Material carton handling robot and warehousing system having same

Abstract

A material carton handling robot and a warehousing system having same. The material carton handling robot comprises a mobile chassis (1), a single upright (2) arranged on the mobile chassis (1), and a fork mechanism (3) slidably arranged on the single upright (2), wherein the single upright (2) comprises an upright body (21) and side recessed cavities (22) formed on left and right sides of the upright body (21); and the fork mechanism (3) comprises fork guide wheel sets (4) matching inner walls of the side recessed cavities (22), the fork guide wheel sets (4) being rollingly arranged on the inner walls of the side recessed cavities (22). The handling robot uses the single upright, so that the overall size of the material carton handling robot can be reduced, thereby enabling the number of racks arranged in the warehousing system to be increased, improving the material carton storage capacity.

Description

A material box handling robot and a storage system having the same

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 5, 2023, with application number 202323308979.2, and invention name “A material box handling robot and a storage system having the same”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a material box handling robot and a warehousing system having the same. Background Art

[0003] With the rapid development of logistics business, the workload of warehousing, handling, sorting, etc. of material boxes in and out of warehouses has increased dramatically, which has given rise to handling robots for automatically handling material boxes. Currently, the handling robots in related technologies can realize functions such as automatic picking up and placing material boxes, and moving material boxes to the target location under software control.

[0004] Related art bin handling robots typically use a dual-post gantry structure as the guide rail for the fork mechanism's lifting and lowering. However, this also requires a large mobile chassis design, which in turn requires sufficient spacing between adjacent shelves in the storage system. This reduces the number of shelves in place and the system's bin storage capacity. Furthermore, the dual-post gantry structure requires numerous components, requiring on-site assembly, which is complex. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art to a certain extent. To this end, the present application provides a material box handling robot and a storage system having the same.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solution: a material box handling robot, which includes a mobile chassis, a single column arranged on the mobile chassis, and a fork mechanism slidably arranged on the single column; the single column includes a column body and side concave cavities formed on the left and right sides of the column body, the fork mechanism includes a fork guide wheel group adapted to the inner wall of the side concave cavity, and the fork guide wheel group is rollingly arranged on the inner wall of the side concave cavity to limit the shaking of the fork mechanism relative to the single column.

[0007] The application of this invention has the following beneficial effects: The dual-column gantry mechanism used in related art is replaced with a single-column one, thereby reducing the overall size of the bin handling robot and increasing the number of shelves and bin storage capacity within the warehousing system. Furthermore, the single-column structure is simpler than the dual-column gantry structure used in related art, significantly reducing costs and facilitating assembly. Furthermore, by designing the single-column structure to form a side recess and providing a fork guide wheel assembly that matches the side recess, the two work together to ensure the stability of the fork mechanism during its upward and downward movement.

[0008] Optionally, the side concave cavity includes a first inner wall facing the forward direction of the mobile chassis and a second inner wall opposite to the first inner wall, and the fork guide wheel group includes a first roller, which is in rolling contact with the first inner wall and the second inner wall to limit the shaking of the fork mechanism relative to the single column in the front-to-back direction.

[0009] Optionally, the side concave cavity also includes a third inner wall located between the first inner wall and the second inner wall and perpendicular to both the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and the fork guide wheel group also includes a second roller in rolling contact with the third inner wall, and the third inner walls on the left and right sides of the side concave cavity cooperate with the second rollers corresponding thereto to limit the shaking of the fork mechanism relative to the single column in the left and right directions.

[0010] Optionally, the fork mechanism includes a base and a fork assembly, the base includes an adapter plate slidably arranged on the single column and a mounting base plate fixedly arranged on the adapter plate, and the fork assembly is arranged on the mounting base plate.

[0011] Optionally, the material box handling robot further includes a driving mechanism for driving the fork mechanism to slide along the single column, and the driving mechanism is arranged on the single column or the mobile chassis.

[0012] Optionally, the driving mechanism includes a driving motor and a transmission assembly, the fork mechanism is installed on the transmission assembly, and the driving motor drives the fork mechanism to slide along the single column through the transmission assembly; the transmission assembly is a belt drive assembly or a chain drive assembly, the driving motor is installed at the top of the single column, and the transmission assembly is arranged on the single column.

[0013] Optionally, the material box handling robot further includes a counterweight mechanism, which is mounted on the transmission assembly and is located at the rear side of the single column relative to the fork mechanism.

[0014] Optionally, the counterweight mechanism includes a connecting plate for installation with the transmission assembly and a counterweight block fixed on the connecting plate.

[0015] Optionally, a back concave cavity is formed on the side of the column body away from the fork mechanism, and the counterweight mechanism also includes a counterweight guide wheel group adapted to the inner wall of the back concave cavity, and the counterweight guide wheel group is arranged on the connecting plate and / or the counterweight block; the counterweight guide wheel group is rollingly arranged on the inner wall of the back concave cavity to limit the shaking of the counterweight mechanism relative to the single column.

