delivery areas 3-330 are installed in the portion of the first container transport line 3-300B located in the delivery area 3-140, and the portion of the first container transport line 3-300B other than the delivery area 3-330 is the transport area 3-340.

[0400] The delivery area 3-330 docks with the container exchange robot 3-200, accepts fully loaded containers 3-500 transported from the container exchange robot 3-200, and transports them to the transportation area 3-340, or accepts empty containers 3-500 transported from the transportation area 3-340 and provides them for receipt by the container exchange robot 3-200.

[0401] The transport area 3-340 is for transporting empty containers 3-500 to the delivery area 3-330 or for receiving full containers 3-500 transported from the delivery area 3-330 and transporting them away from the shelf 3-120.

[0402] Specifically, the first container transport line 3-300B may be a roller transport line, and both the transfer area 3-330 and the transport area 3-340 include multiple rollers, allowing rolling transport to be performed by the rollers. The first container transport line 3-300B further includes a driving device (not shown in the drawings), and both the transfer area 3-330 and the transport area 3-340 are equipped with detection devices (not shown in the drawings). The control device can control the driving device to start or stop the rotation of the rollers in the transfer area 3-330 or the transport area 3-340 based on the detection information fed back from the detection devices in the transfer area 3-330 and the transport area 3-340.

[0403] The transportation process by the first container transport line 3-300B is specifically as follows.

[0404] When the container exchange robot 3-200 intends to place the fully loaded container 3-500, the control device sends a command to the first container transport line 3-300B, instructing the transfer area 3-330 of the first container transport line 3-300B to stop rolling, the rollers in the transfer area 3-330 are stationary, and since the placement of the fully loaded container 3-500 has been completed, the control device instructs the transfer area 3-330 to resume rolling, and in cooperation with the transport area 3-340, sends the fully loaded container 3-500 to the next processing stage, such as warehousing or packaging. When the empty container 3-500 is transported to the delivery area 3-330, the rollers in the delivery area 3-330 stop rolling, and after the container exchange robot 3-200 picks up the empty container 3-500, the first container transport line 3-300B transports the next empty container 3-500 to the delivery area 3-330 and waits for it to be received by the container exchange robot 3-200.

[0405] In the transportation area 3-340, photoelectric sensors may be installed in areas adjacent to the downstream transfer area 3-330, and when a fully loaded container 3-500 is being placed in the downstream transfer area 3-330, or when an empty container 3-500 is placed in the transfer area 3-330, the rollers in the transfer area 3-330 are stationary, and the area in the transportation area 3-340 moving away from the transfer area 3-330 remains in a rolling state. When the photoelectric sensor detects that a container 3-500 is being transported to an area adjacent to the downstream transfer area 3-330, the adjacent area carrying the container 3-500 stops rolling, and after the transfer area 3-330 starts rolling, the adjacent area carrying the container 3-500 also starts rolling, and the container 3-500 continues to be transported.

[0406] Furthermore, when the rolling of the delivery area 3-330 stops, the sorting system temporarily suspends only the transportation of containers 3-500 in the delivery area 3-330 and the adjacent area in the transportation area 3-340 upstream of the delivery area 3-330, and does not affect the transportation of containers 2-500 in the area away from the delivery area 3-330 in the transportation area 3-340.

[0407] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transport in the delivery area 3-330 and the transport area 3-340 of the first container transport line 3-300B is independent of each other but also works in conjunction with each other, and the delivery area 3-330 and the transport area 3-340 can work in conjunction to transport the container 3-500. Even if the container 3-500 is temporarily placed in the delivery area 3-330 and cannot be rolled, this does not affect the transport in the transport area 3-340, thereby improving the work efficiency of the first container transport line 3-300B. The container exchange robot 3-200 does not need to move along the longitudinal direction of the first container transport line 3-300B to load or unload the container 3-500; it simply moves to the delivery area 3-330 and docks, completing the loading and unloading of the container 3-500. This improves the efficiency of loading and unloading the container 3-500 by the container exchange robot 3-200 and improves the sorting efficiency of the sorting system.

[0408] In the embodiment shown in Figure 36a, as shown in Figures 36a and 36b, each of the first container transport lines 3-300B in each row includes a second full container transport line 3-350 and a second empty container transport line 3-360 spaced apart vertically.

[0409] The container exchange robot 3-200 moves between the shelf 3-120 and the delivery area 3-140 by traveling along the container exchange robot aisle 3-400, and transports empty containers 3-500 on the second empty container transport line 3-360 located in the delivery area 3-140 to the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120, or transports full containers 3-500 on the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the second full container transport line 3-350 located in the delivery area 3-140, for the two shelves 3-120 on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0410] Specifically, the second full container transport line 3-350 and the second empty container transport line 3-360 have the same specific structure, each consisting of one or more transfer areas 3-330 and transport areas 3-340. The second full container transport line 3-350 may be installed above or below the second empty container transport line 3-360, and the present invention does not limit the vertical positional relationship between the second full container transport line 3-350 and the second empty container transport line 3-360. As shown in Figures 36a and 36b, the second full container transport line 3-350 is installed below the second empty container transport line 3-360, and a gap remains between the two transport lines to provide an appropriate space for the second full container transport line 3-350 to transport a full container 3-500.

[0411] In the embodiment shown in Figures 36a and 36b, the arrangement direction of the second empty container transport line 3-360 and the second full container transport line 3-350 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf 3-120, and the second empty container transport line 3-360 is short and the second full container transport line 3-350 is long. In actual applications, the arrangement of the first container transport line 3-300B needs to be set based on specific scenarios, and the present invention does not limit the length of the second empty container transport line 3-360 and the second full container transport line 3-350 and their orientation after extending from the delivery area 3-140.

[0412] The process for transporting a fully loaded container 3-500 is as follows:

[0413] The loading frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 to move horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 to the row where the target storage location 3-1211 where the fully loaded container 3-500 is stored is located, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the loading frame 3-210 to the row where the target storage location 3-1211 is located, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 protrudes into the target storage location 3-1211 and receives the fully loaded container 3-500, and then is withdrawn, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly The cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220, together with the mounting frame 3-210, moves horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130 and vertically along the mounting frame 3-210 to the transfer area 3-330 of the second fully loaded container transport line 3-350 in the transfer area 3-140, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 protrudes into the transfer area 3-330 to place the fully loaded container 3-500, which in turn cooperates with the transportation area 3-340 to send the fully loaded container 3-500 to the next processing stage, such as warehousing or a packing house.

[0414] The process for transporting empty container 3-500 is as follows:

[0415] The mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 to move horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210, so that the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves to the delivery area 3-330 of the second empty container transport line 3-360 where the empty container 3-500 is temporarily placed, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the delivery area 3-330 to receive the empty container 3-500 and then be retrieved, and the mounting frame 3-210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 to move horizontally along the horizontal rail 3-130, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves vertically along the mounting frame 3-210, so that the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 moves to the vacant storage location 3-1211, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 3-220 extends into the vacant storage location 3-1211 to place the empty container 3-500.

