Robots, robot execution mechanisms, and warehouse storage systems
The two-stage telescopic mechanism with dual hooks allows efficient and stable container handling in both directions, addressing the inefficiencies of conventional robots by eliminating the need for additional workspace and enhancing storage density.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HANGZHOU HIKROBOT TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-22
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application claims priority based on a Chinese patent application filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on November 04, 2024, with an application number of 202422680335.4 and an invention title of "Robot, Execution Mechanism of Robot, and Warehouse Storage System". Here, all of its content is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application relates to the field of robot device technology, particularly to robots, execution mechanisms of robots, and warehouse storage systems.
Background Art
[0003] <00A hook assembly is supported on the moving plate and moves along the longitudinal direction within the range of the moving plate by the drive of the second telescopic assembly, The movable plate extends from the first or second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame, and the extension direction of the hook assembly is the same as the extension direction of the movable plate. The hook assembly moves the container by gripping the side of the container facing the hook assembly, driven by the first telescopic assembly and / or the second telescopic assembly.
[0007] In one embodiment, the hook assembly includes a fixed hook and a movable hook spaced apart along the vertical direction, and has a handle on the side of the container facing the execution mechanism, the handle being gripped or released by adjusting the distance between the movable hook and the fixed hook.
[0008] In one embodiment, the hook assembly is A hook base supported by the second telescopic assembly, A fixing base that is attached to the aforementioned hook base, The system includes a first movable assembly mounted on the fixed base so as to be movable along the vertical direction, The fixed hook is fixedly attached to the first movable assembly, and the movable hook is mounted on the first movable assembly so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The movable hook adjusts the distance between the movable hook and the fixed hook by moving along the vertical direction driven by the hook drive motor.
[0009] In one embodiment, the first movable assembly is A first movable support plate is mounted on the fixed base so as to be movable along the vertical direction, and the fixed hook is fixedly attached to the first movable support plate, The system includes a return spring connected between the first movable support plate and the fixed base, which adjusts the distance between the movable hook and the fixed hook by moving the first movable support plate relative to the fixed base in response to the driving force of the hook drive motor.
[0010] In one embodiment, the hook assembly includes a second movable assembly, the first movable assembly being mounted to the fixed base via the second movable assembly, The second movable assembly includes a second movable support plate, the second movable support plate being mounted on the fixed base so as to be movable along the vertical direction, The first movable support plate is mounted on the second movable support plate so as to be movable along the vertical direction.
[0011] In one embodiment, the second movable assembly includes a position regulating plate, the position regulating plate is mounted on the second movable support plate, and one end of the return spring is regulated to the position regulating plate.
[0012] In one embodiment, the hook assembly includes a rotary drive bearing, and the fixed base is rotatably supported on the hook base via the rotary drive bearing, and rotates about the vertical direction by the drive of a rotary drive motor.
[0013] In one embodiment, the movable hook is located below the fixed hook, The aforementioned fixing hook has a flat plate shape that conforms to the top surface of the container, The movable hook has a hook portion that extends along the vertical direction.
[0014] In one embodiment, the hook assembly includes a positioning rod that extends vertically and is connected between the fixed hook and the movable hook, and the movable hook moves along the positioning rod.
[0015] In one embodiment, the first telescopic assembly includes a first telescopic drive motor and a first transmission chain driven by the first telescopic drive motor, wherein the moving plate is fixedly connected to the first transmission chain and / or The second telescopic assembly includes a second telescopic drive motor and a rack mounted on the moving plate along the longitudinal direction, wherein the second telescopic drive motor moves along the longitudinal direction relative to the rack, and the hook assembly is fixedly connected to the second telescopic drive motor.
[0016] Another embodiment of the present application provides a robot, which is, A mobile platform having degrees of freedom to move along the horizontal direction, A lift rail is fixedly supported on the aforementioned mobile platform and extends vertically, The above-described robot execution mechanism includes an execution mechanism in which the support frame is fixed to the lift rail and moves up and down along the lift rail.
[0017] In one embodiment, the mobile platform is supported by a horizontally extending mobile rail and moves horizontally along the mobile rail, or The mobile platform moves along a horizontal plane by the drive of a horizontal drive device.
[0018] Another embodiment of the present application provides a warehouse storage system, which is: Multiple storage locations are provided, and a shelf is provided to store containers in the said storage locations. The above-mentioned robot for transporting the container, The shelf is located on any side of the robot in the longitudinal direction of the support frame, and the extension direction of the movable plate is the side facing the target storage position of the execution mechanism.
