Fork assembly, transfer robot, and transfer method

Abstract

A warehousing system and a transfer robot, relating to the technical field of warehousing. The warehousing system comprises a mobile transfer robot; the transfer robot comprises a fork assembly (1), a chassis (2), an upright column (3), a support frame (4), and a lifting / lowering mechanism (5), wherein the chassis (2) is movably arranged, and the upright column (3) extends in the vertical direction and has one end fixed to the chassis (2). The fork assembly (1) is used for lifting and transferring a target material case; in a state where the support frame (4) is connected to the upright column (3), the lifting / lowering mechanism (5) can drive the support frame (4) to move relative to the upright column (3) in the vertical direction; the support frame (4) is detachably connected to the upright column (3), the fork assembly (1) is detachably connected to the support frame (4), and an assembly error between the support frame (4) and the upright column (3) can be corrected by means of such detachable connection configuration, such that the vertical alignment of components of the fork assembly (1) relative to the upright column (3) is maintained, and a cumulative error generated by respectively assembling the components of the fork assembly (1) to the upright column (3) is reduced, thereby improving the assembly consistency of a transfer mechanism, reducing the risk of misalignment of retrieval / placement of a target material case, and improving the accuracy of a transfer robot retrieving / placing goods.

Description

Fork assembly, handling robot and handling method

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the following Chinese patent applications: Chinese patent application No. 202410163145.7 filed on February 4, 2024, Chinese patent application No. 202410169199.4 filed on February 4, 2024, Chinese patent application No. 202410169202.2 filed on February 4, 2024, Chinese patent application No. 202410792995.3 filed on June 18, 2024, and Chinese patent application No. 202410789476.1 filed on June 18, 2024. The entire contents of the above-mentioned Chinese patent applications are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of warehousing technology, and more specifically, relates to a fork assembly, a handling robot, and a handling method. Background Art

[0004] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, automation technology, and information technology, the intelligence level of terminal logistics is also constantly improving. Intelligent logistics terminals are the development trend of terminal logistics. Handling robots are one of the main equipment that can realize intelligent logistics terminals and perform automated handling operations. Handling robots can reduce human heavy physical labor and improve the efficiency of handling operations. However, the handling robots in the related art have the following defects: (1) The layout of the parts of the handling robots is complicated, which makes it inconvenient to assemble the handling robots, and the operating efficiency of the handling robots needs to be improved; (2) The assembly error of the handling robots is large, and they are prone to deviation during the process of picking up and placing goods, which affects the accuracy of the handling robots in picking up and placing goods; (3) The operation of the handling robots in the positioning process is complicated, and the positioning efficiency is poor, which in turn affects the efficiency of handling goods; (4) The handling robots temporarily store goods through the storage mechanism to reduce the frequency of the handling robots frequently picking up and placing goods, but during the movement of the handling robots (such as turning and / or going up and down slopes), the material boxes in the storage space are prone to overturning, affecting the stability of the handling robots in handling goods; (5) The handling robots in the related art lift and place goods through the telescopic arm mechanism, and have high operating efficiency, but the telescopic arm mechanism tends to be designed in a small size, which makes the carrying capacity of the telescopic arm mechanism poor, the weight of the goods lifted at one time is limited, and the telescopic arm mechanism is easily deformed under a large load moment, which affects the accuracy of the handling robots in picking up and placing goods. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a fork assembly, a handling robot, and a handling method to solve at least one of the aforementioned problems.

[0006] In one aspect, a fork assembly is provided for use with a transport robot, the fork assembly comprising:

[0007] A storage chamber is provided inside the storage chamber, and at least one end of the storage chamber is open;

[0008] a first transport mechanism disposed in the storage chamber, the first transport mechanism being retractable in a horizontal direction to transport a material box group above a target material box, the material box group including at least one material box;

[0009] The second transport mechanism is disposed in the storage cavity and is located below the first transport mechanism. The second transport mechanism can be extended and retracted in a horizontal direction to carry the target material box to the storage cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism is movable in a vertical direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fork assembly further comprises:

[0012] The lifting mechanism is used to drive the second transport mechanism to move in the vertical direction relative to the first transport mechanism, and the vertical stroke length of the second transport mechanism is greater than the nesting height between adjacent material boxes.

[0013] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism includes:

[0014] Slide rails are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the warehouse body in a target direction, the target direction is in the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the extension and retraction direction of the second transport mechanism; the slide rails extend in the vertical direction, and the second transport mechanism is movably connected to the slide rails;

[0015] a first driving member, configured to drive the second transport mechanism to move in a vertical direction relative to the slide rail;

[0016] Wherein, the length of the slide rail is greater than the nesting height between adjacent material boxes.

[0017] In some embodiments, the area between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism can accommodate one or more containers.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fork assembly includes a vertical plate, and at least one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism includes two telescopic arm mechanisms arranged in pairs, the two telescopic arm mechanisms being arranged at opposite ends of the vertical plate, and the telescopic arm mechanisms including:

[0019] a side plate, adapted to be mounted in the fork assembly;

[0020] a telescopic assembly, which is telescopic relative to the side plate in a second direction for lifting the target material box, wherein the second direction is the horizontal direction; and

[0021] a guide assembly, at least for supporting the telescopic assembly, the guide assembly comprising a plurality of first rollers and a plurality of second rollers spaced apart along the second direction, each of the first rollers and each of the second rollers being mounted on at least one of the telescopic assembly and the side plate and in rolling contact with the other of the telescopic assembly and the side plate;

[0022] Wherein, as the telescopic assembly moves, each of the first rollers rotates with a first direction as a rotation center, and each of the second rollers rotates with a third direction as a rotation center, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;

[0023] The vertical plate and the side plate enclose the storage cavity for storing the target material box.

[0024] In some embodiments, the side panel is slidably connected to the telescopic assembly through a first slide rail, the first slide rail is provided with the first roller at both opposite ends in the third direction, and the second roller is located at at least one end of the first slide rail in the third direction; wherein, the telescopic assembly is rotatably connected to the first roller and the second roller through the first slide rail.

[0025] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly slides back and forth between the first end and the second end of the first slide rail, wherein the first end and the second end are mounted on the side panel; and among each first roller and each second roller, at least the center distance between two adjacent first rollers located at the second end is greater than the center distance between two adjacent first rollers located at the first end.

[0026] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly includes at least a first telescopic arm and a second telescopic arm, the first telescopic arm is slidably connected to the side panel via the first slide rail, and is telescopic in the second direction relative to the side panel, the first roller and the second roller are installed between the first telescopic arm and the side panel; the second telescopic arm is slidably connected to the first telescopic arm, and is telescopic in the second direction relative to the first telescopic arm; wherein, the second telescopic arm is connected to a grabbing mechanism for grabbing the target material box.

[0027] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further comprises a plurality of third rollers and a plurality of fourth rollers spaced apart along the second direction, each of the third rollers and each of the fourth rollers being mounted on at least one of the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm and in rolling contact with the other of the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm;

[0028] Wherein, as the second telescopic arm is extended and retracted, the third roller rotates with the first direction as the rotation center, and the fourth roller rotates with the third direction as the rotation center.

[0029] In some embodiments, the first roller and the second roller are mounted on the side panel and are rotatably connected to the first telescopic arm;

[0030] And / or, the third roller and the fourth roller are installed on the second telescopic arm and are rotatably connected to the first telescopic arm.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first telescopic arm is slidably connected to the side panel through a second slide rail, the second slide rail is provided with the third roller at both opposite ends in the third direction, and the fourth roller is located at at least one end of the second slide rail in the third direction; wherein, the second telescopic arm is rotatably connected to the third roller and the fourth roller through the second slide rail.

[0032] In some embodiments, the structural parameter of the first roller is greater than the structural parameter of the second roller, and / or the structural parameter of the first roller is greater than the structural parameter of the third roller, wherein the structural parameter is at least one of the volume of the same material and the stiffness of different materials.

[0033] In another aspect, a handling robot is provided, comprising:

[0034] a chassis, movably arranged;

[0035] A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis;

[0036] Any of the fork assemblies mentioned above is movably arranged with the column in the vertical direction.

[0037] In some embodiments, the fork assembly is disposed on one side of the column, and the column and the chassis together form a cache location for storing the target material box on the other side.

[0038] In some embodiments, the handling robot further comprises:

[0039] Support frame;

[0040] A rotary power device is connected to the support frame and the fork assembly, and the rotary power device is used to drive the fork assembly to rotate in a vertical direction relative to the support frame.

[0041] In some embodiments, the top and one side of the fork assembly are provided with openings; the support frame is connected to the end wall of the fork assembly in the vertical direction through the rotary power device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the support frame comprises:

[0043] a first support member rotatably connected to the fork assembly via the rotary power device;

[0044] The second support member is vertically arranged relative to the first support member, and the second support member is movably connected to the column in a vertical direction.

[0045] In another aspect, a handling robot is provided, comprising:

[0046] a chassis, movably arranged;

[0047] A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis;

[0048] A support frame is detachably connected to the column, and when the support frame is connected to the column, the support frame can move in a vertical direction relative to the column;

[0049] a fork assembly detachably connected to the support frame, the fork assembly being used to lift a target material box, the target material box including at least one material box;

[0050] The first lifting mechanism is used to drive the support frame to move relative to the column.

[0051] In some embodiments, the support frame comprises:

[0052] a first support member rotatably connected to the fork assembly via a rotary power device, with an axis of rotation along a vertical direction and passing through the center of the fork assembly;

[0053] A second support member is arranged perpendicularly relative to the first support member, the second support member and the column are limited in at least a first direction and a second direction, and the second support member can move in a vertical direction relative to the column, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0054] In some embodiments, the maximum radius of the fork assembly is smaller than the minimum distance from the center of the fork assembly to the second support member.

[0055] In some embodiments, the second support member comprises:

[0056] A fixing portion, wherein a partially open limiting cavity is formed in the fixing portion, and the column portion is disposed in the limiting cavity;

[0057] The movable part is movably connected to the fixed part, and the movable part abuts between the column and the fixed part.

[0058] In some embodiments, the handling robot further comprises:

[0059] an image acquisition device fixed to the fork assembly, for acquiring an image of a target box to be transported by the fork assembly, the image including a QR code on the target box and / or an outline of the target box;

[0060] A controller is used to adjust the position of the fork assembly relative to the target material box according to the QR code on the target material box and / or the outline of the target material box.

[0061] In another aspect, a method for transporting stored goods is provided, the method comprising:

[0062] In response to a transport instruction for a target container, determining position information of the target container indicated by the transport instruction; the target container is one or more of a plurality of vertically stacked containers;

[0063] Based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box, a coordinate system relationship with the target material box is established; wherein the coordinate system relationship includes a first offset, a second offset, a third offset and a first deflection angle;

[0064] driving a chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset, and driving a fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to the second offset and to rotate according to the first deflection angle;

[0065] A fork assembly in the transport robot is driven to transport the target box according to the third offset.

[0066] In some embodiments, the step of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset includes:

[0067] determining an expected path of the chassis according to the first offset;

[0068] The chassis is driven to move along the expected path, and when the chassis moves, the movement of the chassis is adjusted in real time according to the actual path of the chassis and the expected path.

[0069] In some embodiments, after the steps of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset, driving the fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to the second offset and to rotate according to the first deflection angle, and before the step of driving the fork assembly of the transport robot to transport the target container according to the third offset, the method further includes:

[0070] Reconstructing the coordinate system relationship with the corresponding material box based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box;

[0071] Determine whether the reconstructed coordinate system relationship meets the set accuracy requirements;

[0072] If the reconstructed coordinate system relationship does not meet the set accuracy requirement, the transport robot is driven to move again according to the reconstructed coordinate system relationship.

[0073] In some embodiments, the step of establishing a coordinate system relationship with the target container based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target container includes:

[0074] Constructing a coordinate system relationship with the target material box based on the QR code on the outer surface of the target material box;

[0075] and / or,

[0076] A coordinate system relationship with the target material box is established based on a box body contour of an outer surface of the target material box.

[0077] In some embodiments, the transport method further comprises:

[0078] Determining whether the nesting of the target box group is safe based on the image of the target box group;

[0079] If the nesting of the material box group where the target material box is located is unsafe, manual processing is requested and the transport robot is controlled to perform other tasks.

[0080] In some embodiments, the step of determining whether the nesting of the bin group in which the target bin is located is safe based on the image of the bin group in which the target bin is located comprises:

[0081] Determining whether the nesting of the material box group is safe based on the QR codes on the outer surfaces of all material boxes in the material box group;

[0082] and / or,

[0083] Whether the nesting of the material box group is safe is determined based on the box body contours of the outer surfaces of all the material boxes in the material box group.

[0084] In another aspect, a transport system is provided, including a first transport robot, wherein the first transport robot includes:

[0085] a chassis movably disposed, the chassis being adapted to move according to a first offset;

[0086] A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis;

[0087] a support frame detachably connected to the column, the support frame being adapted to move relative to the column according to a second offset;

[0088] a fork assembly, the fork assembly being configured to lift the target container according to the third offset, the fork assembly being further configured to rotate relative to the support frame according to the first deflection angle;

[0089] The lifting mechanism is used to drive the support frame to move relative to the column.

[0090] In some embodiments, the transport system further comprises:

[0091] The second transport robot is used to transport the target material box on the first transport robot out of the warehouse.

[0092] In another aspect, a material box storage mechanism is provided, comprising:

[0093] A storage rack having a storage space for accommodating a material box and a transport opening for at least the material box to enter the storage space;

[0094] A limiting member, used for abutting against the stacking box to limit the storage position of the stacking box;

[0095] A driving assembly is connected to the storage rack and to the limiting member. The driving assembly is at least used to drive the limiting member to separate from the stacking box to release the limitation of the stacking box by the limiting member.

[0096] In some embodiments, the limiting member is movably arranged in the storage space and connected to the top of the storage rack, and the limiting member has a limiting state and a retracted state; wherein, in the limiting state, the limiting member automatically descends and covers the corresponding stacking box; in the retracted state, the driving assembly drives the limiting member to rise and separate from the stacking box.

[0097] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes:

[0098] a driving member, mounted on the storage rack;

[0099] a roller connected to the driving member;

[0100] a traction member wound on the roller; one end of the traction member in the extension direction is connected to the roller, and the other end is connected to the limiting member;

[0101] Wherein, when the limiting member descends, the limiting member drives the roller to unwind through the traction member, thereby driving the driving member to rotate.

[0102] In some embodiments, the storage rack includes a first column group and a second column group that are spaced apart and extend in a vertical direction, the first column group includes two first columns that are opposite and spaced apart, the second column group includes two second columns that are opposite and spaced apart, and the storage space is formed between the two first columns and the two second columns; wherein the transport port is formed between the two second columns.

[0103] In some embodiments, the material box storage mechanism also includes a guide member having one end connected to the limit member, and the other end of the guide member is slidably connected to the third column of the storage rack, and the third column is arranged adjacent to the first column and / or the second column.

[0104] In some embodiments, the guide members are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the limit member, and the two guide members are respectively slidably connected to the two opposite third columns. The two opposite and spaced third columns are set as a third column group, and the third column group is located between the first column group and the second column group.

[0105] In some embodiments, the guide member comprises:

[0106] A connecting plate connected to the limiting member;

[0107] a first roller, rollingly connected to the first side surface of the third column;

[0108] a second roller, rollingly connected to the second side surface of the third column;

[0109] a third roller, rollingly connected to the third side surface of the third column;

[0110] The first roller, the second roller and the third roller are all installed on the connecting plate, the cross-section of the third column in the vertical length direction is rectangular, the first side surface is the side facing the conveying port, and the second side surface and the third side surface are two sides connected to the first side surface.

[0111] In some embodiments, the limiting member includes:

[0112] A top plate, configured to abut against the top surface of the stacking box;

[0113] Side panels are provided at least on opposite sides of the top panel and facing the transport port; the side panels extend in a direction in which the top panel descends;

[0114] Wherein, the traction member is connected to the top plate and / or the side plate.

[0115] In another aspect, a transport robot is provided, comprising the aforementioned material box storage mechanism, the transport robot further comprising:

[0116] A mobile chassis having a stacking area for placing material boxes, the material box storage mechanism is located in the stacking area, and the storage rack is at least partially fixed to the mobile chassis;

[0117] a lifting assembly, at least partially disposed on the storage rack;

[0118] a fork assembly connected to the lifting assembly, wherein the lifting assembly is used to drive the fork assembly to move in a vertical direction relative to the storage rack;

[0119] The stacking area is located on one side of the lifting assembly, and the fork assembly is located on the other side of the lifting assembly and is used to lift the material box through the transport port to the stacking area for stacking.

[0120] In some embodiments, the mobile chassis is provided with a positioning structure located in the stacking area and used to define the position of the stacking box, and at least one of the positioning structures is opposite to the transport port and abuts against a side of the stacking box away from the fork assembly.

[0121] The embodiment of the present application provides a fork assembly and a transport robot, wherein the transport robot includes a fork assembly, the fork assembly includes a warehouse body, a first transport mechanism and a second transport mechanism, a storage cavity is provided inside the warehouse body, and at least one end of the storage cavity is open so that a target material box can enter the storage cavity. The first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism are both arranged in the storage cavity, and both the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction. The first transport mechanism can lift the material box group above the target material box to limit the degree of freedom of the material box group. The second transport mechanism is located below the first transport mechanism, and the second transport mechanism can lift the target material box. The target material box can move relative to the material box group as the second transport mechanism moves in the horizontal direction. The second transport mechanism transports the target material box from the opening to the storage cavity to realize the transport of the target material box. The first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism can both lift multiple material boxes at a time, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the transport robot. The first and second transport mechanisms are integrated into the fork assembly. While meeting the transport requirements of the limited bin group and the target bin, assembling the fork assembly with the transport robot simultaneously achieves a modular connection between the two transport mechanisms and the transport robot. This enables modular assembly of the first and second transport mechanisms, reduces the difficulty of arranging components when the two transport mechanisms are separately assembled on the transport robot, and facilitates modular arrangement of components on the transport robot. The fork assembly can both meet the transport requirements of stacked bins and achieve modular connection between the two transport mechanisms, improving the transport efficiency of the transport robot with a simple structure.

[0122] Embodiments of the present application provide a warehousing system and a handling robot. The warehousing system includes a movable handling robot comprising a fork assembly, a chassis, a column, a support frame, and a first lifting mechanism. The chassis is movably arranged, and the column extends vertically with one end fixed to the chassis. Thus, the chassis can drive the column to move horizontally. The fork assembly is used to lift a target material box. The fork assembly is equipped with one or more handling mechanisms capable of lifting the material box, and the target material box includes at least one material box. The support frame is detachably connected to the column, and the fork assembly is detachably connected to the support frame, that is, the fork assembly is connected to the column via the support frame. By simply detachably correcting the assembly error between the support frame and the column, the assembly error of each component of the fork assembly relative to the column can be corrected, thereby maintaining the vertical reference of each component of the fork assembly. This simplifies the operation of separately correcting the one or more handling mechanisms of the fork assembly with the column, reduces the cumulative error caused by the separate assembly of the one or more handling mechanisms with the column, and improves the assembly consistency of the one or more handling mechanisms. When the support frame is connected to the column, the first lifting mechanism drives the support frame to move vertically relative to the column, causing the fork assembly to rise or fall relative to the column to the height of the target bin. The one or more handling mechanisms in the fork assembly maintain a high degree of assembly consistency. Even if the first lifting mechanism drives the fork assembly to any height within the column height range, each handling mechanism maintains a high vertical reference, allowing the fork assembly to accurately lift the target bin, reducing the risk of misalignment when picking up and placing the target bin and improving the accuracy of the handling robot when picking up and placing goods.

[0123] The present invention provides a method and system for transporting stored goods, the method comprising: responding to a transport instruction of a target bin, determining position information of the target bin indicated by the transport instruction, establishing a coordinate system relationship with the target bin based on a positioning representation of the outer surface of the target bin, driving a chassis of a transport robot to move according to a first offset, driving a fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to a second offset and rotate according to a first deflection angle, and driving the fork assembly in the transport robot to transport the target bin according to a third offset. The present invention separates the secondary fine positioning of the transport robot and the target bin into the movement of the chassis of the transport robot, the movement and rotation of the fork assembly, and the telescopic movement of the fork assembly itself. Compared with concentrating the control of the secondary positioning on the adjustment of the entire transport robot, the embodiment of the present invention is conducive to reducing the time required for the transport robot to complete all positioning adjustments, improving the efficiency of the secondary positioning of the transport robot and the target bin, and adjusting the positioning layout of the entire transport robot to the positioning of the fork assembly and the target bin, thereby improving the accuracy of the positioning of the target bin and reducing the difficulty of positioning.

[0124] An embodiment of the present application provides a telescopic arm mechanism, a fork assembly, and a transport robot. The telescopic arm mechanism includes a side plate, a telescopic assembly, and a guide assembly. The side plate is used to be installed in the fork assembly of the transport robot. The telescopic assembly is telescopic relative to the side plate in a first direction and is used to carry a target material box. The guide assembly is at least used to support the telescopic assembly. The guide assembly includes a plurality of first rollers and a plurality of second rollers spaced apart along a first direction. Each first roller and each second roller is installed on at least one of the telescopic assembly and the side plate, and is in rolling contact with the other of the telescopic assembly and the side plate, that is, the movement of the telescopic assembly can drive each first roller and each second roller to roll. As the telescopic assembly moves, each first roller rotates with the second direction as the rotation center, and each second roller rotates with the third direction as the rotation center. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction. With this arrangement, the first roller and the second roller support the telescopic assembly at multiple positions along the first direction to generate a longer support force arm, and the rotation centers of the first roller and the second roller are in different directions, so that they can resist the load-bearing torque of the telescopic assembly with a larger support torque in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity and structural stability of the telescopic assembly, extending the service life of the telescopic arm mechanism, and improving the accuracy of the telescopic assembly in picking up and placing the target material box.

