Pickup mechanism and picking system

Abstract

The present application discloses a pickup mechanism and a picking system. The pickup mechanism comprises a lifting / lowering frame, a pickup device and a sorting assembly. The pickup device is movably connected to the lifting / lowering frame by means of a moving assembly. The sorting assembly is connected to the lifting / lowering frame and comprises a plurality of sorting hoppers. The pickup device is configured to take out goods located on shelves and convey the goods to any one of the plurality of sorting hoppers.

Description

Goods taking mechanism and goods picking system

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410703275.5, filed May 31, 2024, entitled “Goods taking mechanism and goods picking system,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of warehouse logistics, in particular to a goods taking mechanism and a goods picking system comprising the same. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the rapid development of warehouse logistics technology, in order to improve the storage and transportation efficiency of materials, more and more equipment is used for storing or transporting materials. However, the goods taking efficiency of the goods taking mechanism in the related art still needs to be further improved. SUMMARY

[0005] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a goods taking mechanism, comprising a lifting frame, a goods taking device and a sorting assembly; the goods taking device is movably connected to the lifting frame through a moving assembly; the sorting assembly is connected to the lifting frame and comprises a plurality of sorting hoppers; wherein the goods taking device is configured to take out goods located on a goods shelf and deliver the goods to any one of the plurality of sorting hoppers.

[0006] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a goods picking system comprising the above-mentioned goods taking mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a goods picking system according to an embodiment of the present application from one perspective.

[0008] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a goods picking system according to an embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

[0009] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a goods taking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0010] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a sorting assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0011] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a trigger piece of the sorting assembly located between an abutting piece and a pressing piece of a work station.

[0012] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a work station according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a buffer assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0014] Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a buffer hopper according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0015] Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a merging hopper according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a picking device applied to a shelf according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of a picking device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Fig. 12 shows a partial view of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Fig. 13 shows a partial view of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of a guide according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Fig. 15 shows a perspective view of a picking assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Fig. 16 shows a picking assembly and a positioner corresponding to two channel assemblies located at different levels, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments, however, can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the figures, and thus description of the same will not be repeated.

[0024] It is to be understood that the terms "including", "comprising", "having" and variations thereof herein are intended to cover the case where non-excluded items are included, as well as the case where excluded items are not included. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or units are not necessarily limited to the listed steps or units but can include additional steps or units not expressly listed or can include additional steps or units that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus. It is to be understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" and variations thereof herein are intended to cover the case where non-excluded items are included, as well as the case where excluded items are not included.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the picking system of this embodiment includes a picking mechanism 300, a traveling mechanism 400, and a workstation 500. The picking mechanism 300 is vertically connected to the traveling mechanism 400 along a first direction D11. In this embodiment, the first direction D11 is vertical. The workstation 500 is arranged on the ground and is used to pack the sorted goods. The traveling mechanism 400 is movably arranged on the ground and moves along a third direction D33 between a position close to the workstation 500 and a position far from the workstation 500.

[0026] During the retrieval process, the traveling mechanism 400 moves the retrieval mechanism 300 along the third direction D33 to the vicinity of the shelf. The retrieval mechanism 300 then moves up and down along the first direction D11 to ensure that it is aligned with the goods to be retrieved. After the retrieval mechanism 300 removes the goods from the shelf and places them inside, the traveling mechanism 400 again moves the retrieval mechanism 300 to the vicinity of the workstation 500, so that the retrieval mechanism 300 can transport the goods to the workstation 500.

[0027] The walking mechanism 400 includes a column 410. It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, only a portion of the column 410 of the walking mechanism 400 is shown in Figures 1 and 2, while other structures are omitted. For other structures of the walking mechanism 400, refer to mature products in the prior art; these will not be elaborated upon here.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the picking mechanism 300 of this embodiment includes a lifting frame 310, a picking device 100, and a sorting assembly 320. The lifting frame 310 is vertically connected to the column 410 of the traveling mechanism 400 along a first direction D11. The axial direction of the column 410 is parallel to the first direction D11. The picking device 100 is movably connected to the lifting frame 310 via a moving assembly 330. The sorting assembly 320 is connected to the lifting frame 310 and includes a plurality of sorting hoppers 321. The picking device 100 is configured to remove goods located on the shelf and transport the goods to any one of the plurality of sorting hoppers 321.

[0029] In this embodiment of the application, when the picking mechanism 300 picks up goods, the picking device 100 picks up the first target goods and transfers them to one of the sorting hoppers 321. Then, the picking device 100 continues to pick up the second target goods. If the second target goods are very close to the first target goods, the picking device 100 only needs to be moved relative to the lifting frame 310 to pick up the second target goods, without having to move the traveling mechanism 400 and / or raise and lower the lifting frame 310. The second target goods are then transferred to one of the remaining empty sorting hoppers 321. When all sorting hoppers 321 are filled with goods, the traveling mechanism 400 is driven back to transfer all the goods in the picking mechanism 300 to the workstation 500.

