Pick-and-place apparatus and warehousing system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of logistics warehousing, and discloses a pick-and-place apparatus and a warehousing system. The pick-and-place apparatus comprises: a base; a pick-and-place assembly, arranged on the base; and obstacle-surmounting assemblies, arranged at two ends of the base in a first horizontal direction, wherein each obstacle-surmounting assembly comprises: a rotating frame, which is capable of rotating relative to the base, wherein the rotating frame is provided with a plurality of connecting arms extending in a horizontal direction; and supporting wheels, which are rotatably connected to the connecting arms in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein the supporting wheels located at two ends of the base are used for respectively overlapping the cross beams of two opposite racks, and when one supporting wheel currently overlapping one cross beam moves on the cross beam in a second horizontal direction and collides with an upright column, the rotating frame rotates relative to the base, so that a supporting wheel immediately following the current supporting wheel surmounts the upright column and overlaps the cross beam. In this way, the present application simplifies the structure of the pick-and-place apparatus while implementing a pick-and-place operation, and improves the space utilization rate of a warehouse.

Description

Picking and unloading devices and warehousing systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410924706.0, filed on July 9, 2024, entitled "Fetching and Dispensing Device and Warehousing System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of logistics and warehousing technology, specifically to a picking and placing device and a warehousing system. Background Technology

[0003] With the accelerating pace of life, the demands for efficient goods storage and transportation are increasing, leading to a trend towards full automation in goods storage and transportation. Warehousing systems typically store goods using a large number of spaced-out shelves, with aisles between adjacent shelves creating aisles for robotic operations.

[0004] Because the shelves are long, existing warehousing systems mostly use independent mobile robots to pick up and put down goods at different locations on the shelves. These robots need to integrate their own displacement drive mechanism and picking and putting mechanism, so their structure is complex and their size is large. This results in the need to reserve wide aisles for their operation, which reduces the number of shelves that can be placed in the warehouse and affects the space utilization rate of the warehouse. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides a picking and placing device and a warehousing system to improve the space utilization of the warehouse while realizing picking and placing operations.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a picking and placing device is provided. The picking and placing device is used to be disposed between two opposite shelves along a first horizontal direction. The shelves have beams extending along a second horizontal direction and uprights extending along a vertical direction. The second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The picking and placing device includes: a base; picking and placing components disposed on the base for picking and placing goods on the shelves; and obstacle-crossing components disposed at both ends of the base along the first horizontal direction. The obstacle-crossing components include: a rotating frame rotatable relative to the base, with its rotation axis extending along a vertical direction, and the rotating frame having multiple horizontally extending connections. Arm; support wheels, rotatably connected to the connecting arm one-to-one, the rotation axis of the support wheels extends horizontally, the support wheels at both ends of the base are used to attach to the crossbeams of the two opposite shelves respectively, and at any time, at least one support wheel in each obstacle-crossing assembly is used to attach to the crossbeam to support the base between the two opposite shelves; when the support wheel currently attached to the crossbeam moves along the second horizontal direction on the crossbeam and collides with the column, the rotating frame rotates relative to the base under the inertia of the base, thereby causing the next support wheel adjacent to the support wheel currently attached to the crossbeam to cross the column and attach to the crossbeam.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a warehousing system is provided, including at least two shelves arranged opposite each other along a first horizontal direction and the aforementioned picking and placing device, the picking and placing device being used to move on the shelves and pick and place goods.

[0008] In the picking and placing device provided in this application embodiment, the base and its picking and placing components can move directly across the crossbeams of two opposite shelves via obstacle-crossing components at both ends of the base, thereby significantly reducing the required width of the aisles between shelves and improving the space utilization of the warehouse. Furthermore, the obstacle-crossing component consists of a rotating frame rotatably connected to the base along a vertical axis, and multiple connecting arms extending horizontally on the rotating frame are respectively equipped with support wheels rotatably along a horizontal axis. The collision between the previous support wheel and the column causes the rotating frame to rotate, thereby causing the next support wheel to rotate, cross the column, and then connect to the next crossbeam, achieving the crossing of the column. This allows the picking and placing device to move smoothly to any position on the shelf in the horizontal direction for picking and placing operations.

[0009] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0011] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the goods picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the goods picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 is a top view of the structure of the picking and placing device across the column provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the loading and unloading device crossing the column based on Figure 3;

[0016] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of the loading and unloading device based on Figure 4, when it crosses the column and initially overlaps with the next section of the crossbeam.

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure after the loading and unloading device completely crosses the column based on Figure 5.

[0018] Figure 7 is a side view of the goods picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 8 is a side view of the picking and placing device with bidirectional hooks provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the obstacle-crossing component in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 10 is an exploded view of the obstacle-crossing component in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 11 is a side view of the guide column in the loading and unloading device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 12a is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the obstacle-crossing component in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention before it crosses the column.

[0024] Figure 12b is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the obstacle-crossing component crossing the column and jumping based on Figure 12a.

[0025] Figure 12c is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the obstacle-crossing component based on Figure 12b, which crosses the column and jumps over the crossbeam.

[0026] Figure 13a is a side view of the obstacle-crossing component in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention before it crosses the column.

[0027] Figure 13b is a side view of the obstacle-crossing component when it crosses the column and jumps based on Figure 13a.

[0028] Figure 13c is a side view of the obstacle-crossing component based on Figure 13b, which crosses the column and jumps over the crossbeam.

[0029] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which uses a translation drive component to cooperate with a crossbeam.

[0030] Figure 15 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the loading and unloading device provided in an embodiment of the present invention from the bottom view.

[0031] Figure 16 is a top view of the loading and unloading device with abutment wheels provided in an embodiment of the present invention before it crosses the column;

[0032] Figure 17 is a structural schematic diagram of the loading and unloading device crossing the column based on Figure 16;

[0033] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the loading and unloading device based on Figure 17 when the abutment wheel abuts against the outer side of the crossbeam and the telescopic component retracts.

[0034] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure after the loading and unloading device has completely crossed the column and the telescopic component has extended again, based on Figure 18.

[0035] Figure 20 is a bottom view of the loading and unloading device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 21 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the picking and placing device with a climbing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 22 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the engagement point between the first climbing engagement member and the second climbing engagement member in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 23 is a partial structural diagram of the connection between the climbing contact wheel and the column in the cargo handling device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of the present invention when the climbing mechanism is retracted and the first climbing engagement member and the second climbing engagement member are aligned.

[0040] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of the structure after the climbing mechanism extends and the first climbing engagement piece engages with the second climbing engagement piece, based on Figure 24.

[0041] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of the structure from below, as shown in Figure 25.

[0042] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of the structure after the telescopic component is retracted based on Figure 25;

[0043] Figure 28 is a top view of the structure as shown in Figure 27;

[0044] Figure 29 is a schematic diagram of the structure from below, as shown in Figure 27;

[0045] Figure 30 is a top view of the storage system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 31 is a top view of a storage system with a conveyor line at one end of the shelf provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 32 is a side view of the storage system with a conveyor line at one end of the shelf provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 33 is a top view of a storage system with a conveyor line installed inside the shelf, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 34 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments are as follows: 100, picking and placing device; 110, base; 111, driving component; 120, picking and placing assembly; 121, picking and placing port; 122, bidirectional picking and placing fork; 1221, main body; 1222, bidirectional hook; 130, obstacle crossing assembly; 131, rotating frame; 1311, connecting arm; 1312, connecting shaft; 1313, connecting frame; 1314, follower; 132, support wheel; 133, guide column; 1331, guide groove; 1332, stroke; 1332a, lowest point; 1332b, highest point; 134, first elastic element; 135, translational abutment wheel; 140, channel; 150, translational drive assembly; 151, translational drive component; 152, drive wheel; 153, right-angle reducer; 160. Telescopic assembly; 161. Telescopic drive assembly; 1611. Driving link; 1612. Driven link; 1613. Telescopic drive component; 1614. Second elastic component; 162. Sliding shaft; 163. Linear bearing; 170. Climbing assembly; 171. Connecting seat; 172. Telescopic mechanism; 1721. Telescopic guide rail; 17211. Inner rail; 17212. Outer rail; 173. Climbing mechanism; 1731. Climbing drive component; 1732. First climbing engagement component; 174. Telescopic mechanism drive component; 1741. Gear; 1742. Rack; 175. Climbing contact wheel; 1751. First contact wheel; 1752. Second contact wheel; 210. Shelf; 211. Beam; 212. Upright; 2121. Second climbing engagement component; 2122. Groove; 213. Connecting position; 300. Handling robot; 400. Goods; 500. Warehousing system; 510. Conveyor line. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0054] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0057] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" 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 this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element 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 this application.

