Warehousing system

Abstract

A warehousing system, comprising a storage region, a tallying robot, a conveying track, and a track robot. A plurality of shelves are arranged at intervals in the storage region; each shelf comprises a storage space and a docking space; at least one storage layer is provided in the storage space; a temporary storage layer is provided in the docking space; the tallying robot is movably arranged on the outer side in the length direction of the shelf and is used for conveying goods between the storage layer and the temporary storage layer of the shelf; the conveying track is arranged in the docking space along the length direction of the shelf and is arranged in parallel with the temporary storage layer; and the track robot is movably arranged on the conveying track and is used for moving along the conveying track so as to move the goods in the temporary storage layer of the shelf out of the shelf or move the goods outside the shelf to the temporary storage layer. Compared with the ground, the conveying track is smoother and flatter, such that the track robot moves more stably, travels at a higher speed, and has higher efficiency of conveying goods, thereby improving warehouse entry and exit efficiency.

Description

A warehousing system

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411562098.X, filed on November 4, 2024, entitled "A 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, and in particular to a warehousing system. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, warehousing systems include storage areas with multiple shelves, transport trolleys, and picking stations. The transport trolleys travel on the ground, moving goods between the storage area and the picking station, and also moving within the storage area to the bottom of the shelves to retrieve and place goods, thus enabling inbound and outbound operations. Transport trolleys require high precision in the ground surface; uneven ground leads to slower trolley movement and lower handling efficiency, resulting in lower inbound and outbound efficiency for the warehousing system. Grinding the ground to a smooth surface to solve these problems increases costs and wastes time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a warehousing system that can improve inbound and outbound efficiency. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] This application provides a warehousing system, including: a storage area, a sorting robot, a transfer track, and a track robot; multiple shelves are spaced apart in the storage area; each shelf includes a storage space and a docking space arranged from top to bottom; at least one storage layer is provided in the storage space; a buffer layer is provided in the docking space; the sorting robot is movably disposed on the outer side of the shelf along its length direction for transporting goods between the storage layer and the buffer layer of the shelf; the transfer track is arranged along the length direction of the shelf in the docking space and parallel to the buffer layer; the track robot is movably disposed on the transfer track for moving along the transfer track to move goods in the buffer layer of the shelf out of the shelf, or to move goods outside the shelf to the buffer layer.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the shelf is a multi-depth shelf, the depth of the buffer layer is less than the depth of the shelf, and it is set from one side of the shelf length direction toward the inside of the shelf; the transmission track in the docking space is set on the other side of the shelf length direction, so that the transmission track and the buffer layer are set side by side; or, the shelf is composed of two single-depth shelves spliced ​​back to back, the buffer layer is a single depth and is set in the docking space at the bottom of one single-depth shelf, and the transmission track is set in the docking space at the bottom of the other single-depth shelf.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the track robot includes a first motion chassis and a first picking mechanism; the first motion chassis is used to move on the transfer track; the first picking mechanism is disposed on the first motion chassis and is used to extend toward the buffer layer to pick up and place goods on the buffer layer.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the transmission track within the docking space includes two parallel rows of sub-tracks, and the two rows of sub-tracks are lower than the buffer layer; the track robot includes a second motion chassis, a lifting mechanism, and a carrying platform; the second motion chassis is used to move and switch tracks on the two rows of sub-tracks of the transmission track; the lifting mechanism and the carrying platform are disposed on the top of the second motion chassis and are used to lift and place goods on the buffer layer after the second motion chassis moves to the bottom of the buffer layer.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the system further includes: a picking station; a conveyor line is provided between the shelf and the picking station; one end of the conveyor line is connected to the transmission track, and the other end is connected to the picking station, for conveying goods to be shipped out toward the picking station, or goods to be received toward the shelf; the track robot is used to, during receiving, move unloaded along the transmission track to the position where it is connected to the conveyor line, pick up the goods to be received on the conveyor line, and then move along the transmission track to place the goods to be received at a target position on the buffer layer; during shipping, pick up the goods to be shipped out on the buffer layer, move along the transmission track to the position where it is connected to the conveyor line, and place the goods to be shipped out on the conveyor line.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple shelves, and every two rows of shelves are spliced ​​together along one side of their length to form a shelf unit; an aisle is provided between adjacent shelf units, and the sorting robot is movably positioned in the aisle to pick up and place goods on the shelves on one or both sides of the aisle; the buffer layers of the first shelf and the second shelf of the shelf unit are respectively provided on both sides of the shelf unit; a first transmission track is provided at the bottom of the first shelf; a second transmission track is provided at the bottom of the second shelf; the first transmission track extends out of the end of the first shelf and connects with the end of the second transmission track extending out of the second shelf, for the track robot to switch between the first transmission track and the second transmission track to pick up and place goods on the buffer layer of the first shelf or the second shelf.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the conveyor line includes an inbound conveyor line and an outbound conveyor line; the inbound conveyor line is disposed on one side of the first transmission track and connects to the first transmission track, and is used to transport goods to be inbound from the picking station to the shelf; the outbound conveyor line is disposed on one side of the second transmission track and connects to the second transmission track, and is used to transport goods to be outbound from the shelf to the picking station; the track robot is used to, during inbound, move to the position where the first transmission track connects to the inbound conveyor line to pick up the goods to be inbound; during outbound, move to the position where the second transmission track connects to the outbound conveyor line to place the goods to be outbound.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the conveyor line further includes a transfer conveyor line; the input end of the inbound conveyor line and the output end of the outbound conveyor line are both connected to one side of the transfer conveyor line; the picking station includes a picking conveyor line; the other side of the transfer conveyor line is connected to the picking conveyor line; the transfer conveyor line is used to transfer goods to be inbound from the picking conveyor line to the input end of the inbound conveyor line, and to transfer goods to be outbound from the output end of the outbound conveyor line to the picking conveyor line.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the warehousing system further includes a ground robot; a first conveyor track extending from the first shelf is provided with an inbound docking position; a second conveyor track extending from the second shelf is provided with an outbound docking position; during inbound, the ground robot is used to transport goods to be inbound at the picking station to the inbound docking position, and the rail robot is used to transport goods to be inbound at the inbound docking position to the buffer layer; during outbound, the rail robot is used to transport goods to be outbound at the buffer layer to the outbound docking position, and the ground robot is used to transport goods to be outbound at the outbound docking position to the picking station.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the transfer tracks inside multiple shelving units extend toward the end furthest from the picking station and are connected by a main transfer track; the track robot is used to move along the main transfer track to the transfer tracks inside different shelving units to pick up and place goods from different shelving units; and / or, branch transfer tracks are provided between the two ends of the multiple shelving units along their length; the branch transfer tracks connect the transfer tracks inside the multiple shelving units; the track robot is used to move along the branch transfer tracks to the transfer tracks inside different shelving units to pick up and place goods from different shelving units.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the first transmission track extends beyond the end of the first shelf and is connected to the end of the second transmission track extending beyond the second shelf via a switching track; the switching track is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first transmission track and is flush with the height of the first and second transmission tracks; the first motion chassis of the track robot includes a first chassis, a first set of wheels, and a second set of wheels; the first set of wheels is arranged on both sides of the first chassis parallel to the transmission track, for driving the first chassis to move along the first or second transmission track; the second set of wheels is arranged on the other two sides of the first chassis, for driving the first chassis to move along the switching track to switch between the first and second transmission tracks.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the first motion chassis of the track robot includes a second chassis and a set of walking wheels; the set of walking wheels is disposed on both sides of the second chassis parallel to the transmission track, and is used to drive the second chassis to move along the transmission track.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the first picking mechanism of the track robot includes at least one set of telescopic picking components; the telescopic picking components are used to extend and retract toward the buffer layer to pick up and place goods; when there are multiple sets of telescopic picking components, the multiple sets of telescopic picking components are arranged side by side along the length of the shelf.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the telescopic picking component is a clamping component, including: a loading platform and telescopic arms disposed on both sides of the loading platform; the telescopic arms are used to: when picking up goods, extend toward the goods and clamp the goods, and then retract to move the goods to the loading platform; when releasing goods, clamp the goods on the loading platform and extend toward the buffer layer, and then release the goods to place the goods on the buffer layer.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple sorting robots, which are movably arranged on one or both sides of the shelf along its length to move goods to be received from the buffer layer to the storage layer, or to move goods to be shipped from the storage layer to the buffer layer.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the sorting robot is movably mounted on one or both sides of the shelf along its length, and includes: at least one horizontal track, a first support frame, and a second picking mechanism; the at least one horizontal track is spaced apart vertically and fixedly connected to the shelf along its length; the first support frame is movably connected to the horizontal track and can move horizontally along the horizontal track; the second picking mechanism is movably mounted on the first support frame and can move vertically along the first support frame to pick up and place different goods along the shelf height; it can also follow the first support frame and move horizontally along the horizontal track to pick up and place different goods along the shelf length.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, the sorting robot includes: a third motion chassis, a second support frame, and a third picking mechanism; the third motion chassis is used to drive the second support frame and the third picking mechanism to move on the ground; the second support frame is vertically mounted on the third motion chassis; the third picking mechanism is movably mounted on the second support frame and can move vertically along the second support frame to pick up and place different goods in the height direction of the shelf; it can also move horizontally under the drive of the third motion chassis to pick up and place different goods in the length direction of the shelf.

