Pick-and-place device, robot and warehousing system

Abstract

A pick-and-place device (10), a robot, and a warehousing system. The pick-and-place device (10) comprises a device body (100), a transmission mechanism (200), and a hooking mechanism (300), wherein the transmission mechanism (200) is arranged on the device body (100), the hooking mechanism (300) comprises a mounting support (310) and a hooking member (320), and the hooking member (320) is used for coupling with a material box (20); a first end of the mounting support (310) is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism (200), a second end of the mounting support (310) extends toward a position above the device body (100), and the hooking member (320) is connected to the second end of the mounting support (310); and the transmission mechanism (200) is configured to drive the hooking mechanism (300) to move in a first direction so as to pick and place the material box (20). In this way, there is no need to separately customize the structure of the material box (20), and the hooking mechanism (300) can be coupled with a material box (20) of a conventional structure, thereby reducing costs of the warehousing system.

Description

Picking and placing devices, robots and warehousing systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202520169739.9, filed on January 23, 2025, entitled "Picking and Placing Device, Robot and Warehousing System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

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

[0004] In related technologies, robots are typically equipped with forks for picking up and placing goods, and these forks usually have hook structures that can extend and retract relative to the robot's body. To facilitate the docking and cooperation with the hook structures, the material boxes storing goods on the shelves usually need to be custom-designed. For example, hook slots need to be set at the bottom of the material boxes. When picking up or placing the material boxes, the hook structures can be inserted into the hook slots, thereby moving the material boxes into or out of the forks through the extension and retraction of the hook structures.

[0005] However, current warehousing systems require custom-designed material boxes with specific structures, resulting in high costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a picking and placing device, a robot, and a warehousing system that can adapt to conventionally structured material boxes, thereby solving the technical problem that current warehousing systems require customized material boxes with specific structures during the design process, resulting in high costs for the warehousing system.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a picking and placing device for picking and placing material boxes. The picking and placing device includes a device body, a transmission mechanism, and a hooking mechanism. The transmission mechanism is disposed on the device body. The hooking mechanism includes a mounting bracket and a hooking component, which is used to dock with the material box. The first end of the mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism, and the second end of the mounting bracket extends upward toward the device body. The hooking component is connected to the second end of the mounting bracket.

[0008] The transmission mechanism is configured to drive the hooking mechanism to move along a first direction to pick up and put down the material box.

[0009] The picking and placing device provided in this application elevates the hook component by setting up an installation bracket, so that when picking up or placing material boxes in the storage system, the hook component can connect with the handle on the upper edge of the conventional material box. Power is provided by the transmission component, and the hook component drives the material box to move, moving the material box into or out of the main body of the device. Therefore, there is no need to customize the material box structure separately, which reduces the cost of the storage system.

[0010] As an optional implementation, the hook may include a connecting part and at least two hook parts, the connecting part being connected to the mounting bracket, and the at least two hook parts being connected to both sides of the connecting part respectively.

[0011] When the hooking mechanism moves to the first end of the device body along the first direction to pick up or place the material box, the hooking part on the first side of the connecting part docks with the material box; when the hooking mechanism moves to the second end of the device body along the first direction to pick up or place the material box, the hooking part on the second side of the connecting part docks with the material box.

[0012] With this setup, the picking and placing device can pick up and place material boxes in both directions, improving logistics efficiency.

[0013] As an optional implementation, the hooking mechanism may further include a first driving unit and a rotating shaft. The first driving unit is disposed on the mounting bracket, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket. The hook is connected to the rotating shaft, and the first driving unit is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate so that the hook rotates to a first side or a second side of the mounting bracket.

[0014] With this configuration, when the hooking mechanism extends to the preset position and docks with the material box, the hook can be rotated to engage with the docking slot, eliminating the need for an overall lifting and loading / unloading device. This simplifies the process of loading and unloading the material box and improves efficiency.

[0015] As an optional implementation, the thickness of the end of the hook portion away from the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the end connected to the connecting portion.

[0016] This design makes it easier for the tip of the hook to be inserted into the docking slot of the material box.

[0017] As an alternative implementation, the hooking mechanism may also include an abutment member connected to the mounting bracket, and the abutment member having an abutment surface. When the hooking mechanism removes the material box from the main body of the device, the abutment surface abuts against the outer wall of the material box.

[0018] This design allows the material box to be moved out of the main body of the device by using abutting parts to improve the stability of the material box movement.

[0019] As an optional implementation, the connecting part is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket, and the hook part is bent upward relative to the connecting part toward the mounting bracket.

