Hook mechanism, pick-and-place device, robot, warehousing system, and pick-and-place method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics. Provided are a hook mechanism, a pick-and-place device, a robot, a warehousing system and a pick-and-place method. The hook mechanism is configured to pick and place material boxes, and comprises a carrying member, a driving assembly and two hook members, wherein the driving assembly is disposed on the carrying member, and the two hook members are spaced apart in a first direction; the driving assembly is configured to drive at least two hook members to move upward or downward relative to the carrying member, respectively, such that a single driving assembly can separately control the two different hook members to pick and place material boxes in different directions, thereby simplifying the structure of the hook mechanism.

Description

Hook mechanism, picking and placing device, robot, warehousing system and picking and placing method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410817188.2, filed on June 21, 2024, entitled "Hook mechanism, picking and placing device, robot, warehousing system and picking and placing method", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a hook mechanism, a picking and placing device, a robot, a warehousing system, and a picking and placing method. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of artificial intelligence and automation technologies, robots are widely used in warehousing and logistics for picking, placing, transporting, and sorting goods. In logistics systems, goods are typically stored on shelves, and robots with corresponding functions interact with these shelves or conveyor lines to pick up or place goods, or to complete the task of transporting goods.

[0004] In related technologies, robots are usually equipped with forks for picking up and placing goods. The forks are usually equipped with a robotic arm that can extend and retract relative to the robot body in a fixed direction. The robotic arm usually has multiple joints, multiple sets of transmission mechanisms and multiple drive units, so that the robotic arm can extend into the shelf to complete the operation of picking up and placing material boxes.

[0005] However, the current robot-mounted pickup mechanism has a complex structure, is heavy, and has a high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a hook mechanism, a picking and placing device, a robot, a warehousing system, and a picking and placing method, to at least partially solve at least one of the technical problems of current robot picking mechanisms being complex in structure, heavy in weight, and high in cost.

[0007] In one aspect, this disclosure provides a hook mechanism for picking up and placing material boxes.

[0008] The hook mechanism includes a carrier, a drive assembly, and two hook parts. The drive assembly is disposed on the carrier, and the two hook parts are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly along a first direction. The drive assembly is configured to simultaneously drive the two hook parts to move asynchronously, thereby raising or lowering them relative to the carrier.

[0009] The hook mechanism disclosed herein uses a drive component to drive two hook parts to move asynchronously, which can realize the separate control of two different hook parts to pick up and put down material boxes in different directions by one drive, thus simplifying the structure of the hook mechanism.

[0010] As an alternative implementation, the hook mechanism further includes a rocker arm fixedly connected to the output end of the drive assembly, the hook member having a groove, and the rocker arm at least partially located within the groove; the drive assembly is configured to drive the rocker arm to rotate, thereby causing the rocker arm to move the hook member.

[0011] As an optional implementation, the rocker arm has a sliding part that is inserted into a groove, and the sliding part is spaced apart from the rotation center of the rocker arm.

[0012] With this configuration, the sliding part can push the hook component to move when the swing arm rotates, improving the reliability of the connection between the swing arm and the hook component.

[0013] As an alternative implementation, the hook mechanism further includes a housing disposed on a carrier, a drive assembly and two hook members disposed within the housing, and the housing having guide grooves; the two hook members are movable along the guide grooves to retract into the housing, or at least one of the two hook members extends partially out of the housing.

[0014] This design provides limits and guidance for the movement of the hook component, improving the smoothness of its movement.

[0015] As an optional implementation, the hook assembly may include a connecting part and a hook part; the connecting part is connected to the hook part, and a sliding groove is provided in the connecting part; the hook part passes through the guide groove; the outer side of the material box has a snap-fit ​​groove; when the hook assembly is docked with the material box, the hook part is at least partially inserted into the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0016] This design improves the reliability of the hook assembly's connection with the material box.

[0017] As an optional implementation, there are at least two hooks, and the at least two hooks are spaced apart along the length direction of the connecting portion.

[0018] This configuration allows multiple hooks to simultaneously engage with the material box, thereby improving the balance of force on the material box when the hooks engage with it.

[0019] As an optional implementation, the sidewall of the guide groove has a limiting protrusion, and the sidewall of the hook part has a groove; when the hook part moves along the guide groove, the limiting protrusion is located in the groove.

[0020] This design prevents the hook from wobbling as it moves along the guide groove.

[0021] As an optional implementation, the drive assembly includes a first drive unit and a rotating shaft. The first drive unit is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotating shaft extends along a first direction. Two hooks are fixedly connected to both ends of the rotating shaft. The projections of the two hooks on a plane perpendicular to the first direction extend in different directions, and / or the included angle between the projections of the two hooks on a plane perpendicular to the first direction is 60°-180°.

[0022] As an optional implementation, there can be two swing arms, each corresponding to one of the two hook components.

[0023] This configuration allows the two hooks to have different extension and retraction positions relative to the housing when the drive assembly rotates the two swing arms, satisfying the docking requirements of the hooks and the material box when picking up and putting down goods in different directions.

[0024] As an optional implementation, the drive assembly may include a first drive unit and a drive shaft. The first drive unit is disposed on the support member, and the drive shaft extends along a first direction. The first drive unit is configured to drive the drive shaft to rotate. Both rocker arms are fixedly connected to the drive shaft.

[0025] This configuration allows multiple hook components to be driven in tandem via a drive shaft, simplifying the drive structure of the hook mechanism.

[0026] As an alternative implementation, two rocker arms are connected to both ends of the drive shaft, and the projections of the two rocker arms onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction have an included angle.

[0027] As an optional implementation, the angle between the projections of the two pendulum rods onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction is 90°.

[0028] As an optional implementation, the drive assembly may further include a first gear and a second gear, wherein the first gear is connected to the output end of the first drive unit, and the second gear is coaxially connected to the drive shaft; the first gear and the second gear mesh.

[0029] This setup improves the compactness of the driver component layout and reduces space usage.

[0030] Secondly, this disclosure provides a picking and placing device, which includes a device body, a telescopic mechanism and a hook mechanism as described above. The telescopic mechanism is disposed on the device body and can extend and retract relative to the device body in a first direction. The hook mechanism is connected to the telescopic mechanism.

[0031] As an optional implementation, the main body of the device may include a fixed base plate, a first transmission component, a first transmission wheel, a drive wheel, and a second drive unit; the second drive unit is disposed on the fixed base plate; there are at least two first transmission wheels, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the fixed base plate along the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism; the drive wheel is connected to the output end of the second drive unit; and the first transmission component is sequentially wound around the first transmission wheel and the drive wheel at both ends of the fixed base plate.

[0032] The telescopic mechanism is connected to the first transmission component, and the second drive unit is configured to drive the drive wheel to rotate. The drive wheel drives the first transmission component to move relative to the fixed base plate.

[0033] This configuration allows the telescopic mechanism to extend and retract relative to the main body of the device in both directions.

[0034] As an optional implementation, the telescopic mechanism may include a telescopic member, a second transmission member, and at least two second transmission wheels, with the at least two second transmission wheels respectively disposed at both ends of the telescopic member along the moving direction of the hook mechanism; the second transmission member is wound around the at least two second transmission wheels.

[0035] The second transmission component has a connection point with the fixed base plate; the hook mechanism is connected to the second transmission component; the connection positions of the hook mechanism and the second transmission component and the connection positions of the fixed base plate and the second transmission component are respectively located on opposite sides of the second transmission component.

