Warehouse storage system, retrieval method, and retrieval method

Abstract

This embodiment provides a warehouse storage system, a method for retrieving goods, and a method for receiving goods. The warehouse storage system includes a stock area, a shelving robot, a cargo transport line, and a picking area. The stock area includes multiple shelves installed at intervals, with aisles extending along the length of the shelves between adjacent shelves. The cargo transport line has a first end extending into the interior of the shelves in the stock area and a second end extending to the picking area, for transporting goods between the stock area and the picking area. The shelving robot is installed on the side of the shelves closest to the aisles, moves along the aisles, and loads goods into and out of the shelves and the cargo transport line inside the shelves. The shelving robot and the cargo transport line work together to achieve the loading and unloading of goods, and the loading and unloading of goods by the shelving robot and the transport by the cargo transport line can be performed simultaneously without interfering with each other, thereby increasing the efficiency of the warehouse storage system's goods loading and unloading and transport.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] <Cross - reference to Related Applications> This application claims priority based on a Chinese patent application filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on October 25, 2024, with application number 202422596593.4 and invention title "Warehouse Storage System, Out - of - Warehouse Method and In - Warehouse Method". Here, all of its contents are incorporated into this application by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of logistics warehouses, particularly to a warehouse storage system, an out - of - warehouse method, and an in - warehouse method.

Background Art

[0003] In related technologies, a warehouse storage system includes a plurality of shelves and transportation devices. The transportation devices usually use transportation robots or stackers, and it is necessary to load and unload goods in the shelves and picking areas, and it is also necessary to transport goods between the shelves and the picking area. As a result, the travel distance of the transportation devices becomes long, and the route planning is complex when scheduling a plurality of transportation devices in the warehouse storage system, so the efficiency of loading and unloading goods in the warehouse storage system is not high.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application aim to provide a warehouse storage system, an out - of - warehouse method, and an in - warehouse method for improving the efficiency of loading and unloading goods. The specific technical solutions are as follows.

[0005] This embodiment provides a warehouse storage system comprising a stock area, a shelving robot, a cargo transport line, and a picking area, wherein the stock area includes a plurality of shelves spaced apart, with aisles extending along the length of the shelves between adjacent shelves; the cargo transport line has a first end extending into the interior of the shelves in the stock area and a second end extending to the picking area, for transporting goods between the stock area and the picking area; and the shelving robot is mounted on the side of the shelves closest to the aisles, moves along the aisles, and loads goods into and out of the shelves and the cargo transport line inside the shelves.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, a control device is further included, which is communicated to the shelving robot and the cargo transport line, the control device for controlling the shelving robot to move cargo in and out between the shelves and the cargo transport line inside the shelves, and for controlling the cargo transport line to transport cargo between the stock area and the picking area.

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention further provide a method for retrieval applied to a control device in the above-mentioned warehouse storage system, the retrieval method comprising transmitting a command to a shelving robot, causing the shelving robot to transport the target goods awaiting retrieval from the shelf to a cargo transport line inside the shelf, and transmitting a command to the cargo transport line, causing the cargo transport line to transport the target goods awaiting retrieval from the stock area to the picking area.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention further provide a warehousing method applicable to a control device in the above-described warehouse storage system, the warehousing method comprising transmitting a command to a cargo transport line so that the cargo transport line transports the target cargo awaiting warehousing from a picking area to a stock area, and transmitting a command to a shelving robot so that the shelving robot transports the target cargo awaiting warehousing from a cargo transport line inside the shelf to the shelf.

[0009] In the warehouse storage system provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the cargo transport line has a first end that extends into the interior of the shelves in the stock area and a second end that extends to the picking area, and is for transporting cargo between the stock area and the picking area. The shelf-mounted robot is installed on the side of the shelves closest to the aisle, moves along the aisle, and can load and unload cargo between the shelves and the cargo transport line inside the shelves. The cooperation between the shelf-mounted robot and the cargo transport line enables the loading and unloading of cargo, and the loading and unloading of cargo by the movement of the shelf-mounted robot and the transport by the cargo transport line can be performed simultaneously without interference between them, thereby improving the cargo loading and unloading efficiency and transport efficiency of the warehouse storage system.

[0010] Of course, it is not necessary to achieve all of the above advantages simultaneously when implementing any of the products of this application. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] The drawings described herein are for further understanding of the present application and are intended to constitute part of the present application. The exemplary embodiments and descriptions herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present application. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the configuration of a warehouse storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the warehouse storage system shown in Figure 1, viewed from a different angle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a local configuration perspective view of the warehouse storage system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4a] Figure 4a is a first schematic diagram of the distribution of the outbound and inbound transport lines shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4b] Figure 4b is a second schematic diagram of the distribution of the outbound and inbound transport lines shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a local configuration perspective view of the sorting and conveying line of the warehouse storage system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the shelf-mounted robot shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the retrieval method provided in the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the retrieval method provided in the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the storage method provided in the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the storage method provided in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0012] Stock area 100, shelf 110, first shelf 110A, second shelf 110B, storage space 111, storage layer 1111, storage location 1112, connecting space 112, horizontal rail 120, Shelf-mounted robot 200, support stand 210, pillar 211, cargo loading / unloading assembly 220, cargo platform 221, claw mechanism 222, lifting assembly 230, lifting motor 231, transmission mechanism 232, conveyor belt 2321, transmission wheel 2322, drive wheel set 240, Cargo transport line 300, outbound transport line 310, inbound transport line 320, sorting transport line 330, first sorting transport line 331, second sorting transport line 332, first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A, second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B, transport pulley 3331, second transport belt 3331A, transport wheel 3331B, lifting mechanism 3332, roller 334, first scan device 341, second scan device 342, third scan device 343, Picking area 400, picking table 410, first picking conveyor line 411, second picking conveyor line 412, third picking conveyor line 413, display 420, 500 aisles, 600 cargo. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and by way of examples. It is clear that the described examples are merely some examples of the present invention, not all examples. Based on the examples in the present invention, all other examples obtained by those skilled in the art are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0014] As described in the background art, in the related art, a warehouse storage system includes a plurality of shelves and a transportation device. The transportation device usually uses a transportation robot or a stacker, and it is necessary to load and unload goods in the shelves and the picking area, and it is also necessary to transport goods between the shelves and the picking area. As a result, the efficiency of loading and unloading goods in the warehouse storage system is not high.

[0015] To improve the efficiency of loading and unloading goods, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse storage system, a method for outbound, and a method for inbound. The following will first describe in detail the warehouse storage system provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the configuration of the warehouse storage system according to the embodiment of the present application, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the configuration seen from another angle of the warehouse storage system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the configuration of the warehouse storage system shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the warehouse storage system includes a stock area 100, a shelf-mounted robot 200, a goods transportation line 300, and a picking area 400.

[0018] The stock area 100 includes a plurality of shelves 110 installed at intervals, and a passage 500 extending along the length direction of the shelf 110 is formed between adjacent shelves 110.

[0019] The goods transportation line 300 has a first end extending to the inside of the shelf 110 in the stock area 100 and a second end extending to the picking area 400, and is for transporting goods 600 between the stock area 100 and the picking area 400.

[0020] The shelf-mounted robot 200 is installed on the side close to the passage 500 of the shelf 110, moves along the passage 500, and is used to take in and out the goods 600 between the shelf 110 and the goods conveyance line 300 inside the shelf 110.

[0021] However, the picking area 400 realizes picking or loading based on the goods conveyance line 300.

