WO2019100857A1

WO2019100857A1 - Sorting device and sorting method

Info

Publication number: WO2019100857A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/109461
Authority: WO
Inventors: 张雷; 秦恒乐; 肖军; 胡金星; 王萌; 马超
Original assignee: 北京京东尚科信息技术有限公司; 北京京东世纪贸易有限公司
Priority date: 2017-11-21
Filing date: 2018-10-09
Publication date: 2019-05-31
Also published as: JP7100124B2; JP2021500224A; CN109807068A

Abstract

A sorting device and a sorting method. The sorting device comprises: an object feeding table (21) for conveying a package; a transfer robot (22) for transferring the package on the object feeding table (21) to a corresponding delivery window (23); and multiple delivery windows (23), a transfer container (24) being provided below each of the delivery windows (23) and used for storing the package dropped from the delivery window (23), and the sorting stations corresponding to at least some of the multiple delivery windows (23) being different.

Description

Sorting device and sorting method

Cross-reference to related applications

This patent application is filed on November 21, 2017, with the application number of 201711168424.9, the applicant is Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Jingdong Century Trading Co., Ltd., and the invention name is “sorting device and sorting method”. Priority of the Chinese Patent Application, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical field

The present application relates to warehousing logistics technology, and in particular to parcel sorting technology, and more particularly to sorting devices and sorting methods.

Background technique

Parcel sorting refers to the distribution of different parcels of destinations to different collections through a sorting system or sorting device to achieve uniform collection, storage and transportation of parcels of the same destination.

With the rapid development of the Internet, the number of online shoppers is increasing, which has led to a sharp increase in the number of packages. Therefore, parcel sorting is more important in the entire distribution system, which in turn places more demands on the sorting device.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of the present application is to propose a sorting device and a sorting method to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background section above.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a sorting device. The sorting device comprises: a supply station for conveying the package; a transfer robot for transferring the package on the supply table to the corresponding delivery window; a plurality of delivery windows, each of the plurality of delivery windows The lower part is provided with a transfer container for storing the package falling from the delivery window, wherein at least part of the delivery windows corresponding to the plurality of delivery windows are different, and the lower part refers to the direction of the delivery window facing the ground.

In some embodiments, the sorting device includes an identification component for acquiring encoded information on the package to control the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window.

In some embodiments, the sorting device includes an acquisition assembly and a multi-axis robot; the acquisition assembly is located above the supply station and is located in front of the multi-axis robot for collecting status information of the package on the supply table, wherein the status The information includes location information of the package; the multi-axis robot is located on one side of the infeed station for transferring the package on the infeed table to the transfer robot based on the status information.

In some embodiments, the identification component is disposed in a predetermined direction of the motion path of the multi-axis robot, wherein the preset direction includes at least one of: front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower.

In some embodiments, the status information further includes size parameter information for the package for calculating the volume of the package to determine the status of the relay container, wherein the status includes full load.

In some embodiments, a chute is provided below the delivery window for conveying the package dropped from the delivery window to the transfer container.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a detection assembly located below the delivery window for detecting the status of the relay container, wherein the status includes full load.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a transfer robot for transporting the fully loaded transfer container to a preset position, and/or for transporting the empty transfer container to a delivery window corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container Below.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a bracket for supporting the relay container, and the height of the bracket from the ground is greater than the height of the transfer robot.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a transfer line for conveying the package; and the transfer robot is further configured to: transport the fully loaded transfer container to the transfer line to cause the transfer line to transport the fully loaded transfer container to the preset position .

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a sorting method for the sorting apparatus as described in any one of the first aspects. The sorting method includes: transferring a package conveyed on the supply table to the transfer robot; controlling the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window of the plurality of delivery windows; wherein each of the plurality of delivery windows delivers A transposition container is disposed under the window for storing the package falling from the delivery window, and the sorting stations corresponding to at least part of the delivery windows of the plurality of delivery windows are different.

