Goods loading and unloading equipment and goods loading and unloading system

Abstract

Disclosed is an article loading / unloading device and an article loading / unloading system relating to the field of logistics machinery for improving the performance of the article loading / unloading device. The article loading / unloading device includes a base assembly, a cantilever assembly, and a transport assembly. The base assembly is configured to provide support. The cantilever assembly includes a first bracket assembly and a first conveyor, the first bracket assembly being attached to the base assembly, and the first conveyor being attached to the first bracket assembly. The transport assembly includes a second bracket assembly, the second conveyor, and a suction cup assembly, the second bracket assembly being attached to the first bracket assembly, the second conveyor being attached to the second bracket assembly, and the suction cup assembly being rotatably attached to the second bracket assembly, and the suction cup assembly being configured to attract articles to the second conveyor. The conveying direction of the first conveyor and the conveying direction of the second conveyor are the same. The article loading / unloading equipment provided in the above technical solution does not need to change direction in the process of conveying the article, thus improving the continuity of the conveying operation and increasing the conveying efficiency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010768197.9, filed on August 3, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of logistics machinery, and in particular to article loading and unloading equipment and article loading and unloading systems. [Background technology]

[0003] In the field of logistics, goods are unloaded into warehouses by using hydraulic handling trucks, telescopic conveyor belts, cantilever conveyor belts, etc., specifically in such a manner that goods are manually carried to equipment and then transported into the warehouse by the equipment. Alternatively, goods are unloaded from trucks and transported to warehouses by forklifts for transporting the goods. The process of loading from a warehouse for delivery of goods is the reverse of the unloading process, but uses the same equipment. The inventors have found that at least the following problems exist in the related art: The use of hydraulic handling trucks, telescopic conveyor belts, cantilever second conveyor belts, etc. requires a lot of labor, high labor intensity, and high labor costs, whether unloading or loading, and involves labor consumption on both the truck unloading side and the warehouse palletizing side.

[0004] In the related art, another type of unloading equipment is an unloading vehicle including a conveyor belt capable of conveying goods laterally and an end picker capable of moving longitudinally. The end picker is provided with several rows of suction cups that move together with the end picker in the longitudinal (i.e., front-to-back) direction of the vehicle to pull goods from other locations to the unloading vehicle. The suction cups pull the goods onto a lateral conveying line above the end picker, and the goods are then transported along the lateral conveying line to the lateral end of the end picker. Thereafter, the goods are transported backward by a jacking transplanting device to a stock-in conveying line connected to the rear end of the lateral conveying line, which transports the goods into a warehouse.

[0005] The inventors have found that the related art has at least the following problems: In such solutions, on the one hand, the movement direction of the suction cup of the end picker is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the goods. After the suction cup sucks the goods, the goods are transported laterally by the conveying line and then turned. The subsequent operation involves frequent transitions, which affect the continuity of the suction cup's suction and lead to low efficiency. On the other hand, the end picker has a limited length (the dimension in the extension and retraction directions of the end picker) and a very large width. Therefore, although it can be well adapted to trucks parked laterally, it is not suitable for loading (unloading) goods into (from) rear-door vans. Furthermore, the equipment must be operated by a person, and the operating platform for the person is located on the vehicle body. Because goods are loaded (unloaded) at a high position, accidents are likely to occur due to poor visibility. Therefore, such loading and unloading vehicles are subject to many constraints in practical use, and their range of use is limited. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure relates to an article unloading equipment and an article unloading system for improving the performance of the article unloading equipment.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an article loading / unloading device is provided, comprising: a base assembly, a cantilever assembly, and a transport assembly, wherein the base assembly is configured to provide support to the device; the cantilever assembly includes a first bracket assembly and a first conveyor; the first bracket assembly is mounted to the base assembly; the first conveyor is mounted to the first bracket assembly; the transport assembly includes a second bracket assembly, a second conveyor, and a suction cup assembly; the second bracket assembly is mounted to the first bracket assembly; the second conveyor is mounted to the second bracket assembly; the suction cup assembly is rotatably mounted to the second bracket assembly; the suction cup assembly is configured to attract articles to the second conveyor; and the transport direction of the first conveyor and the transport direction of the second conveyor are the same.

[0008] In some embodiments, the article loading / unloading equipment further includes a rotational drive mechanism disposed between the base assembly and the cantilever assembly to drive the cantilever assembly to rotate relative to the base assembly about the vertically oriented rotational shaft.