[0030] Therefore, the taking mechanism 300 of the embodiment of the application, the taking device 100 is movably connected to the lifting frame 310 through the moving assembly 330, and the sorting assembly 320 includes a plurality of sorting hoppers 321 for accommodating goods. Through the slight movement of the taking device 100 relative to the lifting frame 310, the taking device 100 can take out a plurality of goods and load them into a plurality of sorting hoppers 321, respectively, thereby significantly improving the taking efficiency of the taking mechanism 300.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving assembly 330 includes a first moving unit 330a and a second moving unit 330b. The first moving unit 330a is used to drive the taking device 100 to move along a first direction D11. The second moving unit 330b is used to drive the taking device 100 to move along a second direction D22. Wherein, the first direction D11, the second direction D22 and the third direction D33 are perpendicular to each other in pairs; the plurality of sorting hoppers 321 are arranged side by side along the first direction D11 or the second direction D22.

[0032] As an example, the first moving unit 330a and the second moving unit 330b are linear slides. For example, the first moving unit 330a includes a first slide rail 331 and a first slide block 332. The first slide rail 331 is connected to the lifting frame 310, and the length direction of the first slide rail 331 is parallel to the first direction D11. The first slide block 332 is movably connected to the first slide rail 331 along the first direction D11.

[0033] The second moving unit 330b includes a second slide rail 333 and a second slide block 334. The second slide rail 333 is connected to the first slide block 332, and the length direction of the second slide rail 333 is parallel to the second direction D22. The second slide block 334 is movably connected to the second slide rail 333 along the second direction D22; the taking device 100 is connected to the second slide block 334.

[0034] Of course, in other embodiments, the first moving unit 330a and the second moving unit 330b can also be other linear driving mechanisms, which are not described here.

[0035] In addition, the moving path of the taking device 100 relative to the lifting frame 310 through the moving assembly 330 can also not be a straight line, for example, it can also be an arc, as long as it can pick up different target goods through the movement of the taking device 100 relative to the lifting frame 310.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the lifting frame 310 comprises two first longitudinal beams 311 arranged in the second direction D22, and a plurality of sorting hoppers 321 connected to the two first longitudinal beams 311 and arranged side by side in the first direction D11; wherein the area between the two first longitudinal beams 311 is divided into a plurality of first windows 311a by the plurality of sorting hoppers 321, and the plurality of first windows 311a correspond to the plurality of sorting hoppers 321 respectively.

[0037] For example, after the first target goods are picked up by the goods retriever 100, the goods retriever 100 can be aligned with one of the first windows 311a through the coordinated movement of the first moving unit 330a and the second moving unit 330b, so that the first target goods in the goods retriever 100 can slide through the first window 311a and fall into one of the sorting hoppers 321.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, each sorting hopper 321 has a first outlet 321a for goods to slide out; the sorting assembly 320 further comprises a shielding member 322 movably connected to the lifting frame 310 between a first position and a second position, and the shielding member 322 has a plurality of second windows 322a; when the shielding member 322 is in the first position, the shielding member 322 simultaneously closes the plurality of first outlets 321a; when the shielding member 322 is in the second position, the plurality of second windows 322a are in communication with the plurality of first outlets 321a respectively.

[0039] During the picking process, the shielding member 322 is in the first position to close the plurality of first outlets 321a of the plurality of sorting hoppers 321, so as to prevent the goods from sliding out of the first outlets 321a of the sorting hoppers 321. After the picking process is completed and the traveling mechanism 400 drives the picking mechanism 300 to return to the work station 500, the shielding member 322 is in the second position, and the goods in each sorting hopper 321 automatically slide to the work station 500 through the second window 322a corresponding to the sorting hopper 321.

[0040] As an example, the shielding member 322 is movably connected to the lifting frame 310 in the lifting direction (the first direction D11) of the lifting frame 310. Since the first direction D11 is a vertical direction, the shielding member 322 can move from the second position to the first position by its own gravity.

[0041] The sorting assembly 320 further comprises a resilient member 323 connected to the lifting frame 310 and the shielding member 322, for providing the shielding member 322 with an elastic force to move to the first position. By providing the resilient member 323, it can be ensured that the shielding member 322 remains in the first position during the picking process of the picking mechanism 300, so as to avoid the goods in the sorting assembly 320 from sliding due to the accidental opening of the first outlets 321a of the sorting hoppers 321 by the shielding member 322.

[0042] In one embodiment, the elastic element 323 may be a tension spring, but is not limited thereto.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the top of the blocking member 322 has a trigger member 322b. The workstation 500 has a stop member 501, and the orthographic projections of the stop member 501 and the trigger member 322b on a target plane have overlapping first projections. The target plane is perpendicular to the lifting direction (first direction D11) of the lifting frame 310. When the lifting frame 310 descends, the stop member 501 stops the trigger member 322b, causing the blocking member 322 to move from a first position to a second position.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the walking mechanism 400 moves the picking mechanism 300 to the vicinity of the workstation 500, the trigger 322b is positioned above the abutment 501. The abutment 501 and the trigger 322b have overlapping first projections on a target plane. When the lifting frame 310 lowers the picking mechanism 300, the abutment 501 abuts against the trigger 322b, causing the blocking member 322 to move from the first position to the second position. Therefore, by setting the abutment 501 and the trigger 322b, when the lifting frame 310 lowers, the blocking member 322 can automatically open the first outlet 321a of the sorting hopper 321, allowing the goods in the sorting hopper 321 to slide down to the workstation 500.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the workstation 500 also has a pressing member 502. The pressing member 502 and the trigger member 322b have overlapping second projections on the target plane. When the lifting frame 310 rises, the pressing member 502 is used to stop the trigger member 322b.