[0125] An embodiment of the present application provides a material box storage mechanism and a handling robot. The material box storage mechanism includes a storage rack, a limiting member, and a drive assembly. The storage rack has a storage space for accommodating material boxes and at least a handling port for the material boxes to enter the storage space. The material boxes are stacked in the storage space to form stacking material boxes. The limiting member is used to abut against the stacking material boxes to limit the storage position of the stacking material boxes. The drive assembly is connected to the storage rack and to the limiting member. The drive assembly is at least used to drive the limiting member to separate from the stacking material box to release the limitation of the stacking material box by the limiting member. With this arrangement, when the handling robot feeds the material box stack into the storage space, the drive assembly drives the limiting member to separate from the stacking material box, which does not affect the stacking action of the handling robot in the storage space. During the movement of the handling robot, the limiting member abuts against the stacking material box to limit the freedom of movement of the stacking material box, reduce the possibility of the stacking material box tipping over, and improve the handling stability of the handling robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0126] FIG1 is a perspective view of a storage system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0127] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of a transport robot in an embodiment of the present application in a cargo transporting state.

[0128] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the transport robot in an embodiment of the present application transporting goods in a first embodiment.

[0129] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the transport robot in an embodiment of the present application transporting goods in a second embodiment.

[0130] FIG4 is a perspective view of the transport robot in an embodiment of the present application.

[0131] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of the first lifting mechanism in an embodiment of the present application.

[0132] FIG6 is an assembled top view of the support frame in an embodiment of the present application.

[0133] FIG6A is a top view of the assembly of the support frame in an embodiment of the present application.

[0134] FIG7 is an exploded perspective view of FIG6 .

[0135] FIG7A is an exploded schematic diagram of the bin body and the support frame in an embodiment of the present application.

[0136] FIG8 is a perspective view of the fork assembly in an embodiment of the present application.

[0137] FIG9 is a partial schematic diagram of FIG8 .

[0138] FIG10 is a flowchart of the steps of the method for transporting stored goods according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0139] FIG11 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the transport robot provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0140] FIG12 is a perspective schematic diagram of a fork assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0141] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of two telescopic arm mechanisms provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0142] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the first roller and the second roller provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0143] FIG15 is a perspective schematic diagram of the telescopic assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0144] FIG16 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second telescopic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0145] FIG17 is a perspective schematic diagram of the first telescopic arm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0146] FIG18 is a top view of a portion of the telescopic arm mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0147] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the fork assembly and the rotating mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0148] Figure 20 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the transport robot provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0149] Figure 21 is a structural schematic diagram of the material box storage mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a retracted state.

[0150] Figure 22 is a structural schematic diagram of the material box storage mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a limited state.

[0151] Figure 23 is a structural schematic diagram of the material box storage mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application, omitting the storage rack.

[0152] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the guide member and the third column provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0153] FIG25 is an exploded schematic diagram of the fork assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0154] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0155] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, unless they are inconsistent. For example, different embodiments and technical solutions may be formed by combining different specific technical features. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in this application will not be described separately.

[0156] In the following description, the terms "first, second, etc." are used solely to distinguish different objects and do not imply any similarities or connections between the objects. It should be understood that the directions "above," "below," "outside," and "inside" refer to directions during normal use. The directions "left" and "right" refer to the left-right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left-right directions during normal use.

[0157] It should be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising that element. "A plurality" means greater than or equal to two.

[0158] It should be noted that the stored goods in the embodiments of the present application can be stored in boxes. For simplicity, boxes are used to represent the goods. Boxes are not limited to parameters such as shape and size. All the boxes stored in the warehouse can be one or more standard parts. Of course, in other embodiments, the stored goods can also be directly represented by the goods themselves or in other forms without being stored in boxes. Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the storage system in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, multiple boxes are stacked in the vertical direction to form a row of boxes, and multiple rows of boxes can also be stored in the warehouse. The stacking of multiple boxes described in the embodiment of the present application means that the stacking of adjacent boxes in each stack does not need to be supported by shelves, and the surfaces of adjacent boxes in the same row of boxes in the vertical direction at least partially contact each other. It can be understood that the floor of the warehouse is generally horizontal, that is, the extension direction of each row of boxes is perpendicular to the ground. Of course, the floor of the warehouse may have uneven areas, that is, the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal, so the corresponding vertical direction is not required to be absolutely vertical. The existence of errors in the levelness of the ground and the processing errors of the boxes is allowed.

[0159] The embodiments of the present application provide a fork assembly, a material box storage mechanism, a telescopic arm mechanism, a handling robot, a storage system, a method for handling stored goods, and a handling system. The detailed structure and principle of each of the above topics will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example.

[0160] Referring to the warehousing system shown in FIG1 , the warehousing system in the embodiment of the present application includes a handling robot capable of picking up and placing boxes between the warehouse and the storage workstation, and transporting boxes between the warehouse and the storage workstation. The operator sends an outbound instruction to the handling robot, which controls the handling robot to carry the boxes to be shipped from a designated location in the warehouse to the storage workstation. The operator sends an inbound instruction to the handling robot, which controls the handling robot to carry the boxes to be shipped from the designated location in the storage workstation to the warehouse. For simplicity, the boxes to be shipped and the boxes to be shipped that are grasped by the handling robot are collectively referred to as target boxes.

[0161] The handling robot includes a fork assembly 1, a chassis 2, a column 3, a support frame 4 and a lifting mechanism 5. The fork assembly 1 is used to lift the target material box, and one or more movable handling mechanisms are provided in the fork assembly 1 to achieve the lifting of the target material box. It should be noted that the target material box can be one material box or multiple material boxes. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the handling robot in an embodiment of the present application lifting the target material box (cargo) in a first embodiment, and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the handling robot in an embodiment of the present application lifting the target material box (cargo) in a second embodiment. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 2, the handling robot is in the process of grabbing one target material box (a1) at a time; in the schematic diagram shown in Figure 3, the handling robot is in the process of grabbing multiple target material boxes (a1, a2, a3...an) at a time. This application does not limit the number of target material boxes that the fork assembly 1 can lift, as long as the fork assembly 1 can achieve the lifting of the target material box.

[0162] FIG4 is a perspective view of a handling robot according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG4 , a column 3 extends vertically and is connected at one end to a chassis 2. A fork assembly 1 is connected to the column 3 via a support frame 4. The chassis 2 is movable, driving the fork assembly 1 horizontally to move the fork assembly 1 to a position near a target bin or near the location where the target bin is to be stored. The term "chassis 2 is movable" means that the chassis 2 can move relative to the ground or other surface. In some embodiments, the chassis 2 is provided with rollers 21 on a side near the ground. The rollers 21 can be driven to drive the chassis 2 horizontally, thereby enabling the handling robot to move the target bin horizontally. In response to a storage or removal command for a target bin, the rollers 21 of the chassis 2 can be driven to move, causing the handling robot to move to a position near the target bin or near the location where the target bin is to be stored, based on the position information in the command.

[0163] It should be noted that the aforementioned "horizontal direction" includes the front-back direction where the first direction is located and the left-right direction where the second direction is located. The horizontal direction is the extension direction of the plane where the first direction and the second direction are located. That is to say, the handling robot in the embodiment of the present application can move in various horizontal directions of front, back, left and right. It should be noted that the aforementioned "front, back, left and right" represent the directions in the paper shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, wherein the direction where the first direction is located is the direction in which the roller 21 moves forward and backward in a straight line in an actual application scenario. The direction in which the column 3 extends represents the direction of the maximum dimension of the column 3. In the embodiment of the present application, the direction of the maximum dimension of the column 3 represents the height direction of the column 3. That is to say, under normal working conditions, the height direction of the column 3 is in the vertical direction, and the vertical surface of the column 3 has the maximum outline dimension of the column 3. It can be understood that under normal working conditions, the ground or other surface on which the chassis 2 moves is a horizontal plane, and the surface perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the column 3 is a vertical plane. However, this does not mean that both the horizontal plane and the vertical plane need to be absolutely horizontal and vertical. The horizontal plane allows for the existence of uneven errors in the ground and the existence of ground slopes, and the vertical plane allows for the existence of processing errors between the chassis 2 and the column 3. As long as they are roughly horizontal and vertical under normal working conditions, it will be fine.

[0164] The fork assembly 1 is connected to the column 3 via the support frame 4. By calibrating the various surfaces of the support frame 4 according to the horizontal and height references of the column 3, the height references of the assembled fork assembly 1 and the column 3 can be aligned. It should be noted that the aforementioned "reference alignment" means that the vertical surface of the fork assembly 1 and the vertical surface of the column 3 are roughly flush within the range of the finishing error. Compared with the implementation method in which one or more transport mechanisms are respectively arranged on the vertical surface of the column 3, the embodiment of the present application realizes the assembly of the fork assembly 1 and the column 3 by connecting the support frame 4 and the column 3. It is only necessary to calibrate the assembly error between the support frame 4 and the column 3 to calibrate the assembly error of each component in the fork assembly 1 relative to the column 3, which simplifies the operation process of calibrating the column 3 separately by one or more transport mechanisms, reduces the cumulative error caused by the assembly of one or more transport mechanisms with the column 3 separately, and improves the assembly consistency of one or more transport mechanisms.

[0165] When the support frame 4 is connected to the column 3, the lifting mechanism 5 can drive the support frame 4 to move in the vertical direction relative to the column 3, that is, the lifting mechanism 5 can drive the support frame 4 to rise and fall relative to the column 3 to achieve the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1. In order to distinguish it from other lifting mechanisms, this article sometimes refers to the lifting mechanism that drives the support frame 4 to rise and fall relative to the column 3 as the first lifting mechanism. The vertical movement range of the fork assembly 1 is related to the height of the column 3. The support frame 4 can drive the fork assembly 1 to move to any position within the height range of the column 3. Therefore, it can be understood that the height of the column 3 is much greater than the height of the support frame 4. The large height of the column 3 makes it easy for machining errors to occur in the vertical direction, which is not conducive to the machining of the column 3. In the embodiment of the present application, the support frame 4 is detachably connected to the column 3, and the fork assembly 1 is detachably connected to the support frame 4. When there is a small processing error in the vertical surface of the column 3, it is only necessary to detachably adjust the assembly gap between the support frame 4 and the column 3 to compensate for the small processing error in the vertical surface of the column 3; when there is a large processing error in the vertical surface of the column 3, there is no need to rework the column 3 for a second time. It is only necessary to disassemble and adjust the flatness of each surface in the support frame 4 or the verticality between adjacent surfaces to compensate for the large processing error in the vertical surface of the column 3, thereby reducing the processing difficulty of the column 3.

[0166] After the transport robot drives rollers 21 to a position near the target bin or the location where the target bin is to be stored, it activates the first lifting mechanism 5, causing the fork assembly 1 to rise or fall as a whole to the height of the level corresponding to the target bin. One or more transport mechanisms maintain a high degree of assembly consistency. Even if the first lifting mechanism 5 causes the fork assembly 1 to change its relative position with the column 3, each transport mechanism maintains a high vertical reference, facilitating the fork assembly 1's precise lifting of the target bin. This improves the transport robot's accuracy in picking up and placing the target bin, facilitating accurate placement of the target bin.

[0167] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific structure of the first lifting mechanism 5. For example, the first lifting mechanism 5 can adopt a synchronous wheel and synchronous belt, a gear rack and roller thick steel rope, etc. to achieve the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1. Regardless of the structure of the first lifting mechanism 5, as long as the first lifting mechanism 5 can achieve the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1, it can be used. Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the first lifting mechanism 5 in the embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 5, the first lifting mechanism 5 uses a first motor 51 to drive the first driving gear 52 to rotate. The first driving gear 52 meshes with the first driven gear 53 and rotates synchronously. The first driven gear 53 is coaxially connected to the first driving synchronous wheel 54. The first synchronous belt 56 is sleeved on the first driving synchronous wheel 54 and the first driven synchronous wheel 55. As the first driven gear 53 rotates, the first driving synchronous wheel 54 and the first driven synchronous wheel 55 rotate synchronously. Referring to Figure 4, the fork assembly 1 is connected to the first synchronous belt 56, so that it can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction with the rotation of the first motor 51.

[0168] In summary, embodiments of the present application provide a warehousing system and a handling robot. The warehousing system includes a movable handling robot comprising a fork assembly 1, a chassis 2, a column 3, a support frame 4, and a first lifting mechanism 5. The chassis 2 is movably arranged, and the column 3 extends vertically with one end fixed to the chassis 2. The chassis 2 drives the column 3 in horizontal motion. The fork assembly 1 is used to lift target bins, which may include at least one bin. The fork assembly 1 includes one or more handling mechanisms capable of lifting the bins. The support frame 4 is detachably connected to the column 3, and the fork assembly 1 is detachably connected to the support frame 4, i.e., the fork assembly 1 is connected to the column 3 via the support frame 4. The assembly errors of various components of the fork assembly 1 relative to the column 3 can be corrected by simply detachably correcting the assembly errors between the support frame 4 and the column 3. This simplifies the process of separately correcting the one or more handling mechanisms in the fork assembly 1 relative to the column 3, reduces the cumulative errors caused by the separate assembly of one or more handling mechanisms with the column 3, and improves the assembly consistency of the one or more handling mechanisms. When support frame 4 is connected to column 3, first lifting mechanism 5 drives support frame 4 to move vertically relative to column 3, causing fork assembly 1 to rise or fall relative to the column to the height of the target bin level. The one or more handling mechanisms in fork assembly 1 maintain a high degree of assembly consistency. After fork assembly 1 moves to any height within the height range of column 3, each handling mechanism maintains a high vertical reference, reducing the risk of misalignment when picking up and placing the target bin and improving the handling robot's accuracy in picking and placing goods.

[0169] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 6 and 7 , the handling robot further includes a rotary power unit 6 , which connects the support frame 4 and the fork assembly 1 and is configured to drive the fork assembly 1 to rotate vertically relative to the support frame 4 , thereby causing the first handling mechanism 12 and the second handling mechanism 13 to rotate a predetermined angle in the θ direction. The support frame 4 includes a first support member 41 and a second support member 42 . The first support member 41 is rotatably connected to the fork assembly 1 via the rotary power unit 5 . Specifically, the first support member 41 is disposed horizontally at the outer end of the fork assembly 1 ; the second support member 42 is disposed perpendicularly relative to the first support member 41 . Therefore, the support frame 4 is generally L-shaped. Of course, the support frame 4 can also be configured in other shapes, such as a regular U-shape. However, the L-shape of the support frame 4 increases the open area of ​​the side of the support frame 4 near the fork assembly 1 , facilitating the movement of the fork assembly 1 into the support frame 4 .

[0170] The second support member 42 is movably connected to the column 3 in the vertical direction. That is, the second support member 42 connects the column 3 and the first synchronous belt 56. The first synchronous belt 56 drives the second support member 42 to move in the vertical direction relative to the column 3. The column 3 can serve as a vertical guide for the second support member 42 to facilitate stable sliding of the second support member 42 in the vertical direction. Referring to Figure 4, the second support member 42 and the column 3 are limited in at least the first and second directions. As mentioned above, the horizontal direction includes the first and second directions, so the vertical direction is perpendicular to the first and second directions. In other words, the second support member 42 is connected to the column 3 in the horizontal direction and is movably connected in the vertical direction. During the lifting and lowering process of the fork assembly 1 relative to the column 3, the fork assembly 1 maintains a stable connection with the column 3 in the horizontal direction.

[0171] It should be noted that the first direction is the N1 direction shown in Figure 3 , where the direction indicated by the arrow N1 is the positive direction of the first direction, also represented by the front in the diagram; the direction away from the arrow N1 is the negative direction of the first direction, also represented by the rear in the diagram; the first direction includes the direction indicated by the arrow N1 and the direction away from the arrow N1. The second direction is the N2 direction shown in Figure 3 , where the direction indicated by the arrow N2 is the positive direction of the second direction, also represented by the right in the diagram; the direction away from the arrow N2 is the negative direction of the second direction, also represented by the left in the diagram; the second direction includes the direction indicated by the arrow N2 and the direction away from the arrow N2. It will be understood that the horizontal direction mentioned above includes the N1 direction and the N2 direction.

[0172] FIG6 is a top view of the assembly of the support frame 4 in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG7 is a perspective exploded view of FIG6 . Referring to FIG6 and FIG7 , the first support member 41 is rotatably connected to the fork assembly 1 via a rotary power device 6. It should be noted that the vertical direction is in the N3 direction shown in FIG7 , wherein the direction indicated by the arrow N3 is the positive vertical direction, also referred to as the upward direction in the schematic diagram; the direction away from the arrow N3 is the negative vertical direction, also referred to as the downward direction in the schematic diagram; and the vertical direction includes the direction indicated by the arrow N3 and the direction away from the arrow N3. The rotary power device 6 drives the fork assembly 1 to rotate about the vertical direction relative to the support frame 4, thereby causing one or more transport mechanisms in the fork assembly 1 (such as the first transport mechanism 12 and / or the second transport mechanism 13 described later) to rotate a certain angle in the θ direction. 7 and 8 , the θ direction is the direction in which the fork assembly 1 rotates horizontally around N3 in the schematic diagram, the dotted line x1 represents the position of the fork assembly 1 before rotation, and the dotted line x2 represents the position of the fork assembly 1 after rotation of the angle θ. The rotary power device 6 can achieve angular adjustment of the fork assembly 1 in the θ direction.

[0173] 1 to 8 , after the transport robot moves to a position close to the target bin or is positioned near the location where the target bin is to be stored, the first lifting mechanism 5 drives the fork assembly 1 to rise or fall to the floor height where the target bin is located. The transport robot drives the fork assembly 1 to rotate horizontally by an angle θ through the rotary power device 6, so that the fork assembly 1 is aligned according to the location information of the target bin or the location information of the target bin to be stored. After the first transport mechanism 12 and / or the second transport mechanism 13 grabs the target bin, the fork assembly 1 rotates 90 degrees to the left so that the target bin is accurately placed in the cache position 22 ( FIG. 4 ), which can improve the accuracy of the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 in taking and placing the bin. It can be understood that alignment means aligning the position, that is, one or more transport mechanisms in the fork assembly 1 are aligned with the position of the corresponding bin. The alignment standard can be that the transport mechanism can accurately grab and move the corresponding bin. During the alignment process, deviations in various directions are adjusted separately by various mechanisms and devices. Specifically, position deviations in the first direction (front and back) are adjusted by rollers 21, position deviations in the second direction (left and right) are adjusted by the length of one or more transport mechanisms, position deviations in the vertical direction (up and down) are adjusted by first lifting mechanism 5, and angular deviations in the θ direction are adjusted by rotary power unit 6. Deviation adjustments in each direction are independently controlled and performed simultaneously, reducing the alignment time of the target bin, reducing the difficulty of differential speed control of rollers 21 during the alignment process, and improving the transport efficiency of the target bin.

[0174] Referring to Figures 7 and 7A , in some embodiments of the present application, the rotary power device 6 includes a second motor 61, a second driving gear 62, and a second fixed gear 63. The second motor 61 is fixedly mounted on the fork assembly 1 and coaxially connected to the second driving gear 62, thereby driving the second driving gear 62 to rotate. The rotation axis of the second driving gear 62 is fixed relative to the fork assembly 1. The second driving gear 62 meshes with the second fixed gear 63, which is fixedly connected to the support frame 4 and rotationally connected to the fork assembly 1. More specifically, in some embodiments, the upper end surface of the second fixed gear 63 is rotationally connected to the fork assembly 1, while the lower end surface is fixedly connected to the support frame 4. Rotation of the second motor 61 drives the second driving gear 62 to rotate. Because the second driving gear 62 meshes with the second fixed gear 63, the rotation axis of the second driving gear 62 is fixed relative to the fork assembly 1, while the second fixed gear 63 is fixed and does not rotate. Therefore, the second driving gear 62 moves along the circumference of the second fixed gear 63, thereby driving the fork assembly 1 to rotate. Of course, the rotary power device 6 may also adopt a rotation method other than gear meshing, such as a sprocket transmission method, that is, a chain or rack transmission method is adopted between the two gears. The rotary power device 6 can be set at the upper end of the fork assembly 1, or at the lower end or side of the fork assembly 1. The present application does not limit the specific structure and specific setting position of the rotary power device 6, as long as the rotary power device can realize the angle adjustment of the fork assembly 1 in the θ direction.

[0175] Referring to Figures 7 and 7A, the rotation axis of the first support member 41 extends vertically and passes through the center of the fork assembly 1. It should be noted that the center of the fork assembly 1 refers to the geometric midpoint of the vertical end face of the fork assembly 1, as indicated by o1 in Figure 7. The rotation center of the first support member 41 refers to the geometric midpoint of the vertical end face of the first support member 41, as indicated by o2 in Figure 7. o2 is also the rotation center of the second driven gear 63. Referring to Figure 7, a rotation axis z extending vertically from o2 is defined, passing through the geometric midpoint o1 of the fork assembly 1. The module formed by assembling the fork assembly 1 and the support frame 4 is defined as a rotating fork. The rotation center of the first support member 41 is aligned with the center of the fork assembly 1, ensuring that the rotating fork maintains a stable center of gravity during rotation. This reduces the risk of interference between the boundary contour of the fork assembly 1 and the second support member 42, improves the rotational stability of the fork assembly 1, and thereby enhances the handling stability of the target bin.

[0176] In some embodiments, referring to FIG6 , the maximum radius r1 of the fork assembly 1 is less than the minimum distance r2 between the center o1 of the fork assembly 1 and the second support member 42. That is, during adjustment of the angle of the fork assembly 1, the boundary contour of the fork assembly 1 does not interfere with the boundary contour of the second support member 42. The rotary power device 6 can drive the fork assembly 1 to rotate at any angle within a 360° range, thereby improving the compatibility of the fork assembly 1 with respect to angle adjustment. In some embodiments, r2 - r1 ≤ 50 mm. That is, the minimum distance between the boundary contour of the fork assembly 1 and the boundary contour of the second support member 42 is less than or equal to 50 mm. This reduces the risk of the fork assembly 1's rotating force arm being too far from the second support member 42 due to the torque, thereby reducing the risk of the rotating fork's rotation center and center of gravity deviating significantly from each other, resulting in tilt. This can extend the service life of the rotary power device 6 and improve the horizontal reference of the fork assembly 1.