[0009] In some embodiments, the item loading / unloading equipment further includes a support bracket in driving connection with a rotational drive mechanism, the first bracket assembly being mounted to the support bracket, and the rotational drive mechanism drives the cantilever assembly to rotate relative to the base assembly through the support bracket.

[0010] In some embodiments, the support bracket includes a base plate and a first linkage mechanism, the rotational drive mechanism is drivingly connected to the base plate, the first linkage mechanism is hingedly connected to the base plate, and the first bracket assembly is hingedly connected to the first linkage mechanism.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first linkage mechanism includes at least three mutually parallel first rods and a plurality of second rods, one end of each of the first rods is hingedly connected to the base plate, every two adjacent first rods are hingedly connected to one of the second rods, and the first bracket assembly is hingedly connected to the second rods.

[0012] In some embodiments, the item loading / unloading equipment further includes a linkage drive mechanism mounted on the base plate and in driving connection with the second rod, the linkage drive mechanism being configured to drive the cantilever assembly to move along its length relative to the base assembly through the first linkage mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the article loading / unloading equipment further includes a pitch drive mechanism disposed between the base plate and the cantilever assembly or between the base assembly and the cantilever assembly, the pitch drive mechanism configured to drive the cantilever assembly to perform a pitch rotation relative to the base assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first bracket assembly includes two sets of parallelogram mechanisms, with the two parallelogram mechanisms in each set arranged in parallel, the first conveyor being positioned between the parallelogram mechanisms of the two sets, and the parallelogram mechanisms in each set being pivotally connected by a horizontal shaft, which is hingedly connected to the second rod.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second bracket assembly is pivotally connected to the first bracket assembly.

[0016] In some embodiments, the item loading / unloading equipment further includes a horizontal rotational drive mechanism disposed between the second bracket assembly and the first bracket assembly and configured to drive the second bracket assembly to rotate relative to the first bracket assembly about a vertically oriented rotational shaft.

[0017] In some embodiments, the suction cup assembly is mounted to the second bracket assembly, and the suction cup assembly is configured to switch between a suction position and a non-suction position, and when the suction cup assembly is in the non-suction position, the suction cup assembly is positioned outside the movement trajectory of the article on the second conveyor so as to avoid interfering with the movement of the article along the second conveyor.

[0018] In some embodiments, the article loading / unloading device further includes a linkage drive mechanism disposed between the base assembly and the cantilever assembly for driving the cantilever assembly to move along its length relative to the base assembly.

[0019] In some embodiments, the article loading / unloading device further includes a pitch drive mechanism disposed between the base assembly and the cantilever assembly to drive the cantilever assembly to perform a pitch rotation relative to the base assembly.

[0020] In some embodiments, the base assembly includes a chassis and running wheels, the cantilever assembly being mounted to the chassis, and the running wheels being mounted to the chassis.

[0021] In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the first conveyor and the conveying direction of the second conveyor are the same, or the included angle between the conveying direction of the first conveyor and the conveying direction of the second conveyor is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 20°.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first conveyor includes at least one of a transport belt and transport rollers, and / or the second conveyor includes at least one of a transport belt and transport rollers.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an article loading / unloading system is provided, including the article loading / unloading equipment provided in any of the technical solutions of the present disclosure.

[0024] In some embodiments, the article loading and unloading system further includes a first conveying line positioned on a side of the first conveyor away from the second conveyor, the conveying line configured to convey articles to the first conveyor or to receive articles conveyed from the first conveyor.

[0025] In some embodiments, the item loading / unloading system further includes a second conveying line, the position of the first conveyor being higher than the position of the first conveying line, and the second conveying line being arranged diagonally and positioned between the first conveying line and the first conveyor.