[0022] In the warehouse storage system provided by the embodiment of the present application, the goods conveyance line 300 has a first end extending to the inside of the shelf 110 in the stock area 100 and a second end extending to the picking area 400, and is used to convey the goods 600 between the stock area 100 and the picking area 400. The shelf-mounted robot 200 is installed on the side close to the passage 500 of the shelf 110, moves along the passage 500, and can take in and out the goods 600 between the shelf 110 and the goods conveyance line 300 inside the shelf 110. Through the cooperation between the shelf-mounted robot 200 and the goods conveyance line 300, the incoming and outgoing of the goods 600 are realized. At the same time, the taking in and out of the goods 600 by the movement of the shelf-mounted robot 200 and the conveyance by the goods conveyance line 300 can be executed simultaneously without interfering with each other, improving the efficiency of taking in and out the goods and the transportation efficiency of the warehouse storage system.

[0023] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first end of the goods conveyance line 300 extends to the inside of the shelf 110 in the stock area 100, and the first end may be located at the central part of the shelf 110 or at the bottom of the shelf 110. The goods 600 may be specific articles, or may be containers or other containers for accommodating articles. The present application does not limit the type of goods. However, the goods 600 may have various sizes. Taking the container as an example, the goods 600 may be containers of different sizes for loading different articles.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, a shelf-mounted robot 200 is installed on a shelf 110 on one side of the passage 500, and the shelf-mounted robot 200 is used to load and unload cargo 600 from the shelves 110 on both sides of the passage 500 and cargo 600 from cargo transport lines 300 inside the shelves 110 on both sides.

[0025] In other embodiments, one shelf-mounted robot 200 may be installed on each of the shelves 110 on both sides of the passageway 500, and the shelf-mounted robot 200 is used to load and unload cargo 600 located on the shelves 110 and cargo 600 in the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110.

[0026] Each aisle 500 may have one or more shelf-mounted robots 200, which may be installed according to the length of the shelves 110. Multiple shelf-mounted robots 200 can improve cargo loading and unloading efficiency by loading and unloading cargo 600 in a portion of the shelf 110.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present invention, the shelf-mounted robot 200 is installed on a shelf 110 on one side of the aisle 500, and the utilization rate of the shelf-mounted robot 200 can be increased by loading and unloading cargo 600 from the shelves 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 and cargo 600 in the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110 on both sides.

[0028] Below, we will first describe in detail the stock area 100, cargo transport line 300, and picking area 400 of the warehouse storage system according to this embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1, the stock area 100 of the warehouse storage system in this embodiment has six rows of shelves 110. Of these, the four central rows use quadruple-deep shelves, which are made up of two double-deep shelves facing each other, while the rows on either side may use double-deep shelves. As shown in Figure 1, a passage 500 is formed between adjacent rows of shelves 110, and the shelf-hanging robot 200 is mounted on one of the shelves 110 on either side of the passage 500 to load and unload double-deep cargo 600 that is close to the passage 500 on the shelves 110 on either side of the passage 500. Specifically, in this embodiment, the shelf-hanging robot 200 is mounted on the shelf on the right side of the passage to facilitate alignment and management.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the shelf 110 includes an upper storage space 111 and a bottom connecting space 112.

[0031] The storage space 111 includes multiple storage layers 1111 spaced vertically apart for storing cargo 600, the connecting space 112 is located below the storage space 111, and the cargo transport line 300 has its first end extending to the connecting space 112 and its second end extending to the picking area 400.

[0032] Specifically, the storage layer 1111 is divided into multiple storage areas 1112 for storing cargo 600.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cargo transport line 300 includes an outbound transport line 310 and an inbound transport line 320. The outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 are installed at the bottom of the shelves 110 in the stock area 100, with one side of each aisle 500 being the outbound transport line 310 and the other side being the inbound transport line 320.

[0034] The outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 have their first ends extending parallel to the bottom of the shelves 110, and their second ends extending to the picking area 400.

[0035] The outbound transport line 310 is for transporting the cargo 600, which has been picked up from the shelves 110 by the shelf-mounted robot 200 and placed on the outbound transport line 310, to the picking area 400.

[0036] The receiving and transporting line 320 is for transporting the goods 600 awaiting storage, received from the picking area 400, to the bottom of the shelves 110 so that the shelf-mounting robot 200 can move the goods 600 awaiting storage on the receiving and transporting line 320 to the shelves 110.

[0037] Specifically, the outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 are unidirectional transport lines. The transport direction of the outbound transport line 310 is from the stock area 100 to the picking area 400, and the transport direction of the inbound transport line 320 is from the picking area 400 to the stock area 100.

[0038] The shelf 110 is a multi-depth shelf so that the combined space 112 can accommodate the outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320. Accordingly, the shelf-mounted robot 200 can load and unload the multi-depth cargo 600.

[0039] To increase the utilization rate of the shelf-mounted robot 200, the shelves 110 on both sides of the stock area 100 may be configured to be deep enough to accommodate only one outbound transport line 310 or inbound transport line 320, and the shelf-mounted robot 200 is installed on the side of the shelf 110 closer to the aisle 500 and can load and unload cargo 600 from the shelf 110 and adjacent shelves 110, eliminating the need to install the shelf-mounted robot 200 on the side of the shelf 110 away from the aisle 500.

[0040] Referring to Figures 4a and 4b, Figure 4a is a first schematic distribution diagram of the outbound and inbound transport lines shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4b is a second schematic distribution diagram of the outbound and inbound transport lines shown in Figure 1.

[0041] The outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 may be installed sequentially at the bottom of the shelves 110 in the stock area 100, as shown in Figure 4a, that is, they may be installed relative to each other at the bottom of the shelves 110 in the stock area 100 in the order of outbound transport line 310, inbound transport line 320, outbound transport line 310, inbound transport line 320.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4b, in the stock area 100, two identical outbound transport lines 310 or two identical inbound transport lines 320 are installed at the bottom of a quadruple-deep shelf, and the types of cargo transport lines 300 at the bottom of adjacent quadruple-deep shelves may differ, and the types of cargo transport lines 300 at the bottom of the double-deep shelves on both sides may also differ from the types of cargo transport lines 300 at the bottom of adjacent quadruple-deep shelves.

[0043] Both the first and second technical proposals enable the installation of an outbound transport line 310 on one side of each aisle 500 and an inbound transport line 320 on the other side. The present invention will now describe a warehouse storage system using the first technical proposal as an example.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 are installed parallel to each other at the bottom of four rows of quadruple-deep shelves in the center of the stock area 100, the inbound transport line 320 is installed at the bottom of the double-deep shelf on the left side of the stock area 100, and the inbound transport line 320 is installed at the bottom of the double-deep shelf on the right side of the stock area 100.

[0045] When it is necessary to retrieve cargo 600 from the four-row quadruple-deep shelves in the center of the stock area 100, the cargo 600 must be retrieved by a shelving robot 200 located in the aisle 500 on the side where the cargo 600 is located, and placed on the only retrieval transport line 310 adjacent to the aisle 500.

[0046] If cargo 600 needs to be retrieved from the double-deep shelf on the left side of the stock area 100, the shelving robot 200 in the aisle 500 can place the cargo 600 awaiting retrieval from shelf 110 onto the retrieval transport line 310 at the bottom of the shelf 110 adjacent to shelf 110.

[0047] If cargo 600 awaiting storage needs to be placed in a double-deep shelf on the right side of the stock area 100, the storage transport line 320 at the bottom of the shelf 110 adjacent to the said shelf 110 can transport the cargo 600 awaiting storage to the connecting space 112 of the adjacent shelf, where it can be removed from the shelf-mounting robot 200 in the passage 500 and placed in the said shelf 110.

[0048] The following describes the operation procedure of the shelf-mounted robot 200, using Figure 3 as an example.

[0049] In Figure 3, the two adjacent shelves 110 are, one being the first shelf 110A and the other being the second shelf 110B.

[0050] An outbound transport line 310 is installed on the side of the bottom of the first shelf 110A closest to the aisle 500, and an inbound transport line 320 is installed on the side of the bottom of the second shelf 110B closest to the aisle 500. The shelf-mounted robot 200 is mounted on the first shelf 110A. The shelf-mounted robot 200 includes a support stand 210 and a cargo loading / unloading assembly 220. The specific configuration will be described in detail in the following section.

