CN114769129A - Sorting device and sorting system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sorting device and a sorting system, wherein the sorting device comprises a plurality of receiving devices (10), a first conveying device (20) and a first transfer device (30), the plurality of receiving devices (10) are respectively used for receiving articles, the first conveying device (20) is used for conveying the articles, the first transfer device (30) is movably arranged between the first conveying device (20) and the plurality of receiving devices (10), the first transfer device (30) has a first state and a second state, in the first state, the first transfer device (30) is butted with one of the plurality of receiving devices (10) so as to receive the articles received by the receiving devices (10) from the receiving devices (10); in a second state, the first transfer device (30) interfaces with the first conveyor device (20) to transfer the articles onto the first conveyor device (20). The sorting device and the sorting system have simple structures and high sorting efficiency.

Description

Sorting device and sorting system

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of logistics transportation, in particular to a sorting device and a sorting system.

Background

With the rapid development of the logistics industry, the demand for goods sorting is rising rapidly. In the logistics distribution center, the commodities are picked out from the storage positions or other positions according to the order requirements or the distribution plan of customers, and then are packaged and sent.

At present, in the process of sorting warehoused goods, the goods need to be picked from a target box and distributed into a specified target box. The process is finished by manual sorting, and needs personnel to repeatedly take commodities, so that the repetitive work is more, the personnel are easy to tire, the continuous work is difficult, and the sorting efficiency is low; moreover, manual sorting requires a large amount of manpower, increasing labor costs.

It is noted that the information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention provides a sorting device and a sorting system, which can effectively improve the sorting efficiency.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sorting apparatus comprising:

a plurality of receiving devices for receiving items, respectively;

a first conveyor for conveying articles; and

a first transfer device movably disposed between the first conveyor device and the plurality of receiving devices, the first transfer device having a first state in which the first transfer device is docked with one of the plurality of receiving devices to receive articles received by the receiving device from the receiving device and a second state; in a second state, the first transfer device interfaces with the first conveyor device to transfer the articles onto the first conveyor device.

In some embodiments, the plurality of receiving devices are arranged in a first direction, the conveying direction of the first conveying device is parallel to and non-collinear with the first direction, and the path of movement of the first transfer device is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying device.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further comprises a first guide arranged upstream of the first conveyor device and for guiding the movement of the first transfer device.

In some embodiments, the first transfer device comprises a mounting frame, a roller and a first conveying belt, the roller is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame, the conveying direction of the roller is the same as that of the receiving device, the first conveying belt is liftably mounted on the mounting frame, the conveying direction of the first conveying belt is the same as that of the first conveying device, and when the first conveying belt is in a lifting state, the conveying surface of the first conveying belt is higher than that of the roller; when the first conveyer belt is in a descending state, the conveying surface of the first conveyer belt is lower than the conveying surface of the roller.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a second transfer device for transporting empty receiving boxes to the first transfer device, the first transfer device further for transporting empty receiving boxes onto the receiving device, the receiving boxes receiving articles on the receiving device.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further comprises a second conveying device for conveying the empty receiving boxes, the height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device is greater than that of the conveying surface of the first transfer device, the second transfer device is arranged in a lifting manner relative to the first transfer device, and the conveying surface of the second transfer device is flush with the conveying surface of the second conveying device when the second transfer device is in a lifting state; when the second transfer device is in a descending state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device is flush with the conveying surface of the first transfer device.

In some embodiments, the second conveyor is arranged directly above the first transfer device.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further comprises a third transfer device movably arranged with respect to the plurality of receiving devices, the third transfer device being adapted to transfer a received article to one of the plurality of receiving devices.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a second guide disposed above the plurality of receiving devices, the third transfer device being slidably disposed on the second guide.

In some embodiments, the sorter further includes a guide disposed above the receiving device, the guide for guiding the articles into the receiving device during transfer of the articles into the receiving device by the third transfer device.

According to another aspect of the invention, a sorting system is provided, which comprises the sorting device.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a third conveyor for conveying the articles to be sorted and a robot for transferring the articles from the third conveyor to the sorting apparatus.

In some embodiments, the plurality of receiving devices are arranged on the side surface of the third conveying device in an abutting mode, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of receiving devices is parallel to the conveying direction of the third conveying device.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a first detecting device in signal communication with the robot, the first detecting device for detecting a position of the article, the robot configured to grasp the article based on the position information detected by the first detecting device.

