WO2019184608A1

WO2019184608A1 - Transport system and transport method

Info

Publication number: WO2019184608A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/074904
Authority: WO
Inventors: 徐丹; 王振辉
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: 2018-03-27
Filing date: 2019-02-13
Publication date: 2019-10-03
Also published as: CN108584410B; CN108584410A

Abstract

Disclosed are a transport system and a transport method, which relate to the technical field of logistics. The transport system (210) comprises a conveying apparatus (2110) for conveying objects; and a sorting apparatus (2120), the sorting apparatus (2120) being located below the conveying apparatus (2110) for receiving, in a moving state and when passing through the end of the conveying apparatus (2110), objects falling from an end of the conveying apparatus (2110).

Description

Transportation system and transportation method

Cross-reference to related applications

The present application is based on and claims the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit of the benefit.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the field of logistics technology, and in particular to a transportation system and a transportation method.

Background technique

In the related art, a parcel conveyor line transports parcels from a production area to a sorting area. There are multiple sorting robots waiting in line at the station in the sorting area. The parcel is then removed from the parcel conveyor line by the six-axis robot at the station and placed on the sorting robot. The sorting robot transports the parcel from the platform to the corresponding sorting compartment to complete the sorting.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a transport system is provided, comprising: a transport device for transporting an item; a sorting device, the sorting device being located below the transport device for passing over the end of the transport device Receiving items dropped from the end of the conveying device in a moving state.

In some embodiments, the transportation system further includes: a controller, configured to acquire operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device; determine operation control information according to the operation setting information; and send to the conveying device and the sorting device At least one of the transmission run control information is such that the item on the transport device and the sorting device simultaneously reach the end of the transport device.

In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to calculate a delivery time of the article on the delivery device based on a distance from the position at which the article is placed to the delivery device to the end of the delivery device, and an operating speed of the delivery device; The distance from the preset starting position to the end of the conveying device and the conveying time, the driving information of the sorting device is calculated; the driving information and the preset starting position are transmitted to the sorting device.

In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine a difference between the transport duration of the item and the preset duration that the sorting device waits at the preset start position as the travel time of the sorting device, according to the start position and the transport device. The distance between the ends and the travel time of the sorting device determine the travel information and send the start position, the travel information, the preset duration waiting at the start position to the sorting device; the sorting device is also used to reach the preset start After the position, it waits for a preset duration and starts, and moves according to the preset driving information to reach the end of the conveying device at the same time as the item on the conveying device.

In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to calculate the travel speed of the sorting device or the initial travel speed of the sorting device according to the distance between the preset starting position of the sorting device and the end of the conveying device and the conveying time. Acceleration.

In some embodiments, the controller is further for obtaining a first speed of the transport device for transporting the item; determining a second speed of the sorting device as it passes over the end of the transport device, wherein the first speed and the second speed The gap is less than the preset range.

In some embodiments, the transportation system includes a plurality of sorting devices, and the controller is further configured to send the plurality of sorting devices a preset time interval so that the plurality of sorting devices are sequentially started and transported at preset time intervals. The end of the device, the preset time interval is the time interval between adjacent items being placed on the delivery device.

In some embodiments, the conveying area of the conveying device has a plurality of sub-areas divided along the conveying direction; each sub-area corresponds to a column of sorting devices, and the sorting device in each column is used at the end of the respective sub-area passing through the conveying device At the time, the item dropped from the end of the conveying device is received.

In some embodiments, the transport system further includes a gripping device for placing the items on the item transport line onto the transport device at a predetermined frequency.

In some embodiments, the delivery area of the delivery device has a plurality of sub-areas divided along the direction of transport, and the gripping device is used to place the item in a sub-area of the delivery device.

In some embodiments, the sorting device is a flapper or sorter.

In some embodiments, the gripping device is a delta robot.

According to a second aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, a transportation method is provided, comprising: acquiring operation setting information of at least one of a conveying device and a sorting device; determining operation control information according to operation setting information; At least one of the sorting devices transmits control information such that the items on the transport device and the sorting device simultaneously reach the end of the transport device.

In some embodiments, determining the operation control information according to the operation setting information comprises: calculating a delivery time of the item on the conveying device according to a distance from the position at which the item is placed to the conveying device to the end of the conveying device, and the running speed of the conveying device The travel information of the sorting device is calculated according to the distance from the preset starting position of the sorting device to the end of the conveying device and the conveying time.