[0036] This configuration allows the telescopic mechanism to move in conjunction with the hook mechanism, simplifying the drive structure of the picking and placing device and reducing its weight and cost.

[0037] As an optional implementation, the connection point between the hook mechanism and the second transmission component is located between the two hook components.

[0038] This design prevents the clips from protruding too much from the shelf beams when picking up or placing goods, thus preventing the material boxes from protruding too much from the beams when placed on the shelf.

[0039] As an optional implementation, the first transmission member and the first transmission wheel are located on the first side of the width direction of the picking and placing device; the second transmission member and the second transmission wheel can be located on the second side of the width direction of the picking and placing device; the bearing member is provided with a connecting member on the side facing the second transmission member, and the connecting member is connected to the second transmission member.

[0040] This design allows for full utilization of the space on both sides of the loading and unloading device, improving the rationality of the transmission structure layout.

[0041] Thirdly, this disclosure provides a robot, which includes a robot body and a picking and placing device as described above, the picking and placing device being connected to the robot body.

[0042] Fourthly, this disclosure provides a warehousing system including shelves and a robot as described above, the robot being configured to move along the ground, and / or the robot being configured to dock with the shelves and climb along the height of the shelves.

[0043] Fifthly, this disclosure provides a method for picking and placing goods using a robot. The robot includes a picking and placing device, which includes a main body, a telescopic mechanism, and a hook mechanism. The telescopic mechanism is mounted on the main body and can extend and retract relative to the main body. The hook mechanism is connected to the telescopic mechanism. The hook mechanism includes a support member, a drive assembly, and two hook members. The drive assembly is mounted on the support member, and the two hook members are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly along a first direction. The drive assembly is configured to simultaneously drive the two hook members to move asynchronously, thereby rising or falling relative to the support member respectively. The robot is used to pick and place material boxes, and the bottom sides of the material boxes have locking grooves at both ends.

[0044] The method includes:

[0045] Upon receiving the pickup instruction, the robot is controlled to move to the target pickup location, and the telescopic mechanism is extended, causing the hook mechanism to move with the telescopic mechanism to the bottom of the target material box, and the hook part at the first end of the hook mechanism to align with the locking slot of the target material box.

[0046] The hook mechanism moves the hook at the first end toward the target material box, thereby engaging with the locking groove at the second end of the target material box; the first end of the hook mechanism is the end closer to the target picking position, and the second end of the target material box is the end closer to the opening side of the target picking position;

[0047] The reverse-drive telescopic mechanism enables the hook mechanism to move the target material box to the picking and placing device.

[0048] As an optional implementation, the picking and placing method further includes:

[0049] Upon receiving the delivery instruction, the robot is controlled to carry the target material box to the target delivery location, wherein the target pickup location and the target delivery location are respectively facing the pickup and delivery device on both sides along the first direction;

[0050] Drive the hook mechanism to move away from the target loading position and make the hook part at the second end of the hook mechanism align with the locking groove at the first end of the target material box;

[0051] The telescopic mechanism is driven toward the target loading position, causing the hook mechanism to move toward the target loading position along with the telescopic mechanism, and bringing the target material box to the target loading position;

[0052] This causes the hook to retract from the latching slot; the reverse drive of the telescopic mechanism causes the hook mechanism to retract into the loading and unloading device along with the telescopic mechanism.

[0053] This disclosure provides a hook mechanism, a picking and placing device, a robot, a warehousing system, and a picking and placing method. The hook mechanism is used to pick and place material boxes. The hook mechanism includes a carrier, a drive assembly, and two hook parts. The drive assembly is disposed on the carrier, and the two hook parts are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly along a first direction. The drive assembly is configured to drive the two hook parts to move asynchronously, thereby rising or falling relative to the carrier, respectively. This realizes that one drive can control two different hook parts to pick and place material boxes in different directions, simplifying the structure of the picking and placing device and reducing the weight and cost of the picking and placing device.

[0054] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of this disclosure, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions described above, other technical problems that can be solved by the hook mechanism, picking and placing device, robot, warehousing system, and picking and placing method provided by this disclosure, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further explained in detail in the specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0055] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0056] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the goods picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0057] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the loading and unloading device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 4 is an internal structural view of the hook mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0060] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the material box that is picked up and placed by the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the loading and unloading device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the loading and unloading device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the loading and unloading device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0065] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0066] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the picking process of the picking and placing device provided in this disclosure;

[0067] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the pickup method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0068] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the delivery process of the delivery device provided in this disclosure.

[0069] Figure 14 is a flowchart of the delivery method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0070] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Loading and unloading device; 100-Main body of the device; 110-Fixed base plate; 120-First transmission component; 130-First transmission wheel; 140-Drive wheel; 150-Second drive unit; 160-First guide rail; 170-Guide wheel; 200-Telescopic mechanism; 210-Telescopic component; 220-Second transmission component; 230-Second transmission wheel; 240-Second guide rail; 300-Hook mechanism; 301-Bearing component; 310-Housing; 311-Guide groove; 312-Limiting protrusion; 320- Drive assembly; 321-First drive unit; 322-Drive shaft; 323-First gear; 324-Second gear; 325-Support bearing; 330-Swing arm; 331-Sliding part; 340-Hook part; 341-Slide groove; 342-Connecting part; 343-Hook part; 3431-Groove; 350-Connector; 360-Rotating shaft; 20-Material box; 21-Snap-fit ​​groove; 30-Robot body; 40-Shelf. Detailed Implementation

[0071] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0072] First, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely for explaining the technical principles of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0073] Secondly, it should be noted that in the description of this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," "inner," and "outer," which indicate directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0074] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. 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.

[0075] In this application, the terms "installation" and "connection" are used interchangeably. A "connection" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection via intermediate components; it can be an active connection or a fixed connection. The term "and / or" includes any combination of the listed items, for example, "A and / or B" includes three cases: "A and B", "A only", or "B only".

[0076] Robots of various types are widely used in various fields such as industry and daily life. They play a crucial role in industries such as transportation and logistics. In warehousing and logistics systems, goods are typically stored on shelves. Robots interact with these shelves or conveyor lines to pick up and place goods, and can also transport them. Robots used for picking up and placing goods can move within aisles between shelves. They are typically equipped with forks for picking up and placing goods, and these forks usually have a robotic arm that extends in a fixed direction relative to the robot's body. The forks can rotate relative to the robot's body, and the robotic arm typically performs the picking and placing operations from the side of the robot along its direction of travel.

[0077] Therefore, in related technologies, when a handling robot performs a goods transportation task, it first needs to rotate the forks to face the target shelf before it can perform the extension and retraction operation to pick up or place goods. This results in low picking and placing efficiency for the robot. The forks typically have multiple joints, multiple transmission mechanisms, and multiple drive units. The robotic arm can extend into the shelf space to pick up and place material boxes, making the fork structure on the robot complex, heavy, and costly.

[0078] In addition, when the robot's forks pick up and place material boxes, the joints of the forks need to extend into the interior of the rack storage location, occupying the storage space inside the location, resulting in a decrease in storage density and a reduction in the overall space utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0079] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a hook mechanism, a picking and placing device, a robot, a warehousing system, and a picking and placing method. By designing the structure of the hook mechanism and the telescopic mechanism on the picking and placing device, the fork mechanism can extend and retract in both directions. The hook mechanism does not need to extend into the shelving unit when docking with material boxes, improving space utilization and warehousing efficiency. The structure of the picking and placing device is simplified, reducing equipment weight and product costs.

