Mother and child shuttle car rail switching device and warehouse storage system

Abstract

To provide a rail switching device for mother and child shuttle cars and a warehouse storage system that can improve the flexibility and responsiveness of shuttle cars traveling in multiple aisles. [Solution] The rail switching device for a mother and child shuttle car includes a first rail 1 arranged in each aisle, connected to a corresponding rack, and extending along the length of the aisle; a second rail 2 arranged outside the ends of the multiple aisles and extending along a first direction perpendicular to the length of the aisle; a mother car 3 movably arranged on the second rail and capable of reciprocating along the second rail; and a child car 4 that can be switched between a first position state and a second position state; in the first position state, the child car is connected to the mother car and can reciprocate along the second rail together with the mother car, and in the second position state, can reciprocate along any one of the first rails.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, and in particular to a rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car and a warehousing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of warehousing and logistics, shuttle cars (also known as large shuttle cars) are automated equipment used to transport totes by moving back and forth at high speed between racks in aisles, and are widely used in automated multi-story warehouses. Shuttle cars typically travel along set rails in the aisles, loading and unloading totes and transporting them, thereby improving the automation and efficiency of warehouse storage systems. Placing a shuttle car in each aisle allows for individual control and efficient management of totes.

[0003] However, conventional shuttle cars are usually configured to run on fixed paths, meaning they can only run within designated paths and cannot be flexibly switched between multiple paths. In such a configuration, when the workload between paths is uneven or the overall workload is low, shuttle cars on some paths will be idle for a long time, resulting in low resource utilization and making it difficult to improve the scheduling efficiency of the entire system.

[0004] To solve the above problems, a rail switching device and a warehouse storage system for mother-child shuttle cars are required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rail switching device and warehouse storage system for mother-child shuttle cars that can improve the flexibility and adaptability of shuttle cars in multi-aisle situations and avoid wasteful resource use.

[0006] To achieve this goal, the present invention uses the following technical means:

[0007] The first aspect of the present invention is: a first rail disposed in each aisle, connected to a corresponding rack, and extending along the length of the aisle; a second rail disposed outside the ends of the passages and extending along a first direction perpendicular to the length of the passages; a mother car movably disposed on the second rail and reciprocating along the second rail; a child cart having a first position state and a second position state and being switchable between the first position state and the second position state; The child car is In the first position state, the vehicle is connected to the mother car and is reciprocally movable along the second rail together with the mother car; A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car is provided that, in the second position state, is capable of reciprocating along any one of the first rails.

[0008] In some embodiments, the mother vehicle includes a mother vehicle body and docking rails, the mother vehicle body and the docking rails are connected to each other, the docking rails are always parallel to the first rails and can dock with any one of the first rails.

[0009] In some embodiments, a collector arm is disposed on the slave car, and the slave car is configured to be electrically connected to the main car via the collector arm.

[0010] In some embodiments, two current collecting arms are arranged, and the two current collecting arms are arranged apart from each other in a direction in which the first rail extends on the child car.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second rail includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail, the first guide rail and the second guide rail being spaced apart along the length of the passage and arranged parallel to each other, and opposite ends of the carriage being movably connected to the first guide rail and the second guide rail, respectively.

[0012] In some embodiments, two first guide rails and two second guide rails are arranged, the two first guide rails are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, the two second guide rails are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, and opposite ends of the top of the mother carriage are movably connected to the upper first guide rail and the second guide rail, respectively, and opposite ends of the bottom of the mother carriage are movably connected to the lower first guide rail and the second guide rail, respectively.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second rail has a conductor rail disposed thereon for supplying power to the second rail.

[0014] In some embodiments, the platform has a first roller capable of rolling contact with the second rail.

[0015] In some embodiments, the child car has a second roller capable of rolling contact with the first rail.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of racks and a rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to the first aspect; A warehouse storage system is provided in which a plurality of the racks are arranged at intervals, an aisle is formed between two adjacent racks, and the child cart can move between the plurality of aisles by switching between them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The rail switching device for the mother-child shuttle car of this invention is a combination of a mother car and a child car, which allows the child car to ride on the mother car and travel on the second rail, separate from the mother car at the entrance to any designated aisle, and enter the target aisle to work.This allows the child car to not only transport and load totes within a single aisle, but also to flexibly switch between multiple aisles, significantly improving the flexibility and response capabilities of the shuttle car in multi-aisle situations.