In some embodiments, the sorting device includes an identification component, and controlling the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding one of the plurality of delivery windows, comprising: receiving the encoded information on the package acquired by the identification component; transmitting the encoded information to The robot is transferred so that the transfer robot transfers the package to the delivery window indicated by the encoded information.

In some embodiments, the sorting device includes an acquisition assembly and a multi-axis robot, and transferring the package conveyed on the supply table to the transfer robot, comprising: receiving status information of the package collected by the collection component, wherein the status information includes The location information of the package; the location information is sent to the multi-axis robot to enable the multi-axis robot to grab the package and transfer the package to the transfer robot.

In some embodiments, the status information further includes size parameter information of the package, and the method further comprises: calculating a volume of the package according to the size parameter information of the package; and for each of the intermediate transfer containers, according to the transfer container The volume of each package and the pre-stored volume of the relay container determine the state of the relay container, wherein the state includes full load.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a detection component, and the method further comprises: receiving detection information of the detection component, wherein the detection information comprises size parameter information of the package dropped from the delivery window and/or in the relay container The height information of the package; according to the detection information, the state of the relay container is determined, wherein the state includes full load.

In some embodiments, the sorting device further includes a transfer robot, and the method further includes: when determining that the state of the transfer container is full, transmitting a control signal to the transfer robot to cause the transfer robot to transport the fully loaded transfer container to the preset position, And/or causing the transfer robot to transport the empty transfer container to the underside of the delivery window corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container.

The sorting device and the sorting method provided by the embodiments of the present application can realize the multi-layer structure sorting device by setting the delivery window and providing the intermediate transfer container under each delivery window, thereby increasing the utilization of the three-dimensional space of the site. Reduce the occupation of the flat space of the site. Moreover, the number of delivery windows can be set according to the change in the number of sorting sites, and the scalability is stronger. At the same time, the transfer robot can be used to replace the traditional sorting trolley moving along the conveying line, and the package can be transported to the corresponding delivery window along the shortest path, thereby improving the sorting efficiency.

DRAWINGS

Other features, objects, and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic structural view of a conventional cross belt sorter;

2 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of a sorting device provided by the present application;

Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the structure of an embodiment of the sorting device in the sorting zone;

Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the structure of an embodiment of the sorting device in the collecting area;

Figure 5 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of a sorting device in a buffer area;

6 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a sorting method provided by the present application.

Detailed ways

The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention, rather than the invention. It is also to be noted that, for the convenience of description, only the parts related to the related invention are shown in the drawings.

It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Prior art package sorting is often used with a cross-belt sorter, as shown in Figure 1, which shows a schematic view of the prior art cross-belt sorter.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, the cross-belt sorter is generally composed of a supply conveyor line 11, a reading device 13, an endless circulation conveyor 14, a traverse carriage 15, a chute 16, a relay container 17, and the like. The specific sorting process is as follows: firstly, all the parcels are manually separated on the supply conveyor line 11 by manual separation and bar code upward operation (position 12 shown in FIG. 1); after that, the parcel is sent to the endless loop conveying. In the line 14 system, a reading device 13 is provided at the entrance of the endless loop conveying line 14 for acquiring package information; and then, in the system of the endless circulating conveying line 14, a plurality of individual traverse carts 15 are included. Arranged perpendicular to the annular circulation conveyor line 14; at the time of sorting, the package is sent to a separate traverse trolley 15 after reading the code, and is calculated by the system to reach the designated position, and the traverse carriage 15 moves, which will include the horizontal direction. The loop circulation line 14 is removed and fed into the designated transfer container 17 via the chute 16 to complete the package sorting. A plurality of transfer containers 17 are arranged outside the endless loop conveying line 14 depending on the sorting station for receiving the packages fed by the traverse cart 15. After the transfer container 17 is full, the transfer container 17 is manually transported to the buffer area.