Based on the technical scheme, the first transfer device moves back and forth between the receiving devices and the first conveying device, and the purpose that articles received by the receiving devices are respectively transferred to the first conveying device through the first transfer device can be achieved, so that the structure of the sorting device is simplified, meanwhile, automatic conveying after sorting can be achieved, and sorting efficiency is improved.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the invention without limiting the invention. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the sorting device of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a first transfer device in one embodiment of the sorting device of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a third transfer device in an embodiment of the sorting apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a third transfer device in another embodiment of the sorting apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of one embodiment of the sorting system of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third conveyor, the fourth conveyor and the fifth conveyor in one embodiment of the sorting system of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a robot mounting arrangement in an embodiment of a sortation system of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the mounting structure of the first detecting device in one embodiment of the sorting system of the present invention.

In the figure:

10. a receiving device; 10a, a receiving box body; 20. a first conveying device; 30. a first transfer device; 31. a mounting frame; 32. a drum; 33. a first conveyor belt; 40. a first guide member; 50. a second transfer device; 51. a transfer body; 52. a lifting support; 60. a second conveying device; 70. a third transfer device; 71. a conveying body; 72. a second conveyor belt; 73. a rotating shaft; 74. tipping; 75. a motor; 76. a mounting seat; 80. a second guide member; 90. a guide; 100. a third conveying device; 110. a manipulator; 111. a mechanical arm; 112. a first end effector; 113. a second end effector; 120. a fourth conveying device; 130. a fifth conveying device; 140. a first detection device; 150. a material box; 160. a first support frame; 161. a first bracket; 162. a second bracket; 163. a support plate; 164. a third support; 170. a second support frame.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely a few embodiments of the invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "central," "lateral," "longitudinal," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in the orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the invention and for simplicity in description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the scope of the invention.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, in some embodiments of the sorting apparatus provided by the present invention, the sorting apparatus includes a first conveying device 20, a first transfer device 30, and a plurality of receiving devices 10, the plurality of receiving devices 10 being respectively used for receiving articles, the first conveying device 20 being used for conveying articles, the first transfer device 30 being movably disposed between the first conveying device 20 and the plurality of receiving devices 10, the first transfer device 30 having a first state in which the first transfer device 30 is abutted with one of the plurality of receiving devices 10 to receive the article received by the receiving device 10 from the receiving device 10, and a second state; in the second state, the first transfer device 30 interfaces with the first conveyor device 20 to transfer articles onto the first conveyor device 20.

In the above embodiment, the first transfer device 30 moves back and forth between the receiving devices 10 and the first conveying device 20, so that the objects received by the receiving devices 10 can be transferred to the first conveying device 20 by one first transfer device 30, thereby simplifying the structure of the sorting device, and simultaneously realizing automatic conveying after sorting and improving the sorting efficiency.

In the embodiment provided by the present invention, the movement route and the movement form of the first transfer device 30 can be variously selected.

In some embodiments, the plurality of receiving devices 10 are arranged along a first direction, the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 20 is parallel and non-collinear with the first direction, and the path of movement of the first transfer device 30 is parallel and collinear with the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 20.

The receiving devices 10 and the first conveying device 20 are arranged in a staggered manner, the first transfer device 30 is arranged at the upstream of the first conveying device 20, and the first transfer device 30 moves back and forth along the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20, so that the movement distance of the first transfer device 30 can be shortened as much as possible, the transfer efficiency of the first transfer device 30 is improved, and the sorting efficiency of the sorting device is further improved.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first transfer device 30 is arranged upstream of the first conveyor device 20, the movement path of the first transfer device 30 is collinear with the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 20, and the plurality of receiving devices 10 are arranged side by side on the side of the movement path of the first transfer device 30, so that during the movement of the first transfer device 30, the first transfer device 30 is in abutment with one of the receiving devices 10, and when the first transfer device 30 moves to the receiving device 10 closest to the first conveyor device 20, the first transfer device 30 is in abutment with both the receiving device 10 and the first conveyor device 20.

The receiving device 10 is arranged adjacent to the first conveying device 20 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20, so that the first transfer device 30 does not need to move in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20 during transfer, the moving path of the first transfer device 30 is simplified, and the transfer efficiency is effectively improved.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a first guide 40, the first guide 40 being arranged upstream of the first conveyor 20 and serving to guide the movement of the first transfer device 30.