[0416] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first container transport line 3-300B is divided into a second full container transport line 3-350 and a second empty container transport line 3-360, which are installed at a vertical interval. This clarifies the roles of the second full container transport line 3-350 and the second empty container transport line 3-360, and allows the transport of full containers 3-500 outside the sorting device 3-100 and the transport of empty containers 3-500 to the delivery area 3-330 to be performed simultaneously, improving the work efficiency of the first container transport line 3-300B. After the container exchange robot 3-200 places a full container 3-500 on the second full container transport line 3-350, it can subsequently pick up an empty container 3-500 from the second empty container transport line 3-360, simplifying the movement path of the container exchange robot 3-200 and improving the work efficiency of the container exchange robot 3-200.

[0417] Below, we will explain in detail the seventh type of sorting system in which the container transport device 3-300 is the second container transport line 3-300C.In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the container exchange robot 3-200, and the transport device that can transport containers to the shelves 3-120 on both sides of the sorting mechanism 3-110 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 3-120 is the second container transport line 3-300C.

[0418] Referring to Fig. 37, Fig. 37 is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 37, the delivery area 3-140 is located below the storage layer 3-121, which is the lowest layer of the shelf 3-120.

[0419] The container transport device 3-300 is a second container transport line 3-300C.

[0420] The second container transport lines 3-300C are installed in two rows, and each row of the second container transport line 3-300C is installed at one end in the longitudinal direction of one shelf 3-120 and extends to the delivery area 3-140.

[0421] The container exchange robot 3-200 runs along the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 and transports empty containers 3-500 on the second container transport line 3-300C located in the transfer area 3-140 to the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120, or transports fully loaded containers 3-500 on the storage layer 3-121 of the shelf 3-120 to the second container transport line 3-300C located in the transfer area 3-140, for two shelves 3-120 on either side of the container exchange robot aisle 3-400.

[0422] Specifically, the second container transport line 3-300C of this embodiment differs from the first container transport line 3-300B of the sorting system of the sixth embodiment shown in Figure 36a in that they are installed at different locations, but the structure may be the same. Where the second container transport line 3-300C is located in the transfer area 3-140, one or more transfer areas are installed at intervals, and the area other than the transfer areas is a transport area. Each row of the second container transport line 3-300C includes a third full container transport line and a third empty container transport line installed at intervals in the vertical direction. This invention omits a description of the specific structure of the second container transport line 3-300C.

[0423] In this embodiment, the shelf 3-120 may be made tall enough to have sufficient height at the bottom to accommodate the second container transport line 3-300C in order to provide sufficient height space for the second container transport line 3-300C.

[0424] If the shelf 3-120 is not raised, the length of one or two storage layers 3-121 at the bottom of the shelf 3-120 that may interfere with the second container transport line 3-300C may be shortened. That is, the bottom one or two storage layers 3-121 are shortened toward the lift mechanism 3-112, and two more door posts are installed at the shortened end to support it, and these two door posts and two door posts away from the lift mechanism 3-112 on the shelf 3-120 surround the delivery area 3-140, thereby accommodating the delivery area of ​​the second container transport line 3-300C.

[0425] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second container transport line 3-300C directly provides empty containers 3-500 to the shelf 3-120, and transports the fully loaded containers 3-500 on the shelf 3-120 outside the sorting device 3-100, eliminating the need to install a relay robot 3-300A and reducing the cost of the sorting system. In addition, the second container transport line 3-300C extends to the bottom of the shelf 3-120, improving the space utilization rate of the sorting system. The container exchange robot 3-200 only needs to move within the length of the shelf 3-120 to complete the exchange of the container 3-500, improving the transportation efficiency of the container exchange robot 3-200 and improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0426] In this embodiment, the sorting mechanism 3-110 of the sorting apparatus 3-100 has one lift mechanism 3-112, and the structure of the sorting mechanism 3-110 and the container exchange robot 3-200 in the sorting apparatus 3-100 of this embodiment may be the same as that of the fifth form sorting system shown in Figure 32a, and the process of transporting a fully loaded container 3-500 or an empty container 3-500 in this embodiment may be the same as that of the sixth form sorting system shown in Figure 36a, and detailed explanations will be omitted here.

[0427] The following is a detailed description of the sorting system of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In this sorting system, the robot dedicated to container exchange is the container exchange robot 3-200, the transport device capable of transporting containers to the auxiliary delivery shelves 3-810 on either side of the sorting mechanism 3-110 in the system or to a position away from the auxiliary delivery shelves 3-810 is the relay robot 3-300A of the second container transport line, and the transport device capable of transporting containers to the shelves 3-120 on either side of the sorting mechanism 3-110 in the system or to a position away from the shelves 3-120 is the auxiliary transport line 3-820.

[0428] Referring to FIG. 38, FIG. 38 is a schematic plan view of a sorting system according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 38, the sorting system further includes an auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 or an auxiliary transportation line 3-820.

[0429] The auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 or the auxiliary transport line 3-820 is installed on the side of the sorting device 3-100 away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400, and is used to temporarily store the fully loaded containers 3-500 and the empty containers 3-500.

[0430] The auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 or auxiliary transport line 3-820 can dock with the container exchange robot 3-200 on a shelf 3-120 away from the container exchange robot aisle 3-400 of the sorting device 3-100 in order for the container exchange robot 3-200 to load or unload containers 3-500.

[0431] Specifically, as shown in Figure 38, the container transport device 3-300 is a relay robot 3-300A, and an auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 is installed on the side away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400 of one sorting device 3-100, and an auxiliary transport line 3-820 is installed on the side away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400 of the other sorting device 3-100. In other embodiments of the present invention, either an auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 or an auxiliary transport line 3-820 may be installed, and the present invention has no specific limitations thereon.

[0432] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by installing an auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 or an auxiliary transportation line 3-820, there is no need to install a delivery area 3-140 at the bottom of the adjacent shelf 3-120, and more storage layers 3-121 can be installed, thereby improving the storage density of the shelf 3-120.

[0433] When an auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 is installed on the side of the sorting device 3-100 away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400, the container transport device 3-300 is a relay robot 3-300A, and there is no need to install a docking layer 3-122 on the shelf 3-120 adjacent to the auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810.

[0434] The specific structure of the auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 for loading containers 3-500 may be the same as that of the docking layer 3-122, and may be divided into multiple docking locations 3-1221, with grooves 3-1222 installed in each docking location 3-1221, allowing the relay robot 3-300A to connect to the auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 and rise to load and unload containers 3-500.

[0435] If the top surface of the lift mechanism 3-320 of the relay robot 3-300A is comb-shaped, a comb-shaped groove corresponding to the above shape may be installed at the docking location of the auxiliary transfer shelf 3-810 and the docking layer 3-122, and the present invention has no specific restrictions on this, as long as the shape of the groove corresponds to the shape of the top surface of the lift mechanism 3-320 and the lift mechanism 3-320 can pass through the groove.