In some embodiments, determining the operation control information according to the operation setting information comprises: determining, by the difference between the delivery duration of the item and the preset duration of the sorting device at the preset activation position, as the travel time of the sorting device; The driving information is determined by the distance between the starting position and the end of the conveying device and the driving time of the sorting device; and transmitting the control information to the at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device comprises: transmitting the starting position, driving information, The preset duration waiting at the starting position, so that after the sorting device reaches the preset starting position, it waits for the preset duration and starts, and moves according to the preset driving information to reach the conveying device at the same time as the articles on the conveying device. Ends.

In some embodiments, the travel speed of the sorting device, or the initial travel speed and acceleration of the sorting device, is calculated based on the distance of the preset starting position of the sorting device from the end of the transport device and the delivery time.

In some embodiments, obtaining a first speed of the transport device for transporting the item; determining a second speed of the sorting device as it passes over the end of the transport device, wherein the difference between the first speed and the second speed is less than a predetermined range .

In some embodiments, the plurality of sorting devices are sent a preset time interval such that the plurality of sorting devices are sequentially activated at a predetermined time interval and pass through the end of the conveying device, the preset time interval being an adjacent item. The time interval that is placed on the conveyor.

According to a third aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a transport apparatus comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform any of the foregoing transports based on instructions stored in the memory method.

According to a fourth aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the foregoing transportation methods.

Other features of the present disclosure and its advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments.

DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings to be used in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only It is a certain embodiment of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be obtained from those skilled in the art without any inventive labor.

1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a transportation scenario in the related art.

2A, 2B are exemplary structural diagrams of a transportation system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

3A and 3B are side schematic views of a flapping robot in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

4A is an exemplary structural diagram of a transportation system in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

4B is a top plan view of a delta robot in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

5A, 5B are schematic illustrations of the operational process of a transport system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

6 is a top plan view of a transport sorting scene, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

7 is an exemplary flow diagram of a shipping method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

8A, 8B are exemplary flow diagrams of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

9 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

10 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

11 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

12 is an exemplary structural diagram of a transport device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is an exemplary structural diagram of a transport device in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure.

detailed description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all of the embodiments. The following description of the at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the inventive scope are the scope of the disclosure.

The relative arrangement of the components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

In the meantime, it should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn in the actual scale relationship for the convenience of the description.

Techniques, methods and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and apparatus should be considered as part of the authorization specification.

In all of the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values are to be construed as illustrative only and not as a limitation. Accordingly, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters indicate similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it is not required to be further discussed in the subsequent figures.

The inventors analyzed the related technology and found that the six-axis robot used in the related art has a slower tempo, and generally can complete the pick-and-place of a package in about 8 to 10 seconds, which seriously affects the efficiency of the supply. One technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure is how to improve the efficiency of the supply.

As shown in Fig. 1A, the sorting

robots

101, 102, 103, ... 10N are waiting in line, and the robot 11 places the package on the sorter who is at the head of the team. The sorting robot 101 starts, accelerates, and travels forward after obtaining the package. Other problems may arise if you replace a six-axis robot with another robot that has a faster tempo. As shown in FIG. 1B, the sorting robot 101 has obtained a package, which takes a while to start. When the robot 11 has prepared the next package, the sorting robot 101 still does not start to leave, thus seriously affecting the efficiency of the supply.

2A is an exemplary structural diagram of a transportation system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2A, the transportation system 210 of this embodiment includes a conveying device 2110 and a sorting device 2120. The sorting device 2120 is located below the transport device 2110, ie the work plane of the sorting device 2120 is located below the plane in which the transport device 2110 is located so that the sorting device 2120 can pass under the transport device 2110. One or more sorting devices may be included in system 210, and only one sorting device 2120 is shown by way of example in FIG. 2A.

The delivery device 2110 is used to deliver items, such as items that can be used to place the grasping device onto the delivery device 2110 to the end of the delivery device 2110. The sorting device 2120 is configured to receive an item dropped from the end of the conveying device 2110 in a moving state when passing the end of the conveying device 2110, so that the sorting device 2120 sorts the carried items.

In some embodiments, the sorting device 2120 can be a flapper or sorter. The sorter may include, for example, a cross belt sorter, a bag sorter, and the like.