By providing the first guide member 40, the movement of the first transfer device 30 can be guided, the movement of the first transfer device 30 is prevented from being deviated, and the movement accuracy and reliability of the first transfer device 30 are improved.

In some embodiments, the first guiding element 40 may be a guiding rod, and the bottom of the first transferring device 30 may be provided with a sliding slot, and the guiding rod is embedded in the sliding slot to realize the slidable connection between the first transferring device 30 and the guiding rod. The direction of extension of the guide bar is collinear with the direction of transport of the first conveyor 20.

In some embodiments, the first transfer device 30 includes a mounting frame 31, a roller 32 and a first conveyor belt 33, the roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 31, the conveying direction of the roller 32 is the same as the conveying direction of the receiving device 10, the first conveyor belt 33 is liftably mounted on the mounting frame 31, the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 33 is the same as the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20, and the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is higher than the conveying surface of the roller 32 when the first conveyor belt 33 is in a lifted state; when the first conveyor belt 33 is in the descending state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is lower than the conveying surface of the drum 32.

As shown in fig. 3, the purpose of switching the conveying direction of the first transfer device 30 can be achieved by arranging the first conveying belt 33 to be liftable with respect to the mounting frame 31 and the rollers 32.

When the first conveyor belt 33 is in the lifted state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is higher than the conveying surface of the roller 32, the first conveyor belt 33 is in contact with the article, and the roller 32 loses the conveying function of the article, so that the conveying direction of the first transfer device 30 is the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 33, i.e. the same as the conveying direction of the first conveyor device 20, and when the first transfer device 30 is abutted against the first conveyor device 20, the article can be moved from the first transfer device 30 to the first conveyor device 20 under the conveying action of the first conveyor belt 33.

When the first conveyor belt 33 is in a descending state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is lower than the conveying surface of the roller 32, the roller 32 is in contact with the article, and the first conveyor belt 33 loses the conveying function of the article, so that the conveying direction of the first transfer device 30 is the conveying direction of the roller 32, namely the same as the conveying direction of the receiving device 10, and when the first transfer device 30 is abutted against the receiving device 10, the article can be moved from the first transfer device 30 to the receiving device 10 or from the receiving device 10 to the first transfer device 30 under the conveying function of the roller 32.

The number of the first conveyor belts 33 may be plural, and the plural first conveyor belts 33 are respectively disposed in the gaps between the two adjacent rollers 32, so that the first conveyor belts 33 and the rollers 32 can be relatively independent, and the first conveyor belts 33 and the rollers 32 are prevented from being influenced by each other.

The mounting frame 31 is slidably fitted on the first guide 40 to enable movement of the first transfer device 30 relative to the first transfer device 20 and the receiving device 10.

In the embodiments provided in the present application, the first conveying device 20 may be in the form of a conveying belt, a conveying chain, or a roller. The first conveying device 20 is used for conveying the sorted articles to a preset position for packing and sending.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a second transfer device 50, the second transfer device 50 being adapted to convey empty receiving boxes 10a to the first transfer device 30, the first transfer device 30 being further adapted to convey empty receiving boxes 10a to the receiving device 10, the receiving boxes 10a receiving articles on the receiving device 10.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a second transfer device 50 and a receiving box 10a, the second transfer device 50 being adapted to convey an empty receiving box 10a to the first transfer device 30, the first transfer device 30 being further adapted to convey an empty receiving box 10a onto the receiving device 10, the receiving box 10a receiving the article on the receiving device 10.

The second transfer device 50 can cooperate with the first transfer device 30 to realize the automation of conveying the empty receiving box 10a to the receiving device 10, thereby further reducing the labor and the labor cost.

Further, the second transfer device 50 can be applied to a situation where the conveyance route of the empty receiving box 10a is different from the conveyance route of the first transfer device 30, thereby increasing the application range of the sorting device.

Through setting up receiving box 10a, can bear the weight of article through receiving box 10a in the circulation process, avoid article to suffer damage. Furthermore, a plurality of articles can be carried at a time by the receiving box 10a, and the simultaneous circulation of the plurality of articles can be realized. Of course, in some embodiments, the receiving box 10a may be omitted and the articles may be diverted directly between the respective conveyor and the transfer device.