[0026] The article loading / unloading equipment provided in the above technical solution includes a cantilever assembly and a transport assembly. The transport assembly adsorbs articles from a truck and transports them to the cantilever assembly for further transport, or the adsorption assembly accepts the articles transported from the cantilever assembly and then transports them to the truck. Because the first conveyor of the cantilever assembly is positioned in the transport direction of the second conveyor of the transport assembly, there is no need to change direction when transporting articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, and when transporting articles from the second conveyor to the first conveyor. This greatly improves the continuity of the transport operation and improves transport efficiency. Furthermore, because the length of the second conveyor can be set arbitrarily, it is applicable regardless of whether the truck is a side door structure or a rear door structure, thereby greatly increasing the application scenarios of the article loading / unloading equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an article loading / unloading system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in use; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic front view of an article loading / unloading system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in use; FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic partial top view of an article loading / unloading system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in use; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic front structural view of an article loading / unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an article loading / unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; [Figure 6]1 is a schematic three-dimensional structural view of an article loading / unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure, with the side panels of the base assembly removed; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic top view of an article loading / unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure in use; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic front view of an article loading / unloading device provided in a pitch state according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a transport assembly of an article unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of an article being picked up by a conveying assembly of an article loading / unloading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a workflow of an article loading and unloading system provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The technical solutions provided in the present disclosure are described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0029] 1 to 9 , some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an article loading / unloading device including a base assembly 1, a cantilever assembly 2, and a transport assembly 3. The base assembly 1 is configured to provide support. The cantilever assembly 2 includes a first bracket assembly 21 and a first conveyor 22, with the first bracket assembly 21 mounted to the base assembly 1. The first conveyor 22 is mounted to the first bracket assembly 21. The transport assembly 3 includes a second bracket assembly 31, a second conveyor 32, and a suction cup assembly 33, with the second bracket assembly 31 mounted to the first bracket assembly 21, the second conveyor 32 mounted to the second bracket assembly 31, and the suction cup assembly 33 rotatably mounted to the second bracket assembly 31, specifically, rotatably about a shaft D. The suction cup assemblies 33 are configured to suction articles 14 onto the second conveyor 32. The conveying directions of the first conveyor 22 and the second conveyor 32 are the same. Alignment includes situations where the conveying directions are exactly the same and situations where the included angle between the conveying directions is 0-20° (also referred to as a situation where the conveying directions are substantially the same). See Figures 3 and 5 for situations where the conveying directions of the first conveyor 22 and the second conveyor 32 are the same, and see Figure 7 for a situation where the conveying directions of the first conveyor 22 and the second conveyor 32 are at an included angle. Direction A in Figure 3 indicates the direction of cargo movement.

[0030] The base assembly 1 serves as a mounting base and provides support for the cantilever assembly 2. The chassis 11 of the article loading / unloading equipment has degrees of freedom, such as left-right movement, forward / backward movement, and steering. Article loading / unloading equipment using the multi-degree-of-freedom chassis 11 realizes multi-degree-of-freedom movement (e.g., forward / backward movement, left-right movement, and rotational movement of the vehicle body). The cantilever assembly 2 is supported by the base assembly 1 during loading / unloading and when not in operation. The suction cup assembly 33 includes a mounting base and a suction cup. The mounting base is hollow, and the suction cup is mounted on the mounting base and connected to the vacuum pipeline through the mounting base. An electronically controlled vacuum valve is installed in the vacuum pipeline and has the function of enabling and disabling the vacuum, which can realize the suction and release operation of the article 14. The suction cup assembly 33 has two positions (a suction position and a non-suction position). For example, multiple drive elements (eg, motors, etc.) may cooperate to enable the suction cup assembly 33 to switch between a suction position and a non-suction position.

[0031] The cantilever assembly 2 is configured to receive the item 14 transported by the transport assembly 3 and place the item 14 in a storage location (i.e., unloading). The cantilever assembly 2 can also transport the item 14 to the transport assembly 3 and remove the item 14 from the storage location (i.e., loading). The cantilever assembly 2 is positioned in the transport direction of the transport assembly 3, so the transport direction does not need to be changed when the item 14 is transported between the cantilever assembly 2 and the transport assembly 3. This greatly reduces the phenomenon of uneven transport and low transport efficiency caused by changing the transport direction of the item 14, improving the efficiency and reliability of loading and unloading operations. In the above technical solution, due to the long cantilever structure and very narrow transport assembly 3, it is suitable for loading / unloading operations regardless of whether the flat bogie wagon 13 is parked laterally or the rear door truck 13 is parked longitudinally.

[0032] The first conveyor 22 includes at least one of a conveying belt and conveying rollers, and / or the second conveyor 32 includes at least one of a conveying belt and conveying rollers. In the following description, both the first conveyor 22 and the second conveyor 32 are conveying belts.

[0033] Particular implementations of the components are described in detail below.

[0034] 1, 2, 4 to 6, in some embodiments, the base assembly 1 includes a chassis 11 and running wheels 12. The cantilever assembly 2 is mounted on the chassis 11. The running wheels 12 are mounted on the chassis 11. The movement of the entire article loading / unloading equipment can be conveniently changed by using the running wheels 12 to meet the needs of loading / unloading at different locations within the same warehouse, in different warehouses, and for different articles 14. Direction M1 in FIG. 4 indicates the direction of forward / backward movement of the cantilever, and direction M2 indicates the direction of pitch rotation of the cantilever. Additionally, direction M3 in FIG. 5 indicates the direction of left / right movement of the chassis assembly, direction M4 indicates the direction of forward / backward movement of the chassis assembly, direction M5 indicates the steering direction of the chassis assembly, and direction M6 indicates the direction of left / right swing of the cantilever assembly.