[0080] To facilitate understanding, the application scenarios of the hook mechanism, picking and placing device, robot, warehousing system and picking and placing method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will be described first.

[0081] The picking and placing device provided in this disclosure is applied to a robot. The robot can be used in warehousing systems to pick and place goods. Specifically, the robot can be applied to logistics distribution in industrial production lines, inbound and outbound inventory in manufacturing, inbound and outbound products in the retail industry, and inbound and outbound express delivery in e-commerce logistics, among other fields. The products or goods involved in transportation can be industrial parts, electronic components or products, pharmaceuticals, clothing and accessories, food, books, etc. The robot can directly transfer goods or transfer containers containing goods. This disclosure does not specifically limit this; the term "container" will be used to refer to the object being handled by the robot, without further specific examples. In one embodiment, the robot can walk on the ground; in another embodiment, the robot can climb onto shelves to pick and place goods; and in some other embodiments, the robot can walk on guide rails installed on the shelves.

[0082] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is an internal structural view of the hook mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the material box picked and placed by the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, this embodiment provides a hook mechanism 300, which can be applied to a picking and placing device 10 for picking and placing material boxes 20. The picking and placing device 10 picks up material boxes 20 from a shelf 40, or places material boxes 20 onto the shelf 40. The shelf 40 may include one or more shelves for placing material boxes 20, and each shelf has multiple storage locations for placing material boxes 20. This application does not limit the shape and structure of the shelves and storage locations, as long as the material boxes 20 can be placed in the storage locations on the shelves.

[0084] The hook mechanism 300 includes a support member 301, a drive assembly 320, and two hook members 340. The drive assembly 320 is disposed on the support member 301, and the two hook members 340 are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly 320 along a first direction. The drive assembly 320 is configured to simultaneously drive the two hook members 340 to move asynchronously, thereby raising or lowering them relative to the support member 301, so that at least one of the two hook members 340 docks with the material box 20, or both hook members 340 are separated from the material box 20.

[0085] Asynchronous motion refers to non-synchronous motion. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the two hook components 340 move in different directions at the same time. Even if the two hook components 340 are at the same height at some specific moments, their directions of motion are different. For example, one hook component 340 may rise while the other hook component 340 may fall.

[0086] Understandably, the drive component 320 drives the two hook parts 340 to move asynchronously, which can realize that one drive controls two different hook parts to pick up and put down the material box in different directions, simplifying the structure of the hook mechanism.

[0087] Understandably, the hook mechanism 300 uses the linkage of two hook parts 340. When the drive component 320 moves the hook parts 340, the hook part 340 at the end closer to the picking position is used to dock with the material box 20 when picking up goods, and the hook part 340 at the end farther away from the placing position is used to dock with the material box 20 when placing goods. Thus, the hook mechanism 300 does not need to go deep into the shelf, which helps to simplify the structure of the hook mechanism 300 and improve the storage density of the shelf.

[0088] In some embodiments, the hook mechanism 300 may further include a rocker arm 330, which is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive assembly 320. The hook member 340 has a groove 341, and the rocker arm 330 is at least partially located within the groove 341. The drive assembly 320 is configured to drive the rocker arm 330 to rotate. During the rotation of the rocker arm 330, the rocker arm 330 can cause the hook member 340 to rise or fall relative to the carrier 301, thereby enabling the hook member 340 to dock with or separate from the material box 20.

[0089] It is understandable that the swing stroke of the swing arm 330 corresponds to the movement stroke of the hook member 340. By rotating the swing arm 330, the hook member 340 can rise and fall relative to the support member 301. When the hook member 340 rises relative to the support member 301, it can dock with the material box 20, and thus the material box 20 can move when the hook mechanism 300 moves. When the hook member 340 falls relative to the support member 301, it can separate from the material box 20, and thus the movement of the hook mechanism 300 will not move the material box 20. Taking the retrieval process as an example, the hook mechanism 300 can move to one end facing the material box 20 and be opposite to the material box 20. Therefore, before the hook mechanism 300 reaches the preset position opposite to the material box 20, the hook part 340 of the hook mechanism 300 is in a low position or retracted state relative to the carrier 301. After the hook mechanism 300 reaches the preset position, the drive component 320 can drive the swing rod 330 to rotate. During the rotation, the swing rod 330 drives the hook part 340 to move, so that the hook part 340 rises relative to the carrier 301, thereby allowing the hook part 340 to dock with the material box 20. After that, the hook part 340 can drive the material box 20 to move, thereby realizing the retrieval of the material box 20.

[0090] During the unloading process, the hook 340 is in the extended state relative to the carrier 301, so that the hook 340 docks with the material box 20, and moves the material box 20 onto the shelf. After the unloading is completed, under the drive of the drive component 320, the swing arm 330 rotates and drives the hook 340 to descend relative to the carrier 301, moving from the extended state to the retracted state, thereby separating the hook 340 from the material box 20.

[0091] In some embodiments, the hook mechanism 300 further includes a housing 310, which is disposed on the support member 301, and the drive assembly 320 and two hook members 340 are disposed inside the housing 310.

[0092] The specific driving method of hook handle 340 is explained in detail below.

[0093] Referring to Figures 1 through 5, in one possible implementation, the rocker arm 330 has a sliding portion 331, which is inserted into a groove 341. The sliding portion 331 is spaced apart from the rotation center of the rocker arm 330. When the rocker arm 330 rotates, the sliding portion 331 can push the hook member 340 to move, improving the reliability of the connection between the rocker arm 330 and the hook member 340. When the sliding portion 331 pushes the hook member 340 to move, the sliding portion 331 moves along the groove 341, so that the hook member 340 only performs lifting and lowering movements.

[0094] It is understood that the sliding part 331 can be located on the side of the rocker arm 330, and the sliding part 331 can protrude laterally from the surface of the main body of the rocker arm 330. For example, the cross-section of the swing part can be circular, and the diameter of the swing part can be equal to or less than the width of the groove 341. The cross-section of the swing part can also be square or other shapes, and the swing part can be rotatably connected to the main body structure of the rocker arm 330. This disclosure does not limit the specific shape of the swing part.

[0095] For example, the swing part can be integrally molded with the main structure of the swing arm 330 to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0096] For example, the swing part can be a roller structure. The swing part is rotatably connected to the main structure of the swing rod 330. When the swing part moves along the slide 341, the roller can roll along the groove wall of the slide 341, thereby reducing the friction between the swing part and the slide 341, improving the smoothness of the swing part moving along the slide 341, and reducing the wear of the swing part and the slide 341.

[0097] In some embodiments, the housing 310 has a guide groove 311. Hooks 340 are at least partially disposed in the guide groove 311. The two hooks 340 are movable along the guide groove 311 such that the two hooks 340 are retracted into the housing 310, or at least one of the two hooks 340 is partially extended out of the housing 310.

[0098] Understandably, the guide groove 311 connects the inner and outer sides of the housing 310. When the rocker arm 330 rotates, it can push the hook member 340 to move along the guide groove 311. The guide groove 311 can limit and guide the movement of the hook member 340, improving the smoothness and certainty of the movement of the hook member 340.

[0099] In some embodiments, the hook member 340 may include a connecting portion 342 and a hook portion 343. The connecting portion 342 is connected to the hook portion 343, and a sliding groove 341 is disposed in the connecting portion 342. The hook portion 343 passes through the guide groove 311, and the outer side of the material box 20 has a snap-fit ​​groove 21; when the hook member 340 is docked with the material box 20, the hook portion 343 is at least partially inserted into the snap-fit ​​groove 21, which can improve the reliability of the docking between the hook member 340 and the material box 20.

