WO2023005432A1 - Transport robot and logistics system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a transport robot and a logistics system. The transport robot is used to take and place goods having an inner cavity. The transport robot comprises a robot body and a mechanical arm assembly; the mechanical arm assembly is mounted on the robot body, and the mechanical arm assembly comprises a telescopic assembly and a lifting assembly; the lifting assembly is connected to the robot body and can move in the heightwise direction of the robot body, and the telescopic assembly is connected to the lifting assembly; the telescopic assembly comprises a fixed arm and at least one telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm is movably arranged on the fixed arm; and a hook unit is arranged at a side of the telescopic arm, the hook unit comprises at least one lifting hook, and since the goods have an inner cavity, the lifting hook extends into the inner cavity of annular goods, such that when the telescopic arm stretches out and retracts, the lifting hook drives the goods to move, thereby achieving good stability and reliability.

Description

Handling robot and logistics system

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application with the application number 202121773213.X and the application title "handling robot and logistics system" filed with the China Patent Office on July 30, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application .

technical field

This application relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, in particular to a handling robot and a logistics system.

Background technique

With the development of artificial intelligence and automation technology, all kinds of robots are widely used in various fields such as industry and life, and handling robots play an important role in industries such as transportation and logistics. In the logistics system, the goods are usually stored on the shelves, and the handling robot picks up and places the goods by docking with the shelves, and transports the goods.

At present, for different types of goods, handling robots can adopt different pick-and-place and handling methods. The main pick-and-place methods generally include clamping and lifting, and ring-shaped goods are a common kind of goods with inner cavities The structural shape is usually picked and placed by clamping or lifting. The clamping type is to clamp and lift the cargo by applying pressure from both sides of the cargo through the mechanical arm, while the lifting type is to lift the cargo from the bottom of the cargo. pick up the goods.

However, the existing goods are easy to fall during the pick-and-place process, and the stability and reliability of the handling process are poor.

application content

The application provides a handling robot and a logistics system that can prevent goods from falling during pick-and-place, and improve the stability and reliability of handling.

In a first aspect, the present application provides a handling robot for picking and placing goods. The handling robot includes a robot body and a robot arm assembly, and the robot arm assembly is installed on the robot body.

Wherein, the mechanical arm assembly includes a telescopic assembly and a lifting assembly, the lifting assembly is connected with the robot body, and can move along the height direction of the robot body, the telescopic assembly is connected with the lifting assembly; the telescopic assembly includes a fixed arm and at least one telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm can move It is movable on the fixed arm; the side of the telescopic arm is provided with a barb unit, and the barb unit includes at least one hook. The cargo has an inner cavity, and the hook is used to extend into the inner cavity of the cargo. When the telescopic arm stretches, The hook drives the goods to move.

The handling robot provided by this application is aimed at goods with inner cavities. When performing pick-and-place and handling tasks, the robot body can move to the target position, and the telescopic component moves up and down with the lifting component and can be connected to the warehouse where the goods are placed. Docking, and the hook of the barb unit is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo, and the telescopic hook of the telescopic arm abuts against the inner edge of the inner cavity, so as to realize the moving and picking of the cargo. During this process, the cargo can move stably without Will drop, with good stability and reliability.

As an optional implementation, the hook may include a first extension section and a second extension section, the first extension section is connected to the telescopic arm, the second extension section is located at the end of the first extension section away from the telescopic arm, and the second extension section The extension section has an included angle with the first extension section, so that the second extension section can abut against the inner edge of the inner cavity of the cargo, thereby improving the stability of the process of driving the cargo to move.

As an optional embodiment, the barb unit may also include a mounting base, which is detachably connected to the telescopic arm, and the shape of the mounting base matches the shape of the inner cavity of the cargo, and the hook is arranged on the mounting base. On the base, so as to facilitate the disassembly and installation of the hook, the position of the hook can be set according to the specific structure of the goods that need to be picked and placed.

As an optional embodiment, the mounting base may be provided with a sliding groove, and the hook is arranged in the sliding groove, and the barb unit may also include an elastic member, which is located in the sliding groove and abuts against the hanging hook, Therefore, the hook can be flexibly contacted with the inner cavity of the cargo, so as to avoid damage to the cargo.

As an optional embodiment, there may be a plurality of hooks, and the plurality of hooks are distributed around the center of the installation base at intervals, so that the distribution positions of the hooks correspond to the inner walls at various positions in the circumferential direction of the inner cavity, The goods can be picked and placed from any position in the circumferential direction.

As an optional embodiment, there can be multiple telescopic arms, and the multiple telescopic arms are connected in sequence and extend in the same direction. At least one telescopic arm is connected to the fixed arm, and adjacent telescopic arms can move relatively along the extension direction. The hook unit is located on the telescopic arm away from the fixed arm among the plurality of telescopic arms, so that when the telescopic arm is extended, the barb unit has a longer pick-up distance.

As an optional implementation, the plurality of telescopic arms may include a first telescopic arm and a second telescopic arm, the first telescopic arm is connected to the fixed arm, and can move relative to the fixed arm along its own extension direction, and the second telescopic arm It is connected with the first telescopic arm and can move relative to the first telescopic arm along its own extension direction. The barb unit is arranged on the second telescopic arm, so that the mechanical arm assembly forms a two-stage telescopic picking structure.

As an optional implementation manner, the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm extend in the same direction, and the telescopic directions of the two are consistent, so that the mechanical arm assembly can reach a maximum extension distance.