However, in the existing sorting method of the cross-belt sorter, it is necessary to manually separate all the parcels and the bar code upward operation by manual links, thereby increasing the labor intensity and the error rate due to manual participation. Higher. At the same time, the number of traversing trolleys needs to be configured according to the number of sorting stations. The more sorting stations, and the more the number of traversing trolleys required due to the cyclical arrangement of the cross-belt sorting system, the more space is occupied and the elastic expansion capability is weak. In addition, the sorting speed of this sorting method is limited by the conveying line speed, and it is impossible to improve the instantaneous sorting efficiency. Moreover, the automatic control of the cross-belt sorter is complicated. After the equipment fails, the whole machine needs to be shut down for maintenance, and the operation can be resumed after the fault is repaired. The cost of investment and operation and maintenance of the entire system is also high. Therefore, this sorting method is no longer suitable for the current demand for sorting devices.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, a block diagram of one embodiment of a sorting apparatus provided herein is shown. The sorting device in the present application may include a supply table 21, a transfer robot 22, and a plurality of delivery windows 23. A transfer container 24 is disposed below each of the plurality of delivery windows 23 . Wherein, the lower side refers to the direction in which the delivery window 23 faces the ground.

In this embodiment, the infeed table 21 can be used to transport packages. The transfer robot 22 can be used to transfer the package on the infeed table 21 to the corresponding delivery window 23. The transfer container 24 can be used to store a package that falls from a delivery window located above it (the transfer container). Here, the upper direction is the direction opposite to the lower side, that is, the direction in which the sorting device faces away from the ground. The sorting stations corresponding to at least part of the delivery windows 23 of the plurality of delivery windows 23 are different.

The sorting site here may be, but is not limited to, a collection point divided by province, city or district according to the destination of the package. Once the parcel reaches these sorting sites, it can be further sorted to the sub-collection points managed by the sorting site. Of course, the sorting site can also be the last collection point before the package is delivered to the recipient. It can be understood that the more detailed the sorting site is divided, the more the corresponding delivery window 23 is. For example, each delivery window 23 corresponds to a sorting site in a certain district of Beijing, such that the number of delivery windows 23 is the same as the number of all districts in Beijing.

Specifically, after the package is placed on the infeed table 21, it can be moved along the infeed table 21. At this time, a person can stand on both sides of the infeed table 21, and then the package thereon is manually placed on the transfer robot 22. At the same time, the destination of the package can be identified manually, thereby determining the delivery window corresponding to the package pair, and transmitting the information to the transfer robot 22. The transfer robot 22 then moves the package to the corresponding delivery window 23. Upon reaching the corresponding delivery window 23, the transfer robot 22 carrying the wrapped tray can be rotated relative to each other, thereby transferring the package thereon to the delivery window 23 and transferring the next package. Here, it can be divided into the sorting area of the sorting device, that is, the sorting device located in the sorting area can be on the same floor. Next, the package falls from the delivery window 23 and falls into the transfer container 24 located below the delivery window 23. Here, it can be divided into the collection area of the sorting device, that is, the collection area is located in the lower layer of the sorting area. Finally, after the transfer container 24 is full of packages, it can be manually transported to different buffer areas. It is also possible to manually transport other (not loaded) transfer containers 24 to the location of the package-filled transfer container 24 to continue the package sorting. At this time, the buffer area and the package area may be in the same layer of the sorting device, or may be located in the lower layer of the collecting area.

The sorting device in this embodiment can reduce the use cost of the land by layering the various regions to form a multi-layer structure, thereby increasing the utilization of the three-dimensional space of the site and reducing the occupation of the planar space of the site. Moreover, the number of delivery windows can be set according to the change of the number of sorting sites, and the scalability is stronger and the scope of application is wider. At the same time, the transfer robot can be used to replace the traditional sorting trolley moving along the conveying line, and the parcel can be transported along the shortest path to the corresponding delivery window, thereby improving the sorting efficiency.