[0022] Beneficial effects of the embodiments in this application:

[0023] This application provides a warehousing system in which a conveyor track is positioned along the length of the shelving unit in the docking space at the bottom of the shelving unit. This allows a track-mounted robot to move along the track, moving goods from the buffer layer of the shelving unit out of the unit or moving goods from outside the shelving unit to the buffer layer. The conveyor track is smoother and flatter than the ground, resulting in more stable operation, higher speed, and higher efficiency in handling goods, thus improving inbound and outbound efficiency. The movement of the track-mounted robot on the conveyor track is unaffected by ground undulations, eliminating the need for ground re-grinding, reducing infrastructure costs and shortening the implementation cycle. Furthermore, the combined use of sorting robots and track-mounted robots for picking and placing goods further improves inbound and outbound efficiency. The conveyor track, positioned within the docking space of the shelving unit, enhances the space utilization of the warehousing system.

[0024] Of course, implementing any product or method of this application does not necessarily require achieving all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application.

[0026] Figure 1 is a front view schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the warehousing system according to this application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a side view of the warehousing system shown in Figure 1;

[0028] Figure 3 is a front view schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the warehousing system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a top view of a third embodiment of the warehousing system according to this application.

[0030] Figure 5 is a partial schematic diagram of the warehousing system shown in Figure 4;

[0031] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the track robot shown in Figure 1;

[0032] Figure 7 is a top view of a fourth embodiment of the warehousing system according to this application.

[0033] Figure 8 is another three-dimensional structural diagram of the sorting robot according to an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Storage area 10; Shelf unit 11; Shelf 110; First shelf 110A; Second shelf 110B; Storage space 111; Storage layer 1111; Docking space 112; Buffer layer 1121; Aisle 12; Picking robot 20; Horizontal track 21; First support frame 22; Second picking mechanism 23; Third motion chassis 24; Second support frame 25; Third picking mechanism 26; Temporary storage shelf 27; Transfer track 30; First transfer track 30A; Second transfer track 30B; Main transfer track 31; Switching track 32; Track robot 40; First motion chassis 41; First chassis 411; First walking wheel set 412; Second walking wheel set 413; First picking mechanism 42; Telescopic picking assembly 421; Cargo platform 4211; Telescopic arm 4212; Picking station 50; Picking conveyor line 51; Sorting wall 52; Goods 60; Conveyor line 70; Inbound conveyor line 71; Outbound conveyor line 72; Transfer conveyor line 73; First transfer conveyor line 73A; Second transfer conveyor line 73B; Ground robot 80; Inbound docking station 91; Outbound docking station 92. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] As described in the background section, in related technologies, warehousing systems include storage areas with multiple shelves, transport trolleys, and picking stations. The transport trolleys travel on the ground, moving goods between the storage area and the picking station, and also moving within the storage area to the bottom of the shelves to retrieve and place goods, thus realizing the inbound and outbound operations of the warehouse. Transport trolleys require high precision in the ground surface; uneven ground will result in slower trolley movement and lower handling efficiency, leading to lower inbound and outbound efficiency of the warehousing system. Grinding the ground to a smooth surface to solve these problems would increase costs and waste time.

[0037] To improve inbound and outbound efficiency, this application provides a warehousing system. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, Figure 1 is a front view of the first embodiment of the warehousing system of this application; Figure 2 is a side view of the warehousing system shown in Figure 1.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the warehousing system includes: storage area 10, sorting robot 20, conveyor track 30 and track robot 40.

[0039] The storage area 10 is provided with multiple shelves 110 at intervals; each shelf 110 includes a storage space 111 and a docking space 112 arranged from top to bottom; the storage space 111 is provided with at least one storage layer 1111; and the docking space 112 is provided with a buffer layer 1121.

[0040] The sorting robot 20 is movably positioned on the outer side of the shelf 110 along its length for transporting goods 60 between the storage layer 1111 and the buffer layer 1121 of the shelf 110.

[0041] The transmission track 30 is set along the length of the shelf 110 in the docking space 112 and is set parallel to the buffer layer 1121.

[0042] The track robot 40 is movably mounted on the transfer track 30 for moving along the transfer track 30 to move goods out of the shelf buffer layer or to move goods outside the shelf into the buffer layer.

[0043] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 2, the outer side in the length direction specifically refers to the outer surface of the longitudinal side extending along the length direction of the shelf 110.

[0044] This application provides a warehousing system in which a transfer track 30 is disposed along the length of the shelf 110 in the docking space 112 at the bottom of the shelf 110, allowing a track robot 40 to move along the transfer track 30 to move goods 60 from the buffer layer 1121 of the shelf 110 out of the shelf 110, or to move goods 60 outside the shelf 110 into the buffer layer 1121. The transfer track 30 is smoother and flatter than the ground, allowing the track robot 40 to run more smoothly, travel at a higher speed, and handle goods more efficiently, thereby improving inbound and outbound efficiency. The track robot 40 moves on the transfer track 30 without being affected by ground undulations, eliminating the need for ground re-grinding, reducing infrastructure costs and shortening the implementation cycle. Furthermore, the cooperation between the sorting robot 20 and the track robot 40 in picking and placing goods further improves inbound and outbound efficiency. The transfer track 30, disposed in the docking space 112 of the shelf 110, improves the space utilization rate of the warehousing system.

[0045] Specifically, the shelf 110 can be a double-deep shelf as shown in Figure 2, and the sorting robot 20 is set on one side of the shelf 110 along its length to pick up and put in goods 60 in the two deep positions.