The receiving device 10 has a function of conveying the receiving container 10a so that the receiving container 10a arrives at the receiving device 10 or departs from the receiving device 10. The receiving device 10 may be in the form of a conveyor belt, a conveyor chain, or rollers.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further includes a second conveying device 60, the second conveying device 60 is used for conveying the empty receiving box 10a, the height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device 60 is larger than that of the conveying surface of the first transfer device 30, the second transfer device 50 is arranged in a lifting manner relative to the first transfer device 30, and when the second transfer device 50 is in a lifting state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device 50 is flush with the conveying surface of the second conveying device 60; when the second transfer device 50 is in the lowered state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device 50 is flush with the conveying surface of the first transfer device 30.

Set up to liftable for first transfer device 30 and second conveyor 60 through second transfer device 50, can realize transfering between the transfer chain of co-altitude not, and then realize can set up second conveyor 60 in the mesh of the top of first transfer device 30 to realize the mesh that second conveyor 60 and first transfer device 30 arranged from top to bottom along vertical direction, practice thrift sorting device's whole occupation of land space.

When the second transfer device 50 is in the raised state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device 50 is flush with the conveying surface of the second conveying device 60, and the empty receiving box 10a conveyed by the second conveying device 60 can be moved onto the second transfer device 50. When the second transfer device 50 is in the lowered state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device 50 is flush with the conveying surface of the first transfer device 30, and the empty receiving box 10a on the second transfer device 50 can be moved onto the first transfer device 30.

In some embodiments, the second transfer device 50 is arranged upstream of the path of movement of the first transfer device 30, and the conveying direction of the second transfer device 50 is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20 and the path of movement of the first transfer device 30. This allows the first transfer device 30 to be synchronously docked with the second transfer device 50 when the first transfer device 30 is docked with the receiving device 10 furthest from the first conveyor device 20, and after receiving an empty receiving box 10a from the second transfer device 50, the first transfer device 30 can transfer the empty receiving box 10a to any one of the receiving devices 10 of the plurality of receiving devices 10, waiting for the arrival of a sorted article.

As shown in fig. 1, the second transfer device 50 includes a transfer body 51 and a lifting frame 52, the lifting frame 52 is vertically disposed, the transfer body 51 is liftably mounted on the lifting frame 52, and the transfer body 51 moves up and down along the lifting frame 52.

The transfer body 51 and the lifting bracket 52 may be configured to be engaged with each other by a slider and a guide rail, or may be configured to be engaged with each other by a gear and a rack.

The transfer body 51 may be of a conveyor belt, conveyor chain or roller-type construction.

In some embodiments, the second conveyor 60 is arranged directly above the first transfer device 30. The arrangement can simplify the movement route of the second transfer device 50 as much as possible, shorten the movement route of the second transfer device 50 and improve the sorting efficiency.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a third transfer device 70, the third transfer device 70 being movably arranged with respect to the plurality of receiving devices 10, the third transfer device 70 being adapted to transfer a received article into one of the plurality of receiving devices 10.

The object of sorting the articles into the corresponding receiving devices 10 is achieved by the provision of a third transfer device 70. The second conveying device 60 is disposed right above the first transfer device 30, which is also beneficial to make room for the receiving devices 10, and the second conveying device 60 is prevented from affecting the process of transferring the articles to the corresponding receiving devices 10 by the third transfer device 70.

In some embodiments, the sorting apparatus further comprises a second guide 80, the second guide 80 being disposed above the plurality of receiving devices 10, and the third transfer device 70 being slidably disposed on the second guide 80.

By providing the second guide 80, the movement of the third transfer device 70 can be guided, and the accuracy and reliability of the movement of the third transfer device 70 can be improved.

In some embodiments, the second guide member 80 may be a guide bar, and the bottom of the third transfer device 70 may be provided with a slide slot into which the guide bar is inserted to slidably couple the third transfer device 70 to the guide bar. The guide bar is parallel to the arrangement direction of the plurality of receiving devices 10.

The specific construction of the third transfer device 70 can be varied.

As shown in fig. 4, in some embodiments, the third transfer device 70 includes a conveying body 71 and a second conveyor belt 72, the second conveyor belt 72 conveying articles in a straight line, the second conveyor belt 72 moving in a straight line to convey articles to the receiving device 10.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 5, the third transfer device 70 comprises a rotating shaft 73 and a skip 74 rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft 73, wherein when the skip 74 is in an overturned state, an opening of the skip 74 faces upwards for receiving the article; after the dump box 74 is turned over, the articles in the dump box 74 can slide down to the receiving device 10, and the purpose of dumping out the articles is achieved.