As an optional implementation, the barb unit can be located at the middle position of the second telescopic arm along its length direction, so that when the barb unit drives the goods back, the inner cavity of the goods can be at the same position as the middle position of the mechanical arm assembly. Corresponding to avoid interference between the mechanical arm assembly and the inner cavity of the cargo when rotating.

As an optional implementation, the mechanical arm assembly may also include a first drive mechanism, the first drive mechanism is installed on the fixed arm, and the output end of the first drive mechanism is connected to the first telescopic arm, so that the first drive mechanism can be driven. The telescopic arm moves.

As an optional implementation, the first drive mechanism may include a first drive unit and a first transmission member, the output end of the first drive unit is connected to the first transmission member, and the circumferential direction of the first transmission member has a first engagement Teeth, the first telescopic arm is provided with second meshing teeth along its length direction, and the first meshing teeth and the second meshing teeth mesh with each other, so that when the first transmission member rotates, the first telescopic arm can be driven to move along its length direction.

As an optional embodiment, the mechanical arm assembly may also include a second drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism includes a second drive unit, a second transmission member and a third transmission member, the second drive unit is arranged on the fixed arm, The second transmission member is arranged on the lifting assembly, the fixed arm is connected to the second transmission member through a rotating shaft, the third transmission member is connected to the output end of the second drive unit, and meshes with the second transmission member to drive the second drive unit The fixed arm rotates relative to the lifting assembly, so that the mechanical arm assembly can expand and contract in different directions, so as to drive the goods to move in different directions.

As an optional implementation, both the second transmission member and the third transmission member are gears, and both the second transmission member and the third transmission member are located on the side of the fixed arm away from the telescopic arm, and the second transmission member and the third transmission member The external meshing between the transmission parts realizes the rotation of the fixed arm in the manner of gear transmission.

In this application, the handling robot can realize the picking operation in many different ways, wherein the barb unit can cooperate with the goods in different ways. In one embodiment, the shape and size of the barb unit are consistent with the shape of the inner cavity of the goods Matching the size, the hook extends into the inner cavity of the cargo from above the cargo, and the hook abuts against and hooks the inner wall of the cargo inner cavity, so that when the telescopic arm stretches, the cargo hooks and Hang on the telescopic arm and move with the telescopic arm.

In another embodiment, the lifting assembly may include a connecting frame and a supporting platform, the mechanical arm assembly is installed on the connecting frame, the supporting platform has a supporting surface for supporting the cargo, and the connecting frame is located above the supporting surface so that the hook can be lifted from the cargo. The side away from the support surface is inserted into the inner cavity of the goods, and at the same time, the goods can slide on the support surface when the telescopic arm stretches to drive the goods to move.

As an optional embodiment, the robot body can include a base and a storage rack, the storage rack is installed on the base, the lifting assembly is arranged on the storage rack, and can move along the height direction of the storage rack, the connecting frame and The support table is located on the same side of the storage rack, allowing access to goods at different heights.

As an optional implementation, the side of the storage rack away from the lifting assembly is provided with a plurality of storage slots, and the plurality of storage slots are distributed at intervals along the height direction of the storage rack, so that the goods can be placed in different storage areas. In the storage tank, multiple goods can be transported in a single pick-and-place.

In a second aspect, the present application provides a logistics system. The logistics system includes a shelf and the handling robot in the first aspect above. The shelf is used to store goods with inner cavities. The handling robot can dock with the shelf and pick up and place goods.

The application provides a handling robot and a logistics system, wherein the handling robot is used to pick and place goods on the shelf, the handling robot includes a robot body and a mechanical arm assembly, the mechanical arm assembly is installed on the robot body, and the mechanical arm assembly includes a telescopic assembly and a lift Assemblies, the lifting assembly is connected with the robot body, and can move along the height direction of the robot body, the telescopic assembly is connected with the lifting assembly; the telescopic assembly includes a fixed arm and at least one telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm is movably arranged on the fixed arm; There is a barb unit on the side of the car, the barb unit includes at least one hook, the cargo has an inner cavity, and the hook is used to extend into the inner cavity of the ring cargo. When the telescopic arm is stretched, the hook drives the cargo to move, so that the cargo The mobile pick and place, and the goods can move stably without falling, with good stability and reliability.

In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the present application described above, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought by the technical features of these technical solutions, the handling robot and logistics system provided by this application can solve other The technical problems, other technical features included in the technical solution, and the beneficial effects brought by these technical features will be further described in detail in the specific implementation.

Description of drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description These are some embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the first picking method of the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the telescopic assembly in the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is the top view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the telescopic assembly in the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the barb unit in the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the second picking method of the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a third pick-up mode of the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application.

Explanation of reference signs:

10-robot body; 11-base; 12-storage rack; 121-storage slot; 20-telescopic assembly; 21-fixed arm; 22-first telescopic arm; 23-second telescopic arm; 24-barb unit 241-hook; 242-installation base; 243-elastic member; 25-first driving mechanism; Unit; 262-second transmission part; 263-third transmission part; 30-lifting assembly; 31-connecting frame; 32-support platform; 321-tray; 40-identification unit; 50-controller;

100 - goods;

200 - shelves.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments It is a part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of this application.

First of all, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principle of the present application, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed so as to adapt to specific applications.

Secondly, it should be noted that in the description of the present application, terms such as "inside" and "outside" indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for convenience of description. It is not intended to indicate or imply that a device or component must have a particular orientation, be constructed, or operate in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the application.

