Automatic transfer system and method for items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286122-B2
Application number	US-201816464215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Provided are an automatic transfer system and method for items. The automatic transfer system for items includes: an item container, which is configured to receive to-be-conveyed items with a preset direction; a detection device, which is configured to detect whether items falling into the item container meet a transfer condition; and a carrying device, which is configured to automatically transfer the item container to a preset destination when the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic transfer system for items, comprising:
an item container, which is configured to receive to-be-conveyed items with a preset destination;
a detection device, which is configured to detect whether items in the item container meet a transfer condition;
a carrying device, which is configured to automatically transfer the item container to a preset location when the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition; and
a sorting grid mouth, which is configured to be bound to the destination of the items;
wherein the detection device comprises at least one of the following:
a distance sensor, which is configured to detect depth information of the items falling into the item container, wherein the depth information is configured to determine whether the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition;
a counter, which is configured to calculate a number of the items falling into the item container, wherein the number of the items is configured to determine whether the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition; or
an image pickup device, which is configured to acquire an image of a remaining capacity of the item container containing the items falling into the item container, wherein the image of the remaining capacity of the item container is configured to determine whether the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition;
wherein, when the item container corresponding to the sorting grid mouth is removed, the sorting grid mouth is turned into a self-locking state.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the sorting grid mouth is configured to assign the items to different item containers according to destinations of the items.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a scheduling server, which is configured to be in communication connection with the detection device and the carrying device respectively; and
wherein the detection device is configured to send a transfer indication to the scheduling server when the items in the item container meet the transfer condition, and the scheduling server is configured to control the carrying device to transfer the item container to the preset location according to the indication.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the carrying device is further configured to carry an empty item container from a second preset area to a preset sorting grid mouth.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sorting platform, wherein the sorting platform comprises a sorting unit; and
the sorting unit comprises: a plurality of sorting grid mouths disposed on a platform body of the sorting platform, a plurality of chutes located under the platform body, and a plurality of item containers located under the platform body, each of the plurality of item containers is disposed under a respective one of the plurality of sorting grid mouths;
wherein each of the sorting grid mouths is docked with an inlet of a respective one of the plurality of chutes, and each chute is inclined;
the plurality of sorting grid mouths are arranged in a clockwise cycle or a counterclockwise cycle, the plurality of chutes are arranged in a clockwise or a counterclockwise cycle, and the plurality of item containers are arranged in a clockwise cycle, or a counterclockwise cycle;
each chute is configured to interface a respective sorting grid mouth at the inlet of the respective chute with an item container under an adjacent sorting grid mouth adjacent to the respective sorting grid mouth, wherein the adjacent sorting grid mouth, and the respective sorting grid mouth which is docked with the inlet of the respective chute, are adjacent clockwise or adjacent counterclockwise.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the sorting grid mouths is a square sorting grid mouth.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of item containers is disposed on a carrier.

8. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the number of sorting grid mouths is equal to 2 times k, and the 2 times k sorting grid mouths are distributed in a manner of 2 rows and k columns or k rows and 2 columns, wherein k is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the sorting unit comprises 6 sorting grid mouths, and the 6 sorting grid mouths are distributed in a manner of 2 rows and 3 columns.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the sorting unit comprises 4 sorting grid mouths, and the 4 sorting grid mouths are distributed in a manner of 2 rows and 2 columns.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein a first item container is disposed under a first sorting grid mouth of the 4 sorting grid mouths, a second item container is disposed under a second sorting grid mouth of the 4 sorting grid mouths, a third item container is disposed under a third sorting grid mouth of the 4 sorting grid mouths, a fourth item container is disposed under a fourth sorting grid mouth of the 4 sorting grid mouths, an inlet of a first chute is docked with the first sorting grid mouth, an outlet of the first chute is docked with the second item container, an inlet of a second chute is docked with the second sorting grid mouth, an outlet of the second chute is docked with the third item container, an inlet of a third chute is docked with the third sorting grid mouth, an outlet of the third chute is docked with the fourth item container, an inlet of a fourth chute is docked with the fourth sorting grid mouth, and an outlet of the fourth chute is docked with the first item container.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the sorting platform comprises the platform body, a support column for supporting the platform body, and a plurality of sorting units for implementing the sorting.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sorting units is distributed on the sorting platform in an array form, and the sorting platform is set up in a sorting place.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first robot configured to move on the platform body and put items to be sorted into any sorting grid mouth on the platform body.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the carrying device is a second robot, and the second robot is capable of carrying the item container.

16. An automatic transfer method for items, comprising:
receiving to-be-conveyed items with a preset destination by using an item container;
detecting whether the items falling into the item container meet a transfer condition by using a detection device; and
automatically transferring the item container to a preset location by using a carrying device when the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition;
wherein the detecting whether the items falling into the item container meet a transfer condition by using a detection device comprises at least one of the following:
detecting depth information of the items falling into the item container, and determining whether the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition according to the depth information;
calculating a number of the items falling into the item container, and determining whether the number of the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition according to the number of the items;
acquiring an image of a remaining capacity of the item container containing the items falling into the item container through an image pickup device, and determining whether the items falling into the item container meet the transfer condition according to the image

Assignees

• Beijing Geekplus Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Hanbin
• Wang Mengdi

Classifications

• B65G2201/025

  Boxes · CPC title

• B07C3/00

  Sorting according to destination {(collating the pages of a book B42C1/00)} · CPC title

• B65G47/905 Primary

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B65G11/023

  for articles · CPC title

• B65G2203/044

  Optical · CPC title