[0177] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific structure of the second support member 42, as long as the second support member 42 can be movably connected to the column 3. For example, a slider guide rail can be provided on the vertical surface of the column 3, the guide rail of the slider guide rail is connected to the column 3, and the slider in the slider guide rail is connected to the second support member 42. The second lifting mechanism 31 drives the second support member 42 to move, causing the slider to slide relative to the guide rail, thereby driving the second support member 42 to move in the vertical direction relative to the column 3.

[0178] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 7 and 7A, the second support member 42 includes a fixed portion 421 and a movable portion 422. A partially open limiting cavity 423 is formed in the fixed portion 421. The opening of the limiting cavity 423 extends through at least both ends in the vertical direction to prevent the second support member 42 from sliding in the vertical direction. The movable portion 422 is movably connected to the fixed portion 421. The fixed portion 421 fixes and supports the first support member 41. The movable portion 422 movably connects the fixed portion 421 and the column 3, so that the column 3 can serve as a guiding support arm during the vertical sliding of the support frame 4, thereby improving the sliding stability of the support frame 4.

[0179] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the form of movable connection between the movable portion 422 and the fixed portion 421. For example, the movable portion 422 can move horizontally relative to the fixed portion 421. In some embodiments, a slider guide rail can be provided on the vertical surface of the column 3, the guide rail in the slider guide rail is connected to the column 3, and the slider in the slider guide rail is connected to the second support member 42. The first lifting mechanism 5 drives the second support member 42 to move, so that the slider slides relative to the guide rail, thereby driving the second support member 42 to move horizontally in the vertical direction relative to the column 3. In this embodiment, the slider in the slider guide rail is equivalent to the movable portion 422, and the guide rail in the slider guide rail is equivalent to part of the fixed portion 421.

[0180] In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, with reference to FIG6 , the column 3 includes a first extension portion 31, a second extension portion 32, and a third extension portion 33. The first extension portion 31 and the second extension portion 32 are arranged on opposite sides of the first direction. The third extension portion 33 extends along the first direction and connects the first extension portion 31 and the second extension portion 32. The third extension portion 33 is arranged on the outside of the column 3 in the second direction. A slot 34 is formed between the first extension portion 31, the second extension portion 32, and the third extension portion 33 for vertical insertion of the second support member 42. The movable portion 422 is configured as a plurality of rollers coaxially connected to the fixed portion 421 in the first and second directions, respectively. The movable portion 422 is rotatably connected to the fixed portion 421. After the slot 34 is vertically plugged into the limiting cavity 423, the first extension portion 31 of the column 3 is inserted into the limiting cavity 423; the roller of the rotating axis in the first direction is located between the third extension portion 33 of the column 3 and the fixed portion 421, and radially abuts against the third extension portion 33 in the second direction; the roller of the rotating axis in the second direction is located in the limiting cavity 423, and radially abuts against the second extension portion 32 of the column 3 in the first direction. It can be understood that the column 3 and the second support member 42 are "clamped".

[0181] Referring to Figures 7 and 7A, the height of the fixed portion 421 corresponds to the height of the transport robot for the movable portion 422 to be installed. One or more movable portions 422 need only be installed within the height range of the fixed portion 421. Referring to Figure 4, during the assembly phase, the second support member 42 is inserted into the slot 34 at the top of the column 3. The second support member 42 clamps the column 3 and, driven by the first lifting mechanism 5, rotates against the column 3. The height of the fork assembly 1 is less than that of the column 3, simplifying the height of the structure that allows the second support member 42 to be movably connected to the column 3 and facilitating the movable connection between the second support member 42 and the column 3.

[0182] FIG8 is a perspective view of the fork assembly 1 in an embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, referring to FIG4 and FIG8 , the fork assembly 1 includes a warehouse body 11, a first transport mechanism 12, and a second transport mechanism 13, wherein a storage chamber 111 is provided inside the warehouse body 11, and the space within the storage chamber 111 is used to install the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13. The storage chamber 111 is open at least at one end so that one or more target bins can enter the storage chamber 111 through the opening (as shown in FIG2 and FIG3 ). It should be noted that, referring to FIG4 and FIG8 , the storage chamber 111 can be open at both ends as shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, specifically, one end and one side of the storage chamber 111 are respectively provided with openings. 2 and 3 , the target material box mainly enters the storage chamber 111 through the side opening 113, and the end opening 112 is used to increase the open area of ​​the storage chamber 111 to facilitate the installation of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 in the storage chamber 111; the end opening 112 is also used to avoid the height space of one or more target material boxes to increase the number of target material boxes that can enter the storage chamber 111 through the opening. Of course, in some embodiments, the storage chamber 111 can also be provided with openings only on one or more sides, or on one or more ends, so as to increase the limiting area of ​​the storage chamber 111 for the target material box and improve the stability of the target material box in the cargo handling state. This application does not limit the specific setting and number of settings of the opening, but the storage chamber 111 should be provided with an opening on at least one side.

[0183] Referring to Figure 4 , both the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction. It should be understood that the aforementioned "horizontal direction" refers to the direction in which the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 retract in the horizontal plane on the inner and outer sides of the storage chamber 111. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 4 , the first direction (front-to-back direction) and the second direction (left-to-right direction) are both horizontal, and both the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can be extended and retracted in the first direction, the second direction, or any direction between the first and second directions. The first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can be extended and retracted in various directions in the horizontal direction, which can facilitate the loading and unloading of the material box at various angles. It should be noted that, from the perspective shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the extension and retraction directions of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are both in the second direction. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 8 , the extension and retraction directions of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are in the N2 direction, that is, the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can be extended and retracted in the N2 direction. The direction indicated by the arrow N2 represents the positive direction of the second direction, i.e., the direction in which the first and second transport mechanisms 12 and 13 extend out of the storage chamber 111. The other direction in the N2 direction represents the negative direction of the second direction, i.e., the direction in which the first and second transport mechanisms 12 and 13 retract into the storage chamber 111. The meanings of N1, N2, and N3 have been previously explained and will not be repeated here.

[0184] It should be noted that both transport mechanisms can be extended out of the storage chamber 111 to carry the material box, both transport mechanisms can be retracted in the storage chamber 111 to wait, or one of the two transport mechanisms can be extended out of the storage chamber 111 to carry the material box while the other is retracted in the storage chamber 111 to wait. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 4, the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are both retracted in the storage chamber 111 to wait; in the schematic diagram shown in Figure 2, the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are both extended out of the storage chamber 111 to carry the material box, thereby improving the efficiency of transporting the material box. Of course, the fork assembly 1 can also extend only the first transport mechanism 12 or only the second transport mechanism 13. As shown in Figure 3, the first transport mechanism 12 is retracted in the storage chamber 111 to wait, and the second transport mechanism 13 is extended out of the storage chamber 111 to transport multiple target material boxes (a1, a2, a3...an) at a time.

[0185] 4 and 8 , the second transport mechanism 13 is located below the first transport mechanism 12. The first transport mechanism 12 is used to transport the group of bins (b1, b2, b3...bn) above the target bin (a1), and the second transport mechanism 13 is used to transport the target bin (a1) to the storage chamber 111. The up-down direction is in the vertical direction, i.e., the direction N3 shown in the schematic diagram. The direction N3 points to (positive N3) is vertically upward, i.e., the direction in which the first transport mechanism 12 is located relative to the second transport mechanism 13; the direction N3 points away from (negative N3) is vertically downward, i.e., the direction in which the second transport mechanism 13 is located relative to the first transport mechanism 12. Referring to Figure 2, in the embodiment of the present application, the material boxes in the warehouse are stacked. Before the transport robot approaches the target material box for transport, the transport robot detects that there are material boxes that are not the target material boxes above the target material box, and defines the whole composed of all the material boxes above the target material box as a material box group. The material box group above the target material box is not the target material box in the outbound instruction of the transport robot, so the transport robot drives the first transport mechanism 12 to extend to limit the degree of freedom of the material box group above the target material box, so that the target material box can move horizontally relative to the material box group under the action of the second transport mechanism 13.

[0186] The material box group includes at least one material box, that is, the material box group can be one or more material boxes. In an embodiment of the present application, when the target material box is located in the middle layer or bottom layer of the entire row of stacked material boxes, that is, when the target material box is not located at the top layer of the entire row of stacked material boxes, as shown in Figure 2, the first conveying mechanism 12 extends to limit the material box group (b1, b2, b3...bn) above the target material box a1. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 2, the material box group includes multiple material boxes b1, b2, b3...bn. When the target material box is located at the top layer of the entire row of stacked material boxes, as shown in Figure 3, the first conveying mechanism 12 can be retracted in the storage cavity 111, and only the second conveying mechanism 13 extends. In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 3, there is no material box group above the target material box (an) at the top layer among the target material boxes (a1, a2, a3...an).

[0187] In the embodiment of the present application, the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are integrated into the fork assembly 1. While meeting the transport requirements of the limited material box group and the target material box to be grasped, the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 can be modularly connected to the transport robot through the warehouse body 11. Workers can connect the two transport mechanisms to the transport robot at one time through the warehouse body 11 of the fork assembly 1, realizing the modular assembly of the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13, simplifying the assembly structure of the two transport mechanisms connected to the transport robot, and facilitating the modular arrangement of parts by the transport robot. The fork assembly 1 in the embodiment of the present application can not only meet the transport requirements of stacked material boxes, but also realize the modular assembly of the two transport mechanisms, so that the transport robot in the embodiment of the present application has both structural simplicity and operational efficiency.

[0188] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the structure of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13, as long as the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can realize the conveying of the material box. The structures for realizing the telescopic movement of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are similar, and the telescopic movement of the second conveying mechanism 13 is taken as an example for explanation. Referring to Figure 8, the second conveying mechanism 13 includes a transmission assembly, a drive assembly and a working assembly. Under the drive of the drive assembly, the transmission assembly drives the working assembly to telescope relative to the storage chamber 111, and the working assembly is used to grab the material box. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, as shown in Figure 8, a group of working assemblies are respectively provided on both sides of the storage chamber 111, and the two groups of working assemblies can symmetrically share a group of drive assemblies. Of course, in other embodiments, the two groups of working assemblies can also be provided with independent drive assemblies.

[0189] Figure 9 is a partial schematic diagram of Figure 8. Referring to Figure 9, the transmission assembly of the second transport mechanism 13 can be implemented using a driving synchronous wheel, a driven synchronous wheel, and a synchronous belt. Alternatively, it can be implemented using a driving gear, a driven gear, a rack, or a roller and thick steel rope. The drive assembly of the second transport mechanism 13 can take a variety of forms, which are not limited in this application. For example, it can be driven by a motor or a cylinder. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the second transport mechanism 13 is driven by a third motor 134, and the transmission is implemented by a second driving synchronous wheel 131, a second driven synchronous wheel 132, and a second synchronous belt 133. The third motor 134 drives the second driving synchronous wheel 131 to rotate. The second synchronous belt 133 is wrapped around the second driving synchronous wheel 131 and the second driven synchronous wheel 132, so that the second driven synchronous wheel 132 rotates synchronously with the second driving synchronous wheel 131. The working assembly is connected to the second synchronous belt 133, and the working assembly extends and retracts in the N2 direction as the second synchronous belt 133 rotates. The transmission assembly of the second conveying mechanism 13 in the present application adopts the form of synchronous wheels and synchronous belts to improve the telescopic efficiency of the second conveying mechanism 13, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the second conveying mechanism 13.

[0190] Referring to Figure 9 , the working assembly includes a mounting plate 135, a telescopic arm 136 connected to the second synchronous belt 133, and a hook 137 movably connected to the telescopic arm 136. The hook 137 can protrude and retract relative to the telescopic arm 136 in a first direction (N1) to grasp and avoid the material box. It should be noted that this application does not limit the movement of the hook 137 relative to the telescopic arm 136. The hook 137 can rotate relative to the telescopic arm 136, or it can move horizontally or swing relative to the telescopic arm 136. Regardless of the form of movable connection between the hook 137 and the telescopic arm 136, as long as the hook 137 can protrude and retract relative to the telescopic arm 136, it is sufficient.

[0191] In some embodiments, referring to FIG9 , each working component of the second transport mechanism 13 can be equipped with multiple telescopic arms 136 to extend the distance that the hook 137 extends relative to the storage chamber 111 in the N2 direction. Each working component can also be equipped with multiple hooks 137 to increase the support arm for grabbing the target bin. This application does not limit the number of telescopic arms 136 and hooks 137 provided; users can configure these based on their needs. In other words, each working component can be equipped with two, three, or other multiple telescopic arms 136, and each working component can be equipped with two, three, or other multiple hooks 137 along the N2 direction. The specific number of telescopic arms 136 can be designed based on the actual required extension distance of the hook 137 in the N2 direction; the specific number of hooks 137 can be designed based on the actual length of the telescopic arms 136 in the N2 direction. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, two hooks 137 and two telescopic arms 136 are provided.

[0192] To facilitate explanation of the working principle of the embodiment with two telescopic arms, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, the two telescopic arms are defined as a first telescopic arm 1361 and a second telescopic arm 1362. The mounting plate 135 is connected to the silo 11. The first telescopic arm 1361 is connected to the silo 11 via the mounting plate 135. The first telescopic arm 1361 is slidably connected to the mounting plate 135. The second telescopic arm 1362 is slidably connected to the first telescopic arm 1361. The second synchronous belt 133 is connected to the second telescopic arm 1362. The hook 137 is swingably connected to the second telescopic arm 1362. Driven by the third motor 134, the first telescopic arm 1361 and the second telescopic arm 1362 extend and retract in the N2 direction. It should be noted that there are various ways to slide the telescopic arms 136 together. For example, in one embodiment, the first telescopic arm 1361 and the second telescopic arm 1362 can be connected by a coaxial sleeve. When the second transport mechanism 13 is shortened, the second telescopic arm 1362 with a smaller diameter can be accommodated within the first telescopic arm 1361 with a larger diameter. When the second transport mechanism 13 is extended, the second telescopic arm 1362 with a smaller diameter can protrude from the first telescopic arm 1361 with a larger diameter. By driving the second telescopic arm 1362 to move relative to the first telescopic arm 1361, the second transport mechanism 13 can be extended or retracted. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the first telescopic arm 1361 is connected to the mounting plate 135 via a first slider rail 138, and the second telescopic arm 1362 is connected to the first telescopic arm 1361 via a second slider rail 139. The slider in the second slider rail 139 is connected to the second synchronous belt 133, and the second telescopic arm 1362 drives the first telescopic arm 1361 to extend or retract in the N2 direction.

[0193] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a fork assembly 1, which includes a warehouse body 11, a first conveying mechanism 12, and a second conveying mechanism 13. A storage chamber 111 is provided inside the warehouse body 11, and at least one end of the storage chamber 111 is open to allow a target container to enter the storage chamber 111. The first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are both disposed within the storage chamber 111, and both the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are horizontally retractable. The first conveying mechanism 12 can lift the container group above the target container to limit the freedom of the container group. The second conveying mechanism 13 is located below the first conveying mechanism 12 and can lift the target container. The target container can be separated from the container group as the second conveying mechanism 13 moves horizontally. The second conveying mechanism 13 transports the target container from the opening to the storage chamber 111, thereby transporting the target container. The container group can be one or more containers, and the target container can also be one or more containers. The first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 can both lift multiple material boxes at a time, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the transport robot. The first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are integrated into the fork assembly 1. While meeting the transport requirements of the limited material box group and the target material box to be grabbed, the warehouse body 11 is connected to the transport robot, and the modular connection of the two transport mechanisms and the transport robot can be simultaneously realized, thereby realizing the modular assembly of the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13, reducing the difficulty of arranging the parts of the two transport mechanisms to be respectively assembled to the installation position (such as the column 3) of the transport robot, and facilitating the modular arrangement of parts by the transport robot. The fork assembly 1 in the embodiment of the present application can not only meet the transport requirements of stacked material boxes, but also realize the modular assembly of the two transport mechanisms, so that the transport robot in the embodiment of the present application takes into account both structural simplicity and operational efficiency, which is conducive to improving user experience.

[0194] In some embodiments, referring to FIG8 , at least one of the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can move horizontally in a vertical direction. This can be the case where the first conveying mechanism 12 moves horizontally and reciprocally in the vertical direction, the second conveying mechanism 13 moves horizontally and reciprocally in the vertical direction, or both the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 move horizontally and reciprocally in the vertical direction. When the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 extend and grab the target bin together, the first conveying mechanism 12 and / or the second conveying mechanism 13 reciprocate vertically to release the stacking of the target bin and the bin group, separating the target bin from the bin group. In conjunction with FIG2 , “separation of the target bin from the bin group” means that the top bin in the target bin and the bottom bin in the bin group are not blocked by each other in the horizontal direction, allowing the target bin to be moved into the storage chamber 111 under the action of the second conveying mechanism 13. Specifically, a1 and b1 are distributed along the direction indicated by the arrow N3, and the upper end surface (c1) of a1 and the lower end surface (c2) of b1 are spaced apart in a non-contact manner in the vertical direction. The first transport mechanism 12 grabs the bottommost bin (b1) in the bin group (b1, b2, b3...bn), and the second transport mechanism 13 grabs the target bin (a1). Subsequently, one or both of the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 move vertically away from each other to separate the target bin from the bin group. This not only allows for smooth transport of the target bin to the interior of the storage chamber 111, but also maintains the stability of the stacked bin group and the stability of the target bin during transportation, thereby improving the transport efficiency and stability of the fork assembly 1.

[0195] In some embodiments, taking the second transport mechanism 13 being able to move in the vertical direction as an example, referring to Figures 8 and 9, the fork assembly 1 also includes a lifting mechanism 14, which is used to drive the second transport mechanism 13 to move in the vertical direction relative to the first transport mechanism 12. That is, the first transport mechanism 12 can only extend and retract in the horizontal direction, and the second transport mechanism 13 can both extend and retract in the horizontal direction and move back and forth in the vertical direction. In order to distinguish it from other lifting mechanisms, this article sometimes refers to the lifting mechanism that drives the second transport mechanism 13 to move in the vertical direction relative to the first transport mechanism 12 as the second lifting mechanism. Referring to Figure 2, the vertical stroke length of the second transport mechanism 13 is greater than the nesting height between adjacent bins. When both the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 grab the target material box, the first conveying mechanism 12 limits the material box group (b1, b2, b3...bn), and the second conveying mechanism 13 drives the target material box (a1) to descend at least a nesting height in the vertical direction, so that the target material box (a1) is separated from the material box group (b1, b2, b3...bn), thereby enabling the target material box (a1) to move in the horizontal direction relative to the material box group (b1, b2, b3...bn), so that the target material box (a1) can be smoothly stored in the storage cavity 111.

[0196] Referring to FIG2 , it is explained that, because the bins in the embodiment of the present application are stacked, in order to maintain the vertical stability of the entire row of bins, a limiting structure can be provided on the contact surface of adjacent bins. Therefore, the aforementioned "nesting height" represents the height of the limiting structure of one of the two adjacent bins blocking the other bin in the horizontal direction. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific limiting form of the adjacent bins. Protrusions or grooves can be formed on the contact surfaces of the bins, silicone or anti-slip pads can be applied to the contact surfaces of the adjacent bins, or ribs or guide rails can be installed between the two adjacent bins. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, a limiting groove d is provided at the upper end of each bin. The shape of the limiting groove d corresponds to the shape of the lower end of the bin. The groove wall of the limiting groove d blocks the side wall of the lower end of the bin. In this embodiment, the nesting height between adjacent bins represents the height of the limiting groove d. In other words, the second transport mechanism 13 can at least drive the target bin (a1) down by the height of the limiting groove d.

[0197] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific structure of the second lifting mechanism 14. The second lifting mechanism 14 can be driven by components such as motors and cylinders, and can be driven by transmission forms such as synchronous wheels and synchronous belts, gear racks and rollers, and thick steel ropes. No matter what driving elements or transmission forms the second lifting mechanism 14 uses, as long as the second lifting mechanism 14 can drive the second conveying mechanism 13 to move horizontally in the vertical direction, it will be fine.

[0198] In the embodiment illustrated herein, referring to Figures 8 and 9 , the second lifting mechanism 14 includes two sets of slide rails 141 and a lifting assembly 142. Two sets of slide rails 141 are provided, with one set of slide rails 141 corresponding to a set of working assemblies in the second transport mechanism 13. It will be appreciated that a set of slide rails 141 should include at least one guide rail and one slider. The number of guide rails and sliders can be adjusted based on actual assembly requirements. For example, in the schematic diagram illustrated herein, one set of slide rails 141 includes two guide rails, each with two sliders. Referring to Figure 8 , the two sets of slide rails 141 are symmetrically arranged on either side of the warehouse body 11 in the target direction. The target direction is horizontal and perpendicular to the extension and retraction direction of the second transport mechanism 13. In the schematic diagram illustrated herein, the second transport mechanism 13 extends and retracts in the N2 direction, so the target direction is in the N1 direction. That is, one set of slide rails 141 is located on the side of the warehouse body 11 that is in the positive direction of N1, while the other set of slide rails 141 is located on the side of the warehouse body 11 that is in the negative direction of N1. The slide rail 141 extends in a vertical direction, and the second transport mechanism 13 is movably connected to the slide rail 141 , that is, the second transport mechanism 13 is connected to a slider in the slide rail 141 .