In addition, it should be noted that in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection , or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected or electrically connected; it can be the internal communication of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application according to specific situations.

In the description of this specification, references to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific examples," or "some examples" are intended to mean that the implementation A specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described by an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

With the development of artificial intelligence and automation technology, all kinds of robots are widely used in various fields such as industry and life, and handling robots play an important role in industries such as transportation and logistics. In the logistics system, the goods are usually stored on the shelves, and the handling robot picks up and places the goods by docking with the shelves, and transports the goods. For different types of goods, the handling robot can adopt different pick-and-place and handling methods. In various fields, goods with inner cavities are very common. Ring-shaped goods are a common structural shape with inner cavities. The method usually adopts the clamping type and the lifting type. The clamping type is to clamp and lift the cargo by applying pressure from both sides of the cargo through the mechanical arm, while the lifting type is to lift the cargo from the bottom of the cargo.

However, the existing goods are easy to fall during the pick-and-place process. Both the clamping and lift-type pick-up methods rely on the friction between the manipulator and the goods to pick and place the goods. The stability and reliability of the handling process Poor, especially goods with special shapes and heavy weights, have a greater risk of falling. Take the circular cargo as an example, which has a circular arc-shaped outer contour and a circular arc-shaped inner cavity. When the clamp-type picking method is adopted, the manipulator will be clamped on both sides of its outer contour. When the lift-type picking method is adopted, The manipulator will be supported on the bottom of the goods. In the two methods, the contact surface between the manipulator and the outer contour of the goods is small, which will cause the clamping process to be unstable. At this time, if the weight of the ring goods is heavy, the clamping and lifting manipulators Both need to carry the full weight of the goods, which is more likely to cause the goods to fall. At the same time, the manipulator is usually a cantilever structure, which is also easy to cause damage to the manipulator.

In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a handling robot and a logistics system that can prevent goods from falling during pick-and-place, and improve the stability and reliability of handling.

Embodiment one

This embodiment provides a handling robot for picking and placing goods, and the picked and placed goods have an inner cavity, and the inner cavity communicates with the external space, and the structure for picking and placing the goods of the handling robot can extend into the inner cavity, It should be noted that the goods with an inner cavity can be annular goods, such as tires, bundled wires or wires, pots, etc., or other regular polygonal goods with inner cavities. The specific shape of the goods in this embodiment The structure is not limited. In the following, "goods" will be used to refer to the objects picked and placed by the handling robot, and no specific examples will be given.

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the first picking method of the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 is a schematic structural view of the telescopic assembly in the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 is a top view of Figure 2, as shown in Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 3 , the handling robot provided in this embodiment includes a robot body 10 and a robot arm assembly, the robot arm assembly is installed on the robot body 10 , and the robot arm assembly is used to pick and place goods 100 and drive the goods 100 to move to the robot body 10 The robot body 10 is used to store the goods 100 taken out and complete the delivery task of the goods 100 .

Wherein, the mechanical arm assembly includes a telescopic assembly 20 and a lifting assembly 30. The lifting assembly 30 is connected with the robot body 10 and can move along the height direction of the robot body 10. Driven by the component 30, it moves along the height direction of the robot body 10 to pick and place goods 100 of different heights.

The telescopic assembly 20 includes a fixed arm 21 and at least one telescopic arm. The telescopic arm is movably arranged on the fixed arm 21. A barb unit 24 is provided on the side of the telescopic arm. The hook unit 24 includes at least one hook 241, which can extend into the inner cavity of the cargo 100, and when the telescopic arm stretches, the hook 241 can drive the cargo 100 to move along the stretching direction of the telescopic arm.

It should be noted that when the handling robot provided in this embodiment performs pick-and-place goods and handling tasks, the robot body 10 can move to the target position, and the telescopic assembly 20 can move up and down with the lifting assembly 30 to be compatible with the warehouse location where the goods 100 are placed. docking, and the hook 241 of the barb unit 24 can be partially or completely inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo 100, and the telescopic hook 241 of the telescopic arm abuts against the inner edge of the inner cavity, thereby realizing the expansion and contraction of the cargo 100 through the expansion and contraction of the telescopic arm. Mobile pick and place.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 , in the first picking mode of the handling robot, the barb unit 24 is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo 100 from above, and when the barb unit 24 extends into the inner cavity of the cargo 100, the hook 241 When the telescopic assembly 20 drives the cargo 100 to leave the storage position of the shelf 200, the cargo 100 is suspended on the telescopic assembly 20, that is, the telescopic assembly 20 carries the weight of the cargo 100.

In the first picking method, the shape and size of the barb unit 24 can match the inner cavity size of the cargo 100, so as to ensure the reliability of hooking the hook 241 with the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100, and avoid the telescopic assembly 20 During the stretching process, the cargo 100 will fall.

The specific structure of the barb unit 24 and the arrangement of the barb unit 24 on the telescopic arm will be described in detail below.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the telescopic assembly in the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application, and Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the barb unit in the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 , in some embodiments Among them, the hook 241 may include a first extension section and a second extension section, the first extension section is connected to the telescopic arm, and the first extension section extends toward a direction away from the telescopic arm, that is, the first extension section faces toward the direction of the cargo 100 direction, so that the hook 241 protrudes from the surface of the telescopic arm, the second extension section is located at the end of the first extension section away from the telescopic arm, and the second extension section has an included angle with the first extension section, so that the second extension section The segment can abut against the inner edge of the inner cavity of the cargo 100, thereby improving the stability of the process of driving the cargo 100 to move.