The dump box 74 can be switched between the turned state and the non-turned state by the rotation of the dump box 74 around the rotation shaft 73. In the inverted state, the outlet of the skip 74 is inclined to the receiving opening of the receiving device 10 so that the articles slide from the skip 74 into the receiving device 10.

The dump box 74 has a substantially V-shaped receiving space, and the opening of this structure is large, so that large-sized articles can be inserted. Moreover, the structure is also beneficial to realize the switching of receiving and pouring the articles through rotation.

The third transfer device 70 further comprises a motor 75 and a mounting seat 76, the motor 75 is used for driving the rotating shaft 73 to rotate so as to drive the dump bucket 74 to overturn, the rotating shaft 73 is rotatably mounted on the mounting seat 76, and the mounting seat 76 is in sliding fit with the second guide member 80.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further comprises a guide 90, the guide 90 being disposed above the receiving device 10, the guide 90 being configured to guide the articles into the receiving device 10 during transfer of the articles into the receiving device 10 by the third transfer device 70. By providing the guide member 90, the article can be effectively prevented from falling.

In some embodiments, the guide 90 is mounted on the side of the second conveyor 60 that is adjacent to the receiving device 10. The second conveyor 60 is located directly above the first conveyor 20 and the first transfer device 30 and laterally above the receiving device 10, and the guide 90 is mounted on the side of the second conveyor 60 adjacent to the receiving device 10, enabling articles slightly beyond the receiving device 10 to be guided into the receiving device 10.

In some embodiments, the guide 90 includes a first flap and second and third flaps disposed on either side of the first flap, respectively, to prevent items from falling off either side of the first flap.

The first baffle comprises three connecting plates which are connected at an angle, the connecting plate positioned at the uppermost part can be vertically arranged, and the two connecting plates positioned at the lower part are obliquely arranged relative to the vertical surface so as to increase the containing space of the guide 90 and be beneficial to protecting articles.

Based on the sorting device in each embodiment, the invention further provides a sorting system, which comprises the sorting device.

As shown in fig. 6, in some embodiments, the sortation system further includes a third conveyor 100, the third conveyor 100 for conveying articles to be sorted, and a robot 110 for transferring articles from the third conveyor 100 to the sortation apparatus.

By disposing the robot arm 110 above the third conveyor 100, the articles can be easily gripped and sorted.

In some embodiments, a plurality of receiving devices 10 are disposed adjacent to the side of the third conveying device 100, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of receiving devices 10 is parallel to the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100.

By arranging the receiving devices 10 close to the side of the third conveying device 100, the moving distance of the manipulator 110 can be shortened as much as possible, and the time of single movement of the manipulator 110 is shortened, so that the probability of dropping articles from the manipulator 110 is effectively reduced, and the sorting efficiency is effectively improved.

In some embodiments, the arrangement direction of the plurality of receiving boxes 10a in the sorting apparatus is parallel to the conveying direction of the third conveying apparatus 100, so that the arrangement can make efficient use of the space.

In some embodiments, the sortation system further includes a fourth conveyor 120 and a fifth conveyor 130, the fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130 each in communication with the third conveyor 100, the fourth conveyor 120 for conveying bins 150 to the third conveyor 100, the bins 150 for storing articles to be sorted, and the fifth conveyor 130 for receiving bins 150 from the third conveyor 100.

In some embodiments, the sortation system further includes a bin 150, a fourth conveyor 120, and a fifth conveyor 130, the bin 150 for storing articles to be sorted, the fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130 each in communication with the third conveyor 100, the fourth conveyor 120 for conveying the bin 150 to the third conveyor 100, and the fifth conveyor 130 for receiving the bin 150 from the third conveyor 100.

By providing the fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130, the automation of the sorting system can be further improved, while the conveying direction of the articles can be changed by means of the fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130.

As shown in fig. 7, in some embodiments, the conveying direction of the fourth conveying device 120 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100, and the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device 130 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100, so that the total length of the sorting system in the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100 can be effectively controlled.

Of course, in other embodiments, the conveying direction of the fourth conveying device 120 and the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100 and the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device 130 and the conveying direction of the third conveying device 100 may have other options, such as being parallel or at an angle.

The number of the fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130 can be flexibly set according to the needs, for example, one, two, three or more than one can be set.