[0019] This technical solution uses a new form of actuator. The moving plate extends or retracts by the drive of the first telescopic assembly, and the hook assembly can move along the same direction as the moving direction of the moving plate by the drive of the second telescopic assembly. Therefore, the two-stage telescopic mechanism can enable the hook assembly to have a large stroke. Furthermore, since the hook assembly can extend from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support frame, the hook assembly can load and unload the container in two directions with respect to the support frame. Thereby, it realizes loading and unloading the container in two directions and with a large stroke by using the two-stage telescopic mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the movable hook mechanism. By applying one robot to the shelves on both sides simultaneously, the number of robots in the warehouse storage system can be reduced. This technical solution has a larger stroke compared with the conventional hook robot and can perform the loading and unloading operations of the container deep in the shelf. And since the robot can expand and contract in two directions, it can be applied simultaneously to the loading and unloading of the containers on the shelves on both sides. The hook directly abuts on the container through the handle of the container, so there is no need to reserve a working space on both sides of the container compared with the conventional container transfer unit, improving the storage rate of the container. The hook mechanism holds the container by the upper and lower hooks, so it has better stability compared with the conventional method of hooking on one side, and it is more difficult for the container to be detached or attached.
[0020] The following drawings are for schematically explaining and interpreting the present application and do not limit the protection scope of the present application.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0021] [Figure 1] It is a schematic structural diagram of the robot according to the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of the application environment of the robot according to the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3] It is a schematic structural diagram of the actuator of the robot according to the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4a]This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hook assembly in the execution mechanism of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4b] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hook assembly in the execution mechanism of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the movement process of the hook when the hook assembly according to the present invention grips a container. [Figure 6a] This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the movement process of the hook when the height of the hook assembly according to the present invention is adjusted on the edge of a shelf. [Figure 6b] This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the movement process of the hook when the height of the hook assembly according to the present invention is adjusted on the edge of a shelf. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the warehouse storage system described in this application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0022] The present application will be described in more detail below, with reference to the drawings and examples, in order to further clarify its purpose, technical proposal, and advantages. Clearly, the examples described are only a selection of the present application, not all of them. All other examples that a person skilled in the art could obtain based on the examples of the present application are all within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0023] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this application, specific embodiments are described here with reference to the drawings, where the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.
[0024] In this specification, “exemplary” means “an example, illustration, or description,” and no illustration or embodiment described as “exemplary” in this specification should be construed as a more preferred or superior technical example.
[0025] To simplify the drawings, each drawing only shows a schematic representation of the parts relevant to the present invention and does not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, to make the drawings easy to understand, in a given drawing, only one of the parts with the same structure or function may be schematically depicted or shown in detail.
[0026] In this specification, terms such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right" are used solely to describe the relative positional relationship between related parts and do not limit the absolute position of these related parts.
[0027] In this specification, terms such as "First," "Second," etc., are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing between them and do not indicate importance, order, or presuppositions of mutual existence.
[0028] In this specification, “equal,” “same,” etc., do not refer to strict mathematical and / or geometric limitations, but also include tolerances in manufacturing or use, as understood by those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise specified, numerical ranges in this specification include not only the entire range within its two endpoints, but also any subranges contained within it.
[0029] The following describes each embodiment in more detail with reference to the drawings.
[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 6b, one embodiment of the present invention provides a robot comprising a mobile platform 2 having degrees of freedom to move along the horizontal direction, a lift rail 3 fixedly supported on the mobile platform 2 and extending along the vertical direction, and an execution mechanism 4 having a support portion fixed to the lift rail 3 and moving up and down along the lift rail 3.
[0031] The execution mechanism 4 is attached to the lift rail 3, and its height can be adjusted by moving along the lift rail 3. The bottom mobile platform 2 can move horizontally. In normal operation, the mobile platform 2 and the lift rail 3 work together to move the execution mechanism 4 close to the target container 1, and then the execution mechanism 4 moves into the execution mechanism 4 to take in the container 1. The robot brings the container 1 and moves it to the target position, pushing the container 1 inside the execution mechanism 4 into the target position.
[0032] Here, the robot according to this embodiment is applicable to a CTU (Container Transfering Unit) and can also be applied to an STU (Sky Transfer Unit). In the case of a container transfer unit, the mobile platform 2 can move along a horizontal plane (e.g., the floor) by driving a horizontal drive mechanism. The horizontal direction of movement of the mobile platform 2 may be free direction, or it may be limited to one or two directions. In the case of a sky transfer unit, as shown in Figure 2, the mobile platform 2 is mounted on a horizontally extending mobile rail 5 and can move along the mobile rail 5 by driving a horizontal drive mechanism. In this case, its direction of movement is limited to the direction in which the mobile rail 5 extends.