[0035] The cantilever assembly 2 is mounted to the chassis 11, and an attitude adjustment structure may be provided to change the attitude of the cantilever assembly 2 relative to the chassis 11. The attitude includes at least one of the pitch angle of the cantilever assembly 2 relative to the chassis 11, the position of the cantilever assembly 2 along its length, and the rotation of the cantilever assembly 2 about the vertical shaft. In some embodiments, the cantilever assembly 2 can have at least one of the above adjustment modes, and preferably has the above three adjustment modes, so that the cantilever assembly 2 has the following degrees of freedom: pitch rotation, forward / backward movement, and left / right movement. How to implement attitude adjustment of the cantilever assembly 2 is described in detail below.

[0036] 1 to 4, in some embodiments, the article loading / unloading device further includes a rotational drive mechanism 4. The rotational drive mechanism 4 is disposed between the base assembly 1 and the cantilever assembly 2 and drives the cantilever assembly 2 to rotate relative to the base assembly 1 about a vertically oriented rotation shaft.

[0037] The rotary drive mechanism 4 is, for example, a rotary motor, which is mounted on the chassis 11 of the base assembly 1, and the power output shaft of the rotary motor drives the cantilever assembly 2 to rotate relative to the vertical shaft.

[0038] 1 to 4, in some embodiments, the article loading / unloading device further includes a linkage drive mechanism 6. The linkage drive mechanism 6 is disposed between the base assembly 1 and the cantilever assembly 2 and drives the cantilever assembly 2 to move relative to the base assembly 1 along its length.

[0039] The linkage drive mechanism 6 is, for example, an electric motor, and movement of the cantilever assembly 2 along its length relative to the base assembly 1 is achieved by a power redirection mechanism or directly by using an electric motor capable of outputting linear power. The cantilever assembly 2 moves linearly and can move the transport assembly 3 toward or away from the article 14, such that the suction cup assembly 33 of the transport assembly 3 is positioned away from the article 14 to meet the suction requirements for achieving smooth suction.

[0040] 7, in some embodiments, the article loading / unloading equipment further includes a pitch drive mechanism 7. The pitch drive mechanism 7 is disposed between the base assembly 1 and the cantilever assembly 2, and drives the cantilever assembly 2 to perform pitch rotation relative to the base assembly 1. The pitch drive mechanism 7 is, for example, an extendable structure (e.g., an oil cylinder or an electric cylinder), and extension and contraction of the pitch drive mechanism 7 causes the cantilever assembly 2 to rotate relative to the chassis 11, thereby implementing adjustment of the pitch attitude of the cantilever assembly 2.

[0041] In some embodiments, the article loading / unloading equipment further includes a support bracket 5. The support bracket 5 is drivingly connected to the rotation drive mechanism 4. The first bracket assembly 21 is attached to the support bracket 5. The rotation drive mechanism 4 drives the cantilever assembly 2 to rotate relative to the base assembly 1 through the support bracket 5. The cantilever assembly 2 is attached to the chassis 11 through the support bracket 5. This configuration improves the complexity of the mounting structure between the cantilever assembly 2 and the chassis 11, and attitude adjustment can be conveniently implemented regardless of the type of cantilever assembly 2.

[0042] 6 and 8 , in some embodiments, the support bracket 5 includes a base plate 51 and a first linkage mechanism 52. The rotational drive mechanism 4 is drivingly connected to the base plate 51. The first linkage mechanism 52 is hingedly connected to the base plate 51, and the first bracket assembly 21 is hingedly connected to the first linkage mechanism 52. Rotation of the rotational drive mechanism 4 can cause the base plate 51, the first linkage mechanism 52 attached to the base plate 51, the cantilever assembly 2, and the transport assembly 3 to rotate simultaneously. The position of the transport assembly 3 can be adjusted by rotating it to meet different loading and unloading needs of the side door track 13 and the rear door track 13.

[0043] 6 and 8 , in some embodiments, the first linkage mechanism 52 includes at least three mutually parallel first rods 521 and a plurality of second rods 522. One end of each of the first rods 521 is hingedly connected to the base plate 51. The other end of every two adjacent first rods 521 is hingedly connected to a second rod 522, and the first bracket assembly 21 is hingedly connected to the second rod 522. In some embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8 , the first linkage mechanism 52 includes four first rods 521 hingedly connected to the base plate 51 and four second rods 522. Two of the second rods 522 have a width greater than the width of the other two second rods 522. The two larger second rods 522 are hingedly connected to the cantilever assembly 2 through auxiliary rods 523.