[0020] This design allows the hook to be fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket, simplifying the hook's structure and reducing product costs.

[0021] As an optional implementation, the mounting bracket may include a base plate, a first bracket, and a second bracket; the base plate is connected to the transmission mechanism; there are two first brackets, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the main body of the device and connected to the base plate, and the two first brackets are arranged vertically; the second bracket is located at the end of the first bracket away from the base plate and is connected between the two first brackets.

[0022] The hook is located at one end of the first bracket near the second bracket, and the hook is positioned between the two first brackets.

[0023] This design improves the structural strength of the mounting bracket and enhances the stability of the hook when moving the material box.

[0024] As an optional implementation, the hooking mechanism may also include a limiting member connected to the top of the mounting bracket; when the hooking member docks with the material box, at least a portion of the limiting member is positioned above the material box.

[0025] With this design, during the process of pulling the material box from the shelf to the main body of the device, the limiting component can press down on the top of the material box, preventing the material box from falling or tipping over when passing through the gap between the picking and placing device and the shelf.

[0026] As an optional implementation, the two ends of the limiting member extend toward both sides of the mounting bracket along the first direction.

[0027] With this configuration, the limiting components can function as limiters when the material box is picked up or placed in both directions by the picking and placing device.

[0028] As an optional implementation, there can be multiple limiting members, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the mounting bracket.

[0029] This configuration allows for simultaneous positioning of the material box using multiple limiting devices, improving the stability of the material box handling process.

[0030] As an alternative implementation, the picking and placing device may also include a detection component connected to the mounting bracket, the detection component being configured to detect the distance between the mounting bracket and the material box.

[0031] This configuration ensures the accuracy of the insertion position of the hook and the material box.

[0032] As an optional implementation, the transmission mechanism may include a base plate, a first guide rail, a first slider, a second drive unit, a transmission wheel, and a flexible transmission member. The base plate is disposed on the main body of the device, the first guide rail is connected to the base plate, the first slider is slidably disposed on the first guide rail, and the mounting bracket is connected to the first slider. There are at least two transmission wheels, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the base plate along a first direction. The flexible transmission member is wound around the transmission wheel. The second drive unit is disposed on the main body of the device and is configured to drive the flexible transmission member to drive around the transmission wheel. The mounting bracket is connected to the flexible transmission member.

[0033] This design improves the stability of the material box being moved in and out by the hook mechanism.

[0034] As an optional implementation, the main body of the device is provided with a second guide rail extending along a first direction, and a second slider is slidably disposed on the second guide rail, with the base plate connected to the second slider.

[0035] When the hooking mechanism moves to the end of the substrate along the first direction, the hooking mechanism and the substrate extend synchronously relative to the main body of the device.

[0036] With this configuration, when the hooking mechanism extends to the end of the device body, it can extend a certain distance further by moving the base plate, thereby preventing the device body from colliding with the shelf and interfering with it.

[0037] Secondly, this application provides a robot, which includes a robot body and a picking and placing device as described above. The picking and placing device is disposed on the robot body and can move up and down along the height direction of the robot body.

[0038] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a warehousing system, including shelves and robots, wherein the robots can pick up and place material boxes on the shelves.

[0039] This application provides a picking and placing device, a robot, and a warehousing system. The picking and placing device is used to pick and place material boxes. The device includes a main body, a transmission mechanism, and a hooking mechanism. The transmission mechanism is disposed on the main body. The hooking mechanism includes a mounting bracket and a hooking component for docking with the material box. A first end of the mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism, and a second end of the mounting bracket extends upwards from the main body. The hooking component is connected to the second end of the mounting bracket. The transmission mechanism is configured to drive the hooking mechanism to move along a first direction to pick and place the material box. This eliminates the need for custom-designed material box structures, as the hooking mechanism can dock with the handles on the upper edge of conventionally structured material boxes, reducing the cost of the warehousing system.

[0040] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of this application, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions described above, other technical problems that can be solved by the picking and placing device, robot, and warehousing system provided by this application, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further described in detail in the specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the picking and placing device for picking up and placing material boxes provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a top view of the picking and placing device for picking up and placing materials boxes provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the AA direction in Figure 2;

[0045] Figure 4 is a partial view of position B in Figure 3;

[0046] Figure 5 is a side view of the goods picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the hooking mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the material box picked up and placed by the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this application for picking and placing a material box;

[0050] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of another structure of the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this application for picking and placing a material box;

[0051] Figure 10 is a side view of another structure of the picking and placing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the hooking mechanism in another structure of the picking and placing device provided in this application embodiment;