[0100] Understandably, when the hook handle 340 drags the material box 20, the hook handle 340 abuts against the groove wall of the locking groove 21, thereby improving the reliability of the hook handle 340 when docking with the material box 20 and preventing the hook handle 340 from falling off when dragging the material box 20.

[0101] For example, the guide groove 311 can be provided on the top of the housing 310, and the hook member 340 can move vertically. When the hook member 340 retracts relative to the housing 310 along the guide groove 311, the top surface of the hook portion 343 can be lower than or flush with the top surface of the housing 310. When the hook member 340 extends relative to the housing 310 along the guide groove 311, the hook portion 343 at least partially protrudes to the outer top of the housing 310, forming a protruding structure on the outer top of the housing 310, and the portion of the hook portion 343 protruding to the outer top of the housing 310 can engage with the snap-fit ​​groove 21 of the material box 20.

[0102] In some embodiments, there are at least two hook parts 343, and the at least two hook parts 343 are distributed at intervals along the length direction of the connecting part 342, so that multiple hook parts 343 can simultaneously dock with the material box 20, thereby improving the balance of force on the material box 20 when the hook part 340 docks with the material box 20.

[0103] The number of hook portions 343 in each hook member 340 can be two, three or more, and this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0104] For example, there are two hook parts 343, which are connected to both ends of the connecting part 342. The connecting part 342 is horizontally arranged. The two hook parts 343 can be vertically arranged, and the top surfaces of the two hook parts 343 can be flush, so as to ensure that when the swing rod 330 drives the hook part 340 to move, the two hook parts 343 can be simultaneously inserted into or disengaged from the snap-fit ​​groove 21 of the material box 20.

[0105] For example, the hook portion 343 and the connecting portion 342 can be integrally formed, or the hook portion 343 and the connecting portion 342 can be welded together, or the hook portion 343 and the connecting portion 342 can be detachably connected by fasteners such as bolts. The specific connection method of the hook portion 343 and the connecting portion 342 is not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0106] In some embodiments, the sidewall of the guide groove 311 may be provided with a limiting protrusion 312, and the sidewall of the hook portion 343 may be provided with a groove 3431. The limiting protrusion 312 may cooperate with the groove 3431, and when the hook portion 343 moves along the guide groove 311, the limiting protrusion 312 is located in the groove 3431.

[0107] Understandably, the fit between the limiting protrusion 312 and the groove 3431 can improve the tightness of the fit between the hook part 343 and the guide groove 311, and can prevent the hook part 343 from shaking when it moves along the guide groove 311.

[0108] For example, limiting protrusions 312 can be provided on the groove walls on both sides of the guide groove 311, and grooves 3431 can be provided on both sides of the hook portion 343. The two limiting protrusions 312 respectively cooperate with the two grooves 3431. The cross-sections of both the guide groove 311 and the hook portion 343 can be I-shaped.

[0109] For example, the hook component 340 can be made of plastic or metals and alloys such as iron and aluminum, and this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0110] In some embodiments, the moving direction of the hook 340 can be a second direction, which is a vertical direction. The rotation plane of the swing arm 330 can be perpendicular to the picking / placing direction of the picking / placing device 10. When the hook 340 disengages from the latching groove 21 of the material box 20, the hook 340 retracts relative to the housing 310. At this time, the hook 340 is housed inside the housing 310, and the height of the hook 340 along the second direction is lower than the top surface of the housing 310. When the hook 340 engages with the latching groove 21 of the material box 20, the hook 340 can extend relative to the housing 310. At this time, the hook 340 is higher than the top surface of the housing 310.

[0111] In some embodiments, the latching groove 21 may be disposed on the bottom wall of the material box 20, or the latching groove 21 may be formed by the handle on the end side of the material box 20. This embodiment does not limit the specific location of the latching groove 21. For example, the latching groove 21 may be disposed on the top of the side wall of the material box 20 facing the loading / unloading device 10, with the opening of the latching groove 21 facing upwards. When the hook mechanism 300 is aligned with the latching groove 21, the hook member 340 is located above the latching groove 21. When the hook member 340 needs to engage with the latching groove 21, the first driving unit 321 can drive the hook member 340 to move downwards. When the snap-fit ​​groove 21 is at the bottom or top of the material box 20, it can be set close to the bottom edge of the material box 20, so that the hook mechanism 300 can dock with the material box 20 at the warehouse opening of the shelf without having to extend into the warehouse position of the shelf. This means that the hook mechanism 300 will not occupy the internal space of the warehouse position when picking up or putting down the material box 20, which is conducive to improving the storage density of the shelf.

[0112] Referring to Figure 9, when the material box 20 is placed on the shelf, the end of the material box 20 protrudes a certain distance from the shelf beam, so that the snap-fit ​​groove 21 at the bottom of the material box 20 can be exposed outside the warehouse opening. In this way, when the hook 340 is connected to the snap-fit ​​groove 21, the hook 340 will not interfere with the shelf beam.

[0113] It should be noted that when the hook 340 is opposite to the snap-fit ​​groove 21 of the material box 20, since the hook 340 will not interfere with the material box 20 in the retracted state, the hook mechanism 300 can be as close as possible to the bottom wall of the material box 20 as the hook mechanism 300 extends to the bottom of the material box 20. This avoids the hook mechanism 300 and the telescopic mechanism 200 occupying too much space under the target material box 20, which is beneficial to reducing the height of the shelving and increasing the storage density.

[0114] Figure 6 is a second structural schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 7 is a third structural schematic diagram of the hook mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] Please refer to Figures 3 to 7. In some embodiments, there can be two rocker arms 330, and the two rocker arms 330 are respectively set with two hook parts 340.

[0116] Two rocker arms 330 are connected to the two ends of the drive shaft 322, and the projections of the two rocker arms 330 onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction have an included angle. The drive shaft 322 extends along the first direction.

[0117] During one revolution of the swing arm 330, the travel of the hook member 340 cooperating with the swing arm 330 includes two processes: upward extension and downward retraction. Since the two swing arms 330 have an included angle, the travel of the two hook members 340 corresponding to the two swing arms 330 is staggered. When the drive assembly 320 drives the two swing arms 330 to rotate, the two hook members 340 have different extension and retraction positions relative to the housing 310, thereby meeting the docking requirements of the hook member 340 and the material box 20 when picking up and putting down goods in different directions.

[0118] The specific value of the included angle between the projections of the two swing arms 330 along their rotation axis can be 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 180°, etc., and this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0119] For example, the angle between the projections of the two pendulum rods 330 onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction can be 90°. That is, the angle between the projections of the two pendulum rods 330 along the first direction is 90°.

[0120] Taking a 90° angle between the projections of the two rocker arms 330 along their axis of rotation as an example, the 360° rotation stroke of the rocker arm 330 can be divided into four stroke intervals. The four stroke intervals correspond to four states of the two hook parts 340, namely: both hook parts 340 are retracted relative to the housing 310; both hook parts 340 are extended relative to the housing 310; the first of the two hook parts 340 is extended relative to the housing 310 and the second is retracted relative to the housing 310; and the second of the two hook parts 340 is extended relative to the housing 310 and the first is retracted relative to the housing 310.