[0016] Optionally, the column body is formed with a back recessed cavity on the side away from the fork mechanism, and the column body is also formed with two cable cavities; the two cable cavities are arranged on both sides of the back recessed cavity, and the cable cavity and the back recessed cavity are spaced apart; the back recessed cavity includes a fourth inner wall facing the forward direction of the mobile chassis and a fifth inner wall opposite to the fourth inner wall; the counterweight mechanism also includes a counterweight guide wheel group, and the counterweight guide wheel group includes a third roller and a fourth roller; the third roller is arranged on the connecting plate, and the fourth roller is arranged on the counterweight block; the third roller is located in the back recessed cavity and is in rolling contact with the fourth inner wall and the fifth inner wall; the fourth roller is arranged in the interval between the cable cavity and the back recessed cavity, and the fourth roller is in rolling contact with the side wall of the cable cavity close to the back recessed cavity.

[0017] In addition, the present application further provides a warehousing system comprising a plurality of spaced-apart shelves, the warehousing system further comprising a bin handling robot according to any of the above technical solutions, the bin handling robot being configured to move relative to the shelves and to pick up and place bins relative to the shelves using a fork mechanism. The reasoning process for the beneficial effects of the warehousing system provided in the present application and the bin handling robot described above is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0018] These features and advantages of this application will be disclosed in detail in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. The best embodiments or means of this application will be fully illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but this does not limit the technical solutions of this application. Furthermore, although there may be multiple features, elements, and components in each of the following text and accompanying drawings, different symbols or numbers may be used for convenience, but all represent components with the same or similar structure or function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute improper limitations on the present application.

[0020] FIG1a is a schematic structural diagram of a container handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG1b is a schematic diagram of the lifting of the fork mechanism in the container handling robot shown in FIG1a;

[0022] FIG2a is a schematic diagram of a fixed chassis, a fork mechanism, and a transmission assembly in a container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0023] FIG2b is an enlarged view of the connection between the adapter plate and the transmission belt in FIG2a;

[0024] FIG2c is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the belt transmission connecting plate and the transmission belt in FIG2b;

[0025] FIG3 a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a column body in a container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0026] FIG3 b is a schematic diagram showing the coordination between the column body and the fork guide wheel assembly, and the column body and the counterweight guide wheel assembly in the container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0027] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a base in a fork mechanism of a container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0028] FIG5a is a schematic structural diagram of a fork mechanism in a container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0029] FIG5 b is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the mounting base plate and the base of the fork mechanism in the container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0030] FIG6 a is a schematic diagram of the structure in FIG2 a with a drive motor and a counterweight mechanism added;

[0031] FIG6 b is a schematic diagram of the installation of a drive motor in a container handling robot provided in an embodiment;

[0032] FIG7 a is an enlarged schematic diagram of portion A in FIG6 a ;

[0033] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the counterweight mechanism in Figure 7a;

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a mobile chassis in a material box handling robot provided in an embodiment.

[0035] Among them: 1. Mobile chassis, 100. Chassis body, 10. Drive wheel assembly, 1001. Drive wheel fixing bracket, 1002 Drive wheel, 1003 Mounting shaft, 1004 Spring member, 1005 Spring member guide column, 1006 Drive wheel motor, 11. Travel wheel, 101. Obstacle avoidance navigation sensor, 102. QR code reading sensor, 103. Safety touch edge; 104. Code reading sensor;

[0036] 2. Single column, 20. Fixed base frame, 201. Forward support frame, 202. Back support frame, 203. Left and right support frames, 21. Column body, 211. Connecting frame, 2111. Side wall, 2112. Bottom wall, 2113 Connecting wall, 212. Fixed seat, 22. Side concave cavity, 220. First inner wall, 221. Second inner wall, 222. Third inner wall, 23. Back concave cavity, 230. Fourth inner wall, 231. Fifth inner wall, 232. Sixth inner wall, 24. Cable cavity, 25. Detection sensor;

[0037] 3. Fork mechanism, 30. Base, 300. Adapter plate, 301. Mounting base, 3011. First connecting hole, 3012. Connecting portion, 302. Mounting plate, 31. Fork assembly, 311. Rotating seat, 3111. Support base, 3112. Pickup rotary support, 3113. Second connecting hole, 312. Telescopic plate, 313. Mounting bracket, 3131. Fork assembly, 3132. Pickup telescopic motor, 3133. Pickup rotary motor, 32. Drag chain, 33. High limit trigger sheet metal, 34. Connector;

[0038] 4. Fork guide wheel assembly, 40. First roller, 41. Second roller;

[0039] 5. Drive mechanism, 50. Drive motor, 501. Motor driver, 51. Transmission assembly, 510. Drive belt, 511. Driving pulley, 512. Driven pulley, 513. Coupling, 515. Bearing, 516. Belt drive connecting plate, 517. Rotating shaft, 5161. First fixed plate, 5162. Second fixed plate;