Wherein, the second extension section extends toward the inner wall of the cargo 100 , that is, when the hook 241 drives the cargo 100 to move, the end of the second extension segment away from the first extension contacts the inner wall of the cargo 100 inner cavity. It can be seen that the first extension section and the second extension section jointly form the hook-shaped structure of the hook 241 , and make the end of the hook-shaped structure bend toward the inner wall of the cargo 100 inner cavity.

Optionally, the first extension section may be perpendicular to the surface of the telescopic arm, and the second extension section may be perpendicular to the first extension section, and the cross-sectional dimensions of the first extension section along its extension direction may be equal. Correspondingly, the second extension section The cross-sectional dimensions along their extending directions can also be equal; or, the cross-sectional dimensions of the first extending section and the second extending section along their respective extending directions gradually decrease, so that at the end of the second extending section, that is, the end of the hook 241 , a small end surface or tip structure can be formed to ensure that the end of the hook 241 can be in contact with the inner wall of the cargo 100, and at the same time, the position where the first extension section is connected to the telescopic arm has a larger cross-sectional area, which can ensure The strength of the overall connection structure of the hook 241.

In addition, when the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100 may be a planar structure or an irregular surface, the structure of the above-mentioned hook 241 can ensure the stability of abutting against the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100 during the movement of the dragged cargo 100, avoiding Slip or cause cargo 100 to fall.

As an optional implementation, the barb unit 24 may also include a mounting base 242, which may be arranged on the side of the telescopic arm facing the cargo 100, the mounting base 242 is detachably connected to the telescopic arm, and installed The shape of the base 242 matches the shape of the inner cavity of the cargo 100, and the hook 241 can be arranged on the installation base 242, so that the hook 241 can be disassembled by disassembling the installation base 242, which facilitates the disassembly and installation of the suspension hook 241 , so the position of the hook 241 can be set according to the specific structure of the cargo 100 to be picked and placed.

Wherein, in this embodiment, the hook 241 can extend into the inner cavity from above the inner cavity of the cargo 100, that is, the telescopic arm is located above the cargo 100 when picking up the cargo, so the installation base 242 is arranged on the lower side of the telescopic arm .

Optionally, a chute can be provided on the installation base 242, and the hook 241 is arranged in the chute, and the extension direction of the chute is consistent with the extension direction of the second extension section, that is, the hook 241 and the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100 The abutting directions are consistent, so that the hook 241 can move relative to the installation base 242 , so that the hook 241 can flexibly abut against the inner cavity of the cargo 100 to avoid damage to the cargo 100 .

The hook 241 can move in the chute through different structural forms, and two specific examples will be described below.

In the first embodiment, the barb unit 24 may further include an elastic member 243, which is located in the chute and abuts against the hook 241. One side, and the hook 241 can exert an elastic force toward the inner wall of the cargo 100, and stoppers can be respectively provided at both ends of the chute to abut against the elastic member 243 and prevent the hook 241 from coming out of the chute.

When the hook 241 is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo 100 and the telescopic arm starts to stretch, the hook 241 will abut against the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100, and under the action of the contact pressure, the hook 241 will compress the elastic member 243 to a certain extent. , so as to avoid rigid contact between the hook 241 and the inner cavity of the cargo 100 .

Exemplarily, the elastic member 243 can be elastic parts such as springs and rubber pads, and the specific structure and type of the elastic member 243 can be selected according to the damping required in practical applications, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

In the second embodiment, a motor can be provided on the installation base 242, and the motor drives the hook 241 to move along the chute. Before the hook 241 is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo 100, the motor can drive the hook 241 to The center of the installation base 242 moves so that the hook 241 enters the inner cavity conveniently, and when the telescopic arm starts to expand and contract, the motor can drive the hook 241 to move towards the inner wall of the inner cavity of the cargo 100, so that the hook 241 is in contact with the inner wall of the cargo 100. The cavities are abutted to improve the stability of the cargo 100 during movement.

It should be noted that, according to the specific application scenario and the shape and structure of the goods 100 to be picked and placed, the installation base 242 of different sizes can be selected. Specifically, the installation base 242 can be selected according to the shape and size of the inner cavity of the goods 100 242, and the position of the hook 241 is set, so that the handling robot of this embodiment can adapt to different logistics fields and work occasions, and has good work flexibility.

In addition, the shape of the installation base 242 matches the shape of the inner cavity of the cargo 100 to avoid interference between the installation base 242 and the inner edge of the cargo 100, for example, when the cargo 100 is ring-shaped, the installation base 242 can be a disc shape structure, the hook 241 can be arranged at the position of the circumferential outer edge of the disk.

Since the mechanical arm assembly may drive the cargo 100 to move from different directions when picking and placing the cargo 100, there may be multiple hooks 241, and the multiple hooks 241 may be distributed at intervals around the center of the installation base 242, so that The distribution positions of the hooks 241 correspond to the inner walls at various positions in the circumferential direction of the inner cavity, and the cargo 100 can be picked and placed from any position in the circumferential direction.

Exemplarily, when the installation base 242 is disc-shaped, four hooks 241 can be provided, and the four hooks 241 can be respectively arranged on the circumferential edge of the installation base 242, and between adjacent hooks 241 The distribution interval angle is 90°, that is, the hooks 241 can be arranged at both ends of the installation base 242 along the telescopic direction of the telescopic arm and both sides along the telescopic direction.