[0058] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] To address the issue of complex structures and large sizes of independent mobile robots, it is possible to directly install the picking and placing devices on the shelves in a movable form to reduce the required aisle width. For example, the picking and placing devices can be moved by using rollers to connect them between the beams of two adjacent shelves.

[0060] However, in warehouses, in order to improve the load-bearing capacity of the shelves and prevent them from deflecting too much under load, the shelves are generally assembled from multiple intersecting beams and uprights. In general, the length of each beam is not too long. If the picking and placing device is directly attached to the beam via rollers, the picking and placing device will interfere with the uprights during the translation process, so that the picking and placing device can only translate within a small range between two uprights.

[0061] To address this, one option is to avoid directly attaching the picking and placing device to the crossbeam. Instead, an additional transverse track can be installed in the aisle for the device to move horizontally, and the picking and placing device can be movably connected to this transverse track to eliminate the influence of the column on the movement of the picking and placing device. However, this would not only increase costs but also increase the width of the aisle due to the arrangement of the transverse track, which would also lead to a decrease in space utilization.

[0062] Based on a comprehensive consideration of the above issues, in order to achieve both picking and placing operations and improved space utilization, this application proposes a picking and placing device. Firstly, this device uses rollers straddling the beams of two adjacent shelves to ensure that the aisle width can be arranged as narrow as possible, thereby improving warehouse space utilization. Furthermore, the rollers straddling each beam in the picking and placing device are not ordinary rollers, but rather obstacle-crossing components designed to address interference with uprights. Specifically, this obstacle-crossing component has a rotating frame that can rotate relative to the base of the picking and placing device, and multiple connecting arms extending horizontally from the rotating frame are rotatably connected to support wheels. When the device is normally bridging between two crossbeams for translation, only one support wheel on each obstacle-crossing component is attached to the crossbeam. When interference occurs with the upright during translation, the support wheel attached to the crossbeam collides with the upright. Then, the rotating frame rotates under the inertia of the base, causing the next support wheel adjacent to the support wheel attached to the crossbeam to cross the upright and attach to the next section of the crossbeam, thus completing the crossing of the upright. This allows the picking and placing device to be translated to any position in the entire horizontal direction of the shelf, ensuring the smooth operation of picking and placing.

[0063] In the first aspect, this application provides a picking and placing device 100. Please refer to FIG1 for details. The picking and placing device 100 is used to be installed between two shelves 210 that are opposite each other in a first horizontal direction (in the direction indicated by double arrow X in the figure). The shelf 210 has a crossbeam 211 extending in a second horizontal direction (in the direction indicated by double arrow Y in the figure) and a column 212 extending in a vertical direction (in the direction indicated by double arrow Z in the figure).

[0064] Please refer to Figure 2 for further details. The figure shows the three-dimensional structure of the picking and placing device 100. As shown in the figure, the picking and placing device 100 includes a base 110, a picking and placing component 120, and an obstacle crossing component 130.

[0065] The picking and placing component 120 is mounted on the base 110 and is used to pick up and place goods on the shelf 210. Specifically, the picking and placing component 120 can adopt existing forks, robotic arms, or other mechanisms, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0066] The obstacle-crossing assembly 130 is disposed at both ends of the base 110 along a first horizontal direction. The obstacle-crossing assembly 130 includes a rotating frame 131 and support wheels 132. The rotating frame 131 is rotatable relative to the base 110, and the rotation axis of the rotating frame 131 extends vertically. The rotating frame 131 has multiple connecting arms 1311 extending horizontally. The support wheels 132 are rotatably connected to the connecting arms 1311 one-to-one, and the rotation axis of the support wheels 132 extends horizontally.

[0067] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support wheels 132 located at both ends of the base 110 are used to attach to the crossbeams 211 of the two opposite shelves 210 respectively, and at any time, at least one support wheel 132 in each obstacle-crossing component 130 is used to attach to the crossbeam 211 to support the base 110 between the two opposite shelves 210.

[0068] Next, the principle of the obstacle-crossing component 130 crossing the column 212 will be explained. First, please refer to the top view of Figure 3. When the support wheel 132' currently attached to the crossbeam 211 moves along the second horizontal direction on the crossbeam 211 and collides with the column 212 (in the figure, the support wheel 132' moves to the right and collides with the column 212), the rotating frame 131 rotates relative to the base 110 in the direction shown by the dotted arrow in the figure under the inertia of the base 110. This causes the next support wheel 132" adjacent to the support wheel 132' currently attached to the crossbeam 211 to cross the column 212 and attach to the crossbeam 211. Specifically, under the inertia of the base 110, the rotating frame 131 rotates a certain angle relative to the base 110 and reaches the state shown in Figure 4. In this state, the support wheel 132' currently attached to the crossbeam 211 still has a small portion attached to the crossbeam 211, and a small portion still interferes with the column 212, i.e., it will collide with the column. Therefore, the rotating frame 131 will continue to rotate. After rotating a certain angle, it will reach the state shown in Figure 5. In this state, the support wheel 132' previously attached to the crossbeam 211 separates from the crossbeam 211, and the next adjacent support wheel 132" initially attaches to the crossbeam 211. Then the rotating frame 131 will continue to rotate to the state shown in Figure 6, at which point the next support wheel 132" is completely attached to the crossbeam 211, realizing the crossing of the column 212 between the two crossbeams 211 by the loading and unloading device 100.

[0069] It should be noted that in each obstacle-crossing assembly 130, the number of connecting arms 1311 and support wheels 132 generally should not exceed four sets. If there are more than four sets, the angle between two adjacent connecting arms 1311 will be less than 90°. This will cause the connecting arm 1311 or the next support wheel 132 to be unable to completely avoid the column 212 when crossing the next section of the crossbeam 211, and instead collide with the column 212, affecting the reliability and safety of obstacle crossing. Preferably, in each obstacle-crossing assembly 130, The number of connecting arms 1311 and support wheels 132 is three as shown in the figure, and the included angle between two adjacent connecting arms 1311 is 120°. This not only ensures that the connecting arms 1311 and the next support wheel 132” will not collide with the column 212 when crossing obstacles, but also ensures that when the support wheel 132’ currently attached to the crossbeam 211 just separates from the crossbeam 211, the next support wheel 132” has already begun to attach to the next section of the crossbeam 211, thus ensuring the overall stability of the loading and unloading device 100 when crossing obstacles.

[0070] In summary, in the picking and placing device 100 provided in this application embodiment, the base 110 and its picking and placing components 120 can directly cross over the crossbeams 211 of two opposite shelves 210 through the obstacle-crossing components 130 at both ends of the base 110, thereby significantly reducing the required width of the aisles between the shelves 210 and improving the space utilization of the warehouse. Furthermore, in the obstacle-crossing component 130, a rotating frame 131 is rotatably connected to the base 110 along a vertical axis. Support wheels 132 are rotatably mounted on multiple horizontally extending connecting arms 1311 formed on the rotating frame 131, each along a horizontal axis. The collision between the previous support wheel 132 and the column 212 causes the rotating frame 131 to rotate, thereby causing the next support wheel 132 to rotate and cross over the column 212 before connecting to the next crossbeam 211, achieving the crossing of the column 212. This allows the picking and placing device 100 to smoothly move to any position on the shelf 210 in the horizontal direction for picking and placing operations.