In some alternative implementations of this embodiment, in order to reduce manual labor intensity and further improve sorting efficiency, the sorting device may include an identification component (not shown in FIG. 2). The identification component can be used to obtain the encoded information on the package to control the transfer robot to transfer the package to the corresponding delivery window. Here, the encoded information may include barcode information or two-dimensional code information. Moreover, the encoded information may include at least one of the following: destination information of the package, identification information corresponding to the destination, or identification information of the delivery window. Thus, after the identification component sends the encoded information on the package to the transfer robot, the transfer robot can determine the delivery window corresponding to the package. It can be understood that the specific location of the identification component is not limited in the present application. The identification component can be installed on the infeed platform, can also be manually held, and can also be mounted on the transfer robot. This also reduces the probability of human error occurring by setting the identification component.

In order to achieve full-automatic sorting and improve sorting efficiency, it can be further seen in Figures 3 to 5, which respectively show the structural schematics of different zones (sorting zone, packing zone and buffer zone) of the sorting device.

Similar to the sorting device shown in Fig. 2, the sorting device in this embodiment also includes a supply table 21, a transfer robot 22, and a plurality of delivery windows 23 in the sorting area. And a transfer container (such as the transfer container 24 shown in FIG. 4) is disposed under each of the delivery windows 23.

Different from the sorting device shown in FIG. 2, the sorting device in this embodiment may further include an acquisition assembly 25 and a multi-axis robot 26. Acquisition assembly 25 can be used to collect status information for packages on in-counter table 21. The status information may include location information of the package. At this time, in order to better collect the state information of the package, as shown in FIG. 3, the collection assembly 25 may be located above the supply table 21 and in front of the multi-axis robot 26. The multi-axis robot 26 can be located on one side of the infeed table 21. And the multi-axis robot 26 can calculate the exact position of the package on the supply table 21 according to the state information collected by the collection component 25, thereby transferring the package on the supply table 21 to the transfer robot 22, and realizing the automatic capture of the package. . As an example, the status information may also include a spatial arrangement of the package to determine if there is a stack condition for the package on the infeed station. The status information may also include size parameter information for the package. At this time, the multi-axis robot 26 can calculate the grasping mode according to the size parameter information of the package, thereby realizing the grasping of the parcels of different sizes and improving the applicability.

It can be understood that the upper portion here may be directly above the infeed table 21. However, in order to better collect the state information of the package, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion here may also be above the oblique side of the supply table 21. At the same time, the front here refers to the direction of movement along the package table, wrapped in the direction of the multi-axis robot 26 (before the multi-axis robot). That is, the package passes through the acquisition assembly 25 and then passes through the multi-axis robot 26. Here, in order to improve the sorting efficiency, the multi-axis robot 26, the transfer robot 22, and the plurality of delivery windows 23 may be located on the same side of the supply table 21.

In the present embodiment, in order to further realize the automatic sorting of the sorting device and reduce the labor intensity, the identification component 27 can be disposed in a preset direction of the motion path of the multi-axis robot 26. The preset direction may include at least one of the following: front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower. Thus, during the sorting process of the package, there is no need to limit the specific orientation of the surface on which the code information on the package is located. In the process of the multi-axis robot 26 grabbing the package, the identification component 27 can take a picture or a photographing scan of the six sides of the package to collect the encoded information on the identification package. After the encoded information is transmitted to the transfer robot 22, the transfer robot 22 transfers the package to the corresponding delivery window 23 based on the encoded information.

Further, in order to prevent damage of the package during the falling process, as shown in FIG. 4, a chute 28 may be disposed below the delivery window 23. The chute 28 is used to convey the package dropped from the delivery window 23 to the transfer container 24. Such a package can fall along the chute 28 under the force of gravity. As an example, in order to further serve as a buffering effect, the surface of the chute may be subjected to a roughness treatment to increase the friction between the chute 28 and the package, or the chute may be arranged in a spiral shape to alleviate the falling speed of the package.