In some embodiments, the moving distance and moving direction of the cargo 100 driven by the hook 241 depends on the structure and working distance of the telescopic assembly 20 , and the specific structure of the telescopic assembly 20 will be described in detail below.

Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 5, as an optional implementation, there can be multiple telescopic arms, the multiple telescopic arms are connected in sequence, and extend in the same direction, at least one telescopic arm is connected to the fixed arm 21, adjacent The telescopic arms can move relative to each other along the extension direction, thereby forming a sequentially extended multi-stage telescopic structure. When all telescopic arms are retracted, multiple telescopic arms can partially overlap with the fixed arm 21, and pick and place goods when the telescopic arms are extended. During operation, all or part of the telescopic arms can be stretched out, and the choice is made according to the depth of the actual pick-up warehouse location or the location of the goods.

Wherein, the barb unit 24 is located on the telescopic arm away from the fixed arm 21 among the plurality of telescopic arms, so that when the telescopic arm is extended, the barb unit 24 can be located on the telescopic arm at the end of the entire telescopic assembly 20, so that the barb Unit 24 has a longer pickup distance.

Multiple telescopic arms can have the same telescopic direction or different telescopic directions, which can be selected according to specific picking scenarios. Exemplarily, since the goods 100 are usually placed on the shelf 200, when the pick-up port on the shelf 200 is facing the handling robot in this embodiment, the telescopic assembly 20 can be picked and placed or operated through unidirectional expansion and contraction. The telescopic arms can be designed to have the same telescopic direction. Correspondingly, when the cargo 100 needs to be moved in multiple directions sequentially, the telescopic arms can have different telescopic directions, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

An identification unit 40 may be provided on the fixed arm 21 and the telescopic arm to identify the goods 100. The identification unit 40 may be a camera or a code scanner, and specifically may be used to identify the shape of the goods 100 to determine whether the goods 100 have been taken, and The logo or two-dimensional code on the goods 100 can be identified to determine the specific information of the goods 100. The specific information can be the production batch, production time, product model, etc. of the goods 100. In this embodiment, the specific work flow of the identification unit 40 and The function is not specifically limited.

The following will take the telescopic structure composed of two telescopic arms as an example to describe the process of picking and placing the goods 100 .

As an optional implementation, the plurality of telescopic arms may include a first telescopic arm 22 and a second telescopic arm 23, the first telescopic arm 22 is connected to the fixed arm 21, and can move relative to the fixed arm 21 along its own extension direction , the second telescopic arm 23 is connected with the first telescopic arm 22, and can move along its own extension direction relative to the first telescopic arm 22, and the barb unit 24 is arranged on the second telescopic arm 23, so that the mechanical arm assembly forms two stages Telescoping pick-up structure.

Wherein, the first telescopic arm 22 and the second telescopic arm 23 can extend in the same direction, and the telescopic directions of the two are consistent. In the retracted state, the fixed arm 21, the first telescopic arm 22 and the second telescopic arm 23 partially overlap, The first telescopic arm 22 is located on the side of the fixed arm 21 facing the cargo 100, and the second telescopic arm 23 is located on the side of the first telescopic arm 22 facing the cargo 100. Moving toward the cargo 100, the second telescopic arm 23 moves toward the cargo 100 relative to the first telescopic arm 22, so that the mechanical arm assembly can reach the maximum extension distance.

It should be noted that since the telescopic assembly 20 can move under the drive of the lifting assembly 30, the initial position of the mechanical arm assembly, that is, the position before picking up the goods, can be slightly higher than the top of the cargo 100, thereby avoiding the stretching process of the telescopic assembly 20. Interfering with the cargo 100, when the barb unit 24 is driven by the second telescopic arm 23 to extend above the inner cavity of the cargo 100, the lifting assembly 30 can move down a certain distance, so that the hook 241 of the barb unit 24 Insert in the cargo 100 inner cavity.

Optionally, the barb unit 24 can be located at the middle position of the second telescopic arm 23 along its length direction, so that when the barb unit 24 drives the goods 100 to retract, the position of the inner cavity of the goods 100 can be the same as the middle position of the mechanical arm assembly. Correspondingly, to avoid interference between the mechanical arm assembly and the inner cavity of the cargo 100 when rotating.

In addition, the pick-up direction of the telescopic assembly 20, that is, the telescopic direction of the first telescopic arm 22 and the second telescopic arm 23 can be the side of the robot body 10 or the front of the robot body 10, and when the barb unit 24 takes out the goods 100 Finally, the cargo 100 needs to be placed on the corresponding storage position on the robot body 10, so the telescopic assembly 20 needs to rotate a certain angle relative to the robot body 10, and during the rotation process of the telescopic assembly 20, the barb unit 24 is located on the second telescopic arm 23 is located at the rotation center of the telescopic assembly 20, so as to avoid interference between the barb unit 24 and the inner cavity of the cargo 100.

Both the expansion and contraction process and the rotation process of the above-mentioned expansion and contraction assembly 20 can be driven by a driving mechanism, which will be described in detail below.

Please continue to refer to FIGS. 1 to 5. In some embodiments, the mechanical arm assembly may further include a first drive mechanism 25, the first drive mechanism 25 is mounted on the fixed arm 21, and the output end of the first drive mechanism 25 is connected to the first drive mechanism 25. A telescopic arm 22 is connected so that the first telescopic arm 22 can be driven to move.