[0053] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism in the picking and placing device provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0054] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Picking and placing device; 100-Main body of the device; 200-Transmission mechanism; 210-Base plate; 220-First guide rail; 230-First slider; 240-Second drive unit; 250-Transmission wheel; 260-Flexible transmission component; 300-Hooking mechanism; 310-Mounting bracket; 311-Base plate; 312-First bracket; 313-Second bracket; 320-Hooking component; 321-Connecting part; 322-Hooking part; 330-First drive unit; 340-Rotating shaft; 350-Abutting component; 360-Limiting component; 370-Detection component; 20-Material box; 21-Dating groove. Detailed Implementation

[0055] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0056] First, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely for explaining the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0057] Secondly, it should be noted that in the description of this application, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "inner", "outer", etc., which indicate the direction or positional relationship, are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0058] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0059] In this application, the terms "installation" and "connection" are used interchangeably. A "connection" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection via intermediate components; it can be an active connection or a fixed connection. The term "and / or" includes any combination of the listed items, for example, "A and / or B" includes three cases: "A and B", "A only", or "B only".

[0060] In this application, "multiple" means at least two.

[0061] Robots are widely used in various fields such as industry and daily life. They play a crucial role in transportation and logistics. In warehousing and logistics systems, goods are typically stored on shelves. Robots interact with these shelves or conveyor lines to pick up and place goods, and can also transport them. Robots used for picking up and placing goods are usually equipped with forks, which typically have hook structures that extend and retract relative to the robot's body. To facilitate the interaction with these hook structures, the storage bins on the shelves usually require custom design. For example, hook slots need to be installed at the bottom of the bins. When picking up or placing the bins, the hook structure can be inserted into these slots, allowing the bins to move in or out of the forks through the extension and retraction of the hook structure.

[0062] Because conventional material bin structures require manual handling, handles are typically installed along the upper outer edge of the bin. Current robotic fork structures cannot handle these conventionally designed bins, necessitating the customization of material bins to accommodate the hook's specific structure. This results in both a complex robotic fork structure and higher overall warehousing system costs.

[0063] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a picking and placing device, a robot, and a warehousing system. The warehousing system stores goods on shelves, and the picking and placing device can retrieve and place material boxes containing goods on the shelves. The goods stored in this warehousing system can use conventionally structured material boxes, i.e., material boxes with handles along the outer upper edge. This application's embodiment designs the hook mechanism on the picking and placing device so that the hook mechanism can interface and cooperate with conventionally structured material boxes, thus eliminating the need for custom-designed material box structures and reducing the cost of the warehousing system. This also reduces product costs.

[0064] To facilitate understanding, the application scenarios of the picking and placing device, robot, and warehousing system provided in the embodiments of this application will be described first.

[0065] The picking and placing device provided in this application can be applied to robots or other equipment used for goods entry and exit. Taking robots as an example, robots can be applied to warehousing or logistics systems for picking and placing goods. Specifically, the robot can be applied to logistics distribution in industrial production lines, the entry and exit of inventory products in manufacturing, the entry and exit of products in the retail industry, and the entry and exit of express delivery in e-commerce logistics, etc., and the products or goods involved in transportation can be industrial parts, electronic accessories or products, pharmaceuticals, clothing and accessories, food, books, etc. The robot can pick up, place, and transfer material containers containing goods. Hereinafter, "material container" will be used to refer to the objects handled by the handling robot, without further specific examples.

[0066] In some embodiments, the robot can walk on the ground; in another embodiment, the robot can climb onto shelves to retrieve or place goods; and in some other embodiments, the robot can walk on rails set on the shelves.

[0067] Figure 1 shows...

[0068] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, this embodiment provides a picking and placing device 10, which can be applied to robots in a warehousing system. The warehousing system stores material boxes 20 on shelves, and the robot can pick up, place, and transport the material boxes 20. The picking and placing device 10 provided in this embodiment can either pick up the material boxes 20 from the shelves or place the material boxes 20 onto the shelves.

[0069] In this embodiment, the material box 20 picked up and placed by the picking and placing device 10 is a conventional material box 20. The material box 20 has handles on both sides of its exterior for manual lifting, and these handles are generally located on the upper sides of the material box 20. Those skilled in the art generally refer to these as "slanted insertion boxes," and these "slanted insertion boxes" are present in large quantities in existing warehousing systems.