[0033] Here, the horizontal drive mechanism is part of the moving platform 2. Free direction means any direction along a horizontal plane such as the floor. Limited one or two directions means one or two limited directions along a horizontal plane such as the floor.
[0034] In one specific example, as shown in Figure 3, the present invention provides a robot execution mechanism 4, which includes a support frame 10, a movable plate 20, and a hook assembly 40.
[0035] The support frame 10 is rectangular in shape and extends horizontally. The support frame 10 is supported by a robot as shown in Figure 1, specifically by a lift rail 3.
[0036] The shape of the movable plate 20 corresponds to the support frame 10. The movable plate 20 is slidably supported by the support frame 10 and extends or retracts relative to the support frame 10 along the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10 by the drive of the first telescopic assembly 31. The top of the movable plate 20 can support a container tray 33 and is used to support a container 1. The top of the movable plate 20 refers to the side of the two side walls provided along the longitudinal direction of the movable plate 20 that is away from the support frame 10. The container tray 33 is provided on the two side walls of the movable plate 20.
[0037] The hook assembly 40 is slidably supported on the movable plate 20 and moves along the longitudinal direction within the stroke range of the second telescopic assembly 32 on the movable plate 20 by the drive of the second telescopic assembly 32.
[0038] Here, the movable plate 20 can extend from either the first or second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. Correspondingly, the extension direction of the hook assembly 40 when it moves relative to the movable plate 20 is the same as the extension direction of the movable plate 20. Here, the first end is any end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10, and the second end may be any other end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. In other words, the movable plate 20 can extend from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. This allows for loading and unloading operations on the containers 1 on the shelves 100 on both sides of the support frame 10.
[0039] The hook assembly 40 that grips container 1 changes the relative position between container 1 and the support frame 10 by driving the first telescopic assembly 31 and / or the second telescopic assembly 32. It moves container 1 within the range of the support frame 10 and places it on the moving plate 20, specifically on the container tray 33 at the top of the moving plate 20.
[0040] Specifically, if container 1 is located on the edge of the shelf, that is, if the distance between the handle of container 1 to be gripped and the hook assembly 40 is less than or equal to the stroke of the first telescopic assembly 31 or the second telescopic assembly 32, the relative position between the hook assembly 40 and the support frame 10 can be changed by driving only the first telescopic assembly 31 or the second telescopic assembly 32, thereby enabling the gripping and movement of container 1.
[0041] If container 1 is located at the back of the shelf, meaning the distance between the handle of container 1 to be gripped and the hook assembly 40 is greater than the extension stroke of the first telescopic assembly 31 or the extension stroke of the second telescopic assembly 32, the relative position of the hook assembly 40 and the support frame 10 can be changed by driving the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32, thereby enabling the gripping and movement of container 1. This allows containers to be loaded and unloaded from the back of the shelf.
[0042] In this example, the first-stage telescopic assembly (i.e., the first telescopic assembly 31) and the second-stage telescopic assembly (i.e., the second telescopic assembly 32) move in two directions, forward and backward, to transport the hook assembly 40 to the target position. The hook assembly 40 is the end-operating mechanism. The hook assembly 40 is used to grip and release the container 1. The container tray 33 is fixed to the execution mechanism 4 and, after the container 1 is removed, it is placed on the tray as a support plate. Here, the two directions of movement refer to the extension or retraction of the first-stage telescopic assembly and the second-stage telescopic assembly.
[0043] In this example, the side of container 1 facing the execution mechanism 4 has a handle and may be called, for example, the front of container 1. The execution mechanism 4 can remove container 1 from or place it on shelf 100 simply by pulling or pushing the handle. The execution mechanism 4 is located entirely within the range occupied by container 1 and does not extend beyond the range of container 1. Accordingly, when placing container 1 on shelf 100, it is not necessary to provide working space for the hook assembly 40 on both sides of container 1. Therefore, container 1 can be stored compactly on shelf 100, saving storage space significantly. In other words, the working part of the execution mechanism 4 does not extend beyond the width of container 1, and the entire working part is located on the front side of container 1. There is no need to reserve space on both sides of container 1. In conventional designs, the working parts need to be inserted from both sides of container 1, requiring a larger working space to be reserved. In contrast, in this application, containers 1 can be stored compactly on shelf 100, saving storage space significantly compared to conventional designs.