[0436] The method by which the relay robot 3-300A docks with the auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 and takes in and out the container 3-500 is the same as the method by which the relay robot 3-300A docks with the docking layer 3-122 and takes in and out the container 3-500, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0437] In other embodiments of the present invention, the container transport device 3-300 may be of other types, and the container transport device 3-300 may not be installed and the container 3-500 on the auxiliary delivery shelf 3-810 may be transported by a person, and the present invention has no specific limitations thereto.

[0438] If an auxiliary transport line 3-820 is installed on either side of the two sorting devices 3-100 away from the container exchange robot passage 3-400, the container exchange robot 3-200 can work in cooperation with the auxiliary transport line 3-820 to complete the transportation of the container 3-500.Therefore, the container transport device 3-300 may be of a type other than the relay robot 3-300A, and the container transport device 3-300 may not be installed and the container 3-500 may be transported independently by the auxiliary transport line 3-820; the present invention has no specific restrictions on this.

[0439] The difference between the auxiliary transport line 3-820 of this embodiment and the first container transport line 3-300B in the sixth form sorting system shown in Figure 36a is that they are installed at different locations, but have the same structure and may include one fully loaded container transport line and one empty container transport line, so no explanation will be given here.

[0440] In actual applications, whether the above-mentioned fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth form, or any of the variations of the above four embodiments, the container exchange robot 3-200 is installed on either of the sorting devices 3-100 on both sides of the container exchange robot passage 3-400, and can run along the container exchange robot passage 3-400, to transport empty containers 3-500 in the transfer area 3-140 of each of the two sorting devices 3-100 on both sides of the container exchange robot passage 3-400 to the storage area of ​​that sorting device 3-100, or to transport full containers 3-500 in the storage area to the transfer area 3-140 of that sorting device 3-100, thereby improving the utilization rate of the container exchange robot, reducing the cost of the sorting system, realizing automatic container exchange in the sorting system, and improving sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy compared to the method of manually exchanging containers. In addition, using a container exchange robot instead of manual container exchange allows the height of the sorting device to exceed the height limit of the worker, improving the storage capacity, sorting performance, and space utilization rate of the sorting system.The container transport device 3-300 is used to transport empty containers 3-500 to the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100, or to transport fully loaded containers 3-500 located in the delivery area 3-140 of the sorting device 3-100 to the outside of the sorting device 3-100, thereby realizing automatic transportation of empty containers 3-500 and fully loaded containers 3-500 and further improving the overall operating efficiency of the sorting system.

[0441] The above eight types of sorting systems all use two types of devices to automatically change containers in the sorting system, improving sorting efficiency and accuracy compared to manual container changeover, and belong to a single overall invention concept in the field of warehousing technology. The first type of device is the first robot (transport robot / container change robot), and the second type of device is the second robot (relay robot), container transfer transport line (auxiliary transport line), first container transport line, or second container transport line. Using the first robot (transport robot / container change robot) to change containers instead of manually allows the height of storage shelves to exceed the height limit of workers, increasing the width of containers that can be placed on shelves and improving the sorting performance and space utilization of the sorting system.

[0442] The above description is the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention, and any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0443] In Figures 1 to 22, Sorting device: 100, sorting mechanism: 110, guide mechanism: 111, shuttle rail: 1111, sorting shuttle: 112, storage shelf: 120, storage layer: 121, container opening: 1211, beam: 122; delivery shelf: 130, temporary storage location: 131, groove: 1311, lift mechanism: 140, supply table: 150, First robot: 200, column mast 210, door post: 211, transport mechanism: 220, lifting assembly: 221, pickup assembly: 222, slide rail: 230, Second robot: 300, motion chassis: 310, lift mechanism: 320, lift platform: 321, Container transfer station: 400, delivery area: 401, transportation area: 402, fully loaded container transport line: 410, empty container replenishment line 420, conveyor: 430, Container: 500, 1st aisle: 600, 2nd aisle: 700, 3rd aisle: 800, 4th aisle: 900. In Figures 23a to 31, Sorting mechanism: 2-100, supply table: 2-110, lift mechanism 2-120, guide mechanism: 2-130, shuttle rail: 2-131, sorting shuttle: 2-140, Shelf: 2-200, Storage layer: 2-210, Container opening: 2-211, Storage space: 2-220, Beam: 2-230, Transport robot: 2-300, column mast: 2-310, door post: 2-311, transport mechanism: 2-320, lifting assembly: 2-321, pickup assembly: 2-322, slide rail: 2-330, Container delivery transport line: 2-400, delivery area: 2-410, transport area: 2-420, fully loaded container delivery transport line: 2-430, empty container delivery transport line: 2-440, Container: 2-500. In Figures 32a to 38, Sorting device: 3-100, sorting mechanism: 3-110, supply table: 3-111, lift mechanism: 3-112, guide mechanism: 3-113, shuttle rail: 3-1131, sorting shuttle: 3-114, shelf: 3-120, storage layer: 3-121, storage location: 3-1211, docking layer: 3-122, docking location: 3-1221, groove: 3-1222, horizontal rail: 3-130, delivery area: 3-140, Container exchange robot: 3-200, mounting frame: 3-210, door post: 3-211, cargo loading / unloading assembly: 3-220, Container transport device: 3-300, relay robot: 3-300A, traveling mechanism: 3-310, lift mechanism: 3-320, first container transport line: 3-300B, delivery area: 3-330, transport area: 3-340, second fully loaded container transport line: 3-350, second empty container transport line: 3-360, second container transport line 3-300C, Container exchange robot aisle: 3-400, Container: 3-500, Container transfer station: 3-600, 1st full container transport line: 3-610, 1st empty container transport line: 3-620, Relay robot passage: 3-700, 1st passage: 3-710, 2nd passage: 3-720, 3rd passage: 3-730, Auxiliary delivery shelf: 3-810, Auxiliary transport line: 3-820.

Claims

1. A sorting system including a sorting device (100), a first robot (200), and a second robot (300), The sorting device (100) includes a sorting mechanism (110), a storage shelf (120), and a delivery shelf (130); The storage shelves (120) are arranged in two rows and include a plurality of storage layers (121), each of the storage layers (121) including a plurality of container openings (1211), each of the container openings (1211) for storing one container (500) to be loaded; The delivery shelf (130) is installed adjacent to the storage shelf (120) and is used to temporarily store fully loaded containers (500) or empty containers (500) waiting for replenishment. the sorting mechanism (110) is installed between two rows of storage shelves (120) and is arranged to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into containers (500) on the storage shelves (120); The first robot (200) is arranged to put in and take out a fully loaded container (500) or an empty container (500) between the storage shelf (120) and the delivery shelf (130); The second robot (300) is arranged to transfer a fully loaded container (500) or an empty container (500) between the delivery shelf (130) and the container transfer station (400). A sorting system characterized by:

2. The storage shelf (120) includes a plurality of beams (122) spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the first robot (200) is mounted on the outside of the storage shelf (120) by the beams (122). The sorting system according to claim 1 .