[0070] The picking and placing device 10 provided in this application embodiment includes a device body 100, a transmission mechanism 200, and a hooking mechanism 300. The transmission mechanism 200 is disposed on the device body 100, and the hooking mechanism 300 is disposed on the transmission mechanism 200. The transmission mechanism 200 provides power to drive the hooking mechanism to move relative to the device body 100, so that the hooking mechanism 300 can extend from the device body 100 and engage with the handle on the material box 20. When the hooking mechanism 300 retracts relative to the device body 100, it can drive the material box 20 to be taken out from the shelf and onto the device body 100.

[0071] In some embodiments, the hooking mechanism 300 includes a mounting bracket 310 and a hooking member 320. A first end of the mounting bracket 310 is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism 200, a second end of the mounting bracket 310 extends upward toward the device body 100, and the hooking member 320 is connected to the second end of the mounting bracket 310.

[0072] Understandably, the mounting bracket 310 serves as the base for mounting the hook 320. It can elevate the hook 320 above the main body 100 of the device. In this way, when the hook 320 aligns with the material box 20, the position of the hook 320 can be opposite to the handle on the upper edge of the outer side of the material box 20. Thus, the hook 320 can cooperate with the handle of the material box 20. As the mounting bracket 310 and the hook 320 move as a whole under the drive of the transmission mechanism 200, the material box 20 is removed from the shelf.

[0073] The upper edge of the outer side wall of the material box 20 is provided with a docking groove 21, which is formed by a handle on the material box 20. The material box 20, which can be manually handled, can also dock with the automatic loading and unloading device 10. The docking groove 21 has a slot. The transmission mechanism 200 is configured to drive the hooking mechanism 300 to move along a first direction to pick up and place the material box 20, wherein the first direction is the direction in which the hooking mechanism 300 extends relative to the device body 100.

[0074] When the picking and placing device 10 retrieves the material box 20 from the shelf, the hooking mechanism 300 extends out relative to the main body 100 of the device. When the hooking mechanism 300 reaches the preset position, the hooking part 320 can be inserted into the docking groove 21 from the slot. After that, the hooking mechanism 300 retracts relative to the main body 100 of the device, and the hooking part 320 abuts against the groove wall of the docking groove 21, driving the material box 20 to move onto the main body 100 of the device.

[0075] It is understandable that the opening of the docking groove 21 formed by the handle on the material box 20 can be set downwards, upwards, or be a through groove running vertically. When the opening of the docking groove 21 is set downwards, the hook 320 can be inserted from below the docking groove 21; when the opening of the docking groove 21 is set upwards, the hook 320 can be inserted from above the docking groove 21; when the docking groove 21 is a through groove, the hook 320 can be inserted from either above or below the docking groove 21.

[0076] For example, the groove opening of the mating groove 21 can be square, elliptical, rectangular, or other polygonal structures, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit this. The size of the hook 320 is smaller than the groove opening size of the mating groove 21 so that the hook 320 can be inserted into the mating groove 21.

[0077] It should be noted that in the picking and placing device 10 provided in this application embodiment, the mounting bracket 310 elevates the hook 320, so that when the hook 320 picks and places the material box 20 in the storage system, it can mate with the docking groove 21 on the handle of the conventional material box 20. When the transmission component provides power, the hook moves the material box 20, which can move the material box 20 into or out of the device body 100. Therefore, there is no need to customize the structure of the material box 20 separately, reducing the cost of the storage system.

[0078] In some embodiments, the hook member 320 may include a connecting portion 321 and at least two hook portions 322. The connecting portion 321 is connected to the mounting bracket 310, and the at least two hook portions 322 are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting portion 321. The two hook portions 322 are used to realize the bidirectional picking and placing function of the picking and placing device 10.

[0079] The moving direction of the hooking mechanism 300 is defined as the X direction, that is, the first direction is the X direction, and the X direction is the length direction of the device body 100. The hooking mechanism 300 can pick up and put down the material box 20 from both ends of the length direction of the device body 100.

[0080] Understandably, when the hooking mechanism 300 moves to the first end of the device body 100 along the first direction to pick up or place the material box 20, the hooking part 322 on the first side of the connecting part 321 engages with the material box 20, thereby acquiring the material box 20. When the hooking mechanism 300 moves to the second end of the device body 100 along the first direction to pick up or place the material box 20, the hooking part 322 on the second side of the connecting part 321 engages with the material box 20. This improves logistics efficiency in scenarios where the picking and placing device 10 needs to pick up and place the material box 20 in both directions.

