Rack-Mounted Picking and Robot Docking for Dense Warehouse Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing warehousing systems suffer from low space utilization, slow goods in/out speed, and inefficient sorting due to large occupied areas and reliance on specialized sorting systems, leading to high costs and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An in-warehouse picking system with goods picking devices on racks, utilizing movable members and picking mechanisms to place goods into or out of docking assemblies, and a fixed rail conveying device to facilitate movement of bins and goods, allowing cooperation with freight robots for efficient warehousing and sorting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional warehousing systems use fixed environment storage with warehousing freight robots for goods movement, then goods can be stored and retrieved, but the occupied area is large and conveying efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the storage function and conveying function into a single integrated system. The mobile rack itself serves as both the storage structure and the conveying vehicle, eliminating the need for separate fixed storage racks and dedicated conveying robots. This merging of functions directly reduces the occupied area while improving conveying efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional static fixed rack system into a dynamic mobile rack system. The racks are equipped with mobile devices that enable them to move autonomously or be moved to different positions, allowing the storage system to adapt its layout and optimize space utilization while improving access efficiency.
2Productivity
If specialized sorting systems are introduced to improve sorting efficiency, then sorting capability is enhanced, but time and application costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile rack system is designed to perform multiple functions: storage, conveying, and sorting. The same mobile rack that stores goods also serves as the conveying vehicle and can be directly positioned at sorting locations. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized sorting systems, reducing both time costs and application costs while maintaining high sorting efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sorting function from the traditional separate sorting system and integrates it into the mobile rack system itself. By taking out the need for dedicated sorting equipment and incorporating sorting capabilities directly into the mobile storage and conveying units, the system achieves efficient sorting without the high costs associated with specialized sorting systems.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional warehousing systems use fixed racks with ground-level robot access, then goods can be moved in and out, but space utilization is insufficient and ground costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional ground-level access system to a three-dimensional mobile rack system. By enabling racks to move vertically and horizontally, and by allowing multi-level stacking of mobile racks, the system dramatically improves space utilization. The mobile racks can be positioned at any location including elevated positions, transforming the conventional ground-only access model into a multi-dimensional access system that maximizes warehouse capacity while maintaining fast goods in/out speed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances warehousing space utilization, improves the speed of goods in/out, and increases sorting efficiency by enabling seamless integration with freight robots, thus optimizing the warehousing process.
Implementation Method 1
The suction mechanism is in contact with and maintains contact with the goods through the generated suction force until the goods are placed into the docking assembly or the docking box of the freight robot running at the bottom of the rack; or until the goods are taken out from the docking assembly or the docking box and are placed into the bin.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An in-warehouse picking system and a conveying system, relating to the technical field of warehousing picking. A stereoscopic warehouse comprises a plurality of goods shelves (10), each goods shelf having a multi-layer storage space, goods boxes being placed at storage sites of the storage spaces, and a goods picking apparatus (1) being installed on each goods shelf. According to a current order: each goods picking apparatus drives a first task module to place goods into a docking assembly or a docking box of a goods-carrying robot (105) running at the bottom of each goods shelf, or to retrieve same from the docking assembly or the docking box (4) and put same into the goods boxes (104); each first task module (2) at least comprises a first moving member (13) and a picking mechanism (20); a partition plate (102) having one or more storage sites on the bottommost goods shelf layer is removed from each goods shelf, so as to provide a passage for the goods-carrying robots on the ground; or one or more goods shelf layers (106) are removed from each goods shelf, so as to provide a matching height for supporting the operation of the goods-carrying robots on the ground. The present application mitigates the technical problems of low utilization rate of warehousing spaces, slow goods inflow and outflow speeds, and low sorting efficiency of existing in-warehouse picking systems in the prior art.