[0040] 6. Counterweight mechanism, 60. Connecting plate, 601. First connecting plate, 602. Second connecting plate, 6021. Connecting through hole, 61. Counterweight block;

[0041] 7. Counterweight guide wheel assembly, 70. Third roller, 71. Fourth roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described in the embodiments are intended to be used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

[0043] References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an example," or "an example" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment itself can be included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0044] 1a to 4, wherein FIG1a is a schematic structural diagram of a bin handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application; FIG1b is a schematic diagram of the rising fork mechanism in a bin handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application; FIG2a is a schematic diagram of the fixed chassis, fork mechanism and transmission assembly in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment; FIG2b is an enlarged view of the connection between the adapter plate and the transmission belt in FIG2a; FIG2c is a schematic diagram of the connection between the belt drive connecting plate and the transmission belt in FIG2b; FIG3a is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the column body in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment; FIG3b is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the column body and the fork guide wheel group, and the column body and the counterweight guide wheel group in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment; and FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the base in the fork mechanism in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a, and 4, the bin handling robot includes a mobile chassis 1, a single column 2 mounted on the mobile chassis 1, and a fork mechanism 3 slidably mounted on the single column 2. The mobile chassis 1 can drive the bin handling robot to move as a whole, and the fork mechanism 3 can slide along the single column 2 to achieve elevation and elevation, thereby reaching the target storage location on the shelf. As shown in Figures 1a, 3a, 3b, and 4, the single column 2 includes a column body 21 and side recesses 22 formed on the left and right sides of the column body 21. The fork mechanism 3 includes a fork guide wheel assembly 4 adapted to the inner wall of the side recess 22. The fork guide wheel assembly 4 is rollably mounted on the inner wall of the side recess 22 to limit the fork mechanism 3 from shaking relative to the single column 2.

[0046] The bin handling robot provided in this application replaces the dual-column gantry mechanism used in related art with a single-column one. This reduces the overall size of the bin handling robot and increases the number of shelves and bin storage capacity within the warehouse system. Furthermore, the single-column structure is simpler than the dual-column gantry structure used in related art, significantly reducing costs and facilitating assembly. Furthermore, the single-column structure is designed to form a side recess 22, and a fork guide wheel assembly 4 is positioned to fit within this side recess 22. These two components work together to ensure smooth fork movement.

[0047] For ease of understanding, as shown in Figure 1a, a three-dimensional coordinate system is established herein, with the height direction of the bin handling robot as the Z-axis, the forward direction of the bin handling robot as the Y-axis, and the left-right direction of the bin handling robot as the X-axis. It should be noted that the height direction is also the direction in which the fork mechanism 3 rises and falls along the monocolumn 2.

[0048] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3a, 3b, and 4, the side concave cavity 22 is specifically designed. The side concave cavity 22 includes a first inner wall 220 facing the forward direction Y of the mobile chassis 1 and a second inner wall 221 opposite the first inner wall 220. The fork guide wheel assembly 4 includes a first roller 40. The first roller 40 is in rolling contact with both the first inner wall 220 and the second inner wall 221 to limit the fork mechanism 3 from shaking relative to the monocolumn 2 in the front-to-back direction. It should be noted that this type of bin handling robot has a forward direction Y during movement. The "front" in the front-to-back direction described in this embodiment refers to the forward direction of the mobile chassis when moving, and the corresponding "rear" refers to the direction opposite to the "front." It is easy to understand that the left and right sides are also the left and right directions X relative to the front-to-back direction.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3a, 3b and 4, the side concave cavity 22 in this embodiment also includes a third inner wall 222 located between the first inner wall 220 and the second inner wall 221 and perpendicular to both the first inner wall 220 and the second inner wall 221. The fork guide wheel assembly 4 also includes a second roller 41 that is in rolling contact with the third inner wall 222. The third inner walls 222 on the left and right sides of the side concave cavities 22 cooperate with the corresponding second rollers 41 to limit the shaking of the fork mechanism 3 relative to the single column 2 along the left and right directions X.

[0050] As such, when the fork mechanism 3 is raised and lowered and slid along the monocolumn 2, the first roller 40 cooperates with the first inner wall 220 and the second inner wall 221 to provide a position limit in the fore-aft direction. Furthermore, the third inner walls 222 of the left and right side recesses 22 cooperate with the corresponding second rollers 41 to provide a position limit in the left-right direction X. Furthermore, because the fork guide wheel assembly 4 in this embodiment utilizes a roller structure to achieve rolling engagement with the inner walls of the side recesses 22, the resistance experienced by the fork mechanism 3 during the raising and lowering process can be reduced.

[0051] The single column in this embodiment adopts a profile structure, which is easy to manufacture and has low cost.