[0199] The lifting assembly 142 is used to drive the second transport mechanism 13 to move relative to the slide rail 141. The slide rail 141 provides vertical guidance and support for the second transport mechanism 13, allowing the second transport mechanism 13 to slide stably in the vertical direction and meet the pick-and-place accuracy of the target bin. It should be noted that the lifting assembly 142 can adopt a variety of drive elements and transmission methods. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the lifting assembly 142 is driven by a fourth motor 1421 and is driven by a third active synchronous pulley 1422, a third driven synchronous pulley 1423, and a third synchronous belt 1424. The mounting plate 135 is connected to the third synchronous belt 1424, and the mounting plate 135 is connected to the slider in the slide rail 141. Driven by the fourth motor 1421, the third active synchronous pulley 1422 drives the third synchronous belt 1424 to rotate, thereby causing the mounting plate 135 to drive the slider in the slide rail 141 to move in the vertical direction, thereby enabling the telescopic arm 136 to drive the hook 137 to move in the vertical direction.

[0200] As shown in Figures 1A and 2, the length of the slide rail 141 is greater than the nested height between adjacent bins. In other words, the extended length of the slide rail 141 should be at least the height of one limiting groove d. In other words, the slide rail 141 supports and limits the second transport mechanism 13 within the height space of at least one limiting groove d. The slide rail 141 enables the second transport mechanism 13 to maintain a high degree of vertical sliding stability, reducing the risk of the target bin detaching from the second transport mechanism 13 during transport, improving the accuracy of the target bin's vertical sliding into place, and facilitating the separation of the target bin from the bin group.

[0201] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1A, the area between the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can accommodate one or more material boxes, that is, the number of material boxes transported at one time by the second conveying mechanism 13 is related to the height difference between the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13. The height difference between the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 can accommodate the height of one material box, or the height of two, three or more material boxes.

[0202] The height difference between the first and second transport mechanisms 12, 13 is defined as H. H is the initial measurement value when neither the first or second transport mechanism 12, 13 is moving vertically relative to the warehouse body 11. It should be noted that the present embodiment does not limit the specific value of H. Users can set the heights of the first and second transport mechanisms 12, 13 based on their specific needs and the height of the container. The height of the container is defined as h. In the embodiment where both the first and second transport mechanisms 12, 13 extend and grasp the container, if h ≤ H < 2h, the second transport mechanism 13 can transport one container at a time (as shown in Figure 2). If 2h ≤ H < 3h, the second transport mechanism 13 can transport two containers at a time; if 3h ≤ H < 4h, the second transport mechanism 13 can transport three containers at a time, and so on. However, when H is larger, the fork assembly 1 is heavier, making assembly and maintaining the fork assembly 1 flat and difficult. Therefore, in some embodiments, H can be limited to h ≤ H ≤ 5h.

[0203] The above describes the implementation principle of vertically moving one or more transport mechanisms in the fork assembly 1 to separate a target bin from a stack of bins. It is understood that even if both the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are vertically fixedly connected within the bin body 11, the fork assembly 1 can still separate a target bin from an entire row of stacked bins. In other words, even without the second lifting mechanism 14, driving the first lifting mechanism 5 can still achieve separation of the target bin from the other bins. The following provides an implementable operation process:

[0204] The first transport mechanism 12 extends in the positive direction N2 shown in Figure 4, while the second transport mechanism 13 waits in the storage chamber 111. After the first transport mechanism 12 grabs the bin group (b1, b2, b3...bn), the first lifting mechanism 5 drives the fork assembly 1 to rise as a whole by at least the nesting height of adjacent bins (the height of the limit slot d in Figure 2). At this time, the bin group (b1, b2, b3...bn) is separated from the target bin (a1). Then, the first transport mechanism 12 remains extended, while the second transport mechanism 13 extends in the positive direction N2 shown in Figure 4. After the second transport mechanism 13 grabs the target bin (a1), the first lifting mechanism 5 is driven again, and the fork assembly 1 rises again by at least the nesting height (the height of the limit slot d). At this time, the target bin (a1) is separated from the bins below it, and the second transport mechanism 13 retracts to transport the target bin into the storage chamber 111.

[0205] It should be noted that the implementation method of separating the target material box from the entire column of stacked material boxes only by the first lifting mechanism 5 without deploying the second lifting mechanism 14 is not limited to the above-mentioned operation process. However, no matter which operation process is used to drive the various components, the handling robot can separate the target material box from the entire column of stacked material boxes and realize the handling of the target material box, which can meet the user's various purchasing needs.

[0206] An embodiment of the present application also provides a handling robot. Referring to FIG1A , the handling robot includes a chassis 2, a column 3, and the aforementioned fork assembly 1. The column 3 is connected to the chassis 2, and the fork assembly 1 is connected to the column 3. The column 3 extends in a vertical direction and moves with the chassis 2. The direction in which the column 3 extends represents the direction of the maximum dimension of the column 3. In the embodiment of the present application, the direction of the maximum dimension of the column 3 represents the height direction of the column 3. That is, under normal operating conditions, the height direction of the column 3 is in the N3 direction. In other words, the height reference of the fork assembly 1 is aligned with the height reference of the column 3. It should be noted that the aforementioned "reference alignment" means that the vertical surface of the fork assembly 1 and the vertical surface of the column 3 are approximately flush within the machining error range of fine machining. The first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 are connected to the column 3 via the fork assembly 1. By maintaining the vertical reference of the warehouse body 11 in the fork assembly 1, the installation references of the first transport mechanism 12 and the second transport mechanism 13 in the vertical direction can be calibrated. Then, the installation references of the two transport mechanisms relative to the column 3 in the vertical direction can be calibrated, which facilitates the assembly consistency of the connection between the two transport mechanisms and the column 3. Compared with the implementation method in which the two transport mechanisms are respectively arranged on the vertical surface of the column 3, the connection between the two transport mechanisms and the column 3 is achieved by connecting the fork assembly 1 and the column 3 in the embodiment of the present application, which simplifies the operation process of the two transport mechanisms separately calibrating the reference of the column 3, which can not only improve the assembly consistency of the two transport mechanisms, but also reduce the difficulty of processing and forming the column 3. At the same time, because the two transport mechanisms maintain a high degree of assembly consistency, the accuracy of the transport robot in picking up and placing the target material box is improved, which is conducive to the in-place picking up and placing of the target material box.

[0207] The chassis 2 is movable, which means that the chassis 2 can move relative to the ground or other surfaces. In some embodiments, the chassis 2 is provided with rollers 21 on the side close to the ground, and the chassis 2 can be driven to move in the horizontal direction by driving the rollers 21, so that the handling robot drives the target material box to move in the horizontal direction. As can be seen from the above, the "horizontal direction" refers to the front-back direction N1 where the first direction is located and the left-right direction N2 where the second direction is located. In other words, the handling robot in the embodiment of the present application can move in various horizontal directions, front-back, left-right, and right-left. After responding to the storage instruction or the outbound instruction of the target material box, the rollers 21 of the chassis 2 can be driven to move, so that the handling robot moves to a position close to the target material box or near the position where the target material box is to be stored according to the position information in the instruction. It can be understood that under normal working conditions, the ground or other surface on which the chassis 2 moves is a horizontal plane, and the height direction of the column 3 is a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. However, this does not mean that both the horizontal plane and the vertical direction need to be absolutely horizontal and vertical. The horizontal plane allows for the existence of uneven errors in the ground and the existence of ground slopes, and the vertical direction allows for processing errors between the chassis 2 and the column 3. As long as they are roughly horizontal and vertical under normal working conditions, it will be fine.

[0208] Referring to Figure 1A, the fork assembly 1 is movably connected to the column 3 in the vertical direction, that is, the fork assembly 1 can drive the target material box to rise and fall in the vertical direction. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the structure of the fork assembly 1 that can be raised and lowered. The handling robot can use synchronous wheels, synchronous belts, gear racks, rollers, thick steel ropes, etc. to achieve the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1. Regardless of the structure of the handling robot to achieve the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1, as long as the lifting and lowering of the fork assembly 1 in the vertical direction can be achieved. For example, the solution in which the column 3 is provided with a first lifting mechanism 5 in the aforementioned embodiment can be adopted. In the aforementioned embodiment, the structure and operation principle of an embodiment of the first lifting mechanism 5 have been described in detail in conjunction with Figure 5, so they will not be repeated here.

[0209] The principle of the transport robot in the embodiment of the present application in the schematic diagram shown in FIG2 is as follows:

[0210] After the transport robot receives a storage entry or exit instruction, it drives the roller 21 to rotate, and the transport robot moves to a position close to the target bin or near the location where the target bin is to be stored. The transport robot aligns according to the position information of the target bin or the location information of the target bin entering the warehouse. The first transport mechanism 12 extends and grabs the bin group above the target bin, and limits the entire bin group by limiting the bottom bin in the bin group; at the same time, the second transport mechanism 13 extends and grabs the bottom bin of the target bin. By lifting a target bin, it can lift the entire row of target bins above the target bin. Then, the second lifting mechanism 31 drives the fork assembly 1 to rise as a whole, so that the target bin is separated from the warehouse bins below the target bin (bin a1 and bin en in Figure 2). Then, the first lifting mechanism 14 drives the second transport mechanism 13 to descend, so that the target bin is separated from the bin group above the target bin (bin a1 and bin b1 in Figure 2). The second transport mechanism 13 retracts along the negative direction N1 to store the target material box grasped by the second transport mechanism 13 into the storage chamber 111 .

[0211] Afterwards, the first transport mechanism 12 can be maintained in the state of lifting the group of bins and the second transport mechanism 13 can be retracted and placed in a standby state, while the second lifting mechanism 31 is driven to lower the fork assembly 1 by the height of one bin, so as to stack the group of bins (b1, b2, b3...bn in FIG2 ) with the warehouse bins (e1, e2...en in FIG2 ) to form a new stacked bin. Alternatively, the first transport mechanism 12 can be maintained in the state of lifting the group of bins and the second transport mechanism 13 can be driven to extend again. During the extension process of the second transport mechanism 13, the second lifting mechanism 31 can synchronously drive the second transport mechanism 13 to descend a set distance. After the second transport mechanism 13 is in place and extended, the hook 137 is extended again to achieve the transport of the next target bin. It should be noted that the aforementioned "set distance" is at least the height of one bin minus the distance of one nesting height. Of course, when transporting multiple target bins at a time, the set distance is the sum of the heights of the multiple bins minus the distance of one nesting height. Of course, after the fork assembly 1 separates the target material box and the warehouse material box (such as e1, e2...en in Figure 2), the first lifting mechanism 14 may not be driven, and only the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 are retracted together in the horizontal direction to convey the entire stack of material boxes (a1) + (b1, b2...bn) into the storage chamber 111.

[0212] In some embodiments, referring to FIG8 , one end and one side of the fork assembly 1 are provided with openings, and the support frame 4 is connected to the end wall of the fork assembly 1 in the vertical direction through the rotary power device 6. It should be noted that the aforementioned “end wall of the fork assembly 1 in the vertical direction” refers to an end parallel to and spaced apart from the end opening 112 in the vertical direction, that is, the end wall represents the top wall or the bottom wall of the fork assembly 1.

[0213] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the end opening 112 can be provided at the bottom of the fork assembly 1, the warehouse body 11 is in an inverted U-shape, the rotary power device 6 is connected to the inner top wall of the warehouse body 11, and the support frame 4 is provided on the outer top wall of the warehouse body 11. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the end opening 112 of the fork assembly 1 is provided at the top of the fork assembly 1, the warehouse body 11 is in a right U-shape, the rotary power device 6 is connected to the inner bottom wall of the warehouse body 11, and the support frame 4 is provided on the outer bottom wall of the warehouse body 11. The bottom wall of the warehouse body 11 blocks the target container in the direction of gravity, thereby reducing the risk of the target container accidentally falling when the claws 137 of the first and second transport mechanisms 12 and 13 are accidentally retracted, thereby improving the stability of the target container during movement of the transport robot. The drive source (second motor 61) of the rotary power device 6 is provided within the storage chamber 111, thereby reducing the vertical distance between the fork assembly 1 and the support frame 4 and improving the rotational stability of the fork assembly 1.

[0214] Of course, in some embodiments, the end opening 112 may also be provided at the bottom of the fork assembly 1. In this embodiment, the housing 11 is in an inverted U-shape, the rotary power device 6 is connected to the top wall of the housing 11, and the support frame 4 is provided on the top wall of the housing 11 and outside the storage chamber 111. The present application does not limit the specific location of the rotary power device 5, as long as the rotary power device 5 can achieve horizontal rotation of the fork assembly 1 through the support frame 4.

[0215] In some embodiments, the handling robot further includes an image acquisition device 7 and a controller (not shown). The image acquisition device 7 is fixed to the fork assembly 1 and is used to capture images of the target bin to be handled. The controller is capable of recognizing the image information and adjusting the position of the fork assembly 1 based on the image information to achieve alignment between the fork assembly 1 and the corresponding bin, i.e., alignment between the first handling mechanism 12 and the bin group, and alignment between the second handling mechanism 13 and the target bin. When the handling robot moves to an area near the target bin, using the image acquisition device 7 to align the fork assembly 1 enables the handling mechanism to more accurately handle the corresponding bin.

[0216] It should be noted that, referring to FIG8 , a side portion of the hopper body 11 in the second direction is defined as the first side portion 114. It is understood that the target container enters the storage chamber 111 from the side of the hopper body 11 opposite the first side portion 114. That is, the side opening 113 is located on the side of the hopper body 11 opposite the first side portion 114 in the second direction. The image capture device 7 can be positioned on the side of the first side portion 114 in the direction indicated by the arrow N2 (in front of the first side portion 114, i.e., the surface located within the storage chamber 111) to fully utilize the space within the storage chamber 111. Alternatively, the image capture device 7 can be positioned on the side of the first side portion 114 facing away from the direction indicated by the arrow N2 (behind the first side portion 114) to increase the distance between the image capture device and the target container, thereby improving the field of view and wide angle of the image capture device 7. Of course, the placement of the image capture device 7 is not limited to the two embodiments described above. As long as the image capture device 7 can capture image information of the container, the image capture device 7 can be positioned at any location within the hopper body 11.

[0217] In some embodiments, the image information may be a two-dimensional plane image. For example, each material box is provided with a positioning mark, the image acquisition device 7 scans the positioning mark, and the controller adjusts the position of the fork assembly 1 according to the position information obtained by scanning the positioning mark, thereby achieving the accuracy of the material box grabbing position and improving the reliability of the material box grabbing. It should be noted that the positioning mark may be a mark with position information such as a QR code or a barcode, and the positioning mark may also be a pattern in the shape of a triangle or a right angle. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the shape and pattern of the above-mentioned positioning mark. As long as the positioning mark is set at a fixed position on the material box, the transport mechanism can quickly align with the corresponding material box through the positioning mark.

[0218] In some embodiments, the image information can also be a three-dimensional stereo image. For example, the alignment of the conveying mechanism and the material box can be achieved by using an image to identify the outer contour of the material box instead of an identifier. The image acquisition device 7 can shoot the corresponding material box, and the controller drives the conveying mechanism to align with the corresponding material box based on the area where the outer contour of the material box obtained by shooting is located. That is to say, in the process of precise alignment of the conveying mechanism and the material box, in addition to the alignment method of the positioning identifier described in the previous embodiment, the alignment can also be achieved by directly performing image recognition and positioning on the material box. It should be noted that the method of aligning the conveying mechanism and the corresponding material box in the embodiments of the present application includes but is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but no matter whether the image information is two-dimensional plane information or three-dimensional stereo information, as long as the positioning of the conveying mechanism and the corresponding material box can be achieved, it is sufficient.

[0219] In some embodiments, referring to FIG4 , the fork assembly 1 is disposed on one side of the column 3 in the first direction (in the direction indicated by the arrow N1 in FIG4 ), and the column 3 and the chassis 2 together form a cache position 22 on the other side of the first direction (in the direction away from the direction indicated by the arrow N1 in FIG4 ). The cache position 22 is used to store the target material box carried by the fork assembly 1. That is, in some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the cache position 22 and the fork assembly 1 are disposed on opposite sides of the column 3, and the column 3 is located between the cache position 22 and the fork assembly 1. After the fork assembly 1 carries out a target material box from a plurality of stacked material boxes, the fork assembly 1 can place one or more target material boxes in the cache position 22, so that the fork assembly 1 does not need to immediately carry the target material box to the designated location before starting to carry the next target material box, thereby improving the efficiency of material box carrying.

[0220] It should be noted that the buffer position 22 represents a virtual space. The buffer position 22 is roughly located on the negative side of the column in the N1 direction. The vertical space within the buffer position 22 can be equipped with a cabinet, multiple layers of brackets with horizontal support surfaces, or multiple layers of hollow brackets as shown. Therefore, the vertical space within the buffer position 22 can accommodate a whole stack of boxes or multiple layers of boxes. Regardless of the structure of the vertical space within the buffer position 22, as long as it can accommodate the target boxes, it is sufficient. In an embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG4 , to increase the number of target boxes that the handling robot can accommodate, the vertical space within the buffer position 22 is provided with multiple hollow brackets, and the target boxes are placed in a whole stack within the buffer position 22. Furthermore, the storage chamber 111 can also be stacked with a whole stack of boxes. The internal space of the storage chamber 111 stores and restrains the whole stack of boxes, thereby improving the handling efficiency of the handling robot. Referring to FIG4 , it can be understood that in some embodiments, multiple ribs 23 can be provided within the buffer position 22. The multiple ribs 23 abut against one or more side walls of the box to improve the vertical stability of the whole stack of boxes.

[0221] The above, in combination with Figures 1 to 9, explains the implementation principle of the handling robot in the embodiment of the present application in handling the boxes to be shipped out in a specific scenario. It should be noted that the aforementioned "specific scenario" means that the handling robot without carrying any boxes receives an outbound instruction, which instructs the handling robot to transport the two target boxes placed at intervals in the middle layer of the entire row of boxes from the designated position of the warehouse to the designated position of the storage workstation. For example, the entire row of stacked boxes has ten layers, and the outbound instruction requires the handling of the target boxes on the third and sixth layers.

[0222] After the handling robot receives the outbound instruction, it drives the roller 21 to rotate, and the handling robot moves to a position near the target box in the warehouse. The handling robot drives the first lifting mechanism 5 to move according to the height position information of the target box, so that the fork assembly 1 rises to the height of the first target box (such as the third-layer target box). The handling robot scans the 2D or 3D position information of the target box, that is, scans the image information of the target box and obtains the position information of the target box, so as to realize the alignment of the two handling mechanisms and the target box: the angular deviation of the fork assembly 1 in the θ direction is adjusted by the rotating power device 6. (Note: At this time, if there is a position deviation in the first direction, it is adjusted by the roller 21; if there is a position deviation in the second direction, a signal is fed back to the third motor 134 to control the extension length of the first handling mechanism 12 and the second handling mechanism 13; if there is a position deviation in the vertical direction, a signal is fed back to the first lifting mechanism 5 to adjust the height of the first handling mechanism 12 and the second handling mechanism 13).

[0223] After alignment is complete, the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 extend together in the N2 direction, and the hooks 137 in the first conveying mechanism 12 and the second conveying mechanism 13 protrude relative to each other in the N1 direction. The first conveying mechanism 12 carries the bin group above the target bin, while the second conveying mechanism 13 carries the target bin.

[0224] Next, the second lifting mechanism 14 lowers the fork assembly 1 by at least the height of the stop slot d (as shown in Figure 2), separating the target bin from the group of bins above it. The first transport mechanism 12 then remains extended, while the second transport mechanism 13 retracts into the storage chamber 111. The first lifting mechanism 5 then lowers the fork assembly 1 by a certain distance (one bin height minus the height of one stop slot d), causing the group of bins above the original target bin to re-stack with the group of bins below it. The first transport mechanism 12 then retracts into the storage chamber 111, and the rotary power unit 6 rotates the fork assembly 1 90 degrees. The second transport mechanism 13 extends in the first direction to place a target bin in the storage chamber 111 onto the buffer position 22. The first and second transport mechanisms 12, 13 then retract into the storage chamber 111 along the first direction, and the rotary power unit 6 rotates the fork assembly 1 back to its original position, allowing it to continue grabbing the next target bin (e.g., the sixth-level target bin). Finally, the roller 21 is driven, and the handling robot drives the two target boxes in the buffer position 22 to navigate to the storage workstation.

[0225] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1 , the storage system includes the above-mentioned operating robot and a shelf 8, wherein the top surface 81 of the shelf is used to store stacked boxes, and the stacked boxes include at least one box, that is, the bottom box in the stacked boxes is placed against the top surface 81 of the shelf. The height of the shelf 8 is greater than or equal to the height of the chassis 2, and the fork assembly 1 is at least able to grab the bottom end of the bottom box in the entire row of stacked boxes, that is, no matter what height the gripper position in the box (such as the slot e in FIG2 ) is set, the fork assembly 1 is able to grab any box in the entire row of stacked boxes. In the case where the ground has a certain slope and unevenness, the multiple support columns 82 of the shelf 8 can be set to different heights, or the bottom surface of the shelf can be set to a certain slope to maintain the flatness of the top surface 81 of the shelf, so that the stacked boxes can be stably stacked in the vertical direction and not easily tipped over, thereby improving the problem of insufficient flatness of the warehouse floor.

[0226] In some embodiments, with reference to FIG1 , as the height of the stacked material boxes is higher (such as more than ten layers), the material boxes located in the middle and top layers of the entire row of stacked material boxes have poor stability and are more likely to fall over. The shelf 8 can be set to one or more layers. When the shelf 8 is set to more than one layer, each layer of shelf 8 can store stacked material boxes. For example, if the warehouse needs to store twenty layers of material boxes, the shelf 8 can be set to two layers, which are the first shelf 83 and the second shelf 84 from bottom to top. The twenty layers of material boxes are divided into two piles. A pile of stacked material boxes of one to ten layers can be stored between the first shelf 83 and the second shelf 84, and another pile of stacked material boxes of eleven to twenty layers can be stored on the top surface of the second shelf 84. The shelf 8 can be set to multiple layers, which can improve the problem of the stacked material boxes of more than ten layers being easy to fall over, and the multi-layer shelf 8 makes full use of the height space in the vertical direction of the warehouse, thereby increasing the storage capacity of the warehouse.