[0051] When leaving the depot, A. The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 moves horizontally and up and down based on the support stand 210 to a location corresponding to the target cargo 600 awaiting unloading on the first shelf 110A or the second shelf 110B, and then extends toward the target cargo 600 awaiting unloading to unload the cargo.

[0052] B. The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 removes the cargo, retracts, moves downward to a location at the bottom of the first shelf 110A corresponding to the outbound transport line 310, and extends toward the outbound transport line 310 to place the cargo 600 awaiting outbound onto the outbound transport line 310.

[0053] When bringing the item into storage, C. The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 moves horizontally and up and down based on the support stand 210 to a location at the bottom of the second shelf 110B corresponding to the receiving conveyor line 320, and extends toward the receiving conveyor line 320 to unload the cargo.

[0054] D. The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 unloads the cargo, retracts, moves upward to a location corresponding to the target storage location 1112 on the first shelf 110A or the second shelf 110B, extends toward the target storage location 1112, and places the cargo 600 awaiting warehousing into the target storage location 1112.

[0055] By applying this embodiment, the outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 are installed so that the outbound and inbound of cargo 600 can be carried out simultaneously without interference, thereby improving the efficiency of cargo loading and unloading and transportation in the warehouse storage system. Furthermore, by installing the outbound transport line 310 and the inbound transport line 320 at the bottom of the shelves 110 in the stock area 100, the space utilization rate of the warehouse storage system can be increased.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the picking area 400 includes a picking table 410. The second end of the outbound transport line 310 and the second end of the inbound transport line 320 are both connected to the picking table 410.

[0057] The picking table 410 is used to pick up and ship out cargo 600 that has been transported from the second end of the outbound transport line 310, and to move cargo 600 that is waiting to be received to the second end of the inbound transport line 320.

[0058] Specifically, at the picking table 410, picking may be done by a person or by machine. The goods 600 awaiting warehousing may be goods picked from the outbound transport line 310, or goods awaiting warehousing that have been received from outside by a person or machine and placed on the picking table 410.

[0059] By applying this embodiment, the picking table 410 can be installed to receive and pick cargo 600 waiting to be shipped from the shipping line 310 and ship it out, or to move cargo 600 waiting to be shipped to the receiving line 320.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, there are multiple picking tables 410 in the picking area 400, and the multiple picking tables 410 are installed at intervals from each other.

[0061] The cargo transport line 300 includes a sorting transport line 330, and the second end of the outbound transport line 310 and the second end of the inbound transport line 320 at the bottom of each shelf 110 are both connected to the sorting transport line 330.

[0062] The sorting and transport line 330 is also connected to each picking table 410 and is used to sort the cargo 600 waiting to be shipped out at the second end of each shipping transport line 310 and transport it to the target picking table 410, or to sort the cargo 600 waiting to be shipped in at each picking table 410 and transport it to the second end of the target shipping transport line 320.

[0063] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the picking area 400 shown in this embodiment includes three picking tables 410, each capable of picking a preset number of goods 600 awaiting dispatch from shelves 110.

[0064] The cargo 600 waiting to be picked up from shelves 110 on both sides of each aisle 500 is transported by a single picking line 310, and finally by a sorting line 330, where each cargo 600 is sorted by the sorting line 330 and transported to its corresponding target picking table 410.

[0065] All goods 600 awaiting warehousing at each picking table 410 are transported by the sorting transport line 330, and each goods 600 awaiting warehousing is sorted by the sorting transport line 330 and transported to the target warehousing transport line 320 corresponding to the target shelf 110.

[0066] By applying this embodiment, the distribution transport line 330 can be used to distribute goods 600 awaiting dispatch and transport them to the corresponding target picking table 410, or to distribute goods 600 awaiting inbound and transport them to the corresponding target inbound transport line 320. This avoids the problem of having too many transport lines in the picking area 400, which would result from all the dispatch transport lines 310 and inbound transport lines 320 being directly connected to the picking table 410. Distributing goods 600 using the distribution transport line 330 improves the efficiency of the warehouse storage system's inbound and outbound operations.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, with reference to Figure 5, Figure 5 is a local configuration perspective view of the sorting and conveying line of the warehouse storage system shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, the sorting and conveying line 330 includes a first sorting and conveying line 331 and a second sorting and conveying line 332 that are installed in parallel and have opposite conveying directions.

[0068] The first sorting and conveying line 331 is connected to the second end of the outbound conveying line 310 and the second end of the inbound conveying line 320 at the bottom of each shelf 110, and the second sorting and conveying line 332 is connected to each picking table 410.

[0069] The transport end of the first distribution transport line 331 is connected to the input end of the second distribution transport line 332 by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A, and the transport end of the second distribution transport line 332 is connected to the input end of the first distribution transport line 331 by the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B.

[0070] When departing, the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A transports the cargo 600 waiting to depart from the first sorting and transport line 331 to the second sorting and transport line 332. When receiving, the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B transports the cargo 600 waiting to be received from the second sorting and transport line 332 to the first sorting and transport line 331.

[0071] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the distribution conveying line 330 shown in this embodiment, the first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 are adjacent to each other in parallel and are installed along a direction perpendicular to the passage 500, with the first distribution conveying line 331 located on the side closer to the stock area 100.

[0072] In other embodiments, the first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 may be non-linear conveying sections, not parallel to each other, not perpendicular to the passage 500, and only the front and rear ends of the first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 should be adjacent to each other in parallel so that the cargo 600 can be conveyed between the first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332.

[0073] The first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 are unidirectional conveying lines. As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the conveying direction of the first distribution conveying line 331 is from right to left, and the conveying direction of the second distribution conveying line 332 is from left to right. That is, the first distribution conveying line 331 has its input end at the right end and its conveying end at the left end, and the second distribution conveying line 332 has its input end at the left end and its conveying end at the right end. The first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 are connected at their left ends by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A and at their right ends by the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B.

[0074] In other embodiments, the first distribution conveying line 331 may be set to convey from left to right, and the second distribution conveying line 332 may be set to convey from right to left; however, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0075] By applying this embodiment, the first sorting and conveying line 331 and the second sorting and conveying line 332 can be installed to receive goods 600 separately in the stock area 100 and the picking area 400, thereby avoiding the goods 600 being stacked on a single conveying line and improving the conveying efficiency of the sorting and conveying line 330. By installing the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A and the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B, the goods 600 can be transported between the first sorting and conveying line 331 and the second sorting and conveying line 332.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, the first distribution conveying line 331 and the second distribution conveying line 332 are roller conveying lines that include a plurality of rollers 334 installed at intervals.

[0077] Both the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A and the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B include multiple sets of transport pulleys 3331 and a lifting mechanism 3332, where each set of transport pulleys 3331 is installed in the slits of rollers corresponding to the first distribution transport line 331 and the second distribution transport line 332, and the lifting mechanism 3332 is installed at the bottom of the multiple sets of transport pulleys 3331 and is driven by the multiple sets of transport pulleys 3331.

[0078] When cargo 600 awaiting dispatch moves to a roller 334 adjacent to a set of transport pulleys 3331 of the first lifting and transferring mechanism 333A in the first distribution and transport line 331, the set of transport pulleys 3331 of the first lifting and transferring mechanism 333A is raised by the lifting mechanism 3332, lifting the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch and transporting it toward the second distribution and transport line 332.

[0079] When cargo 600 awaiting warehousing moves to a roller 334 adjacent to one of the multiple transport pulleys 3331 of the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B in the second distribution and transfer line 332, the multiple transport pulleys 3331 of the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B are raised by the lifting mechanism 3332, lifting the cargo 600 awaiting warehousing and transporting it toward the first distribution and transfer line 331.