[0018] The warehousing system of the present invention uses the above-mentioned mother-child shuttle car rail switching device to dynamically schedule the same child car between multiple aisles depending on the task, thereby avoiding wasteful resource use due to shuttle cars idling for long periods in some aisles, which is advantageous for improving the utilization rate of warehousing resources and overall scheduling efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below. The drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that they can derive other drawings based on the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without any creative efforts. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of the rack and rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a partial enlarged view of a rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a range A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In order to clarify the objectives, technical means and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention, the technical means of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. It is clear that the described embodiments are not all the embodiments but are a part of the embodiments of the present invention. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described or illustrated in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0021] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention sought to be protected, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments that can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative work fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that like symbols and letters represent like items in subsequent figures, so once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further defined or interpreted in subsequent figures.

[0023] In describing this invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "up," "down," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inside," "outside," etc. are orientations or positional relationships based on the drawings or orientations or positional relationships customarily placed when using the articles of this invention, and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of this invention. They do not indicate or suggest that the devices or elements shown have a particular orientation or must be configured or operated in a particular orientation, and should not be understood as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used only for distinction purposes and should not be understood to indicate or suggest relative importance. In describing this invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "arrangement" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected. They may be mechanically connected or electrically connected. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this invention, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, a first structure being "above" or "below" a second structure may include direct contact between the first and second structures, or may include contact between the first and second structures via another structure rather than direct contact. Furthermore, a first structure being "above," "above," or "on the upper surface" of a second structure simply indicates that the first structure is directly above and diagonally above the second structure, or that the horizontal height of the first structure is higher than that of the second structure. A first structure being "below," "below," or "on the lower surface" of a second structure simply indicates that the first structure is directly below and diagonally below the second structure, or that the horizontal height of the first structure is lower than that of the second structure.

[0026]

[0030] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided in the drawings, and examples of such embodiments are shown in the drawings, and the same or similar reference numerals throughout the drawings represent the same or similar elements, or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are illustrative and are used only to explain the present invention, and should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this embodiment provides a warehouse storage system including a plurality of racks 200 and a rail switching device for mother and child shuttle cars.

[0028] The racks 200 are arranged at intervals, and an aisle 100 is formed between two adjacent racks 200. The rail switching device of the mother-child shuttle car includes a first rail 1, a second rail 2, a mother car 3, and a child car 4, and the child car 4 can move by switching between the multiple aisles 100.

[0029] 1, a first rail 1 is disposed in each aisle 100, connected to a corresponding rack 200, and extends along the length of the aisle 100. A second rail 2 is disposed outside the ends of the multiple aisles 100 and extends along a first direction perpendicular to the length of the aisle 100.

[0030] The mother car 3 is movably disposed on the second rail 2 and is capable of reciprocating movement along the second rail 2. The child car 4 has a first position state and a second position state and is switchable between the first position state and the second position state. In the first position state, the child car 4 is connected to the mother car 3 and is capable of reciprocating movement along the second rail 2 together with the mother car 3, and in the second position state, the child car 4 is capable of reciprocating movement along any one of the first rails 1.

[0031] In a specific implementation, when the totes placed on the racks 200 are not being transported or taken in or out, the subsidiary cart 4 is in a first position state connected to the mother cart 3. When work is to be performed in a certain aisle 100, the mother cart 3 carrying the subsidiary cart 4 is first moved along the second rail 2 to the entrance at the end of the aisle 100 and positioned, and then the subsidiary cart 4 is separated from the mother cart 3 and entered into the aisle 100 and moved along the first rail 1 within the aisle 100 (i.e., switched to the second position state at this time), to transport or take in or out the totes placed on the corresponding rack 200 within the aisle 100, and after the subsidiary cart 4 has completed its work in the aisle 100, the subsidiary cart 4 is returned to the mother cart 3 and moved together with the mother cart 3 to work again in another aisle 100.