3. The first robot (200) includes a column mast (210), a transport mechanism (220), and at least one slide rail (230); The column mast (210) is mounted along the vertical direction of the storage shelf (120), The transport mechanism (220) is installed on the column mast (210) for transferring containers (500) at different heights of the storage shelf (120) into and out of the storage shelf (120); the at least one slide rail (230) is fixedly attached to the beam (122), and the column mast (210) is slidably connected to the at least one slide rail (230) so that the column mast (210) and the transport mechanism (220) can be slid horizontally along the beam (122) to move different containers (500) in and out of the storage shelf (120) in the longitudinal direction; The first robot (200) is arranged to move a fully loaded container (500) on the storage shelf (120) to the delivery shelf (130) or to move an empty container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to the storage shelf (120).

3. The sorting system according to claim 2.

4. The transport mechanism (220) includes a lifting assembly (221) and a pickup assembly (222); The lifting assembly (221) is installed on the column mast (210) and is arranged to move the pickup assembly (222) along a vertical direction; The pickup assembly (222) is attached to the lifting assembly (221), protrudes from the column mast (210), and is arranged to take in and out containers (500) on the storage shelf (120) or the delivery shelf (130).

4. The sorting system according to claim 3.

5. The delivery shelf (130) is a single-layer shelf arranged along the longitudinal direction of the storage shelf (120), and the delivery shelf (130) is provided with a plurality of temporary storage locations (131), each of which is for temporarily storing one full container (500) or one empty container (500). The sorting system according to claim 1 .

6. A groove (1311) is provided at the bottom of each temporary storage location (131), and the second robot (300) uses the groove (1311) to put in and take out the container (500) at the temporary storage location (131).

6. The sorting system according to claim 5.

7. The second robot (300) includes a motion chassis (310) and a lift mechanism (320), the lift mechanism (320) being installed on top of the motion chassis (310); the lift mechanism (320) is arranged to move with the motion chassis (310) and to lift or place the container (500) through the channel (1311) along a vertical direction; 7. The sorting system according to claim 6.

8. The delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows below the storage shelves (120) in correspondence with the storage shelves (120), or the delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows on the side away from the sorting mechanism (110) in correspondence with the storage shelves (120) in each row, and are parallel to the storage shelves (120) with a gap therebetween. The sorting system according to claim 1 or claim 5.

9. The delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows below the storage shelves (120) in correspondence with the storage shelves (120), A first passage (600) and a second passage (700) are installed in parallel and spaced apart on either side of the storage shelves (120) in each row away from the sorting mechanism (110), The first aisle (600) is closer to the storage shelf (120) than the second aisle (700); the first aisle (600) and the second aisle (700) extend from the storage shelf (120) to the container transfer station (400); The second robot (300) is arranged such that an empty second robot (300) travels along the first passage (600) to the delivery shelf (130), receives a fully loaded container (500) from the delivery shelf (130), travels along the second passage (700), and transports the fully loaded container (500) to the container transfer station (400), or an empty second robot (300) travels along the first passage (600) to the container transfer station (400), receives an empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400), travels along the second passage (700), and transports the empty container (500) to the delivery shelf (130). The sorting system according to claim 8 .

10. The delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows on the side away from the sorting mechanism (110) corresponding to the storage shelves (120) in each row, and are parallel to the storage shelves (120) with a gap therebetween; A third aisle (800) is provided in the space between the delivery shelf (130) and the storage shelf (120) of each row, and a fourth aisle (900) parallel to the third aisle (800) is provided on the side of the delivery shelf (130) of each row away from the storage shelf (120), the third aisle (800) and the fourth aisle (900) extend from the storage shelf (120) to the container transfer station (400); The second robot (300) The robot (300) is arranged so that an empty second robot (300) travels along the third aisle (800) to the delivery shelf (130), receives a fully loaded container (500) from the delivery shelf (130), travels along the fourth aisle (900), and transports the fully loaded container (500) to the container transfer station (400), or so that an empty second robot (300) travels along the third aisle (800) to the container transfer station (400), receives an empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400), and travels along the fourth aisle (900), and transports the empty container (500) to the delivery shelf (130). The sorting system according to claim 8 .

11. The container transfer station (400) includes a full container transport line (410) and an empty container refill line (420); The second robot (300) is arranged to move a fully loaded container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to the fully loaded container transport line (410) or to move an empty container (500) on the empty container replenishment line (420) to the delivery shelf (130). The sorting system according to claim 1 .

12. The sorting device (100) further includes a lift mechanism (140) and a supply table (150), and the sorting mechanism (110) includes a guide mechanism (111) and a sorting shuttle (112). The lift mechanism (140) is installed at both ends of the storage shelf (120) and moves the sorting shuttle (112) up and down along the height direction of the storage shelf (120) when the sorting shuttle (112) moves to one end of the storage shelf (120); The supply platform (150) is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism (140) and docks with the lift mechanism (140); The guide mechanism (111) is installed between two rows of the storage shelves (120) and includes a plurality of shuttle rails (1111) corresponding to the height of each of the storage layers (121), and the shuttle rails (1111) are docked with the lift mechanism (140) so that the sorting shuttle (112) moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the storage shelves (120); The sorting shuttle (112) is configured to switch between shuttle rails (1111) of different heights by the lift mechanism (140), sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (150) and place it into the containers (500) with container openings (1211) of different heights, and sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (150) by the guide mechanism (111) and place it into the containers (500) with container openings (1211) of different heights in the longitudinal direction. The sorting system according to claim 1 .

13. The sorting system further includes a controller; The control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism (110), the first robot (200), and the second robot (300), and is for instructing the sorting mechanism (110) to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into a container (500) on the storage shelf (120), for instructing the first robot (200) to move a fully loaded container (500) or an empty container (500) between the storage shelf (120) and the delivery shelf (130), and for instructing the second robot (300) to move a fully loaded container (500) or an empty container (500) between the delivery shelf (130) and the container transfer station (400). The sorting system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A sorting method using a control device, the control device being communicatively connected to a sorting mechanism (110), a first robot (200), and a second robot (300) of a sorting device (100) in a sorting system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the sorting method comprising: directing the sorting mechanism (110) to accept the cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into a partially full container (500) in a storage shelf (120); When a fully loaded container (500) is present on the storage shelf (120), the first robot (200) is instructed to move the fully loaded container (500) on the storage shelf (120) to a delivery shelf (130), and the fully loaded container (500) is a container (500) that is fully loaded with cargo or a container (500) in which all cargo of an associated order has been sorted; Instructing the second robot (300) to move the fully loaded container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to a container transfer station (400); When at least one container opening (1211) in the storage shelf (120) is empty, instructing the second robot (300) to move an empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400) to the delivery shelf (130); and instructing the first robot (200) to move the empty container (500) from the delivery shelf (130) to an empty container opening (1211) of the storage shelf (120). A sorting method characterized by:

15. The delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows below the storage shelves (120) in correspondence with the storage shelves (120), and a first aisle (600) and a second aisle (700) are installed in parallel and spaced apart on either side of the storage shelves (120) in each row away from the sorting mechanism (110), the first aisle (600) being closer to the storage shelves (120) than the second aisle (700), and the first aisle (600) and the second aisle (700) extending from the storage shelves (120) to the container transfer station (400); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the fully loaded container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to the container transfer station (400) includes: instructing an empty second robot (300) to travel along the first aisle (600) to the delivery shelf (130), receive the fully loaded container (500) from the delivery shelf (130), and travel along the second aisle (700) to transport the fully loaded container (500) to the container transfer station (400); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400) to the delivery shelf (130) includes: instructing an empty second robot (300) to travel along the first aisle (600) to a container transfer station (400), receive an empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400), and travel along the second aisle (700) to transport the empty container (500) to the delivery shelf (130).