[0080] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the conveying pulley 3331 includes a second conveying belt 3331A and at least two conveying wheels 3331B. This embodiment includes three sets of conveying pulleys 3331, each set of conveying pulleys 3331 may be installed in slits of adjacent rollers as shown in Figure 5, or in slits of rollers with a certain interval between them. This increases the lateral size of the lifting and transferring mechanism, making it applicable to larger cargo 600. The specific installation may be determined according to the actual scenario, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0081] Taking the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A as an example, in this embodiment, each set of transport pulleys 3331 includes two transport wheels 3331B, the two transport wheels 3331B are installed in the slits of the rollers of the first distribution transport line 331 and the second distribution transport line 332, respectively, and the second transport belt 3331A is wound around the two transport wheels 3331B. The lifting mechanism 3332 is installed at the bottom of the second transport belt 3331A, and specifically may be located in the space between the first distribution transport line 331 and the second distribution transport line 332, and drives the second transport belt 3331A and the transport wheels 3331B to lift the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch to a height higher than the roller 334 when the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A moves the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch to a position above the first distribution transport line 331. Subsequently, the cargo 600 is transported by the first lifting and transferring mechanism 333A until it is positioned at one end of the second sorting and conveying line 332. The second conveyor belt 3331A and conveyor wheels 3331B are then driven to lower the cargo 600 to a height lower than the rollers 334, thereby placing the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch on the second sorting and conveying line 332, and the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch continues to be transported by the second sorting and conveying line 332.

[0082] The transport pulley 3331 is raised only when cargo 600 awaiting dispatch is transported to the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A, or when cargo 600 awaiting arrival is transported to the second lifting and transfer mechanism 333B, and may remain in the lowered position at all other times.

[0083] In this embodiment, the transport pulley 3331 is installed so as to be able to move up and down in the slits of the rollers corresponding to the first distribution transport line 331 and the second distribution transport line 332. When the transport pulley 3331 is in the lowered position, the cargo 600 can be moved along the original transport direction, and when the transport pulley 3331 is in the raised position, the cargo 600 can be moved perpendicular to the original transport direction and switched to the other transport line. In addition, the transport pulley 3331 is installed in the slits of the rollers, increasing the space utilization rate of the distribution transport line 330.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, each picking table 410 includes a first picking transport line 411, a second picking transport line 412, and a third picking transport line 413.

[0085] The first picking and transport line 411 is connected to the second sorting and transport line 332, and is used to receive cargo 600 awaiting dispatch from the second sorting and transport line 332 and transport it to the second picking and transport line 412.

[0086] The second picking and transport line 412 is for picking the cargo 600 that has been transported from the first picking and transport line 411 and is awaiting dispatch, and for transporting the cargo 600 that is awaiting inbound to the third picking and transport line 413.

[0087] The third picking and transport line 413 is connected to the second sorting and transport line 332, and is used to transport the cargo 600 awaiting warehousing, which has been transported from the second picking and transport line 412, to the second sorting and transport line 332.

[0088] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the first picking conveyor line 411, the second picking conveyor line 412, and the third picking conveyor line 413 are arranged in a U shape. However, the second picking conveyor line 412 is for picking or loading by person or machine.

[0089] By applying the embodiment of the present invention, by installing a first picking transport line 411, a second picking transport line 412, and a third picking transport line 413, the picking table 410 can receive cargo 600 waiting to be shipped out from the second sorting transport line 332 and pick or load it by person or machine, and transport cargo 600 waiting to be received to the second sorting transport line 332.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first scan device 341 is installed at the end of the first distribution transport line 331, and a second scan device 342 is installed at the end of the second distribution transport line 332.

[0091] The first scanning device 341 identifies the barcodes of the cargo 600 waiting to be shipped in the first sorting and transport line 331, so that the second sorting and transport line 332 can receive the cargo 600 waiting to be shipped and then sort the cargo 600 according to the identification result of the first scanning device 341 and transport it to the target picking table 410.

[0092] The second scanning device 342 identifies the barcodes of the goods 600 awaiting warehousing that have been transported from the picking table 410. This allows the first sorting and transporting line 331 to receive the goods 600 awaiting warehousing, and then, according to the identification results of the second scanning device 342, to sort the goods 600 awaiting warehousing and transport them to the second end of the target warehousing transporting line 320.

[0093] A third scanning device 343 is installed on the picking table 410, and the third scanning device 343 is used for picking or loading goods by identifying the barcode of the goods 600 on the picking table 410.

[0094] Specifically, the warehouse storage system further includes control devices that communicate with the shelving robot 200, the cargo transport line 300, and the picking table 410.

[0095] When cargo 600 awaiting dispatch passes the first scan device 341, the control device receives identification information fed back from the first scan device 341 and sends a command to the second sorting and transport line 332, which then sorts the cargo 600 awaiting dispatch and transports it to the target picking table 410.

[0096] When the cargo 600 awaiting warehousing passes the second scan device 342, the control device receives identification information fed back from the second scan device 342 and sends a command to the first sorting and transport line 331, causing the first sorting and transport line 331 to sort the cargo 600 awaiting warehousing and transport it to the second end of the target warehousing transport line 320.

[0097] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the third scan device 343 is installed on the second picking transport line 412, and a display 420 is installed in the area enclosed by the U-shaped picking table 410 and the second sorting transport line 332. When cargo 600 waiting to be shipped out, which has been transported from the first picking transport line 411, or cargo 600 waiting to be shipped in, which has been received from an external source by a person or machine and placed on the second picking transport line 412, passes through the third scan device 343, the control device receives identification information fed back from the third scan device 343, outputs the identification information and the order information of the cargo to the display 420 on the picking table 410, and the employee picks or loads the cargo by referring to the order information on the display 420.

[0098] By applying this embodiment, by installing scanning devices on the first sorting and transport line 331 and the second sorting and transport line 332, the first sorting and transport line 331 and the second sorting and transport line 332 can sort and transport goods 600 waiting to be received or goods 600 waiting to be shipped according to the identification results of the scanning devices, and transport the goods 600 accurately to the target shelf 110 or the target picking table 410. By installing scanning devices on the picking table 410, employees can pick or load goods 600 according to the order information corresponding to the goods 600, thereby improving picking efficiency and the receiving and shipping efficiency of the warehouse storage system.

[0099] Below, using Figure 1 as an example, we will first explain the process of loading and unloading cargo 600 in the quadruple-depth shelves located in the four central rows of the stock area 100.

[0100] When receiving goods, the goods 600 awaiting receipt are transported from the second picking transport line 412 of the picking table 410, via the third picking transport line 413, to the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B of the second sorting transport line 332. There, they are scanned and identified by the second scanning device 342, and then transported by the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B to the first sorting transport line 331. The first sorting transport line 331 sorts the goods 600 awaiting receipt according to the identification result and transports them to the second end of the receiving transport line 320 corresponding to the target storage location 1112. The receiving transport line 320 then transports the goods to the coupling space 112 at the bottom of the shelf 110 where the target storage location 1112 is located, or to the coupling space 112 at the bottom of an adjacent shelf 110, and finally, the shelving robot 200 moves them to the target storage location 1112.

[0101] When an item is to be shipped, the cargo 600 awaiting shipment is retrieved by a shelf-mounted robot 200 in the aisle 500 on the side where the cargo 600 is located, placed on the only shipment transport line 310 adjacent to the aisle 500, transported by the shipment transport line 310 to the first sorting transport line 331, then transported to the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A of the first sorting transport line 331, scanned and identified by the first scanning device 341, and then transported by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A to the second sorting transport line 332. The second sorting transport line 332 sorts the cargo 600 awaiting shipment according to the identification result and transports it to the first picking transport line 411 and the second picking transport line 412 of the target picking table 410, where the cargo is received by a person or machine and shipped out.

[0102] Next, we will describe the process of loading and unloading cargo 600 in the two double-deep shelves located on either side of stock area 100.