[0046] After all the goods in the sorting hopper 321 have slid into the workstation 500, the traveling mechanism 400 will drive the picking mechanism 300 to perform the next picking action. Under normal circumstances, after the trigger 322b leaves the abutment 501, the blocking member 322 will move from the second position to the first position under the action of its own weight and / or the elastic force of the elastic member 323. However, under abnormal circumstances, such as when the blocking member 322 does not slide smoothly relative to the lifting frame 310, the blocking member 322 is prone to jamming and cannot move to the first position under the action of gravity and / or elastic force, causing the first outlet 321a of the sorting hopper 321 to remain open. If a picking action is performed under these circumstances, the goods will slide out from the first outlet 321a of the sorting hopper 321.

[0047] In this embodiment of the application, by setting the pressing member 502, it is possible to prevent the blocking member 322 from failing to return to the first position due to abnormal conditions, thereby ensuring that the next picking action is carried out normally.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the pressing member 502 and the abutting member 501 are arranged opposite each other in the first direction D11, and the orthogonal projections of the pressing member 502 and the abutting member 501 on the target plane have overlapping third projections.

[0049] It should be noted that, in the first direction D11, at least a portion of the trigger 322b is located between the pressing member 502 and the abutting member 501. To ensure the normal lifting and lowering of the lifting frame 310 and to avoid interference from the pressing member 502, the movement of the traveling mechanism 400 and the lifting frame 310 is carried out in stages:

[0050] During the return to workstation 500, the traveling mechanism 400 moves the picking mechanism 300 to the third position. When the picking mechanism 300 is in the third position, the trigger 322b is located outside the space enclosed by the abutment 501 and the pressing member 502, meaning that the orthographic projections of the trigger 322b and the abutment 501 on the target plane do not overlap. Then, the traveling mechanism 400 translates along the third direction D33 to move the picking mechanism 300 to the fourth position. When the picking mechanism 300 is in the fourth position, at least a portion of the trigger 322b is located between the abutment 501 and the pressing member 502. Finally, the lifting frame 310 lowers the picking mechanism 300 and moves it to the fifth position. During the movement of the picking mechanism 300 from the fourth position to the fifth position, the abutment 501 abuts against the trigger 322b, causing the blocking member 322 to move from the first position to the second position.

[0051] During the retrieval process after leaving workstation 500, the retrieval mechanism 300 moves from position 5 to position 4. If the blocking member 322 is not jammed due to any abnormality, it will automatically reset to position 1. Then, the traveling mechanism 400 translates along direction D33, moving the trigger member 322b out of the space enclosed by the abutment member 501 and the pressing member 502. If the blocking member 322 is jammed at a certain position on the lifting frame 310 due to an abnormality, the pressing member 502 will press against the trigger member 322b during the movement of the retrieval mechanism 300 from position 5 to position 4, causing the blocking member 322 to reset to position 1 under pressure, preventing the first outlet 321a of the sorting hopper 321 from remaining open. Then, the traveling mechanism 400 translates along direction D33, moving the trigger member 322b out of the space enclosed by the abutment member 501 and the pressing member 502.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the workstation 500 of this embodiment includes a packing component 530, an exception handling component 540, a buffer component 510, and a merging component 520. The buffer component 510 includes a buffer rack 511 and a plurality of buffer hoppers 512, which are mounted on the buffer rack 511 to receive goods conveyed by the picking mechanism 300. The number of buffer hoppers 512 is greater than or equal to the number of sorting hoppers 321. The merging component 520 is movably connected to the buffer rack 511 via a movable component 550 and is configured to receive goods from at least one of the buffer hoppers 512, convey at least one item to the packing component 530, and convey abnormal goods to the exception handling component 540.

[0053] Abnormal goods refer to goods that were mistakenly picked up by the picking agency 300, or one or more goods corresponding to an order that was cancelled by the customer.

[0054] The anomaly handling component 540 is used to handle abnormal goods. For example, in one embodiment, the anomaly handling component 540 can be a chute that can transport abnormal goods to a designated location.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, the anomaly handling component 540 may also be a device for collecting abnormal goods.

[0056] In this embodiment, after the picking mechanism 300 retrieves goods from the shelf, the traveling mechanism 400 moves the picking mechanism 300 to the vicinity of the workstation 500, and all the goods in the multiple sorting hoppers 321 of the picking mechanism 300 are transferred to the multiple buffer hoppers 512 of the buffer component 510. Then, depending on whether the goods are abnormal, the merging component 520 transports the goods to the packaging component 530 or the abnormality handling component 540. At this time, since the goods in the sorting hoppers 321 of the picking mechanism 300 have been transferred, the traveling mechanism 400 can drive the picking mechanism 300 back to the shelf for the next picking action, without waiting for the merging component 520 to complete the goods transfer before returning to the shelf to perform the next picking action.

[0057] As can be seen, the workstation 500 in this embodiment includes a cache component 510 and a merging component 520. The cache component 510 can be used to temporarily store goods delivered by the picking mechanism 300. The merging component 520 can transport the goods delivered by the cache component 510 to the packing component 530 or the exception handling component 540. When the merging component 520 is transferring goods, the picking mechanism 300 can perform the next picking action without waiting in place. This can significantly improve picking efficiency and effectively enhance the order processing capability of the workstation 500.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6 and 9, as an example, the movable component 550 can be a linear slide. For example, the movable component 550 includes a third slide rail 551 and a third slider 552. The third slide rail 551 is connected to the buffer frame 511, and the length direction of the third slide rail 551 is parallel to the height direction (first direction D11) of the buffer frame 511. The third slider 552 is movably connected to the third slide rail 551, and the confluence component 520 is connected to the third slider 552.