[0044] In the execution mechanism 4, the hook assembly 40 is used to grip or release the handle of the container 1, establishing a connection between the execution mechanism 4 and the container 1. After gripping the handle of the container 1, the container 1 is moved within the range of the support frame 10 via the hook assembly 40 by the extension and retraction of one or more of the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32. Specifically, the moving plate 20 is pulled into the range of the support frame 10, and the container 1 is placed on the container tray 33 at the top of the moving plate 20. The execution mechanism 4 can also perform the action of pushing the container 1 on the container tray 33 supported at the top of the moving plate 20 into the shelf 100. Since both actions can be understood as being in opposite directions, a detailed explanation is omitted here.
[0045] The support frame 10 is fixed to the robot's lift rail 3. In a preferred example, the first end of the support frame 10 in the longitudinal direction is a support, and the entire support frame 10 is located on one side of the lift rail 3. Preferably, the weight distribution can be balanced by using an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10 as a support. In other words, in a preferred embodiment, the side of the support frame 10 closer to the lift rail 3 in the longitudinal direction is the first end, and the side further from the lift rail 3 is the second end.
[0046] The extension direction of the movable plate 20 relative to the support frame 10 may be from the second end to the first end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10, that is, extending from the first end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10 to the outside of the support frame 10. Similarly, when the hook assembly 40 extends from the support frame 10 by the drive of the second telescopic assembly 32, the extension direction when the second telescopic assembly 32 moves the hook assembly 40 is also from the second end to the first end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. The combination of the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32 approximates the extension length of the hook assembly 40 to twice the length of the support frame 10. If the movement stroke of the second telescopic assembly 32 is approximately the same as the movement stroke of the first telescopic assembly 31, and the movement stroke of the first telescopic assembly 31 is approximately the same as the length of the support frame 10, it can be understood that the extension length of the hook assembly 40 approximates to twice the length of the support frame 10.
[0047] Preferably, the extension direction of the movable plate 20 relative to the support frame 10 is from the first end to the second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10, that is, it extends from the second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10 to the outside of the support frame 10. Similarly, when the hook assembly 40 extends from the support frame 10 by the drive of the second telescopic assembly 32, the extension direction when the second telescopic assembly 32 moves the hook assembly 40 is also from the first end to the second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10.
[0048] The telescopic movement is achieved by the first and second stage telescopic assemblies. Here, the first stage telescopic assembly achieves bidirectional telescopic movement mainly through a drive motor and chain transmission. A movable plate 20 is attached to the end of the first stage telescopic assembly, and the second stage telescopic motor (i.e., the second telescopic drive motor 322) and a corresponding gear rack transmission mechanism are attached to the movable plate 20. This enables forward and backward movement on the movable plate 20. Based on the first stage telescopic movement, the stroke of the telescopic movement has been increased. In actual applications, bidirectional telescopic movement is achieved as follows: a gear is attached to the drive motor, the drive motor rotates the gear, and the rack that meshes with the gear moves the telescopic assembly, thereby achieving bidirectional telescopic movement.
[0049] The robot's placement operation for container 1 can include two operations: container removal and container placement. In the container removal operation, the robot extends the first telescopic assembly 31 and / or the second telescopic assembly 32 so that the hook assembly 40 grasps the target container to be placed from the shelf 100, and then moves the target container into the execution mechanism 4 by retracting the first telescopic assembly 31 and / or the second telescopic assembly 32, specifically so that it can be placed on the container tray 33 of the moving plate 20 within the range of the support frame 10. In the container placement operation, the robot extends the first telescopic assembly 31 and / or the second telescopic assembly 32 to push container 1 in the execution mechanism 4 to the target storage position on the shelf 100. The container removal operation and the container placement operation can be switched between the container removal position and the container placement position through the cooperative operation of the moving platform 2 and the lift rail 3.
[0050] Specifically, the hook assembly 40 includes a fixed hook 41 and a movable hook 42 spaced apart along the vertical direction, and has a handle on the side facing the execution mechanism 4 of the container 1, and the handle can be gripped or released by adjusting the distance between the movable hook 42 and the fixed hook 41.
[0051] Specifically, the hook assembly 40 includes a hook base 43 supported by a second telescopic assembly 32, a fixed base 44 mounted on the hook base 43, and a first movable assembly 45 mounted on the fixed base 44 so as to be movable along the vertical direction. A fixed hook 41 is fixedly mounted on the first movable assembly 45, and a movable hook 42 is mounted on the first movable assembly 45 so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The movable hook 42 adjusts the distance between the movable hook 42 and the fixed hook 41 by moving along the vertical direction driven by a hook drive motor 46.