[0046] The transfer track 30 is a bidirectional transfer track. Workers or robots load the goods 60 to be put into storage onto the track robot 40, which then transports them to the buffer layer 1121. Alternatively, the goods 60 loaded by the track robot 40 can be unloaded and picked out.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the warehousing system also includes a picking station 50 located outside the shelf 110. The conveyor track 30 can extend to the picking station 50. The picking station 50 includes a distribution wall 52 for temporarily storing goods 60 to be shipped out from the storage area 10 or goods 60 to be shipped in from outside.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the picking station 50 is located on one side of the width direction of the shelf 110. The portion of the conveyor track 30 extending out of the docking space 112 is still arranged along the length direction of the shelf 110. In other embodiments of this application, the orientation of the portion of the conveyor track 30 extending out of the docking space 112 is not limited to this direction, but is related to the location of the picking station 50 in the warehousing system and the arrangement of other facilities. This application does not limit this.

[0049] The transmission track 30 can be independently installed on the ground by two rows of transmission track legs, with the extension direction of each row of transmission track legs parallel to the length direction of the shelf 110; or as shown in Figures 1 and 2, one row of transmission track legs can be replaced by the support legs of the shelf 110. This application does not limit the installation method of the transmission track 30.

[0050] The transfer track 30 can be as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with a height lower than or equal to the height of the buffer layer 1121, as long as the goods 60 on the buffer layer 1121 are within the height range that the track robot 40 can reach, and the track robot 40 can freely pass through the docking space 112 when carrying the goods without interfering with the storage layer 1111 and the buffer layer 1121. This application does not limit the specific height of the transfer track 30.

[0051] Goods 60 may be specific articles, or they may be bins or other containers for holding articles. This application does not limit the type of goods 60.

[0052] Alternatively, if the conveyor track 30 is positioned along the length of the shelf 110 in the docking space 112 and parallel to the buffer layer 1121, the conveyor track 30 can be the same length as the shelf 110. In this case, a ground robot can be used to move the goods 60 off the shelf. Or, as shown in Figure 1, the conveyor track 30 can extend directly out of the docking space 112 to the outside of the shelf 110, and the track robot 40 can directly move the goods 60 off the shelf. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG2, the shelf 110 is a multi-depth shelf, the depth of the buffer layer 1121 is less than the depth of the shelf 110, and it is set from one side of the shelf 110 along its length toward the interior of the shelf 110.

[0054] The transfer track 30 in the docking space 112 is located on the other side of the length direction of the shelf 110, so that the transfer track 30 and the buffer layer 1121 are arranged side by side.

[0055] Alternatively, the shelving 110 is composed of two single-depth shelving units spliced ​​back to back, with the buffer layer 1121 being a single-depth unit, located in the docking space 112 at the bottom of one of the single-depth shelving units, and the transmission track 30 located in the docking space 112 at the bottom of the other single-depth shelving unit.

[0056] Specifically, the shelf 110 shown in Figure 2 is a double-deep shelf, and the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the shelf 110 is single-deep to leave installation space for the conveyor rail 30. Whether the shelf 110 is a single shelf or a shelf formed by splicing two sub-shelves, it is acceptable as long as the bottom docking space can accommodate the buffer layer and the conveyor rail.

[0057] Shelf 110 can also be a four-deep shelf or formed by splicing two double-deep shelves back to back, as detailed in the following description.

[0058] In the embodiments of this application, the depth of the buffer layer 1121 is less than the depth of the shelf 110, providing more height space for the installation of the transmission track 30, so that the shelf 110 can be equipped with more storage layers 1111 to improve the storage capacity of the shelf 110.

[0059] In this embodiment, the way the track robot 40 picks up goods can be varied, such as clamping, suction, hooking, or lifting, etc. This application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0060] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the track robot 40 includes a first motion chassis 41 and a first picking mechanism 42.

[0061] The first motion chassis 41 is used to move on the transfer track 30; the first picking mechanism 42 is disposed on the first motion chassis 41 and is used to extend toward the buffer layer 1121 to pick up and place goods 60 on the buffer layer 1121.

[0062] Specifically, the buffer layer 1121 is divided into multiple buffer positions along the length of the shelf 110, which are used to temporarily store the goods 60 to be shipped out from the storage layer 1111 by the sorting robot 20, so that they can be picked up by the track robot 40; or to temporarily store the goods 60 to be received from the picking station 50 by the track robot 40, so that they can be picked up by the sorting robot 20.

[0063] The first picking mechanism 42 can take the form of, but is not limited to, forklifts, hook arms, etc.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first picking mechanism 42 can be located on the top of the first moving chassis 41. For example, if the top is flat, it can be directly mounted on the flat top; if the top has a groove, it can be embedded in the groove. In other embodiments, the first picking mechanism 42 can also be located at the bottom of the first moving chassis 41. This application does not limit the positional relationship between the first moving chassis 41 and the first picking mechanism 42, as long as the goods 60 on the buffer layer 1121 are within the height range that the first picking mechanism 42 can pick up.

[0065] Using the embodiments of this application, the first picking mechanism 42 can move to the picking station 50 or the buffer layer 1121 to pick up and put away goods 60 under the drive of the first moving chassis 41, so as to realize the entry and exit of the warehouse.

[0066] In some embodiments of this application, the transmission track 30 within the docking space 112 may include two parallel rows of sub-tracks, and the two rows of sub-tracks are lower than the buffer layer 1121.

[0067] The track robot 40 may include a second motion chassis, a lifting mechanism, and a load-bearing platform;

[0068] The second motion chassis is used to move and switch tracks on the two rows of sub-tracks of the transmission track 30; the lifting mechanism and the carrying platform are set on the top of the second motion chassis and are used to lift and place the goods 60 on the buffer layer 1121 after the second motion chassis moves to the bottom of the buffer layer 1121.

[0069] Specifically, one of the sub-tracks is located at the bottom of the buffer layer 1121, allowing the track robot 40 to move to the bottom of the buffer layer 1121 to lift the cargo 60. Using this embodiment, the carrying platform can move to the bottom of the buffer layer 1121 to pick up and place the cargo 60, driven by the second motion chassis and the lifting mechanism.

[0070] The first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 only shows one sorting robot 20. In other embodiments of this application, the number of sorting robots 20 can also be multiple. Multiple sorting robots 20 are movably arranged on one or both sides of the shelf 110 along its length to move goods 60 to be put into storage from the buffer layer 1121 to the storage layer 1111, or to move goods 60 to be taken out from the storage layer 1111 to the buffer layer 1121.

[0071] By applying the embodiments of this application, multiple sorting robots 20 can each be responsible for picking up and placing goods 60 on a portion of the shelf 110, thereby improving the efficiency of picking up and placing goods.

[0072] The inbound and outbound processes of the warehousing system of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 will be described below.

[0073] During outbound processing, the sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the shelf 110 to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the conveyor track 30 to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped from the buffer layer 1121, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, and moves to the end of the conveyor track 30 near the picking station 50, where it is picked off by staff or robots for outbound processing.

[0074] During the inbound process, the track robot 40 moves along the transfer track 30 to one end near the picking station 50, picks up the goods 60 to be inbound, moves it to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111, places the goods 60 to be inbound in the buffer layer 1121, and then the sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be inbound from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0075] It should be noted that the goods 60 to be put into storage mentioned in this application may be goods transported from outside to the picking station 50, or the remaining goods 60 after the goods 60 to be put out of storage transported from the storage area 10 have been picked.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG3, FIG3 is a front view schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the warehousing system of this application. As shown in FIG3, a conveyor line 70 is also provided between the shelf 110 and the picking station 50.