[0044] After the support bracket 5 is provided, in some embodiments, the linkage drive mechanism 6 is mounted in the following manner: the linkage drive mechanism 6 is mounted to the base plate 51 and is in driving connection with the second rod 522, and the linkage drive mechanism 6 is configured to drive the cantilever assembly 2 through the first linkage mechanism 52 to move along its length relative to the base assembly 1. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8 , the linkage drive mechanism 6 uses a power output shaft capable of outputting linear power, and the power output shaft is hingedly connected to the second rod 522 through a connecting rod 524. Two connecting rods are provided. One end of each of the two connecting rods 524 is hingedly connected to the power output shaft, and the other end of each of the two connecting rods 524 is hingedly connected to the second rod 522. The linkage drive mechanism 6 drives the second rod 522 to move such that the motion of the cantilever assembly 2 is approximately linear. The movement can meet the requirement for adjustment along the length of the cantilever assembly 2, and therefore rather than requiring the cantilever assembly 2 to perform a perfectly linear movement, it can oscillate slightly.

[0045] 6 and 8 , in some embodiments, the pitch drive mechanism 7 is disposed between the base plate 51 and the cantilever assembly 2, or between the base assembly 1 and the cantilever assembly 2, and is configured to drive the cantilever assembly 2 to pitch relative to the base assembly 1. The pitch drive mechanism 7 is, for example, an oil cylinder, the cylinder barrel of which is attached to the base plate 51, and the piston rod of which is hingedly connected to the cantilever assembly 2. Extension and contraction of the oil cylinder causes the cantilever assembly 2 to pitch. The cantilever assembly 2 can be adjusted to achieve at least one of the following: the carriage assembly 3 is below the second rod 522 and is flush with the second rod 522, as shown in FIG. 8 , or above the second rod 522, as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0046] Still referring to Figures 6 and 8, the implementation of the first bracket assembly 21 of the cantilever assembly 2 is described in detail below.

[0047] In some embodiments, the parallelogram mechanism 210 includes two sets. Two parallelogram mechanisms 210 in each set are arranged in parallel, and the two sets of parallelogram mechanisms 210 are also parallel. The first conveyor 22 is positioned between the two sets of parallelogram mechanisms 210, and the two parallelogram mechanisms 210 in each set are pivotally connected by four horizontal shafts 21 a, which are hingedly connected to the second rod 522. During movement of the second rod 522 under the drive of the horizontal drive motor, the cantilever assembly 2 moves therewith. Because the first bracket assembly 21 of the cantilever assembly 2 uses the parallelogram mechanism 210, the vertical shaft is always oriented vertically no matter how the parallelogram mechanism 210 of the cantilever assembly 2 moves, and therefore the attitude of the conveying assembly 3 connected to the vertical shaft on the side away from the chassis 11 is always in a state where gravity is acting, which allows the suction cup assembly 33 to better adsorb the article 14. With the above technical solution, the article loading / unloading equipment using the multi-degree-of-freedom cantilever structure with the parallel linkage structure in the cantilever can realize that the front conveying assembly 3 at any forward position can be maintained at the same horizontal angle and left / right angle, and therefore be in the correct attitude to suck up the cargo box.

[0048] Still referring to Figures 6 and 8, the connection of the cantilever assembly 2 and the carriage assembly 3 is described in detail below.

[0049] In some embodiments, the second bracket assembly 31 is pivotally connected to the first bracket assembly 21. The pivotal connection is specifically implemented by using a pin shaft or the like. The rear end of the second bracket assembly 31 of the transport assembly 3 is connected to the front end of the cantilever assembly 2 by a hinge, so that the transport assembly 3 can always be parallel to the chassis 11 when the cantilever assembly 2 swings left and right. Also, because the cantilever assembly 2 uses a parallel linkage structure therein, the horizontal angle of the transport assembly 3 always remains the same regardless of the pitch angle of the cantilever assembly 2, so that the front end of the suction cup assembly 33 is always parallel to the article 14 when the cantilever swings left and right. Here, the side near the track 13 is the front end, and the end away from the track 13 is the rear end.