[0032] Using the orientation shown in FIG. 1 as an example, for convenience of explanation, the multiple aisles 100 shown in FIG. 1 are referred to as aisle 1, aisle 2, aisle 3, aisle 4, etc., from top to bottom. For example, when performing work in aisle 1, the mother vehicle 3 carrying the child vehicle 4 is moved along the second rail 2 to the entrance of aisle 1 and positioned there. The child vehicle 4 is then separated from the mother vehicle 3, enters aisle 1, and performs work while moving along the first rail 1 within aisle 1. After the work is completed, the child vehicle 4 is returned to the mother vehicle 3 and waits for the next work. For example, when the next work is to be performed in aisle 2, the mother vehicle 3 is moved from the entrance of aisle 1 to the entrance of aisle 2, and the child vehicle 4 enters aisle 2 to perform the work. When the next work is to be performed in aisle 4, the mother vehicle 3 is moved directly from the entrance of aisle 1 to the entrance of aisle 4, and the child vehicle 4 enters aisle 4 to perform the work. In other words, the child vehicle 4 can move between any two aisles 100 via the mother vehicle 3.

[0033] The rail switching device for the mother-child shuttle car of this invention combines a mother car 3 and a daughter car 4, allowing the daughter car 4 to ride on the mother car 3 and travel on the second rail, separate from the mother car 3 at the entrance to any designated aisle 100, and enter the target aisle 100 to work.This allows the daughter car 4 not only to transport and load totes within a single aisle 100, but also to flexibly switch between multiple aisles 100 and run, significantly improving the flexibility and response capabilities of the shuttle car's running in multi-aisle situations.

[0034] The warehouse storage system of this embodiment uses the rail switching device of the mother and child shuttle car to dynamically schedule the same child car 4 between multiple aisles 100 depending on the task, thereby avoiding wasteful resource use due to shuttle cars idling for long periods of time in some aisles 100, which is advantageous for improving the utilization rate of warehouse storage resources and overall scheduling efficiency.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the mother car 3 includes a mother car body 31 and a docking rail 32, the mother car body 31 and the docking rail 32 are connected to each other, and the docking rail 32 is always parallel to the first rail 1 and can dock with any one of the first rails.

[0036] When the mother car 3 moves along the second rail 2, the mother car body 31 and the docking rail 32 move together, and when the mother car 3 moves to the entrance of the passage 100 where the docking rail 32 is located, the docking rail 32 docks with the first rail 1 in the passage 100 to form a continuous rail. With this configuration, the child car 4 can smoothly transition from the docking rail 32 on the mother car 3 to the first rail 1 in the passage 100, or smoothly return from the passage 100 to the mother car 3, allowing for smooth transition of the child car 4 and effectively avoiding problems such as malfunctions or snagging due to misalignment or gaps in the rails.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in some embodiments, a collector arm 5 is disposed on the subsidiary car 4, and the subsidiary car 4 is configured to be electrically connected to the main car 3 via the collector arm 5.

[0038] With this configuration, the collector arm 5 ensures that the power supply is not interrupted while the child car 4 is moving to the mother car 3, and problems such as system interruption and restart due to an interruption in the power supply while switching paths can be avoided, which is advantageous for improving the continuity of shuttle car operations.

[0039] Furthermore, two current collecting arms 5 are arranged, and the two current collecting arms 5 are arranged at a distance from each other in the direction in which the first rail 1 extends to the subsidiary car 4. By providing two current collecting arms, the contact range for electrical connection between the subsidiary car 4 and the mother car 3 is effectively expanded, and even if one current collecting arm 5 has poor contact or breaks down, the electrical connection can be maintained by the other current collecting arm 5, which helps to maintain good electrical contact between the subsidiary car 4 and the mother car 3.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the second rail 2 includes a first guide rail 21 and a second guide rail 22, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the passage 100 and arranged parallel to each other, and opposite ends of the carriage 3 are movably connected to the first guide rail 21 and the second guide rail 22, respectively.

[0041] With this configuration, both ends of the carriage 3 can be supported by the first guide rail 21 and the second guide rail 22, i.e., two-rail support can be achieved, which improves balance and running stability when the carriage 3 moves along the second rail 2 and prevents tilting and shaking caused by a single rail guide.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, two first guide rails 21 and two second guide rails 22 are arranged, the two first guide rails 21 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the two second guide rails 22 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, and opposite ends of the top of the carriage 3 are movably connected to the upper first guide rail 21 and second guide rail 22, respectively, and opposite ends of the bottom of the carriage 3 are movably connected to the lower first guide rail 21 and second guide rail 22, respectively.

