KR102664878B1 - Freight arraging conveyor device and method using shape recognition of freight - Google Patents

Abstract

The cargo sorting device of the present invention includes a plurality of conveyor modules arranged side by side in a first direction, which is the cargo transport direction, and a second direction, which is perpendicular to and transverse to the first direction, and at least partially supports the cargo, A module unit that rotates the cargo tilted with respect to the first direction, a vision unit that photographs the area where the cargo is transported and recognizes at least one of the location, direction, and shape of the cargo, and the vision unit receives the acquired data and determines the cargo It may include a control unit that individually drives the plurality of conveyor modules located at different speeds.

Description

Freight arranging conveyor device and method using shape recognition of freight}

The present invention relates to a cargo sorting device that sorts cargo obtained in large quantities using cargo shape recognition.

With the increase in logistics including cargo, high-speed cargo processing at logistics centers is an important issue, and automatically sorting cargo received in bulk is an important issue in order to sort the increasing cargo at high speed in a short period of time.

The recently increased logistics volume has become too large for humans to handle manually, and the types of cargo being delivered have also become more diverse, so manually putting them on the conveyor belt may actually increase the probability of errors due to the diversification of shape or weight.

Therefore, in order to shorten work time, workers should avoid manual work such as placing cargo on the conveyor belt at intervals or rotating the transport direction of the cargo as much as possible, and automatically sort cargo that is obtained in bulk in bulk before putting it into the sorter. Sorting is essential.

The existing cargo sorting device includes an alignment unit that changes the direction of cargo through a plurality of direction change devices, and uses a holding device located at the bottom of the cargo to delay transport to increase the distance between cargo. There are some that use a method of holding for a while and then releasing after passing the preceding cargo, or some that include a recirculation section to recirculate cargo that is not sufficiently aligned, but these alone may not be sufficient to align the cargo.

The cargo alignment device of the present invention can align transported cargo by rotating or spacing it out using individually driven conveyor modules.

The cargo sorting device of the present invention includes a plurality of conveyor modules arranged side by side in a first direction, which is the cargo transport direction, and a second direction, which is perpendicular to and transverse to the first direction, and at least partially supports the cargo, A module unit that rotates the cargo tilted with respect to the first direction, a vision unit that photographs the area where the cargo is transported and recognizes at least one of the location, direction, and shape of the cargo, and the vision unit receives the acquired data and determines the cargo It may include a control unit that individually drives the plurality of conveyor modules located at different speeds.

In the present invention, the cargo alignment device can recognize the shape of the cargo being transported and rotate and align the cargo, and the control unit can synchronously control the speed of a plurality of conveyor modules by utilizing a vision unit including a camera. To achieve this, image processing technology by the vision unit and speed control technology of the driving motor of each conveyor module can be used. In addition, the vision unit can recognize the continuous alignment status of cargo in real time while the cargo is being transported.

The control unit can control cargo to exit one at a time with a desired spacing between cargoes. The control unit can vary the speed of the conveyor module by receiving a speed variable zone for sorting the cargo from the vision unit, and can end variable speed of the conveyor module when the sorting of the cargo is completed.

1 is a planar flow configuration diagram of the cargo sorting device of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a side flow configuration diagram of the cargo sorting device of the present invention.
Figures 3 to 5 are explanatory diagrams of cargo rotation of the module portion of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the spacing unit, module unit, or sequential transfer unit of the present invention.
Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of the sequential transfer unit of the present invention.
Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the position switching unit or sorting unit of the present invention.
Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the position switching unit or sorting unit of the present invention.
Figures 10 to 13 sequentially show the process of rotating and aligning cargo on the module portion of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to some of the described embodiments and may be implemented in various forms, and at least one of the components between the embodiments within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention can be selectively combined and/or substituted. can do.

In addition, unless specifically defined, the terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be interpreted as meanings that can be generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, and commonly used terms are used in consideration of the contextual meaning of the related technology. It can be interpreted.

In addition, the terms of the embodiments of the present invention are for description of the embodiments and do not limit the present invention, and the singular may be interpreted as the plural unless specified in the text.

In addition, in the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, third, or A, B, C, etc. may be used, and these terms are intended to distinguish one component from other components. However, there are no restrictions on the order or sequence.