Through the above embodiment, the sorting device can receive the item on the move, that is, can be activated before picking up the item, so that the efficiency of receiving the item of the sorting device can be adapted to the supply efficiency of the item, and the efficiency of the supply is improved. And further improve the sorting efficiency.

2B is an exemplary structural diagram of a transportation system in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2B, the transportation system 220 of this embodiment includes a conveying device 2210, a sorting device 2220, and a controller 2230. The controller 2230 is communicatively coupled to at least one of the transport device 2210 and the sorting device 2220. The controller 2230 is configured to acquire operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device 2210 and the sorting device 2220; determine operation operation information according to the operation setting information; and send operation control information to at least one of the conveying device 2210 and the sorting device 2220. The article on the conveyor 2210 and the sorting device 2220 simultaneously reach the end of the conveyor 2210.

The conveying device 2210 and the sorting device 2220 operate in accordance with the operation information. The running setting information in the running information is preset known information, and the running control information is unknown information, and the controller 2230 is required to perform calculation.

Through the above embodiment, the controller can determine the operation control information according to the operation setting information of the conveying device and the sorting device, so as to realize the synchronization of the articles on the conveying device and the sorting device at the preset position. This preset position is the end of the conveyor.

3A and 3B are side schematic views of a flapping robot in some embodiments. In FIG. 3A, the tray 321 of the flapping robot 320 carries the article 330. In FIG. 3B, when the flapping robot 320 needs to unload, for example, when the sorting compartment 340 is reached, the tray 321 of the flapping robot 320 can be rotated to cause the article 330 to fall into the sorting compartment 340 to complete the sorting. It should be clear to those skilled in the art that FIGS. 3A and 3B are only used to exemplarily introduce the main structure and basic working principle of the flapping robot, and do not show all the components of the flapping robot, nor in other embodiments of the present disclosure. The flapper robot has any limiting effect.

4A is an exemplary structural diagram of a transportation system in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4A, the transport system 40 of this embodiment includes a transport device 410 and a sorting device 420, and also includes a gripping device 430. Grab device 430 is used to place items on the item transport line onto transport device 410 at a predetermined frequency. For specific implementations of the transporting device 410 and the sorting device 420, reference may be made to the foregoing embodiments, and details are not described herein again. The item transport line may be, for example, a parcel transport line for providing unordered packages, goods, and the like to be sorted. The item transport line can be a conveyor belt.

In some embodiments, the lower limit of the working height range of the gripping device 430 may not be lower than the upper surface of the conveying device 410 to reduce the likelihood of a mis-collision of the gripping device 430 and the conveying device 410. Of course, if the height of the article transport line is lower than the transport device 410, the height of the transport device 410 can also be within the working height range of the grasping device 430, and those skilled in the art can make selections as needed.

For example, if the plane elevation of the sorting equipment is 0m, the surface height of the body of the flapping robot can be 0.2m, the surface elevation of the conveying equipment can be 0.35m, and the working surface range of the grabbing equipment is 0.35m~0.55. m. It should be clear to those skilled in the art that the above data is only for the exemplary description of the positional relationship between the respective devices. The devices in the system of the embodiments of the present disclosure may have other heights as needed, and details are not described herein again.

In some embodiments, the gripping device 430 can be a delta robot, and a top view of the delta robot can refer to FIG. 4B. The delta manipulator has strong bearing capacity, small self-weight load ratio, good dynamic performance and fast working tempo. Its working beat can reach one item for 2s, which improves the efficiency of the supply.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that although the structure of the sorting apparatus 420 of Figure 4A is closer to the delta robot, Figure 4A is merely one exemplary embodiment. Those skilled in the art can select other types of gripping devices as needed.

5A, 5B are schematic illustrations of the operational process of a transport system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In Figure 5A, the delta robot 530 grabs the article 550 from the parcel conveyor 540 and places it onto the conveyor device 520. The flapping robot 510, which is lined up at the head of the team, starts and moves forward. The start timing of the flapping robot 510 may be the same as the placement time of the article 550 placed by the delta robot 530, or may be earlier or later than the placement time, as long as the flapper 510 and the article on the infeed conveyor belt 520 arrive at the conveyor end simultaneously. You can do it. In FIG. 5B, the infeed conveyor 520 has conveyed the article 550 to the end of the infeed conveyor 520, which has also reached the end of the infeed conveyor 520. When the article 550 is dropped from the end of the infeed conveyor 520, it can fall directly on the tray of the flipper 510. Thus, the flapper 510 can carry the article 550 to continue moving forward.