As shown in fig. 8, the sorting system includes a first support frame 160, and the robot 110 is mounted on the first support frame 160. The width of the first support frame 160 is greater than the width of the third conveyor 100, the height of the first support frame 160 is greater than the height of the third conveyor 100, the top supporting surface of the first support frame 160 is located above the third conveyor 100, and the robot 110 is installed on the top supporting surface of the first support frame 160.

The robot arm 110 includes a robot arm 111 and a first end effector 112 mounted on a head of the robot arm 111. The first end effector 112 can grasp the article, and the robot 111 drives the first end effector 112 to move the article. The first support frame 160 is further provided with a plurality of spare second end effectors 113, and the second end effectors 113 can be replaced when the first end effector 112 fails, or the first end effectors 112 and the second end effectors 113 have different functions, and different end effectors are replaced as needed.

The first support frame 160 includes a first bracket 161, a second bracket 162, a support plate 163, and a third bracket 164. The first support 161 may be supported on the ground, the second support 162 may have a height shorter than that of the first support 161, and the second support 162 may be supported on the sorting apparatus. The support plate 163 is connected between the first bracket 161 and the second bracket 162. The support plate 163 is a flat plate type structure to provide a stable support for the robot 110. The support plate 163 also has a function of receiving dropped items. The robot arm 111 is mounted on the support plate 163. The third bracket 164 is disposed on the supporting plate 163, and the second end effector 113 may be temporarily stored on the third bracket 164.

In some embodiments, the sorting system further comprises a first detection device 140, the first detection device 140 is in signal communication with the robot 110, the first detection device 140 is configured to detect a position of the item, and the robot 110 is configured to grasp the item based on the position information detected by the first detection device 140.

The first sensing device 140 may be used to identify the location of the item within the bin 150 to assist the robot 110 in performing the action of grasping the item. The first detection device 140 may employ a visual camera assembly including a camera assembly, a camera stand, and a display, among others.

The first detection means 140 may also be used to confirm the sorted items and give an indication of whether the items have been delivered to the receiving means 10.

As shown in fig. 9, the sorting system further includes a second supporting frame 170, and the first detecting device 140 is mounted on the second supporting frame 170. The width of the second supporting frame 170 is greater than the width of the third conveying device 100, the height of the second supporting frame 170 is greater than the height of the third conveying device 100, and the height of the second supporting frame 170 is greater than the height of the first supporting frame 160. The first detecting device 140 is mounted on a sidewall of the second supporting frame 170.

The structure and operation of one embodiment of the sorting device and sorting system of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of fig. 1 to 9:

as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sorting apparatus includes a receiving device 10, a receiving box 10a, a first conveyor 20, a first transfer device 30, a first guide 40, a second transfer device 50, a second conveyor 60, a third transfer device 70, a second guide 80, and a guide 90.

The second transfer device 50 comprises a transfer body 51 and a lifting frame 52.

The plurality of receiving devices 10 are arranged in a first direction, which is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20, and the plurality of receiving devices 10 are arranged offset from the first conveying device 20. The first guide 40 is arranged upstream of the first conveyor 20, the first guide 40 extends in a direction parallel to the first direction, and the first transfer device 30 is slidably mounted on the first guide 40.

A second transfer device 50 is arranged upstream of the first guide 40, and a transfer body 51 is elevatably mounted on a vertically arranged lifting frame 52.

The second conveyor 60 is arranged directly above the first conveyor 20 and the first transfer device 30. The second guide 80 is installed above the plurality of receiving devices 10, and the extending direction of the second guide 80 is parallel to the first direction. The third transfer device 70 is slidably mounted on a second guide 80.

The number of the guides 90 is the same as the number of the receiving devices 10, and the guides 90 are disposed above the receiving devices 10 in one-to-one correspondence.

As shown in fig. 2, the sorting apparatus may include a plurality of support frames for supporting the plurality of receiving devices 10, respectively, while the guide 90 may be mounted on the corresponding support frame. The first guide member 40 and the second guide member 80 may also be mounted to the support bracket.

As shown in fig. 3, the first transfer device 30 includes a mounting frame 31, a roller 32 and a first conveyor belt 33, the roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 31, the conveying direction of the roller 32 is the same as the conveying direction of the receiving device 10, the first conveyor belt 33 is liftably mounted on the mounting frame 31, the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 33 is the same as the conveying direction of the first conveying device 20, and when the first conveyor belt 33 is in a lifted state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is higher than the conveying surface of the roller 32; when the first conveyor belt 33 is in the descending state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 33 is lower than the conveying surface of the drum 32.