[0121] It is understood that in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the picking and placing device 10 can perform bidirectional picking and placing operations from both ends of its length. As shown in Figure 3, when the hook 340 needs to be separated from the material box 20, the two swing arms 330 can be rotated so that both hooks 340 are in a retracted state relative to the housing 310. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the hook 340 needs to be docked with the material box 20, the two swing arms 330 can be rotated according to the specific picking and placing direction of the picking and placing device 10, so that one of the two hooks 340 is in an extended state relative to the housing 310, and the other of the two hooks 340 is in a retracted state relative to the housing 310. The two hooks 340 correspond to the two bidirectional picking and placing directions of the picking and placing device 10, respectively.

[0122] For example, when the telescopic mechanism 200 extends from the first end of the device body 100 along its length to pick up or place goods, the hook member 340 facing the first end of the device body 100 is configured to dock with the material box 20. When the telescopic mechanism 200 extends from the second end of the device body 100 along its length to pick up or place goods, the hook member 340 facing the second end of the device body 100 is configured to dock with the material box 20. This increases the stroke of the hook mechanism 300 in moving the material box 20 and avoids interference between the hook mechanism 300 and the shelf 40.

[0123] It should be noted that the bottom ends of the material box 20 can be provided with locking slots 21 respectively, so that when the picking and placing device 10 picks and places goods in different directions, the corresponding hook 340 can be connected with the locking slots 21 at different positions on the bottom of the material box 20.

[0124] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another hook mechanism provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0125] Referring to Figure 8, in some embodiments, the drive assembly 320 includes a first drive unit 321 and a rotating shaft 360. The first drive unit 321 is configured to drive the rotating shaft 360 to rotate. The rotating shaft 360 extends along a first direction. Two hook members 340 are fixedly connected to both ends of the rotating shaft 360. The projections of the two hook members 340 on a plane perpendicular to the first direction extend in different directions.

[0126] Understandably, the rotating shaft 360 can directly drive the two hook components 340 to rotate. For example, the two hook components 340 can be perpendicular to the rotating shaft 360, and extend in opposite directions. When the hook components 340 are connected to the material box, one hook component 340 faces upwards and the other hook component 340 faces downwards; when the hook components 340 are separated from the material box, both hook components 340 are horizontally positioned.

[0127] In some embodiments, the included angle between the projections of the two hook members 340 on the plane perpendicular to the first direction is 60°-180°. For example, the included angle between the projections of the two hook members 340 on the plane perpendicular to the first direction is 60°, 61°, 70°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 170°, 179°, 180°, etc., and this disclosure does not specifically limit this.

[0128] The specific structure of the driver component 320 will be described in detail below.

[0129] Referring to Figures 1 through 5, in one possible implementation, the drive assembly 320 may include a first drive unit 321 and a drive shaft 322. The first drive unit 321 is disposed within the housing 310, and the drive shaft 322 is rotatably connected to the housing 310. The first drive unit 321 is configured to drive the drive shaft 322 to rotate. Both rocker arms 330 are connected to the drive shaft 322, thereby enabling multiple hook components 340 to be driven in conjunction via the drive shaft 322, simplifying the drive structure of the hook mechanism 300.

[0130] Understandably, the two hook components 340 are arranged at intervals along the first direction, the drive shaft 322 extends along the first direction, and the two rocker arms 330 can be connected to the two ends of the drive shaft 322 respectively. The two rocker arms 330 are fixed relative to the drive shaft 322, thereby keeping the included angle of the projections of the two rocker arms 330 in the length direction of the drive shaft 322 unchanged, so as to ensure the stability of the rotation stroke of the two rocker arms 330.

[0131] For example, the drive assembly 320 may also include a first gear 323 and a second gear 324. The first gear 323 is connected to the output end of the first drive unit 321, and the second gear 324 is coaxially connected to the drive shaft 322. The first gear 323 and the second gear 324 mesh, thereby improving the compactness of the layout of the drive assembly 320 and reducing space occupation.

[0132] It should be noted that the first drive unit 321 can be a motor. The first drive unit 321 can be located on the side of the drive shaft 322. A support bearing 325 can be provided on the drive shaft 322. The inner ring of the support bearing 325 is connected to the drive shaft 322, and the outer ring of the support bearing 325 is connected to the bearing seat on the housing 310, so as to improve the stability of the rotation of the drive shaft 322 and provide support for the drive shaft 322.

[0133] This disclosure provides a picking and placing device 10 for picking up and placing material boxes 20. The picking and placing device 10 can be applied to robots in a warehousing and logistics system to retrieve material boxes 20 from shelves or place material boxes 20 on shelves.

[0134] The picking and placing device 10 provided in this disclosure includes a device body 100, a telescopic mechanism 200, and a hook mechanism 300. The telescopic mechanism 200 is movably connected to the device body 100, and the hook mechanism 300 is movably connected to the telescopic mechanism 200. During picking and placing operations, the telescopic mechanism 200 can extend or retract relative to the device body 100, and the hook mechanism 300 can move relative to the telescopic mechanism 200. The hook mechanism 300 can dock with the material box 20 and move the material box 20. The structure of the hook mechanism 300 is any one of the embodiments provided in this disclosure, and will not be described in detail here.

[0135] It should be noted that in the picking and placing device 10 provided in this embodiment, by setting a movable hook mechanism 300 on the telescopic mechanism 200, the hook mechanism 300 does not need to extend deep into the storage location when docking with the material box 20, thus not occupying the space inside the storage location, which is conducive to reducing the width and height of the storage location of the shelf and improving the storage density of the shelf.

[0136] In addition, by using the movable and telescopic hook 340 to cooperate with the material box 20, the structure of the docking between the picking and placing device 10 and the material box 20 is simplified, the weight of the picking and placing device 10 is reduced, and the production cost is lowered.

[0137] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the picking and placing direction of the picking and placing device 10 is defined as the X direction, that is, the first direction is the X direction. The telescopic mechanism 200 can move relative to the device body 100 along the X direction, and the hook mechanism 300 can move relative to the telescopic mechanism 200 along the X direction. The length direction of the device body 100 is the X direction, the width direction of the device body 100 is the Y direction, the height direction of the device body 100 is the Z direction, the Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction, the Z direction is perpendicular to the XY plane, and the second direction is the Z direction.

[0138] The following provides a detailed description of the specific drive and transmission structures for the movement of the telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the main body 100 of the device may include a fixed base plate 110, a first transmission member 120, a first transmission wheel 130, a drive wheel 140, and a second drive unit 150. The second drive unit 150 is disposed on the fixed base plate 110. There are at least two first transmission wheels 130, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the fixed base plate 110 along the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism 200. The drive wheel 140 is connected to the output end of the second drive unit 150. The first transmission member 120 is sequentially wound around the first transmission wheels 130 and the drive wheels 140 at both ends of the fixed base plate 110.

[0140] The telescopic mechanism 200 is connected to the first transmission member 120, and the second drive unit 150 is configured to drive the drive wheel 140 to rotate. The drive wheel 140 drives the first transmission member 120 to drive the telescopic mechanism 200 to move relative to the fixed base plate 110, thereby enabling the telescopic mechanism 200 to move bidirectionally relative to the main body 100 of the device.

[0141] It is understood that there are two first transmission wheels 130, which are rotatably mounted at both ends of the fixed base plate 110 along the X direction. The first transmission component 120 is a flexible transmission component such as a chain or belt. The drive wheel 140 can mesh with the inner side of the first transmission component 120. When the second drive unit 150 drives the drive wheel 140 to rotate, the drive wheel 140 can drive the first transmission component 120 to transmit along the X direction, and the first transmission component 120 can drive the telescopic mechanism 200 to move.