In some embodiments, the sorting device can also be used to detect the current position to determine the driving mode that should currently be employed. The sorting device can determine the current position by scanning a two-dimensional code or the like on the ground, and can also determine the current position by using a positioning device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), and details are not described herein.

6 is a top plan view of a feed sorting scene in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, some of which are omitted in FIG. 6 for ease of viewing and description. As shown in FIG. 6, the application scenario may be divided into a queuing waiting area 61, a supply area 62, an identification area 63, and a sorting area 64 according to tasks of different stages of the sorting apparatus. In the queuing waiting area 61, the sorting devices 610 are sequentially arranged and are in a low speed moving state to move forward slowly after the sorting device leaves the queuing waiting area 61. The start position 611 is located at the junction of the queue waiting area 61 and the supply area 62. When the sorting device recognizes that it is currently in the starting position 611, it can enter the connector mode to start immediately after starting or staying for a preset time, and move to the end of the conveying device 621 according to the preset driving information to receive The pick-up device 622 is placed at the same time and reaches the end of the transport device 621 and then falls off, and after receiving the item, travels at a high speed at a preset speed for long-distance transport. After reaching the identification area 63, the sorting device enters the recognition mode, and can be decelerated to run or stop, so that the visual recognition device recognizes the goods carried by the sorting device, and instructs the sorting device to go to the corresponding sorting port 640 according to the type of the cargo information. . The sorting compartment 640 is located in the sorting area 64, and the sorting device can enter the sorting compartment 640 to inject the item. The sorting device then returns to the queue waiting area 61 to queue for the next sorting operation.

In some embodiments, the preset travel information may be, for example, information such as speed, acceleration, etc., to indicate how the sorting device is traveling. For example, the controller may be configured to acquire operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device; determine operation control information according to the operation setting information; and send operation control information to at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device, so that The items on the conveyor and the sorting equipment arrive at the end of the conveyor simultaneously.

For another example, the controller may be further configured to calculate a delivery time of the article on the delivery device according to a distance from the position where the article is placed to the delivery device to the end of the delivery device, and the running speed of the delivery device; according to the preset of the sorting device The distance from the starting position to the end of the conveying device and the conveying time, the driving information of the sorting device is calculated; the driving information and the preset starting position are transmitted to the sorting device. The sorting device is adapted to be activated after waiting for a preset length of time after reaching the preset starting position and to move according to the preset driving information so as to reach the end of the conveying device at the same time as the item on the conveying device. It is assumed that the distance between the starting position and the end of the conveying device is S, and the time when the sorting device moves from the starting position to the end of the conveying device, that is, the running time is t, there is a relationship of formula (1).

S=f(c,t) (1)

Where c is the driving information and f is the distance calculation function. If the sorting device adopts a uniform acceleration motion, the formula (1) may specifically be the formula (2). At this time, c is acceleration information.

If the sorting device adopts the method of first accelerating and then moving at a uniform speed, the formula (1) may specifically be the formula (3), wherein c={c ₁ , c ₂ }, t=t ₁ +t ₂ . c ₁ and t ₁ respectively represent the acceleration and time of the acceleration running section, and c ₂ and t ₂ respectively represent the speed and time of the constant speed running section.

If the preset situation is that the picking device places the item and the sorting device starts simultaneously, the value of t may be equal to the conveying time of the item, that is, the preset time waiting for the sorting device to wait at the starting position may be zero.