[0077] One end of the conveyor line 70 is connected to the conveyor track 30, and the other end is connected to the picking station 50. It is used to transport goods 60 to be shipped out toward the picking station 50 or to transport goods 60 to be received toward the shelf 110.

[0078] The track robot 40 is used to move unloaded along the transmission track 30 to the position where it docks with the conveyor line 70 during the warehousing process, pick up the goods 60 to be stored on the conveyor line 70, and then move along the transmission track 30 to place the goods 60 to be stored at the target position on the buffer layer 1121.

[0079] When the goods are being shipped out, the goods 60 to be shipped out are picked up from the buffer layer 1121, moved along the transmission track 30 to the position where they dock with the conveyor line 70, and placed on the conveyor line 70.

[0080] Specifically, the conveyor line 70 can be a roller conveyor or a conveyor belt, etc., and this application does not limit the form of the conveyor line 70. As shown in Figure 3, the roller conveyor line 70 shown in this embodiment is a roller conveyor. The section that connects with the transmission track 30 can be independently controlled to start and stop. When goods 60 to be put into storage are transported to this section, or when the track robot 40 is about to place goods 60 to be taken out of storage, this section is in a stationary state. After the track robot 40 takes away the goods 60 to be put into storage or the goods 60 to be taken out of storage are placed, this section starts to run. Using a roller conveyor line ensures that the picking and placing of goods in the connecting section does not interfere with the conveying of goods in other sections, which can improve the conveying efficiency of the conveyor line 70.

[0081] By applying the embodiments of this application, the conveyor line 70 is set up, and the transport track 30 does not need to extend to the picking station 50. The length of the portion extending out of the docking space 112 only needs to be sufficient to allow the track robot 40 to dock with the conveyor line 70 to pick up and place goods. Therefore, the track robot 40 only needs to move within the storage area 10, without needing to move between the storage area 10 and the picking station 50, which improves the handling efficiency of the track robot 40 and further improves the inbound and outbound efficiency.

[0082] The inbound and outbound processes of the warehousing system of the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 will be described below.

[0083] During outbound processing, the sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the shelf 110 to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the conveyor track 30 to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, moves to one end of the conveyor track 30 near the conveyor line 70, and places the goods 60 to be shipped on the conveyor line 70. The conveyor line 70 transports the goods 60 to the picking station 50.

[0084] Upon receiving the goods, staff or robots place the goods 60 to be received on the conveyor line 70. The conveyor line 70 transports the goods 60 to one end near the shelf 110. The track robot 40 picks up the goods 60 at one end of the transfer track 30 near the conveyor line 70 and moves along the transfer track 30 to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111. The goods 60 is placed in the buffer layer 1121. Then, the sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 4, which is a top view of a third embodiment of the warehousing system of this application. It should be noted that in Figure 4, the actual top view does not show the track robot 40 and the transfer track 30 shown in the middle. In order to show the part of the track robot 40 and the transfer track 30 located at the bottom of the shelf 110 in this figure, a part of the storage space 111 structure of the shelf 110 is hidden.

[0086] As shown in Figure 4, there are multiple shelves 110, and every two rows of shelves 110 are spliced ​​together on one side along the length direction to form a shelf unit 11.

[0087] Aisles 12 are provided between adjacent shelf units 11. A sorting robot 20 is movably positioned in the aisles 12 to pick up and place goods 60 on one or both sides of the shelves 110 in the aisles 12.

[0088] The buffer layers 1121 of the first shelf 110A and the second shelf 110B of the shelving unit 11 are respectively arranged on both sides of the shelving unit 11; the bottom of the first shelf 110A is provided with a first transmission track 30A; the bottom of the second shelf 110B is provided with a second transmission track 30B.

[0089] The first transfer track 30A extends from the end of the first shelf 110A and connects to the end of the second transfer track 30B extending from the second shelf 110B. This allows the track robot 40 to switch between the first transfer track 30A and the second transfer track 30B to pick up or put down goods 60 on the buffer layer 1121 of the first shelf 110A or the second shelf 110B.

[0090] It should be noted that a row of shelves 110 refers to at least one shelf 110 arranged along the length of the shelf 110.

[0091] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the shelving unit 11 in this embodiment is formed by splicing two rows of double-deep shelves back to back, wherein the number of double-deep shelves in each row is 5.

[0092] Each double-deep rack has a single-deep buffer layer 1121, which is located on the side of the double-deep rack away from the splicing surface. This leaves two deep installation spaces at the bottom of the rack unit 11 for installing two conveyor tracks 30, which can further improve the efficiency of inbound and outbound operations.

[0093] In every two assembled shelves 110, one is the first shelf 110A and the other is the second shelf 110B. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the lower row of shelves 110 in each shelf unit 11 is designated as the first shelf 110A, and the other row of shelves 110 is designated as the second shelf 110B. In other embodiments, the lower row of shelves 110 may also be designated as the second shelf 110B, and the other row of shelves 110 as the first shelf 110A. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0094] In this embodiment of the application, the storage area 10 is divided into multiple shelf units 11 for easy zone management. A sorting robot 20 is positioned in the aisles 12 between the shelf units 11, improving the space utilization of the warehousing system. The first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B are connected at their ends, allowing the track robot 40 to switch between them. This enables it to retrieve and place goods 60 from the buffer layer 1121 of any shelf 110 in the shelf unit 11. This allows the warehousing system to more flexibly deploy the track robot 40. When the inbound / outbound volume of one row of shelves 110 surges or a track robot 40 on one transmission track 30 is damaged, the warehousing system can call upon the track robot 40 at the bottom of another row of shelves 110 to meet business needs and ensure inbound / outbound efficiency.

[0095] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG4, the conveyor line 70 includes an inbound conveyor line 71 and an outbound conveyor line 72.

[0096] The inbound conveyor line 71 is located on one side of the first transmission track 30A and is connected to the first transmission track 30A. It is used to transport the goods 60 to be put into storage from the picking station 50 to the shelf 110.

[0097] The outbound conveyor line 72 is located on one side of the second transmission track 30B and is connected to the second transmission track 30B. It is used to transport the goods 60 to be shipped from the shelf 110 to the picking station 50.

[0098] The track robot 40 is used to move to the position where the first transmission track 30A and the inbound conveyor line 71 are connected during the inbound process to pick up the goods 60 to be put into the warehouse; and to move to the position where the second transmission track 30B and the outbound conveyor line 72 are connected during the outbound process to place the goods 60 to be put out of the warehouse.

[0099] Specifically, the inbound conveyor line 71 and the outbound conveyor line 72 are unidirectional transport.

[0100] When the target storage layer 1111 corresponding to the goods to be stored 60 is on the second shelf 110B, the track robot 40, after receiving the goods to be stored 60 on the first transmission track 30A and the inbound conveyor line 71, needs to move to the second transmission track 30B first, and then move along the second transmission track 30B to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the corresponding second shelf 110B to put the goods in.

[0101] When goods 60 on the first shelf 110A need to be shipped out, the track robot 40 picks up the goods 60 to be shipped out on the first transmission track 30A, moves along the first transmission track 30A to the end of the connection with the second transmission track 30B, and then places the goods 60 to be shipped out on the outbound conveyor line 72 after moving to the second transmission track 30B.