In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, description of one component as “connected”, “connected”, “coupled”, etc. with another component means that one component is directly connected to another component, It can mean not only being connected or combined, but also indirectly connected, connected, or combined by another component between two components.

In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, arranging, forming, or locating one component above or below, above or below another component means that one component is directly or indirectly disposed, formed, or positioned on another component. This may include location. Expressions for up or down, up or down, can mean not only the upward direction but also the downward direction based on one component.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

The cargo transfer direction in which the cargo 10 is transported as a whole is a first direction (x-axis direction), and the direction crossing the conveyor module 320 or conveyor belt that is perpendicular to the first direction and transports the cargo 10 is a second direction. direction (y-axis direction), and the direction of gravity perpendicular to the first and second directions may be referred to as the third direction (z-axis direction).

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cargo sorting device 1 of the present invention includes a feeding part 100, a spacing part 200, a module part 300, a sequential transfer part 400, a position switching part 500, It may include at least one of a scan unit 600 and a sorter unit 700.

The cargo sorting device 1 of the present invention is a portion of the cargo transfer area including the feeding unit 100, the spacing unit 200, the module unit 300, the sequential transfer unit 400, or the position switching unit 500. Or a vision unit 800 that recognizes the cargo shape by photographing the entire cargo, or a feeding unit 100, a spacing unit 200, and a module unit based on data obtained from the vision unit 800 or the scanning unit 600. (300), and may include a control unit 900 capable of controlling the operation of at least one of the position switching units 500.

The entire pallet cargo 10 can be randomly obtained in bulk units in the feeding unit 100. The cargo 10 received in the feeding unit 100 may be in close contact with each other in the first or second direction, and the vision unit 800 determines the degree of adhesion between the cargo and the cargo transfer speed of the spacing unit 100. can be adjusted.

The spacer 200 can separate the cargoes 10 of the feeding unit 100 that are in close contact with each other so that the vision unit 800 can recognize them. The separation of the separation unit 200 may mean separation in the entire direction of 360 degrees, including separation of the cargo 10 in the first or second direction, which means that the cargo 10 is separated from the module unit 300 that enters thereafter. ) This may be to secure the rotation space.

The control unit 900 can set an alignment mark 40 that can be used to track the cargo 10, and the alignment mark 40 can be located on the cargo 10. The control unit 900 can use the alignment mark 40 to determine the status of the cargo 10, including whether the rotation of the target cargo 10 has been completed and whether the separation between the cargoes 10 has been completed.

The incoming cargo 10 may be spaced apart in the first or second direction by the spacer 200, and as the distance between the cargoes 10 increases, the vision part 800 distinguishes the boundaries of individual cargoes. It can be helpful in doing so. In one embodiment, the spacer 200 may include a plurality of spacer belts 220 and may be arranged at an angle obliquely with respect to the first direction.

In this case, the inclined angle may become larger as it moves from the center of the spaced portion 200 to the outer edge based on the second direction. In this way, when the plurality of spacing belts 220 are arranged at different angles in the second direction, the spacing distance in the second direction between the cargo 10 that has passed through the spacing unit 200 is the cargo received in the feeding unit 100. (10) It may be farther than the separation distance in the second direction between the livers.

The separation unit 200 needs to be spaced apart from the cargo 10 in both the first and second directions in order to increase recognition or differentiation of individual cargo by the vision unit 800.

In order to increase the separation distance between the transported cargo 10 in the first direction, the speed at which the cargo is transported in the first direction can be set differently for each divided section. In this case, the divided compartment may include at least one of the feeding part 100, the spacing part 200, or the module part 300.

By increasing the transfer speed of the following compartment compared to the preceding compartment, the separation distance between the cargoes 10 in the first direction can be increased. This is between the feeding unit 100 and the spacing unit 200, between the spacing unit 200 and the module unit 300, between the module unit 300 and the sequential transfer unit 400, and between the sequential transfer unit 400 and the position switching unit ( 500, or between the position switching unit 500 and the scanning unit 600 or the sorting unit 700.