[0059] Of course, in other embodiments, the movable component 550 may also be other linear drive mechanisms, which will not be described in detail here.

[0060] Furthermore, the movement path of the merging component 520 relative to the buffer rack 511 via the movable component 550 does not have to be a straight line; for example, it can be an arc, as long as it can pick up the target goods in different buffer hoppers 512 by moving the merging component 520 relative to the buffer rack 511.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the buffer rack 511 includes two frames 5111 spaced apart along the length direction (third direction D33) of the buffer rack 511. Each frame 5111 is connected to a plurality of buffer hoppers 512 spaced apart along the height direction (first direction D11) of the buffer rack 511. The number of buffer hoppers 512 connected to the same frame 5111 is greater than or equal to the number of sorting hoppers 321. Along the height direction (first direction D11) of the buffer rack 511, the merging assembly 520 is movably located between the two frames 5111.

[0062] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplifying the view, only one of the two frames 5111 in Figure 1 is equipped with a picking mechanism 300, while the other frame 5111 is not equipped with a picking mechanism 300. In fact, both frames 5111 in this application can be equipped with picking mechanisms 300. That is, the two frames 5111 of the workstation 500 correspond to two sets of picking mechanisms 300 and traveling mechanisms 400, respectively, with the picking mechanism 300 being vertically and vertically connected to the corresponding traveling mechanism 400. Along the third direction D33, the two traveling mechanisms 400 can move towards or away from each other. The two traveling mechanisms 400 can respectively drive the two picking mechanisms 300 to pick up goods located on two shelves at different positions.

[0063] In this embodiment of the application, the merging component 520 is provided with frames 5111 on both sides along the third direction D33, and each frame 5111 is provided with multiple buffer hoppers 512. In this way, the merging component 520 can receive the goods in the buffer hoppers 512 located on different frames 5111 and transport these goods to the packaging component 530 for packaging.

[0064] For example, if two goods corresponding to an order are located on different shelves, two walking mechanisms 400 are needed to drive two picking mechanisms 300 to pick up the two goods and transfer them to the buffer hoppers 512 on the two frames 5111 respectively.

[0065] In this embodiment of the application, each frame 5111 is provided with three buffer hoppers 512. For ease of explanation, the three buffer hoppers 512 in one frame 5111 are numbered 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and the three buffer hoppers 512 in the other frame 5111 are numbered 4, 5, and 6, respectively. If two goods corresponding to an order are transferred to 1 and 6 by two picking mechanisms 300 respectively, the goods in 1 and 6 can be received sequentially by the merging component 520. After merging, the two goods are simultaneously transported to the packaging component 530 for packaging.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6, the packing assembly 530 includes a packing machine 531 and a buffer table 532. The packing machine 531 is used to pack goods; the buffer table 532 is configured to buffer the goods conveyed by the merging assembly 520 and convey the goods to the packing machine 531.

[0067] In this embodiment of the application, the buffer table 532 can buffer the goods to prevent the packing machine 531 from being damaged due to excessive momentum when the goods slide out of the confluence component 520.

[0068] In one embodiment, the buffer platform 532 may be a conveyor belt assembly, a conveyor roller assembly, etc., and this application does not make any particular limitation thereto.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, each frame 5111 includes two spaced-apart second longitudinal beams 5111a. Multiple guide members 5112, spaced-apart along the height direction (first direction D11) of the buffer frame 511, are connected between the two second longitudinal beams 5111a. Each guide member 5112 corresponds to a multiple buffer hopper 512 within the frame 5111. Each guide member 5112 has a guide ramp 5112a for guiding goods from the picking mechanism 300 into the buffer hopper 512. Multiple sorting hoppers 321 of the picking mechanism 300 can each correspond to a multiple guide member 5112 provided in one frame 5111, allowing goods to slide from the sorting hopper 321 into the buffer hopper 512 with the aid of the guide member 5112.

[0070] In one embodiment, each frame 5111 is provided with a top abutment 501 and a bottom pressure member 502 at its top.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, the buffer hopper 512 includes a hopper body 5121 and a first cover assembly 5122. The hopper body 5121 is connected to the buffer frame 511 and has a second outlet 5121a. The first cover assembly 5122 is connected to the hopper body 5121 and is used to close or open the second outlet 5121a. When the first cover assembly 5122 is in the closed state, it can be used to prevent the goods in the hopper body 5121 from sliding out of the second outlet 5121a.

[0072] As an example, the first cover assembly 5122 includes a first cover plate 5122a, a first connecting rod 5122b, a second connecting rod 5122c, and a third motor 5122d. The first cover plate 5122a is rotatably connected to the hopper body 5121 for opening or closing the second outlet 5121a; one end of the first connecting rod 5122b is hinged to the side of the first cover plate 5122a; one end of the second connecting rod 5122c is hinged to the other end of the first connecting rod 5122b; the third motor 5122d is connected to the hopper body 5121, and the output shaft of the third motor 5122d is connected to the other end of the second connecting rod 5122c.