[0052] Preferably, the hook assembly 40 includes a positioning rod 422 that extends vertically and is connected between the fixed hook 41 and the movable hook 42, and the movable hook 42 moves along the positioning rod 422.
[0053] In the first movable assembly 45, the position of the fixed hook 41 relative to the first movable assembly 45 is fixed, while the position of the movable hook 42 relative to the first movable assembly 45 is movable along the vertical direction. This allows the distance between the movable hook 42 and the fixed hook 41 to be changed. Furthermore, since the first movable assembly 45 is mounted on the fixed base 44 so as to be movable along the vertical direction, the container 1 can be gripped by moving the first movable assembly 45 and the movable hook 42 when adjusting the position of the movable hook 42.
[0054] Here, the first movable assembly 45 is a first movable support plate 451 mounted on a fixed base 44 so as to be movable along the vertical direction, and includes a first movable support plate 451 to which a fixed hook 41 is fixedly mounted, and a return spring 452 connected between the first movable support plate 451 and the fixed base 44, which adjusts the distance between the movable hook 42 and the fixed hook 41 by moving the first movable support plate 451 relative to the fixed base 44 in response to the driving force of the hook drive motor 46.
[0055] The movable mounting of the first movable support plate 451 can be achieved by rail sliders. Specifically, the fixed base 44 is configured to have protruding rails on both sides of its vertically extending edges, and the vertically extending edges of the first movable support plate 451 have sliders corresponding to these rails. This allows the first movable support plate 451 to be mounted on the fixed base 44 so as to be movable along the vertical direction.
[0056] The driving force for the movement of the first movable support plate 451 relative to the fixed base 44 originates from the elastic deformation of the return spring 452, and the elastic deformation of the return spring 452 responds to changes in the driving force of the hook drive motor 46.
[0057] As shown in Figures 4a, 4b, and 5, when the execution mechanism 4 grips the container 1, first the hook assembly 40 moves near the container 1 via the combination of the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32. As shown in Figure 5, the fixed hook 41 is positioned above the top surface of the container 1, and the movable hook 42 moves horizontally towards the container 1 at a position lower than the handle, and the movable hook 42 enters the handle (as shown in the left diagram in Figure 5). Subsequently, the movable hook 42 moves upward along the vertical direction driven by the hook drive motor 46 to hook onto the handle. During this process, the first movable support plate 451 does not move relative to the fixed base 44 until the movable hook 42 contacts the handle, and due to the gravity of the container 1, the movable hook 42 is unable to continue its upward movement along the vertical direction driven by the hook drive motor 46. At this time, the vertical position of the movable hook 42 cannot be changed due to the gravitational effect of the container 1. The return spring 452 is compressed in response to the driving force of the hook drive motor 46. One end of the return spring 452 is connected to the fixed base 44, and the other end is integrally connected to the first movable support plate 451. When the length of the return spring 452 is compressed, the first movable support plate 451 moves relative to the fixed base 44 by the return spring 452 until it grips the top surface of the container 1 (as shown in the right-hand diagram in Figure 5), and the direction of movement is vertical towards the movable hook 42. Here, the double arrow in Figure 5 indicates that the hook assembly can change relative to each other between the positional states shown in the left and right diagrams. This makes it possible to achieve opposing movement between the movable hook 42 and the fixed hook 41 via the first movable assembly 45, and finally to stably grip the container 1, when only the operation of driving the movable hook 42 to move it towards the fixed hook 41 is utilized.
[0058] On the other hand, when the hook assembly 40 releases the handle of the container 1, the movable hook 42 moves downward along the vertical direction in response to the hook drive motor 46. The movable hook 42 moves along the direction away from the fixed hook 41 and releases the handle. At the same time, it releases the pressure on the return spring 452 in response to the driving force of the hook drive motor 46. The first movable support plate 451 moves relative to the fixed base 44 due to the repulsive force of the return spring 452, and the direction of movement is along the vertical direction away from the movable hook 42. This releases the pressure on the top surface of the container 1. Subsequently, the movable hook 42 moves to a position lower than the handle and, in combination with the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32, moves horizontally away from the container 1 and releases the container 1.
[0059] In this example, in addition to being used to grip the container 1, the first movable assembly 45 can also be used to prevent the container 1 from becoming detached due to shaking when transporting the container 1 over an uneven surface.
[0060] In a preferred example, the movable hook 42 is located below the fixed hook 41.
[0061] Here, the fixed hook 41 has a flat plate shape that conforms to the top surface of the container 1, and the movable hook 42 has a hook portion 421 that extends along the vertical direction. This restricts the handle in the horizontal direction and prevents the container 1 from being attached or detached. Specifically, the hook portion 421 extends toward the fixed hook 41, thereby enclosing the handle within the range of the movable hook 42 in the pulling direction.