In particular, it is necessary to increase the separation distance of the spaced part 200 in the first direction in order to control the fine individual operation of the conveyor module 320 of the module part 300. The separation unit 200 may function to increase the separation distance between cargoes in the first direction for accurate shape recognition of individual cargo by the vision unit 800. Accordingly, the control unit 900 sets the first direction speed of the spacer 200 faster than the first direction speed of the cargo received from the feeding unit 100, or sets the module speed in the first direction faster than the first direction speed of the spacer 200. The speed of the unit 300 in the first direction can be set faster.

Accordingly, the cargo 10 entering the spacer 200 can be sufficiently spaced apart in the first and second directions by the spacer 200, and as a result, the non-cargo section 800 is individually Cargoes can be identified separately from each other. By the spacer 200, each conveyor module 320 is individually driven in the module section 300 after the spacer 200, or the first direction space between each cargo 10 is further increased in the position change section 500. It can be controlled precisely.

The module unit 300 may rotate and align the cargo 10 using the shape of the cargo 10 including the positions of the cargo spaced apart from each other or the orientation of the cargo recognized by the vision unit 800.

The module unit 300 may include a plurality of conveyor modules 320, and the transport direction of the plurality of conveyor modules 320 may be parallel to the first direction.

The plurality of conveyor modules 320 may be individually controlled by each driving motor, and the plurality of conveyor modules may be arranged side by side in the first and second directions. As an example, FIGS. 10 to 13 may show 64 conveyor modules 320 arranged in 8 rows in the first direction and 8 rows in the second direction. 10 to 13 may sequentially illustrate the process in which cargo 10 passing through the module unit 300 of the present invention is rotated and aligned.

The conveyor module 320 may at least partially support the transported cargo 10, and the cargo transfer direction of each conveyor module 320 may be the same as the first direction.

The conveyor module 320 individually includes a controller 340 capable of exchanging data with the control unit 900, or data between the control unit 900 and a plurality of conveyor modules 320 is transmitted through the controller 340. It can be.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the control unit 900 may issue a driving command for a plurality of conveyor modules 320 to the controller 340 based on data captured by the vision unit 800, and the driving The command may include information about different cargo transfer speeds of the conveyor module 320. The controller 340 may operate a drive motor included in each conveyor module 320, and as a result, the plurality of conveyor modules 320 may rotate at different speeds.

As a result, the control unit 900 transmits different cargo transfer speed commands to the drive motors included in each conveyor module 320, so that each conveyor module 320 can separately transport the cargo 10 at different speeds. .

Accordingly, the control unit 900 may individually control some of the conveyor modules 320 where the cargo 10 to be rotationally controlled is located at a different speed from the remaining conveyor modules 320.

When the controller 340 is individually included in each conveyor module 320, the control unit 900 issues different transfer speed commands to the controller 340 in each conveyor module 320 to control the speed of each conveyor module 320. The speed can be adjusted individually.

As an example of the conveyor module 320, the conveyor module 320 may include two rollers spaced apart in a first direction, which is the cargo transport direction. When the two spaced apart rollers are idle rollers, a driving roller may be provided separately, and the driving roller may be disposed below the belt in the third direction between the idle rollers. In this case, the conveyor module 320 may include a tension roller for maintaining the tension of the conveyor belt, and the tension roller may be disposed between the drive roller and the idle roller.

In another embodiment of the conveyor module 320, one of the two rollers spaced apart in the first direction may be a driving roller and the other may be an idle roller, and in this case, a tension roller is disposed at the lower part between the driving roller and the idle roller. It can be.

When the controller 340 is individually included in the conveyor module 320, the first data obtained by the vision unit 800 may be transmitted to the control unit 900, and the control unit 900 may control each conveyor module ( Second data may be transmitted to the controller 340 included in 320). The controller 340 can control the rotation of the drive roller through the drive motor, and through this, the speed of each conveyor module 320 can be adjusted. The second data is transmitted to each driving roller to control the speed at which the conveyor module 320 transports the cargo in the transport direction.

When the controller 340 is individually included in the conveyor module 320, the controller 340 included in the conveyor module 320 includes a control unit 900 so that the speed of each conveyor module 320 can be individually controlled. ) can be given a unique address that can communicate with.