[0071] To enable the picking and placing device 100 to pick up and place goods on any shelf 210, this application further proposes an implementation method. Please refer to Figure 2 again for details. As shown in the figure, there are multiple obstacle-crossing components 130 at both ends of the base 110, and each obstacle-crossing component 130 is arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the base 110 along the second horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow Y in the figure) to avoid the passage 140 for goods to enter and exit. The picking and placing component 120 is used to pick up and place goods at any end of the base 110 along the first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow X in the figure).

[0072] In the specific embodiment shown in the figure, two obstacle-crossing components 130 are provided at each end of the base 110, that is, one obstacle-crossing component 130 is provided at each of the four corners of the base 110. A support wheel 132 on each obstacle-crossing component 130 is attached to the crossbeam 211, so that the base 110 can be supported between the two shelves 210. In some other embodiments, the obstacle-crossing components 130 can also be designed in other numbers, such as four (two at each end), six (three at each end), etc. The specific number is not limited here, but it must be ensured that the obstacle-crossing components 130 at each end are located on opposite sides of the base 110 along the second horizontal direction, so that goods can be picked up and put down normally at both ends of the base 110 along the first direction.

[0073] Regarding the bidirectional picking and placing of goods by the picking and placing component 120, this application proposes an embodiment, as shown in Figure 7. The figure shows a side view of the picking and placing device 100. As shown in the figure, the picking and placing component 120 is rotatably connected to the base 110 along an axis parallel to the vertical direction (indicated by the double arrow Z in the figure).

[0074] Specifically, in the specific embodiment shown in the figure, a drive component 111 (e.g., a motor) is fixed on the base 110. The output shaft of the drive component 111 is connected to the picking and placing assembly 120. When the output shaft of the drive component 111 rotates, it drives the picking and placing assembly 120 to rotate, so that the picking and placing port 121 of the picking and placing assembly 120 (as shown in Figure 2) can automatically rotate to face either of the two shelves 210, so as to pick and place goods on either shelf 210.

[0075] In this embodiment, by setting the picking and placing component 120 to be rotatably connected to the base 110 along an axis parallel to the vertical direction, the picking and placing component 120 can rotate toward any shelf 210 to pick up and place goods.

[0076] Regarding the bidirectional picking and placing mechanism 120, this application also proposes an embodiment, as shown in Figure 8. As shown, the picking and placing mechanism 120 is a bidirectional picking and placing fork 122. In the specific embodiment shown in Figure 8, the bidirectional picking and placing fork 122 includes a main body 1221 and bidirectional hooks 1222. The main body 1221 has picking and placing openings 121 at both ends along a first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrows X in the figure). The bidirectional hooks 1222 can move and rotate along the direction indicated by the dotted arrows in the figure, allowing them to engage with goods on the shelf 210 at either end of the main body 1221 and pull them onto the main body 1221, or push goods from the main body 1221 onto the shelf 210 at either end of the main body 1221. Alternatively, the bidirectional picking and placing fork 122 can also be implemented using bidirectional suction cups, bidirectional magnets, or other methods.

[0077] Considering that there may be a certain height difference between the adjacent two beams 211 in the shelf 210 due to manufacturing and assembly errors, if the height of the latter beam 211 is higher than that of the former beam 211, it may cause the next support wheel 132 (refer to Figures 4 and 5) to interfere with the side of the latter beam 211 after crossing the column 212, thus failing to properly overlap the top surface of the latter beam 211.

[0078] Based on the above problems, this application proposes an embodiment that enables the support wheel 132 to jump. Please refer to Figures 9 and 10 for details, which show the three-dimensional and exploded structures of the obstacle-crossing assembly 130, respectively. As shown in the figures, the obstacle-crossing assembly 130 also includes a guide post 133, which is fixed relative to the base 110. A connecting shaft 1312 extends vertically from the center of the rotating frame 131 (in the direction indicated by the double arrow Z in the figure). The connecting shaft 1312 is movably inserted into the guide post 133 and rotatably engages with the guide post 133.

[0079] Please refer further to Figure 11, which shows the structure of the guide post 133. The side wall of the guide post 133 is provided with an annular guide groove 1331. The guide groove 1331 includes multiple strokes 1332, which are equal in number and continuous with the connecting arms 1311 (as shown by the range extended by the dotted line in Figure 11). The two ends of each stroke 1332 are the lowest point 1332a, and the middle is the highest point 1332b. Please refer again to Figures 9 and 10. The end of the connecting shaft 1312 away from the rotating frame 131 is fixed with a connecting frame 1313. The connecting frame 1313 is provided with a follower 1314 that can move along the guide groove 1331.

[0080] The follower 1314 is used to maintain the lowest point 1332a of the guide groove 1331 when the support wheel 132 is attached to the crossbeam 211, and is used to move from the current lowest point 1332a to the highest point 1332b and reach another adjacent lowest point 1332a during the process of the support wheel 132' currently attached to the crossbeam 211 colliding with the column 212, causing the next support wheel 132" to cross the column 212 and attach to the crossbeam 211, completing a movement of a stroke 1332, and driving the rotating frame 131 to rise and then fall during this process.

[0081] Specifically, the follower 1314 can be a roller that is engaged in the guide groove 1331 in a manner with upper and lower limits as shown in Figure 10, or it can be a smooth engaging post, etc. In addition, the connecting shaft 1312 can pass through the guide post 133 from bottom to top, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, or it can pass through the guide post 133 from top to bottom. Correspondingly, the rotating frame 131 is located above the guide post 133, and the connecting frame 1313 is located below the guide post 133. This method is equivalent to the method shown in Figure 9, where the position and angle of the guide post 133 remain unchanged, and the rotating frame 131 and the connecting frame 1313 are interchanged vertically. This arrangement can also make the support wheel 132 jump during the rotation of the rotating frame 131.

[0082] During the movement of one of the support wheels 132' on the obstacle crossing assembly 130 while it is normally connected to the crossbeam 211, the follower 1314 is restricted to the lowest point 1332a of the stroke 1332. Referring to the perspective view of Figure 12a and the front view of Figure 13a, when the support wheel 132' connected to the crossbeam 211 moves to the left in the direction shown by arrow a in the figure and collides with the column 212, the rotating frame 131 will drive all the support wheels 132 to rotate in the direction shown by arrow b in the figure, and drive the follower 1314 to move in the guide groove 1331. At the same time, the obstacle crossing assembly 130 as a whole will continue to move to the left. Specifically, the rotating frame 131 and the support wheel 132 will move upward in the direction shown by arrow c in the figure under the drive of the follower 1314. When the follower 1314 moves to the highest point 1332b of the guide groove 1331, it is in the state shown in the three-dimensional view of Figure 12b and the front view of Figure 13b. In this state, the bottom of the support wheel 132 is slightly higher than the top surface of the crossbeam 211 (as shown in Figure 13b, the two form a height difference h). Based on this, the next support wheel 132” will jump to a certain extent. So when the next section of the crossbeam 211 (the crossbeam on the left in the figure) is slightly higher than the previous section of the crossbeam 211 (the crossbeam on the right in the figure) due to production or assembly errors, the next support wheel 132” can smoothly cross the column 212 and overlap the top surface of the next section of the crossbeam 211. Based on Figures 12b and 13b, the obstacle-crossing component 130 will continue to move to the left, and the rotating frame 131 will continue to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow b. Correspondingly, the follower 1314 will move in the guide groove 1331, thereby driving the rotating frame 131 to move downward in the direction indicated by arrow d in the figure to the next lowest point 1332a, so that the next support wheel 132” can normally connect on the next crossbeam 211, and finally present the state shown in the three-dimensional view of Figure 12c and the front view of Figure 13c, completing the crossing of the column 212 and the compatibility with the height difference of the adjacent two-end crossbeams 211.