[0050] 9 and 10 , in some embodiments, the article loading / unloading equipment further includes a horizontal rotation drive mechanism 16. The horizontal rotation drive mechanism 16 is disposed between the second bracket assembly 31 and the first bracket assembly 21 and drives the second bracket assembly 31 to rotate relative to the first bracket assembly 21 about a rotation shaft C, which is oriented vertically. Using the horizontal rotation drive mechanism 16, the transport assembly 3 as a whole is driven to rotate about the rotation shaft C relative to the cantilever assembly 2, thereby actively adjusting the attitude of the transport assembly 3 so that the suction cup assembly 33 of the transport assembly 3 is positioned appropriately to suction the article 14. The rotation shaft D in FIG. 9 is the rotation shaft, and the suction cup assembly rotates about the rotation shaft.

[0051] Under the drive of the horizontal rotation drive mechanism 16, the suction cup assembly 33 can rotate in a controlled manner around the shaft. Before suctioning the article 14, the front end face of the suction cup is parallel to the side of the article 14 and can rotate within a specific angle. When the article 14 is suctioned and pulled onto the second conveyor 32, the suction cup assembly 33, the article 14, and the second conveyor 32 are in an angled state. The suction cup assembly 33 then releases the article 14 and continues to move backward while rotating around the vertical shaft until the suction cup assembly 33 has fully rotated below the upper surface of the second conveyor 32. At this point, the suction cup is in a non-suction position, and the article 14 passes above the suction cup assembly 33 while being pulled by the second conveyor 32.

[0052] 9 and 10 , in some embodiments, the suction cup assembly 33 is mounted to the second bracket assembly 31 and is configured to switch between a suction position and a non-suction position. The suction position is a position in which the suction surface of the suction cup assembly 33 faces toward the article 14, and the non-suction position is a position in which the suction surface of the suction cup assembly 33 faces away from the article 14. FIGS. 1 to 10 show schematic diagrams of the suction cup assembly 33 in the suction position. When the suction cup assembly 33 is in the non-suction position, the suction cup assembly 33 is positioned outside the path of movement of the article 14 on the second conveyor 32 so as not to interfere with the movement of the article 14 along the second conveyor 32. Switching of the suction cup assembly 33 between the suction position and the non-suction position can be implemented by cooperation of multiple drive sources.

[0053] To improve the operational safety and intelligence of the equipment, sensors (not shown) and / or a vision system may be installed on the transport assembly 3 to help the system locate the item 14 more accurately and quickly, thereby improving efficiency.

[0054] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an article loading / unloading system is provided, including the article loading / unloading equipment provided in any of the technical solutions of the present disclosure.

[0055] 1 to 6 , in some embodiments, the article loading and unloading system further includes a first conveying line 8. The first conveying line 8 is positioned on a side of the first conveyor 22 away from the second conveyor 32, and the conveying line is configured to convey articles 14 to the first conveyor 22 or to receive articles 14 conveyed from the first conveyor 22.

[0056] 1 to 6, in some embodiments, the article loading / unloading system further includes a second conveyor line 9 so that the first conveyor line 8 can better utilize the cantilever assembly 2 at different heights. The first conveyor 22 is positioned higher than the first conveyor line 8, and the second conveyor line 9 is disposed at an angle and positioned between the first conveyor line 8 and the first conveyor 22. Referring to FIG. 7, the central axis L1 of the second conveyor line 9 is parallel to the central axis L2 of the second conveyor 32.

[0057] The first conveying line 8, the second conveying line 9, and the item loading / unloading equipment are all positioned on a platform 10. A truck 13 is parked near the platform 10. The item loading / unloading equipment positioned on the platform 10 unloads items 14 one by one from the truck 13 parked near the platform 10 and transports the items 14 to the rear first conveying line 8 connected thereto. The first conveying line 8 is positioned on the platform 10, one end of which is connected to the rear end of the item loading / unloading equipment, and the other end of which extends to the interior of the warehouse, so that the first conveying line 8 can transport the items 14 into the warehouse and implement unloading. Alternatively, the items 14 on the first conveying line 8 can be transported one by one by the item loading / unloading equipment and stacked onto the truck 13 parked near the platform 10 to implement loading. The above technical solutions greatly improve the degree and efficiency of automation of loading and unloading, and improve the adaptability to various loading and unloading work conditions.

[0058] The operation principle of the article loading and unloading system provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is introduced below: The article loading and unloading system works for an existing warehouse and can perform automatic loading and unloading operations of the article 14.