[0227] The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transporting stored goods. The execution device of the transport method can be the transport robot described in the above embodiment. Therefore, the transport robot and its components mentioned in the description of the transport method below can refer to the above embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, the transport method includes:

[0228] Step S100, in response to a handling instruction for a target bin, determines the position information of the target bin indicated by the handling instruction; the target bin is one or more of a plurality of bins stacked in a vertical direction. The target bin is one or more of a plurality of bins stacked in a vertical direction, and the number of target bins can be determined by the number of bins that the handling robot can handle at one time. The handling instruction includes an outbound instruction and an inbound instruction for the target bin, wherein the outbound instruction indicates an instruction for the handling robot to move one or more bins out of a plurality of bins stacked in a warehouse from the position specified in the instruction; the inbound instruction indicates an instruction for the handling robot to move one or more bins into a plurality of bins stacked in a position specified in the instruction.

[0229] Of course, the handling instruction may also include the set position information of the location to which the target bin is to be moved or the set position information of the target bin to be transported. In the embodiment of the present application, each bin in the warehouse has a unique identification code, and the database of the warehouse storage system stores the position information corresponding to each identification code, the types of items stored in the bin, and the like. In the embodiment of the present application, the handling instruction for the target bin can be formed by querying the identification code corresponding to the target bin and calling the position information corresponding to the identification code in the database. Among them, the identification code of the bin in the database is fixed, that is, the identification code corresponding to each bin will not change with the change of the bin position, for example, a bin corresponds to an identification code with a serial number of 0010; the position information of each bin can change with the entry and exit of the bin, that is, the position information corresponding to each identification code changes. In the embodiment of the present application, the handling robot can move to the vicinity of the target bin according to the current position information of the target bin in the handling instruction.

[0230] Step S200, based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box, construct a coordinate system relationship with the target material box; wherein the coordinate system relationship includes a first offset, a second offset, a third offset and a first deflection angle. It should be noted that the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box described in the embodiment of the present application can be the positioning mark of the target material box to be transported, or it can be the positioning mark of the material box around the target material box, for example, the positioning mark of the material box adjacent to the target material box, or the positioning mark of the material box stacked above or below the target material box, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the type and form of the positioning mark, as long as the relative position calibration of the transport robot and the target material box can be achieved. In the calibration process, the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box is used as a reference to establish a coordinate system relationship between the transport robot and the target material box. As shown in Figure 4, the coordinate system relationship includes a first offset, a second offset, a third offset and a first deflection angle. The first offset represents the offset of the relative position of the handling robot and the target material box in the first direction (refer to the N1 direction shown in Figure 4), the second offset represents the offset of the relative position of the handling robot and the target material box in the third direction (refer to the N3 direction shown in Figure 4), and the third offset represents the offset of the relative position of the handling robot and the target material box in the second direction (refer to the N2 direction shown in Figure 4). Among them, the first direction represents the front and back direction of the handling robot, and the front and back direction represents the movement direction of the handling robot; the second direction represents the left and right direction of the handling robot, and the left and right direction represents the direction perpendicular to the first direction in the horizontal direction. Of course, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the movement form of the handling robot. The handling robot can be provided with universal rollers, which can drive the handling robot to move in various directions on the ground, not limited to the front and back direction; the third direction represents the height direction of the handling robot, which can also be understood as the up and down direction in the absolute spatial coordinate system; the first deflection angle represents the deflection angle of the handling robot relative to the target material box in the plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

[0231] In step S300, as shown in FIG4 , the chassis 2 of the transport robot is driven to move according to a first offset (the offset in the N1 direction shown in FIG4 ). For example, the offset between the transport robot and the target material box in the first direction is the first offset. The chassis 2 of the transport robot is driven to drive the entire transport robot to move along the first direction (the N1 direction shown in FIG4 ) by the first offset, so that the offset between the transport robot and the target material box in the first direction is less than a set value. The fork assembly 1 of the transport robot is driven to move according to a second offset and to rotate according to a first deflection angle. For example, the offset of the entire fork assembly relative to the target material box in a third direction is the second offset. By driving the fork assembly 1 to move relative to the column 3 in the transport robot along the third direction, the offset of the fork assembly 1 relative to the target material box in the third direction is less than a set value. It should be noted that the connection relationship between the fork assembly 1 and the column 3 in the embodiment of the present application can be a direct connection or an indirect connection. The fork assembly 1 of the handling robot is driven to rotate according to the first deflection angle. For example, in some embodiments, the column 3 and the fork assembly 1 are connected by a support frame 4. The support frame 4 and the column 3 are movably connected in a third direction. The fork assembly 1 is rotatably connected to the support frame 4. By driving the fork assembly 1 to rotate about the third direction relative to the support frame 4, the deflection angle of the fork assembly 1 relative to the target bin is achieved to be less than a set angle. The embodiments of the present utility model further improve the degree of alignment between the fork assembly and the target bin by separately adjusting the first offset, the second offset, and the first deflection angle of the handling robot relative to the target bin, thereby improving the accuracy and safety of the fork assembly's grasping of the target bin.

[0232] In step S400, the fork assembly 1 of the handling robot is driven to carry the target container according to the third offset. It should be noted that the third offset represents the offset of the fork assembly relative to the target container in the second direction (referring to the N2 direction in FIG. 4 ). The fork assembly 1 is driven to extend and retract in the second direction to precisely position the claws of the fork assembly 1 relative to the target container in the second direction, thereby enabling the fork assembly to accurately carry the target container, thereby improving the efficiency and safety of handling the target container.

[0233] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for transporting stored goods, the method comprising: responding to a transport instruction of a target bin, determining position information of the target bin indicated by the transport instruction, establishing a coordinate system relationship with the target bin based on a positioning representation of the outer surface of the target bin, driving a chassis of a transport robot to move according to a first offset, driving a fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to a second offset and rotate according to a first deflection angle, and driving the fork assembly in the transport robot to transport the target bin according to a third offset. The embodiment of the present application separates the secondary fine positioning of the transport robot and the target bin into the movement of the chassis of the transport robot, the movement and rotation of the fork assembly, and the telescopic movement of the fork assembly itself. Compared with concentrating the control of the secondary positioning on the adjustment of the entire transport robot, this embodiment is conducive to reducing the time required for the transport robot to complete all positioning adjustments, improving the efficiency of the secondary positioning of the transport robot and the target bin, and adjusting the positioning layout of the entire transport robot to the positioning of the fork assembly and the target bin, thereby improving the accuracy of the positioning of the target bin and reducing the difficulty of positioning.

[0234] In some embodiments, the step of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset includes:

[0235] determining an expected path of the chassis according to the first offset;

[0236] The chassis is driven to move along the expected path, and the movement of the chassis is adjusted in real time according to the actual path of the chassis and the expected path.

[0237] It should be noted that during the movement of the chassis, the actual path of the chassis may deviate from the intended path. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application control the movement of the chassis by tracking the actual path of the chassis and calibrating the actual offset between the actual path of the chassis and the target bin in real time. In other words, by controlling the motion trajectory of the chassis of the handling robot, the chassis can move along a predetermined path and track the target. For example, the position of the target bin can be detected by a sensor or image acquisition device, and then the movement of the chassis of the handling robot can be adjusted through a control algorithm so that the chassis of the handling robot can accurately follow the intended path.

[0238] In some embodiments, after the steps of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset, driving the fork assembly of the transport robot to translate according to the second offset and to rotate according to the first deflection angle, and before the step of driving the fork assembly of the transport robot to transport the target container according to the third offset, the method further includes:

[0239] Based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box, the coordinate system relationship with the corresponding material box is reconstructed; it should be noted that the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box can be a QR code labeled on the surface of the material box, or it can be the outer contour of the material box. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of the positioning mark, nor does it limit the specific positioning technology implementation method of the handling robot and the target material box, as long as the positioning mark of the target material box can be used to achieve the positioning of the handling robot relative to the target material box. In the process of secondary positioning, the embodiment of the present application adjusts the position of the chassis relative to the target material box by the first offset, adjusts the position of the fork assembly relative to the target material box by the second offset and the first deflection angle, and adjusts the extension and retraction degree of the fork assembly by the third offset. In the process of adjusting the chassis and the fork assembly, real-time positioning can be performed based on the positioning representation of the outer surface of the target material box, and the actual relative position relationship of the chassis and the fork assembly relative to the target material box can be reconstructed.

[0240] Determine whether the reconstructed coordinate system relationship meets the set accuracy requirements;

[0241] If the reconstructed coordinate system relationship does not meet the set accuracy requirements, the transport robot is driven to move again according to the reconstructed coordinate system relationship. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific values ​​of the above-mentioned set accuracy requirements. The vertical accuracy can be further set according to the size of the transport robot and the size of the material box. For example, in some embodiments, it can be determined whether the offset of the base relative to the target material box in the first direction in the coordinate system is less than 5mm. If so, it is determined that the offset adjustment of the chassis relative to the target material box in the first direction meets the set accuracy. If it is greater than or equal to 5mm, it is determined that the offset adjustment of the chassis relative to the target material box in the first direction meets the set accuracy. It should be noted that the above embodiment is only an example of an implementation method, but does not mean that a specific limitation is made to the accuracy setting. And the accuracy determination of the fork assembly is similar to the accuracy determination of the above-mentioned chassis.

[0242] In some embodiments, the step of establishing a coordinate system relationship with the target container based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target container includes:

[0243] A coordinate system relationship with the target bin is established based on the QR code on the outer surface of the target bin; wherein, the embodiment of the present application may use a 2D camera to capture the QR code on the outer surface of the target bin. Each bin in the warehouse has a positioning mark, which may be a QR code, barcode or other mark with precise location information. The positioning mark may also be a pattern in the shape of a triangle, right angle or the like. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the shape and pattern of the above-mentioned positioning mark. As long as the positioning mark is set at a fixed position on the bin, the 2D camera can quickly align with the target bin to be transported through the positioning mark, so that the fork assembly can accurately transport the target bin.

[0244] In some embodiments, a coordinate system relationship with the target box is constructed based on the box contour of the outer surface of the target box. Among them, the embodiment of the present application can capture the outer contour of the target box through a 3D camera. By shooting the target box, and based on the area where the corresponding target box is located in the photographed picture, the fork assembly is driven to align with the corresponding box. That is to say, in the process of precise alignment of the first transport mechanism and the box, in addition to the alignment method of the positioning mark described in the previous embodiment, the alignment can also be performed by directly performing image recognition and positioning on the outer contour of the box. The image recognition module of the 3D camera is used to identify and locate the outer contour of the box, which helps the fork assembly to accurately transport the target box and improve the stability of the box handling and the safety of the transportation operation.

[0245] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0246] Based on the image of the bin group where the target bin is located, it is determined whether the nesting of the bin group where the target bin is located is safe. It should be noted that the bins stored in the warehouse of the present embodiment are stacked without shelves, that is, multiple bins are stacked and nested vertically to form stacks. Multiple stacks of bins can be stacked in a predetermined manner in the warehouse. Nesting refers to the nesting of the upper bins of adjacent bins with the lower bins in the stack, thereby achieving circumferential positioning of the adjacent bins, thereby improving the stability of the bin stack and also helping to increase the height of the bin stack to increase the storage capacity of goods. The present embodiment uses the image of the target bin obtained by any of the positioning methods in the aforementioned embodiments to determine whether the nesting of the bin group where the target bin is located is safe. The method for determining whether the nesting is safe can be to determine whether the side edges of the entire stack of bins in the bin group where the target bin is located extend in a straight line through the image. For example, if the side edges of the entire stack of bins in the bin group where the target bin is located are not straight, it indicates that the nesting position of the bins in the bin group is inaccurate, and the nesting is determined to be unsafe. Alternatively, the angle between the straight line of the side of the entire stack of bins and the vertical direction is determined to be less than or equal to a set angle. If the angle between the side of the bin group and the vertical direction is greater than the set angle, it indicates that the stack of bins is tilted. This means that the center of gravity of the entire stack of bins is offset, making it prone to tipping, resulting in unsafe nesting. Methods for determining whether nesting is safe in the embodiments of the present application include but are not limited to the aforementioned implementation methods, as long as 2D or 3D images can be used to determine whether the bins are nested safely.

[0247] If the target bin's nesting is unsafe, manual intervention is requested, and the handling robot is controlled to perform other tasks. In other words, if the camera identifies a problem with the bin nesting, the handling robot's underlying fault code is reported to the upper-level controller. Upon receiving the fault code, the controller controls the handling robot to halt the current handling task, report an error, and stop operating, emitting an alarm signal, which may include but is not limited to a red light or an alarm. Manual intervention can be used to restore the stacking of the bin group to a safe state. Of course, in other embodiments, the handling robot can also be used to restore the stacking of the bin group to a safe state.

[0248] It should be noted that the method of the above embodiment can be applied to each transport link in the outbound and inbound transport of a transport robot. For example, the transport robot needs to transport a target box at a target location outbound. The transport robot first arrives at the target location and performs secondary positioning. Before the fork assembly transports the target box, the camera first obtains an image of the box group where the target box is located before transporting to determine whether the nesting state of the current box group is safe. If not, the task is stopped and an alarm is issued. If it is safe, the fork assembly removes the box at the target location. After removal, the camera again obtains an image of the box group after transporting the target box to determine whether the nesting state of the box group after transporting is safe. In some embodiments, it is also possible to determine whether the position of the box at the set position is consistent by comparing the image of the box group after transporting with the image of the box group before transporting. If the deviation between the front and rear box positions is greater than a set value, it can also indicate that the box nesting is unsafe.

[0249] The embodiment of the present application can determine the stacking status of the boxes during transportation in real time by identifying the nesting problem of the boxes, so as to further reduce the risk of the boxes tipping over during transportation and improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation robot in transporting the boxes in the warehouse.

[0250] In some embodiments, the step of determining whether the nesting of the bin group where the target bin is located is safe based on the image of the bin group where the target bin is located includes:

[0251] Whether the nesting of the material box group is safe is judged based on the QR codes on the outer surfaces of all the material boxes in the material box group; the QR code on the material box is identified by taking a photo with a 2D camera, and then the posture of the material box is compared with the posture of the QR code. The recognition algorithm can obtain the first deviation value, second deviation value, first deflection angle and third deviation value of the handling robot relative to the target material box by comparing the ideal position and the current position. The chassis of the handling robot adjusts its posture according to the above deviations to ensure that the fork assembly of the handling robot can pick up and place the material box. During each secondary positioning process of the handling robot, the positioning deviation error value of the handling robot always exists and tends to converge over time, so the handling robot is constantly approaching the ideal position during movement. Its convergence effect is directly related to the underlying hardware response and the selection of algorithm parameters.

[0252] In the embodiment of the present application, a 2D camera is used to attach a QR code to a material box, and the 2D camera recognizes the QR code on the material box to determine the position of the transport robot relative to the material box; this further solves the problem of difficulty in adjusting the chassis of the transport robot, which is beneficial to improving the adjustment accuracy of the transport robot.

[0253] In some embodiments, the nesting safety of the container group is determined based on the outer contours of all the containers in the container group. The container contours are identified by a 3D camera to obtain the position of the transport robot relative to the container. The 3D camera takes photos to identify the position of the QR code on the container. The error value of the positioning coordinates of the transport robot can be obtained based on the ideal position and the current position. A control law is designed to converge the error value, and the amount of adjustment required for the transport robot in the N1 / N2 / N3 / θ directions is finally determined. After the transport robot is moved closer to the ideal trajectory, the fork assembly is rotated to a certain position. Within one response cycle, the chassis control layer of the transport robot controls the chassis to adjust in the N1 direction, and then the fork is rotated and adjusted in the N3 / θ direction to complete the convergence of the positioning deviation. During each secondary positioning process of the transport robot, the positioning deviation error value of the transport robot always exists and tends to converge over time until the transport robot reaches the ideal position.

[0254] It should be noted that the stacking status of the material boxes in the embodiment of the present application can be determined by using a 2D camera or a 3D camera to obtain images of the material boxes. The acquisition equipment can be set up separately or shared with the positioning process of the handling robot.

[0255] The embodiment of the present application determines whether the nesting of the material box group is safe by identifying the QR code on the outer surface of the material box or the outer contour of the material box. The recognition accuracy is high, which is conducive to reducing the difficulty of recognition and judgment and improving the safety of the handling robot operation.

[0256] The present application also provides a handling system including a first handling robot for handling material boxes. In some embodiments, the handling system further includes a shelf. The first handling robot can be implemented as the handling robot described in detail in the preceding embodiments, and the shelf can be implemented as the shelf 8 described in detail in the preceding embodiments. Therefore, their specific structures and handling operations are not further described here. This handling system also has at least the advantages mentioned in the preceding embodiments.

[0257] In some embodiments, the handling system further includes a second handling robot, which is used to carry the target material box on the first handling robot out of the warehouse. The second handling robot can be implemented as a robot different from the first handling robot, and its structure can be simpler than the first handling robot, and its handling speed can be faster. The second handling robot does not need to grab the target material box in the material box group. The second handling robot only needs to carry the material box carried out of the material box group by the first handling robot out of the warehouse or into the warehouse in a timely manner. The cooperation between the first and second robots is conducive to improving the efficiency of the material box in and out of the warehouse.

[0258] The present application also provides another embodiment of a telescopic arm mechanism, as well as a fork assembly and a handling robot using the telescopic arm mechanism, which are described below in conjunction with Figures 11 to 19. It should be noted that the functions of the telescopic arm mechanism, fork assembly, and handling robot in this embodiment, as well as the handling operations during the bin handling process, are identical to the functions and handling operations of the related components described above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 10 , so the following description focuses on the structural description. It should be understood that the telescopic arm mechanism of this embodiment can also be incorporated into the handling robot of the aforementioned embodiment, or in other words, replace the telescopic arm mechanism in the aforementioned embodiment, provided that no conflict exists.

[0259] 11 and 12 , the transport robot provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a fork assembly 10B, in which a telescopic arm mechanism 101B is installed. Referring to FIG13 , the telescopic arm mechanism 101B includes a side plate 1B, a telescopic assembly 2B, and a guide assembly 3B. The side plate 1B is used to be installed in the fork assembly 10B of the transport robot. The telescopic assembly 2B is used to lift the target material box and to extend and retract in a second direction relative to the side plate 1B. The second direction can be understood as the extension direction of the telescopic assembly 2B after extension, that is, the direction of the maximum size of the extended telescopic assembly 2B in the three-dimensional coordinate system. As shown in FIG13 , the second direction is represented as the X direction. It can be understood that the second direction X represents a collection of extension directions of parallel lines rather than the extension direction of a single line.

[0260] 13 and 14 , the guide assembly 3B is used to support at least the telescopic assembly 2B. The guide assembly 3B includes a plurality of first rollers 31B and a plurality of second rollers 32B spaced apart along the second direction X. Each first roller 31B and each second roller 32B is mounted on at least one of the telescopic assembly 2B and the side panel 1B, and rotates in contact with the other of the telescopic assembly 2B and the side panel 1B. In other words, the rotatable circumferential surfaces of the first rollers 31B and the second rollers 32B rotate in contact with the other of the telescopic assembly 2B and the side panel 1B. For example, the first rollers 31B and the second rollers 32B can be mounted on the side panel 1B, with their rotatable circumferential surfaces rotating in contact with the telescopic assembly 2B; or the first rollers 31B and the second rollers 32B can be mounted on the telescopic assembly 2B, with their rotatable circumferential surfaces rotating in contact with the side panel 1B. Regardless of the aforementioned configuration of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B, the telescopic assembly 2B can still drive the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B to roll during the telescopic assembly 2B's extension and retraction. On the one hand, the friction between the telescopic assembly 2B and the side panel 1B is rolling friction. Compared to sliding friction, rolling friction has a smaller contact area, thereby reducing the frictional force of the telescopic assembly 2B relative to the side panel 1B, allowing the telescopic assembly 2B to move smoothly in the second direction X. On the other hand, the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B support the telescopic assembly 2B at multiple locations along the second direction X, generating a longer support arm. This allows the guide assembly 3B to resist the load-bearing torque exerted on the telescopic assembly 2B with a greater support torque, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic assembly 2B. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the specific structure of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B. The structure of the first roller 31B and / or the second roller 32B includes but is not limited to bearings, balls, rollers and other structures, as long as the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B can roll with the extension and retraction of the telescopic component 2B.

[0261] Referring to Figure 13 , following the telescopic movement of the telescopic assembly 2B, each first roller 31B rotates about a first direction Y, and each second roller 32B rotates about a third direction Z. The first direction Y is perpendicular to the second direction X, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to both the second direction X and the first direction Y. The first direction Y can be understood as the horizontal direction perpendicular to the second direction X. Therefore, the third direction Z, which is perpendicular to both the second direction X and the first direction Y, can be understood as the vertical direction. It is understood that the warehouse floor is generally horizontal, so the horizontal direction is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Of course, the warehouse floor may have unevenness or slope in some areas, meaning that the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal. Therefore, the corresponding horizontal direction is not required to be absolutely horizontal, and the vertical direction is not required to be absolutely vertical. Errors in floor levelness, unevenness, and slope are allowed. As shown in Figure 13, the first direction is represented by the Y direction, and the third direction is represented by the Z direction. It should be understood that the first direction Y and the third direction Z each represent a set of parallel lines extending in a direction rather than a single line extending in a direction. That is, the first direction Y represents the set of directions extending along the central axis of rotation of all first rollers 31B, and the third direction Z represents the set of directions extending along the central axis of rotation of all second rollers 32B. To further explain the rotation direction of each roller and its supporting function for the telescopic assembly 2B, the direction of rotation about the second direction X is defined as Mx, the direction of rotation about the first direction Y is defined as My, and the direction of rotation about the third direction Z is defined as Mz. In other words, the first roller 31B rotates along My, and the second roller 32B rotates along Mz. It should be understood that the definitions of the first direction Y, the second direction X, and the third direction Z of this embodiment are the same as the first direction N1, the second direction N2, and the third direction N3 in the aforementioned embodiment, respectively.