[0083] By using the jumping function of the support wheel 132 in the obstacle crossing component 130 when crossing the column 212, the flatness accuracy requirement between two adjacent crossbeams 211 can be reduced, making the deployment of the rack 210 more flexible and with lower accuracy requirements, that is, the picking and placing device 100 has a stronger environmental adaptability.

[0084] As can be seen from the above description and illustrations, the guide groove 1331 on the guide column 133 and the follower 1314 form a cam mechanism. In order to prevent the support wheel 132 from jumping and failing, the height difference between the highest point 1332b and the lowest point 1332a of each stroke 1332 should not be too large. Generally, the pressure angle of the cam mechanism should not exceed 30° to prevent rotation jamming and locking.

[0085] During the normal travel of the loading and unloading device 100 on the crossbeam 211, in order to reliably limit the follower 1314 to the lowest point 1332a and ensure that the rotating frame 131 does not rotate, thus ensuring the safety and stability of the normal travel of the loading and unloading device 100, this application further proposes an embodiment. Please refer again to Figures 9 and 10. As shown in the figures, a first elastic member 134 is connected between the guide post 133 and the rotating frame 131. The first elastic member 134 is used to apply a spring force to the rotating frame 131 in a direction away from the guide post 133 (downward direction in the figure), so that the follower 1314 is held at the lowest point 1332a of the guide groove 1331 when the support wheel 132 is on the crossbeam 211.

[0086] The first elastic element 134 can be a compression spring, a sheet spring, etc., and is not specifically limited here. The first elastic element 134 is used to apply a spring force to the rotating frame 131 in a direction away from the guide post 133, that is, the first elastic element 134 releases the spring force at both ends with an outward expansion tendency. Taking Figure 9 as an example, during normal operation of the obstacle crossing assembly 130, the first elastic element 134 will apply a downward spring force to the rotating frame 131, thereby causing the follower 1314 to be pressed downward and pressed against the lowest point 1332a of the guide groove 1331 under the drive of the rotating frame 131, ensuring stability during normal operation.

[0087] Regarding the automated translation drive of the picking and placing device 100 on the crossbeam 211, this application proposes an embodiment, as shown in FIG14. As shown in FIG14, the picking and placing device 100 further includes a translation drive assembly 150, which includes a translation drive member 151 and a drive wheel 152. The translation drive member 151 is connected to the base 110, and the drive wheel 152 is connected to the output shaft of the translation drive member 151. The drive wheel 152 is used to abut against the crossbeam 211 to drive the picking and placing device 100 to move in a second horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow Y in FIG1) by rolling relative to the crossbeam 211.

[0088] Specifically, the drive wheel 152 can abut against the outward-facing side of the crossbeam 211 as shown in Figure 14. Of course, in other embodiments, it can also abut against the bottom surface of the crossbeam 211. The translation drive 151 can be composed of a combination of a motor and a reducer to achieve the purpose of deceleration and torque increase, thereby realizing reliable driving of the loading and unloading device 100. At the same time, when the vertical space is limited, mechanisms such as helical gears or worm gears can be used to change the direction of the rotation axis.

[0089] To enable the picking and placing device 100 to be compatible with aisles of different widths, i.e., to operate between two shelves 210 at different distances, this application further proposes an embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, which illustrates the three-dimensional structure of the picking and placing device 100 from a bottom view. As shown in the figure, the picking and placing device 100 also includes a telescopic assembly 160, which is telescopically mounted on both ends of the base 110 along a first direction (indicated by the double arrow X in the figure). The obstacle-crossing assembly 130 and the translation drive assembly 150 are both mounted on the telescopic assembly 160.

[0090] As shown in Figure 15, the telescopic component 160 can be manufactured from a strip-shaped profile and achieves telescopic sliding relative to the base 110 through the cooperation of the sliding shaft 162 and the linear bearing 163 on the base 110. The holes on the sliding shaft 162 and the linear bearing 163 can be clearance-fitted to ensure smooth linear motion. In addition, the telescopic component 160 can also be telescopically connected to the base 110 through methods such as the cooperation of a sliding rod and a sliding hole, or a sliding block and a sliding rail. Simultaneously, the telescopic component 160 must avoid the channels for the loading and unloading components 120 on the base 110 to load and unload goods along the first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrows X in the figure).

[0091] By arranging both the obstacle-crossing component 130 and the translation drive component 150 on the telescopic component 160, when the telescopic component 160 retracts inward relative to the base 110 along the first direction, the obstacle-crossing component 130 and the translation drive component 150 can overlap and adapt with the crossbeams 211 on two shelves 210 that are relatively close together. When the telescopic component 160 extends outward relative to the base 110 along the first direction, the obstacle-crossing component 130 and the translation drive component 150 can overlap and adapt with the crossbeams 211 on two shelves 210 that are relatively far apart. This allows the picking and placing device 100 to be compatible with different aisle widths.

[0092] Meanwhile, due to manufacturing and assembly errors, the width between the two beams 211 at different positions of the two shelves 210 may be different. After the telescopic component 160 is set, the obstacle-crossing component 130 and the translation drive component 150 at both ends can be adjusted by the telescopic component 160 to adapt to the width between the beams 211 at different positions of the two shelves 210, ensuring that the picking and placing device 100 can be moved to any position to carry out picking and placing operations.

[0093] Based on the telescopic component 160, in order to further improve the stability of the movement of the loading and unloading device 100, this application also proposes an implementation method. Please refer to Figure 15 for details. The obstacle-crossing component 130 also includes translational abutment wheels 135. The number of translational abutment wheels 135 is equal to the number of connecting arms 1311, and they are rotatably connected to the connecting arms 1311 in a one-to-one correspondence. The rotation axis of the translational abutment wheels 135 extends in the vertical direction (in the direction indicated by the double arrow Z in the figure).

[0094] Please further refer to the structure of the loading and unloading device 100 and the crossbeam 211 as shown in the top view of Figure 16. As shown in the figure, the translational abutment wheels 135 located at both ends of the base 110 are used to abut against the outer side of the two opposite crossbeams 211 facing the loading and unloading device 100, and each obstacle-crossing component 130 has a translational abutment wheel 135 used to abut against the outer side of the crossbeam 211.

[0095] Please refer to the process of crossing column 212 as shown in the top view of Figures 16 to 19. It should be noted that some contents shown in Figures 16 to 19, if not mentioned in the following text, can be referred to the description of the relevant contents of Figures 3 to 6 above. The principles of the two are basically the same. The following text mainly focuses on the differences between the two. As shown in Figures 17 to 18, during the process of the next support wheel 132”, which is currently attached to the crossbeam 211, colliding with the column 212, causing the next support wheel 132” to cross the column 212 and attach to the crossbeam 211, the translational abutment wheel 135”, which is located on the same connecting arm 1311 as the next support wheel 132”, will abut against the outer side of the crossbeam 211 and generate an interaction force. This interaction force causes the telescopic component 160 to retract inward in the direction indicated by the arrow on the telescopic component 160 in the figure, as shown in Figures 18 to 19. The inward retraction of the telescopic component 160 allows the next support wheel 132” to smoothly cross the column 212 and attach to the next section of the crossbeam 211.