Those skilled in the art can also adopt other calculation methods as needed, and details are not described herein again. After determining the preset driving information, the controller may pre-send the driving information to each sorting device for storage, so that the sorting device can automatically work according to the one-time instruction in a uniform rhythm and manner, and the working condition is improved. Supply efficiency.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to calculate the travel speed of the sorting device or the initial travel speed of the sorting device according to the distance between the preset starting position of the sorting device and the end of the conveying device and the conveying time. And acceleration. The sorting device can be further adapted to receive items that are dropped on the transport device when accelerating or uniformly passing the end of the transport device. That is, the sorting device can accelerate after starting, or travel at a constant speed after accelerating to a certain speed. Therefore, the sorting device can receive the items to be sorted without stopping or decelerating to obtain the items dropped on the conveying device, thereby improving the efficiency of the feeding, thereby further improving the sorting efficiency.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to obtain a first speed of the conveying device for conveying the item; determining a second speed of the sorting device as it passes the end of the conveying device, wherein the first speed The difference from the second speed is less than the preset range. Thereby, the conveying device can be used to convey the articles at the first speed to the end of the conveying device, the sorting device having a second speed when running through the end of the conveying device after starting. The running speed of the item on the conveying device is close to the running speed of the sorting device. Thereby, the article can be dropped onto the sorting device more accurately and stably.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to send the plurality of sorting devices a preset time interval such that the plurality of sorting devices sequentially start at a preset time interval and pass through the end of the conveying device To receive items dropped from the conveyor. The preset time interval is the time interval at which adjacent items are placed on the transport device, such as the time interval at which the grab device places the items. Thereby, the feeding process can be automated, and the sorting device can also accurately acquire each item in an efficient feeding process. After a sorting device has been started and started, the sorting device that has been placed after the sorting device that has just started will move forward to the starting position and wait for the start. Thus, in some embodiments, the sum of the time that the sorting device moves from the second position of the waiting team to the starting position and the waiting time of the sorting device at the starting position may be equal to the starting interval of the sorting device.

In some embodiments, the delivery area of the delivery device can be divided into a plurality of sub-areas along the conveying direction. As shown in Fig. 6, the surface of the conveyor belt in Fig. 6 is divided into two sub-areas by a broken line. Each sub-area corresponds to a column of sorting devices, and the sorting device in each column is used to receive items that are dropped from the end of the conveying device as they pass the ends of the respective sub-areas of the conveying device. Thereby, other devices in the system can be operated in conjunction with the beats in the case where the beat of the gripping device is very fast, improving the efficiency of the supply. In some embodiments, the grasping device can be used to place an item in a sub-area of the delivery device, for example, such that the items can be staggered in tandem.

An embodiment of the transport method of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIG.

7 is an exemplary flow diagram of a shipping method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S702 to S706.

In step S702, operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device is acquired. In some embodiments, the delivery device can be a conveyor belt.

In step S704, the operation control information is determined based on the operation setting information.

In step S706, control information is transmitted to at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device such that the articles on the conveying device and the sorting device simultaneously reach the end of the conveying device.

Through the above embodiment, the sorting device can receive the item on the move, that is, can be activated before picking up the item, so that the efficiency of receiving the item of the sorting device can be adapted to the working efficiency of the grasping device, and the supply is improved. Efficiency and further improved sorting efficiency.

FIG. 8A is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8A, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S802 to S806.

In step S802, the conveyance time of the article on the conveying device is calculated based on the distance from the position where the article is placed to the conveying device to the end of the conveying device, and the running speed of the conveying device.

In step S804, the travel information of the sorting device is calculated according to the distance from the preset starting position of the sorting device to the end of the conveying device and the conveying time.

In step S806, the travel information and the preset start position are transmitted to the sorting device.

FIG. 8B is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8B, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S812 to S816.

In step S812, the difference between the delivery duration of the article and the preset duration that the sorting device waits at the preset activation position is determined as the travel duration of the sorting device.

In step S814, the travel information is determined based on the distance between the start position and the end of the transport device and the travel time of the sorting device.

In step S816, the starting position, the driving information, and the preset duration waiting at the starting position are sent to the sorting device, so that the sorting device waits for the preset time and starts after reaching the preset starting position, and according to the preset The travel information is moved to arrive at the end of the transport device simultaneously with the items on the transport device.

Thereby, the travel information of the sorting device can be determined according to the running time of the article and the travel distance of the sorting device, so that the article and the sorting device reach the end of the transport device at the same time.

In some embodiments, the travel speed of the sorting device, or the initial travel speed and acceleration of the sorting device, is calculated based on the distance of the preset starting position of the sorting device from the end of the transport device and the delivery time. Thereby, the sorting device can receive the items dropped on the conveying device when accelerating or passing through the end of the conveying device at a constant speed. Therefore, when the sorting device receives the item to be sorted, the item dropped on the conveying device can be obtained without additionally adjusting its own driving plan, thereby improving the efficiency of the feeding, thereby further improving the sorting efficiency.

9 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S902 to S908.