The number of the first conveyor belts 33 is plural, and the plural first conveyor belts 33 are respectively arranged in the gaps between the adjacent two rollers 32. The mounting frame 31 is slidably fitted on the first guide 40.

Fig. 4 and 5 are schematic structural views of two types of third transfer devices 70.

As shown in fig. 6, the sorting system includes a sorting apparatus, a third conveyor 100, a robot 110, a fourth conveyor 120, a fifth conveyor 130, a first inspection apparatus 140, and a bin 150.

The sorting devices are arranged in parallel on a first side of the third conveyor 100, and the third transfer device 70 is located between the first receiving device 10 and the third conveyor 100. The sorting apparatus directly abuts against the side of the third conveyor 100 to shorten the distance between the robot 110 and the sorting apparatus. The fourth conveyor 120 and the fifth conveyor 130 are both disposed on the second side of the third conveyor 100. The moving direction of the first conveyor 20 in the sorting apparatus is parallel to the conveying direction of the third conveyor 100. The robot 110 and the first detecting device 140 are both disposed above the third transfer device 100.

As shown in fig. 7, two fourth conveyors 120 are arranged in parallel, and the conveying direction of the fourth conveyors 120 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor 100. The two fifth conveyors 130 are arranged in parallel, and the conveying direction of the fifth conveyor 130 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the third conveyor 100.

The third conveyor 100, the fourth conveyor 120, and the fifth conveyor 130 may use rollers, belts, chains, or the like.

As shown in fig. 8, the robot 110 is mounted on the first support frame 160, and the first support frame 160 spans over the third conveyor 100. The first end effector 112 is mounted on the head of the robot arm 111, and the second end effector 113 is disposed on the first support frame 160 as a spare.

As shown in fig. 9, the first detecting device 140 is mounted on the second supporting frame 170, and the second supporting frame 170 is higher than the first supporting frame 160. The first sensing device 140 is configured to identify the location of the object within the bin 150 to assist the robot 110 in performing the object grabbing operation.

The working process of the sorting system is as follows: a person stands at the beginning of the second conveyor 60, places the empty receiving box 10a on the second conveyor 60, and under the action of the second conveyor 60, the empty receiving box 10a is conveyed to a position close to the second transfer device 50; the second transfer device 50 in the raised state receives the empty receiving box 10a from the second conveyor 60, and then the transfer body 51 is lowered along the lifting frame 52 so that the second transfer device 50 is butted against the first transfer device 30; after receiving the empty receiving box 10a, the first transfer device 30 transfers the receiving box 10a to the corresponding receiving device 10, and the receiving box 10a and the corresponding receiving device 10 are bound in position by the control system; then, the fourth conveyor 120 conveys the bin 150 containing the articles to be sorted to the third conveyor 100, and the third conveyor 100 conveys the bin 150 to the lower part of the manipulator 110; then, the mechanical arm 110 starts picking according to the article position information provided by the first detecting device 140, the mechanical arm 111 picks the article from the bin 150 by the first end picker 112 and places the article into the third transfer device 70, the third transfer device 70 delivers the article to the receiving box 10a by turning or linear motion, after the order picking of a certain receiving box 10a is completed, the slot position of the receiving box 10a has a light prompt, at this time, the receiving box 10a with completed order can be manually moved out and replaced with an empty receiving box 10a, the full receiving box 10a can be transferred to the first conveying device 20 by the first transfer device 30 and output, and the empty bin 150 with the completed article can be separated by the fifth conveying device 130 and sequentially and circularly operated.

In the embodiment of the invention, the third transfer device can wait for the manipulator to put articles at a fixed position each time, so that the path of each action of the manipulator is fixed, and the sorting device is propped against the side surface of the first conveying device, so that the path of the manipulator can be shortened as much as possible, the movement time of the manipulator is saved, and the sorting efficiency is greatly improved; moreover, the operation path of the manipulator is short, the time is short, the probability of goods falling caused by the fact that the end effector is not firmly grabbed can be reduced, and the operation reliability of the equipment is improved. In addition, in a grabbing time beat, the movement and delivery of the third transfer device, the return of the mechanical arm and the grabbing of new articles again are overlapped in time, so that the single-beat completion time can be shortened, and the sorting efficiency is improved; the sorting device is arranged in a double-layer mode from top to bottom on the side face of the third conveying device, automatic conveying of empty receiving boxes can be achieved, transferring between the receiving devices and the first conveying device can be achieved through the first transferring device, and sorting efficiency is effectively improved.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only intended to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention and not to limit it; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: modifications to the specific embodiments of the invention or equivalent arrangements of parts of the features may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and these modifications and equivalents are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims (14)