Wherein, the first drive mechanism 25 may include a first drive unit 251 and a first transmission member 252, the output end of the first drive unit 251 is connected with the first transmission member 252, and the first transmission member 252 has first meshing teeth in the circumferential direction. , the first telescopic arm 22 is provided with a second meshing tooth along its length direction, and the first meshing tooth and the second meshing tooth mesh with each other, so that when the first transmission member 252 rotates, the first telescopic arm 22 can be driven along its lengthwise direction. move.

Exemplarily, the first drive unit 251 can be a motor, the first transmission member 252 can be a gear, and the second meshing tooth on the first telescopic arm 22 can be a rack structure integrated with the first telescopic arm 22, so that the arm can be fixed The first drive mechanism 25 on 21 and the first telescopic arm 22 form a rack and pinion mechanism, so as to realize the movement of the first telescopic arm 22 relative to the fixed arm 21 .

It should be noted that the first driving mechanism 25 may include a plurality of gears, and the plurality of gears mesh sequentially, so as to realize the multi-stage transmission from the motor to the first transmission member 252, so that the transmission ratio from the motor to the first transmission member 252 can be adjusted. , so that the first telescopic arm 22 can move smoothly. This embodiment does not specifically limit the number of specific gears and the value of the specific transmission ratio.

In addition, the first transmission member 252 and the second meshing teeth on the first telescopic arm 22 can be located on the sides of the fixed arm 21 and the first telescopic arm 22, or the same meshing structures can be provided on both sides along the telescopic direction. The first transmission member 252 on the side can be synchronously linked through the transmission shaft, and the symmetrically arranged transmission structure can make the moving process of the first telescopic arm 22 more stable.

The telescopic driving mode of the second telescopic arm 23 relative to the first telescopic arm 22 can adopt the same driving mode as that of the first telescopic arm 22, that is, an independent driving mechanism is set on the first telescopic arm 22 to drive the second telescopic arm 23 , which will not be repeated here.

Alternatively, the second telescopic arm 23 can adopt a structure linked with the first telescopic arm 22, that is, when the first telescopic arm 22 is telescopic with respect to the fixed arm 21, the second telescopic arm 23 can be synchronously telescopic with respect to the first telescopic arm 22. Specifically, the linkage process of the two can be realized by means of a transmission ratio difference, that is, the same motor simultaneously drives the first telescopic arm 22 and the second telescopic arm 23 to expand and contract, and the transmission ratio of the second telescopic arm 23 is greater than that of the first telescopic arm 23 The transmission ratio of the arm 22 is such that when the first telescopic arm 22 expands and contracts, the second telescopic arm 23 can expand and contract relative to the first telescopic arm 22 at the same time. Other mechanical linkage structures with the first telescopic arm 22 may also be used on the second telescopic arm 23 , which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

Since the telescopic assembly 20 also needs to rotate relative to the robot body 10, the mechanical arm assembly can also include a second drive mechanism 26, and the fixed arm 21 and the telescopic arm can be used as a whole to realize this process through the second drive mechanism 26, which will be described below The driving structure of a motion process is described.

As an optional implementation, the second drive mechanism 26 may include a second drive unit 261, a second transmission member 262 and a third transmission member 263, the second drive unit 261 is arranged on the fixed arm 21, and the second transmission member 262 is arranged on the lifting assembly 30, the fixed arm 21 is connected with the second transmission member 262 through the rotating shaft, the third transmission member 263 is connected with the output end of the second drive unit 261, and meshes with the second transmission member 262, so that the second The driving unit 261 drives the fixed arm 21 to rotate relative to the lifting assembly 30 , so that the mechanical arm assembly can expand and contract in different directions, so as to drive the goods 100 to move in different directions.

Wherein, both the second transmission member 262 and the third transmission member 263 can be gears, and both the second transmission member 262 and the third transmission member 263 can be located on the side of the fixed arm 21 away from the telescopic arm, that is, they are arranged between the fixed arm 21 and the lifting arm. The components 30 and the second transmission member 262 and the third transmission member 263 are externally engaged to realize the rotation of the fixed arm 21 in a gear transmission manner.

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the second picking method of the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, the difference between the second picking method and the first picking method is that the barb unit 24 is inserted into the goods The direction of the cavity is different. In the first picking mode, the barb unit 24 is inserted into the cavity from above the cargo 100 , while in the second picking mode, the barb unit 24 is inserted into the cavity from the bottom of the cargo 100 .

In the second picking method, since the telescopic assembly 20 drives the goods 100 to leave the storage position of the shelf 200, the goods 100 are located above the telescopic assembly 20, so the telescopic assembly 20 drives the goods 100 to move in a lifting manner, and Different from the first picking method in which the cargo 100 is suspended on the telescopic arm assembly 20 by means of the hook 241, in the second picking method, the cargo 100 is carried by the telescopic arm at the end of the entire telescopic assembly 20, and inserted into the cargo The hook 241 in the inner cavity of the 100 can prevent the goods from sliding or falling on the telescopic arm assembly 20, so as to play a positioning role.