[0102] By applying the embodiments of this application, an inbound conveyor line 71 and an outbound conveyor line 72 are set up so that the outbound and inbound processes of goods 60 do not interfere with each other, thereby further improving the efficiency of inbound and outbound processes.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG4, the conveyor line 70 further includes a transfer conveyor line 73.

[0104] The input end of the inbound conveyor line 71 and the output end of the outbound conveyor line 72 are both connected to one side of the transfer conveyor line 73.

[0105] The picking station 50 includes a picking conveyor line 51; the other side of the transfer conveyor line 73 is connected to the picking conveyor line 51.

[0106] The transfer conveyor line 73 is used to transfer goods 60 to be put into storage from the picking conveyor line 51 to the input end of the inbound conveyor line 71, and to transfer goods 60 to be put out of storage from the output end of the outbound conveyor line 72 to the picking conveyor line 51.

[0107] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the transfer conveyor lines 73 are arranged in two rows, with their ends connected to form a ring conveyor line. In this embodiment, the conveying direction of the transfer conveyor lines 73 is specified as counterclockwise. The transfer conveyor line 73 located on the side closer to the shelf 110 is the first transfer conveyor line 73A, and the other side is the second transfer conveyor line 73B. The conveying directions of the first transfer conveyor line 73A and the second transfer conveyor line 73B are opposite.

[0108] In other embodiments, the conveying direction of the transfer conveyor line 73 may also be clockwise, and the transfer conveyor line 73 located on the side closer to the shelf 110 may be the first transfer conveyor line 73A, and the other side may be the second transfer conveyor line 73B. This application does not limit this.

[0109] The first transfer conveyor line 73A is connected to the output end of the outbound conveyor line 72 and is used to receive the goods 60 to be shipped out from the output end of the outbound conveyor line 72 and transfer them to the second transfer conveyor line 73B. The first transfer conveyor line 73A is also connected to the input end of the inbound conveyor line 71 and is used to transfer the goods 60 to be received from the second transfer conveyor line 73B to the input end of the inbound conveyor line 71.

[0110] The second transfer conveyor line 73B is connected to the picking conveyor line 51 and is used to receive the goods 60 to be put into storage from the picking conveyor line 51 and transport them to the first transfer conveyor line 73A. It is also used to receive the goods 60 to be put out of storage from the first transfer conveyor line 73A and transport them to the picking conveyor line 51.

[0111] As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the picking station 50 also includes a distribution wall 52 for temporarily storing goods 60 to be shipped out from the storage area 10 or goods 60 to be shipped in from outside.

[0112] By applying the embodiments of this application, a transfer conveyor line 73 is set up, which can serve as a buffer for goods 60, and avoids all inbound conveyor lines 71 and outbound conveyor lines 72 from being directly connected to the picking conveyor line 51, which would result in too many connection lines for the picking conveyor line 51.

[0113] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG4, the transfer tracks 30 inside multiple shelf units 11 extend toward the end away from the picking station 50 and are connected by a main transfer track 31.

[0114] The track robot 40 is used to move via the main transfer track 31 to the transfer track 30 inside different shelf units 11 to pick up and put down goods 60 in different shelf units 11.

[0115] In some embodiments, branch conveyor tracks may be provided between the two ends of the multiple shelving units 11 along their length. The branch conveyor tracks connect the conveyor tracks 30 inside the multiple shelving units 11.

[0116] The track robot 40 is used to move via branch transfer tracks to transfer tracks 30 inside different shelf units 11 to pick up and place goods 60 in different shelf units 11.

[0117] In this embodiment of the application, the ends of the first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B are connected to the main transmission track 31, enabling the warehousing system to more flexibly deploy the track robot 40 across the aisle 12 to achieve circular cyclic operation. The track robot 40 moves to different shelf units 11 via the main transmission track 31 or branch transmission tracks, thereby serving different shelf units 11. When the inbound and outbound business volume of one shelf unit 11 surges or the track robot 40 is damaged, the warehousing system can call upon the track robot 40 of another shelf unit 11 to meet business needs and ensure inbound and outbound efficiency.

[0118] In some embodiments of this application, see Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a partial schematic diagram of the storage system shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the track robot shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the first transmission track 30A extends out of the end of the first shelf 110A and is connected to the end of the second transmission track 30B extending out of the second shelf 110B via a switching track 32.

[0119] The switching track 32 is set in a direction perpendicular to the first transmission track 30A and is level with the height of the first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B.

[0120] The first motion chassis 41 of the track robot 40 includes a first chassis 411, a first set of wheels 412, and a second set of wheels 413.

[0121] The first set of wheels 412 is arranged on both sides of the first chassis 411 parallel to the transmission track 30, and is used to drive the first chassis 411 to move along the first transmission track 30A or the second transmission track 30B.

[0122] The second set of wheels 413 is located on the other two sides of the first chassis 411 and is used to drive the first chassis 411 to move along the switching track 32 to switch between the first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B.

[0123] Specifically, the transmission track 30, the main transmission track 31, and the switching track 32 are all U-shaped tracks with openings facing upwards, used to accommodate and limit the first traveling wheel set 412 and the second traveling wheel set 413, preventing the first traveling wheel set 412 from leaving the track when moving along the first transmission track 30A or the second transmission track 30B, and preventing the second traveling wheel set 413 from leaving the track when moving longitudinally.

[0124] When the track robot 40 moves on the first transmission track 30A or the second transmission track 30B using the first walking wheel set 412, it can control the second walking wheel set 413 to rise, so as to avoid interference between the second walking wheel set 413 and the switching track 32 during movement. Similarly, when the track robot 40 moves on the switching track 32 using the second walking wheel set 413, it can control the first walking wheel set 412 to rise, so as to avoid interference between the first walking wheel set 412 and the first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B during movement.

[0125] The transmission track 30 is also connected to the main transmission track 31 via the same switching track 32, which will not be described in detail here.

[0126] In this embodiment of the application, the end of the first transmission track 30A extending from the first shelf 110A is connected to the end of the second transmission track 30B extending from the second shelf 110B via a switching track 32. This allows the track robot 40 to switch between the first transmission track 30A and the second transmission track 30B via the switching track 32, resulting in more flexible movement and improved handling efficiency. The track robot 40 can move on either the first transmission track 30A or the second transmission track 30B using the first set of wheels 412, and on the switching track 32 using the second set of wheels 413. The structure is simple and the control is convenient.

[0127] In some embodiments of this application, the first motion chassis 41 of the track robot 40 includes a second chassis and a set of walking wheels; the set of walking wheels is arranged on both sides of the second chassis parallel to the transmission track 30, and is used to drive the second chassis to move along the transmission track 30.

[0128] Specifically, apart from the track robot 40 with two sets of walking wheels mentioned in the above embodiments, some track robots 40 with only the first set of walking wheels 412 can also be set on each transmission track 30, which only run on the current transmission track 30 to ensure the transportation efficiency on a single transmission track 30.

[0129] The inbound and outbound processes of the warehousing system in the third embodiment shown in Figure 4 will be described below.

[0130] When item 60 on the first shelf 110A needs to be shipped out:

[0131] The sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the first shelf 110A to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the first transmission track 30A to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, moves to one end of the first transmission track 30A near the inbound conveyor line 71, and then moves along the switching track 32 to the second transmission track 30B, places the goods 60 to be shipped on the outbound conveyor line 72, the outbound conveyor line 72 transports the goods 60 to the transfer conveyor line 73, and the transfer conveyor line 73 transports the goods 60 to the picking conveyor line 51 of the picking station 50.