[0081] It should be noted that when the picking and placing device 10 is applied to a robot in a warehouse system, the robot can perform picking and placing operations in the aisle between two adjacent shelves. The first direction is the width direction of the aisle, and the two ends of the length direction of the device body 100 face the shelves on both sides of the aisle. If the robot needs to pick up or place goods on the shelves on both sides respectively, the hooking mechanism 300 can extend from both ends of the length direction of the device body 100 and perform the corresponding operation opposite to the corresponding shelf.

[0082] In this way, when picking up and placing material boxes 20 on different shelves on both sides, the picking and placing device 10 does not need to rotate and turn around. Correspondingly, the robot does not need to rotate and change its orientation. On the one hand, the picking and placing efficiency of material boxes 20 is improved. On the other hand, the aisle does not need to reserve space for the robot's rotation, and the aisle width can be designed to be narrower, thereby increasing the storage density of the warehousing system.

[0083] It should be noted that the hook 320 can be movably mounted on the mounting bracket 310. When the hook 320 is engaged with the docking slot 21 of the material box 20, this engagement can be achieved by rotating the hook 320 relative to the mounting bracket 310. Alternatively, the hook 320 can be fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket 310. When the hook 320 is engaged with the docking slot 21 of the material box 20, this engagement can be achieved by lifting and lowering the entire loading and unloading device 10. Detailed explanations will follow with different examples.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the hooking mechanism 300 may further include a first driving unit 330 and a rotating shaft 340. The first driving unit 330 is disposed on the mounting bracket 310, the rotating shaft 340 is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket 310, and the hooking member 320 is connected to the rotating shaft 340.

[0085] Understandably, the first drive unit 330 is configured to drive the rotating shaft 340 to rotate. When the rotating shaft 340 rotates, it can drive the hook member 320 to rotate relative to the mounting bracket 310, thereby causing the hook member 320 to rotate to the first side or the second side of the mounting bracket 310.

[0086] When the hooking mechanism 300 moves to the first end of the device body 100, the hook member 320 rotates to the first side of the mounting bracket 310. At this time, the hooking part 322 on the first side of the hook member 320 can be inserted into the docking groove 21 of the material box 20. When the hooking mechanism 300 moves to the second end of the device body 100, the hook member 320 rotates to the second side of the mounting bracket 310. At this time, the hooking part 322 on the second side of the hook member 320 can be inserted into the docking groove 21 of the corresponding material box 20.

[0087] For example, the first drive unit 330 is a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is coaxially connected to the rotation. The hook 320 can be rotated to the first side and the second side of the mounting bracket 310 by rotating the output shaft in the forward and reverse directions, respectively.

[0088] It should be noted that by utilizing the rotation of the hook 320, when the hook mechanism 300 extends to the preset position and docks with the material box 20, the hook 320 can be rotated to achieve its engagement with the docking slot 21, without the need for the overall lifting and lowering loading and unloading device 10, which simplifies the steps of loading and unloading the material box 20 and improves efficiency.

[0089] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 310 may include a base plate 311, a first bracket 312, and a second bracket 313, wherein the base plate 311 is connected to the transmission mechanism 200. There are two first brackets 312, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the device body 100 and connected to the base plate 311. The two first brackets 312 are arranged vertically. The second bracket 313 is located at the end of the first bracket 312 away from the base plate 311 and is connected between the two first brackets 312.

[0090] Understandably, the base plate 311 is used to support the first bracket 312 and the second bracket 313. The two first brackets 312 and the second bracket 313 form a gantry structure to improve the stability of the structure. The hook 320 is located at one end of the first bracket 312 near the second bracket 313, and the hook 320 is disposed between the two first brackets 312, thereby improving the stability of the hook 320 when pulling the feed box 20.

[0091] For example, the two ends of the rotating shaft 340 can be rotatably connected to two first brackets 312 via bearings, and the first drive unit 330 can be mounted on one of the first brackets 312. By supporting the rotating shaft 340 with the two first brackets 312, the installation stability and reliability of the shaft can be improved.

[0092] For example, the rotating shaft 340 can be arranged parallel to the second bracket 313. The hook member 320 can be welded to the rotating shaft 340. Alternatively, the connecting portion 321 of the hook member 320 can be provided with a connecting hole, through which the rotating shaft 340 can pass with an interference fit. Alternatively, the hook member 320 can be connected to the rotating shaft 340 by fasteners such as screws. This application does not specifically limit this aspect.

[0093] In some embodiments, the thickness of the end of the hook portion 322 away from the connecting portion 321 is smaller than the thickness of the end connected to the connecting portion 321, thereby making it easier for the top of the hook portion 322 to be inserted into the docking groove 21 of the material box 20.