[0052] In addition, as shown in Figures 2a and 6a, Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure in Figure 2a with the addition of a drive motor and a counterweight mechanism. In this embodiment, a high-position limit trigger sheet metal 33 is also installed on the fork mechanism 3. As shown in Figure 6a, a detection sensor 25 for detecting the aforementioned high-position limit trigger sheet metal 33 is provided at the top position of the single column 2. When the fork mechanism 3 rises to a preset height, the high-position limit trigger sheet metal 33 will trigger the detection sensor 25. The detection sensor 25 can send a control signal to the drive mechanism 5 that drives the fork mechanism 3 to move. After receiving the signal, the drive mechanism 5 will control the fork mechanism 3 to stop rising, thereby preventing the fork mechanism 3 from exceeding the rising stroke.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1 a and FIG. 2 a , the single column in this embodiment further includes a fixed base frame 20 , and the column body 21 is fixedly mounted on the fixed base frame 20 . During assembly, the fixed base frame 20 is fixedly mounted on the mobile chassis 1 by bolts.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in FIG2a , the single column 2 further includes a forward support frame 201, two rear support frames 202, and two left and right support frames 203. The forward support frame 201 is provided on one side of the fixed base frame 20 along the forward direction Y, the two rear support frames 202 are provided on the other side of the fixed base frame 20 along the forward direction Y, and the two left and right support frames 203 are provided on both sides of the fixed base frame 20 along the left-right direction X. This arrangement improves the stability of the fixed base frame 20, thereby improving the stability of the bin handling robot.

[0055] In conjunction with Figures 1a, 2a, 5a, and 5b, Figure 5a is a schematic structural diagram of the fork mechanism in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment; Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of the connection between the mounting base plate and the base of the fork mechanism in the bin handling robot provided in an embodiment. The fork mechanism 3 in this embodiment includes a base 30 and a fork assembly 31. The base 30 includes an adapter plate 300 slidably mounted on the single column 2 and a mounting base plate 301 fixedly mounted on the adapter plate 300. The fork assembly 31 and the aforementioned high-position limit trigger sheet metal 33 are mounted on the mounting base plate 301. Specifically, the high-position limit trigger sheet metal 33 is disposed on the top of the mounting base plate 301.

[0056] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 a and FIG. 5 b , the mounting base plate 301 has two connecting portions 3012 , and the mounting base plate 301 is fixedly connected to the adapter plate 300 via the connecting portions 3012 , and the connection method may be welding, threaded connection, riveting, or the like.

[0057] As shown in Figures 2a and 4 , mounting plates 302 are fixedly mounted on the left and right sides of the adapter plate 300. The aforementioned fork guide wheel assembly 4 is mounted on these mounting plates 302. As shown in Figures 5a and 5b , the fork assembly 31 includes a rotating base 311, a mounting bracket 313 rotatably mounted on the rotating base 311, and a telescopic plate 312 mounted on the mounting bracket 313. The fork assembly 31 can adopt a conventional structure in the related art. During assembly, the rotating base 311 is mounted on the mounting base 301. In this way, the mounting bracket 313 in the fork assembly 31 and the telescopic plate 312 mounted on the mounting bracket 313 can both rotate relative to the mounting base 301. The telescopic plate 312 can also telescope relative to the mounting bracket 313.

[0058] When the bin handling robot is in operation, the mobile chassis 1, carrying the fork mechanism 3, moves to the target shelf. The fork mechanism 3 then rises and falls along the single column 2 until it aligns with the target storage location on the shelf. By controlling the rotation of the swivel base 311, the telescopic plate 312 is retracted and extended to align with the target storage location. The telescopic plate 312 is then retracted and extended to allow bins to be retrieved and placed. The structure and operating principle of the fork assembly 31 are conventional and will not be further described here.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5a, a fork assembly 3131 is provided on one side of the mounting frame 313. The fork assembly 3131 is used to shift cargo when picking up or placing cargo. The fork mechanism 3 also includes a pickup telescopic motor 3132 and a pickup rotary motor 3133. The pickup telescopic motor 3132 is located on the side of the mounting frame 313 and is used to drive the telescopic plate 312 to perform telescopic movement. The control rotary seat 311 includes a support base 3111 and a pickup rotary support 3112. The pickup rotary support 3112 is located on the upper portion of the support base 3111 and is connected to the mounting frame 313. The pickup rotary motor 3133 is located on the side of the support base 3111 and is used to drive the support base 3111 to rotate.

[0060] More specifically, as shown in Figures 5a and 5b, the control rotating seat 311 and the mounting base 301 can be connected via a connector 34. The mounting base 301 is provided with a first connecting hole 3011, and the control rotating seat 311 is provided with a second connecting hole 3113. The second connecting hole 3113 extends through the support base 3111 and the pickup rotating support 3112. The connector 34 connects the control rotating seat 311 and the mounting base 301 via the first connecting hole 3011 and the second connecting hole 3113, thereby achieving a detachable connection between the control rotating seat 311 and the mounting base 301. It should be noted that the control rotating seat 311 and the mounting base 301 can also be connected via other means such as snap-fitting or bonding.