In order to further improve the sorting efficiency, as shown in FIG. 4, the sorting device may further include a transfer robot 29. The transfer robot 29 is used to transport the fully loaded transfer container 24 to a preset position. And/or the transfer robot 29 is used to transport the empty transfer container 24 below the delivery window 23 corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container 24. The preset position here can be, but is not limited to, a buffer area.

It can be understood that when the status information further includes the size parameter information of the package, the size parameter information of the package can be utilized to calculate the volume of the package. The state of the transfer container 24 can be determined based on the number of packages in the transfer container 24 and the volume of each package. Wherein, the state of the transfer container may include full load. That is, the transfer container is filled with packages. Here, each of the transfer containers can be mass produced, so the volume of these transfer containers is generally known and substantially the same.

In particular, the transfer container 24 can be placed on a stand. And the height of the bracket from the ground should be greater than the height of the transfer robot 29. That is, after the transfer container 24 is placed on the bracket, the distance between the lower surface of the relay container 24 and the ground is greater than the height of the transfer robot 29. Thus, when the sum of the volumes of all the packages in the intermediate container 24 is close to the volume of the transfer container 24, or not less than the volume of the transfer container 24, a control signal is sent to the transfer robot 29. The transfer robot 29 can drive under the transfer container 24 and lift it up and transport it to the buffer area for storage. At this time, a control signal can be sent to the other transfer robot 29 to transport the idle transfer container 24 (not loaded with the package) to the support. It can be understood that when the space between the relay container itself and the ground is sufficient to accommodate the transfer robot, the bracket may not be provided.

As an example, the sorting device may also include a detection assembly (not shown). The detection component can be located below the delivery window for detecting the status of the relay container. Wherein, the state may include full load. For example, the detection assembly can be a camera mounted on each chute 28 to collect dimensional parameters for each package that falls along the chute 28 so that the volume of each package can be calculated. Thus, depending on the sum of the volumes of the respective packages that fall into the relay container 24, it can also be determined whether the relay container 28 is fully loaded. Of course, in order to reduce the production cost, each of the detecting components may be arranged along the direction in which the transfer containers are arranged, so that each of the detecting components can simultaneously detect the plurality of transfer containers. Further, for example, the detection assembly can also be a sensor mounted on the side wall of each of the relay containers 28 to detect the height information of the package in the relay container 28. Thus, as the package continually falls into the transfer container 28 and accumulates, when the height of the package reaches the height of the detection assembly, the detection assembly can issue a feedback signal to determine that the state of the transfer container is full. This can reduce the amount of information transmission and storage space, which is beneficial to improve the processing efficiency of the sorting device.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the sorting device may further be provided with a conveying line 20 in the buffer area. When the transfer robot 29 transports the transfer container 24 to the entrance of the transfer line 20, the transfer robot 29 stops moving while the belt on the transfer robot rotates, causing the transfer container 24 located thereon to move laterally, that is, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Moving to the conveying line 20. At this time, the conveying line 20 is also started to operate, and the rotational speeds of the two are matched to completely move the intermediate container 24 to the conveying line 20. Thus the transfer robot 29 can carry out the transfer of the next transfer container. The transfer container 24 is transported to the corresponding area by the transport line 20, so that the transport time of the transfer robot 29 can be reduced, and the overall sorting efficiency of the sorting apparatus can be further improved.

It can be understood that the sorting device in the present application not only occupies a small site, but also has a high degree of intelligence, greatly reduces manual intervention, and has strong scalability, and can be adjusted according to capacity. In addition, maintenance and repair are convenient. When a certain fault occurs, it can be replaced by a short time, so that the operation of the entire sorting device will not be affected. Even if a single transfer robot or transfer robot fails, it can be put aside for repair without affecting the normal operation of other robots.