[0094] Understandably, by rotating the hook 320, the hook part 322 is inserted into the docking groove 21. The cross-section of the hook part 322 can be triangular or approximately triangular, so that during docking, the side of the hook part 322 facing the material box 20 can have a guide slope to improve the smoothness of the insertion of the hook part 322 into the docking groove 21 and avoid the situation of failure to pick up goods.

[0095] For example, the two hook portions 322 may form an arrow-shaped structure on both sides of the connecting portion 321.

[0096] In some embodiments, the hooking mechanism 300 may further include an abutment 350, which is connected to the mounting bracket 310 and has an abutment surface. When the hooking mechanism 300 moves the material box 20 off the device body 100, the abutment surface abuts against the outer wall of the material box 20.

[0097] Understandably, when the material box 20 needs to be moved out of the device body 100, the abutment member 350 can be used to abut against the material box 20 to improve the stability of the material box 20's movement. The abutment member 350 is used to push the material box 20 out of the device body 100, and the hook member 320 can be in the state of being inserted into the docking groove 21 or in the state of being withdrawn from the docking groove 21.

[0098] For example, when the abutment 350 pushes the material box 20 away from the device body 100, the hook 320 can be withdrawn from the docking groove 21. In this way, when the material box 20 reaches the preset position, the process of the hook 320 disengaging from the material box 20 can be eliminated, saving time and improving logistics efficiency.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the connecting portion 321 is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket 310, and the hook portion 322 is bent upwards relative to the connecting portion 321 toward the mounting bracket 310. In this way, the hook portion 320 can be fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket 310, simplifying the structure of the hook portion 320 and reducing product costs.

[0100] Understandably, the hook 320 can be installed on the top of the second bracket 313. When the material box 20 is retrieved from the shelf, the hook assembly extends from the end of the device body 100. The hook 320 is first located below the docking groove 21, and the hook part 322 is opposite to the opening of the docking groove 21. Then, the entire material handling device 10 moves upward so that the hook part 322 is inserted into the docking groove 21.

[0101] For example, the connecting portion 321 and the hook portion 322 can be integrally molded parts. For example, the hook portion 320 can be formed by bending a sheet metal part. The connecting portion 321 and the second bracket 313 can be connected by fasteners such as screws.

[0102] In one possible implementation, the hooking mechanism 300 may further include a limiting member 360 connected to the top of the mounting bracket 310. When the hooking member 320 is inserted into the docking groove 21, the limiting member 360 is at least partially positioned above the material box 20.

[0103] Understandably, during the process of pulling the material box 20 from the shelf to the main body 100 of the device, the limiting member 360 can press down on the top of the material box 20 to prevent the material box 20 from falling or tipping over when passing through the gap between the picking and placing device 10 and the shelf.

[0104] For example, the limiting member 360 may be in the form of a strip structure, extending along the first direction, and mounted above the second bracket 313 by fasteners such as screws.

[0105] In some embodiments, the two ends of the limiting member 360 extend toward both sides of the mounting bracket 310 along a first direction. The limiting member 360 can play a limiting role when the loading and unloading device 10 picks up and puts down the material box 20 in both directions.

[0106] For example, there can be multiple limiting members 360, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the mounting bracket 310. This allows the material box 20 to be limited simultaneously by multiple limiting members 360, thereby improving the stability of the material box 20 during the picking and placing process and preventing the material box 20 from tipping over.

[0107] It should be noted that the number of limiting members 360 can be two, three, four or more, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0108] In some embodiments, the picking and placing device 10 may further include a detection component 370, which is connected to the mounting bracket 310. The detection component 370 is configured to detect the distance between the mounting bracket 310 and the material box 20, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the insertion position of the hook 320 and the docking slot 21 of the material box 20.

[0109] It is understood that the detection component 370 may include two sensors, with the detection ends of the two sensors facing the two sides of the mounting bracket 310 respectively, so as to detect the distance between the material box 20 taken in by the device body 10 at different ends and the mounting bracket 310 during the bidirectional picking and placing of the material box 20 by the picking and placing device 10.

[0110] For example, the sensor of the detection component 370 can be a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, a camera, etc., and this application embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0111] The structure of the transmission mechanism 200 will be described in detail below.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the transmission mechanism 200 may include a base plate 210, a first guide rail 220, a first slider 230, a second drive unit 240, a transmission wheel 250, and a flexible transmission element 260. The base plate 210 is disposed on the device body 100, the first guide rail 220 is connected to the base plate 210, the first slider 230 is slidably disposed on the first guide rail 220, and the mounting bracket 310 is connected to the first slider 230.