[0096] In this embodiment, a translational abutment wheel 135 is first provided on each connecting arm 1311 for abutting against the outer side of the crossbeam 211. Through the abutment cooperation between the translational abutment wheel 135 and the outer side of the crossbeam 211, and the support cooperation between the support wheel 132 and the top surface of the crossbeam 211, it is ensured that the picking and placing device 100 can move smoothly between the two shelves 210. Based on the installation of the translational abutment wheel 135, during the process of the obstacle-crossing component 130 crossing the column 212, the translational abutment wheel 135 will interfere with the outer side of the next crossbeam 211. To solve this interference problem, the obstacle-crossing component 130 is installed on the telescopic component 160. Thus, during the process of crossing the column 212, the force generated by the translational abutment wheel 135 abutting with the outer side of the crossbeam 211 can be released by the contraction of the telescopic component 160, ensuring that the obstacle-crossing component 130 can normally cross the column 212 and attach to the next crossbeam 211. At the same time, the force generated by the translational abutment wheels 135 at both ends abutting with the outer sides of the two opposite crossbeams 211 can provide a certain support effect for the picking and placing device 100 during the process of crossing the column 212, thereby ensuring the stability of the picking and placing device 100 during the process of crossing the column 212.

[0097] By cooperating with the crossbeam 211, the support wheel 132 and the translational abutment wheel 135 in the obstacle crossing component 130 can eliminate the need for customizing the running track of the loading and unloading device 100. At the same time, when the telescopic component 160 can provide outward pressure to the obstacle crossing component 130, the support wheel 132 and the translational abutment wheel 135 in the obstacle crossing component 130 can cooperate with the pressure provided by the telescopic component 160 to prevent the obstacle crossing component 130 from leaving the surface of the crossbeam 211, thereby improving the safety of the loading and unloading device 100 at height. There is no need to customize a special anti-fall mechanism, saving costs and reducing the complexity of the loading and unloading device 100.

[0098] To ensure a more even distribution of force across the loading and unloading device 100 during the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 160, this application further proposes an embodiment. Referring again to Figure 15, as shown, the loading and unloading device 100 further includes a telescopic drive assembly 161, which comprises an active connecting rod 1611 and a driven connecting rod 1612. The midpoint of the active connecting rod 1611 is rotatably connected to the base 110, and its rotation axis extends vertically (in the direction indicated by the double arrow Z in the figure). There are at least two driven connecting rods 1612, with at least one driven connecting rod 1612 having both ends hinged between one end of the active connecting rod 1611 and the telescopic assembly 160 located at one end of the base 110, and at least another driven connecting rod 1612 having both ends hinged between the other end of the active connecting rod 1611 and the telescopic assembly 160 located at the other end of the base 110. The active linkage 1611 is used to drive the telescopic components 160 at both ends of the base 110 to move synchronously when rotating relative to the base 110.

[0099] Specifically, the center of the active link 1611 can be hinged to the center of the base 110 as shown in Figure 15. In addition to being configured as two driven links as shown in Figure 15, four driven links 1612 can also be configured, for example, two of which are hinged to one end of the active link 1611 and one end of the telescopic assembly 160 of the base 110 to form a parallelogram linkage mechanism. The other two are hinged to the other end of the active link 1611 and the other end of the base 110 in the same manner to improve the overall stability of the mechanism.

[0100] In this embodiment, a telescopic drive assembly 161, consisting of an active link 1611 and a driven link 1612, is used to connect the telescopic assemblies 160 at both ends and enable them to move synchronously. This ensures that when one end of the telescopic assembly 160 is subjected to stress, the stress can be released by the joint movement of the telescopic assemblies 160 at both ends, thereby ensuring that the loading and unloading device 100 is subjected to more uniform force and ensuring the stability of its structure.

[0101] To improve the reliability of the translation drive of the picking and placing device 100 and the stability of it being connected between two shelves 210, this application further proposes an embodiment. Please refer to Figure 15 again for details. As shown in the figure, the telescopic drive assembly 161 also includes a telescopic drive member 1613. The telescopic drive member 1613 is fixed to the base 110, and the output shaft of the telescopic drive member 1613 is connected to the center of the active connecting rod 1611. The telescopic drive member 1613 is used to drive the active connecting rod 1611 to rotate.

[0102] The telescopic drive component 1613 can be a structure such as a motor. By installing the telescopic drive component 1613 on the base 110 to control the rotation of the active connecting rod 1611, the telescopic drive component 1613 controls the telescopic components 160 at both ends to extend outwards when the loading / unloading device 100 is attached to the two crossbeams 211. This generates a larger positive pressure between the drive wheel 152 on the telescopic component 160 and the crossbeam 211, increasing the friction between the drive wheel 152 and the crossbeam 211, preventing slippage, and ensuring the reliability of the translational drive of the loading / unloading device 100. Furthermore, in the embodiment where the obstacle-crossing component 130 is provided with translational abutment wheels 135, by controlling the telescopic components 160 at both ends to extend outward by the telescopic drive component 1613, the translational abutment wheels 135 at both ends can be tightly abutted against the crossbeam 211, thereby making the loading and unloading device 100 tightly clamped between the two crossbeams 211, ensuring the stability of the structure of the loading and unloading device 100.

[0103] In order to enable the telescopic component 160 to extend outward in the default state, so as to ensure the reliability of the translation drive and the stability of the overlap between the two shelves 210, this application further proposes an embodiment. Please refer to FIG15 again and further refer to FIG20. FIG20 shows the bottom structure of the picking and placing device 100. As shown in the figure, the telescopic drive component 161 also includes a second elastic member 1614. The second elastic member 1614 is hinged between one end of the base 110 and one of the driven links 1612. The second elastic member 1614 is used to provide elastic force to make the telescopic component 160 extend outward.

[0104] The second elastic element 1614 can be an elastic structure such as a spring, sheet, or rubber band. In the specific embodiment shown in Figure 20, one end of the second elastic element 1614, one end of the active connecting rod 1611, and one end of one of the driven connecting rods 1612 are hinged to each other. The other end of the second elastic element 1614 is hinged to one end of the base 110. In the state shown in Figure 20, the second elastic element 1614 is in an extended state and has the elastic potential energy to shorten. The elastic force of the second elastic element 1614 acting on the hinge point of the active connecting rod 1611 and the driven connecting rod 1612 will cause the active connecting rod 1611 to have a tendency to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Then, through the transmission of the driven connecting rod 1612, the telescopic assembly 160 will have a tendency to extend outward.

[0105] In addition to the arrangement shown in Figure 20, the second elastic element 1614 can also be hinged between other positions on the driven link 1612 and one end of the base 110, or it can be hinged between other positions on the driving link 1611 and one end of the base 110. Furthermore, multiple second elastic elements 1614 can be provided to collectively provide the required elastic force.

[0106] In the embodiment where a telescopic drive component 1613 and a second elastic component 1614 are simultaneously used to adjust the telescopic assembly 160, during adjustment, if the telescopic drive component 1613 is energized, it actively controls the rotation of the active connecting rod 1611 to actively adjust the telescopic assembly 160. If the telescopic drive component 1613 is de-energized, it switches to a passive adjustment mode, in which case the second elastic component 1614 passively adjusts the telescopic assembly 160, and the output shaft of the telescopic drive component 1613 rotates with the active connecting rod 1611, so that the translation drive assembly 150 and the obstacle-crossing assembly 130 at both ends can be effectively connected between the two crossbeams 211 of different widths. When the telescopic drive component 1613 is energized again, it switches back to the active adjustment mode. At this time, the torque output by the telescopic drive component 1613 is greater than the torque generated by the second elastic component 1614 on the active connecting rod 1611, thereby enabling effective adjustment of the active connecting rod 1611.

[0107] In the embodiment where both the translation abutment wheel 135 and the second elastic element 1614 are provided, the second elastic element 1614 enables the translation abutment wheel 135 to be in close contact with the outer side of the crossbeam 211 at all times, which can prevent the picking and placing device 100 from falling. Therefore, the picking and placing device 100 can move laterally on the shelf 210 without the need to provide an anti-detachment guide rail. At the same time, the way in which the translation abutment wheel 135 is in close contact with the outer side of the crossbeam 211 at all times can also accommodate larger skew angles and distance errors between the two crossbeams 211.