Those skilled in the art can understand that when the above-mentioned mechanical arm assembly picks up and places the goods 100, the hook 241 extends into the inner cavity of the goods 100 from above or below the goods 100, which is only a way of picking up goods in this embodiment. According to different application scenarios, when the mechanical arm assembly picks up the goods, the hook 241 can choose different ways to extend into the inner cavity of the goods 100, and the specific use method mainly depends on the orientation of the goods 100 placed to the opening of the inner cavity and the shelf. The structure of 200 is not specifically limited in this implementation.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the third picking method of the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 7, the difference between the third picking method and the first picking method is that the first picking method In the middle, after the goods 100 leave the shelf 200, the weight of the goods 100 is carried by the telescopic assembly 20, while in the third picking method, the weight of the goods 100 can be directly carried by the lifting assembly 30, and the barb unit 24 is inserted into the goods 100. After being placed in the inner cavity, the hook 241 only plays the role of dragging the cargo 100 to move, and does not need to hang the loaded cargo 100 . Wherein, the lifting assembly 30 may include a connection frame 31 and a support platform 32, the mechanical arm assembly is installed on the connection frame 31, the support platform 32 has a support surface for supporting the goods 100, and the support surface is docked with the warehouse position that needs to be picked up on the shelf 200, The connecting frame 31 is located above the supporting surface, so that the hook 241 is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo 100 from the side of the cargo 100 away from the supporting surface, and the cargo 100 can slide on the supporting surface when the telescopic arm stretches and drives the cargo 100 to move .

The cargo 100 is moved and placed in a push-pull manner. During this process, the hook 241 is not easy to disengage from the cargo 100, and the telescopic arm does not need to bear the weight of the cargo 100. The cargo 100 can move stably without falling, and has a good stability and reliability.

Optionally, a tray 321 may be provided on the support platform 32, the tray 321 is used to form a support surface, the tray 321 may remain fixed relative to the support platform 32, and the end of the tray 321 may be docked with the shelf 200; or, the tray 321 may Moving relative to the support platform 32, when the handling robot needs to pick up the goods, the pallet 321 can extend toward the shelf 200 to accept the goods 100 pulled out from the storage position of the shelf 200 from the barb unit 24, and the pallet 321 can be driven by the motor. For driving, the specific driving structure may adopt a sliding module or a rack and pinion structure, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

Among the above three different picking methods of the handling robot, the barb unit 24 and the telescopic assembly 20 may have the same specific structure, and the telescopic assembly 20 may have the same driving method, which will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that when the lifting assembly 30 is raised and lowered, the connecting frame 31 and the support platform 32 move up and down synchronously, and when the goods 100 are picked and placed, the support platform 32 is docked with the storage position where the goods 100 are placed, that is, the position of the support platform 32 The supporting surface is flush with the height of the warehouse location or slightly lower than the height of the warehouse location. During the expansion and contraction process of the telescopic assembly 20, the hook 241 realizes the movement of the cargo 100 by pushing and pulling.

In addition, the movement of the lifting assembly 30 along the height direction of the robot body 10 can be realized by driving a synchronous belt or chain by a motor, and the specific lifting driving method of the lifting assembly 30 is not limited in this embodiment.

As an optional embodiment, the robot body 10 may include a base 11 and a storage rack 12, the storage rack 12 is installed on the base 11, and the lifting assembly 30 is arranged on the storage rack 12, and can move along the storage rack 12. The height direction moves, and the connecting frame 31 and the support platform are located on the same side of the storage rack 12, so that the goods 100 can be picked and placed at different heights.

Wherein, the side of the storage rack 12 facing away from the lifting assembly 30 is provided with a plurality of storage slots 121, and the plurality of storage slots 121 are distributed at intervals along the height direction of the storage rack 12, so that the goods 100 can be placed in different storage areas. In the slot 121, multiple goods 100 are transported in a single pick-and-place.

It should be noted that, after the telescopic assembly 20 picks and places the goods 100 on the support platform, the telescopic assembly 20 can rotate a certain angle relative to the connecting frame 31, so that the telescopic assembly 20's telescopic direction faces the storage tank 121. At this time, the support The support surface of the platform is docked with the storage tank 121 at the same time, and the telescopic assembly 20 can be extended again to push the goods 100 from the support platform into the storage tank 121, while the mechanical arm assembly moves up and down relative to the storage rack 12 to add goods 100 Place in different storage tanks 121.

In addition, a controller 50 may also be provided on the mechanical arm assembly, and the controller 50 may be electrically connected to the first driving unit 251 and the second driving unit 261 to control the mechanical assembly to pick and place goods.

This embodiment provides a handling robot for picking and placing goods on shelves. The handling robot includes a robot body and a mechanical arm assembly. The mechanical arm assembly is installed on the robot body. The mechanical arm assembly includes a telescopic assembly and a lifting assembly. The robot body is connected and can move along the height direction of the robot body, and the telescopic assembly is connected with the lifting assembly; the telescopic assembly includes a fixed arm and at least one telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm is movably arranged on the fixed arm; the side of the telescopic arm is provided with The barb unit, the barb unit includes at least one hook, the cargo has an inner cavity, and the hook is used to extend into the inner cavity of the annular cargo. When the telescopic arm stretches, the hook drives the cargo to move, so as to realize the moving and picking of the cargo. And the goods can move stably without falling, with good stability and reliability.

Embodiment two

This embodiment provides a logistics system. The logistics system includes a shelf and the handling robot in the first embodiment above. The shelf is used to store goods with inner cavities. The handling robot can dock with the shelf and pick up and place goods.

Among them, the handling robot is equipped with a mechanical arm assembly. The mechanical arm assembly has a hook that can extend into the inner cavity of the cargo. The hook drives the cargo to move, improving the stability and reliability of the cargo pick-and-place. The structure of the handling robot and The method of picking up the goods is the same as that in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

In addition, for the application scenario of the logistics system provided in this embodiment, according to the type of specific goods, it can be applied to the delivery of inventory products in manufacturing factories, delivery of inventory products in retail industries, or express delivery in e-commerce logistics. In different fields such as outbound sorting, the products or goods involved in transportation may be industrial parts, electronic accessories or products, clothing accessories, food, etc., but this embodiment of the application does not specifically limit it.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit it; although the application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: It is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. .