1. A sorting device, comprising:

a plurality of receiving devices (10) for receiving articles, respectively;

a first conveyor (20) for conveying the articles; and

a first transfer device (30) movably disposed between said first conveyor device (20) and said plurality of receiving devices (10), said first transfer device (30) having a first state in which said first transfer device (30) interfaces with one of said plurality of receiving devices (10) to receive said articles received by said receiving device (10) from said receiving device (10) and a second state; in the second state, the first transfer device (30) interfaces with the first conveyor device (20) to transfer the articles onto the first conveyor device (20).

2. Sorting device according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of receiving devices (10) are arranged along a first direction, the conveying direction of the first conveying device (20) being parallel and non-collinear with the first direction, the movement path of the first transfer device (30) being parallel with the conveying direction of the first conveying device (20).

3. Sorting device according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises a first guide (40), said first guide (40) being arranged upstream of said first conveyor (20) and serving to guide the movement of said first transfer device (30).

4. Sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transfer device (30) comprises a mounting frame (31), a roller (32) and a first conveyor belt (33), the roller (32) is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame (31), the roller (32) has a conveying direction which is the same as the conveying direction of the receiving device (10), the first conveyor belt (33) is liftably mounted on the mounting frame (31), the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt (33) is the same as the conveying direction of the first conveyor device (20), and the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt (33) is higher than the conveying surface of the roller (32) when the first conveyor belt (33) is in the lifted state; when the first conveyor belt (33) is in a descending state, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt (33) is lower than the conveying surface of the roller (32).

5. Sorting device according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises a second transfer device (50), said second transfer device (50) being adapted to convey empty receiving boxes (10a) to said first transfer device (30), said first transfer device (30) being further adapted to convey empty receiving boxes (10a) onto said receiving device (10), said receiving boxes (10a) receiving said articles on said receiving device (10).

6. A sorting device according to claim 5, characterised by further comprising a second conveyor (60), the second conveyor (60) being adapted to convey the empty receiving boxes (10a), the conveying surface of the second conveyor (60) having a height greater than the height of the conveying surface of the first transfer device (30), the second transfer device (50) being elevatably arranged with respect to the first transfer device (30), the conveying surface of the second transfer device (50) being flush with the conveying surface of the second conveyor (60) when the second transfer device (50) is in the raised condition; when the second transfer device (50) is in a descending state, the conveying surface of the second transfer device (50) is flush with the conveying surface of the first transfer device (30).

7. Sorting device according to claim 6, characterised in that the second conveyor (60) is arranged directly above the first transfer device (30).

8. A sorting device according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises a third transfer device (70), said third transfer device (70) being movably arranged with respect to a plurality of said receiving devices (10), said third transfer device (70) being adapted to transfer said received articles to one of said receiving devices (10) of said plurality of receiving devices (10).

9. Sorting device according to claim 8, characterised in that it further comprises a second guide (80), said second guide (80) being arranged above a plurality of said receiving means (10), said third transfer means (70) being slidably arranged on said second guide (80).

10. A sorting device according to claim 8, characterised in that it further comprises a guide (90), which guide (90) is arranged above the receiving means (10), which guide (90) is intended to guide the articles into the receiving means (10) during the transfer of the articles into the receiving means (10) by the third transfer means (70).

11. A sorting system comprising a sorting device according to any of claims 1 to 10.

12. Sorting system according to claim 11, further comprising a third conveyor (100) for conveying the articles to be sorted and a robot (110) for transferring the articles from the third conveyor (100) to the sorting device.

13. Sorting system according to claim 12, characterised in that a plurality of receiving devices (10) are arranged alongside the third conveyor (100) and in that the direction of arrangement of a plurality of receiving devices (10) is parallel to the conveying direction of the third conveyor (100).

14. Sorting system according to claim 12, further comprising a first detection device (140), the first detection device (140) being in signal connection with the robot (110), the first detection device (140) being adapted to detect the position of the item, the robot (110) being configured to grasp the item based on the position information detected by the first detection device (140).

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