[0061] It is easy to understand that in order to drive the fork assembly 31, it is necessary to connect the fork assembly 31 with cables for transmitting control signals and power. As shown in Figure 4, this embodiment also includes a drag chain 32, and a portion of the cables can be placed inside the drag chain 32. In addition, as shown in Figure 3a, the column body 21 in this embodiment also has two cable cavities 24, through which some cables can be routed, thereby making the routing of the container handling robot more regular.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1a and 6a, the bin handling robot provided in this embodiment further includes a drive mechanism 5 for driving the fork mechanism 3 to slide along the single column 2. The drive mechanism 5 is disposed at the top of the single column 2. It will be readily understood that, in alternative embodiments, the drive mechanism 5 may also be disposed lower on the single column 2, or directly on the mobile chassis 1. The arrangement of disposing the drive mechanism 5 at the top of the single column 2 in this embodiment can save space on the mobile chassis 1.

[0063] As shown in Figures 2a, 6a, and 6b, Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the installation of the drive motor in the material box handling robot provided in the embodiment; the drive mechanism 5 includes a drive motor 50, a transmission assembly 51, and a motor driver 501, wherein the transmission assembly 51 can be either a belt drive assembly or a chain drive assembly. In this embodiment, a belt drive assembly is used. It is easy to understand that the belt drive assembly generally includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt tensioned on the aforementioned driving wheel and driven wheel. By driving the driving wheel to rotate through the output end of the drive motor 50, the transmission belt can be driven, thereby driving the components fixed to the transmission belt to move.

[0064] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1a, 2a, 6a, and 6b, in this embodiment, the transmission assembly 51 includes a transmission belt 510, two driving pulleys 511, two driven pulleys 512, a coupling 513, and a rotating shaft 517. The two driving pulleys 511 are arranged in parallel along the left-right direction X. The two driving pulleys 511 are mounted on the rotating shaft 517. The rotating shaft 517 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 50 via the coupling 513. The output shaft of the motor 50 drives the rotating shaft 517 to rotate, thereby rotating the two driving pulleys 511. The two driven pulleys 512 are arranged in parallel along the left-right direction X. A connecting frame 211 is provided on the column body 21. The driving pulleys 511 are mounted on the top of the single column 2 via the connecting frame 211. The connecting frame 211 is provided with a fixing seat 212. The fixing seat 212 has a through hole. The rotating shaft 517 passes through the through hole of the fixing seat 212 and is connected to the output shaft of the motor 50 via the coupling 513.

[0065] More specifically, the connecting frame 211 includes two opposing side walls 2111, a bottom wall 2112, and a connecting wall 2113. The connecting wall 2113 is disposed between the two opposing side walls 2111. The fixing base 212 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall 2112. Opposite mounting holes are respectively provided on the two side walls 2111. The rotating shaft 517 is rotatably connected to the mounting hole on one of the side walls 2111 via a bearing 515. The output shaft of the motor 50 is rotatably connected to the mounting hole on the other side wall 2111 via a bearing 515. The motor driver 501 is disposed on the connecting wall 2113 and is electrically connected to the drive motor. The motor driver 501 is used to control the speed and acceleration of the drive motor 50.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6a, the counterweight mechanism 6 is mounted on the transmission belt 510, and the counterweight mechanism 6 is located on the rear side of the single column 2 relative to the fork mechanism 3. In this way, along the direction of travel of the mobile chassis 1, the fork mechanism 3 is located in front of the single column 2, while the counterweight mechanism 6 is located on the rear side of the single column 2. In other words, the fork mechanism 3 is located in front of the transmission belt 510, and the counterweight mechanism 6 is located on the rear side of the transmission belt 510. When the fork mechanism 3 rises, the counterweight mechanism 6 falls. The counterweight mechanism 6 can offset part of the force of the fork mechanism 3, thereby reducing the output load of the drive motor 50 and reducing the power of the drive motor 50. In addition, the counterweight mechanism 6 can also play a balancing role to a certain extent, so that the overall stability of the material box handling robot is better.