Claims (18)

1. A handling robot, characterized in that it is used to pick and place goods, the goods have an inner cavity, the handling robot includes a robot body and a mechanical arm assembly, and the mechanical arm assembly is installed on the robot body;

   The mechanical arm assembly includes a telescopic assembly and a lifting assembly, the lifting assembly is connected with the robot body and can move along the height direction of the robot body, the telescopic assembly is connected with the lifting assembly; the telescopic assembly It includes a fixed arm and at least one telescopic arm, and the telescopic arm is movably arranged on the fixed arm; a barb unit is provided on the side of the telescopic arm, and the barb unit includes at least one hook. The hook is used to extend into the inner cavity of the cargo, and when the telescopic arm stretches, the hook drives the cargo to move.
2. The handling robot according to claim 1, wherein the hook comprises a first extension section and a second extension section, the first extension section is connected to the telescopic arm, and the second extension section is located at the The first extension section is away from one end of the telescopic arm, and the second extension section has an included angle with the first extension section.
3. The handling robot according to claim 2, wherein the barb unit further includes a mounting base, the mounting base is detachably connected to the telescopic arm, and the shape of the mounting base is the same as that of the The shape of the inner cavity of the cargo matches, and the hook is arranged on the installation base.
4. The handling robot according to claim 3, wherein a chute is arranged on the installation base, the hook is arranged in the chute, and the barb unit further includes an elastic member, and the elastic The component is located in the chute and abuts against the hook.
5. The transporting robot according to claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of suspension hooks, and the plurality of suspension hooks are distributed around the center of the installation base at intervals.
6. The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that there are multiple telescopic arms, the multiple telescopic arms are connected in sequence and extend in the same direction, at least one of the telescopic arms is connected to the telescopic arms The adjacent telescopic arms can move relative to each other along the extension direction, and the barb unit is located on the telescopic arm far away from the fixed arm among the plurality of telescopic arms.
7. The handling robot according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of telescopic arms include a first telescopic arm and a second telescopic arm, and the first telescopic arm is connected to the fixed arm and can move relative to the fixed arm The second telescopic arm is connected to the first telescopic arm and can move along the self-extending direction relative to the first telescopic arm, and the barb unit is arranged on the second telescopic arm.
8. The transfer robot according to claim 7, wherein the first telescopic arm and the second telescopic arm extend in the same direction, and the telescopic directions of the two are consistent.
9. The transfer robot according to claim 7, wherein the barb unit is located at a middle position of the second telescopic arm along its length direction.
10. The handling robot according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical arm assembly further includes a first driving mechanism, the first driving mechanism is installed on the fixed arm, and the output end of the first driving mechanism It is connected with the first telescopic arm to drive the first telescopic arm to move.
11. The handling robot according to claim 10, wherein the first drive mechanism comprises a first drive unit and a first transmission member, the output end of the first drive unit is connected to the first transmission member, so The circumferential direction of the first transmission member has first meshing teeth, the first telescopic arm is provided with second meshing teeth along its length direction, and the first meshing teeth and the second meshing teeth mesh with each other.
12. The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the mechanical arm assembly further includes a second drive mechanism, and the second drive mechanism includes a second drive unit, a second transmission member and a third drive unit. The transmission part, the second drive unit is arranged on the fixed arm, the second transmission part is arranged on the lifting assembly, the fixed arm is connected to the second transmission part through a rotating shaft, and the third The transmission member is connected to the output end of the second driving unit and engaged with the second transmission member, so that the second driving unit drives the fixed arm to rotate relative to the lifting assembly.
13. The handling robot according to claim 12, wherein the second transmission member and the third transmission member are both gears, and both the second transmission member and the third transmission member are located on the fixed arm The side away from the telescopic arm is externally engaged with the second transmission member and the third transmission member.
14. The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, the shape and size of the barb unit match the shape and size of the inner cavity of the cargo, and the hook lifts from the cargo The top of the upper part of the cargo extends into the inner cavity of the cargo, and the hook abuts against and hooks the inner wall of the cargo inner cavity, so that when the telescopic arm stretches, the cargo hook Connected to the telescopic arm and move with the telescopic arm.
15. The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the lifting assembly includes a connecting frame and a supporting platform, the mechanical arm assembly is installed on the connecting frame, and the supporting platform has a supporting structure. The supporting surface of the cargo, the connecting frame is located above the supporting surface, so that the hook is inserted into the inner cavity of the cargo from the side of the cargo facing away from the supporting surface.
16. The handling robot according to claim 15, wherein the robot body includes a base and a storage rack, the storage rack is installed on the base, and the lifting assembly is arranged on the storage rack, And it can move along the height direction of the storage rack, and the connecting frame and the supporting platform are located on the same side of the storage rack.
17. The handling robot according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of storage slots are provided on a side of the storage rack away from the lifting assembly, and a plurality of storage slots are arranged along the height of the storage rack. Directional interval distribution.
18. A logistics system, characterized in that it includes a shelf and the handling robot according to any one of claims 1-17, the shelf is used to store goods with inner cavities, the handling robot can dock with the shelf, and Pick and place said goods.

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