In step S902, a first speed at which the conveying device is used to convey the item is acquired.

In step S904, determining a second speed of the sorting device when passing the end of the conveying device, and transmitting the second speed to the sorting device, wherein the difference between the first speed and the second speed is less than a preset range .

In step S906, the conveying device conveys the article at a first speed so that the article on which the gripping device is placed on the conveying device is uniformly conveyed to the end of the conveying device.

In step S908, the sorting device has a second speed when running through the end of the conveying device after starting, and receives an item dropped from the end of the conveying device.

Thereby, the article can be dropped onto the sorting device more accurately and stably.

In some embodiments, the gripping device can place items on the item transport line onto the transport device at a predetermined frequency. Sorting equipment can also be used to complete a regular, automated supply and sorting process. An embodiment of the transport method of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIG.

10 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S1002 to S1006.

In step S1002, the grabbing device places the articles on the article transport line onto the transport device at predetermined time intervals.

In step S1004, a preset time interval is transmitted to the plurality of sorting devices.

In step S1006, a plurality of sorting devices are sequentially activated at preset time intervals to receive articles dropped from the end of the conveying device.

Thereby, the feeding process can be automated, and the sorting device can also accurately acquire each item in an efficient feeding process.

In some embodiments, the delivery device can also deliver multiple rows of items simultaneously. The conveying area of the conveying device is divided into a plurality of sub-areas in the conveying direction, and a row of waiting sorting devices is arranged in a corresponding direction of each sub-area. An embodiment of the transport method of the present disclosure is described below with reference to FIG.

11 is an exemplary flow chart of a shipping method in accordance with further embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 11, the transportation method of this embodiment includes steps S1102 to S1104.

In step S1102, the gripping device places the articles in turn in respective sub-areas divided by the conveying direction of the conveying device.

In step S1104, the sorting device receives the item dropped on the conveying device as it passes through the end of the sub-area of the conveying device.

Thereby, other devices in the system can be operated in conjunction with the beats in the case where the beat of the gripping device is very fast, improving the efficiency of the supply.

Figure 12 is a schematic view showing the structure of a transport apparatus according to other embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the transport device 120 of this embodiment includes a memory 1210 and a processor 1220 coupled to the memory 1210, the processor 1220 being configured to perform any of the foregoing embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory 1210. Transportation method.

The memory 1210 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, or the like. The system memory stores, for example, an operating system, an application, a boot loader, and other programs.

Figure 13 is a schematic view showing the structure of a transport apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the transport device 130 of this embodiment includes a memory 1310 and a processor 1320, and may further include an input/output interface 1330, a network interface 1340, a storage interface 1350, and the like. These

interfaces

1330, 1340, 1350 and the memory 1310 and the processor 1320 can be connected, for example, via a bus 1360. The input/output interface 1330 provides a connection interface for input and output devices such as a display, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch screen. Network interface 1340 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 1350 provides a connection interface for an external storage device such as an SD card or a USB flash drive.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that the program is executed by a processor to implement any of the foregoing transportation methods.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure can be provided as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or a combination of software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer usable program code. .

The present disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that each flow and/or block of the flowchart illustrations and/or FIG. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine for the execution of instructions for execution by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device. Means for implementing the functions specified in one or more of the flow or in a block or blocks of the flow chart.

The computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising the instruction device. The apparatus implements the functions specified in one or more blocks of a flow or a flow and/or block diagram of the flowchart.

These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device such that a series of operational steps are performed on a computer or other programmable device to produce computer-implemented processing for execution on a computer or other programmable device. The instructions provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more of the flow or in a block or blocks of a flow diagram.

The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., which are within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure, should be included in the protection of the present disclosure. Within the scope.