[0103] The process for loading and unloading cargo 600 from the double-deep shelf on the left side of stock area 100 is as follows:

[0104] When receiving goods, the goods 600 awaiting receipt are transported from the second picking transport line 412 of the picking table 410, via the third picking transport line 413, to the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B of the second sorting transport line 332. There, they are scanned and identified by the second scanning device 342, and then transported by the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B to the first sorting transport line 331. The first sorting transport line 331 sorts the goods 600 awaiting receipt according to the identification result and transports them to the second end of the receiving transport line 320 at the bottom of the shelf 110. The receiving transport line 320 then transports them to the coupling space 112 at the bottom of the shelf 110, and finally, the shelf-mounted robot 200 in the passage 500 moves them to the target storage location 1112 on the shelf 110.

[0105] When retrieving goods, the goods 600 waiting to be retrieved are picked up by a shelf-mounted robot 200 in the aisle 500 and placed on the retrieval transport line 310 at the bottom of the shelf 110 adjacent to the shelf 110. The retrieval transport line 310 then transports the goods to the first sorting transport line 331, and subsequently to the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A of the first sorting transport line 331. There, the goods are scanned and identified by the first scanning device 341, and then transported by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A to the second sorting transport line 332. The second sorting transport line 332 sorts the goods 600 waiting to be retrieved according to the identification result and transports them to the first picking transport line 411 and the second picking transport line 412 of the target picking table 410, where the goods are received by a person or machine and released.

[0106] The process for loading and unloading cargo 600 from the double-deep shelf on the right side of stock area 100 is as follows:

[0107] When receiving goods, the goods 600 awaiting receipt are transported from the second picking transport line 412 of the picking table 410, via the third picking transport line 413, to the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B of the second sorting transport line 332. There, they are scanned and identified by the second scanning device 342, and then transported by the second lifting and transferring mechanism 333B to the first sorting transport line 331. The first sorting transport line 331 sorts the goods 600 awaiting receipt according to the identification result and transports them to the second end of the receiving transport line 320 at the bottom of the shelf 110 adjacent to the shelf 110. The receiving transport line 320 then transports them to the coupling space 112 at the bottom of the shelf 110 adjacent to the shelf 110, and finally, the shelf-mounted robot 200 in the passage 500 moves them to the target storage location 1112 on the shelf 110.

[0108] When retrieving goods, the goods 600 awaiting retrieval are picked up by a shelf-mounted robot 200 in the aisle 500 and placed on the retrieval transport line 310 at the bottom of the shelf 110. The retrieval transport line 310 then transports the goods to the first sorting transport line 331, followed by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A on the first sorting transport line 331. There, the goods are scanned and identified by the first scanning device 341 and then transported to the second sorting transport line 332 by the first lifting and transfer mechanism 333A. The second sorting transport line 332 sorts the goods 600 awaiting retrieval according to the identification result and transports them to the first picking transport line 411 and the second picking transport line 412 of the target picking table 410, where the goods are received by a person or machine and retrieved.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3, goods 600 of different sizes can be stacked in different storage locations 1112, and the sizes of the goods 600 stored in each storage location 1112 may be the same or different.

[0110] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, multiple cargo items 600 can be stacked in one storage location 1112, thereby increasing the space utilization rate and storage capacity of the shelf 110. However, the cargo items 600 may be the same size but of different types. If the target cargo item 600 awaiting dispatch is in the central area, the shelving robot 200 may temporarily move other cargo items 600 above the target cargo item 600 awaiting dispatch to another storage location 1112, and then return the moved cargo items 600 to their original storage location 1112 after dispatch is complete.

[0111] By applying this embodiment, goods 600 of different sizes can be stacked in different storage locations 1112, increasing the space utilization and storage capacity of the shelves 110 and reducing the cost of the shelves 110.

[0112] Next, we will provide a detailed explanation of the shelf-type robot 200 in the warehouse storage system of this embodiment.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present invention, with reference to Figure 6, Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the shelf-type robot shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 6, the shelf-type robot 200 includes a support stand 210 and a cargo loading / unloading assembly 220.

[0114] The support stand 210 is mounted on the shelf 110 and is movably connected to the side of the shelf 110 along the length of the passage 500.

[0115] The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 is installed on a support stand 210, moves up and down along the support stand 210, and moves horizontally with the shelf 110, thereby enabling loading and unloading of cargo 600 at different locations on the shelf 110 and the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelf 110.

[0116] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the shelving robot 200 can load and unload different cargo 600 in the longitudinal direction of the shelves 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 and cargo 600 in the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110 by horizontally moving the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 on the support stand 210, and can load and unload different cargo 600 in the vertical direction of the shelves 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 by vertically moving the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 along the support stand 210. Furthermore, the shelving robot 200 can organize cargo by loading and unloading cargo 600 between different storage locations 1112 on the shelves 110.

[0117] The support stand 210 may consist of a single pillar or a pillar gantry consisting of two pillars, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0118] In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the support stand 210 is a pillar gantry and includes two opposing pillars 211, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 is installed between the two pillars 211 of the support stand 210 and is slidably connected to the pillars 211 on both sides.

[0119] The specific components of the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 may include forks, clipboards, suction cups, hooks, or lifting plates, and as shown in Figure 6, in a specific embodiment, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 includes a cargo loading platform 221, a hook mechanism 222, and an extendable assembly. The cargo loading platform 221 is slidably connected to two pillars 211 of a support stand 210, and the hook mechanism 222 and the extendable assembly are installed on the cargo loading platform 221. The extendable assembly allows the cargo loading platform 221 and the hook mechanism 222 to protrude horizontally from the support stand 210, and the hook mechanism 222 can grasp cargo 600 and place it on the cargo loading platform 221.

[0120] In this embodiment, the shelf-mounted robot 200 is mounted on the shelves 110 by a support stand 210 and positioned within the aisle, thereby increasing the space utilization rate of the warehouse storage system. The shelf-mounted robot 200 moves along the aisle 500, and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 loads / unloads cargo 600 from different locations on the shelves 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 and on the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110, eliminating the need to transport cargo between the stock area 100 and the picking area 400, thereby increasing the cargo loading / unloading efficiency of the warehouse storage system.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, at least one horizontal rail 120 is installed at intervals along the vertical direction on the side of the shelf 110 closest to the aisle 500. The support stand 210 is movably connected to the horizontal rail 120, so that the support stand 210 and the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 slide horizontally along the horizontal rail 120 to load and unload different cargo 600 in the shelf 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 and in the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelf 110.

[0122] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, at least one set of drive wheels 240 is installed on the support stand 210, and the height of the drive wheel set 240 corresponds to the height of the horizontal rail 120. The support stand 210 can be erected on the shelf 110 by being connected to the horizontal rail 120 by the drive wheel set 240, and the support stand 210 can move horizontally along the horizontal rail 120 by the drive of the drive wheel set 240.

[0123] In this embodiment, the support stand 210 moves the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 horizontally based on the horizontal rail 120, thereby enabling loading and unloading of different cargo 600 along the length of the shelves 110 on both sides of the passage 500 and cargo 600 in the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110.

[0124] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figure 6, the shelf-mounted robot 200 further includes a lifting assembly 230. The lifting assembly 230 is mounted on a support stand 210 and is used to raise and lower a cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 along the support stand 210.

[0125] The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 is attached to the lifting assembly 230 and extends toward the shelves 110 on either side of the aisle 500 or toward the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110 on either side of the aisle 500, for loading and unloading cargo 600.

[0126] As shown in Figure 6, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the support stand 210 is a pillar gantry, and the lifting assembly 230 includes a lifting motor 231 and at least one set of transmission mechanisms 232.

[0127] At least one set of transmission mechanisms 232 is installed on the pillar 211 and fixedly connected to the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220, and a lifting motor 231 is fixedly installed at the top of the pillar gantry and drives at least one set of transmission mechanisms 232 to raise and lower the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 along the support stand 210.