[0073] As shown in Figure 9, the merging assembly 520 includes a merging hopper 521 and a second cover assembly 522. The merging hopper 521 is movably connected to the buffer frame 511 via a movable component 550 and has a third outlet 5211. The second cover assembly 522 is connected to the merging hopper 521 and is used to close or open the third outlet 5211. When the second cover assembly 522 is in the closed state, it can prevent the goods in the merging hopper 521 from sliding out of the third outlet 5211.

[0074] As an example, the second cover assembly 522 includes a second cover plate 5221, a third link 5222, a fourth link 5223, and a fourth motor 5224. The second cover plate 5221 is rotatably connected to the merging hopper 521 for opening or closing the third outlet 5211; one end of the third link 5222 is hinged to the side of the second cover plate 5221; one end of the fourth link 5223 is hinged to the other end of the third link 5222; the fourth motor 5224 is connected to the merging hopper 521, and the output shaft of the fourth motor 5224 is connected to the other end of the fourth link 5223.

[0075] As shown in Figure 16, the pickup device 100 of this application embodiment can retrieve goods placed on the shelf 200 from the shelf 200.

[0076] As shown in Figures 10 and 16, the pickup device 100 of this embodiment includes a frame 120, a pickup hopper 130, a pickup assembly 110, and a locator 190. The pickup hopper 130 is mounted on the frame 120, and the pickup assembly 110 is connected to the frame 120. The pickup assembly 110 is used to guide goods to slide into the pickup hopper 130. The locator 190 is connected to the frame 120 and is used to position the pickup device 100 at a designated position on the shelf 200.

[0077] As shown in Figure 16, the shelf 200 includes multiple aisle assemblies 200a arranged at intervals along the height direction of the shelf 200. The aisle assemblies 200a are used to store goods. The locator 190 is used to position the pickup device 100 to a designated aisle assembly 200a. Specifically, the pickup component 110 of the pickup device 100 and the locator 190 correspond to two aisle assemblies 200a located on different levels.

[0078] Specifically, during pickup, if the pickup component 110 needs to retrieve goods located on a channel assembly 200a, the locator 190 positions the pickup device 100 to a channel assembly 200a below that channel assembly 200a, enabling cross-level pickup. For example, the pickup component 110 and the locator 190 may correspond to two adjacent channel assemblies 200a, or the pickup component 110 and the locator 190 may correspond to the channel assemblies 200a on both sides of one of the channel assemblies 200a.

[0079] Understandably, the locator 190 can use barcode scanning technology, image recognition technology, etc., to locate the pickup device 100 to the designated cargo channel assembly 200a. For example, the locator 190 can be a camera or a digital camera, and the cargo channel assembly 200a has a barcode or QR code. By obtaining the information corresponding to the barcode or QR code through the locator 190, the pickup device 100 can be moved to the designated cargo channel assembly 200a, thereby enabling the pickup component 110 to move to the designated cargo channel assembly 200a where the goods are to be picked up.

[0080] As shown in Figure 10, the cargo channel assembly 200a includes multiple spaced cargo plates 210, each cargo plate 210 being inclined and used to support goods. Each cargo plate 210 has a baffle 230 at its end to prevent goods from sliding off due to their own weight. Each cargo plate 210 also has a notch 211 at its end, with two adjacent notches 211 in adjacent cargo plates forming a gap 212. Each cargo plate 210 also has a partition 220, with two adjacent partitions 220 in adjacent cargo plates forming a storage space for storing multiple goods arranged side-by-side along the inclined direction of the cargo plate 210. Under the influence of gravity, adjacent goods abut against each other, and the lowest goods abut against the baffle 230.

[0081] When the picker 100 picks up goods, the picking component 110 moves to the bottom of the pallet 210 and moves from bottom to top through the opening 212, so that the picking component 110 picks up the goods at the bottom among multiple goods and causes the goods to flip over the baffle 230 and slide down into the picking component 110, and then slide down into the picking hopper 130 through the picking component 110.

[0082] As shown in Figure 11, the frame 120 includes a first crossbeam 121, two second crossbeams 122, two third longitudinal beams 123, and a back plate 124. The length direction of the first crossbeam 121 is parallel to the left-right direction D1 (arrows indicate left, reverse direction is right), the length direction of the second crossbeams 122 is parallel to the front-back direction D2 (arrows indicate front, reverse direction is back), and the length direction of the third longitudinal beams 123 is parallel to the up-down direction D3 (arrows indicate up, reverse direction is down). The two ends of the first crossbeam 121 along the left-right direction D1 are connected to the front ends of the two second crossbeams 122, and the lower ends of the two third longitudinal beams 123 are connected to the rear ends of the two second crossbeams 122, respectively. The back plate 124 is connected to the two third longitudinal beams 123 and is located behind the two third longitudinal beams 123. The left-right direction D1, the front-back direction D2, and the up-down direction D3 are all perpendicular to each other.

[0083] The frame 120 also includes two support beams 125, each of which is parallel to the vertical direction D3 in the length direction and is connected to two second crossbeams 122 respectively.

[0084] The pickup device 100 in this embodiment includes two pickup components 110, which are arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction D1 and are respectively connected to two support beams 125. The two pickup components 110 are also connected to the back plate 124.

[0085] The picking hopper 130 is located within the space enclosed by the first crossbeam 121 and the two second crossbeams 122, and the picking hopper 130 is connected to the two picking components 110.

[0086] Of course, in other embodiments, the number of picking components 110 may be one, three, or other quantities. The picking hopper 130 may be connected to the first crossbeam 121 and the second crossbeam 122.