[0132] When goods awaiting warehousing need to be placed on the first shelf 110A:

[0133] Workers or robots place the goods to be received 60 on the picking conveyor line 51. The goods to be received 60 are moved to the receiving conveyor line 71 via the transfer conveyor line 73. The track robot 40 picks up the goods to be received 60 at one end of the first transmission track 30A near the receiving conveyor line 71 and moves along the first transmission track 30A to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111 of the first shelf 110A. The goods to be received 60 are placed in the buffer layer 1121. Then the sorting robot 20 moves the goods to be received 60 from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0134] When item 60 on the second shelf 110B needs to be shipped out:

[0135] The sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the second shelf 110B to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the second transfer track 30B to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, and moves to one end of the second transfer track 30B near the outbound conveyor line 72. The goods 60 to be shipped are placed on the outbound conveyor line 72. The outbound conveyor line 72 transports the goods 60 to the transfer conveyor line 73. The transfer conveyor line 73 transports the goods 60 to the picking conveyor line 51 of the picking station 50.

[0136] When goods awaiting warehousing need to be placed on the second shelf 110B:

[0137] Workers or robots place the goods to be received 60 on the picking conveyor line 51. The goods to be received 60 are moved to the receiving conveyor line 71 via the transfer conveyor line 73. The track robot 40 picks up the goods to be received 60 at one end of the first transmission track 30A near the receiving conveyor line 71 and moves along the switching track 32 to the second transmission track 30B. It then moves to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111 of the second shelf 110B and places the goods to be received 60 in the buffer layer 1121. After that, the sorting robot 20 moves the goods to be received 60 from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0138] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 6, the first picking mechanism 42 of the track robot 40 includes at least one set of telescopic picking components 421. The telescopic picking components 421 are used to extend and retract toward the buffer layer 1121 to pick up and place goods 60. When there are multiple sets of telescopic picking components 421, the multiple sets of telescopic picking components 421 are arranged side-by-side along the length of the shelf 110.

[0139] The telescopic loading assembly 421 is a clamping assembly, including: a loading platform 4211 and telescopic arms 4212 disposed on both sides of the loading platform 4211.

[0140] The telescopic arm 4212 is used to extend toward and clamp the cargo 60 when picking up the cargo, and then retract to move the cargo 60 to the loading platform 4211; when unloading the cargo, it clamps the cargo 60 on the loading platform 4211 and extends toward the buffer layer 1121, and then releases the cargo 60 to place it on the buffer layer 1121.

[0141] Specifically, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the track robot 40 may include one set of telescopic picking components 421, or two sets of telescopic picking components 421. The two sets of telescopic picking components 421 are arranged side by side on the first motion chassis 41, enabling the track robot 40 to carry two goods 60 out of or into the warehouse at a time, thereby improving handling efficiency and thus improving inbound and outbound efficiency.

[0142] In some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG7, FIG7 is a top view schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of the warehousing system of this application. As shown in FIG7, the warehousing system also includes a ground robot 80.

[0143] The first conveyor track 30A extends out of the first shelf 110A and is equipped with an inbound docking position 91; the second conveyor track 30B extends out of the second shelf 110B and is equipped with an outbound docking position 92.

[0144] During the warehousing process, the ground robot 80 is used to move the goods 60 to be put into storage at the picking station 50 to the warehousing docking position 91, and the rail robot 40 is used to move the goods 60 to be put into storage at the warehousing docking position 91 to the buffer layer 1121.

[0145] During outbound processing, the track robot 40 is used to move the goods 60 to be outbound from the buffer layer 1121 to the outbound docking position 92, and the ground robot 80 is used to move the goods 60 to be outbound from the outbound docking position 92 to the picking station 50.

[0146] Specifically, the picking method of the ground robot 80 can be lifting, telescopic, etc., and this application does not limit it in this regard. The ground robot 80 can travel along any route between the storage area 10 and the picking station 50 to improve handling efficiency.

[0147] Ground robot 80, carrying goods 60 to be shipped out, moves to picking station 50. After the staff takes away goods 60, it can pick up goods 60 to be received in picking station 50 and proceed to receiving docking station 91, or return to shipping docking station 92 to continue receiving goods 60 to be shipped out, or proceed to the standby area to wait. Similarly, ground robot 80, carrying goods 60 to be received in picking station 91, places goods 60 to be received in picking station 50, and can proceed to shipping docking station 92 to pick up goods 60 to be shipped out, or return to picking station 50 to continue receiving goods 60 to be received, or proceed to the standby area to wait.

[0148] In this embodiment, the inbound conveyor line 71, outbound conveyor line 72 and picking conveyor line 51 may be omitted. Only the inbound docking position 91 and the outbound docking position 92 are set. The rest of the structure can be the same as the warehousing system of the third embodiment shown in Figure 4, and will not be described in detail here.

[0149] By applying the embodiments of this application and setting up an inbound docking station 91 and an outbound docking station 92, the cost and area occupied by the conveyor line 70 can be saved. The track robot 40 is responsible for transporting the goods 60 within the storage area 10, and the ground robot 80 is responsible for transporting the goods between the storage area 10 and the picking station 50. Compared with the prior art, where the transport trolley needs to move between the storage area and the picking station to transport goods, and also needs to move to the bottom of the shelf in the storage area to pick up and put down goods, the distance that the robot travels on the ground is shortened, and the efficiency of transporting goods and the efficiency of inbound and outbound operations are improved.

[0150] The inbound and outbound processes of the warehousing system in the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 7 will now be described.

[0151] When item 60 on the first shelf 110A needs to be shipped out:

[0152] The sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the first shelf 110A to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the first transmission track 30A to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, moves to one end of the first transmission track 30A near the inbound docking position 91, and then moves along the switching track 32 to the second transmission track 30B, places the goods 60 to be shipped on the outbound docking position 92, and the ground robot 80 picks up the goods 60 to be shipped at the outbound docking position 92 and transports it to the picking station.

[0153] When goods awaiting warehousing need to be placed on the first shelf 110A:

[0154] After the ground robot 80 picks up the goods to be stored 60, it moves the goods to be stored 60 to the storage docking position 91. The track robot 40 picks up the goods to be stored 60 at one end of the first transmission track 30A near the storage docking position 91, and moves along the first transmission track 30A to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111 of the first shelf 110A. The goods to be stored 60 is placed in the buffer layer 1121. Then the sorting robot 20 moves the goods to be stored 60 from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0155] When item 60 on the second shelf 110B needs to be shipped out:

[0156] The sorting robot 20 moves the goods 60 to be shipped from the storage layer 1111 of the second shelf 110B to the buffer layer 1121. Then, the track robot 40 moves along the second transfer track 30B to the position corresponding to the goods 60 to be shipped, takes off the goods 60 to be shipped, and moves to one end of the second transfer track 30B near the outbound docking position 92. The goods 60 to be shipped are placed on the outbound docking position 92. The ground robot 80 picks up the goods 60 to be shipped at the outbound docking position 92 and transports it to the picking station.

[0157] When goods awaiting warehousing need to be placed on the second shelf 110B:

[0158] After the ground robot 80 picks up the goods to be stored 60, it moves the goods to be stored 60 to the storage docking position 91. The track robot 40 picks up the goods to be stored 60 at one end of the first transmission track 30A near the storage docking position 91, and moves along the switching track 32 to the second transmission track 30B. It then moves to the buffer layer 1121 at the bottom of the target storage layer 1111 of the second shelf 110B and places the goods to be stored 60 in the buffer layer 1121. After that, the sorting robot 20 moves the goods to be stored 60 from the buffer layer 1121 to the target storage layer 1111.