15. The sorting method according to claim 14.

16. The delivery shelves (130) are installed in two rows on the side away from the sorting mechanism (110) corresponding to the storage shelves (120) of each row, and are parallel to the storage shelves (120) with a gap therebetween; a third aisle (800) is installed in the space between the delivery shelves (130) of each row and the storage shelves (120); and a fourth aisle (900) parallel to the third aisle (800) is installed on the side away from the storage shelves (120) of each row of the delivery shelves (130); and the third aisle (800) and the fourth aisle (900) extend from the storage shelves (120) to the container transfer station (400); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the fully loaded container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to the container transfer station (400) includes: instructing an empty second robot (300) to travel along the third aisle (800) to a delivery shelf (130), receive a fully loaded container (500) from the delivery shelf (130), and travel along the fourth aisle (900) to transport the fully loaded container (500) to a container transfer station (400); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400) to the delivery shelf (130) includes: instructing an empty second robot (300) to travel along the third aisle (800) to the container transfer station (400), receive an empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400), and travel along the fourth aisle (900) to transport the empty container (500) to the delivery shelf (130).

15. The sorting method according to claim 14.

17. The container transfer station (400) includes a full container transport line (410) and an empty container refill line (420); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the fully loaded container (500) on the delivery shelf (130) to the container transfer station (400) includes: directing the second robot (300) to move the fully loaded container (500) at the delivery shelf (130) to the fully loaded container transport line (410); Instructing the second robot (300) to move the empty container (500) from the container transfer station (400) to the delivery shelf (130) includes: directing the second robot (300) to move the empty container (500) in the empty container replenishment line (420) to the delivery shelf (130); 15. The sorting method according to claim 14.

18. The sorting device (100) further includes a lift mechanism (140) and a supply table (150), the sorting mechanism (110) includes a guide mechanism (111) and a sorting shuttle (112), and the control device is further communicatively connected to the lift mechanism (140) and the sorting shuttle (112); Instructing the sorting mechanism (110) to receive the cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to a partially full container (500) in a storage shelf (120) includes: When the sorting shuttle (112) moves to one end of the storage shelf (120), instructing the lift mechanism (140) to move the sorting shuttle (112) up and down along the height direction of the storage shelf (120), The sorting shuttle (112) is instructed to switch between shuttle rails (1111) of different heights by the lift mechanism (140), and the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (150) is sorted and placed into containers (500) with container openings (1211) of different heights, and the guide mechanism (111) sorts the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (150) and places it into containers (500) with container openings (1211) of different heights in the longitudinal direction.

15. The sorting method according to claim 14.

19. A sorting system including a sorting mechanism (2-100), a shelf (2-200), a transport robot (2-300), and a container delivery transport line (2-400), The shelves (2-200) are arranged in two rows and include a plurality of storage layers (2-210) spaced apart vertically, each of the storage layers (2-210) including a plurality of container openings (2-211), each of the container openings (2-211) for storing one container (2-500) to be loaded; the sorting mechanism (2-100) is installed between two rows of shelves (2-200) and is arranged to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into containers (2-500) on the shelves (2-200); The container delivery transport line (2-400) is installed adjacent to the shelf (2-200) and is arranged to transport empty containers (2-500) toward the shelf (2-200) or to transport fully loaded containers (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200); The transport robot (2-300) is arranged to transfer a full container (2-500) or an empty container (2-500) between the shelf (2-200) and the container delivery transport line (2-400). A sorting system characterized by:

20. The container transfer transport line (2-400) is installed in two rows, and by docking with the shelves (2-200) of the two rows respectively, the transport robot (2-300) can transfer a full container (2-500) or an empty container (2-500) between the shelves (2-200) and the container transfer transport line (2-400) by the shelves (2-200).

20. The sorting system of claim 19.

21. The container delivery transportation line (2-400) is provided with one or more delivery areas (2-410), The transport robot (2-300) is arranged to transport a fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to a delivery area (2-410) of the container delivery transport line (2-400), or to transport an empty container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410) of the container delivery transport line (2-400) to the shelf (2-200).

21. The sorting system of claim 20.

22. The portion of the container delivery transport line (2-400) other than the delivery area (2-410) is a transport area (2-420), The transport area (2-420) is for transporting empty containers (2-500) to the delivery area (2-410) or for receiving full containers (2-500) transported from the delivery area (2-410) and transporting them away from the shelf (2-200).

22. The sorting system of claim 21.

23. When the transport robot (2-300) needs to place the fully loaded container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410), it stops rolling in the delivery area (2-410), and when the placement is complete, it resumes rolling, and in cooperation with the transportation area (2-420), it transports the fully loaded container (2-500) and leaves. When an empty container (2-500) is transported to the delivery area (2-410), the rolling of the delivery area (2-410) stops, and when the transport robot (2-300) picks up the empty container (2-500), the rolling resumes, and the rolling continues until the next empty container (2-500) is transported to the delivery area (2-410). When the container (2-500) in the transportation area (2-420) is transported to an area adjacent to the delivery area (2-410) and the delivery area (2-410) is in a rolling stopped state, the area in the transportation area (2-420) where the container (2-500) is placed stops rolling, and after the delivery area (2-410) starts rolling, the area where the container (2-500) is placed also starts rolling, and the container (2-500) continues to be transported.

23. The sorting system of claim 22.

24. The container delivery transport line (2-400) is installed on the shelf (2-200) on the side away from the sorting mechanism (2-100), and delivery areas (2-410) of the container delivery transport line (2-400) are installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the shelf (2-200) at intervals.

22. The sorting system of claim 21.

25. The container delivery transport line (2-400) is installed at one end of the shelf (2-200) in the longitudinal direction, and a storage space (2-220) is installed at the bottom of one end of the shelf (2-200) close to the container delivery transport line (2-400), and a delivery area (2-410) of the container delivery transport line (2-400) extends and is installed in the storage space (2-220).

22. The sorting system of claim 21.

26. Each of the container delivery transport lines (2-400) includes a full container delivery transport line (2-430) and an empty container delivery transport line (2-440) that are installed at a vertical interval, and the transport robot (2-300) is arranged to transport a full container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to the full container delivery transport line (2-430) or to transport an empty container (2-500) on the empty container delivery transport line (2-440) to the shelf (2-200).

21. The sorting system of claim 20.

27. The shelf (2-200) includes a plurality of beams (2-230) spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the transport robot (2-300) is attached to the outside of the shelf (2-200) by the beams (2-230).