[0087] As shown in Figure 11, the picking hopper 130 has a fourth outlet 131 for goods to slide out. The picking device 100 also includes an opening and closing assembly 140 for opening or closing the fourth outlet 131.

[0088] As an example, the opening / closing assembly 140 includes a drive mechanism 141 and a door component 142, which is movable between a first position where the fourth outlet 131 is closed and a second position where the fourth outlet 131 is open. The drive mechanism 141 is connected to the hopper 130 and to the door component 142 for driving the door component 142 to move. It is understood that by configuring the opening / closing assembly 140, it is possible to control when goods in the hopper 130 slide out of the hopper 130.

[0089] It is understood that the drive mechanism 141 can be a motor (defined as a second motor), an electric actuator, etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0090] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the picking component 110 of this embodiment includes a ramp 111, a guide 112, a rotating unit 113, and a first motor 114. The ramp 111 has an edge 1111. The guide 112 is connected to the ramp 111, and at least a portion of the guide 112 extends beyond the edge 1111. The rotating unit 113 is rotatably connected to the portion of the guide 112 extending beyond the edge 1111, and is used to generate friction with the goods to drive the goods through the guide 112 and slide into the ramp 111. The first motor 114 is connected to the rotating unit 113 and is used to drive the rotating unit 113 to rotate.

[0091] As shown in Figure 10, when the picking component 110 of this application picks up goods, at least part of the guide 112 and the rotating unit 113 pass through the opening 212 from bottom to top. The first motor 114 drives the rotating unit 113 to rotate. Using the friction between the rotating unit 113 and the goods, the goods are driven to slide into the ramp 111 through the guide 112.

[0092] Therefore, it can be seen that the picking component 110 of this application embodiment can pick up goods by rotating the rotating unit 113 and utilizing the friction force generated between the rotating unit 113 and the goods, thus significantly improving the picking efficiency. Furthermore, during the process of the goods sliding into the picking component 110, they are subjected not only to their own weight but also to friction, which significantly improves the success rate of the goods sliding into the picking component 110.

[0093] The ramp 111 has a target angle relative to the horizontal surface, meaning it is inclined. The ramp 111 has a base plate 1115 and two side plates 1116, with the two side plates 1116 connected to both sides of the base plate 1115 along the front-rear direction D2. The side plates 1116 prevent goods on the ramp 111 from slipping off its sides. The base plate 1115 of the ramp 111 has this edge 1111.

[0094] Please refer to Figures 12 and 13. The rotating unit 113 includes two rotating parts 1131 and an annular part 1132. For ease of explanation, the two rotating parts 1131 are defined as the first rotating part 1131a and the second rotating part 1131b. The first rotating part 1131a is connected to the output shaft of the first motor 114, and the second rotating part 1131b is rotatably connected to the portion of the guide member 112 extending from the edge 1111. The annular part 1132 is arranged around the outer periphery of the two rotating parts 1131, and its outer surface is used to generate friction with the goods. When the first motor 114 is working, it drives the first rotating part 1131a to rotate, which in turn drives the annular part 1132 to rotate, thereby driving the second rotating part 1131b to follow suit. During the rotation of the annular part 1132, the outer surface of the annular part 1132 can generate friction with the goods, thereby using friction to pull the goods from the shelf 200 into the ramp 111.

[0095] As an example, the inner surface of the annular member 1132 has a first tooth structure, and the outer surface of each rotating member 1131 has a second tooth structure, with the first tooth structure meshing with the second tooth structure. That is, in the embodiments of this application, the rotating unit 113 is a synchronous belt structure. Wherein, when the rotating unit 113 is a synchronous belt structure, the first rotating member 1131a is a synchronous pulley, the second rotating member 1131b is a driven pulley, and the annular member 1132 is a synchronous belt.

[0096] Of course, the rotating unit 113 is not limited to a synchronous belt structure. For example, in other embodiments, the rotating unit 113 includes a friction wheel and a motor. The friction wheel is rotatably connected to the part of the guide 112 that extends out of the edge 1111. The motor is connected to the friction wheel and is used to drive the friction wheel to rotate so that the friction wheel rubs against the goods, thereby driving the goods to slide into the ramp 111 through the guide 112.

[0097] Referring again to Figures 12 and 13, the base plate 1115 of the ramp 111 further has a slope 1112 for guiding the sliding of goods and a back surface 1114 opposite to the slope 1112. One side of the slope 1112 is an edge 1111, and the guide member 112 is attached to the slope 1112. The first rotating member 1131a and the first motor 114 are both located on the side where the back surface 1114 is located, and at least a portion of the second rotating member 1131b is higher than the slope 1112. In one embodiment, the first motor 114 is fixedly connected to the base plate 1115 of the ramp 111. In other embodiments, the first motor 114 may also be fixedly connected to the frame 120. The first motor 114 is located on the side where the back surface 1114 of the ramp 111 is located, and will not affect the sliding of goods on the slope 1112.

[0098] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the guide member 112 includes a connecting portion 1121 and a pair of cantilever arms 1122. The connecting portion 1121 is connected to the ramp 111 and conforms to the ramp surface 1112. The pair of cantilever arms 1122 are connected to the connecting portion 1121 and at least partially extend beyond the edge 1111; wherein at least a portion of the rotating unit 113 is rotatably connected between the pair of cantilever arms 1122.