[0159] In some embodiments of this application, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the sorting robot 20 is movably mounted on one or both sides of the shelf 110 along its length, and includes: at least one horizontal track 21, a first support frame 22, and a second picking mechanism 23.

[0160] At least one horizontal track 21 is provided at intervals along the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the length direction of the shelf 110.

[0161] The first support frame 22 is movably connected to the horizontal track 21 and can move horizontally along the horizontal track 21.

[0162] The second picking mechanism 23 is movably installed on the first support frame 22 and can move vertically along the first support frame 22 to pick up and place different goods 60 in the height direction of the shelf 110; it can also follow the first support frame 22 to move horizontally along the horizontal track 21 to pick up and place different goods 60 in the length direction of the shelf 110.

[0163] Specifically, the first support frame 22 can be the column frame shown in Figures 1 to 4 of this application, or it can be a single column. This application does not limit this.

[0164] A first lifting mechanism is provided on the first support frame 22. The first lifting mechanism can be a transmission structure such as a conveyor belt pulley, sprocket, or chain, and is fixed to the first support frame 22 to drive the second picking mechanism 23 to move vertically along the first support frame 22. This application does not limit the specific structure of the first lifting mechanism.

[0165] When the sorting robot 20 picks up or places goods 60, it first moves the second picking mechanism 23 to the column where the target goods 60 are located via the first support frame 22. Then, the first lifting mechanism moves the second picking mechanism 23 to the row where the target goods 60 are located. After the second picking mechanism 23 moves to the position corresponding to the target goods 60, it picks up or places the goods 60. The above process of moving to the column and row where the target goods 60 are located does not have a specific order and can be performed simultaneously to improve the working efficiency of the sorting robot 20.

[0166] In the embodiments of this application, the second picking mechanism 23 is installed on the first support frame 22 and can move vertically along the first support frame 22 and move horizontally along the horizontal track 21 with the first support frame 22 to pick up and place goods 60 at different positions on the shelf 110.

[0167] In some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG8, FIG8 is another perspective structural diagram of the sorting robot of this application. As shown in FIG8, the sorting robot 20 includes: a third motion chassis 24, a second support frame 25, and a third picking mechanism 26.

[0168] The third motion chassis 24 is used to drive the second support frame 25 and the third picking mechanism 26 to move on the ground.

[0169] The second support frame 25 is mounted vertically on the third motion chassis 24.

[0170] The third picking mechanism 26 is movably installed on the second support frame 25 and can move vertically along the second support frame 25 to pick up and place different goods 60 in the height direction of the shelf 110; it can also move horizontally under the drive of the third moving chassis 24 to pick up and place different goods 60 in the length direction of the shelf 110.

[0171] Specifically, a second lifting mechanism is provided on the second support frame 25. The second lifting mechanism can be a transmission structure such as a conveyor belt pulley, sprocket, or chain, and is fixed to the second support frame 25 to drive the third picking mechanism 26 to move vertically along the second support frame 25. This application does not limit the specific structure of the second lifting mechanism.

[0172] As shown in Figure 8, multiple temporary storage shelves 27 are arranged vertically at intervals on the second support frame 25, and each temporary storage shelf 27 is used to temporarily store one item 60 to be moved. The third picking mechanism 26 has a rotating function and can rotate to pick up or put down goods towards the shelf 110 or the temporary storage shelf 27.

[0173] Thus, the sorting robot 20 is also used to pick up the goods 60 to be shipped out via the third picking mechanism 26 towards the storage layer 1111, rotate it towards the temporary storage shelf 27, and place the goods 60 to be shipped out on the temporary storage shelf 27. After repeating the above process multiple times, the second lifting mechanism drives the third picking mechanism 26 to move, placing the goods 60 to be shipped out on multiple temporary storage shelves 27 into the buffer layer 1121. The above process can also be reversed to place the goods 60 to be received from multiple buffer layers 1121 into the storage layer 1111, which will not be elaborated here.

[0174] In this embodiment of the application, the sorting robot 20 moves the second support frame 25 and the third picking mechanism 26 on the ground via the third motion chassis 24. The structure is simple, simplifying the setup of the warehousing system. The third picking mechanism 26 is movably mounted on the second support frame 25 and can move vertically along the second support frame 25 and horizontally under the drive of the third motion chassis 24, thereby picking up and placing goods 60 at different positions on the shelf 110.

[0175] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A warehousing system characterized by, include: Storage area (10), sorting robot (20), transfer track (30) and track robot (40); The storage area (10) is provided with multiple shelves (110) at intervals; each shelf (110) includes a storage space (111) and a docking space (112) arranged from top to bottom; the storage space (111) is provided with at least one storage layer (1111); the docking space (112) is provided with a buffer layer (1121); The sorting robot (20) is movably positioned on the outside of the shelf (110) in the longitudinal direction for transporting goods (60) between the storage layer (1111) and the buffer layer (1121) of the shelf (110); The transmission track (30) is arranged in the docking space (112) along the length direction of the shelf (110) and is arranged parallel to the buffer layer (1121); The track robot (40) is movably mounted on the transfer track (30) for moving along the transfer track (30) to move goods (60) in the buffer layer (1121) of the shelf (110) out of the shelf (110), or to move goods (60) outside the shelf (110) to the buffer layer (1121).

2. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shelf (110) is a multi-depth shelf, and the depth of the buffer layer (1121) is less than the depth of the shelf (110), and it is set from one side of the shelf (110) along its length toward the interior of the shelf (110). The transmission track (30) in the docking space (112) is located on the other side of the length direction of the shelf (110), so that the transmission track (30) and the buffer layer (1121) are arranged side by side; Alternatively, the shelf (110) is composed of two single-depth shelves spliced ​​back to back, the buffer layer (1121) is single-depth and is set in the docking space (112) at the bottom of one of the single-depth shelves, and the transmission track (30) is set in the docking space (112) at the bottom of the other single-depth shelf.

3. The warehousing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The track robot (40) includes a first motion chassis (41) and a first picking mechanism (42); The first motion chassis (41) is used to move on the transmission track (30); the first picking mechanism (42) is disposed on the first motion chassis (41) and is used to extend toward the buffer layer (1121) to pick up and place goods (60) on the buffer layer (1121).

4. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission track (30) within the docking space (112) includes two parallel rows of sub-tracks, and the two rows of sub-tracks are lower than the buffer layer (1121); The track robot (40) includes a second motion chassis, a lifting mechanism, and a carrying platform; The second motion chassis is used to move and switch tracks on the two rows of sub-tracks of the transmission track (30); the lifting mechanism and the carrying platform are disposed on the top of the second motion chassis and are used to lift and place the goods (60) on the buffer layer (1121) after the second motion chassis moves to the bottom of the buffer layer (1121).

5. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: picking stations (50); A conveyor line (70) is also provided between the shelf (110) and the picking station (50); one end of the conveyor line (70) is connected to the transmission track (30), and the other end is connected to the picking station (50), for conveying goods (60) to be shipped out toward the picking station (50) or goods (60) to be received toward the shelf (110); The track robot (40) is used to move along the transmission track (30) unloaded to the position where it docks with the conveyor line (70) when entering the warehouse, pick up the goods (60) to be entered into the warehouse on the conveyor line (70), and then move along the transmission track (30) to place the goods (60) to be entered into the warehouse at the target position on the buffer layer (1121). When the goods are being shipped out, the goods (60) to be shipped out are picked up from the buffer layer (1121), moved along the transmission track (30) to the position where they are docked with the conveyor line (70), and the goods (60) to be shipped out are placed on the conveyor line (70).