21. The sorting system of claim 20.

28. The transport robot (2-300) includes a column mast (2-310), a transport mechanism (2-320), and at least one slide rail (2-330); The column mast (2-310) is mounted along the vertical direction of the shelf (2-200), The transport mechanism (2-320) is installed on the column mast (2-310) for loading and unloading containers (2-500) at different heights of the shelf (2-200) or the container delivery transport line (2-400); the at least one slide rail (2-330) is fixedly attached to the beam (2-230), and the column mast (2-310) is slidably connected to the at least one slide rail (2-330) so that the column mast (2-310) and the transport mechanism (2-320) can be slid horizontally along the beam (2-230) to load and unload different containers (2-500) in the longitudinal direction of the shelf (2-200) or the container delivery transportation line (2-400).

28. The sorting system of claim 27.

29. The transport mechanism (2-320) includes a lift assembly (2-321) and a pickup assembly (2-322); The lifting assembly (2-321) is installed on the column mast (2-310) and is arranged to move the pickup assembly (2-322) along a vertical direction; The pickup assembly (2-322) is attached to the lifting assembly (2-321) and protrudes from the column mast (2-310) toward the shelf (2-200) or the container transfer transport line (2-400), and is arranged to take in and out a container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) or the container transfer transport line (2-400).

29. The sorting system of claim 28.

30. There are a plurality of transport robots (2-300), and there is at least one transport robot (2-300) for transferring containers (2-500) between each row of the shelves (2-200) and the container delivery transport line (2-400), and each transport robot (2-300) is for transporting the containers (2-500) within a preset length section of the shelves (2-200).

20. The sorting system of claim 19.

31. The sorting mechanism (2-100) includes a supply table (2-110), a lift mechanism (2-120), a guide mechanism (2-130), and a sorting shuttle (2-140), The lift mechanism (2-120) is installed at both ends of the shelf (2-200) and moves the sorting shuttle (2-140) up and down along the height direction of the shelf (2-200), The supply table (2-110) is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism (2-120) and docks with the lift mechanism (2-120); The guide mechanism (2-130) is installed between two rows of the shelves (2-200) and includes a plurality of shuttle rails (2-131) corresponding to the height of each of the storage layers (2-210), and the shuttle rails (2-131) dock with the lift mechanism (2-120) so that the sorting shuttle (2-140) moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the shelves (2-200); The sorting shuttle (2-140) is configured to switch between shuttle rails (2-131) of different heights by the lift mechanism (2-120), sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (2-110) and place it into a container (2-500) with a container opening (2-211) of a different height, and sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (2-110) by the guide mechanism (2-130) and place it into a container (2-500) with a container opening (2-211) of a different height in the longitudinal direction.

20. The sorting system of claim 19.

32. The sorting system further includes a controller; The control device is communicatively connected to the sorting mechanism (2-100), the transport robot (2-300), and the container delivery transport line (2-400), and is for instructing the sorting mechanism (2-100) to receive cargo to be sorted and transport the cargo to be sorted into a container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200), instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move a full container (2-500) or an empty container (2-500) between the shelf (2-200) and the container delivery transport line (2-400), and instructing the container delivery transport line (2-400) to transport an empty container (2-500) toward the shelf (2-200), or to transport a full container (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200). A sorting system according to any one of claims 19 to 31.

33. A sorting method using a control device, wherein the control device is communicatively connected to a sorting mechanism (2-100), a transport robot (2-300), and a container delivery transport line (2-400) in the sorting system according to any one of claims 19 to 32, and the sorting method includes: instructing and starting the container delivery transport line (2-400) so that the container delivery transport line (2-400) can transport empty containers (2-500) toward the shelf (2-200) and transport fully loaded containers (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200); instructing the sorting mechanism (2-100) to accept the cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into a partially full container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200); If a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), instruct the transport robot (2-300) to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to the container delivery transport line (2-400); and when at least one container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is vacant, instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) on the container delivery transport line (2-400) to an available container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200). A sorting method characterized by:

34. The container delivery transport line (2-400) includes a full container delivery transport line (2-430) and an empty container delivery transport line (2-440) spaced apart vertically; directing and activating the container delivery transport line (2-400) so that the container delivery transport line (2-400) can transport empty containers (2-500) toward the shelf (2-200) and transport full containers (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200); instructing and activating the full container delivery transport line (2-430) and the empty container delivery transport line (2-440) in the container delivery transport line (2-400) so that the empty container delivery transport line (2-440) can transport empty containers (2-500) towards the shelf (2-200) and the full container delivery transport line (2-430) can transport full containers (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200); When a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), the transport robot (2-300) is instructed to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to the container delivery transport line (2-400). When a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to a fully loaded container delivery transport line (2-430); When at least one container opening (2-211) is vacant on the shelf (2-200), instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) on the container delivery transport line (2-400) to an available container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is and when at least one container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is vacant, instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) on the empty container delivery transport line (2-440) to the vacant container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200).

34. The method of claim 33.

35. The container delivery transport line (2-400) is provided with one or more delivery areas (2-410), and the area other than the delivery area (2-410) is a transport area (2-420), directing and activating the container delivery transport line (2-400) so that the container delivery transport line (2-400) can transport empty containers (2-500) toward the shelf (2-200) and transport full containers (2-500) away from the shelf (2-200); instructing and activating the container delivery transport line (2-400) so that a transport area (2-420) on the container delivery transport line (2-400) can transport empty containers (2-500) to the delivery area (2-410) and receive full containers (2-500) transported from the delivery area (2-410) and transport them away from the shelf (2-200), and the delivery area (2-410) can transport the full containers (2-500) to the transport area (2-420); When a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), the transport robot (2-300) is instructed to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to the container delivery transport line (2-400). When a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to a delivery area (2-410); When at least one container opening (2-211) is vacant on the shelf (2-200), instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) on the container delivery transport line (2-400) to an available container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is and when at least one container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is vacant, instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410) to an available container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200).

34. The method of claim 33.

36. When a fully loaded container (2-500) is present on the shelf (2-200), the method further includes instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move the fully loaded container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200) to a delivery area (2-410). When the transport robot (2-300) needs to place the fully loaded container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410), it instructs the delivery area (2-410) to stop rolling; After the transport robot (2-300) places the fully loaded container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410), it instructs the delivery area (2-410) to start rolling, and in cooperation with the transport area (2-420), transports the fully loaded container (2-500) in a direction away from the shelf (2-200); When the container (2-500) in the transportation area (2-420) is transported to an area adjacent to the delivery area (2-410) and the delivery area (2-410) is in a rolling stopped state, a photoelectric sensor installed in the transportation area (2-420) triggers the rolling stop of the area in the transportation area (2-420) where the container (2-500) is placed, and after the delivery area (2-410) starts rolling, the area where the container (2-500) is placed also starts rolling, and the container (2-500) continues to be transported. When at least one container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200) is vacant, the method further includes instructing the transport robot (2-300) to move an empty container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410) to an available container opening (2-211) on the shelf (2-200), If an empty container (2-500) is placed in the delivery area (2-410), instruct the delivery area (2-410) to stop rolling; If there is no empty container (2-500) in the delivery area (2-410), instruct the transportation area (2-420) to transport the empty container (2-500) to the delivery area (2-410); After the transport robot (2-300) takes the empty container (2-500) from the delivery area (2-410), it instructs the delivery area (2-410) to start rolling, and instructs the transport area (2-420) to transport the next empty container (2-500) to the delivery area (2-410).