[0062] Furthermore, the hook assembly 40 includes a second movable assembly 47, the first movable assembly 45 being mounted on the fixed base 44 via the second movable assembly 47, the second movable assembly 47 including a second movable support plate 471, the second movable support plate 471 being mounted on the fixed base 44 so as to be movable vertically, and the first movable support plate 451 being mounted on the second movable support plate 471 so as to be movable vertically.
[0063] The movable mounting of the second movable support plate 471 can be achieved using rail sliders. Specifically, the fixed base 44 is configured to have protruding rails on both sides of its vertically extending edges, and the vertically extending edges of the second movable support plate 471 have sliders corresponding to these rails. This allows the second movable support plate 471 to be mounted on the fixed base 44 so as to be movable along the vertical direction.
[0064] Simultaneously, the movable mounting of the first movable support plate 451 can be achieved using rail sliders. Specifically, the second movable support plate 471 is configured to have protruding rails on both edges extending vertically, and the vertically extending edges of the first movable support plate 451 have sliders corresponding to these rails. This allows the first movable support plate 451 to be mounted on the second movable support plate 471 so as to be movable vertically.
[0065] The driving force for the movement of the second movable support plate 471 relative to the fixed base 44 is derived from gravity. The second movable assembly 47 helps to adjust the height of the hook assembly 40. Specifically, this is applied to the process shown in Figures 6a and 6b.
[0066] If the stroke of the execution mechanism 4 is large, there may be cases where an item is retrieved from inside the shelf 100. As shown in Figure 6a, the hook assembly 40 of the execution mechanism 4 enters the inside of the shelf 100 and grips the container 1. In this case, there is a height difference between the container 1 and the container tray 33. After pulling the container 1 to the edge of the shelf 100, it is necessary to adjust the height at the edge of the container 100. Then, the container 1 can be pulled into the inside of the execution mechanism 4. In this case, the entire execution mechanism 4 descends, and the second movable assembly 47 compensates for the height difference between the hook assembly 40 and the container tray 33 due to the gravity of the container 1. Specifically, the second movable assembly 47 performs an upward movement relative to the fixed base 44, and then the telescopic mechanism can pull the container 1 into the inside of the execution mechanism 4. When placing the container 1 on the shelf, the execution mechanism 4 rises at the edge of the shelf 100, and the second movable support plate 471 returns to its original position due to its own gravity and the gravity of the container 1, and in this case, the telescopic mechanism can push the container 1 into the inside of the shelf 100. In other words, container 1 is always on shelf 100, but the execution mechanism 4 adjusts the height of container 1 (lowers it overall), and at this time the hook assembly 40 is connected to container 1, so the second movable assembly 47 is lifted above container 1, thereby compensating for the height difference between the hook assembly 40 and the container tray 33.
[0067] Specifically, the first movable support plate 451 has relative motion with respect to the second movable assembly 47, and the second movable assembly 47 has relative motion with respect to the fixed base 44. The first movable support plate 451 and the second movable assembly 47 can be linked with respect to the fixed base 44. The return spring 452 has one end fixed to the second movable assembly 47 and the other end fixed to the first movable support plate 451. The hook drive motor 46, the fixed hook 41, and the first movable support plate 451 are relatively fixed and cannot move. The movable hook 42 is connected to the hook drive motor 46 and is individually controlled by the hook drive motor 46, and can move up and down relative to the movable support plate 451. After the movable hook 42 and the container 1 come into contact, the return spring 452 activates. The movable hook 42 is restricted by the container 1 and cannot be raised. The hook drive motor 46 continues to drive the movable hook 42, and this driving force moves the first movable support plate 451, the hook drive motor 46, and the fixed hook 41 downwards as a whole, continuously decreasing the distance between the fixed hook 41 and the movable hook 42, and gripping the container 1.
[0068] In Figure 6b, the leftmost downward arrow indicates that the entire execution mechanism 4 descends; the upward arrow indicates that the second movable support plate 471 of the second movable assembly 47 moves upward relative to the fixed base 44; the middle downward arrow in Figure 6b indicates that the fixed hook 41 moves downward; and the leftward arrow in Figure 6b indicates that the container 1 moves to the left, up to the edge of the shelf.
[0069] Here, the movement of the first movable assembly 45 and the movement of the second movable assembly 47 are divided into two stages. Here, the overall descent of the execution mechanism 4 can be understood as the movement of the second movable assembly 47 relative to the fixed base 44.