We will look at the rotation of the cargo 10 by the module unit 300 in detail.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cargo 10 can rotate in the module unit 300 and move in the cargo transport direction. The control unit 900 creates a virtual cargo center (C) on the cargo 10 by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit 800, and a virtual cargo center (C) that passes through the cargo center (C) and is in the long volume direction of the cargo 10. You can set the center line (CL).

The control unit 900 may vary the speed of each conveyor module 320 by calculating the amount of movement on the circumference of the set circle according to the distance from the center of the cargo (C) for each position on the cargo.

Specifically, the radius of the circle may be from the center of the cargo (C) to the position where the virtual center line (CL) meets the conveyor module 320 where the cargo 10 selected for rotation control is located. An example of the set radius of the circle may be the width of the conveyor module 320 where the cargo 10 is located.

Accordingly, the amount of circumferential movement that must be rotated may increase as it moves from the center of the cargo (C) to the outer edge of the circle along the virtual center line (CL). The rotation of the cargo 10 may be expressed as a velocity vector on the circumference, and the speed of each conveyor module 320 may be determined by the first direction component of the velocity vector.

Referring to FIG. 4, a virtual center line (CL) can be set including the major or minor axis passing through the center of the cargo (C), and the center line (CL) can be used when the cargo (10) rotates. In most cases, the center line (CL) passing through the cargo center (C) of the cargo 10 received in the spaced portion 200 may be inclined rather than parallel to the first direction axis.

The branches of the sorter unit 700, which receives the cargo 10 that has passed through at least one of the module unit 300, the sequential transfer unit 400, or the position change unit 500, may be formed in plural depending on the facility design. , In this case, the width of the sorter unit 700 may be narrow for long cargo to pass through. That is, it may be necessary to align the longitudinal direction of the cargo 10 so that it is parallel to the first direction, or the center line CL of the cargo 10 satisfies a predetermined angle range with respect to the first direction. Here, the predetermined angle range means an angle range parallel to the first direction within a predetermined error range.

For example, if the cargo 10 has a rectangular shape where the width is longer than the length when viewed from the top, a major axis, which is a horizontal axis extending in the horizontal direction, and a minor axis, which is a vertical axis extending in the vertical direction, may be set. In this case, the virtual center line CL may be the long axis, and the module unit 300 may rotate the cargo 10 so that the long axis, which is the center line CL, is parallel to the first direction or satisfies a predetermined angle range.

If the cargo 10 has a square shape, either the horizontal axis or the vertical axis may be the center line (CL).

The control unit 900 may first determine whether the cargo 10 entering the module unit 300 is subject to rotation control. When the center line CL of the cargo 10 is inclined with respect to the first direction, it may be selected as a rotation control target. If the center line (CL) of the cargo 10 is parallel to the first direction, the cargo 10 does not need to rotate.

When the center line CL of the cargo 10 is parallel to the second direction, whether to rotate may be determined depending on the width of the entering sorter unit 700. If the center line (CL) is the long axis of the cargo (10), the center line (CL) is set to be parallel to the first direction, and the center line (CL) of the cargo (10) is parallel to the second direction, the center line (CL) is clockwise. It can rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise.

When the center line (CL) of the cargo (10) is tilted with respect to the first direction and is selected as a rotation control target, the center line (CL) is tilted within 90 degrees in either the counterclockwise or clockwise direction with respect to the first direction axis. The direction of rotation of the cargo 10 may be determined depending on whether the cargo 10 is loaded or not.

When the center line (CL) of the cargo 10 is inclined within 90 degrees clockwise (CW) with respect to the first direction axis, the cargo 10 may rotate counterclockwise (CCW). This may correspond to the upper cargo of FIGS. 10 to 13.

When the center line (CL) of the cargo 10 is inclined within 90 degrees counterclockwise (CCW) with respect to the first direction axis, the cargo 10 can rotate clockwise (CW). This may correspond to the lower cargo in FIGS. 10 to 13.

Once the rotation and direction of rotation of the cargo 10 entering the module unit 300 are determined, the control unit 900 transmits individual speed data for the plurality of conveyor modules 320 where the cargo 10 subject to rotation control is located. You can.