[0262] 13 , the supporting arm of each first roller 31B for the telescopic assembly 2B (the line connecting the contact point between the first roller 31B and the telescopic assembly 2B and the rotation center of the first roller 31B) is in the third direction Z, and supports the telescopic assembly 2B at multiple positions along the second direction X to resist the bearing moment of the telescopic assembly 2B in the third direction Z and the direction My; the supporting arm of each second roller 32B for the telescopic assembly 2B (the line connecting the contact point between the second roller 32B and the telescopic assembly 2B and the rotation center of the second roller 32B) is in the third direction Z. The telescopic assembly 2B is supported in the first direction Y and at multiple positions along the second direction X to resist the load-bearing moments exerted on the telescopic assembly 2B in the first direction Y, the Mx direction, and the Mz direction. The rotation centers of the rollers are distributed in multiple directions, and the load-bearing moments exerted on the telescopic assembly 2B can be resisted with larger support force arms in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity and structural stability of the telescopic assembly 2B, facilitating the telescopic assembly 2B to stably extend and extend and accurately grasp the target material box, and also extending the service life of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B.

[0263] The present embodiment provides a telescopic arm mechanism 101B, comprising a side plate 1B, a telescopic assembly 2B, and a guide assembly 3B. The side plate 1B is mounted on a fork assembly 10B of a handling robot. The telescopic assembly 2B is telescopic relative to the side plate 1B in a second direction X, and the telescopic assembly 2B is used to lift a target container. The guide assembly 3B is used to at least support the telescopic assembly 2B. The guide assembly 3B includes a plurality of first rollers 31B and a plurality of second rollers 32B spaced apart along the second direction X. Each first roller 31B and each second roller 32B are mounted on at least one of the telescopic assembly 2B and the side plate 1B, and are in rolling contact with the other of the two. This means that the movement of the telescopic assembly 2B can cause each first roller 31B and each second roller 32B to roll. As the telescopic assembly 2B moves, each first roller 31B rotates about a first direction Y, and each second roller 32B rotates about a third direction Z. The first direction Y is perpendicular to the second direction X, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to both the second direction X and the first direction Y. The first roller 31B and the second roller 32B support the telescopic assembly 2B at multiple positions along the second direction X to generate a longer support arm. The first roller 31B rotating around the first direction Y resists the load-bearing moment of the telescopic assembly 2B in the third direction Z and around the first direction Y; the second roller 32B rotating around the third direction Z resists the load-bearing moment of the telescopic assembly 2B in the first direction Y, around the second direction X and around the third direction Z. Each roller provides support torque in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity and structural stability of the telescopic assembly 2B, enabling the telescopic assembly 2B to carry heavier target boxes without deformation, thereby extending the service life of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B and the accuracy of picking up and placing target boxes.

[0264] In some possible embodiments, referring to FIG. 14 , to improve the space utilization of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B, the first rollers 31B and the second rollers 32B may be arranged in a staggered manner. That is, at least some of the first rollers 31B may have one (or more) second rollers 32B between them, and / or at least some of the second rollers 32B may have one (or more) first rollers 31B between them. For example, if there are ten first rollers 31B, and these ten first rollers 31B create nine gaps, then each of the nine gaps may have one (or more) second rollers 32B. Alternatively, there may be no second roller 32B in the first gap, and one (or more) second rollers 32B may be provided in each of the remaining eight gaps. The first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are staggered to reduce the total length required for setting all the rollers, thereby reducing the size of the side plate 1B in the second direction X, improving the space utilization of the components in the telescopic arm mechanism 101B, and making the structure compact.

[0265] In some embodiments, referring to FIG13 , the side panel 1B is slidably connected to the telescopic assembly 2B via a first guide rail 4B. The first guide rail 4B can be connected to the first back panel 211B in the telescopic assembly 2B. It is understood that a guide rail is a standard component including a slider and a slot, and the slider can slide back and forth in the slot. For ease of understanding, referring to FIG14 and FIG15 , the slider and slot in the first guide rail 4B are defined as a first slider 43B and a first slot 44B, respectively. Then, the first slider 43B can be connected to the first back panel 211B, and the first slot 44B can be connected to the side panel 1B; or the first slider 43B can be connected to the side panel 1B, and the first slot 44B can be connected to the first back panel 211B. This application does not limit the specific installation position of the various components in the first guide rail 4B, as long as the telescopic assembly 2B can slide with the side panel 1B via the first guide rail 4B, thereby driving the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B to roll. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the first slide groove 44B is connected to the side plate 1B, and the first slider 43B is connected to the first back plate 211B. The first roller 31B and the second roller 32B support the first slide rail 4B in different directions, respectively, and resist the load-bearing torque applied to the first slide rail 4B in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby limiting the bending and torsional deformation of the first slide rail 4B in multiple degrees of freedom and improving the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic assembly 2B. Furthermore, because the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B support the telescopic assembly 2B, the size of the first slide rail 4B can be correspondingly reduced, thereby reducing the size of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B in the first direction Y, and thus reducing the width of the fork assembly 10B in the three-dimensional coordinate system. This reduces the weight of the fork assembly 10B, improving the mobility and operating efficiency of the transport robot.

[0266] 13 and 14 , the first slide rail 4B is provided with first rollers 31B at both opposite ends in the third direction Z. The third direction Z is the up-down direction in the schematic diagram of this application. That is, the first rollers 31B are distributed at the upper and lower ends of the first slide rail 4B to resist the load moments distributed in the third direction Z and the My direction. In the My direction, the supporting torque of the first rollers 31B at the upper end resists the load moment of upward rotation along My, and the supporting torque of the first rollers 31B at the lower end resists the load moment of downward rotation along My. The second roller 32B is located at least at one end of the first slide rail 4B in the third direction Z. That is, the second roller 32B can be located at the upper and / or lower end of the first slide rail 4B to resist the load moments distributed in the first direction Y, the Mx direction, and the Mz direction. In the embodiment where the second roller 32B is located at the upper end of the first slide rail 4B, each second roller 32B resists the load-bearing torque rotating upward along Mx; in the embodiment where the second roller 32B is located at the lower end of the first slide rail 4B, each second roller 32B resists the load-bearing torque rotating downward along Mx. To facilitate explanation of the second rollers 32B's resistance to the load-bearing torque in the Mz direction, the opposing ends of the first guide slot 44B mounted on the side panel 1B are defined as the first end 41B and the second end 42B. The telescopic assembly 2B reciprocates between the first end 41B and the second end 42B. The telescopic assembly 2B extends from the first end 41B toward the second end 42B (as shown in FIG13 ). The Mz direction is the direction of leftward or rightward rotation in the schematic diagram of FIG13 . Therefore, each second roller 32B near the first end 41B resists the load-bearing torque rotating rightward along the Mz direction, while each second roller 32B near the second end 42B generates a supporting torque resisting the load-bearing torque rotating leftward along the Mz direction. The first rollers 31B and the second rollers 32B support the first slide rail 4B in multiple degrees of freedom, allowing the telescopic assembly 2B to stably extend and retract along the second direction X, thereby improving the accuracy with which the telescopic assembly 2B can pick up and place a target bin.

[0267] In some possible embodiments, referring to Figures 14 and 15 , the first slide rail 4B can drive the first roller 31B to roll via a first reinforcing rib 5B. The first slide rail 4B is provided with first reinforcing ribs 5B at opposite ends in the third direction Z. That is, along the third direction Z, the first reinforcing ribs 5B are located between the first roller 31B and the first slide rail 4B. The rotatable circumferential surface of the first roller 31B abuts the first reinforcing rib 5B. The telescopic motion of the telescopic assembly 2B drives one of the first reinforcing rib 5B and the first roller 31B to move in the second direction X, generating rolling friction between the first reinforcing rib 5B and the first roller 31B, causing the first roller 31B to rotate about the first direction Y. This configuration reduces the risk of deformation of the first chute 44B in the first slide rail 4B under high load torque due to its thin wall thickness. This further increases the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B, enhances the structural stability of the telescopic assembly 2B, and thereby improves the accuracy of the handling robot in picking up and placing a target bin.

[0268] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 13 and 14 , among each first roller 31B and each second roller 32B, the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B at least at the second end 42B is greater than the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B at the first end 41B. Specifically, the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B at the second end 42B may be greater than the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B at the first end 41B, or the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B and two adjacent second rollers 32B at the second end 42B may be greater than the center distance between two adjacent first rollers 31B and two adjacent second rollers 32B at the first end 41B. Taking the example of the telescopic component 2B sliding from the first end 41B to the second end 42B, after the telescopic component 2B grabs the target material box toward the second end 42B, the weight of the target material box is mainly concentrated on the second end 42B, reducing the center distance of the first roller 31B (and the second roller 32B) at the second end 42B, so that a larger number of first rollers 31B (and the second roller 32B) can be distributed at the second end 42B, and the contact area between the first roller 31B (and the second roller 32B) at the second end 42B and the telescopic component 2B is increased, thereby increasing the supporting torque at the second end 42B to resist the larger load-bearing torque concentrated at the second end 42B, which is beneficial to improving the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic component 2B.

[0269] In some possible embodiments, referring to Figures 13 and 14 , two groups of first rollers 31B are distributed at the second end 42B, with a group of second rollers 32B disposed between the two groups of first rollers 31B. A group of first rollers 31B includes at least two first rollers 31B, with no second roller 32B between two adjacent first rollers 31B. Accordingly, a group of second rollers 32B includes at least two second rollers 32B, with no first roller 31B between two adjacent second rollers 32B. A group of first rollers 31B has a more compact center-to-center distance, and the supporting moments in different directions are more concentrated in their respective directions, resulting in smaller force components, thereby increasing the total supporting moments of the first rollers 31B (and the second rollers 32B) at the second end 42B.

[0270] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 14 and 15 , the telescopic assembly 2B includes at least a first telescopic arm 21B and a second telescopic arm 22B. The first telescopic arm 21B is slidably connected to the side plate 1B via a first slide rail 4B and is telescopic relative to the side plate 1B in the second direction X. The second telescopic arm 22B is slidably connected to the first telescopic arm 21B and is telescopic relative to the first telescopic arm 21B in the second direction X. In other words, the telescopic assembly 2B is capable of at least two stages of telescopic extension, and the telescopic arms at each stage are connected one-to-one. This ensures that the extended telescopic arm mechanism 101B has multiple connection points. This not only increases the range of motion of the telescopic assembly 2B in the second direction X, but also improves the load-bearing capacity and stability of the telescopic assembly 2B.

[0271] It should be noted that, with reference to FIG13 , the present application does not limit the specific structure for achieving the telescopic movement of the first telescopic arm 21B and the second telescopic arm 22B. For example, the first telescopic arm 21B and / or the second telescopic arm 22B may be driven by a sprocket 212B and a chain 213B, or by a synchronous pulley 223B and a synchronous belt 222B. Regardless of which of the above-mentioned embodiments is adopted, as long as the first telescopic arm 21B can be telescoped relative to the side plate 1B, and the second telescopic arm 22B can be telescoped relative to the first telescopic arm 21B, it is sufficient. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the first telescopic arm 21B is telescoped relative to the side plate 1B via the sprocket 212B and the chain 213B, and the second telescopic arm 22B is telescoped relative to the first telescopic arm 21B via the synchronous pulley 223B and the synchronous belt 222B.

[0272] Referring to Figure 13 , in some embodiments shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, a gripping mechanism 224B for gripping a target bin is connected to the second telescopic arm 22B. That is, in the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the telescopic arm mechanism 101B is a two-stage telescopic structure. The first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are mounted between the side panel 1B and the first back panel 211B of the first telescopic arm 21B. The first back panel 211B is fixed to a chain 213B, driving a sprocket 212B. The sprocket 212B drives the first back panel 211B via the chain 213B, causing the first telescopic arm 21B to extend or retract. The synchronous wheel 223B and the synchronous belt 222B are installed on the first back plate 211B, and the second back plate 221B of the second telescopic arm 22B is fixed on the synchronous belt 222B, driving the synchronous wheel 223B. The synchronous wheel 223B drives the second back plate 221B to move through the synchronous belt 222B, so that the second telescopic arm 22B drives the grasping mechanism 224B to extend or retract.

[0273] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 15 and 16 , the guide assembly 3B further includes a plurality of third rollers 33B and a plurality of fourth rollers 34B spaced apart along the second direction X. Each third roller 33B and each fourth roller 34B are mounted on at least one of the first telescopic arm 21B and the second telescopic arm 22B and are in rolling contact with the other of the first telescopic arm 21B and the second telescopic arm 22B. As the second telescopic arm 22B extends and retracts, the third rollers 33B rotate about the first direction Y, and the fourth rollers 34B rotate about the third direction Z. The first and second rollers 31B and 32B support the first telescopic arm 21B in multiple directions, while the third and fourth rollers 33B and 34B support the second telescopic arm 22B in multiple directions. Each telescopic arm is connected to a corresponding roller assembly that rotates in different directions, facilitating smooth extension of each telescopic arm and enabling each arm to resist load moments in multiple degrees of freedom. This improves the load-bearing capacity of each telescopic arm and enhances the accuracy of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B in retrieving and placing bins. It can be understood that when the telescopic arm mechanism 101B has a telescopic structure with more than two levels, such as the telescopic arm mechanism 101B can be telescopic in three levels, the first-level telescopic structure, the second-level telescopic structure and the third-level telescopic structure are all provided with roller groups that rotate with different directions as the rotation center.

[0274] It should be noted that the above description of the various embodiments tends to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments. The installation position and effect of the first roller 31B and the third roller 33B are the same as or similar to the installation position and effect of the second roller 32B and the fourth roller 34B. The two can refer to each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated in this article.

[0275] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 14 and 15 , the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are mounted on the side plate 1B and in rolling contact with the first telescopic arm 21B. The first telescopic arm 21B does not need to bear the weight of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B, thereby enhancing the carrying capacity of the first telescopic arm 21B for the target container. In this embodiment, the first reinforcing rib 5B is mounted on the first back plate 211B of the first telescopic arm 21B. The first back plate 211B drives the first reinforcing rib 5B to slide in the second direction X. Rolling friction is generated between the first reinforcing rib 5B and the first and second rollers 31B and 32B, thereby causing the first roller 31B to rotate about the first direction Y and the second roller 32B to rotate about the third direction Z. In some possible implementation schemes, referring to Figure 14, the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are arranged at opposite ends of the side plate 1B in the second direction X. Then, no matter how the first telescopic arm 21B is extended, the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B can abut the first telescopic arm 21B with a longer support force arm, thereby generating a larger supporting torque on the first telescopic arm 21B.

[0276] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 16 and 17 , the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B are mounted on the second back plate 221B of the second telescopic arm 22B and are in rolling contact with the first telescopic arm 21B. That is, the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B move with the second telescopic arm 22B in the second direction X. Therefore, the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B only need to be provided at the end of the second telescopic arm 22B connected to the first telescopic arm 21B after the second telescopic arm 22B is extended. A large number of third rollers 33B and fourth rollers 34B are not required. This reduces the deadweight of the second telescopic arm 22B carrying the third rollers 33B and fourth rollers 34B, thereby improving the carrying capacity of the second telescopic arm 22B for the target material box. In some possible embodiments, referring to Figure 16, the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B are arranged at one end of the second telescopic arm 22B in the second direction X to reduce the number of third rollers 33B and fourth rollers 34B, thereby reducing the total weight of the telescopic assembly 2B, so that the telescopic arm mechanism 101B transfers the load of the excess third rollers 33B and fourth rollers 34B to the target material box.

[0277] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 16 and 17, the first telescopic arm 21B is slidingly connected to the side panel 1B (as shown in Figure 13) through the second slide rail 6B, and the second slide rail 6B is provided with third rollers 33B at both opposite ends in the third direction Z, and the fourth roller 34B is located at at least one end of the second slide rail 6B in the third direction Z, wherein the second telescopic arm 22B is rotationally connected to the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B through the second slide rail 6B. For ease of understanding, the slider and the chute in the second slide rail 6B are defined as the second slider 61B and the second chute 62B, respectively. Then, the second slider 61B can be connected to the second back plate 221B of the second telescopic arm 22B, and the first chute 44B is connected to the first back plate 211B; or the first slider 43B can be connected to the first back plate 211B, and the first chute 44B is connected to the second back plate 221B. As long as the second telescopic arm 22B can slide with the first telescopic arm 21B through the second slide rail 6B, thereby driving the third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B to roll, it is sufficient. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the second chute 62B in the second slide rail 6B is fixed to the first back plate 211B, the second slider 61B is fixed to the second back plate 221B, and the second telescopic arm 22B drives the second slider 61B to slide back and forth in the second chute 62B. The third roller 33B and the fourth roller 34B support the first slide rail 4B in multiple directions, and can provide a supporting torque to resist the load-bearing torque of the second slide rail 6B in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby limiting the bending and torsional deformation of the second slide rail 6B in multiple degrees of freedom. The model of the second slide rail 6B can be adaptively reduced, thereby further reducing the size of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B in the first direction Y, and then reducing the width of the fork assembly 10B in the three-dimensional coordinate system, so as to improve the mobility and operating efficiency of the handling robot by reducing the weight of the fork assembly 10B.

[0278] In some possible embodiments, referring to Figures 16 and 17 , the second rail 6B can drive the third roller 33B to roll via a second reinforcing rib 7B. Second reinforcing ribs 7B are provided at opposite ends of the second rail 6B in the third direction Z. In other words, the rotatable circumferential surface of the third roller 33B abuts the second reinforcing rib 7B. The telescopic movement of the second telescopic arm 22B drives one of the second reinforcing rib 7B and the third roller 33B to move in the second direction X. Rolling friction is generated between the second reinforcing rib 7B and the third roller 33B, causing the third roller 33B to rotate about the first direction Y. This configuration reduces the risk of deformation of the second guide groove 62B in the second rail 6B under large load moments due to the thin wall thickness, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of the second telescopic arm 22B.

[0279] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 14 , the structural parameters of the first roller 31B are greater than the structural parameters of the second roller 32B, wherein the structural parameters are at least one of the volume of the same material and the stiffness of different materials. That is, when the volumes of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are the same, the material stiffness of the first roller 31B may be greater than the material stiffness of the second roller 32B; when the materials of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are the same and the stiffness of the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B are the same, the volume of the first roller 31B may be greater than the volume of the second roller 32B; of course, the material stiffness and volume of the first roller 31B may both be greater than those of the second roller 32B. It can be understood that the load borne by the first telescopic arm 21B is mainly concentrated in the third direction Z, that is, between the first roller 31B and the second roller 32B. It is mainly the supporting torque provided by the first roller 31B that resists the load torque borne by the first telescopic arm 21B. This arrangement makes the structural strength of the first roller 31B greater than the structural strength of the second roller 32B, so that the first roller 31B can resist a larger load.

[0280] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 14 to 16 , the structural parameters of the first roller 31B are greater than the structural parameters of the third roller 33B, where the structural parameter is at least one of the volume of the same material and the stiffness of the different materials. It is understood that, of the first telescopic arm 21B and the second telescopic arm 22B, the first telescopic arm 21B bears the weight of the target container and the weight of the second telescopic arm 22B, while the second telescopic arm 22B bears only the weight of the target container. Therefore, the structural strength of the first roller 31B is greater than that of the third roller 33B, further improving the load-bearing capacity of the first roller 31B while reducing the weight of the third roller 33B, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B.

[0281] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 18 , the first roller 31B and / or the second roller 32B can translate in the first direction Y, such that the first roller 31B is spaced apart from the first back plate 211B, the second roller 32B is spaced apart from the side plate 1B, and the circumferential surface of the second roller 32B abuts the first back plate 211B. There is no rolling friction between the second roller 32B and the side plate 1B, and no sliding friction between the first roller 31B and the first back plate 211B. Rolling friction exists only between the first roller 31B and the first back plate 211B, thereby improving the smoothness of movement of the first back plate 211B in the second direction X. The first roller 31B and / or the first roller 31B can translate in the first direction Y, such that the second roller 32B maintains rolling contact with the first back plate 211B. The first back plate 211B translates relative to the first roller 31B, driving the first roller 31B to rotate. Of course, the third roller 33B and / or the fourth roller 34B can also be translated in the first direction Y, so that the third roller 33B is spaced apart from the first back plate 211B, the fourth roller 34B is spaced apart from the second back plate 221B, and the circumferential surface of the fourth roller 34B abuts against the first back plate 211B. There is no rolling friction between the fourth roller 34B and the second back plate 221B, no sliding friction between the third roller 33B and the first back plate 211B, and only rolling friction exists between the fourth roller 34B and the first back plate 211B, thereby improving the smoothness of the movement of the first back plate 211B in the second direction X. The third roller 33B and / or the fourth roller 34B can translate in the first direction Y so that the fourth roller 34B maintains rolling contact with the first back plate 211B, and the second back plate 221B drives the fourth roller 34B to translate, so that the fourth roller 34B translates relative to the first back plate 211B, and the fourth roller 34B rotates during the translation process.