[0059] In an example of automatic unloading, referring to FIG. 1 , a truck 13 transporting items 14 is parked near the warehouse platform 10. The item loading / unloading equipment is automatically or manually guided to a predetermined position on the platform 10, and a box type for the items 14 is set or a stored stack type is manually retrieved according to the size of the truck 13 and the type of the items 14. The cantilever assembly 2 of the item loading / unloading equipment positions the transport assembly 3 at the top of the column of items 14 on the truck 13 by pitch rotation, forward / backward movement, and / or left / right swing, and the suction cup assembly 33 sucks and pulls the items 14 backward. After the items 14 are pulled onto the second conveyor 32, the suction cup assembly 33 releases the items 14 and continues to move backward while rotating around the shaft until the suction cup assembly 33 has completely rotated below the upper surface of the second conveyor 32.

[0060] The second conveyor 32 then continues to pull the articles 14 backward over the suction cup assembly 33 and onto the first conveyor 22. The articles 14 then pass sequentially over the first conveyor 22, the second transfer line 9, and the first transfer line 8, arriving inside the warehouse. After the articles 14 pass over the suction cup assembly 33, the suction cup assembly 33 rotates backward about its shaft while moving forward relative to the second conveyor 32, while the cantilever assembly 2 simultaneously pitches to position the transfer assembly 3 at the next article 14 and initiates the suction and pulling action of the next article 14. This process is repeated cyclically until all of the articles 14 in this column have been unloaded, and then the chassis 11 moves left and right to position the articles 14 in the next column, and all of the articles 14 in the next column are unloaded according to the above cycle until all of the articles 14 on the side nearest the article unloading equipment have been unloaded. The chassis 11 moves forward a certain distance for positioning the articles 14 into the columns, and unloading is carried out again according to the above cycle until all the articles 14 are unloaded. The workflow is shown in Figure 11.

[0061] In the unloading process, the goods 14 are transported to the warehouse box by box, and therefore a positioning device and / or a vision system can also be connected behind the first conveying line 8, and equipment (such as a palletizing robot) can be used to realize automatic palletizing of multiple cargo boxes, which can greatly save labor and improve work efficiency. Similarly, in the loading process, when the goods 14 existing in the warehouse are in a palletized state, the goods 14 can be placed one by one on the first conveying line 8 by a depalletizing robot, and after being transported to the conveying assembly 3, the cargo boxes can be palletized one by one onto the trucks 13 by an goods loading / unloading equipment, thus saving a large amount of labor.

[0062] In describing the present disclosure, it should be recognized that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," and "outside" are orientations or positional relationships illustrated based on the drawings, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown must have a particular orientation or must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, but are merely for the convenience of describing and simplifying the description of the present disclosure, and therefore, these terms cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0063] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely used to explain, not to limit, the technical solutions of the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should still understand that they can make modifications to specific implementation forms in the present disclosure or make equivalent substitutions to some of its technical features, and such modifications and equivalent substitutions should be included in the scope of the technical solutions sought to be protected in the present disclosure, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Base Assembly 11 Chassis 12 Running wheels 2 Cantilever Assembly 21 First bracket assembly 21a Horizontal shaft 210 Parallelogram Mechanism 22 First Conveyor 3. Transport Assembly 31 Second bracket assembly 32 Second Conveyor 33 Suction cup assembly 4 Rotation drive mechanism 5 Support Bracket 51 Base Plate 52 First linkage mechanism 521 First Rod 522 Second Rod 523 Auxiliary Rod 524 Connecting rod 6 Linkage drive mechanism 7 Pitch drive mechanism 8. First Transfer Line 9 Second Transfer Line 10 Platform 13 Flat bogie wagon, rear door truck, side door truck, truck 14 Goods 16 Horizontal rotation drive mechanism A. Direction of cargo movement C Rotating shaft D Rotating shaft L1 center axis L2 center axis M1 Direction of cantilever movement M2 Cantilever pitch rotation direction M3 Left / right movement direction of chassis assembly M4 Chassis assembly forward / backward movement direction M5 Chassis Assembly Steering Direction M6 Left and right swing direction of cantilever assembly