FIG. 5 may illustrate the state before and after rotation of the conveyor module 320 where the cargo 10, which is to be rotated, is located.

Referring to FIG. 5, the center line (CL) of the cargo 10 corresponds to a case where it is inclined within 90 degrees clockwise (CW) with respect to the first direction axis, and the cargo 10 is tilted counterclockwise (CCW). It can rotate.

The number on each conveyor module 320 may indicate the first to eighth conveyor modules. The cargo 10 before rotation may be located in at least a portion of the first to fourth conveyor modules, and the cargo 10 after rotation may be located in at least a portion of the fifth to eighth conveyor modules. You can.

Among the conveyor module areas (A) where the cargo 10 is located, the second area (A2), which is the conveyor module area where the speed will be relatively slow, or the first area (A1), which is the conveyor module area where the speed will be relatively fast, is set. It can be. In this case, the first area A1 may include a third conveyor module and a fourth conveyor module, and the second area A2 may include a first conveyor module and a second conveyor module.

The control unit 900 creates a virtual cargo center (C) on the cargo 10 by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit 800, and a virtual cargo center (C) that passes through the cargo center (C) and is in the long volume direction of the cargo 10. You can set the center line (CL).

When the virtual center line (CL) and the first direction are 90 degrees or less, the control unit 900 adjusts the speed of the conveyor module 320, where the cargo selected to be rotationally controlled, is located from the cargo center (C) to the virtual center line (CL). It can be driven faster from the inside to the outside.

When the virtual center line (CL) and the first direction are 90 degrees or more, the control unit 900 adjusts the speed of the conveyor module 320, where the cargo selected to be rotationally controlled, is located from the cargo center (C) to the virtual center line (CL). It can be driven more slowly from the inside to the outside.

That is, the speed of the conveyor module 320 in the first area (A1) may further increase as it moves toward the outskirts of the cargo center (C), and the conveyor module in the second area (A2) ( 320), the speed of the conveyor module 320 may further decrease as it moves toward the outskirts of the cargo center (C). For example, the speed of the third conveyor module may be faster than the speed of the fourth conveyor module, and the speed of the first conveyor module may be slower than the speed of the second conveyor module. Accordingly, the cargo transfer speed can be increased in the order of the first conveyor module, the second conveyor module, the fourth conveyor module, and the third conveyor module.

Accordingly, a first area (A1) with a relatively high speed may be set on one side and a second area (A2) with a relatively slow speed on the other side along the second direction based on the cargo center (C). Due to the difference in speed between the conveyor modules 320, the inclined cargo 10 can rotate in the same way as in a rowing method.

In addition, although not shown in the drawing, depending on the position where the cargo 10 is placed, conveyor modules 320 in addition to the first to fourth conveyor modules may be further driven to rotate the cargo 10. For example, the plurality of conveyor modules 230 may include ninth and tenth conveyor modules sequentially arranged from the second conveyor module based on the second direction. The ninth and tenth conveyor modules may be conveyor modules arranged side by side with the third and fourth conveyor modules in a first direction. Additionally, the plurality of conveyor modules 230 may include 11th and 12th conveyor modules sequentially arranged from the fourth conveyor module based on the second direction. The 11th and 12th conveyor modules may be conveyor modules arranged side by side with the first and second conveyor modules in a first direction.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the cargo 10 is placed on the first to fourth conveyor modules and the ninth to twelfth conveyor modules, the cargo 10 is placed in the first and second areas A1 and A2. The conveyor modules (first to fourth conveyor modules) may operate with the speed difference described above. Additionally, the ninth to twelfth conveyor modules may also operate at a set speed difference for smooth rotation of the cargo 10. Accordingly, the embodiment can effectively control the rotation of the cargo 10.

The conveyor module area (A) may include a third area (A3), which is a conveyor module area where the rotated cargo 10 is located so that the center line (CL) is parallel to the first direction axis. In this case, the third area A3 may include the 9th conveyor module to the 12th conveyor module.

The control unit 900 operates in the first direction while the cargo 10 selected as the rotation control object is located in the first area A1 and the second area A2 where the center line CL is inclined with respect to the first direction axis. When the cargo 10 is located in the third area A3 where the axis and the center line CL are parallel, rotation control for the selected cargo 10 can be terminated.