[0067] In this embodiment, the fork mechanism 3 is mounted on a transmission assembly 51, which is disposed on the monocolumn 2. The drive motor 50 drives the fork mechanism 3 to slide along the monocolumn 2 via the transmission assembly 51. Specifically, a belt drive connecting plate 516 is fixed to the drive belt 510, and the belt drive connecting plate 516 is then fixedly mounted to the aforementioned adapter plate 300.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2b and 2c, the belt drive connecting plate 516 includes a first fixing plate 5161 and a second fixing plate 5162. The second fixing plate 5162 has a groove structure. The transmission belt 510 is a synchronous belt. One side of the synchronous belt is smooth and the other side has multiple evenly distributed protrusions. The protrusions of the synchronous belt can closely match the groove structure. One side of the smooth surface of the synchronous belt cooperates with the first fixing plate 5161. The first fixing plate 5161 and the second fixing plate 5162 can be fixedly connected by screws. The clamping force between the first fixing plate 5161 and the second fixing plate 5162 acts on the synchronous belt to fix the synchronous belt to the first fixing plate 5161 and the second fixing plate 5162. The first fixing plate 5161 or the second fixing plate 5162 is fixedly connected to the adapter plate 300 by bonding or threading. This enables the transmission belt 510 to drive the adapter plate 300 to move.

[0069] More specifically, the first fixing plate 5161 and the second fixing plate 5162 may be steel plates.

[0070] It should be noted that, in other optional implementation schemes, a linear drive may be used as a driving mechanism, and the output end of the linear drive may be used to directly drive the fork mechanism 3 to move up and down.

[0071] As shown in Figures 6a and 7a , the bin-handling robot also includes a counterweight mechanism 6, which is mounted on the transmission assembly 51 and located behind the monocolumn 2 relative to the fork mechanism 3. Thus, along the travel direction of the mobile chassis 1, the fork mechanism 3 is located in front of the monocolumn 2, while the counterweight mechanism 6 is located behind the monocolumn 2. The counterweight mechanism 6 partially offsets the force of the fork mechanism 3, thereby reducing the output load and power of the drive motor 50. Furthermore, the counterweight mechanism 6 provides a certain degree of balancing, ensuring that the overall stability of the bin-handling robot is improved.

[0072] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7a, Figure 7a is an enlarged schematic diagram of part A in Figure 6a; the counterweight mechanism 6 includes a connecting plate 60 for installation with the transmission assembly 51 and a counterweight block 61 fixed on the connecting plate 60. The number of counterweight blocks 61 (that is, the overall weight) can be set as needed.

[0073] Similar to the above, in order to ensure that the counterweight mechanism 6 maintains good stability during the lifting and lowering process following the transmission belt, this embodiment also provides a guide and limiting structure between the column body 21 and the counterweight mechanism 6. Specifically, as shown in Figures 3a, 3b, and 7a, the column body 21 forms a back recessed cavity 23 on the side facing away from the fork mechanism 3. The counterweight mechanism 6 also includes a counterweight guide wheel assembly 7 that is adapted to the inner wall of the back recessed cavity 23. The counterweight guide wheel assembly 7 is rolled on the inner wall of the back recessed cavity 23 to limit the counterweight mechanism 6 from shaking relative to the single column 2.

[0074] As shown in Figures 3a and 3b, two cable cavities 24 are arranged on both sides of the back recessed cavity 23, and the cable cavities 24 are spaced apart from the back recessed cavity 23; the back recessed cavity 23 includes a fourth inner wall 230 facing the forward direction Y of the mobile chassis 1 and a fifth inner wall 231 opposite to the fourth inner wall 230, and the counterweight guide wheel group 7 includes a third roller 70, which is located in the back recessed cavity 23. The third roller 70 is in rolling contact with the fourth inner wall 230 and the fifth inner wall 231 to limit the shaking of the counterweight mechanism 6 relative to the single column 2 in the front and rear directions. Furthermore, the back recessed cavity 23 in this embodiment further includes a sixth inner wall 232 located between the fourth inner wall 230 and the fifth inner wall 231 and perpendicular to both the fourth inner wall 230 and the fifth inner wall 231. The counterweight guide wheel assembly 7 further includes a fourth roller 71 that rolls in contact with the outer sidewall of the cable cavity 24. The fourth roller 71 is disposed in the gap between the cable cavity 24 and the back recessed cavity 23 and rolls in contact with the sidewall of the cable cavity 24 adjacent to the back recessed cavity 23. The outer sidewall of the cable cavity 24 cooperates with the fourth roller 71 to restrict the counterweight mechanism 6 from shaking relative to the single column 2 in the left-right direction X.

[0075] In this embodiment, the third roller 70 of the counterweight guide wheel assembly 7 is disposed on the connecting plate 60, and the fourth roller 71 is disposed on the counterweight 61. It is easy to understand that in alternative embodiments, both the third roller 70 and the fourth roller 71 may be disposed on the connecting plate 60, or both the third roller 70 and the fourth roller 71 may be disposed on the counterweight 61.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in FIG7 a and FIG7 b , the connecting plate 60 includes a first connecting plate 601 and a second connecting plate 602 ;

[0077] The first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602 are fixedly connected by screws, and a connecting through hole 6021 is formed between the first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602. The transmission belt 510 passes through the connecting through hole 6021. The clamping force exerted by the screws on the first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602 causes the transmission belt 510 to be clamped between the first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the transmission belt 510 and the first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602. Specifically, the inner sidewall of the first connecting plate 601 or the second connecting plate 602 can be provided with a groove structure, and the groove structure cooperates with the protrusion structure of the transmission belt 510 to improve the stability of the connection between the transmission belt 510 and the first connecting plate 601 and the second connecting plate 602. The second connecting plate 602 can be fixedly connected to the counterweight block 61 by bonding, clamping or screw connection, thereby achieving a fixed connection between the transmission belt 510 and the counterweight mechanism 6. The third roller 70 can be fixedly connected to the first connecting plate 601 via a mounting seat.