The application also proposes a sorting method. This sorting method can be applied to the sorting apparatus described in the above embodiments. Referring specifically to Figure 6, a flow diagram of one embodiment of a sorting method provided herein is shown. The sorting method can include the following steps:

In step 601, the package conveyed on the infeed table is transferred to the transfer robot.

In this embodiment, the control system can control other devices to transport the package to the supply station, such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). At this point, the package on the infeed table can be manually transferred to the transfer robot.

In some alternative implementations of this embodiment, the sorting device can include an acquisition assembly and a multi-axis robot. At this time, transferring the package conveyed on the infeed table to the transfer robot may include: receiving status information of the package collected by the collection component, wherein the status information includes location information of the package; and transmitting the position information to the multi-axis robot to Allow the multi-axis robot to grab the package and transfer the package to the transfer robot. Here, data transmission between components can be performed by means of a wired connection or a wireless connection. For the specific sorting process of the package, reference may be made to the related description in the embodiment of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and details are not described herein.

Step 602: Control the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window of the plurality of delivery windows.

In this embodiment, the control system can control the transfer robot to transfer the package to the corresponding delivery window. Wherein, under each of the plurality of delivery windows, a transfer container is disposed under the delivery window for storing the package dropped from the delivery window. And the sorting stations corresponding to at least part of the delivery windows of the plurality of delivery windows are different. For the specific control process, refer to the related description in the embodiment of FIG. 2, and details are not described herein again.

In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the sorting device can also include an identification component. At this time, controlling the transfer robot to transfer the package to the corresponding delivery window in the plurality of delivery windows may include: receiving the encoding information on the package acquired by the identification component; and transmitting the encoding information to the transfer robot, so that the transfer robot will The package is transferred to the delivery window indicated by the encoded information. The coded information here may be bar code information or two-dimensional code information. The coded information may include at least one of the following: destination information of the package, identification information corresponding to the destination, or identification information of the delivery window.

Optionally, when the status information further includes the size parameter information of the package, the method may further include: calculating a volume of the package according to the size parameter information of the package; and for each of the intermediate transfer containers, according to the transfer container The volume of each package in the medium and the volume of the pre-stored container are determined to determine the state of the relay container, wherein the state includes full load.

As an example, the sorting device may further comprise a detection component, and the method may further comprise: receiving detection information of the detection component, wherein the detection information may comprise size parameter information of the package falling from the delivery window and/or a package in the relay container Height information; based on the detection information, determine the state of the relay container, wherein the state includes full load.

Further, the sorting device may further include a transfer robot. At this time, the method may further include: when determining that the state of the relay container is full, transmitting a control signal to the transfer robot, so that the transfer robot transports the fully loaded transfer container to the preset position, and/or causes the transfer robot to transfer the idle load. The container is transported to the underside of the delivery window corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container.

The sorting method provided by the present application transfers the package conveyed on the supply table to the corresponding delivery window by controlling the transfer robot, and then falls into the transfer container located below the delivery window, thereby completing the package sorting. The use of the multi-layer sorting device can increase the utilization of the three-dimensional space of the site and reduce the occupation of the planar space of the site. Moreover, the number of delivery windows can be set according to the change in the number of sorting sites, and the scalability is stronger. At the same time, the transfer robot can be used to replace the traditional sorting trolley moving along the conveying line, and the package can be transported to the corresponding delivery window along the shortest path, thereby improving the sorting efficiency. Moreover, each transfer robot operates independently and does not interfere with each other, which helps to improve the overall operating efficiency.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and a description of the principles of the applied technology. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the invention referred to in the present application is not limited to the specific combination of the above technical features, and should also be covered by the above technical features without departing from the inventive concept. Other technical solutions formed by any combination of their equivalent features. For example, the above features are combined with the technical features disclosed in the present application, but are not limited to the technical features having similar functions.