That is, in the embodiment, the inclined cargo 10 can be aligned in a set direction by controlling the speed of each conveyor module 320 corresponding to the cargo 10 among the plurality of conveyor modules 320, and further moved to a set position. It can be moved.

The cargo sorting device 1 of the present invention may include a side wall 20 installed on at least one of the spacer 200, the module part 300, and the position change part 500. The side wall 20 may extend along the cargo transfer direction and may be arranged in pairs along the side of the spacer 200, the module 300, or the position changer 500.

The side wall 20 may be higher than the conveyor module 320 or conveyor belt through which cargo is transported, and may be used to rotate or align the cargo 10. For example, when the cargo 10 is located close to the side end of the module unit 300, the cargo 10 collides with the side wall 20 when rotated by the module unit 320 and comes into close contact with the side wall 20. can be sorted accordingly.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the sequential transfer unit 400 may align the spacing between cargoes 10 that have passed through the module unit 300 in the first direction. The control unit 900 may calculate the order of the cargo 10 arranged in the first direction using data transmitted from the vision unit 800. Accordingly, the sequential transfer unit 400 can drive the belt where the cargo 10 is located at high speed based on the measurement data of the vision unit 800 and discharge it first.

Therefore, in order to control the speed for each individual cargo 10, the sequential transfer unit 400 may be arranged with the same conveyor module 320 as the module unit 300, and the cargo 10 passing through the sequential transfer unit 400 They may not overlap each other in the first direction.

FIG. 6 may sequentially show cargo 10 being transferred through the module unit 300 and the sequential transfer unit 400. The first to tenth cargoes may pass through the first section (D1) to the third section (D3) in chronological order.

The first section D1 may be a section in which the inclined cargo 10 rotates, and the first section D1 may be included in the module unit 300 . The second section D2 may be a section in which the rotation of the inclined cargo 10 in the first section has been completed, and the second section D2 may be included in one of the module unit 300 or the sequential transfer unit 400. . The third section (D3) may be a section where the first direction spacing between cargoes (first to tenth cargo) of the second section (D2) is spaced apart, and the third section (D3) is connected to the sequential transfer unit 400. may be included.

FIG. 6 may be an example of a case where the sorter unit 700 through which the cargo 10 that has passed the sequential transfer unit 400 or the position change unit 500 enters has two branches as shown in FIG. 9 . That is, the control unit 900 may set a dividing line DL that separates the cargo 10 to be transported according to the branch input to the sorter unit 700 of the sequential transfer unit 500. Accordingly, the sequential transfer unit 400 may be partitioned according to the dividing line DL of the third area D3, and an order may be determined between the cargoes 10 in each partitioned area. In the case of FIG. 6, one partitioned area may be spaced apart in the order of the first cargo, third cargo, fourth cargo, sixth cargo, seventh cargo, and tenth cargo, and the other partitioned area may be the second cargo. It may be spaced out in the following order: cargo, 5th cargo, 9th cargo, and 8th cargo.

When there is one branch of the sorter unit 700 into which the cargo 10 that has passed the sequential transfer unit 400 or the position change unit 500 enters as shown in FIG. 8, the first to tenth cargoes are moved in the first direction. They can be passed in order, spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 7 may illustrate cargo passing through the second zone D2, and shows an example of a method of determining the order in which cargo 10 is spaced apart by the sequential transfer unit 400.

For example, when the first to fourth cargoes enter the sequential transfer unit 400 in close contact with each other in the first direction, the control unit 900 is spaced apart based on the starting positions (1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) of each cargo. You can decide the order. In the case of FIG. 7, the separation order may be determined in the order of first cargo, third cargo, second cargo, and fourth cargo. Accordingly, the starting position 3a of the third cargo may be disposed after the ending position 1b of the first cargo along the first direction while passing through the sequential transfer unit 400, and the ending position 3b of the third cargo Later the starting position 2a of the second cargo can be placed. In this way, the order of cargo within the compartmentalized areas within the sequential transfer unit 400 can be determined.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the position switching unit 500 can classify the cargo 10 that has passed through the sequential transfer unit 400. For example, the cargo 10 may be put into at least one branch of the sorter unit 700 by the position switching unit 500. FIG. 8 may show a case where there is only one branch input to the sorter unit 700, and FIG. 9 may show a case where there are two branches.