[0078] As shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of the fork assembly in the fork mechanism of the material box handling robot provided in the embodiment; the mobile chassis 1 in the material box handling robot provided in this embodiment includes a chassis body 100 and a driving wheel assembly 10 and a walking wheel 11 arranged on the chassis body 100. The driving wheel assembly 10 is driven to rotate by the motor, and a friction force is generated between the driving wheel assembly 10 and the ground to push the mobile chassis 1 forward, and the stability of the mobile chassis 1 during movement is ensured by the walking wheels 11 arranged at the four corners.

[0079] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the driving wheel assembly 10 includes a driving wheel fixing bracket 1001, a driving wheel 1002, a mounting shaft 1003, a spring member 1004, a spring member guide column 1005, and a driving wheel motor 1006. The mounting shaft 1003 is rotatably connected to the chassis body 100, and the driving wheel 1002 is connected to the output shaft of the driving wheel motor 1006 so that the driving wheel motor 1006 can drive the driving wheel 1002 to rotate. The driving wheel 1002 is provided on the driving wheel fixing bracket 1001, and one end of the driving wheel fixing bracket 1001 is fixedly connected to the mounting shaft 1003, and the other end of the driving wheel fixing bracket 1001 is connected to the upper end of the spring member 1004. The elastic force of the spring member 1004 can increase the friction between the driving wheel 1002 and the ground.

[0080] As shown in FIG8 , the mobile chassis 1 further includes a QR code reading sensor 102 , and the QR code reading sensor 102 is disposed on the bottom surface of the chassis body 100 and can identify the QR code on the bottom surface so that the material box handling robot can dock at a preset position more accurately.

[0081] Specifically, as shown in FIG8 , the chassis body includes a safety touch edge 103 . The safety touch edge 103 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. When the mobile chassis 1 collides with other devices, the safety touch edge 103 can protect the mobile chassis 1 from damage.

[0082] As shown in Figure 1a, the mobile chassis 1 is also equipped with an obstacle avoidance navigation sensor 101 and a code reading sensor 104. The obstacle avoidance navigation sensor 101 can automatically identify obstacles and navigate according to the preset route of the container handling robot. The code reading sensor 104 is located at the top of the mobile chassis 1 and can recognize the identification code of the cargo on the fork mechanism 3.

[0083] As shown in FIG1a , the layout position of the fork mechanism 3 is also designed in this embodiment. Along the forward direction Y of the mobile chassis 1, the single column 2 is arranged at a rear position on the mobile chassis 1, and the fork mechanism 3 is located in front of the single column 2. After the arrangement, the front end of the projection of the fork mechanism 3 on the mobile chassis 1 in the vertical direction can exceed the center line of the mobile chassis 1. Since the single column 2 structure is adopted in this application, the single column 2 has the advantages of simple structure and smaller overall size compared to the double column gantry structure in the related art, but it will also make the overall stability of the material box handling robot worse. Therefore, in this embodiment, the layout position of the single column 2 on the mobile chassis 1 and the position of the fork mechanism 3 relative to the mobile chassis 1 are designed as above. Such a design can make the single column 2 and the fork mechanism 3 better maintain stability in the front and rear directions on the mobile chassis 1, significantly reducing the probability of the material box handling robot overturning.

[0084] The material box handling robot provided in this embodiment can be applied to a warehousing system. For example, the warehousing system includes a plurality of shelves arranged at intervals and the material box handling robot provided in this embodiment. Aisles are formed between adjacent shelves, and the material box handling robot can move between the above-mentioned aisles through the mobile chassis 1. When the material box handling robot moves to the target shelf, it can also control the fork mechanism 3 to rise and fall to the target storage position on the target shelf, and perform the material box picking and placing action through the shelf mechanism. The material box handling robot can not only transport the material box from outside the warehousing system to the warehousing system and store it in the target storage position of the target shelf, but also remove the material box from the target storage position and transport it to another target storage position or to the outside of the warehousing system. Since the warehousing system adopts the material box handling robot provided in this embodiment, the warehousing system can arrange more shelves under the condition of a certain overall space, increase the number of storage positions, and enhance the material box storage capacity of the warehousing system.