[0128] In a specific embodiment, the lifting assembly 230 includes two sets of transmission mechanisms 232, each installed on two pillars 211 of the pillar gantry.

[0129] Each set of transmission mechanisms 232 includes a conveyor belt 2321 and two transmission wheels 2322, which are installed at the top and bottom of the support stand 210, respectively. A lifting motor 231 is driven to the top transmission wheel 2322, and the conveyor belt 2321 wraps around the bottom and top transmission wheels 2322, with both ends fixedly connected to the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220.

[0130] The lifting motor 231 drives the conveyor belt 2321, the bottom drive wheel 2322, and the top drive wheel 2322, causing the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 to slide vertically along the pillar gantry, thereby loading and unloading cargo 600 at different heights on the shelves 110 on both sides of the passage 500 and cargo 600 on the cargo transport line 300.

[0131] By applying this embodiment, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 is raised and lowered by the lifting assembly 230, causing the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 to slide vertically along the support stand 210, thereby enabling loading and unloading of cargo 600 at different heights on the shelves 110 on both sides of the passage 500 and cargo 600 on the cargo transport line 300.

[0132] In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3, the shelf 110 includes an upper storage space 111 and a bottom connecting space 112.

[0133] The storage space 111 includes multiple storage layers 1111 installed at intervals along the vertical direction and is for storing cargo 600. The connecting space 112 is located below the storage space 111, and the first end of the cargo transport line 300 extends to the connecting space 112.

[0134] The cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 is for loading and unloading cargo 600 between the shelves 110 on both sides of the aisle 500 and the cargo transport line 300 inside the shelves 110.

[0135] Specifically, there is a predetermined height between the lowest storage layer 1111 of the storage space 111 and the floor, forming a connecting space 112 at the bottom of the shelf 110.

[0136] The shelf-mounted robot 200 is used for the following purposes when retrieving goods: the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 moves horizontally and up and down based on the support stand 210 to a location corresponding to the target cargo 600 awaiting retrieval, extends toward the target cargo 600 awaiting retrieval, and retrieves the cargo; and after retrieving the cargo, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 retracts and moves downward to a location corresponding to the cargo transport line 300, extends toward the cargo transport line 300, places the cargo 600 awaiting retrieval on the cargo transport line 300, and transports the cargo 600 awaiting retrieval to the picking area 400 for retrieval.

[0137] The shelf-mounted robot 200 is used for the following purposes when receiving goods: the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 moves horizontally and up and down based on the support stand 210 to a location corresponding to the cargo transport line 300, extends toward the cargo transport line 300 to retrieve the goods; and after retrieving the goods, the cargo loading / unloading assembly 220 retracts, moves upward to a location corresponding to the target storage location 1112, extends toward the target storage location 1112 to place the goods 600 waiting to be stored in the target storage location 1112.

[0138] By applying this embodiment, the shelving robot 200 can complete the loading and unloading of goods 600 by having the goods loading / unloading assembly 220 move between the storage space 111 and the connecting space 112 to load and unload goods. This eliminates the need to transport goods between the stock area 100 and the picking area 400, reducing the range of movement of the shelving robot 200 and improving the efficiency of goods loading and unloading in the warehouse storage system.

[0139] The warehouse storage system of the present embodiment further includes a control device, which is communicated to a shelving robot 200 and a cargo transport line 300, and controls the shelving robot 200 to move cargo 600 in and out between shelves 110 and the cargo transport line 300 inside shelves 110, and controls the cargo transport line 300 to transport cargo 600 between a stock area 100 and a picking area 400.

[0140] The following describes in detail the retrieval method provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0141] The retrieval method provided in the present embodiment is applied to the control device described above. Referring to Figure 7, Figure 7 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the retrieval method provided in the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the flowchart includes the following steps.

[0142] Step S710: A command is sent to the shelving robot to transport the target cargo awaiting retrieval from the shelf to the cargo transport line inside the shelf.

[0143] Step S720: A command is sent to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting dispatch from the stock area to the picking area.

[0144] The retrieval method of this embodiment is applied to the warehouse storage system described above. This retrieval method involves instructing a shelf-type robot to transport the target goods awaiting retrieval from the shelf to a cargo transport line inside the shelf, and instructing the cargo transport line to transport the target goods awaiting retrieval from the stock area to the picking area, thereby achieving the retrieval of goods. Furthermore, the movement of the shelf-type robot to load and unload goods can be performed simultaneously with the transport by the cargo transport line, without interference between them, thereby improving the efficiency of goods loading and unloading and transport in the warehouse storage system.

[0145] In some embodiments of the present invention, a shelf-type robot includes a support stand and a cargo loading / unloading assembly. The shelf includes a storage space, which includes a plurality of storage layers spaced apart vertically, and the storage layers are divided into a plurality of storage locations. The cargo transport line includes an outbound transport line and a sorting transport line. The picking area includes a plurality of picking tables. The second end of the outbound transport line and the second end of the inbound transport line at the bottom of each shelf are both connected to the sorting transport line. The sorting transport line is also connected to each picking table.

[0146] The control device is connected via communication to the outbound transport line, the sorting transport line, and the picking table.

[0147] Referring to Figure 8, Figure 8 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the warehousing method provided in the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the flowchart includes the following steps.

[0148] Step S711, a command is sent to the shelving robot to move horizontally and vertically based on the support stand, move to a location corresponding to the storage area where the target cargo awaiting retrieval is located, extend toward the target cargo awaiting retrieval, and retrieve the cargo.

[0149] In step S712, the cargo loading / unloading assembly of the shelving robot retracts and moves downward to a location corresponding to the outbound conveyor line located on the side of the aisle where the shelving robot is situated, then extends toward the outbound conveyor line and sends a command to the shelving robot to place the target cargo awaiting outbound onto the outbound conveyor line.

[0150] Step S721: A command is sent to the outbound transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting outbound to the sorting transport line.

[0151] Step S722: A command is sent to the sorting and conveying line to transport the target goods awaiting dispatch to the target picking table.

[0152] Specifically, when the first scanning device in the sorting and conveying line is connected to the control device, it identifies the barcode of the target cargo awaiting dispatch, feeds the identification information back to the control device, and the control device determines the target picking table according to the identification information and transmits a command including the location information of the target picking table to the sorting and conveying line.

[0153] The third scanning device on the picking station is connected to a control device, which identifies the barcode of the target item awaiting dispatch. The identification information is then fed back to the control device, which then outputs the identification information and the order information for that item to the display on the picking station. This allows employees to refer to the order information on the display, pick up the item, and dispatch it.

[0154] The storage method provided in the embodiment of this application will be described in detail below.

[0155] The storage method provided in the present embodiment is applied to the control device described above. Referring to Figure 9, Figure 9 is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the storage method provided in the present invention. As shown in Figure 9, the flowchart includes the following steps.

[0156] Step S910: A command is sent to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting warehousing from the picking area to the stock area.

[0157] Step S920: A command is sent to the shelving robot to transport the target goods awaiting warehousing from the cargo transport line inside the shelving unit to the shelf.

[0158] The warehousing method of this embodiment is applied to the above-described warehouse storage system. This method achieves warehousing by directing a cargo transport line to transport target goods awaiting warehousing from the picking area to the stock area, and by directing a shelving robot to transport target goods awaiting warehousing from a cargo transport line inside the shelves to the shelves. Furthermore, the movement of the shelving robot to load and unload goods can be performed simultaneously with the transport by the cargo transport line, without interference between them, thereby improving the efficiency of cargo loading and unloading and transport in the warehouse storage system.

[0159] In some embodiments of the present invention, a shelf-type robot includes a support stand and a cargo loading / unloading assembly. The shelf includes a storage space, which includes a plurality of storage layers spaced apart vertically, and the storage layers are divided into a plurality of storage locations. The cargo transport line includes an inbound transport line and a sorting transport line. The second end of the outbound transport line and the second end of the inbound transport line at the bottom of each shelf are both connected to the sorting transport line. The sorting transport line is also connected to each picking table.