When there is only one branch input to the sorter unit 700, the separation order of all cargo 10 transferred along the first direction may be determined in the sequential transfer unit 400 without setting a dividing line DL.

When there are two branches input to the sorter unit 700, a dividing line DL may be set in the sequential transfer unit 400. For example, cargo 10 passing through the sequential transfer unit 400 may be divided by the dividing line DL. When the separated cargo on one side is transferred to the adjacent branch of the sorter unit 700, the conveyor module 320 downstream of the sequential transfer unit 400 where the cargo exiting the sequential transfer unit 400 is located does not need to be accelerated.

However, when cargo on one side divided by the dividing line (DL) must move to the far branch of the sorter unit 700 on the opposite side, the cargo exiting the sequential transfer unit 400 is located downstream of the sequential transfer unit 400. The conveyor module 320 may be accelerated to readjust the spacing between the loads 10.

In this case, the control unit 900 can also perform the alignment of the spacing between cargoes 10 at a point upstream of the sequential transfer unit 400 at a point downstream of the sequential transfer unit 400. In this case, the upstream point of the sequential transfer unit 400 may be the location of the sequential transfer unit 400 adjacent to the module unit 300, and the downstream point of the sequential transfer unit 400 may be the location of the sequential transfer unit 400 adjacent to the position switching unit 500. ) may be the location.

Before the cargo 10 is input into the sorter 700, the scanning unit 600 scans the recognition unit attached to the cargo including the barcode to determine the cargo delivery location, types of items in the cargo, weight of the cargo, and handling of the cargo. You can check cargo information including precautions. When the cargo information is obtained by the vision unit 800, the scan unit 600 can be omitted, and in this case, the cargo 10 that has passed the module unit 300 or the position change unit 500 is stored in the sorter unit ( 700) can be transferred directly.

The sorter unit 700 can classify the cargo 10 by type. The sorter unit 700 may use cargo information confirmed by the scan unit 600 before the cargo 10 is sorted. There may be more than one branch of the sorter unit 700 where the cargo 10 that has passed the position change unit 500 or the scan unit 600 is received, and the position can be switched in 1 way or 2 way depending on the layout of the sorter unit 700. Cargo 10 may be input into the sorter unit 700 from the unit 500 or the scan unit 600.

The features, structures, effects, etc. described in the embodiments above are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. In addition, the features, structures, effects, etc. of each embodiment can be combined or modified for other embodiments by a person with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the embodiments belong. Therefore, contents related to such combinations and modifications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

In addition, although the above description focuses on the embodiment, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can understand the above examples without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. You will be able to see that various modifications and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the examples can be modified and implemented. And these variations and differences in application should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

1... cargo sorting conveyor device 10... cargo
20... side wall 40... alignment mark
100... Feeding part 200... Separating part
220... Separation belt 300... Module part
320... conveyor module 340... controller
400... Sequential transfer unit 500... Position switching unit
600... Scan section 700... Sorter section
800... Vision section 900... Control section
DL... Parting line CL... Center line
C... Cargo-centric
A,A1,A2,A3... Conveyor module area
D1,D2,D3... 1st to 3rd sections

Claims (13)