[0142] For example, the drive wheel 140 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, and correspondingly, the first transmission member 120 can transmit power in the forward or reverse direction, while the telescopic mechanism 200 can move bidirectionally in the X direction.

[0143] For example, the first drive unit 321 can be a motor. The first drive unit 321 can be located below the fixed base plate 110, making full use of the space below the fixed base plate 110 and avoiding interference between the first drive unit 321 and the fixed base plate 110. The main body 100 of the device can also be provided with guide wheels 170. For example, there are two guide wheels 170, which are located on both sides of the drive wheel 140 and abut against the outside of the first transmission member 120. The guide wheels 170 can provide guidance for the transmission of the first transmission member 120.

[0144] In some embodiments, the telescopic mechanism 200 may include a telescopic member 210, a second transmission member 220, and at least two second transmission wheels 230. The at least two second transmission wheels 230 are respectively disposed at both ends of the telescopic member 210 along the moving direction of the hook mechanism 300, and the second transmission member 220 is wound around the at least two second transmission wheels 230.

[0145] The second transmission component 220 has a connection point with the fixed base plate 110. The hook mechanism 300 is connected to the second transmission component 220. The connection positions of the hook mechanism 300 and the second transmission component 220 are located on opposite sides of the second transmission component 220, respectively, as are the connection positions of the fixed base plate 110 and the second transmission component 220.

[0146] It is understood that the telescopic member 210 is connected to the first transmission member 120. When the first transmission member 120 is driven by the second drive unit 150, the telescopic member 210 moves in the X direction. At this time, since the second transmission member 220 is connected to the fixed base plate 110, the second transmission member 220 will drive around the second transmission wheel 230, thereby driving the hook mechanism 300 to move relative to the telescopic member 210. Thus, the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 200 drives the hook mechanism 300 to move in linkage, simplifying the drive structure of the picking and placing device 10 and reducing the weight and cost of the picking and placing device 10.

[0147] It should be noted that in this embodiment, a single drive source is used to achieve two-stage transmission between the telescopic mechanism 200 and the device body 100, and between the hook mechanism 300 and the telescopic mechanism 200. Taking the fixed base plate 110 as a reference, the moving speed of the telescopic member 210 relative to the fixed base plate 110 is v, and the moving stroke is L; then the moving speed of the hook mechanism 300 relative to the fixed base plate 110 is 2v, and the moving stroke is 2L.

[0148] In some embodiments, the connection point between the hook mechanism 300 and the second transmission member 220 is located between the two hook members 340, so that the hook mechanism 300 can partially extend beyond the length of the telescopic mechanism 200, making it easier to dock with the snap-fit ​​groove 21.

[0149] Understandably, this can prevent the latching slot 21 from protruding too much from the shelf beam when picking up and placing goods, thereby preventing the material box 20 from protruding too much from the beam when placed on the shelf, improving the stability of the material box 20 on the shelf, and preventing the material box 20 from interfering with external moving objects.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first transmission member 120 and the first transmission wheel 130 may be located on a first side in the width direction of the loading and unloading device 10. The second transmission member 220 and the second transmission wheel 230 may be located on a second side in the width direction of the loading and unloading device 10. A connecting member 350 is provided on the side of the support member 301 facing the second transmission member 220, and the connecting member 350 is connected to the second transmission member 220. Thus, the space on both sides of the loading and unloading device 10 can be fully utilized, and the rationality of the transmission structure layout can be improved.

[0151] Understandably, the connector 350 can extend laterally from the housing 310 toward the telescopic member 210, and the connector 350 can be fixedly connected to the second transmission member 220 by screws or rivets. The telescopic member 210 can also be connected to the first transmission member 120 by fasteners such as screws or rivets.

[0152] For example, when the telescopic mechanism 200 is in its initial state, that is, when the telescopic mechanism 200 is in its retracted state relative to the main body 100, the hook 340 can be located at the middle position of the telescopic member 210 along the X direction. At this time, the connection position between the telescopic member 210 and the first transmission member 120 can be located at the middle position of the fixed base plate 110 along the X direction, and the connection position between the second transmission member 220 and the fixed base plate 110 can be located at the middle position of the fixed base plate 110 along the X direction. In this way, it can be ensured that both the telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300 have sufficient travel stroke during the bidirectional loading and unloading process of the loading and unloading device 10.

[0153] In some embodiments, the loading and unloading device 10 may further include a first guide rail 160 and a first slider. The first guide rail 160 is disposed on the fixed base plate 110, and the first slider is connected to the telescopic member 210. The first slider is slidably connected to the first guide rail 160, thereby improving the smoothness of the telescopic mechanism 200 moving relative to the device body 100.

[0154] For example, there can be two first guide rails 160, which can be parallel and respectively arranged on opposite sides of the device body 100. The bottom of the telescopic member 210 can be provided with first sliders on opposite sides, with at least one first slider on each side slidingly engaging with the first guide rail 160.

[0155] In some embodiments, the loading and unloading device 10 may further include a second guide rail 240 and a second slider. The second guide rail 240 is disposed on the telescopic member 210, and the second slider is connected to the housing 310. The second slider is slidably connected to the second guide rail 240, thereby improving the smoothness of the movement of the hook mechanism 300 relative to the telescopic mechanism 200.

[0156] For example, the second guide rail 240 may be disposed in the middle of the telescopic member 210 and extend in the X direction. The second guide rail 240 may be located between the two first guide rails 160 and parallel to the first guide rails 160. The second slider may be connected to the bottom of the housing 310 of the hook mechanism 300.

[0157] It should be noted that the main body 100 of the device may also be equipped with a first detection module and a second detection module. The first detection module can detect the position of the material box 20 relative to the main body 100 of the device, thereby determining whether the material box 20 has been completely placed on the pallet of the main body 100 of the device, or whether the material box 20 has been completely removed from the main body 100 of the device. The second detection module is used to detect the height position of the picking and placing device 10 relative to the shelf, thereby ensuring that the picking and placing device 10 is aligned with the target storage location where the material box 20 needs to be picked or placed. Both the first and second detection modules can be photoelectric sensors, infrared sensors, vision sensors, etc., and this embodiment does not specifically limit their use.

[0158] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0159] Please refer to Figure 9. This embodiment of the present disclosure provides a robot, which includes a robot body 30 and a picking and placing device 10 as described above. The picking and placing device 10 is connected to the robot body 30.

[0160] The robot body 30 can move along the ground, and the loading / unloading device 10 can be installed on top of the robot body 30. The robot provided in this embodiment can include all the technical solutions and effects of the loading / unloading device 10 described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0161] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0162] Referring to Figure 10, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a warehousing system, which includes a rack 40 and a robot as described above. The robot is configured to move along the ground. The robot is configured to dock with the rack 40 and climb and move along the height of the rack 40.

[0163] The robot is configured to move along the ground, or to dock with the shelf 40 and climb along the height of the shelf 40, thereby allowing the picking and placing device 10 to be positioned relative to different locations on the shelf 40 to retrieve the target material box 20. After docking with the corresponding location on the shelf 40, the picking and placing device 10 can perform the picking and placing operation of the material box 20.

[0164] The warehousing system provided in this embodiment may include all the technical solutions and effects of the above-described picking and placing device 10, which will not be repeated here.