[0113] There are at least two transmission wheels 250, which are respectively disposed at both ends of the base plate 210 along the first direction. The flexible transmission member 260 is wound around the transmission wheel 250. The second drive unit 240 is disposed on the main body 100 of the device. The second drive unit 240 is configured to drive the flexible transmission member 260 to drive around the transmission wheel 250. The mounting bracket 310 is connected to the flexible transmission member 260, thereby improving the stability of the hooking mechanism 300 in the process of moving the material box 20 in and out.

[0114] Understandably, the flexible transmission element 260 forms a closed loop around at least two transmission wheels 250. The drive wheel is located inside the flexible transmission element 260 and meshes with it. When the flexible transmission element 260 drives the transmission wheels 250, it causes the hooking mechanism 300 to move.

[0115] For example, the second drive unit 240 is a motor. The flexible transmission component 260 can be a flexible component such as a belt or chain, and the transmission wheel 250 can be a pulley, sprocket, etc., respectively. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this. Taking a chain and sprocket as an example, the base plate 311 of the hooking mechanism 300 can be connected to the chain through a connecting component. The connecting component can be riveted to the chain with fasteners such as screws to ensure the reliability of the connection between the base plate 311 and the flexible transmission component 260.

[0116] In some embodiments, the device body 100 is provided with a second guide rail extending along a first direction, a second slider is slidably disposed on the second guide rail, and the substrate 210 is connected to the second slider.

[0117] When the hooking mechanism 300 moves to the end of the substrate 210 along the first direction, the hooking mechanism 300 and the substrate 210 extend synchronously relative to the device body 100. In this way, when the hooking mechanism 300 extends to the end of the device body 100, it can extend a certain distance further by moving the substrate 210, thereby avoiding the device body 100 from colliding with the shelf and interfering with the shelf.

[0118] For example, the substrate 210 is slidably connected to the device body 100. The substrate 210 is provided with stop members at both ends along the first direction. When the hooking mechanism 300 moves to either end of the substrate 210 along the first direction and abuts against the stop member, the second driving unit 240 still applies a driving force to the flexible transmission member 260, so that the flexible transmission member 260 and the transmission wheel 250 are relatively stationary, driving the substrate 210 to move as a whole, that is, to move relative to the device body 100. Thus, when the hooking mechanism 300 moves to both ends of the device body 100, the positions of the hooking mechanism 300 and the substrate 210 are relatively fixed and they extend together relative to the device body 100.

[0119] It should be noted that when the substrate 210 retracts back to its original position relative to the device body 100, power can be provided by the tension spring on the device body 100.

[0120] This application provides a robot, which includes a robot body and a picking and placing device 10 as described above. The picking and placing device 10 is disposed on the robot body and can move up and down along the height direction of the robot body.

[0121] In this system, the robot can move between shelves and / or climb and descend along the shelves, and retrieve material boxes 20 from the shelves or place material boxes 20 on the shelves, thus playing the role of picking up, placing and transferring material boxes 20.

[0122] In some embodiments, the picking and placing device 10 can be raised and lowered relative to the robot body, which can move on the ground and / or climb and descend along the shelf, thereby enabling the picking and placing device 10 to be positioned relative to different locations on the shelf to obtain the target material box. After docking with the corresponding location on the shelf, the picking and placing device 10 can perform the picking and placing operation of the material box.

[0123] It should be noted that the robot provided in this application embodiment may include all the technical solutions and technical effects of the above-described picking and placing device 10, which will not be repeated here.

[0124] This application provides a warehousing system, including shelves and a robot, which can pick up and place material boxes on the shelves. The warehousing system provided in this application can include all the technical solutions and effects of the above-mentioned picking and placing device 10 and robot, which will not be repeated here.

[0125] This application provides a picking and placing device, a robot, and a warehousing system. The picking and placing device is used to pick and place material boxes. The device includes a main body, a transmission mechanism, and a hooking mechanism. The transmission mechanism is disposed on the main body. The hooking mechanism includes a mounting bracket and a hooking component, which is used to dock with the material box. A first end of the mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism, and a second end of the mounting bracket extends upwards from the main body. The hooking component is connected to the second end of the mounting bracket. The transmission mechanism is configured to drive the hooking mechanism to move along a first direction to pick and place the material box. This eliminates the need for customizing the material box structure, as the hooking mechanism can dock with the handle on the upper edge of a conventionally structured material box, reducing the cost of the warehousing system.