[0043] With this configuration, the constraints imposed by the upper and lower guide rails allow for multi-point guiding and support of the mother vehicle 3, further improving the postural stability and rollover resistance of the mother vehicle 3 while it is in motion.

[0044] 4, a plurality of first rails 1 may be provided at intervals along the vertical direction, thereby facilitating the operation of the child carts 4 at different height positions of the rack 200.

[0045] In some embodiments, the second rail is provided with a conductor rail for supplying power to the second rail, which has the advantages of a simple structure, strong continuity of power supply, and easy maintenance, and is particularly suitable for high-frequency, multi-passage switching work scenarios.

[0046] In some embodiments, the mother carriage 3 has a first roller capable of rolling contact with the second rail 2. The daughter carriage 4 has a second roller capable of rolling contact with the first rail 1.

[0047] The rolling contact reduces the running resistance when the mother car 3 and the child car 4 move, and the low friction reduces wear on the parts, which is advantageous for extending the life of the system.

[0048] Of course, in other embodiments, other connection forms such as slide connection can be used between the mother car 3 and the second rail 2, and between the child car 4 and the first rail 1, depending on the actual situation.

[0049] It is clear that the above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clarifying the present invention and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications based on the above description. It is not possible to comprehensively describe all embodiments here, and it is not necessary to do so. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made based on the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1: First rail 2: Second rail 21: First guide rail 22: Second guide rail 3: Mother car 31: Mother car body 32: Docking rail 4: Child car 5: Collector arm 100: Passageway 200: Rack

Claims

1. a first rail (1) arranged in each aisle (100), connected to a corresponding rack (200), and extending along the length of the aisle (100); a second rail (2) disposed outside the ends of the passages (100) and extending along a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the passages (100); a mother car (3) movably disposed on the second rail (2) and capable of reciprocating along the second rail (2); a child car (4) having a first position state and a second position state and being switchable between the first position state and the second position state; The child car (4) is In the first position state, the vehicle is connected to the mother car (3) and is capable of reciprocating along the second rail (2) together with the mother car (3); A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car, characterized in that in the second position state, it is capable of reciprocating along any one of the first rails (1).

2. The mother car (3) includes a mother car body (31) and a docking rail (32), The mother car body (31) and the docking rail (32) are connected to each other, The rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car as described in claim 1, characterized in that the docking rail (32) is always parallel to the first rail (1) and can dock with any one of the first rails (1).

3. A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car as described in claim 1, characterized in that a collector arm (5) is arranged on the child car (4), and the child car (4) is configured to be electrically connected to the mother car (3) via the collector arm (5).

4. Two current collecting arms (5) are arranged, The rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car as described in claim 3, characterized in that the two collecting arms (5) are arranged spaced apart in the direction in which the first rail (1) extends on the child car (4).

5. The second rail (2) includes a first guide rail (21) and a second guide rail (22), The first guide rail (21) and the second guide rail (22) are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the passage (100) and are arranged parallel to each other; A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that opposite ends of the mother car (3) are movably connected to the first guide rail (21) and the second guide rail (22), respectively.

6. Two first guide rails (21) and two second guide rails (22) are arranged, The two first guide rails (21) are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the two second guide rails (22) are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction, The opposing ends of the top of the mother carriage (3) are movably connected to the first guide rail (21) and the second guide rail (22) above, respectively; A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car as described in claim 5, characterized in that opposite ends of the bottom of the mother car (3) are movably connected to the first guide rail (21) and the second guide rail (22) below, respectively.

7. The rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to claim 5, characterized in that a conductor rail for supplying power to the second rail (2) is arranged on the second rail (2).

8. 2. The rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to claim 1, wherein the mother car (3) has a first roller capable of rolling contact with the second rail (2).

9. 2. A rail switching device for a mother-child shuttle car according to claim 1, wherein the child car (4) has a second roller capable of rolling contact with the first rail (1).

10. A mother-child shuttle car rail switching device according to claim 1, The racks (200) are arranged at intervals, and the passage (100) is formed between two adjacent racks (200); The warehouse storage system is characterized in that the child car (4) can move between the plurality of aisles (100) by switching between them.

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