[0108] To ensure that the force on the telescopic components 160 at both ends is as uniform as possible, this application further proposes an implementation method. Please refer to Figure 20 for details. As shown in the figure, the hinge point M between the active link 1611 and the base 110 and the two hinge points N1 and N2 between the driven link 1612 and the telescopic component 160 are collinear along the first horizontal direction (the vertical direction in the figure).

[0109] This design ensures that when the active linkage 1611 rotates, the two driven linkages 1612 move the same distance to both ends, achieving the centering function of the telescopic components 160 on both sides. This guarantees that the base 110 and the picking and placing components 120 of the picking and placing device 100 are always in the middle position of the aisle, preventing picking and placing failures due to inconsistent distances between the picking and placing device 100 and the two end shelves 210 when moving between the two shelves 210 and picking and placing goods. At the same time, the equidistant telescopic movement of the telescopic components 160 ensures the force balance of the obstacle-crossing components 130 at both ends, guaranteeing the overall structural stability of the picking and placing device 100.

[0110] The above embodiments provide the relevant structures for the lateral movement of the picking and placing device 100. In addition, the picking and placing device 100 can further achieve longitudinal climbing on the shelf. Please refer to Figure 21 for details, which shows the three-dimensional structure of the picking and placing device with the climbing mechanism from a bottom view. As shown in the figure, the picking and placing device 100 also includes a climbing assembly 170, which includes a connecting seat 171, a telescopic mechanism 172, and a climbing mechanism 173. The connecting seat 171 is fixed to the base 110. The telescopic mechanism 172 is disposed at both ends of the connecting seat 171 along a first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow X in the figure) and can telescopically move relative to the connecting seat 171 along the first horizontal direction. The climbing mechanism 173 is disposed on the telescopic mechanism 172. The climbing mechanism 173 is used to cooperate with the column 212 and drive the picking and placing device 100 to move up and down relative to the shelf 210 when the telescopic mechanism 172 extends relative to the connecting seat 171.

[0111] Specifically, in the embodiment shown in Figure 21, the telescopic mechanism 172 is slidably connected to the connecting seat 171 via two symmetrically arranged telescopic guide rails 1721 on both sides to improve the load-bearing capacity of the telescopic mechanism 172. The telescopic guide rails 1721 include an inner rail 17211 and an outer rail 17212. Spherical raceways are provided on both sides of the inner rail 17211 and the outer rail 17212, and the two are fitted with spherical balls to reduce friction and improve the smoothness of sliding. Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism 172 can also be slidably connected to the connecting seat 171 via a slider engaging with a guide rail, or a slider engaging with a through hole, to achieve telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 172 relative to the connecting seat 171. The climbing mechanism 173 can achieve climbing by meshing a gear with a rack on the column 212, or by meshing a sprocket with a chain on the column 212; the specific method is not limited.

[0112] In this embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 172 drives the climbing mechanism 173 to telescopically move relative to the connecting seat 171. When the picking and placing device 100 moves horizontally on the crossbeam 211 via the support wheels 132, the climbing mechanism 173 can retract to avoid structural interference with the upright 212. When lifting or lowering is required, the picking and placing device 100 moves to a position where the climbing mechanism 173 is opposite to the upright 212, and then the telescopic mechanism 172 drives the climbing mechanism 173 to extend and cooperate with the upright 212 to achieve the lifting or lowering action. Through the cooperation of the climbing component 170 and the obstacle-crossing component 130, the picking and placing device 100 can move to any horizontal position at any height on the shelf 210 to perform picking and placing operations.

[0113] To achieve automated driving of the telescopic mechanism 172, this application further proposes an implementation method. Please refer to FIG21 again for details. As shown in FIG21, the climbing assembly 170 also includes a telescopic mechanism drive 174. The telescopic mechanism drive 174 is fixed to the connecting seat 171, and the output end of the telescopic mechanism drive 174 is connected to the telescopic mechanism 172. The telescopic mechanism drive 174 is used to drive the telescopic mechanism 172 to telescopically move relative to the connecting seat 171.

[0114] In the specific embodiment shown in Figure 21, the telescopic mechanism drive 174 is a motor, and its output shaft is fixed with a gear 1741. The telescopic mechanism 172 is correspondingly provided with a rack 1742 that meshes with the gear 1741. When the telescopic mechanism drive 174 is running, it drives the gear 1741 to rotate in the forward or reverse direction. The rack 1742 and the telescopic mechanism 172 fixed to the rack 1742 move accordingly and extend or retract, thereby realizing the automated drive of the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 172.

[0115] In addition, the telescopic mechanism 172 can also be driven by a piston rod, an electric push rod, a linear motor, a lead screw mold, or other drive mechanisms. Specifically, the main body of these drive mechanisms is fixed on the connecting seat 171, and the output end of the main body used for linear motion drive is fixedly connected to the telescopic mechanism 172. Thus, when the drive mechanism is running, the linear extension and retraction of the telescopic mechanism 172 can be achieved.

[0116] Similarly, in order to achieve automated driving of the climbing mechanism 173, this application proposes an implementation method. Please refer to Figure 21 for details, and further combine the partial structure of the climbing mechanism 173 and the column 212 shown in Figure 22. As shown in the figure, the climbing mechanism 173 includes a climbing drive member 1731 and a first climbing engagement member 1732. The climbing drive member 1731 is connected to the telescopic mechanism 172, and the output shaft of the climbing drive member 1731 is connected to the first climbing engagement member 1732. The rotation axis of the first climbing engagement member 1732 extends along the second horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow Y in the figure). The first climbing engagement member 1732 is used to engage with the second climbing engagement member 2121 extending vertically on the column 212 when the telescopic mechanism 172 extends relative to the connecting seat 171, so as to drive the loading and unloading device 100 to move up and down under the drive of the climbing drive member 1731. In the specific embodiment shown in the figure, the first climbing engagement 1732 is a gear, and the second climbing engagement 2121 is a rack. In other embodiments, the first climbing engagement 1732 and the second climbing engagement 2121 may also be a sprocket and a chain, or other structures that can mesh with each other.

[0117] To improve the stability of the loading and unloading device 100 during climbing, this application further proposes an implementation method. Please refer to FIG21 for details, and further combine the partial structure of the climbing mechanism 173 and the column 212 shown in FIG23. As shown in the figure, the climbing assembly 170 also includes a climbing abutment wheel 175, which is used to abut against the surface of the column 212 when the telescopic mechanism 172 extends relative to the connecting seat 171.

[0118] In the specific embodiments shown in Figures 21 to 23, grooves 2122 are provided on the column 212 at positions on both sides of the second climbing engagement 2121. The climbing abutment wheels 175 include a first abutment wheel 1751 and a second abutment wheel 1752. There are two first abutment wheels 1751, which abut against the two opposite inner sidewalls of the grooves 2122 along a second horizontal direction. There are also two second abutment wheels 1752, which abut against the outer side of the column 212 along a first horizontal direction. This design allows the picking and placing device 100 to generate sufficient interaction force with the column 212 during the climbing process, thereby maintaining good stability and guiding the lifting and lowering of the picking and placing device 100. Of course, one or more of the first abutment wheels 1751 and the second abutment wheels 1752 can be provided, and there is no specific limitation. In addition, in some other embodiments, only the first abutment wheel 1751 or only the second abutment wheel 1752 can be provided.