[0282] The embodiment of the present application further provides a fork assembly 10B. Referring to FIG. 12 , the fork assembly 10B includes the telescopic arm mechanism 101B described above. Since the telescopic arm mechanism 101B provided in the embodiment of the present application has a high load-bearing capacity, the fork assembly 10B has a high load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, since the telescopic arm mechanism 101B uses a guide assembly 3B, the number of first slide rails 4B and second slide rails 6B is reduced, so that the size of the telescopic arm mechanism 101B in the first direction Y is smaller, thereby reducing the width of the fork assembly 10B in the first direction Y, which is beneficial to reducing the volume and weight of the fork assembly 10B. The fork assembly 10B also includes a vertical plate 102B. Telescopic arm mechanisms 101B are provided in pairs at opposite ends of the vertical plate 102B in the first direction Y. The vertical plate 102B and each side plate 1B enclose a storage cavity 103B for storing a target material box. In other words, a telescopic arm mechanism 101B is connected to each of the left and right ends of the vertical plate 102B in FIG12 . These two paired telescopic arm mechanisms 101B form a group, thereby lifting the target material box at opposite positions. The vertical plate 102B is provided with two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B in pairs along the third direction Z. In some possible embodiments, the two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B may share a single side plate 1B (as shown in FIG13 ). Alternatively, the side plates 1B of the two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B may be formed separately. For ease of understanding, the two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B are defined as the first conveying mechanism and the second conveying mechanism, respectively, wherein the second conveying mechanism is located below the first conveying mechanism. The two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B are integrated in a storage cavity 103B and are modularly assembled with other components in the conveying robot (such as the column 30B). There is no need to assemble the two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B to the column 30B one by one, which reduces the cumulative error of the two sets of telescopic arm mechanisms 101B relative to the column 30B and improves the accuracy of the fork assembly 10B in picking up and placing the material box.

[0283] Referring to FIG12 , the second transport mechanism is used to carry the target bin, and the first transport mechanism is used to carry the bin group above the target bin, wherein the bin group includes at least one bin. That is, in the embodiment of the present application, multiple bins are stacked in the vertical direction to form a row of bins, and multiple rows of bins can be stored in the warehouse. The stacking of multiple bins means that the stacking of adjacent bins in each group does not require the use of shelves to support the stacking, and the adjacent bins in the same row are at least partially in contact in the vertical direction, thereby increasing the storage capacity of the warehouse. It should be noted that, depending on the application scenario, the fork assembly 10B can control the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism to extend simultaneously (as shown in FIG12 ), or to control the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism to retract simultaneously (as shown in FIG11 ), or to control one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism to extend and the other to retract (as shown in FIG19 ). The present application does not limit the specific operation mode of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism, as long as the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism can cooperate to achieve the picking and placing of the target bin.

[0284] The present application also provides a transport robot, as shown in FIG11 . The transport robot includes the fork assembly 10B. As can be seen from the fork assembly 10B, the fork assembly 10B is relatively small in size and light in weight, which is beneficial for improving the mobility and operating efficiency of the transport robot. Furthermore, because multiple telescopic arm mechanisms 101B are modularly assembled in the fork assembly 10B, the fork assembly 10B has a compact structure, which helps reduce the cumulative error of each telescopic arm mechanism 101B assembled in other components of the transport robot (such as the column 30B), thereby improving the accuracy of the transport robot in picking up and placing material boxes using the fork assembly 10B. The transport robot also includes a mobile chassis 20B, a column 30B, and a rotating mechanism 40B. The mobile chassis 20B is provided with rollers on the side close to the ground. The mobile chassis 20B can be driven by the rollers to move on the warehouse floor, thereby allowing the transport robot to drive the target material box to move in the horizontal direction. In response to a target bin's inbound or outbound instruction, the rollers of the mobile chassis 20B are driven to move, causing the handling robot to move to a position close to the target bin or to the location where the target bin is to be inbound, based on the position information in the instruction. It will be understood that under normal operating conditions, the ground or other surface on which the mobile chassis 20B moves is horizontal. However, this does not necessarily mean that the horizontal surface needs to be absolutely level. The horizontal surface allows for unevenness in the ground and slopes, as long as it is generally level under normal operating conditions.

[0285] Referring to Figure 11 , the column 30B extends along the third direction Z, and one end of the column 30B is fixed to the mobile chassis 20B. Referring to Figure 9 , the rotating mechanism 40B is connected to the column 30B and can be raised and lowered relative to the column 30B along the third direction Z. The fork assembly 10B is rotatably connected to the rotating mechanism 40B. In other words, the fork assembly 10B is assembled to the column 30B via the rotating mechanism 40B. The rotating mechanism 40B can drive the fork assembly 10B to rise and fall in the third direction Z, allowing the fork assembly 10B to move to any height to access the target container. The fork assembly 10B can rotate in the Mz direction, allowing the telescopic arm mechanism 101B to extend and retract in any horizontal direction, thereby accommodating the target container at a variety of positions and angles.

[0286] In conjunction with Figures 11 to 19, the implementation principle of the handling robot in the embodiment of the present application in handling the boxes to be shipped out in a specific scenario is explained. It should be noted that the aforementioned "specific scenario" means that the handling robot without carrying any boxes receives an outbound instruction, which instructs the handling robot to move the target box in the middle layer of the entire row of boxes out of the designated location in the warehouse. For example, the entire row of boxes has ten layers, and the outbound instruction requires the handling of the boxes on the third layer.

[0287] After receiving the outbound instruction, the transport robot drives the rollers to rotate, and the transport robot navigates to a position near the target bin in the warehouse. Based on the height position information of the target bin, the transport robot raises and lowers the rotating mechanism 40B in the third direction Z, so that the fork assembly 10B rises to the height of the bin on the third floor. The transport robot scans the 2D or 3D position information of the target bin to align the two transport mechanisms with the target bin: the angular deviation of the fork assembly 10B in the Mz direction is adjusted by the rotating mechanism 40B. Then, the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism extend together in the second direction X, and the gripping mechanisms 224B in the first and second transport mechanisms protrude in the first direction Y. The first transport mechanism transports the bin group above the target bin, and the second transport mechanism transports the target bin.

[0288] The rotating mechanism 40B then raises the fork assembly 10B to a certain height, separating the target bin from the group of bins below it. The first transport mechanism then remains extended, while the second transport mechanism retracts into the storage chamber 103B. The fork assembly 10B descends, allowing the group of bins above the target bin to re-stack with the storage bins below it, completing the process of grabbing the target bin.

[0289] The embodiment of the present application also provides a material box storage mechanism and a handling robot using the material box storage mechanism, which are described below in conjunction with Figures 20 to 25.

[0290] An embodiment of the present application provides a material box storage mechanism 10C. Referring to FIG. 20 , the material box storage mechanism 10C is installed in a handling robot. In some embodiments, the material box storage mechanism 10C can be used in the handling robot of the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 10 . Specifically, the material box storage mechanism 10C can replace the structure for temporarily storing material boxes at the cache position 22 of the handling robot of FIG. 4 . It should be noted that the front-to-back direction defined in this embodiment corresponds to the N1 direction and the Y direction in the aforementioned embodiment, the left-to-right direction corresponds to the N2 direction and the X direction in the aforementioned embodiment, and the up-down direction corresponds to the N3 direction and the Z direction in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0291] 21 and 22 , the material box storage mechanism 10C includes a storage rack 1C, a position limiting member 2C, and a drive assembly 3C. The storage rack 1C has a storage space 11C for accommodating material boxes and at least a transfer port 12C for feeding material boxes into the storage space 11C. That is, the transfer port 12C is at least the entrance for material boxes to enter the storage space 11C. Material boxes can be transported out of the storage space 11C via the transfer port 12C, or they can be transported out of the storage space 11C via another exit opposite the transfer port 12C. It should be noted that both the storage space 11C and the transfer port 12C are virtual spaces, wherein the storage space 11C represents a blank area without shelves or cabinets, so that multiple material boxes can be stacked vertically to form a row of material boxes. The stacking of bins means that the stacking of bins does not require the use of shelves or cabinet boards for support. The surfaces of adjacent bins in the same row at least partially contact each other in the vertical direction. For simplicity, the bins located in the storage space 11C can be understood as stacked bins, which include one or more bins. It is understandable that the floor of a warehouse is generally a horizontal plane, so the horizontal direction is the direction parallel to the horizontal plane, and the vertical direction is the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Of course, the floor of a warehouse may have bumps or slopes in some areas, that is, the horizontal plane is not required to be absolutely horizontal. Then, the corresponding horizontal direction is not required to be absolutely horizontal, and the vertical direction is not required to be absolutely vertical. It is allowed that the ground levelness error, ground bumps and ground slopes exist, as long as they are roughly horizontal and vertical under normal use.

[0292] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the stacking of the bins within the storage space 11C. For example, in two adjacent bins, the bottom surface of the upper bin may be in contact with the top surface of the lower bin. In some possible implementations, the two adjacent bins may be nested, such as each bin having a retaining groove at the top, with the upper bin placed within the retaining groove of the lower bin. This arrangement reduces the total height of the entire row of stacked bins, facilitates the storage of a larger number of bins within the storage space 11C, and increases the storage capacity of the bin storage mechanism 10C. Furthermore, the nested arrangement of the two adjacent bins provides mutual barriers, which facilitates the stable placement of the stacked bins within the storage space 11C.

[0293] Referring to Figure 20 , the limiting member 2C is used to abut against the stacking bin to define the storage position of the stacking bin, ensuring that the stacking bin is stably placed within the storage space 11C, thereby reducing the possibility of the stacking bin tipping over during movement of the handling robot. Referring to Figures 21 and 22 , the drive assembly 3C is connected to the storage rack 1C and to the limiting member 2C. The drive assembly 3C is at least used to drive the limiting member 2C away from the stacking bin to release the limiting member 2C from the stacking bin. When the handling robot delivers a stack of bins into the storage space 11C, the limiter 2C separates from the stacking bins (as shown in FIG21 ), and the limiter 2C does not affect the stacking action of the handling robot. During the movement of the handling robot, the limiter 2C abuts against the stacking bins (as shown in FIG22 ) to limit the freedom of movement of the stacking bins and reduce the possibility of the stacking bins tipping over. This allows a larger number of bins to be stably stored in the storage space 11C, thereby increasing the storage capacity in the storage space 11C and improving the handling stability of the handling robot. In addition, because the limiter 2C has a relative position change, it can abut against stacking bins of different heights. When the bin storage mechanism 10C stores bins of different sizes, it only needs to replace or adjust the limiter 2C accordingly, without adjusting the size of the storage rack 1C, so that the bin storage mechanism 10C can flexibly store bins of different sizes.

[0294] Specifically, the drive assembly 3C can drive the limiting member 2C to engage and disengage with the stacking bin. For example, the drive assembly 3C can be located at the bottom of the storage rack 1C, and the limiting member 2C can be configured as a panel surrounding the stacking bin. The drive assembly 3C drives the limiting member 2C to reciprocate vertically. When the limiting member 2C moves upward, the side of the stacking bin of the limiting member 2C abuts against the bin and gradually rises, thereby enabling the limiting member 2C to engage with and disengage from the stacking bin at different heights. When the limiting member 2C moves downward, the limiting member 2C gradually separates from the stacking bin. The driving component 3C can also only drive the limiter 2C to separate from the stacking box. For example, the driving component 3C can also be set on the side of the storage rack 1C. When separating from the stacking box, the limiter 2C extends in the vertical direction and abuts against the storage rack 1C through a spring. The rebound force of the spring drives the limiter 2C to swing from top to bottom, so that the limiter 2C abuts against the stacking box; then, the driving component 3C drives the limiter 2C to swing from bottom to top and return to the vertical extension state to separate from the stacking box. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the form in which the driving component 3C drives the limiter 2C, nor does it limit the movement mode of the limiter 2C. As long as the limiter 2C can abut against the stacking box to limit the position of the stacking box, and the driving component 3C can drive the limiter 2C to separate from the stacking box, it is sufficient.

[0295] The embodiment of the present application provides a material box storage mechanism 10C, which includes a storage rack 1C, a limiter 2C and a drive assembly 3C. The storage rack 1C has a storage space 11C for accommodating material boxes and at least a transport port 12C for feeding material boxes into the storage space 11C. The material boxes are stacked in the storage space 11C to form stacked material boxes. The limiter 2C is used to abut against the stacking material boxes to limit the storage position of the stacking material boxes. The drive assembly 3C is connected to the storage rack 1C and to the limiter 2C. The drive assembly 3C is at least used to drive the limiter 2C to separate from the stacking material box to release the limiter 2C on the stacking material box. With this arrangement, when the transport robot delivers the material box stack into the storage space 11C, the drive assembly 3C drives the limiter 2C to separate from the stacking material box, which does not affect the transport robot's stacking action in the storage space 11C. During the movement of the transport robot, the limiter 2C abuts against the stacking box to limit the freedom of movement of the stacking box, reduce the possibility of the stacking box tipping over, improve the stability of the transport robot's handling, and also allow a larger number of boxes to be stably stored in the storage space 11C, thereby increasing the storage capacity in the storage space 11C.

[0296] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 21 and 22, a stopper 2C is movably disposed within the storage space 11C and connected to the top of the storage rack 1C. That is, the stopper 2C is raised and lowered in the vertical direction to switch between a restricted state and a retracted state. Depending on the height of the stacking bins, the drive assembly 3C adaptively changes the relative vertical position of the stopper 2C, enabling the stopper 2C to abut against stacking bins of varying heights. In the retracted state (as shown in Figure 21), the drive assembly 3C drives the stopper 2C to rise and separate from the stacking bins. That is, the stopper 2C moves from top to bottom when switching from the retracted state to the restricted state. In some other embodiments, the stopper moves from bottom to top until it abuts against the stacking bins. It is understood that in order to minimize the frequency with which the transport robot must move back and forth to place bins, a larger number of bins must be stored in the storage space. The higher the stacking bins, the longer the travel distance for the stopper to reach the top bin is, making it more difficult for the transport robot to abut against the stacking bins in a timely manner when the transport robot is activated. The limiting member 2C in the embodiment of the present application moves from top to bottom until it abuts the stacking box. The travel of the limiting member 2C to the topmost box is relatively short, which facilitates the limiting member 2C to quickly switch to the limiting state to achieve the limitation of the stacking box, reducing the possibility of the stacking box tipping over due to the limiting member 2C failing to abut the stacking box in time when the transport robot switches from the standby state to the mobile state.

[0297] As shown in Figure 22, in the restricted state, the limiter 2C automatically descends and covers the corresponding stacking bin. That is, when the limiter 2C switches from the retracted state to the restricted state, the drive assembly 3C does not provide a power source, and the limiter 2C automatically descends due to gravity, saving energy consumption by the drive assembly 3C. Furthermore, because the limiter 2C is not subject to the braking torque of the drive assembly 3C during its descent, the limiter 2C descends at a relatively high speed, allowing the limiter 2C to quickly abut against the stacking bin and block it. This allows the transport robot to quickly switch from the standby state to the mobile state, thereby quickly transporting the bin to the designated location and improving the transport robot's operating efficiency.

[0298] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 22 and 23 , the drive assembly 3C includes a drive member 31C, a roller 32C, and a traction member 33C. The drive member 31C is mounted on the storage rack 1C, the roller 32C is connected to the drive member 31C, and the traction member 33C is wound around the roller 32C. One end of the traction member 33C is connected to the roller 32C, and the other end is connected to the stop member 2C. It should be understood that the extension direction of the traction member 33C represents the length direction of the traction member 33C, that is, the direction of the maximum dimension of the traction member 33C in the three-dimensional coordinate system. In the schematic diagram of the present application, the extension direction of the traction member 33C is the vertical direction, that is, the upper end of the traction member 33C is wound around the roller 32C, and the lower end of the traction member 33C is connected to the stop member 2C. When the stop member 2C descends, the stop member 2C drives the roller 32C to unwind via the traction member 33C, thereby driving the drive member 31C to rotate. In other words, during the descent of the stopper 2C, the driver 31C provides no driving force and no braking torque to the roller 32C. This eliminates the need for connecting the driver 31C to tension control components such as a magnetic powder brake or clutch, simplifying the structure of the driver 31C and eliminating the need for tension control components in the drive assembly 3C. This arrangement eliminates the need for the traction member 33C to maintain constant tension during the descent of the stopper 2C. The stopper 2C is not subject to braking torque throughout its descent, resulting in a faster descent speed. This facilitates the rapid transition of the transport robot from standby to mobile mode, enabling rapid response and improving operational efficiency.

[0299] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 20 and 21, the storage rack 1C includes a first column group 13C and a second column group 14C that are spaced apart and extend vertically. The first column group 13C includes two first columns 131C that are spaced apart from each other, and the second column group 14C includes two second columns 141C that are spaced apart from each other. That is, the two first columns 131C and the two second columns 141C are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the limiting member 2C. The transfer port 12C is formed between the two second columns 141C, that is, the material box enters the storage space 11C in the direction from the first column 131C to the second column 141C. The storage space 11C is formed between the two first columns 131C and the two second columns 141C, that is, the first columns 131C and the second columns 141C enclose the outside of the storage space 11C. This arrangement makes the storage rack 1C a frame structure, saving the manufacturing materials of the storage rack 1C. The first column group 13C and the second column group 14C work together to enclose a prism-like space. The four columns respectively support the material box at a corner of the space to further prevent the stacked material boxes from tipping over outside the limit member 2C, thereby further reducing the possibility of the stacked material boxes tipping over.

[0300] In some embodiments, referring to FIG22 , the material box storage mechanism 10C further includes a guide member 4C having one end (left end) connected to the limit member 2C, and the other end (right end) of the guide member 4C is slidably connected to the third column 151C of the storage rack 1C. The third column 151C is disposed adjacent to the first column 131C and / or the second column 141C, that is, the third column 151C can be disposed on a side of the first column 131C away from the second column 141C (the front side of the first column 131C), the third column 151C can be disposed on a side of the second column 141C away from the first column 131C (the rear side of the second column 141C), or the third column 151C can be disposed between the first column 131C and the second column 141C. The guide member 4C is slidably connected to the third column 151C to reduce the possibility of the limit member 2C being displaced forward and backward during the lifting process, so that the limit member 2C slides linearly in the vertical direction, making it easier for the limit member 2C to accurately abut the corresponding position on the stacking box to stably block the stacking box.

[0301] In some embodiments, referring to FIG22 , guide members 4C are connected to opposite sides of the position limiter 2C. The two guide members 4C are slidably connected to two opposing third posts 151C. The two guide members 4C symmetrically limit the position of the position limiter 2C in the left-right direction as shown in FIG22 . The left and right ends of the position limiter 2C are evenly supported by the support torque of the guide members 4C, reducing the possibility of the position limiter 2C tilting up and down during sliding and improving the stability of the position limiter 2C sliding in a straight line in the vertical direction. The two opposing and spaced third posts 151C form a third post group 15C, wherein the third post group 15C is located between the first post group 13C and the second post group 14C. In other words, the support torque of the guide members 4C for the position limiter 2C is located between the first post group 13C and the second post group 14C. From the above, it can be seen that the material box is sent into the storage space 11C along the direction from the first column group 13C to the second column group 14C, so one end (front end) of the limiting member 2C is between the two first columns 131C, and the other end (rear end) of the limiting member 2C is between the two second columns 141C. Then the opposite ends of the stacking material box in the sending direction (front and back direction) are respectively between the first column 131C and the second column 141C. That is to say, the position where the stacking box applies torque to one end (front end) of the limit member 2C is between the two first columns 131C, and the position where the stacking box applies torque to the other end (rear end) of the limit member 2C is between the two second columns 141C. The guide member 4C limits the limit member 2C between the first column group 13C and the second column group 14C, so that the distance from the support point of the limit member 2C to the first column 131C and the second column 141C is small, that is, the distance from the support position of the limit member 2C supported by the guide member 4C to both ends is small, thereby reducing the force arm of the torque applied by the stacking box to the limit member 2C, reducing the possibility of the limit member 2C flipping upward and / or downward in the front-to-back direction, thereby reducing the possibility of the stacking box wanting to detach from one end (and / or the other end) of the limit member 2C, and the limit member 2C stably limits the stacking box, thereby improving the handling stability of the handling robot.

[0302] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 23 and 24, the guide member 4C includes a connecting plate 41C, a first roller 42C, a second roller 43C, and a third roller 44C. The connecting plate 41C is connected to the stopper 2C, and the first roller 42C, the second roller 43C, and the third roller 44C are all mounted on the connecting plate 41C. The first roller 42C is in rolling connection with the first side surface 1511C of the third column 151C, the second roller 43C is in rolling connection with the second side surface 1512C of the third column 151C, and the third roller 44C is in rolling connection with the third side surface 1513C of the third column 151C. Furthermore, compared to sliding friction, rolling friction has a smaller contact area, which facilitates smooth sliding of the stopper 2C relative to the third column 151C.

[0303] Specifically, referring to Figures 22 and 24 , the cross-section of the third column 151C perpendicular to its length (the vertical direction as shown in the schematic diagram) is rectangular, meaning that the third column 151C has four side surfaces. The first side surface 1511C faces the interior of the transfer port 12C, meaning that the first side surface is the inner side surface of the third column 151C. The second side surface 1512C and the third side surface 1513C are two surfaces connected to the first side surface 1511C. In the schematic diagrams of this application, the first side surface 1511C is the inner side surface of the third column 151C in the left-right direction, while the second side surface 1512C and the third side surface 1513C are the opposing sides of the third column 151C in the front-back direction. Two opposing first rollers 42C abut the first side surface 1511C to limit the freedom of movement of the stopper 2C in the left-right direction. The second roller 43C abuts the second side surface 1512C, and the third roller 44C abuts the third side surface 1513C to limit the freedom of movement of the stopper 2C in the front-back direction. Each roller limits the position of the limit member 2C in multiple degrees of freedom, so that the limit member 2C can slide straightly in the vertical direction; and each roller provides a supporting torque to the limit member 2C in multiple degrees of freedom, thereby improving the carrying capacity of the limit member 2C, reducing the possibility of the limit member 2C being bent and twisted by the large tipping force of the stacking box, improving the structural strength of the limit member 2C, and enhancing the blocking ability of the limit member 2C for the stacking box.

[0304] In some possible implementation schemes, a plurality of first rollers 42C, second rollers 43C and third rollers 44C may be provided so that the guide member 4C abuts against the third column 151C at multiple positions, thereby increasing the support arm of the guide member 4C on the limit member 2C, and further increasing the support torque of the guide member 4C on the limit member 2C, so as to further improve the load-bearing capacity of the limit member 2C.