36. The method of claim 35.

37. The sorting mechanism (2-100) includes a supply table (2-110), a lift mechanism (2-120), a guide mechanism (2-130), and a sorting shuttle (2-140), the guide mechanism (2-130) includes a plurality of shuttle rails (2-131), and the control device is further communicatively connected to the lift mechanism (2-120) and the sorting shuttle (2-140), directing the sorting mechanism (2-100) to accept cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into a partially full container (2-500) on the shelf (2-200); When the sorting shuttle (2-140) moves to one end of the shelf (2-200), the lift mechanism (2-120) is instructed to move the sorting shuttle (2-140) up and down along the height direction of the shelf (2-200); Instructing the sorting shuttle (2-140) to switch between shuttle rails (2-131) of different heights by the lift mechanism (2-120), sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (2-110) and placing it into containers (2-500) with container openings (2-211) of different heights, and sorting the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (2-110) and placing it into containers (2-500) with container openings (2-211) of different heights in the longitudinal direction by the guide mechanism (2-130).

34. The method of claim 33.

38. A control device, a memory for storing computer programs; A processor for implementing the sorting method according to any one of claims 14 to 18 and claims 33 to 37 when executing a program stored in the memory. A control device characterized by:

39. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored therein, the computer program being capable of realizing the sorting method according to any one of claims 14 to 18 and claims 33 to 37 when executed by a processor. A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

40. A sorting system comprising at least two sorting devices (3-100), a container exchange robot (3-200), and a container transport device (3-300), The at least two sorting devices (3-100) are installed in parallel with an interval between them, and a container exchange robot passage (3-400) is formed between two adjacent sorting devices (3-100) in parallel, and each of the sorting devices (3-100) sorts the cargo to be sorted that it receives and places it into each container (3-500); The at least two sorting devices (3-100) are provided with a storage area for storing containers (3-500) and a delivery area (3-140) for docking with a container transport device (3-300); The container transport device (3-300) is for transporting empty containers (3-500) to the transfer area (3-140) of the sorting device (3-100) or for transporting fully loaded containers (3-500) located in the transfer area (3-140) of the sorting device (3-100) to the outside of the sorting device (3-100); The container exchange robot (3-200) is installed on either of the sorting devices (3-100) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400), and can travel along the container exchange robot passage (3-400), for transporting empty containers (3-500) in the transfer area (3-140) of each of the two sorting devices (3-100) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400) to the storage area of ​​the sorting device (3-100), or transporting fully loaded containers (3-500) in the storage area to the transfer area (3-140) of the sorting device (3-100). A sorting system characterized by:

41. The sorting device (3-100) includes a sorting mechanism (3-110) and a shelf (3-120), The shelves (3-120) are arranged in two rows, and the storage area is located on the shelves (3-120), with a plurality of storage layers (3-121) spaced apart along the vertical direction; The sorting mechanism (3-110) is installed between two rows of shelves (3-120) and is for receiving cargo to be sorted and transporting the cargo to be sorted into each container (3-500) on the shelves (3-120); The container exchange robot (3-200) is installed on the side of the shelf (3-120) of one of the sorting devices (3-100) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400) away from the sorting mechanism (3-110), and the container exchange robot (3-200) transports empty containers (3-500) in the delivery area (3-140) to the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) for the two shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400), or transports fully loaded containers (3-500) in the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) to the delivery area (3-140).

41. The sorting system of claim 40.

42. The sorting system of claim 41, characterized in that, of the two shelves (3-120) of each sorting device (3-100), when only one shelf (3-120) is adjacent to the container exchange robot aisle (3-400), at least one container exchange robot (3-200) is installed on the side away from the sorting mechanism (3-110) of the other shelf (3-120).

43. The delivery area (3-140) is located below the storage layer (3-121) of the lowest layer of the shelf (3-120), and a docking layer (3-122) is installed therein for temporarily storing full containers (3-500) or empty containers (3-500); The container transport device (3-300) is a relay robot (3-300A), which transports empty containers (3-500) to the docking layer (3-122) or transports fully loaded containers (3-500) in the docking layer (3-122) to the outside of the sorting device (3-100); The container exchange robot (3-200) is for transporting a fully loaded container (3-500) in the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) to the docking layer (3-122), or for transporting an empty container (3-500) in the docking layer (3-122) of the shelf (3-120) to the storage layer (3-121).

43. The sorting system of claim 42.

44. The sorting system further includes a container transfer station (3-600); The relay robot (3-300A) moves between the shelf (3-120) and the container transfer station (3-600) to transport empty containers (3-500) at the container transfer station (3-600) to the docking layer (3-122) of the shelf (3-120), or transports full containers (3-500) at the docking layer (3-122) to the container transfer station (3-600).

44. The sorting system of claim 43.

45. The container transfer station (3-600) includes a first full container transport line (3-610) and a first empty container transport line (3-620); The relay robot (3-300A) is for transporting empty containers (3-500) in a first empty container transport line (3-620) to a docking layer (3-122) of the shelf (3-120) or for transporting full containers (3-500) in the docking layer (3-122) to the first full container transport line (3-610).

45. The sorting system of claim 44.

46. Between the container transfer station (3-600) and the sorting device (3-100), a relay robot passage (3-700) is further installed. The relay robot passage (3-700) extends from the container relay station (3-600) to the sorting device (3-100); The relay robot (3-300A) moves along the relay robot passage (3-700) to transport an empty container (3-500) at the container transfer station (3-600) to the shelf (3-120) of the sorting device (3-100), or to transport a fully loaded container (3-500) at the shelf (3-120) of the sorting device (3-100) to the container transfer station (3-600).

45. The sorting system of claim 44.

47. The relay robot passage (3-700) includes a first passage (3-710), a second passage (3-720), and a third passage (3-730); The first passage (3-710) extends from the container transfer station (3-600) to the sorting device (3-100), and a portion of the first passage overlaps with the container exchange robot passage (3-400); The second passage (3-720) and the third passage (3-730) extend from the first passage (3-710); The second passage (3-720) is located in the delivery area (3-140), the third passage (3-730) is located on the side of the sorting device (3-100) away from the container exchange robot passage (3-400), and both the second passage (3-720) and the third passage (3-730) are parallel to the container exchange robot passage (3-400); The relay robot (3-300A) moves along the first passage (3-710) or the third passage (3-730) to a position corresponding to a target position in the docking layer (3-122), then moves to the second passage (3-720) at the bottom of the docking layer (3-122), docks with the docking layer (3-122), loads or unloads a container (3-500), and then moves to the first passage (3-710) or the third passage (3-730) to head to the container transfer station (3-600).