[0070] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the second movable assembly 47 includes a position regulating plate, which is mounted on the second movable support plate 471, and one end of the return spring 452 is regulated by the position regulating plate. Specifically, the return spring 452 is regulated along the vertical direction.
[0071] In one embodiment, the hook assembly 40 includes a rotary drive bearing 481, and the fixed base 44 is rotatably supported on the hook base 43 via the rotary drive bearing 481 and rotates about the vertical direction when driven by a rotary drive motor 482.
[0072] The fixed base 44, and the first movable assembly 45, the second movable assembly 47, and the hook assembly 40 attached thereto, all rotate around the vertical direction by the drive of the rotary drive motor 482 to align with the container 1.
[0073] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first telescopic assembly 31 includes a first telescopic drive motor 311 and a first transmission chain 312 driven by the first telescopic drive motor 311, with the movable plate 20 fixedly connected to the first transmission chain 312. Here, the first telescopic drive motor 311 is connected to the input end of a reduction gear, the output end of the reduction gear is connected to a sprocket, and the first transmission chain 312 is attached to the sprocket. This enables the first telescopic drive motor 311 to drive the first transmission chain 312.
[0074] The second telescopic assembly 32 includes a second telescopic drive motor 322 and a rack 321 mounted longitudinally on the moving plate 20, the second telescopic drive motor 322 moving longitudinally relative to the rack 321, and the hook assembly 40 being fixedly connected to the second telescopic drive motor 322.
[0075] This proposed technology utilizes a novel robot execution mechanism. It employs a two-stage telescopic mechanism, a rotation mechanism, and a movable hook mechanism to enable the loading and unloading of container 1 in two directions with a large stroke. Because the hook directly contacts container 1 via the container's handle, it eliminates the need to reserve workspace on both sides of container 1 compared to conventional container transfer units, improving the storage efficiency of container 1. Compared to conventional hook robots, it offers a larger stroke, allowing for the loading and unloading of container 1 even at the back of shelves 100. The hook mechanism, by gripping the container with upper and lower hooks, provides greater stability compared to conventional single-sided hooking methods, making it more difficult to detach container 1.
[0076] As shown in Figure 7, another embodiment of the present invention further provides a warehouse storage system comprising shelves 100 having a plurality of storage positions for storing containers 1, and a robot shown in Figure 1 that transports the containers 1 to the storage positions within the shelves 100, thereby enabling the organization of goods between the shelves 100.
[0077] Here, the shelf 100 can be positioned on any side of the robot in the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. That is, the shelf 100 can face the first or second end of the support frame 10. The extension direction of the movable plate 20 depends on the storage position of the object.
[0078] In this embodiment, the execution mechanism 4 has a two-directional stroke. That is, the extension position of the hook assembly 40 relative to the support frame 10 may be on either side of the longitudinal direction of the support frame 10. This eliminates the need to adjust the robot's orientation when the target container is on a different side of the robot. Instead, the direction of movement can be adjusted for the first telescopic assembly 31 and the second telescopic assembly 32, and further adjustments can be made to the extension direction of the moving plate 20 and the hook assembly 40, for example, by changing the rotation direction of the drive motor. This is particularly applicable when the direction of movement in the horizontal direction is restricted, such as in a sky transfer unit.
[0079] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and does not limit it. Any amendments, equivalent substitutions, modifications, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall all be included within the scope of protection of the present application. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0080] 1: Container 2: Mobile platform 3: Lift rail 4: Execution mechanism 5: Moving rails 10: Support frame 100: Shelf 20: Mobile Plate 31: First telescopic assembly 311: First telescopic drive motor 312: First transmission chain 32: Second telescopic assembly 321: Rack 322: Second telescopic drive motor 33: Container Tray 40: Hook Assembly 41: Fixing hook 42: Moving hook 43: Hook Base 44: Fixed base 45: First movable assembly 46: Hook drive motor 421: Hook part 422: Positioning rod 451: 1st movable support plate 452: Return spring 47: Second movable assembly 471:Second movable support plate 481: Rotary drive bearing 482: Rotary drive motor
Claims
1. The execution mechanism of a robot, A support frame (10) that extends horizontally and is supported by the robot, A movable plate (20) is supported by the support frame (10) and extends or retracts relative to the support frame (10) along the longitudinal direction of the support frame (10) by the drive of the first telescopic assembly (31), The system includes a hook assembly (40) supported by the movable plate (20) and moved along the longitudinal direction within the range of the movable plate (20) by the drive of the second telescopic assembly (32), The movable plate (20) extends from the first or second end in the longitudinal direction of the support frame (10), and the extension direction of the hook assembly (40) is the same as the extension direction of the movable plate (20). The aforementioned hook assembly (40) A hook base (43) supported by the second telescopic assembly (32), A fixing base (44) is attached to the aforementioned hook base (43), A movable hook (42) is attached to the fixed base (44) so as to be movable along the vertical direction, A rotary drive bearing (481) is included, The fixed base (44) is rotatably supported on the hook base (43) via the rotary drive bearing (481), and rotates around the vertical direction by the drive of the rotary drive motor (482). The hook assembly (40) moves the container (1) by gripping the side of the container (1) facing the hook assembly (40) via the moving hook (42) when driven by the first telescopic assembly (31) and / or the second telescopic assembly (32). A robot execution mechanism characterized by the following features.