[0119] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 21, the loading and unloading device 100 includes a translation drive assembly 150, a telescopic assembly 160, a telescopic drive assembly 161, and a climbing assembly 170. As shown in the figure, the connecting seat 171 of the climbing assembly 170 is fixedly connected to the base 110 and spaced apart from it, forming a space for installing the telescopic drive assembly 161. In order to reduce the size of the loading and unloading device in the vertical direction (in the direction indicated by the double arrow Z in the figure) and make the overall structure more compact, the output shaft of the translation drive member 151 in the translation drive assembly 150 extends along the first horizontal direction and is connected to the drive wheel 152 through a right-angle reducer 153 (for example, a right-angle planetary reducer), thereby providing sufficient telescopic space for the climbing assembly 170 below.

[0120] The process of switching the loading and unloading device 100 from the translation state to the climbing state will be described in detail below, taking the embodiment shown in Figure 21 as an example.

[0121] Firstly, when the loading / unloading device 100 moves horizontally on the crossbeam 211, the climbing mechanism 173 is in a retracted state to prevent structural interference. When climbing is required, one of the obstacle-crossing components 130 at one end of the base 110 crosses the column 212, causing the first climbing engagement 1732 at the bottom to face the second climbing engagement 2121 on the column 212 along the first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow X in the figure), as shown in the bottom perspective view in Figure 24. It should be noted that in Figure 24 and the following figures, for the sake of structural demonstration, the movement of the obstacle-crossing component 130 and the climbing component 170 at one end is described. The movement at the other end is synchronous and symmetrical, and will not be described in detail.

[0122] Next, based on the state shown in Figure 24, the telescopic mechanism drive 174 in the climbing assembly 170 drives the telescopic mechanism 172 to extend in the direction indicated by arrow X1 in the figure, so that the first climbing engagement 1732 on the telescopic mechanism 172 engages with the second climbing engagement 2121 on the column 212, so that the first abutting wheel 1751 in the climbing abutting wheel 175 abuts against the inner wall of the groove 2122 on the column 212, and the second abutting wheel 1752 in the climbing abutting wheel 175 abuts against the outer side of the column 212, as shown in the bottom perspective view in Figure 25 and the upward perspective view in Figure 26. At this time, the support wheel 132 in the obstacle crossing assembly 130 and the first climbing engagement 1732 both provide support for the loading and unloading device 100.

[0123] In the states shown in Figures 25 and 26, since the engagement of the first climbing engagement 1732 and the second climbing engagement 2121 can reliably support the loading and unloading device 100, the obstacle crossing assembly 130 can be retracted to solve the interference problem between the obstacle crossing assembly 130 and the beams 211 of different heights connected to the column 212. Specifically, the telescopic drive 1613 controls the telescopic assembly 160 to retract in the direction indicated by arrow X2 in the figure, so that the obstacle-crossing assembly 130 avoids the crossbeam 211 in the vertical direction, as shown in the top three-dimensional view of Figure 27, the top view of Figure 28, and the bottom view of Figure 29. As can be seen from the figure, the support wheel 132 on the obstacle-crossing assembly 130 has avoided the crossbeam 211. In this state, the climbing drive 1731 drives the first climbing engagement 1732 to rotate, so that under the meshing transmission of the first climbing engagement 1732 and the second climbing engagement 2121, the picking and placing device 100 is driven to rise or fall vertically along the column 212, realizing the automated lifting and lowering of the picking and placing device.

[0124] Please refer again to Figure 3. In some embodiments, the obstacle-crossing component 130 is arranged in a mirror-symmetric manner with respect to the vertical line of the loading and unloading device 100. This arrangement ensures that when the loading and unloading device 100 is overlapped between the two opposing crossbeams 211, the overall force is more evenly distributed and the stability is better.

[0125] Of course, in some other embodiments, the entire structure of the picking and placing device 100, excluding the picking and placing component 120, may be arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner along a vertical line parallel to the first horizontal direction and / or the second horizontal direction.

[0126] Secondly, this application provides a warehousing system. Please refer to Figure 30, which shows a top view of the warehousing system. As shown in the figure, the warehousing system 500 includes at least two shelves 210 arranged opposite each other along a first horizontal direction (indicated by the double arrow X in the figure) and a picking and placing device 100 provided in any of the above embodiments. The picking and placing device 100 is used to move on the shelves 210 and to pick and place goods.

[0127] Shelves 210 are used to store goods and work in conjunction with picking and placing devices 100 to perform picking and placing operations. The storage system 500 may contain only two opposing shelves 210, or multiple shelves 210 may be arranged as shown in Figure 1.

[0128] Referring to the top view shown in Figure 31 and the side view shown in Figure 32, in some embodiments, the storage system 500 also includes a conveyor line 510 disposed at the end of at least one shelf 210 (the area shown by the shaded line in Figure 31, and the conveyor line 510 is not visible in Figure 32 due to being obscured by the crossbeam 211), the height of the conveyor line 510 being flush with the crossbeam 211 of one layer of the shelf 210, which extends to the conveyor line 510 to allow the picking and placing device 100 to transfer goods 400 between the shelf 210 and the conveyor line 510.

[0129] Specifically, the conveyor line 510 can be set at one end of the bottom layer of the shelf 210, or at one end of the middle or top layer. It can be set on only one layer, or on several layers, or on all layers. In actual operation, the end of the conveyor line 510 away from the shelf 210 (i.e., the outward-facing end) can dock with the loading / unloading robot to realize the transfer of goods 400 between the loading / unloading robot and the conveyor line 510. The picking and placing device 100 can move to the crossbeam 211 extending to the conveyor line 510 to pick up the goods 400 onto the picking and placing device 100, or unload the goods 400 from the picking and placing device 100 onto the conveyor line 510.

[0130] As shown in the top view of Figure 33, in some embodiments, the conveyor line 510 can also be directly installed inside at least one shelf 210, and the height of the conveyor line 510 is flush with one of the crossbeams 211 of the shelf 210, so that the picking and placing device 100 can transfer goods 400 between the shelf 210 and the conveyor line 510. Of course, the conveyor line 510 can also be installed at one end of the shelf 210 and inside the shelf 210.

[0131] Please refer to Figures 30 and 34. Figure 34 shows the three-dimensional structure of the storage system 500. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, the storage system 500 also includes at least one handling robot 300, the shelf 210 has a docking position 213, the picking and placing device 100 is used to place goods 400 in the docking position 213, the handling robot 300 is used to retrieve goods 400 from the docking position 213, and / or, the handling robot 300 is used to place goods 400 in the docking position 213, and the picking and placing device 100 retrieves goods from the docking position 213.

[0132] As shown in Figure 34, the docking station 213 can be located on the lowest layer of the shelf 210. The handling robot 300 can be a lifting robot. Accordingly, one end of the docking station 213 can be provided with an opening. After the handling robot 300 enters the docking station 213, its lifting mechanism rises to lift the goods 400 on the docking station 213. Then, the handling robot 300 moves the goods 400 out of the docking station 213 through the opening and transports the goods 400 to the designated location. The handling robot 300 carrying the goods 400 can enter the docking station 213 through the opening and lower its lifting mechanism to place the goods 400 on the docking station 213. Then, the handling robot 300 exits from the bottom of the docking station 213, realizing the placement of the goods 400 on the docking station 213.

[0133] In some other embodiments, the docking position 213 can also be an empty space, allowing the transport robot 300 to enter and exit the docking position 213, thus forming a placement platform within the docking position 213 after the transport robot 300 enters it. If the transport robot 300 entering the docking position 213 has goods 400 on it, the picking and placing device 100 can move to that location to dock with the transport robot 300 and pick up the goods 400 from the transport robot 300 onto the picking and placing component 120. Then, the picking and placing device 100 moves to a designated position on the shelf 210 to store the goods 400. If the transport robot 300 entering the docking position 213 does not have goods 400 on it, the picking and placing device 100 can take out the goods that need to be taken out of the shelf 210 and place them on the transport robot 300, thus realizing the outbound operation of the goods 400.