[0085] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present application includes but is not limited to the contents described in the drawings and the above specific embodiments. Any modifications that do not deviate from the functional and structural principles of the present application are included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A box handling robot, characterized in that: The material box handling robot comprises a mobile chassis (1), a single column (2) arranged on the mobile chassis (1), and a fork mechanism (3) slidably arranged on the single column (2); The single column (2) comprises a column body (21) and side concave cavities (22) formed on the left and right sides of the column body (21); the fork mechanism (3) comprises a fork guide wheel group (4) adapted to the inner wall of the side concave cavity (22); the fork guide wheel group (4) is rollingly arranged on the inner wall of the side concave cavity (22) to limit the fork mechanism (3) from shaking relative to the single column (2).

2. The container handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side concave cavity (22) comprises a first inner wall (220) facing the forward direction of the mobile chassis (1) and a second inner wall (221) opposite to the first inner wall (220); the fork guide wheel group (4) comprises a first roller (40); the first roller (40) is in rolling contact with both the first inner wall (220) and the second inner wall (221) to limit the shaking of the fork mechanism (3) relative to the single column (2) in the front-rear direction.

3. The container handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The side concave cavity (22) further includes a third inner wall (222) located between the first inner wall (220) and the second inner wall (221) and perpendicular to both the first inner wall (220) and the second inner wall (221); the fork guide wheel assembly (4) further includes a second roller (41) in rolling contact with the third inner wall (222); the third inner walls (222) on the left and right sides of the side concave cavity (22) and the second rollers (41) corresponding thereto cooperate to limit the fork mechanism (3) from shaking relative to the single column (2) in the left and right directions.

4. The container handling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The fork mechanism (3) comprises a base (30) and a fork assembly (31); the base (30) comprises an adapter plate (300) slidably arranged on the single column (2) and a mounting base plate (301) fixedly arranged on the adapter plate (300); and the fork assembly (31) is arranged on the mounting base plate (301).

5. The container handling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The material box handling robot further comprises a driving mechanism (5) for driving the fork mechanism (3) to slide along the single column (2); the driving mechanism (5) is arranged on the single column (2) or the mobile chassis (1).

6. The container handling robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving mechanism (5) comprises a driving motor (50) and a transmission assembly (51), the fork mechanism (3) is mounted on the transmission assembly (51), and the driving motor (50) drives the fork mechanism (3) to slide along the single column (2) through the transmission assembly (51); The transmission assembly (51) is a belt transmission assembly or a chain transmission assembly, the drive motor (50) is installed on the top end of the single column (2), and the transmission assembly (51) is arranged on the single column (2).

7. The container handling robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The material box handling robot further comprises a counterweight mechanism (6), wherein the counterweight mechanism (6) is mounted on the transmission assembly (51), and the counterweight mechanism (6) is located at the rear side of the single column (2) relative to the fork mechanism (3).

8. The container handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The counterweight mechanism (6) comprises a connecting plate (60) for being mounted with the transmission assembly (51) and a counterweight block (61) fixed on the connecting plate (60).

9. The container handling robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The column body (21) is formed with a back concave cavity (23) on a side away from the fork mechanism (3); the counterweight mechanism (6) further comprises a counterweight guide wheel group (7) adapted to the inner wall of the back concave cavity (23); the counterweight guide wheel group (7) is arranged on the connecting plate (60) and / or the counterweight block (61); The counterweight guide wheel set (7) is rollingly arranged on the inner wall of the back recessed cavity (23) to limit the shaking of the counterweight mechanism (6) relative to the single column (2).

10. The container handling robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The column body (21) is formed with a back recessed cavity (23) on a side away from the fork mechanism (3), and the column body (21) is also formed with two cable cavities (24); the two cable cavities (24) are arranged on both sides of the back recessed cavity (23), and the cable cavities (24) are arranged at intervals from the back recessed cavity (23); the back recessed cavity (23) comprises a fourth inner wall (230) facing the forward direction (Y) of the mobile chassis (1) and a fifth inner wall (231) opposite to the fourth inner wall (230); The counterweight mechanism (6) further comprises a counterweight guide wheel set (7), wherein the counterweight guide wheel set (7) comprises a third roller (70) and a fourth roller (71); The third roller (70) is arranged on the connecting plate (60), and the fourth roller (71) is arranged on the counterweight block (61); The third roller (70) is located in the back concave cavity (23) and is in rolling contact with the fourth inner wall (230) and the fifth inner wall (231); The fourth roller (71) is disposed in the gap between the cable cavity (24) and the back recessed cavity (23), and the fourth roller (71) is in rolling contact with a side wall of the cable cavity (24) close to the back recessed cavity (23).

11. A storage system, comprising a plurality of shelves arranged at intervals, characterized in that: The warehousing system further comprises a container handling robot as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the container handling robot is configured to be able to move relative to the shelf and to be able to pick up and place containers relative to the shelf by means of a fork mechanism (3).

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