[0126] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended 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. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A picking and placing device, characterized in that, The material handling device is used for picking up and placing material boxes, and includes: Device body (100); A transmission mechanism (200) is disposed on the main body (100) of the device; A hooking mechanism (300) includes a mounting bracket (310) and a hooking component (320), the hooking component (320) being used to dock with the material box; a first end of the mounting bracket (310) is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism (200), a second end of the mounting bracket (310) extends upward toward the main body (100) of the device, and the hooking component (320) is connected to the second end of the mounting bracket (310); The transmission mechanism (200) is configured to drive the hooking mechanism (300) to move along a first direction to pick up and put down the material box.

2. The picking and placing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hook (320) includes a connecting part (321) and at least two hook parts (322). The connecting part (321) is connected to the mounting bracket (310), and the at least two hook parts (322) are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting part (321). When the hooking mechanism (300) moves to the first end of the device body (100) along the first direction to pick up or place a material box, the hooking part (322) on the first side of the connecting part (321) docks with the material box; when the hooking mechanism (300) moves to the second end of the device body (100) along the first direction to pick up or place a material box, the hooking part (322) on the second side of the connecting part (321) docks with the material box.

3. The picking and placing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hooking mechanism (300) further includes a first driving unit (330) and a rotating shaft (340). The first driving unit (330) is disposed on the mounting bracket (310), and the rotating shaft (340) is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket (310). The hooking member (320) is connected to the rotating shaft (340), and the first driving unit (330) is configured to drive the rotating shaft (340) to rotate so that the hooking member (320) rotates to a first side or a second side of the mounting bracket (310).

4. The picking and placing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the hook portion (322) at the end away from the connecting portion (321) is smaller than the thickness of the end connected to the connecting portion (321).

5. The picking and placing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hooking mechanism (300) further includes an abutment (350), which is connected to the mounting bracket (310) and has an abutment surface. When the hooking mechanism (300) moves the material box off the device body (100), the abutment surface abuts against the outer wall of the material box.

6. The picking and placing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting part (321) is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (310), and the hook part (322) is bent upward relative to the connecting part (321) toward the mounting bracket (310).

7. The picking and placing device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (310) includes a base plate (311), a first bracket (312), and a second bracket (313); the base plate (311) is connected to the transmission mechanism (200); there are two first brackets (312), which are spaced apart along the width direction of the device body (100) and connected to the base plate (311), and are arranged vertically; the second bracket (313) is located at the end of the first bracket (312) away from the base plate (311) and is connected between the two first brackets (312); The hook (320) is located at one end of the first bracket (312) near the second bracket (313), and the hook (320) is disposed between the two first brackets (312).

8. The picking and placing device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The hooking mechanism (300) further includes a limiting member (360), which is connected to the top of the mounting bracket (310); when the hooking member (320) docks with the material box, at least a portion of the limiting member (360) is positioned above the material box.

9. The picking and placing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The two ends of the limiting member (360) extend toward both sides of the mounting bracket (310) along the first direction.

10. The picking and placing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, There are multiple limiting members (360), and the multiple limiting members (360) are spaced apart along the width direction of the mounting bracket (310).

11. The picking and placing device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The loading and unloading device further includes a detection component (370) connected to the mounting bracket (310), and the detection component (370) is configured to detect the distance between the mounting bracket (310) and the material box.

12. The picking and placing device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (200) includes a base plate (210), a first guide rail (220), a first slider (230), a second drive unit (240), a transmission wheel (250), and a flexible transmission component (260). The base plate (210) is disposed on the main body (100) of the device. The first guide rail (220) is connected to the base plate (210). The first slider (230) is slidably disposed on the first guide rail (220). The mounting bracket (310) is connected to the first slider (230). The transmission wheels (250) are at least two and are respectively disposed at both ends of the substrate (210) along the first direction. The flexible transmission member (260) is wound around the transmission wheel (250). The second drive unit (240) is disposed on the device body (100) and is configured to drive the flexible transmission member (260) to drive around the transmission wheel (250). The mounting bracket (310) is connected to the flexible transmission member (260).

13. The picking and placing device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The main body (100) of the device is provided with a second guide rail extending along the first direction, and a second slider is slidably disposed on the second guide rail. The base plate (210) is connected to the second slider. When the hooking mechanism (300) moves to the end of the substrate (210) along the first direction, the hooking mechanism (300) and the substrate (210) extend synchronously relative to the device body (100).

14. A robot, characterized in that, The device includes a robot body and a picking and placing device as described in any one of claims 1-13, wherein the picking and placing device is disposed on the robot body and is movable up and down along the height direction of the robot body.

15. A storage system comprising shelves and a robot as described in claim 14, the robot being capable of picking up and placing material boxes on the shelves.

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