[0165] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the picking process of the picking and placing device provided in this disclosure, and Figure 12 is a flowchart of the picking method provided in the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0166] Referring to Figures 11 and 12, this disclosure provides a method for picking and placing goods using a robot. The robot includes a picking and placing device 10, a receiver, a processor, and a memory. The picking and placing device 10 includes a main body 100, a telescopic mechanism 200, and a hook mechanism 300. The hook mechanism 300 is disposed on the telescopic mechanism 200 and can extend and retract relative to the main body. The hook mechanism 300 includes a support member 301, a drive assembly 320, and two hook members 340. The drive assembly 320 is disposed on the support member 301. The two hook members 340 are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly 320 along a first direction. The drive assembly 320 is configured to drive the two hook members 340 to move asynchronously, thereby rising or falling relative to the support member 301 respectively. The robot is used to pick up a material box 20, which has locking slots 21 at both ends of its bottom side. The memory stores computer executable program codes for performing various tasks. After the receiver receives the instruction sent by the server, the processor executes the program code to control the robot and its various actuators (such as the picking and placing device 10) to perform corresponding actions.

[0167] In one embodiment, the pickup and delivery method includes:

[0168] S101. Receive the picking instruction, control the robot to move to the target picking position, drive the telescopic mechanism 200 to extend, so that the hook mechanism 300 moves with the telescopic mechanism 200 to the bottom of the target material box 20, and make the hook part at the first end of the hook mechanism face the locking groove 21 of the target material box 20.

[0169] The first end of the hook mechanism is the end closest to the target picking position. The hook mechanism 300 and the telescopic mechanism 200 can be linked, that is, when the telescopic mechanism 200 extends, the hook mechanism 300 can move relative to the telescopic mechanism 200 at the same time, so that the hook mechanism 300 can move to the end of the telescopic mechanism 200 and to the bottom edge of the material box 20.

[0170] It should be noted that during the movement of the telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300 toward the target material box 20, both the front and rear hook parts 340 of the hook mechanism 300 are in a low position or retracted state to avoid interference with the material box 20.

[0171] S102, the hook member 340 at the first end of the drive hook mechanism 300 moves toward the target material box 20, thereby docking with the snap-fit ​​groove 21 at the second end of the target material box 20.

[0172] The second end of the target material box 20 is the end closest to the opening of the target picking position, i.e., the side of the target material box 20 facing the robot. The slot 21 of the target material box 20 faces downward. By rotating the swing arm 330, the swing arm 330 pushes the hook 340 upward, so that the hook 340 can be inserted into the slot 21.

[0173] It should be noted that the hook mechanism 300 has two hook parts 340, one at the front and one at the back. When the telescopic mechanism 200 extends and the hook mechanism 300 reaches the preset position opposite the material box 20, the hook part 340 located at the front end along the extension direction of the telescopic mechanism 200 is located below the locking groove 21. As the swing rod 330 rotates, the hook part 340 can move upward and extend to engage with the locking groove 21, while the hook part 340 at the rear end remains in the retracted state. The specific implementation structure is described above for the hook mechanism 300, and will not be repeated here.

[0174] S103, the reverse drive telescopic mechanism 200, causes the hook mechanism 300 to move the target material box 20 to the picking and placing device 10.

[0175] During the process of the hook mechanism 300 moving the target material box 20 to the picking and placing device 10, the position of the hook part 340 remains unchanged, and the telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300 move simultaneously.

[0176] It should be noted that when the telescopic mechanism 200 retracts to its initial state, the target material box 20 has not yet been fully moved onto the pallet of the picking and placing device 10. Therefore, after the telescopic mechanism 200 retracts to its initial state, it needs to be driven to continue moving a certain distance, that is, the telescopic mechanism 200 extends a certain distance in the opposite direction. During this process, the hook mechanism 300 can move to the end of the telescopic mechanism 200 opposite to the picking direction, thereby fully moving the target material box 20 onto the pallet of the picking and placing device 10.

[0177] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the loading and unloading process of the loading and unloading device provided in this disclosure, and Figure 14 is a flowchart of the loading and unloading method provided in this disclosure.

[0178] Referring to Figures 13 and 14, in one embodiment, the picking and placing method further includes:

[0179] S201. Receive the delivery instruction and control the robot to carry the target material box 20 to the target delivery position, wherein the target pickup position and the target delivery position are respectively facing the pickup and delivery device on both sides along the first direction.

[0180] The hook mechanism 300 has two hook parts 340, one at the front and one at the back. With the loading direction as a reference, the hook part 340 at the front end of the hook mechanism 300 along the loading direction can be aligned with the locking groove 21.

[0181] Understandably, before driving the hook mechanism 300 towards the target placement position, it is necessary to determine whether the placement direction of the target material box 20 is on the same side as its retrieval direction. If they are on the same side, the target material box 20 is handled by same-side retrieval and placement, and the same hook part 340 used for retrieval can be used to connect with the target material box 20. If they are not on the same side, the target material box 20 is handled by opposite-side retrieval and placement, and a different hook part 340 used for retrieval can be used to connect with the target material box 20.

[0182] S202, drive the hook mechanism 300 to move away from the target loading position, and make the hook part 340 at the second end of the hook mechanism 300 dock with the snap-fit ​​groove 21 at the first end of the target material box 20; drive the telescopic mechanism 200 toward the target loading position, so that the hook mechanism 300 moves toward the target loading position along with the telescopic mechanism 200, and moves the target material box 20 to the target loading position.

[0183] Understandably, since the hook mechanism 300 docks with the second end of the target material box 20 during the aforementioned picking process, it needs to dock with the first end of the target material box 20 when discharging. Therefore, the hook mechanism 300 needs to move from one end of the telescopic mechanism 200 to the other end. Before the hook part 340 moves to the second end of the hook mechanism 300 and aligns with the locking groove 21 at the first end of the target material box 20, both hook parts 340 remain in a low position or retracted state.

[0184] Understandably, the hook member 340 at the second end of the hook mechanism 300 engages with the locking groove 21 at the first end of the target material box 20. That is, of the two hook members 340, the hook member 340 at the front end of the hook mechanism 300 along the delivery direction extends upward under the drive of the swing rod 330 and engages with the locking groove 21 at the rear end of the target material box 20 along the delivery direction, while the hook member 340 at the rear end along the delivery direction remains in the retracted state.

[0185] S203, the hook handle 340 is disengaged from the locking slot 21, and the telescopic mechanism 200 is reversed, so that the hook handle mechanism 300 retracts into the loading and unloading device 10 along with the telescopic mechanism 200.

[0186] Understandably, during the retraction of the telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300, both hook parts 340 of the hook mechanism 300 are in the retracted state. The telescopic mechanism 200 and the hook mechanism 300 can move simultaneously until the telescopic mechanism 200 returns to its initial state.

[0187] It should be noted that the step numbers in this disclosure are only for specific illustrative embodiments and do not necessarily represent a strict order between the steps. The order between multiple steps or the order of actions within multiple steps can be arbitrarily adjusted when the inventive purpose of this disclosure can be achieved.

[0188] It should be noted that this method is the robot's delivery method. When the target material box 20 is picked up and placed on the same side, this delivery method is the reverse process of the aforementioned picking method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0189] Furthermore, the above-mentioned delivery and retrieval methods can be implemented sequentially. For example, the above-mentioned retrieval method can be used to first obtain a material box 20 from the shelf, and then the above-mentioned delivery method can be used to place the material box 20 on the shelf. Alternatively, the above-mentioned delivery method can be used to first place a material box 20 on the shelf, and then the above-mentioned retrieval method can be used to obtain a material box 20 from the shelf.