[0134] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application 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; and these 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 application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. A picking and placing device, characterized in that, The picking and placing device is used to be installed between two opposite shelves along a first horizontal direction. The shelves have beams extending along a second horizontal direction and uprights extending in a vertical direction. The second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The picking and placing device includes: Base; A picking and placing component is mounted on the base and is used for picking and placing goods on the shelf. An obstacle-crossing assembly is disposed at both ends of the base along the first horizontal direction, and the obstacle-crossing assembly includes: The rotating frame is rotatable relative to the base, and the axis of rotation extends along the vertical direction. The rotating frame has multiple connecting arms that extend in the horizontal direction. Support wheels are rotatably connected to the connecting arm in a one-to-one correspondence. The rotation axis of the support wheels extends horizontally. The support wheels located at both ends of the base are used to attach to the crossbeams of two opposite shelves, and at any given time, at least one support wheel in each obstacle-crossing assembly is used to attach to the crossbeam to support the base between the two opposite shelves. When the support wheel currently attached to the crossbeam moves along the second horizontal direction on the crossbeam and collides with the column, the rotating frame rotates relative to the base under the inertia of the base, thereby causing the next support wheel adjacent to the support wheel currently attached to the crossbeam to cross the column and attach to the crossbeam.

2. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing components are provided at both ends of the base, and the obstacle-crossing components at each end are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the base along the second horizontal direction to avoid the passage for goods to enter and exit; the goods picking and placing components are used to pick up and place goods at any end of the base along the first horizontal direction.

3. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing assembly also includes a guide post, which is fixed relative to the base. The rotating frame has a connecting shaft extending along the vertical direction at its center position. The connecting shaft is movably inserted through the guide post and rotates in cooperation with the guide post. The side wall of the guide post is provided with an annular guide groove. The guide groove includes multiple strokes that are equal in number and continuous with the number of connecting arms. The two ends of each stroke are the lowest points, and the middle is the highest point. The end of the connecting shaft opposite to the rotating frame is fixed with a connecting frame, and a follower that can move along the guide groove is provided on the connecting frame. The follower is used to maintain the lowest point of the guide groove when the support wheel is attached to the crossbeam, and is used to move from the current lowest point to the highest point and then to another adjacent lowest point during the process of the support wheel currently attached to the crossbeam colliding with the column, causing the next support wheel to cross the column and attach to the crossbeam, completing a stroke of movement, and driving the rotating frame to rise and then fall during this process.

4. The picking and placing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A first elastic element is connected between the guide post and the rotating frame. The first elastic element is used to apply an elastic force to the rotating frame in a direction away from the guide post, so that the follower is held at the lowest point of the guide groove when the support wheel is attached to the crossbeam.

5. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The picking and placing device further includes a translation drive assembly, which includes a translation drive component and a drive wheel. The translation drive component is connected to the base, and the drive wheel is connected to the output shaft of the translation drive component. The drive wheel is used to abut against the crossbeam so as to drive the picking and placing device to move along the second horizontal direction by rolling relative to the crossbeam.

6. The picking and placing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device also includes a telescopic component, which is telescopically disposed at both ends of the base along the first direction. The obstacle-crossing component and the translation drive component are both disposed on the telescopic component.

7. The picking and placing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing assembly also includes translational abutment wheels, the number of which is equal to the number of the connecting arms, and they are rotatably connected to the connecting arms in a one-to-one correspondence. The rotation axis of the translational abutment wheels extends along the vertical direction. The translational abutment wheels located at both ends of the base are used to abut against the outer side of the two opposite crossbeams facing the loading and unloading device, and each obstacle-crossing assembly has one translational abutment wheel used to abut against the outer side of the crossbeam. As the support wheel currently resting on the crossbeam collides with the column, causing the next adjacent support wheel to cross the column and rest on the crossbeam, the translational abutment wheel located on the same connecting arm as the next support wheel interacts with the crossbeam, causing the telescopic assembly to retract inward, so that the next support wheel crosses the column and rests on the crossbeam.

8. The picking and placing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device also includes a telescopic drive assembly, which includes an active link and a driven link. The midpoint of the active link is rotatably connected to the base, and the rotation axis extends along the vertical direction. There are at least two driven links, wherein at least one driven link is hinged at both ends to one end of the active link and a telescopic assembly located at one end of the base, and at least another driven link is hinged at both ends to the other end of the active link and a telescopic assembly located at the other end of the base. The active linkage is used to drive the telescopic components at both ends of the base to move synchronously when rotating relative to the base.

9. The picking and placing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly further includes a telescopic drive component, which is fixed to the base and has its output shaft connected to the center of the active link. The telescopic drive component is used to drive the active link to rotate.

10. The picking and placing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The telescopic drive assembly also includes a second elastic element; The second elastic element is hinged between one end of the base and one of the driven links, or the second elastic element is hinged between one end of the base and the driving link; The second elastic element is used to provide an elastic force that causes the telescopic assembly to tend to extend outward.

11. The picking and placing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The hinge point between the active link and the base, and the two hinge points between the driven link and the telescopic assembly are collinear along the first horizontal direction.

12. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device also includes a climbing component, which includes a connecting seat, a telescopic mechanism, and a climbing mechanism. The connecting seat is fixed to the base, the telescopic mechanism is disposed at both ends of the connecting seat along the first horizontal direction and can telescopically move relative to the connecting seat along the first horizontal direction, and the climbing mechanism is disposed on the telescopic mechanism; The climbing mechanism is used to cooperate with the upright and drive the picking and placing device to move up and down relative to the shelf when the telescopic mechanism extends relative to the connecting seat.

13. The picking and placing device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The climbing assembly also includes a telescopic mechanism drive, which is fixed to the connecting seat and its output end is connected to the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism drive is used to drive the telescopic mechanism to telescopically move relative to the connecting seat.

14. The picking and placing device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The climbing mechanism includes a climbing drive and a first climbing engagement. The climbing drive is connected to the telescopic mechanism, and the output shaft of the climbing drive is connected to the first climbing engagement. The rotation axis of the first climbing engagement extends along the second horizontal direction. The first climbing engagement is used to engage with a second climbing engagement extending along the vertical direction on the column when the telescopic mechanism extends relative to the connecting seat, so as to drive the picking and placing device to move up and down under the drive of the climbing drive.

15. The picking and placing device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The climbing assembly also includes a climbing abutment wheel, which is rotatably connected to the telescopic mechanism and is used to abut against the surface of the column when the telescopic mechanism extends relative to the connecting seat.

16. The picking and placing device according to any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, The obstacle-crossing component is arranged in a mirror image symmetrically with respect to the vertical line of the loading and unloading device.

17. A warehousing system, characterized in that, It includes at least two shelves arranged opposite each other along a first horizontal direction and a picking and placing device as described in any one of claims 1-16, the picking and placing device being used to move on the shelves and to pick and place goods.

18. The warehousing system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The warehousing system further includes a conveyor line disposed at at least one end of said shelf, the conveyor line being flush with one of the row beams of said shelf, said row beam extending to the conveyor line to allow picking and placing devices to transfer goods between said shelf and said conveyor line; and / or, The warehousing system also includes a conveyor line disposed within at least one of the shelves, the height of the conveyor line being flush with one of the crossbeams of the shelf, so as to allow the picking and placing device to transfer goods between the shelf and the conveyor line.

19. The warehousing system according to claim 17, characterized in that, It also includes at least one handling robot, and the shelf has a docking position; The picking and placing device is used to place goods at the connecting position, and the handling robot is used to retrieve goods from the connecting position; and / or, the handling robot is used to place goods at the connecting position, and the picking and placing device retrieves goods from the connecting position.

20. The warehousing system according to claim 19, characterized in that, The connection point is located on the lowest shelf.

21. The warehousing system according to claim 17, characterized in that, It also includes at least one handling robot, and the shelf has a docking position; The transport robot can enter and exit the docking station, and is used to dock with the picking and placing device at the docking station to transfer goods.

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