A plurality of conveyor modules are arranged side by side in a first direction, which is a direction of cargo transport, and a second direction, which is perpendicular to and transverse to the first direction, and at least partially support the cargo, and are inclined with respect to the first direction. A module unit that rotates the cargo;
a vision unit that photographs an area where the cargo is transported and recognizes at least one of the location, direction, and shape of the cargo;
A control unit that receives the data obtained by the vision unit and individually drives the plurality of conveyor modules where the cargo is located at different speeds; Including,
It includes a sequential transfer unit that aligns a plurality of cargoes that have passed through the module unit in the first direction and accelerates the cargoes in the order in which the cargoes enter,
a sorter unit including at least one branch for sorting the cargo; and
A position switching unit disposed between the sequential transfer unit and the sorter unit to control the position of the cargo,
The control unit accelerates the conveyor module located downstream of the sequential transfer unit when readjustment of the cargo sorting order by the sequential transfer unit is required due to a change in direction of the cargo,
A cargo sorting device downstream of the sequential transfer unit is a location of the sequential transfer unit adjacent to the position change unit.
According to claim 1,
A cargo sorting device comprising a feeding part where the cargo is randomly obtained in bulk, or a spacer that separates the cargo in close contact with each other in the first or second direction when the cargo received in the feeding unit is in close contact with each other.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The control unit sets a virtual cargo center on the cargo by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit, and a virtual center line that passes through the cargo center and is a long volume direction of the cargo,
The control unit, when the virtual center line and the first direction are 90 degrees or less, drives the speed of the conveyor module where the cargo selected to be rotationally controlled is located to increase from the inside to the outside along the virtual center line from the center of the cargo,
The control unit, when the virtual center line and the first direction are 90 degrees or more, drives the speed of the conveyor module where the cargo selected to be rotationally controlled is located to slow from the inside to the outside along the virtual center line from the center of the cargo. Sorting device.
A plurality of conveyor modules are arranged side by side in a first direction, which is a direction of cargo transport, and a second direction, which is perpendicular to and transverse to the first direction, and at least partially support the cargo, and are inclined with respect to the first direction. A module unit that rotates the cargo;
A vision unit that photographs an area where the cargo is transported and recognizes at least one of the location, direction, and shape of the cargo;
A control unit that receives the data obtained by the vision unit and individually drives the plurality of conveyor modules where the cargo is located at different speeds; Including,
The control unit sets the width of the conveyor module where the cargo is located as the radius and sets a circle centered on the cargo center of the cargo,
The control unit is a cargo sorting device that varies the speed of the conveyor module by calculating a movement amount on the circumference of the set circle according to the distance from the center of the cargo for each position of the cargo.
According to claim 1,
The control unit sets a virtual cargo center on the cargo by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit, and a virtual center line that passes through the cargo center and is a long volume direction of the cargo,
The module unit is a cargo alignment device that rotates the cargo until the center line is parallel to the first direction.
According to claim 1,
The conveyor module includes a controller that exchanges data with the control unit,
The controller controls the rotation speed of each of the plurality of conveyor modules by operating a drive motor included in each of the plurality of conveyor modules according to a drive command.
According to claim 1,
A scanning unit disposed between the position switching unit and the sorting unit,
The scanning unit scans the cargo to which a recognition unit containing a barcode is attached before the cargo is input, and confirms cargo information including cargo delivery location, types of items in the cargo, weight of the cargo, and precautions for handling the cargo. Sorting device.
According to claim 1,
A cargo alignment device comprising a pair of opposing side walls disposed along a side surface of the module unit.
According to claim 1,
The control unit sets a virtual cargo center on the cargo by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit, and a virtual center line that passes through the cargo center and is a long volume direction of the cargo,
When the center line of the cargo located in the module unit is inclined within 90 degrees clockwise (CW) with respect to the first direction, the cargo rotates counterclockwise (CCW), and the cargo located in the module unit When the center line is inclined within 90 degrees counterclockwise (CCW) with respect to the first direction, the cargo is rotated clockwise (CW).
According to claim 1,
The control unit determines whether the cargo entering the module unit is subject to rotation control, and the control unit determines the rotation direction of the cargo selected as the rotation control subject,
When the rotation control and rotation direction of the cargo entering the module unit are determined, the control unit transmits individual speed data for the plurality of conveyor modules where the cargo subject to rotation control is located.
According to claim 1,
The control unit sets a virtual cargo center on the cargo by recognizing the cargo shape of the vision unit, and a center line that passes through the cargo center and is a long volume direction of the cargo,
A first area with a relatively high speed on one side and a second area with a relatively slow speed on the other side along the second direction based on the center of the cargo entering the module unit, or the center line is in the first direction and A conveyor module area is set including a third area where the cargo that is parallel and completes rotation is located,
The control unit is configured to control the cargo on the third area whose center line is parallel to the first direction while the cargo selected as a rotation control object is located on the first area and the second area whose center line is inclined with respect to the first direction axis. A cargo alignment device that terminates rotation control for the selected cargo once it is in position.