6. The warehousing system according to claim 5, characterized in that, There are multiple shelves (110), and every two rows of shelves (110) are spliced ​​together on one side along the length direction to form a shelf unit (11); An aisle (12) is provided between adjacent shelf units (11), and the sorting robot (20) is movably disposed in the aisle (12) for picking up and placing goods (60) on one or both sides of the shelf (110) of the aisle (12); The buffer layers (1121) of the first shelf (110A) and the second shelf (110B) of the shelf unit (11) are respectively arranged on both sides of the shelf unit (11); the first shelf (110A) is provided with a first transmission rail (30A) at the bottom; the second shelf (110B) is provided with a second transmission rail (30B) at the bottom; The first transfer track (30A) extends out of the end of the first shelf (110A) and is connected to the end of the second transfer track (30B) extending out of the second shelf (110B), for the track robot (40) to switch between the first transfer track (30A) and the second transfer track (30B) to pick up and put down goods (60) on the buffer layer (1121) of the first shelf (110A) or the second shelf (110B).

7. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conveyor line (70) includes an inbound conveyor line (71) and an outbound conveyor line (72); the inbound conveyor line (71) is located on one side of the first transmission track (30A) and is connected to the first transmission track (30A) to transport the goods (60) to be put into storage at the picking station (50) to the shelf (110). The outbound conveyor line (72) is set on one side of the second transmission track (30B) and connected to the second transmission track (30B) to transport the outbound goods (60) on the shelf (110) to the picking station (50); The track robot (40) is used to move to the position where the first transmission track (30A) and the inbound conveyor line (71) are connected when the goods are put into the warehouse, and to pick up the goods to be put into the warehouse (60); and to move to the position where the second transmission track (30B) and the outbound conveyor line (72) are connected when the goods are put out of the warehouse, and to place the goods to be put out of the warehouse (60).

8. The warehousing system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveyor line (70) also includes a transfer conveyor line (73); the input end of the inbound conveyor line (71) and the output end of the outbound conveyor line (72) are both connected to one side of the transfer conveyor line (73); The picking station (50) includes a picking conveyor line (51); the other side of the transfer conveyor line (73) is connected to the picking conveyor line (51); The transfer conveyor line (73) is used to transfer goods (60) to be put into storage from the picking conveyor line (51) to the input end of the inbound conveyor line (71), and to transfer goods (60) to be put out of storage from the output end of the outbound conveyor line (72) to the picking conveyor line (51).

9. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The warehousing system also includes a ground robot (80); The first conveyor track (30A) extending out of the first shelf (110A) is also provided with an inbound docking position (91); The second conveyor track (30B) extending out of the second shelf (110B) is also provided with an outbound docking position (92); During warehousing, the ground robot (80) is used to transport the goods (60) to be warehoused at the picking station (50) to the warehouse docking position (91), and the track robot (40) is used to transport the goods (60) to be warehoused at the warehouse docking position (91) to the buffer layer (1121). During outbound processing, the track robot (40) is used to transport the outbound goods (60) on the buffer layer (1121) to the outbound docking position (92), and the ground robot (80) is used to transport the outbound goods (60) on the outbound docking position (92) to the picking station (50).

10. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The transfer tracks (30) inside the multiple shelving units (11) extend toward the end away from the picking station (50) and are connected by the main transfer track (31); The track robot (40) is used to move through the main transfer track (31) to the transfer track (30) inside different shelf units (11) to pick up and put in goods (60) of different shelf units (11); And / or, Branch transmission tracks are provided between the two ends of the multiple shelving units (11) along their length; The branch transmission track connects to the transmission tracks (30) inside multiple shelf units (11); The track robot (40) is used to move via branch transfer tracks to transfer tracks (30) inside different shelf units (11) to pick up and put down goods (60) in different shelf units (11).

11. The warehousing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first transmission track (30A) extends out of the end of the first shelf (110A) and is connected to the end of the second transmission track (30B) extending out of the second shelf (110B) via a switching track (32); The switching track (32) is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first transmission track (30A) and is level with the height of the first transmission track (30A) and the second transmission track (30B); The first motion chassis (41) of the track robot (40) includes a first chassis (411), a first set of wheels (412), and a second set of wheels (413); The first set of wheels (412) is set on both sides of the first chassis (411) parallel to the transmission track (30) to drive the first chassis (411) to move along the first transmission track (30A) or the second transmission track (30B); The second set of wheels (413) is located on the other two sides of the first chassis (411) and is used to drive the first chassis (411) to move along the switching track (32) to switch between the first transmission track (30A) and the second transmission track (30B).

12. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first motion chassis (41) of the track robot (40) includes a second chassis and a set of walking wheels; The walking wheel set is set on both sides of the second chassis parallel to the transmission track (30) and is used to drive the second chassis to move along the transmission track (30).

13. The warehousing system of claim 3, wherein, The first picking mechanism (42) of the track robot (40) includes at least one set of telescopic picking components (421); The telescopic picking component (421) is used to extend and retract toward the buffer layer (1121) to pick up and place goods (60); when there are multiple sets of telescopic picking components (421), the multiple sets of telescopic picking components (421) are arranged side by side along the length of the shelf (110).

14. The warehousing system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The telescopic cargo-retrieving component (421) is a clamping component, including: a cargo platform (4211) and telescopic arms (4212) disposed on both sides of the cargo platform (4211); The telescopic arm (4212) is used to extend toward and clamp the goods (60) when picking up goods, and then retract to move the goods (60) to the loading platform (4211); when unloading goods, it clamps the goods (60) on the loading platform (4211) and extends toward the buffer layer (1121), and then releases the goods (60) to place the goods (60) on the buffer layer (1121).

15. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the sorting robots (20) is multiple, and the multiple sorting robots (20) are movably arranged on one or both sides of the shelf (110) along its length, for transporting goods (60) to be put into storage from the buffer layer (1121) to the storage layer (1111), or transporting goods (60) to be taken out from storage from the storage layer (1111) to the buffer layer (1121).

16. The warehousing system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The sorting robot (20) is movably hung on one or both sides of the shelf (110) along its length, and includes: at least one horizontal track (21), a first support frame (22), and a second picking mechanism (23); The at least one horizontal track (21) is arranged at intervals in the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the shelf (110) along its length direction; The first support frame (22) is movably connected to the horizontal track (21) and can move horizontally along the horizontal track (21); The second picking mechanism (23) is movably mounted on the first support frame (22) and can move vertically along the first support frame (22) to pick up and place different goods (60) in the height direction of the shelf (110); it can also follow the first support frame (22) to move horizontally along the horizontal track (21) to pick up and place different goods (60) in the length direction of the shelf (110).

17. The warehousing system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The sorting robot (20) includes: a third motion chassis (24), a second support frame (25), and a third picking mechanism (26); The third motion chassis (24) is used to drive the second support frame (25) and the third picking mechanism (26) to move on the ground; The second support frame (25) is mounted vertically on the third motion chassis (24); The third picking mechanism (26) is movably installed on the second support frame (25) and can move vertically along the second support frame (25) to pick up and place different goods (60) in the height direction of the shelf (110); it can also move horizontally under the drive of the third moving chassis (24) to pick up and place different goods (60) in the length direction of the shelf (110).

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