[0160] The control device is connected to the receiving transport line and the sorting transport line via communication.

[0161] Referring to Figure 10, Figure 10 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the receiving method provided in the present application. As shown in Figure 10, the flowchart includes the following steps.

[0162] Step S911: A command is sent to the sorting line to transport the goods awaiting warehousing from the picking area to the receiving line corresponding to the shelf where the target vacant storage location is located.

[0163] Step S912: A command is sent to the receiving conveyor line to transport the target incoming cargo to the bottom of the shelf.

[0164] Step S921, a command is sent to the shelving robot to move horizontally and vertically based on the support stand, to a location corresponding to the target cargo awaiting warehousing on the receiving conveyor line at the bottom of the shelf, and to extend toward the receiving conveyor line to retrieve the cargo.

[0165] Step S922, the cargo loading / unloading assembly of the shelving robot retrieves and retracts the cargo, moves upward to a location corresponding to the target empty storage space, extends toward the target empty storage space, and sends a command to the shelving robot to place the target cargo awaiting warehousing into the target empty storage space.

[0166] Specifically, if an inbound transport line is installed at the bottom of the shelf where the target vacant storage space is located, the cargo awaiting inbound storage can be directly transported to that inbound transport line. If an outbound transport line is installed at the bottom, an inbound transport line is installed at the bottom of the shelf separated from the target shelf by one aisle. The cargo awaiting inbound storage must be transported to that inbound transport line and then transported to the target vacant storage space by a shelf-mounted robot in the aisle.

[0167] In this text, relational terms such as “First” and “Second” are used solely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not require or suggest any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms “includes,” “contains,” or any other variation thereof mean “contains” in a non-exclusive sense. Thus, a flow, method, article, or device containing a set of elements does not include only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly mentioned, or elements specific to such a flow, method, article, or device. Unless otherwise specified, an element limited by the phrase “contains one…” does not preclude the presence of other identical elements in a flow, method, article, or device containing the described element. The foregoing descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any changes, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A warehouse storage system including a stock area (100), a shelving robot (200), a cargo transport line (300), and a picking area (400), The aforementioned stock area (100) includes a plurality of shelves (110) installed at intervals, and between adjacent shelves (110), a passage (500) is formed that extends along the length of the shelf (110). The cargo transport line (300) has a first end that extends into the shelves (110) of the stock area (100) and a second end that extends to the picking area (400), and is for transporting cargo (600) between the stock area (100) and the picking area (400). The shelf-mounted robot (200) is installed on the side of the shelf (110) closest to the passage (500), moves along the passage (500), and is used to move cargo (600) in and out between the shelf (110) and the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelf (110). The shelf (110) includes an upper storage space (111) and a bottom connecting space (112). The connecting space (112) is located below the storage space (111), and the first end of the cargo transport line (300) extends to the connecting space (112). The cargo transport line (300) includes an outbound transport line (310) and an inbound transport line (320), the outbound transport line (310) and the inbound transport line (320) are installed at the bottom of the shelves (110) in the stock area (100), the outbound transport line (310) is installed on one side of each aisle (500) and the inbound transport line (320) is installed on the other side. The outbound transport line (310) and the inbound transport line (320) are unidirectional transport lines, the transport direction of the outbound transport line (310) is from the stock area (100) to the picking area (400), and the transport direction of the inbound transport line (320) is from the picking area (400) to the stock area (100). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

2. A warehouse storage system according to claim 1, The shelf-mounted robot (200) is installed on a shelf (110) on one side of the passage (500), and the shelf-mounted robot (200) is used to load and unload cargo (600) from the shelves (110) on both sides of the passage (500) and cargo (600) from the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelves (110) on both sides. A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

3. A warehouse storage system according to claim 1, The aforementioned shelf-mounted robot (200) includes a support stand (210) and a cargo loading / unloading assembly (220), The support stand (210) is mounted on the shelf (110) and is movably connected to the side of the shelf (110) along the length of the passage (500). The cargo loading / unloading assembly (220) is installed on the support stand (210), moves up and down along the support stand (210), and moves horizontally with the shelf (110) in conjunction with the support stand (210), thereby enabling loading and unloading of cargo (600) at different locations on the shelf (110) and the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelf (110). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

4. A warehouse storage system according to claim 3, The storage space (111) includes a plurality of storage layers (1111) spaced apart along the vertical direction, and is for storing cargo (600). The cargo loading / unloading assembly (220) is for loading and unloading cargo (600) between the shelves (110) on both sides of the passage (500) and the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelves (110). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

5. A warehouse storage system according to claim 1, The outbound transport line (310) and the inbound transport line (320) each have a first end that extends parallel to the bottom of the shelf (110) and a second end that extends to the picking area (400), The outbound transport line (310) transports the cargo (600) that has been taken from the shelves (110) by the shelf-mounting robot (200) and placed on the outbound transport line (310) to the picking area (400), The receiving transport line (320) is for transporting the goods (600) received from the picking area (400) to the bottom of the shelves (110) so that the shelf-mounting robot (200) can move the goods (600) waiting to be received in the receiving transport line (320) to the shelves (110). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

6. A warehouse storage system according to claim 5, The picking area (400) includes a picking table (410), The second end of the outbound transport line (310) and the second end of the inbound transport line (320) are both connected to the picking table (410). The picking table (410) is for picking and shipping cargo (600) that has been transported from the second end of the outbound transport line (310) and for moving cargo (600) that is awaiting to be received to the second end of the inbound transport line (320). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

7. A warehouse storage system according to claim 6, The picking area (400) has multiple picking stations (410), and the multiple picking stations (410) are installed at intervals from each other. The cargo transport line (300) further includes a sorting transport line (330), The second end of the outbound transport line (310) and the second end of the inbound transport line (320) at the bottom of each shelf (110) are both connected to the distribution transport line (330). The aforementioned sorting and transport line (330) is also connected to each picking table (410) and is used to sort cargo (600) waiting to be shipped out at the second end of each out transport line (310) and transport it to the target picking table (410), or to sort cargo (600) waiting to be shipped in at each picking table (410) and transport it to the second end of the target inbound transport line (320). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

8. A warehouse storage system according to claim 7, The aforementioned distribution transport line (330) includes a first distribution transport line (331) and a second distribution transport line (332) which are installed in parallel and have opposite transport directions. The first sorting and conveying line (331) is connected to the second end of the outbound conveying line (310) and the second end of the inbound conveying line (320) at the bottom of each shelf (110), and the second sorting and conveying line (332) is connected to each picking table (410). The transport end of the first distribution transport line (331) is connected to the input end of the second distribution transport line (332) by the first lifting and transfer mechanism (333A), and the transport end of the second distribution transport line (332) is connected to the input end of the first distribution transport line (331) by the second lifting and transfer mechanism (333B). When departing, the first lifting and transfer mechanism (333A) transports the cargo (600) waiting to depart from the first sorting and transport line (331) to the second sorting and transport line (332), and when receiving, the second lifting and transfer mechanism (333B) transports the cargo (600) waiting to receive from the second sorting and transport line (332) to the first sorting and transport line (331). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