Claims

1. An article loading and unloading device, a base assembly (1) configured to provide support for said article loading / unloading equipment; a cantilever assembly (2) including a first bracket assembly (21) and a first conveyor (22), wherein the first bracket assembly (21) is attached to the base assembly (1) and the first conveyor (22) is attached to the first bracket assembly (21); a transport assembly (3) including a second bracket assembly (31), a second conveyor (32), and a suction cup assembly (33), wherein the second bracket assembly (31) is attached to the first bracket assembly (21), the second conveyor (32) is attached to the second bracket assembly (31), and the suction cup assembly (33) is rotatably attached to the second bracket assembly (31), and the suction cup assembly (33) is configured to suction an article (14) onto the second conveyor (32); and Equipped with The conveying direction of the first conveyor (22) and the conveying direction of the second conveyor (32) are the same; a rotational drive mechanism (4) disposed between the base assembly (1) and the cantilever assembly (2) for driving the cantilever assembly (2) to rotate relative to the base assembly (1) about a vertically oriented rotation shaft; a support bracket (5) in driving connection with the rotation drive mechanism (4), the first bracket assembly (21) being mounted on the support bracket (5), the rotation drive mechanism (4) driving the cantilever assembly (2) to rotate relative to the base assembly (1) through the support bracket (5); The support bracket (5) a base plate (51), the rotation drive mechanism (4) being in driving connection with the base plate (51); a first linkage mechanism (52) hingedly connected to the base plate (51), the first bracket assembly (21) being hingedly connected to the first linkage mechanism (52); Equipped with The first linkage mechanism (52) comprises: At least three mutually parallel first rods (521), each of which has one end hingedly connected to the base plate (51); a plurality of second rods (522), each hingedly connected to one of the second rods (522) for every two adjacent first rods (521), and the first bracket assembly (21) hingedly connected to the second rods (522); Goods loading and unloading equipment, including:

2. 2. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a linkage drive mechanism (6) mounted on the base plate (51) and in driving connection with the second rod (522), the linkage drive mechanism (6) being configured to drive the cantilever assembly (2) to move relative to the base assembly (1) along a length of the cantilever assembly (2) through the first linkage mechanism (52).

3. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pitch drive mechanism (7) arranged between the base plate (51) and the cantilever assembly (2) or between the base assembly (1) and the cantilever assembly (2), the pitch drive mechanism (7) being configured to drive the cantilever assembly (2) to perform a pitch rotation relative to the base assembly (1).

4. The first bracket assembly (21) comprises:

3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, comprising two sets of parallelogram mechanisms (210), two of the parallelogram mechanisms (210) in each set being arranged in parallel, the first conveyor (22) being positioned between the parallelogram mechanisms (210) of the two sets, the parallelogram mechanisms (210) in each set being pivotally connected by a horizontal shaft (21 a), the horizontal shaft (21 a) being hingedly connected to the second rod (522).

5. 3. An article loading / unloading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second bracket assembly (31) is pivotally connected to the first bracket assembly (21).

6. 6. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 5, further comprising a horizontal rotation drive mechanism (16) disposed between the second bracket assembly (31) and the first bracket assembly (21) to drive the second bracket assembly (31) to rotate relative to the first bracket assembly (21) about a vertically oriented rotation shaft.

7. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1, wherein the suction cup assembly (33) is mounted on the second bracket assembly (31), and the suction cup assembly (33) is configured to switch between a suction position and a non-suction position, and when the suction cup assembly (33) is in the non-suction position, the suction cup assembly (33) is positioned outside the movement trajectory of the article (14) on the second conveyor (32) to avoid interfering with the movement of the article (14) along the second conveyor (32).

8. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a linkage drive mechanism (6) disposed between the base assembly (1) and the cantilever assembly (2) for driving the cantilever assembly (2) to move relative to the base assembly (1) along the length of the cantilever assembly (2).

9. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pitch drive mechanism (7) disposed between the base assembly (1) and the cantilever assembly (2) for driving the cantilever assembly (2) to perform a pitch rotation relative to the base assembly (1).

10. The base assembly (1) comprises: a chassis (11) to which the cantilever assembly (2) is attached; running wheels (12) attached to the chassis (11); 3. An article loading / unloading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

11. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveying direction of the first conveyor (22) and the conveying direction of the second conveyor (32) are the same, or the included angle between the conveying direction of the first conveyor (22) and the conveying direction of the second conveyor (32) is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 20°.

12. 3. The article loading and unloading equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first conveyor (22) comprises at least one of a conveying belt and a conveying roller, and / or the second conveyor (32) comprises at least one of a conveying belt and a conveying roller.

13. An article loading / unloading system comprising an article loading / unloading device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. 14. The article loading and unloading system of claim 13, further comprising a first conveying line (8) disposed on a side of the first conveyor (22) remote from the second conveyor (32), the first conveying line (8) configured to convey articles (14) to the first conveyor (22) or to receive articles (14) conveyed from the first conveyor (22).

15. 15. The article loading and unloading system according to claim 14, further comprising a second conveying line (9), wherein the position of the first conveyor (22) is higher than the position of the first conveying line (8), and the second conveying line (9) is arranged obliquely and positioned between the first conveying line (8) and the first conveyor (22).

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