2. The hook assembly (40) includes a fixed hook (41) spaced perpendicularly to the movable hook (42), and has a handle on the side of the container (1) facing the execution mechanism, the handle being gripped or released by adjusting the distance between the movable hook (42) and the fixed hook (41). The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 1, characterized in that
3. The aforementioned hook assembly (40) The system includes a first movable assembly (45) mounted on the fixed base (44) so as to be movable along the vertical direction, The fixed hook (41) is fixedly attached to the first movable assembly (45), and the movable hook (42) is mounted on the first movable assembly (45) so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The movable hook (42) moves along the vertical direction by the drive of the hook drive motor (46), thereby adjusting the distance between the movable hook (42) and the fixed hook (41). The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 2, characterized in that
4. The first movable assembly (45) is A first movable support plate (451) is mounted on the fixed base (44) so as to be movable along the vertical direction, and the first movable support plate (451) to which the fixed hook (41) is fixedly attached, The system includes a return spring (452) connected between the first movable support plate (451) and the fixed base (44), which adjusts the distance between the movable hook (42) and the fixed hook (41) by moving the first movable support plate (451) relative to the fixed base (44) in response to the driving force of the hook drive motor (46), The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 3, characterized in that
5. The hook assembly (40) includes a second movable assembly (47), the first movable assembly (45) being mounted on the fixed base (44) via the second movable assembly (47), The second movable assembly (47) includes a second movable support plate (471), the second movable support plate (471) being mounted on the fixed base (44) so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The first movable support plate (451) is mounted on the second movable support plate (471) so as to be movable along the vertical direction. The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 4, characterized in that
6. The second movable assembly (47) includes a position regulating plate, the position regulating plate is mounted on the second movable support plate (471), and one end of the return spring (452) is regulated by the position regulating plate. The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 5, characterized in that
7. The movable hook (42) is located below the fixed hook (41), The fixing hook (41) has a flat plate shape that conforms to the top surface of the container (1), The movable hook (42) has a hook portion (421) that extends along the vertical direction. The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 2, characterized in that
8. The hook assembly (40) includes a positioning rod (422) which extends vertically and is connected between the fixed hook (41) and the movable hook (42), and the movable hook (42) moves along the positioning rod (422). The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 7, characterized in that
9. The first telescopic assembly (31) includes a first telescopic drive motor (311) and a first transmission chain (312) driven by the first telescopic drive motor (311), wherein the movable plate (20) is fixedly connected to the first transmission chain (312), and / or The second telescopic assembly (32) includes a second telescopic drive motor (322) and a rack (321) mounted on the moving plate (20) along the longitudinal direction, wherein the second telescopic drive motor (322) moves along the longitudinal direction relative to the rack (321), and the hook assembly (40) is fixedly connected to the second telescopic drive motor (322). The execution mechanism of the robot according to claim 1, characterized in that
10. It is a robot, A mobile platform (2) having degrees of freedom to move along the horizontal direction, A lift rail (3) is fixedly supported on the aforementioned mobile platform (2) and extends along the vertical direction, A robot execution mechanism (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: an execution mechanism (4) in which the support frame (10) is fixed to the lift rail (3) and moves up and down along the lift rail (3); A robot characterized by the following features.
11. The moving platform (2) is supported by a moving rail (5) that extends horizontally, and moves horizontally along the moving rail (5), or The mobile platform (2) moves along a horizontal plane by the drive of a horizontal drive device. The robot according to claim 10, characterized in that it is the robot described in claim 10.
12. A warehouse storage system, A shelf (100) having multiple storage locations, in which containers (1) are stored in the storage locations, The robot according to claim 10 for transporting the container (1) includes, The shelf (100) is located on any side of the robot in the longitudinal direction of the support frame (10), and the extension direction of the movable plate (20) is the side facing the target storage position of the execution mechanism. A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.