Claims

A transportation system comprising:

Conveying equipment for conveying articles;

A sorting device, located below the conveying device, for receiving articles falling from the end of the conveying device in a moving state when passing the end of the conveying device.
The transportation system of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller, configured to acquire operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device; determine operation control information according to the operation setting information; and send operation control information to at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device, so that The items on the conveyor and the sorting equipment arrive at the end of the conveyor simultaneously.
The transportation system according to claim 2, wherein said controller is further configured to calculate an item on the conveying device based on a distance from the position at which the article is placed to the conveying device to the end of the conveying device, and the running speed of the conveying device The conveying time; calculating the driving information of the sorting device according to the preset starting position of the sorting device to the end of the conveying device and the conveying time; and transmitting the driving information and the preset starting position to the sorting device.
The transportation system according to claim 2, wherein

The controller is further configured to determine a difference between a delivery duration of the item and a preset duration that the sorting device waits at the preset activation position as a travel time of the sorting device, according to the start position and the end of the transport device The distance and the travel time of the sorting device determine the travel information, and send the start position, the travel information, and the preset duration waiting at the start position to the sorting device;

The sorting device is further configured to wait for a preset duration and start after reaching the preset starting position, and move according to the preset driving information to reach the end of the conveying device at the same time as the item on the conveying device.
The transportation system according to claim 2, wherein

The controller is further configured to calculate a travel speed of the sorting device or an initial travel speed and acceleration of the sorting device according to the distance between the preset starting position of the sorting device and the end of the transport device and the transport time.
The transportation system according to claim 2, wherein

The controller is further for obtaining a first speed of the conveying device for conveying the article; determining a second speed of the sorting device as it passes the end of the conveying device, wherein the first speed and the second speed The gap is less than the preset range.
The transport system of claim 1 wherein said transport system includes a plurality of sorting devices, said controller further for transmitting a predetermined time interval to said plurality of sorting devices for said plurality of The sorting device is sequentially activated at a predetermined time interval and passes through the end of the conveying device, the predetermined time interval being a time interval at which adjacent items are placed on the conveying device.
The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein

The conveying area of the conveying device has a plurality of sub-areas divided along the conveying direction;

Each sub-zone corresponds to a column of sorting devices, and the sorting device in each column is adapted to receive articles dropped from the ends of the conveyor device as they pass the ends of the respective sub-regions of the conveyor device.
The transportation system of claim 1 further comprising:

A grabbing device for placing items on the item transport line onto the transport device at a predetermined frequency.
The transportation system according to claim 9,

The conveying area of the conveying device has a plurality of sub-areas divided in the conveying direction, the gripping device for placing the item in a sub-area of the conveying device.
The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is a flapping robot or a sorter.
The transport system of claim 9 wherein said gripping device is a delta robot.
A method of transportation comprising:

Obtaining operation setting information of at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device;

Determining operation control information according to the operation setting information;

Control information is transmitted to at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device such that the articles on the conveying device and the sorting device simultaneously reach the end of the conveying device.
The transportation method according to claim 13, wherein the determining the operation control information according to the operation setting information comprises:

Calculating the delivery time of the item on the conveying device according to the distance from the position where the article is placed to the conveying device to the end of the conveying device, and the running speed of the conveying device;

The travel information of the sorting device is calculated based on the distance from the preset starting position of the sorting device to the end of the transport device and the transport time.
The transportation method according to claim 13, wherein

Determining the operation control information according to the operation setting information includes:

Determining the difference between the delivery duration of the article and the preset duration of the sorting device waiting at the preset activation position as the travel time of the sorting device;

Determining driving information according to the distance between the starting position and the end of the conveying device and the driving time of the sorting device;

The sending the control information to the at least one of the conveying device and the sorting device includes:

Sending a starting position, driving information, and a preset duration waiting at the starting position to the sorting device, so that the sorting device waits for the preset time and starts after reaching the preset starting position, and moves according to the preset driving information, so as to The end of the delivery device is reached simultaneously with the item on the delivery device.
The transport method according to claim 13, wherein the travel speed of the sorting device or the initial state of the sorting device is calculated according to the distance between the preset starting position of the sorting device and the end of the conveying device and the conveying time Driving speed and acceleration.
The transportation method according to claim 13, wherein

Obtaining a first speed at which the conveying device is used to convey an item;

Determining a second speed of the sorting device as it passes the end of the transport device, wherein the difference between the first speed and the second speed is less than a predetermined range.
The transportation method according to claim 13, wherein

Sending a preset time interval to the plurality of sorting devices, so that the plurality of sorting devices are sequentially activated and passed through the end of the conveying device at a preset time interval, the preset time interval being phase The time interval between the adjacent items being placed on the conveyor.
A transport device comprising:

Memory;

A processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the transportation method of any one of claims 13-18 based on instructions stored in the memory.
A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for performing the transportation method according to any one of claims 13 to 18 when executed by a processor.