[0305] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 22 and 23, the limiting member 2C includes a top plate 21C and side plates 22C. The top plate 21C is used to abut against the top surface of the stacking box. It can be understood that the aforementioned "top surface of the stacking box" refers to the top surface of the box located at the top layer in the stacking box. The side plates 22C extend in the direction in which the top plate 21C descends, that is, the side plates 22C protrude from the lower end of the top plate 21C. The side plates 22C are at least arranged on both sides of the top plate 21C and are arranged opposite to the conveying port 12C, that is, the side plates 22C are at least parallel and spaced apart from the conveying port 12C. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, at least two side plates 22C are arranged in the front-to-back direction to at least abut against the two ends of the stacking box in the front-to-back direction.

[0306] In some possible implementations, the side panels 22C protrude from the periphery of the top panel 21C. The space formed by the four side panels 22C is at least large enough to accommodate the stacking bin. Thus, the four side panels 22C respectively abut against the four sides of the stacking bin, blocking the stacking bin in all four directions. The stacking bin's freedom of movement in all four directions is restricted, resulting in high stability and resistance to tipping.

[0307] Referring to Figure 23 , the traction member 33C is connected to the top plate 21C and / or the side plate 22C. The traction member 33C can be connected to the top plate 21C, the side plate 22C, or both. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of this application, the traction member 33C is connected to the top plate 21C. The position-limiting member 2C further includes a clamping plate 23C located above the top plate 21C. The lower end of the traction member 33C is clamped between the clamping plate 23C and the top plate 21C, allowing the position-limiting member 2C to be separated from the traction member 33C, thereby facilitating replacement of position-limiting members 2C of different sizes for bins of different sizes.

[0308] The present application also provides a transport robot, as shown in FIG20 . The transport robot includes the aforementioned bin storage mechanism 10C. The transport robot also includes a mobile chassis 20C, a lifting assembly 40C, and a fork assembly 30C. The mobile chassis 20C is provided with rollers on the side close to the ground. The rollers can be driven to move the mobile chassis 20C on the warehouse floor, thereby allowing the transport robot to move the target bin horizontally. In response to a storage instruction or a removal instruction for the target bin, the rollers of the mobile chassis 20C can be driven to move, causing the transport robot to move to a position close to the target bin or to a position near the location where the target bin is to be stored, according to the position information in the instruction.

[0309] Referring to Figure 20 , a mobile chassis 20C has a stacking area 201C for placing material bins. A material bin storage mechanism 10C is located within the stacking area 201C, and a storage rack 1C is at least partially fixed to the mobile chassis 20C. For example, the first column group 13C, the second column group 14C, and the third column group 15C are all fixed to the mobile chassis 20C. Alternatively, any one or two of the first column group 13C, the second column group 14C, and the third column group 15C may be fixed to the mobile chassis 20C. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, referring to Figure 20 , the first column group 13C and the second column group 14C are fixed to the mobile chassis 20C, and the third column group 15C is fixed to the first column group 13C and the second column group 14C. It can be understood that the stacking area 201C represents a virtual space. Specifically, the stacking area 201C represents a side of the mobile chassis 20C that can support the bottom surface of the stacking box. In Figure 20, the top surface of the mobile chassis 20C on the front side is the stacking area 201C.

[0310] Referring to Figures 20 and 21 , the lifting assembly 40C includes a drive structure 401C and a transmission structure 402C. Both the drive structure 401C and the transmission structure 402C may be mounted on the storage rack 1C, or the drive structure 401C may be mounted on the mobile chassis 20C and the transmission structure 402C may be mounted on the storage rack 1C, such that the lifting assembly 40C is partially mounted on the storage rack 1C. Referring to Figure 20 , the stacking area 201C is located on one side of the lifting assembly 40C, and the fork assembly 30C is located on the other side of the lifting assembly 40C and is used to move the bins through the transfer port 12C to the stacking area 201C for stacking. In other words, the lifting assembly 40C is located between the stacking area 201C and the fork assembly 30C, meaning that the lifting assembly 40C is mounted on the second column assembly 14C.

[0311] Specifically, referring to Figure 21, the driving structure 401C of the lifting assembly 40C is located at the top of the first column group 13C and is adjacent to the driving assembly 3C of the bin storage mechanism 10C. The transmission structure 402C of the lifting assembly 40C extends from the top of the second column group 14C to the bottom of the second column group 14C. This arrangement allows the circuit layout of the lifting assembly 40C to be adjacent to the circuit layout of the bin storage mechanism 10C, facilitating the integrated circuit layout of the two components. It also allows the circuits in the lifting assembly 40C and the circuits in the bin storage mechanism 10C to be concentrated at the top of the storage rack 1C. The two share the same location for wiring and circuit connection. This compact structure does not require additional space, resulting in a high space utilization rate for the transport robot and facilitating the reduction of the height and volume of the transport robot.

[0312] 20 , the fork assembly 30C is connected to the transmission structure 402C of the lifting assembly 40C. The lifting assembly 40C is used to drive the fork assembly 30C to move in the vertical direction relative to the storage rack 1C. The transmission structure 402C in the lifting assembly 40C includes but is not limited to roller wire ropes, synchronous wheel and synchronous belt 423, sprocket chain and other structures. The present application does not limit the specific structure of the lifting assembly 40C, as long as the lifting assembly 40C can make the fork assembly 30C rise and fall relative to the storage rack 1C. Specifically, in the implementation shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, referring to Figure 21, the driving structure 401C in the lifting assembly 40C is a servo motor, and the transmission structure 402C includes an active synchronous wheel 421C, a driven synchronous wheel 422C, a synchronous belt 423C and a slider 424C connected to the synchronous belt 423C. The fork assembly 30C is fixed on the slider 424C (as shown in Figure 20). After the driving structure 401C is driven, the active synchronous wheel 421C and the driven synchronous wheel 422C drive the synchronous belt 423C to rotate, and the slider 424C drives the fork assembly 30C to rise and fall in the vertical direction.

[0313] As can be seen from the above description, referring to FIG20 , the position limiting member 2C in the improved material box storage mechanism 10C of the embodiment of the present application can abut against the stacking material box to limit the position of the stacking material box, thereby reducing the possibility of the stacking material box tipping over during the movement of the mobile chassis 20C. Moreover, because the stacking material box is limited by the position limiting member 2C, it has a higher stability. The fork assembly 30C can stack a larger number of material boxes in the stacking area 201C, thereby increasing the storage capacity in the stacking area 201C and reducing the frequency of the mobile chassis 20C frequently moving back and forth to place the stacking material boxes. In addition, because the position limiting member 2C can automatically descend to cover the stacking material box, the position limiting of the stacking material box can be achieved more quickly, facilitating the rapid response of the handling robot to execute the movement command to transport the stacking material box to the designated location, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the handling robot.

[0314] In some possible implementations, referring to FIG. 25 , the fork assembly 30C includes a rotating mechanism 301C connected to the lifting assembly 40C and a transport fork 302C rotatably connected to the rotating mechanism 301C. This allows the transport fork 302C to be rotated in any horizontal direction (front, back, left, and right) to retrieve and place bins, making the transport robot suitable for use in a variety of scenarios. After the mobile chassis 20C transports the stacked bins to a designated location, the fork assembly 30C can be used to remove the bins from the stacking area 201C and place them in the designated location, thereby improving the operational flexibility of the transport robot and fully utilizing its capabilities.

[0315] In some embodiments, referring to FIG20 , the mobile chassis 20C is provided with a positioning structure 202C located within the stacking area 201C and used to define the position of the stacking bin. The positioning structure 202C can be a rib protruding from the mobile chassis 20C or a groove recessed into the mobile chassis 20C. The present application does not limit the specific type of positioning structure 202C, as long as the positioning structure 202C can limit the position of the stacking bin. In the embodiment shown in the schematic diagram of the present application, the positioning structure 202C is a rib protruding from the top surface of the mobile chassis 20C, and there are four positioning structures 202C that abut against the four sides of the stacking bin. This arrangement allows the positioning structure 202C to abut the bottom of the stacking bin, and the limiting member 2C to abut the top of the stacking bin. The positioning structure 202C cooperates with the limiting member 2C to abut against the opposite ends of the stacking bin in the vertical direction, thereby supporting the upper and lower ends of the stacking bin and further reducing the possibility of the stacking bin tipping over.

[0316] In some embodiments, at least one positioning structure 202C is opposite to the transport port 12C and abuts against the side of the stacking box away from the fork assembly 30C. That is, at least one positioning structure 202C can abut against the stacking box at one end that is fed in the feeding direction of the fork assembly 30C (the front and rear direction shown in Figure 20). On the one hand, the fork assembly 30C can accurately feed the box into the storage space 11C. On the other hand, the positioning structure 202C can also abut against one end (front end) of the stacking box, and the fork assembly 30C can abut against the other end (right end) of the stacking box. The opposite ends of the stacking box are limited between the positioning structure 202C and the fork assembly 30C, and the stability is relatively high.

[0317] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A fork assembly for transporting a robot, characterized in that: The fork assembly comprises: A storage chamber is provided inside the storage chamber, and at least one end of the storage chamber is open; a first transport mechanism disposed in the storage chamber, the first transport mechanism being extendable in a horizontal direction to transport a material box group above a target material box, the material box group including at least one material box; The second transport mechanism is disposed in the storage cavity and is located below the first transport mechanism. The second transport mechanism can be extended and retracted in a horizontal direction to carry the target material box to the storage cavity.

2. The fork assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism is movable in a vertical direction.

3. The fork assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fork assembly further comprises: The lifting mechanism is used to drive the second transport mechanism to move in the vertical direction relative to the first transport mechanism, and the vertical stroke length of the second transport mechanism is greater than the nesting height between adjacent material boxes.

4. The fork assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises: Slide rails are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the warehouse body in a target direction, the target direction is in the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the extension and retraction direction of the second transport mechanism; the slide rails extend in the vertical direction, and the second transport mechanism is movably connected to the slide rails; a first driving member, configured to drive the second transport mechanism to move in a vertical direction relative to the slide rail; Wherein, the length of the slide rail is greater than the nesting height between adjacent material boxes.

5. The fork assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area between the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism can accommodate one or more material boxes.

6. The fork assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fork assembly includes a vertical plate, and at least one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism includes two telescopic arm mechanisms arranged in pairs, the two telescopic arm mechanisms are arranged at opposite ends of the vertical plate, and the telescopic arm mechanisms include: a side plate, adapted to be mounted in the fork assembly; a telescopic assembly, which is telescopic relative to the side plate in a second direction for lifting the target material box, wherein the second direction is the horizontal direction; and a guide assembly, at least for supporting the telescopic assembly, the guide assembly comprising a plurality of first rollers and a plurality of second rollers spaced apart along the second direction, each of the first rollers and each of the second rollers being mounted on at least one of the telescopic assembly and the side plate and in rolling contact with the other of the telescopic assembly and the side plate; Wherein, as the telescopic assembly moves, each of the first rollers rotates with a first direction as a rotation center, and each of the second rollers rotates with a third direction as a rotation center, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; The vertical plate and the side plate enclose the storage cavity for storing the target material box.

7. The fork assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The side panel is slidably connected to the telescopic assembly through a first slide rail, and the first slide rail is provided with the first roller at both opposite ends in the third direction, and the second roller is located at at least one end of the first slide rail in the third direction; wherein, the telescopic assembly is rotatably connected to the first roller and the second roller through the first slide rail.

8. The fork assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The telescopic assembly slides back and forth between the first end and the second end of the first slide rail, wherein the first end and the second end are mounted on the side panel; and among each of the first rollers and each of the second rollers, at least the center distance between two adjacent first rollers located at the second end is greater than the center distance between two adjacent first rollers located at the first end.

9. The fork assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The telescopic assembly includes at least a first telescopic arm and a second telescopic arm, the first telescopic arm is slidably connected to the side plate through the first slide rail, and is telescopic in the second direction relative to the side plate, the first roller and the second roller are installed between the first telescopic arm and the side plate; the second telescopic arm is slidably connected to the first telescopic arm, and is telescopic in the second direction relative to the first telescopic arm; wherein, the second telescopic arm is connected to a grabbing mechanism for grabbing the target material box.

10. The fork assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The guide assembly further includes a plurality of third rollers and a plurality of fourth rollers spaced apart along the second direction, each of the third rollers and each of the fourth rollers being mounted on at least one of the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm and in rolling contact with the other of the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm; Wherein, as the second telescopic arm is extended and retracted, the third roller rotates with the first direction as the rotation center, and the fourth roller rotates with the third direction as the rotation center.

11. The fork assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The first roller and the second roller are mounted on the side plate and are rotatably connected to the first telescopic arm; And / or, the third roller and the fourth roller are installed on the second telescopic arm and are rotatably connected to the first telescopic arm.

12. The fork assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The first telescopic arm is slidably connected to the side plate through a second slide rail, and the second slide rail is provided with the third roller at both opposite ends in the third direction, and the fourth roller is located at at least one end of the second slide rail in the third direction; wherein, the second telescopic arm is rotatably connected to the third roller and the fourth roller through the second slide rail.

13. The fork assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The structural parameter of the first roller is greater than the structural parameter of the second roller, and / or the structural parameter of the first roller is greater than the structural parameter of the third roller, wherein the structural parameter is at least one of the volume of the same material and the stiffness of different materials.

14. A transport robot, characterized in that: include: a chassis, movably arranged; A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis; The fork assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is movably arranged together with the column in the vertical direction.

15. The transport robot according to claim 14, characterized in that: The fork assembly is arranged on one side of the column, and the column and the chassis form a buffer position for storing the target material box on the other side.

16. The transport robot according to claim 14, characterized in that: Also includes: Support frame; A rotary power device is connected to the support frame and the fork assembly, and the rotary power device is used to drive the fork assembly to rotate relative to the support frame around a vertical direction.

17. The transport robot according to claim 16, characterized in that: The top and one side of the fork assembly are provided with openings; the support frame is connected to the end wall of the fork assembly in the vertical direction through the rotary power device.

18. The transport robot according to claim 17, characterized in that: The support frame comprises: a first support member rotatably connected to the fork assembly via the rotary power device; The second support member is vertically arranged relative to the first support member, and the second support member is movably connected to the column in a vertical direction.

19. A transport robot, characterized in that: include: a chassis, movably arranged; A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis; A support frame is detachably connected to the column, and when the support frame is connected to the column, the support frame can move in a vertical direction relative to the column; a fork assembly detachably connected to the support frame, the fork assembly being used to lift a target material box, the target material box including at least one material box; The first lifting mechanism is used to drive the support frame to move relative to the column.

20. The transport robot according to claim 19, characterized in that: The support frame comprises: a first support member rotatably connected to the fork assembly via a rotary power device, with an axis of rotation along a vertical direction and passing through the center of the fork assembly; A second support member is arranged perpendicularly relative to the first support member, the second support member and the column are limited in at least a first direction and a second direction, and the second support member can move in a vertical direction relative to the column, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

21. The transport robot according to claim 20, characterized in that: The maximum radius of the fork assembly is smaller than the minimum distance from the center of the fork assembly to the second support member.

22. The transport robot according to claim 20, characterized in that: The second support member comprises: A fixing portion, wherein a partially open limiting cavity is formed in the fixing portion, and the column portion is disposed in the limiting cavity; The movable part is movably connected to the fixed part, and the movable part abuts between the column and the fixed part.

23. The transport robot according to any one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that: Also includes: an image acquisition device fixed to the fork assembly, for acquiring an image of a target box to be transported by the fork assembly, the image including a QR code on the target box and / or an outline of the target box; A controller is used to adjust the position of the fork assembly relative to the target material box according to the QR code on the target material box and / or the outline of the target material box.

24. A method for transporting stored goods, characterized in that: The method comprises: In response to a transport instruction for a target container, determining position information of the target container indicated by the transport instruction; the target container is one or more of a plurality of vertically stacked containers; Based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box, a coordinate system relationship with the target material box is established; wherein the coordinate system relationship includes a first offset, a second offset, a third offset and a first deflection angle; driving a chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset, and driving a fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to the second offset and to rotate according to the first deflection angle; A fork assembly in the transport robot is driven to transport the target box according to the third offset.

25. The transport method according to claim 24, characterized in that: The step of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset includes: determining an expected path of the chassis according to the first offset; The chassis is driven to move along the expected path, and when the chassis moves, the movement of the chassis is adjusted in real time according to the actual path of the chassis and the expected path.

26. The transport method according to claim 24, wherein: After the steps of driving the chassis of the transport robot to move according to the first offset, driving the fork assembly of the transport robot to move according to the second offset and to rotate according to the first deflection angle, and before the step of driving the fork assembly in the transport robot to transport the target container according to the third offset, the method further includes: Reconstructing the coordinate system relationship with the corresponding material box based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box; Determine whether the reconstructed coordinate system relationship meets the set accuracy requirements; If the reconstructed coordinate system relationship does not meet the set accuracy requirement, the transport robot is driven to move again according to the reconstructed coordinate system relationship.

27. The transport method according to claim 24, wherein: The step of establishing a coordinate system relationship with the target material box based on the positioning mark on the outer surface of the target material box includes: Constructing a coordinate system relationship with the target material box based on the QR code on the outer surface of the target material box; and / or, A coordinate system relationship with the target material box is established based on a box body contour of an outer surface of the target material box.

28. The transport method according to claim 24, wherein: Also includes: Determining whether the nesting of the target box group is safe based on the image of the target box group; If the nesting of the material box group where the target material box is located is unsafe, manual processing is requested and the transport robot is controlled to perform other tasks.

29. The transport method according to claim 28, characterized in that The step of judging whether the nesting of the material box group where the target material box is located is safe according to the image of the material box group where the target material box is located comprises: Determining whether the nesting of the material box group is safe based on the QR codes on the outer surfaces of all material boxes in the material box group; and / or, Whether the nesting of the material box group is safe is determined based on the box body contours of the outer surfaces of all the material boxes in the material box group.

30. A transport system, characterized in that: The method comprises a first transport robot, wherein the first transport robot comprises: a chassis movably disposed, the chassis being adapted to move according to a first offset; A column extending in a vertical direction, with one end fixed to the chassis; a support frame detachably connected to the column, the support frame being adapted to move relative to the column according to a second offset; a fork assembly, the fork assembly being configured to lift the target container according to the third offset, the fork assembly being further configured to rotate relative to the support frame according to the first deflection angle; The lifting mechanism is used to drive the support frame to move relative to the column.

31. The transport system according to claim 30, wherein: Also includes: The second transport robot is used to transport the target material box on the first transport robot out of the warehouse.

32. A material box storage mechanism, characterized in that: include: A storage rack having a storage space for accommodating a material box and a transport opening for at least the material box to enter the storage space; A limiting member, used for abutting against the stacking box to limit the storage position of the stacking box; A driving assembly is connected to the storage rack and to the limiting member. The driving assembly is at least used to drive the limiting member to separate from the stacking box to release the limitation of the stacking box by the limiting member.

33. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 32, characterized in that: The limiting member is movably arranged in the storage space and connected to the top of the storage rack. The limiting member has a limiting state and a retracted state; wherein, in the limiting state, the limiting member automatically descends and covers the corresponding stacking box; in the retracted state, the driving assembly drives the limiting member to rise and separate from the stacking box.

34. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 33, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes: a driving member, mounted on the storage rack; a roller connected to the driving member; a traction member wound on the roller; one end of the traction member in the extension direction is connected to the roller, and the other end is connected to the limiting member; Wherein, when the limiting member descends, the limiting member drives the roller to unwind through the traction member, thereby driving the driving member to rotate.

35. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 34, characterized in that: The storage rack includes a first column group and a second column group that are arranged at intervals and extend in the vertical direction, the first column group includes two first columns that are opposite and arranged at intervals, the second column group includes two second columns that are opposite and arranged at intervals, and the storage space is formed between the two first columns and the two second columns; wherein the conveying port is formed between the two second columns.

36. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 35, characterized in that: The material box storage mechanism also includes a guide member connected to the limit member at one end, and the other end of the guide member is slidably connected to the third column of the storage rack, and the third column is arranged adjacent to the first column and / or the second column.

37. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 36, characterized in that: The guide members are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the limit member, and the two guide members are respectively slidably connected to the two opposite third columns. The two opposite and spaced third columns are set as a third column group, and the third column group is located between the first column group and the second column group.

38. The material box storage mechanism according to claim 37, characterized in that: The guide member comprises: A connecting plate connected to the limiting member; a first roller, rollingly connected to the first side surface of the third column; a second roller, rollingly connected to the second side surface of the third column; a third roller, rollingly connected to the third side surface of the third column; The first roller, the second roller and the third roller are all installed on the connecting plate, the cross-section of the third column in the vertical length direction is rectangular, the first side surface is the side facing the conveying port, and the second side surface and the third side surface are two sides connected to the first side surface.

39. The material box storage mechanism according to any one of claims 34 to 38, characterized in that: The limiting member includes: A top plate, configured to abut against the top surface of the stacking box; Side panels are provided at least on opposite sides of the top panel and facing the transport port; the side panels extend in a direction in which the top panel descends; Wherein, the traction member is connected to the top plate and / or the side plate.

40. A transport robot, characterized in that: The material box storage mechanism according to any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein the transport robot further comprises: A mobile chassis having a stacking area for placing material boxes, the material box storage mechanism is located in the stacking area, and the storage rack is at least partially fixed to the mobile chassis; a lifting assembly, at least partially disposed on the storage rack; a fork assembly connected to the lifting assembly, wherein the lifting assembly is used to drive the fork assembly to move in a vertical direction relative to the storage rack; The stacking area is located on one side of the lifting assembly, and the fork assembly is located on the other side of the lifting assembly and is used to lift the material box through the transport port to the stacking area for stacking.

41. The transport robot according to claim 40, characterized in that: The mobile chassis is provided with a positioning structure located in the stacking area and used to define the position of the stacking box, and at least one of the positioning structures is opposite to the transport port and abuts against a side of the stacking box away from the fork assembly.

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