47. The sorting system of claim 46.

48. The docking layer (3-122) is divided into a plurality of docking locations (3-1221), each of which is for temporarily placing one full container (3-500) or one empty container (3-500); A groove (3-1222) is installed at the bottom of the docking location (3-1221), and the relay robot (3-300A) uses the groove (3-1222) to put in and take out the container (3-500) at the docking location (3-1221); 44. The sorting system of claim 43.

49. The relay robot (3-300A) includes a traveling mechanism (3-310) and a lift mechanism (3-320), and the lift mechanism (3-320) is installed on the upper part of the traveling mechanism (3-310), The relay robot (3-300A) has a traveling mechanism (3-310) that moves the lift mechanism (3-320) along the container exchange robot passage (3-400) to a position corresponding to the docking location (3-1221), and then moves to the bottom of the docking location (3-1221), and the lift mechanism (3-320) moves vertically through the groove (3-1222) to lift or place the container (3-500).

49. The sorting system of claim 48.

50. The sorting system further includes an auxiliary delivery shelf (3-810) or an auxiliary transport line (3-820); The auxiliary delivery shelf (3-810) or auxiliary transport line (3-820) is installed on the side of the sorting device (3-100) away from the container exchange robot passage (3-400) and is for temporarily placing fully loaded containers (3-500) and empty containers (3-500), The auxiliary delivery shelf (3-810) or auxiliary transport line (3-820) can dock with the container exchange robot (3-200) at a shelf (3-120) away from the container exchange robot aisle (3-400) of the sorting device (3-100) so that the container exchange robot (3-200) can put in or take out a container (3-500).

43. The sorting system of claim 42.

51. The delivery area (3-140) is located outside one end of the shelf (3-120) in the longitudinal direction, The container transport device (3-300) is a first container transport line (3-300B), and the first container transport line (3-300B) is installed in two rows, and a portion of the first container transport line (3-300B) of each row is installed in the delivery area (3-140), The container exchange robot (3-200) moves between the shelf (3-120) and the delivery area (3-140) by traveling along the container exchange robot passage (3-400), and the container exchange robot (3-200) transports an empty container (3-500) on the first container transport line (3-300B) located in the delivery area (3-140) to a storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) for the two shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400), or transports a fully loaded container (3-500) on the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) to the first container transport line (3-300B) located in the delivery area (3-140).

42. The sorting system of claim 41.

52. In the portion of the first container transport line (3-300B) located in the transfer area (3-140), one or a plurality of transfer areas (3-330) are installed at intervals, and the portion of the first container transport line (3-300B) other than the transfer area (3-330) is a transport area (3-340), The delivery area (3-330) is for docking with the container exchange robot (3-200) and receiving a fully loaded container (3-500) transported from the container exchange robot (3-200) and transporting it to the transport area (3-340), or for receiving an empty container (3-500) transported from the transport area (3-340) to be presented for receipt by the container exchange robot (3-200); The transport area (3-340) is for transporting empty containers (3-500) to the delivery area (3-330) or for receiving full containers (3-500) transported from the delivery area (3-330) and transporting them away from the shelf (3-120).

52. The sorting system of claim 51.

53. each row of said first container transport lines (3-300B) includes a vertically spaced second full container transport line (3-350) and a second empty container transport line (3-360); The container exchange robot (3-200) moves between the shelf (3-120) and the delivery area (3-140) by traveling along the container exchange robot passage (3-400), and transports an empty container (3-500) in a second empty container transport line (3-360) located in the delivery area (3-140) to a storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) for the two shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400), or transports a fully loaded container (3-500) in the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) to a second fully loaded container transport line (3-350) located in the delivery area (3-140).

52. The sorting system of claim 51.

54. The delivery area (3-140) is located below the storage layer (3-121) of the lowest layer of the shelf (3-120), The container transport device (3-300) is a second container transport line (3-300C), The second container transport lines (3-300C) are installed in two rows, and each row of the second container transport lines (3-300C) is installed at one end of the longitudinal direction of one of the shelves (3-120) and extends to the delivery area (3-140); The container exchange robot (3-200) travels along the container exchange robot passage (3-400) and transports empty containers (3-500) in the second container transport line (3-300C) located in the transfer area (3-140) to the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) for the two shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot passage (3-400), or transports fully loaded containers (3-500) in the storage layer (3-121) of the shelf (3-120) to the second container transport line (3-300C) located in the transfer area (3-140).

42. The sorting system of claim 41.

55. A plurality of horizontal rails (3-130) are installed at intervals in the vertical direction on the side of the shelf (3-120) close to the container exchange robot passage (3-400), and the container exchange robot (3-200) is attached to the outside of the shelf (3-120) by the horizontal rails (3-130); The container exchange robot (3-200) includes a mounting frame (3-210) and a cargo loading / unloading assembly (3-220), and the mounting frame (3-210) is movably mounted on the horizontal rail (3-130) so as to load and unload containers (3-500) at different positions in the storage layers (3-121) of the shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle (3-400) and in the transfer area (3-140). The cargo loading / unloading assembly (3-220) is installed on the mounting frame (3-210) and can move vertically along the mounting frame (3-210) and horizontally along the horizontal rail (3-130) together with the mounting frame (3-210).

42. The sorting system of claim 41.

56. The delivery area (3-140) is located outside one end of the shelf (3-120) in the longitudinal direction, The container transport device (3-300) is a first container transport line (3-300B), and the first container transport line (3-300B) is installed in two rows, and a portion of the first container transport line (3-300B) of each row is installed in the delivery area (3-140), The horizontal rail (3-130) extends to the transfer area (3-140) so that the container exchange robot (3-200) can move along the horizontal rail (3-130) between the shelf (3-120) and the transfer area (3-140) to load and unload containers (3-500) at different positions in the storage layers (3-121) of the shelves (3-120) on both sides of the container exchange robot aisle (3-400) and the first container transport line (3-300B).

56. The sorting system of claim 55.

57. The sorting mechanism (3-110) includes a supply table (3-111), a lift mechanism (3-112), a guide mechanism (3-113), and a sorting shuttle (3-114). The lift mechanism (3-112) is installed at one or both ends of the shelf (3-120) and moves the sorting shuttle (3-114) up and down along the height direction of the shelf (3-120); The supply table (3-111) is installed on one or both sides of the lift mechanism (3-112) and docks with the lift mechanism (3-112); The guide mechanism (3-113) is installed between two rows of the shelves (3-120) and includes a plurality of shuttle rails (3-1131) corresponding to the height of each of the storage layers (3-121), and the shuttle rails (3-1131) dock with the lift mechanism (3-112) so that the sorting shuttle (3-114) moves back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the shelves (3-120); The sorting shuttle (3-114) is used to switch between shuttle rails (3-1131) of different heights by the lift mechanism (3-112), to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (3-111) and place it into a container (3-500) in a storage location (3-1211) of different heights, and to sort the cargo to be sorted on the supply table (3-111) and place it into a container (3-500) in a storage location (3-1211) different in the longitudinal direction by the guide mechanism (3-113).

42. The sorting system of claim 41.

Images