9. A warehouse storage system according to claim 8, The first distribution conveying line (331) and the second distribution conveying line (332) are roller conveying lines and include a plurality of rollers (334) installed at intervals. Both the first lifting and transferring mechanism (333A) and the second lifting and transferring mechanism (333B) include a plurality of transport pulleys (3331) and a lifting mechanism (3332), each of which has a plurality of transport pulleys (3331) installed in the slits of corresponding rollers of the first distribution transport line (331) and the second distribution transport line (332), and the lifting mechanism (3332) is installed at the bottom of the plurality of transport pulleys (3331) and is driven by the plurality of transport pulleys (3331). When cargo (600) awaiting dispatch moves to a roller (334) adjacent to a set of transport pulleys (3331) of the first lifting and transferring mechanism (333A) in the first sorting and transport line (331), the set of transport pulleys (3331) of the first lifting and transferring mechanism (333A) is raised by the lifting mechanism (3332), lifting the cargo (600) awaiting dispatch and transporting it toward the second sorting and transport line (332). When cargo (600) awaiting warehousing moves to a roller (334) adjacent to a set of transport pulleys (3331) of the second lifting and transfer mechanism (333B) in the second sorting and transfer line (332), the set of transport pulleys (3331) of the second lifting and transfer mechanism (333B) is raised by the lifting mechanism (3332), lifting the cargo (600) awaiting warehousing and transporting it toward the first sorting and transfer line (331). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

10. A warehouse storage system according to claim 8, Each of the picking tables (410) includes a first picking transport line (411), a second picking transport line (412), and a third picking transport line (413). The first picking transport line (411) is connected to the second sorting transport line (332) and is for receiving cargo (600) awaiting dispatch from the second sorting transport line (332) and transporting it to the second picking transport line (412). The second picking and transport line (412) is for picking cargo (600) that has been transported from the first picking and transport line (411) and is for transporting cargo (600) that is awaiting to be transported to the third picking and transport line (413). The third picking transport line (413) is connected to the second sorting transport line (332) and is for transporting goods (600) awaiting warehousing that have been transported from the second picking transport line (412) to the second sorting transport line (332). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

11. A warehouse storage system according to claim 8, A first scan device (341) is installed at the end of the transport of the first distribution transport line (331), and a second scan device (342) is installed at the end of the transport of the second distribution transport line (332). The first scanning device (341) identifies the barcode of the cargo (600) awaiting dispatch in the first sorting and transport line (331), and after the second sorting and transport line (332) receives the cargo (600) awaiting dispatch, it sorts the cargo (600) awaiting dispatch according to the identification result of the first scanning device (341) and transports it to the target picking table (410). The second scanning device (342) identifies the barcode of the goods (600) awaiting warehousing that have been transported from the picking table (410), and after the first sorting transport line (331) receives the goods (600) awaiting warehousing, it sorts the goods (600) awaiting warehousing according to the identification result of the second scanning device (342) and transports them to the second end of the target warehousing transport line (320). A third scanning device (343) is installed on the picking table (410), and the third scanning device (343) is used for picking or loading goods by identifying the barcode of the goods (600) on the picking table (410). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

12. A warehouse storage system according to claim 3, On the side of the shelf (110) closest to the aisle (500), at least one horizontal rail (120) is installed at intervals along the vertical direction, and the support stand (210) is movably connected to the horizontal rail (120), so that the support stand (210) and the cargo loading / unloading assembly (220) slide horizontally along the horizontal rail (120) to load and unload different cargo (600) from the shelves (110) on both sides of the aisle (500) and from the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelves (110). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

13. A warehouse storage system according to claim 3, The shelf-mounted robot (200) further includes a lifting assembly (230), which is mounted on the support stand (210) and is used to lift the cargo loading assembly (220) along the support stand (210). The cargo loading / unloading assembly (220) is attached to the lifting assembly (230) and protrudes toward the shelves (110) on both sides of the aisle (500) or toward the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelves (110) on both sides of the aisle (500) for loading and unloading cargo (600). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

14. A warehouse storage system according to claim 4, The storage layer (1111) is divided into multiple storage locations (1112), and goods (600) of different sizes can be stacked in different storage locations (1112), and the sizes of the goods (600) stored in each storage location (1112) may be the same or different. A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

15. A warehouse storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, The system further includes a control device, which is communicated to the shelving robot (200) and the cargo transport line (300), and controls the shelving robot (200) to move cargo (600) in and out between the shelves (110) and the cargo transport line (300) inside the shelves (110), and controls the cargo transport line (300) to transport cargo (600) between the stock area (100) and the picking area (400). A warehouse storage system characterized by the following features.

16. A method for retrieving goods that is applied to a control device in a warehouse storage system according to claim 15, To send commands to a shelving robot to transport the target cargo awaiting retrieval from the shelf to the cargo transport line inside the shelf, This includes sending a command to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting dispatch from the stock area to the picking area, A method for retrieving goods, characterized by the following features.

17. The method of retrieving goods according to claim 16, The aforementioned shelf-mounted robot includes a support stand and a cargo loading / unloading assembly, The shelf includes a storage space, the storage space includes a plurality of storage layers installed at intervals along the vertical direction, and the storage layers are divided into a plurality of storage locations. The cargo transport line includes an outbound transport line, and the control device is connected to the outbound transport line via communication. Sending a command to the shelving robot to transport the target cargo awaiting retrieval from the shelf to the cargo transport line inside the shelf means that The cargo loading and unloading assembly of the shelf-mounted robot moves horizontally and up and down on a support stand, moves to a location corresponding to the storage area where the target cargo awaiting retrieval is located, and sends commands to the shelf-mounted robot to extend towards the target cargo awaiting retrieval and retrieve the cargo. This includes sending a command to the shelving robot to retract the cargo loading / unloading assembly of the shelving robot, move downward to a location corresponding to the outbound conveyor line located on the side of the aisle where the shelving robot is situated, extend toward the outbound conveyor line, and place the target cargo awaiting out onto the outbound conveyor line. A method for retrieving goods, characterized by the following features.

18. The method of retrieving goods according to claim 16, The cargo transport line includes an outbound transport line and a sorting transport line, the control device is communicated to the outbound transport line and the sorting transport line, and the picking area includes a plurality of picking tables. Sending a command to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting dispatch from the stock area to the picking area is: Sending a command to the outbound transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting outbound to the sorting transport line, This includes sending a command to the sorting and conveying line to transport the target goods awaiting dispatch to the target picking table, A method for retrieving goods, characterized by the following features.

19. A method for receiving goods that is applied to a control device in a warehouse storage system according to claim 15, Sending instructions to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting warehousing from the picking area to the stock area, This includes sending commands to a shelving robot to transport target incoming cargo from a cargo transport line inside the shelving unit to the shelf, A method of receiving goods into storage, characterized by the following features.

20. A method of receiving goods into storage according to claim 19, The cargo transport line includes a receiving transport line and a sorting transport line, and the control device is connected to the receiving transport line and the sorting transport line via communication. Sending a command to the cargo transport line to transport the target cargo awaiting warehousing from the picking area to the stock area is: The sorting and conveying line is instructed to transport the goods awaiting arrival at the target location from the picking area to the receiving conveying line corresponding to the shelf where the target available storage location is located. This includes sending a command to the receiving line to transport the target incoming goods to the bottom of the shelf, A method of receiving goods into storage, characterized by the following features.

21. A method of receiving goods into storage according to claim 19, The aforementioned shelf-mounted robot includes a support stand and a cargo loading / unloading assembly, The cargo transport line includes a warehousing transport line, and the control device is connected to the warehousing transport line via communication. The shelf includes a storage space, the storage space includes a plurality of storage layers installed at intervals along the vertical direction, and the storage layers are divided into a plurality of storage locations. Sending a command to the shelving robot to transport the target cargo awaiting storage from the cargo transport line inside the shelf to the shelf is: The cargo loading and unloading assembly of the shelf-mounted robot moves horizontally and vertically on a support stand, moves to a location corresponding to the target cargo awaiting loading on the loading conveyor line at the bottom of the shelf, extends toward the loading conveyor line, and receives commands to the shelf-mounted robot to retrieve the cargo. This includes sending a command to the shelving robot to have the cargo loading / unloading assembly of the shelving robot retrieve and retract cargo, move upward to a location corresponding to a target empty storage space, extend toward the target empty storage space, and place the target cargo awaiting warehousing into the target empty storage space. A method of receiving goods into storage, characterized by the following features.

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