[0190] For example, the warehousing system includes two oppositely positioned shelves. A robot retrieves and places goods in the aisle between the two shelves. The first storage location and the second storage location are two opposite locations on the two shelves. The robot uses a retrieval method to obtain a material box 20 from the first storage location, and then, without rotating or lifting, uses a placement method to place the material box 20 into the second storage location. This allows for convenient adjustment of the position of the material box 20, and the operation is simple and fast.

[0191] It should be noted that the picking and / or placing device 10 mentioned in the above picking and / or placing methods can be any one or a combination of several of the picking and placing devices 10 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, as long as the picking and placing device 10 includes the necessary structure for implementing the above picking and / or placing methods.

[0192] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and are not intended to limit them. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A hook mechanism, characterized in that, Used for picking up and putting away material boxes. The hook mechanism includes a carrier, a drive assembly, and two hook parts. The drive assembly is disposed on the carrier, and the two hook parts are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly along a first direction. The drive assembly is configured to simultaneously drive the two hook parts to move asynchronously, thereby rising or falling relative to the carrier.

2. The hook mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hook mechanism further includes a swing arm, which is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive assembly. The hook component has a groove, and the swing arm is at least partially located within the groove. The drive assembly is configured to drive the swing arm to rotate, so that the swing arm drives the hook component to move.

3. The hook mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The swing arm has a sliding part that is inserted into the groove, and the sliding part is spaced apart from the rotation center of the swing arm.

4. The hook mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hook mechanism further includes a housing disposed on the carrier, the drive assembly and the two hook members disposed within the housing, the housing having a guide groove, the two hook members being movable along the guide groove to retract the two hook members into the housing, or at least one of the two hook members partially extending out of the housing.

5. The hook mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hook component includes a connecting part and a hook part; the connecting part is connected to the hook part, and the sliding groove is disposed in the connecting part; the hook part passes through the guide groove; the outer side of the material box has a snap-fit ​​groove; when the hook component is docked with the material box, the hook part is at least partially inserted into the snap-fit ​​groove.

6. The hook mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hook portion comprises at least two parts, and the at least two hook portions are spaced apart along the length direction of the connecting portion.

7. The hook mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide groove has a limiting protrusion on its side wall, and the hook part has a groove on its side wall; when the hook part moves along the guide groove, the limiting protrusion is located in the groove.

8. The hook mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a first drive unit and a rotating shaft, wherein the first drive unit is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate. The rotating shaft extends along the first direction; the two hooks are fixedly connected to both ends of the rotating shaft; The projections of the two hooks onto the plane perpendicular to the first direction extend in different directions, and / or the included angle between the projections of the two hooks onto the plane perpendicular to the first direction is 60°-180°.

9. The hook mechanism according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, There are two swing arms, and each of the two swing arms is respectively configured to correspond to the two hook components.

10. The hook mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a first drive unit and a drive shaft. The first drive unit is disposed on the support member, and the drive shaft extends along the first direction. The first drive unit is configured to drive the drive shaft to rotate. Both swing arms are fixedly connected to the drive shaft and are connected to both ends of the drive shaft. The projections of the two swing arms onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction have an included angle.

11. The hook mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that, The angle between the projections of the two pendulum rods onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction is 90°.

12. The hook mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that, The drive assembly further includes a first gear and a second gear, the first gear being connected to the output end of the first drive unit, and the second gear being coaxially connected to the drive shaft; the first gear and the second gear mesh.

13. A picking and placing device, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device includes a device body, a telescopic mechanism, and a hook mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-12. The telescopic mechanism is disposed on the device body and can extend and retract relative to the device body in a first direction. The hook mechanism is connected to the telescopic mechanism.

14. The picking and placing device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The main body of the device includes a fixed base plate, a first transmission component, a first transmission wheel, a drive wheel, and a second drive unit; the second drive unit is disposed on the fixed base plate; there are at least two first transmission wheels, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the fixed base plate along the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism; the drive wheel is connected to the output end of the second drive unit; and the first transmission component is sequentially wound around the first transmission wheel and the drive wheel at both ends of the fixed base plate. The telescopic mechanism is connected to the first transmission member, and the second drive unit is configured to drive the drive wheel to rotate. The drive wheel drives the first transmission member to move, so that the first transmission member drives the telescopic mechanism to move relative to the fixed base plate.

15. The picking and placing device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The telescopic mechanism includes a telescopic member, a second transmission member, and at least two second transmission wheels. The at least two second transmission wheels are respectively disposed at both ends of the telescopic member along the moving direction of the hook mechanism. The second transmission member is wound around the at least two second transmission wheels. The second transmission component has a connection point with the fixed base plate; the hook mechanism is connected to the second transmission component; the connection position of the hook mechanism and the second transmission component and the connection position of the fixed base plate and the second transmission component are respectively located on opposite sides of the second transmission component.

16. The picking and placing device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The connection point between the hook mechanism and the second transmission component is located between the two hook components.

17. The picking and placing device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first transmission member and the first transmission wheel are located on the first side of the width direction of the picking and placing device; the second transmission member and the second transmission wheel are located on the second side of the width direction of the picking and placing device; the bearing member is provided with a connecting part on the side facing the second transmission member, and the connecting part is connected to the second transmission member.

18. A robot, characterized in that, It includes a robot body and a picking and placing device as described in any one of claims 13-17, wherein the picking and placing device is connected to the robot body.

19. A warehousing system, characterized in that, Includes a shelf and a robot as described in claim 18, the robot being configured to move along the ground, and / or the robot being configured to dock with the shelf and climb along the height direction of the shelf.

20. A method for picking and placing goods using a robot, characterized in that, The robot includes a loading and unloading device, which comprises a main body, a telescopic mechanism, and a hook mechanism. The telescopic mechanism is mounted on the main body and can extend and retract relative to the main body. The hook mechanism is connected to the telescopic mechanism. The hook mechanism includes a support member, a drive assembly, and two hook members. The drive assembly is mounted on the support member, and the two hook members are spaced apart at both ends of the drive assembly along a first direction. The drive assembly is configured to simultaneously drive the two hook members to move asynchronously, thereby raising or lowering them relative to the support member, respectively. The robot is used to pick up and place material boxes, and the bottom sides of the material boxes have snap-fit ​​grooves at both ends; The method includes: Upon receiving a pickup instruction, the robot is controlled to travel to the target pickup location, and the telescopic mechanism is driven to extend, so that the hook mechanism moves with the telescopic mechanism to the bottom of the target material box, and the hook part at the first end of the hook mechanism is aligned with the locking groove of the target material box. The hook mechanism at the first end is driven to move toward the target material box, thereby engaging with the snap-fit ​​groove at the second end of the target material box; the first end of the hook mechanism is the end closer to the target picking position, and the second end of the target material box is the end closer to the opening side of the target picking position; The telescopic mechanism is driven in the reverse direction, causing the hook mechanism to move the target material box to the picking and placing device.

21. The method for picking up and placing goods according to claim 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon receiving a delivery instruction, the robot is controlled to carry the target material box to the target delivery location, wherein the target retrieval location and the target delivery location are respectively facing the two sides of the retrieval and delivery device along the first direction; Drive the hook mechanism to move away from the target loading position, and make the hook part at the second end of the hook mechanism engage with the locking groove at the first end of the target material box; Drive the telescopic mechanism toward the target loading position, so that the hook mechanism moves toward the target loading position along with the telescopic mechanism, and pulls the target material box to the target loading position; The hook is disengaged from the latching slot; the telescopic mechanism is reversed, causing the hook mechanism to retract into the loading and unloading device.

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