Claims

A sorting device, characterized in that the sorting device comprises:

a supply station for conveying packages;

a transfer robot for transferring the package on the infeed table to a corresponding delivery window;

a plurality of delivery windows, each of the plurality of delivery windows is provided with a relay container for storing a package falling from the delivery window, wherein at least part of the plurality of delivery windows The corresponding sorting station is different, and the lower side refers to the direction in which the delivery window faces the ground.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sorting means includes an identification component for acquiring encoded information on the package to control said transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said sorting means comprises an acquisition assembly and a multi-axis robot;

The collection component is located above the infeed station and is located in front of the multi-axis robot for collecting state information of the package on the infeed table, wherein the status information includes location information of the package;

The multi-axis robot is located at one side of the infeed station for transferring a package on the infeed table to the transfer robot according to the status information.
The sorting device according to claim 3, wherein the identification component is disposed in a preset direction of a motion path of the multi-axis robot, wherein the preset direction comprises at least one of: front and rear , left, right, above and below.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said status information further comprises size parameter information of the package for calculating a volume of the package to determine a state of said relay container, wherein said state comprises full load .
The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a chute is provided below the delivery window for conveying a package dropped from the delivery window to the relay container.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sorting means further comprises a detecting component located below the delivery window for detecting a state of the relay container, wherein said state comprises full load.
Sorting device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sorting device further comprises a transfer robot for transporting the fully loaded transfer container to a preset position and/or for emptying The transfer container is transported to the bottom of the delivery window corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sorting apparatus further comprises a bracket for supporting the relay container, and the height of the bracket from the ground is greater than the height of the transfer robot.
The sorting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sorting means further comprises a conveying line for conveying the package;

The transfer robot is further configured to: transport the fully loaded transfer container to the transfer line such that the transfer line delivers the fully loaded transfer container to the predetermined position.
A sorting method, characterized in that the sorting method is used in a sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the sorting method comprising:

Transfer the package delivered on the supply table to the transfer robot;

Controlling the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window of the plurality of delivery windows;

Wherein, each of the plurality of delivery windows is provided with a relay container for storing a package falling from the delivery window, and at least part of the plurality of delivery windows corresponding to the sorting site different.
The sorting method according to claim 11, wherein said sorting means comprises an identification component, and

The controlling the transfer robot to transfer the package to a corresponding delivery window of the plurality of delivery windows comprises:

Receiving coded information on the package acquired by the identification component;

Transmitting the encoded information to the transfer robot to cause the transfer robot to transfer the package to a delivery window indicated by the encoded information.
The sorting method according to claim 11, wherein said sorting means comprises an acquisition component and a multi-axis robot, and

Transferring the package conveyed on the infeed table to the transfer robot, including:

Receiving status information of the package collected by the collection component, where the status information includes location information of the package;

The position information is transmitted to the multi-axis robot to cause the multi-axis robot to grab the package and transfer the package to the transfer robot.
The sorting method according to claim 13, wherein the status information further includes size parameter information of the package, and the method further comprises:

Calculating a volume of the package according to size parameter information of the package;

For each of the intermediate transfer containers, the state of the transfer container is determined based on the volume of each package in the transfer container and the pre-stored volume of the transfer container, wherein the state includes full load.
The sorting method according to claim 11, wherein the sorting device further comprises a detecting component, and the method further comprises:

Receiving detection information of the detection component, wherein the detection information includes size parameter information of a package dropped from a delivery window and/or height information of a package in a relay container;

A state of the relay container is determined based on the detection information, wherein the state includes full load.
The sorting method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the sorting device further comprises a transfer robot, and the method further comprises:

When it is determined that the state of the relay container is full, a control signal is sent to the transfer robot to cause the transfer robot to transport the fully loaded transfer container to a preset position, and/or to cause the transfer robot to transport the empty transfer container Below the delivery window corresponding to the fully loaded transfer container.