[0099] In this embodiment, the second rotating member 1131b is rotatably connected between a pair of cantilever arms 1122, and at least a portion of the annular member 1132 is located between the pair of cantilever arms 1122. By rotatably disposing the second rotating member 1131b between the pair of cantilever arms 1122, the rotational stability of the second rotating member 1131b can be improved, thereby improving the rotational stability of the annular member 1132, achieving the effect of stably retrieving goods.

[0100] It is understandable that the connecting part 1121 and the ramp 111 can be either separate structures or an integral structure.

[0101] A reinforcing part 1124 is provided at one end of the cantilever 1122 that connects to the connecting part 1121. The reinforcing part 1124 and the connecting part 1121 are located on opposite sides of the slope 111 in the thickness direction, and a slot 1125 for the slope 111 to be inserted is formed between the reinforcing part 1124 and the connecting part 1121. In detail, the connecting part 1121 is located on the side of the slope surface 1112 of the bottom plate 1115 of the slope 111, and the reinforcing part 1124 is located on the side of the back surface 1114 of the bottom plate 1115. When the guide member 112 is assembled with the slope 111, the side of the edge 1111 of the slope 111 is inserted into the slot 1125 formed by the reinforcing part 1124 and the connecting part 1121.

[0102] When goods slide onto the guide 112, the cantilever 1122 of the guide 112 is suspended in the air, and may bend downwards under the weight of the goods. In this embodiment, the overall structural strength of the guide 112 is improved by providing a reinforcing part 1124. When the cantilever 1122 tends to bend downwards, the reinforcing part 1124 can abut against the bottom plate 1115 of the ramp 111 to maintain the stability of the guide 112.

[0103] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, each cantilever 1122 has a stop 1123 at one end away from the connecting part 1121. The stop 1123 protrudes from the cantilever 1122 along the thickness direction of the connecting part 1121 and protrudes to the left and downward, and is used to stop the goods.

[0104] As shown in Figure 10, when the guide member 112 lifts the lowest cargo from bottom to top through the notch 212, the cargo slides onto the ramp 111 under its own weight and the friction between the ring member 1132 and the cargo. At this time, the remaining cargo will automatically move towards the baffle 230 under its own weight.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the remaining goods slide down the pallet 210 automatically, the stop 1123 will stop the goods before the baffle 230. After the pickup 100 moves away from the opening 212, the remaining goods will continue to slide down until they are blocked by the baffle 230. That is, after the pickup 100 takes away one item, the remaining goods slide to the baffle 230 in two stages. This shortens the sliding distance of the goods in each stage and avoids the goods from having too much inertia and rushing out of the baffle 230 due to excessive sliding distance.

[0106] As shown in Figure 15, the edge 1111 of the slope 111 has an opening 1113, which penetrates the slope surface 1112 and the back surface 1114, and the annular member 1132 is movably inserted into the opening 1113.

[0107] In the embodiments of this application, the annular member 1132 is movably inserted through the opening 1113 of the ramp 111, which reduces the length of the guide member 112 extending out of the edge 1111 of the ramp 111, saving costs and preventing the guide member 112 from forming a long cantilever structure.

[0108] It is understood that in other embodiments, the picking component 110 may also be other structures, such as the picking component 110 being a fork that moves to the bottom of the pallet 210 and moves from bottom to top through the notch 212 so that the fork picks up the lowest item among multiple items and causes the item to flip over the baffle 230 and slide into the picking hopper 130.

[0109] In summary, the picking mechanism and picking system of this application embodiment have at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0110] The picking mechanism 300 of this application embodiment has a picking device 100 movably connected to the lifting frame 310 via a moving component 330, and a sorting component 320 including a plurality of sorting hoppers 321 for holding goods. By making a slight movement of the picking device 100 relative to the lifting frame 310, the picking device 100 can take out a plurality of goods and put them into a plurality of sorting hoppers 321 respectively, thus significantly improving the picking efficiency of the picking mechanism 300.

[0111] It is understood that the various embodiments / implementations provided in this application can be combined with each other without creating contradictions, and will not be described one by one here.

[0112] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined. The terms "install," "connect," "link," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connect" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "link" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0113] In the description of the embodiments of the application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or unit referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the application.

[0114] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the claims. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0115] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the application examples and are not intended to limit the application examples. For those skilled in the art, the application examples can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the application examples should be included within the protection scope of the application examples.

Claims

1. A goods retrieval mechanism, wherein, The application relates to a picking device for picking goods from a shelf (200) and delivering the goods to a sorting hopper (321). The picking device comprises: a lifting frame (310); a picking device (100) movably connected to the lifting frame (310) by a moving assembly (330); and a sorting assembly (320) connected to the lifting frame (310) and comprising a plurality of sorting hoppers (321); wherein the picking device (100) is configured to pick goods from the shelf (200) and deliver the goods to any one of the plurality of sorting hoppers (321).

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein, The moving assembly (330) comprises: a first moving unit (330a) for moving the picking device (100) in a first direction (D1); and a second moving unit (330b) for moving the picking device (100) in a second direction (D2); the first direction (D1) is perpendicular to the second direction (D2); wherein the lifting frame (310) is lifted in the first direction (D1), and the plurality of sorting hoppers (321) are arranged side by side in the first direction (D1) or the second direction (D2).

3. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The first moving unit (330a) comprises a first sliding rail (331) connected to the lifting frame (310) and a first sliding block (332) movably connected to the first sliding rail (331) in the first direction (D1); The second moving unit (330b) comprises a second sliding rail (333) connected to the first sliding block (332) and a second sliding block (334) movably connected to the second sliding rail (333) in the second direction (D2); The picking device (100) is connected to the second sliding block (334).

4. The picking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein, The lifting frame (310) comprises two first longitudinal beams (311) arranged in the second direction (D2) at intervals, and the plurality of sorting hoppers (321) are connected to the two first longitudinal beams (311) and arranged side by side in the first direction (D1); wherein the area between the two first longitudinal beams (311) is divided into a plurality of first windows (311a) by the plurality of sorting hoppers (321), and the plurality of first windows (311a) correspond to the plurality of sorting hoppers (321) respectively.

5. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 1, wherein, Each sorting hopper (321) has a first outlet (321a) for the goods to slide out; The sorting assembly (320) further comprises a shielding member (322) movably connected to the lifting frame (310) between a first position and a second position, and the shielding member (322) has a plurality of second windows (322a); when the shielding member (322) is in the first position, the shielding member (322) simultaneously closes the plurality of first outlets (321a); when the shielding member (322) is in the second position, the plurality of second windows (322a) are in communication with the plurality of first outlets (321a) respectively.

6. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 5, wherein, The sorting assembly (320) further comprises an elastic member (323) connected to the lifting frame (310) and the shielding member (322), for providing an elastic force to the shielding member (322) to move to the first position.

7. The article retrieval mechanism of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The goods taking device (100) comprises: a frame (120); a goods taking hopper (130) connected to the frame (120), for conveying the goods to any one of the sorting hoppers (321); and a goods taking assembly (110) connected to the frame (120), for guiding the goods to slide into the goods taking hopper (130).

8. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 7, wherein, The goods taking assembly (110) comprises: a slope (111) having an edge (1111); a guide member (112) connected to the slope (111), and at least a part of the guide member (112) extends beyond the edge (1111); a rotating unit (113) rotatably connected to the part of the guide member (112) extending beyond the edge (1111), for generating friction with the goods to drive the goods to slide into the slope (111) through the guide member (112); and a first motor (114) connected to the rotating unit (113), for driving the rotating unit (113) to rotate.

9. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 8, wherein, The rotating unit (113) comprises: two rotating members (1131), one of which is connected to the output shaft of the first motor (114), and the other of which is rotatably connected to the part of the guide member (112) extending beyond the edge (1111); and an annular member (1132) arranged around the outer periphery of the two rotating members (1131), and the outer side surface of the annular member (1132) is used to generate friction with the goods.

10. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 8, wherein, The guide member (112) comprises: a connecting portion (1121) connected to the slope (111); and a pair of cantilever arms (1122) connected to the connecting portion (1121) and at least partially extending beyond the edge (1111); wherein at least a part of the rotating unit (113) is rotatably connected between the pair of cantilever arms (1122).

11. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 10, wherein, Each of the cantilever arms (1122) is provided with a stop portion (1123) at the end away from the connecting portion (1121), the stop portion (1123) protrudes from the cantilever arm (1122) along the thickness direction of the connecting portion (1121), for stopping the goods.

12. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 10, wherein, The cantilever arm (1122) is provided with a reinforcing portion (1124) at the end connected to the connecting portion (1121), the reinforcing portion (1124) and the connecting portion (1121) are respectively located on both sides of the thickness direction of the slope (111), and a clamping groove (1125) is formed between the reinforcing portion (1124) and the connecting portion (1121) for inserting the slope (111).

13. The article retrieval mechanism of claim 7, wherein, The goods taking device (100) comprises two oppositely arranged goods taking assemblies (110).

14. A picking system wherein, The goods taking device comprises the goods taking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The order picking system of claim 14, wherein, The goods picking system further comprises: The walking mechanism (400) has a column (410), and the lifting frame (310) is connected to the column (410) in a liftable manner.

16. The order picking system of claim 14, wherein, The shielding piece (322) of the picking mechanism is movably connected to the lifting frame (310) along the lifting direction of the lifting frame (310); the shielding piece (322) has a trigger piece (322b); The picking system further comprises a workstation (500), and the workstation (500) has a stop piece (501); the stop piece (501) and the trigger piece (322b) have overlapping first projections in the respective orthogonal projections on a target plane; the target plane is perpendicular to the lifting direction of the lifting frame (310); When the lifting frame (310) is lowered, the stop piece (501) is used to stop the trigger piece (322b) so as to move the shielding piece (322) from a first position to a second position.

17. The order picking system of claim 16, wherein, The workstation (500) further has a pressing piece (502); Along the lifting direction of the lifting frame (310), at least part of the trigger piece (322b) is located between the pressing piece (502) and the stop piece (501); the pressing piece (502) and the trigger piece (322b) have overlapping second projections in the respective orthogonal projections on the target plane; When the lifting frame (310) is lifted, the pressing piece (502) is used to stop the trigger piece (322b).

18. The order picking system of claim 14, wherein, The picking system further comprises a goods shelf (200), and the goods shelf (200) comprises a plurality of goods channel assemblies (200a) arranged at intervals along the height direction of the goods shelf (200); The picking mechanism has a picking device (100) comprising a positioner (190) for positioning the picking device (100) to a specified goods channel assembly (200a); The picking assembly (110) of the picking device (100) and the positioner (190) correspond to two goods channel assemblies (200a) located at different layers, respectively.

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