Sorting robot and sorting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103770-B2
Application number	US-202217682516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sorting robot and a sorting method. The sorting method is applicable to the foregoing sorting robot, where the sorting robot is configured to deliver specific goods to be sorted to a specific sorting position, and a sorting mechanism carrying the specific goods to be sorted corresponds to the specific sorting position. The sorting method includes: S 130 : the sorting mechanism receiving goods to be sorted; S 140 : the sorting mechanism being raised or lowered to a height corresponding to the sorting position under drive of a lifting mechanism; and S 160 : the sorting mechanism performing an action to deliver the goods to be sorted that is placed on the sorting mechanism to the corresponding sorting position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sorting robot, comprising:
a chassis, capable of moving on ground;
a vertical framework, fixedly disposed on the chassis, and disposed along a vertical direction;
a lifting mechanism, capable of rising or falling along a vertical direction relative to the vertical framework;
a sorting mechanism, disposed movably along the vertical direction on the vertical framework, wherein the sorting mechanism is connected to the lifting mechanism, the sorting mechanism can be raised or lowered along the vertical direction under drive of the lifting mechanism, the sorting mechanism is synchronically raised or lowered with goods to be sorted, and the sorting mechanism can deliver the goods to be sorted to a corresponding sorting position;
a control center, respectively electrically connected to the chassis, the lifting mechanism, and the sorting mechanism, wherein the control center is configured to control the chassis, the lifting mechanism, and the sorting mechanism to individually or jointly perform an action; and
a storing mechanism, the storing mechanism being disposed on the vertical framework, the storing mechanism being configured to store the goods to be sorted, the storing mechanism being configured to convey the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism when performing an action, or the sorting mechanism being capable of conveying goods to the storing mechanism;
the storing mechanism comprises a plurality of storing components, the plurality of storing components are disposed in a plurality of columns on the vertical framework, the sorting mechanism being capable of simultaneously corresponding to the plurality of storing components of the same height when being raised or lowered, and the sorting mechanism being capable of flipping around an axis in a horizontal direction at a set angle;
each of the plurality of storing components comprises a storing bracket and a storing action platform, the storing bracket is fixedly disposed on the vertical framework, the storing action platform is disposed on the storing bracket, the storing action platform is configured to store the goods to be sorted and convey the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism through a platform surface action when performing an action.

2. A sorting method, applicable to the sorting robot according to claim 1 , wherein the sorting robot is configured to deliver particular goods to be sorted to a particular sorting position, the sorting mechanism carrying the particular goods to be sorted corresponding to the particular sorting position, and the sorting method comprises:
S 130 : the sorting mechanism receiving the goods to be sorted;
S 140 : the sorting mechanism being raised or lowered to a height corresponding to the sorting position under drive of the lifting mechanism; and
S 160 : the sorting mechanism performing an action to deliver the goods to be sorted that is placed on the sorting mechanism to the corresponding sorting position.

3. The sorting method according to claim 2 , wherein before the step S 130 , the sorting method further comprises step S 110 : the storing action platform receiving the goods to be sorted; and in the step S 130 , the storing action platform performing an action to convey the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of storing components being disposed at intervals on the vertical framework along the vertical direction, the storing component conveying the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism when performing an action, and the sorting mechanism being capable of delivering the goods to be sorted to the corresponding sorting position, or the sorting mechanism being capable of conveying the goods to a corresponding storing component; in the step S 110 , a plurality of storing action platforms of the plurality of storing components respectively receive the goods to be sorted; in the step S 130 , the storing action platform of a particular storing component conveys the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism; and after the step S 160 , the sorting method further comprises step S 170 : the sorting robot repeating the steps S 130 to S 160 until all goods to be sorted that need to be delivered to the sorting positions in a column have been delivered.

5. The sorting method according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of columns of the sorting positions are sequentially disposed along a horizontal direction, and after the step S 170 , the sorting method further comprises step S 180 : the sorting mechanism being moved to another delivery position under drive of the chassis, and the sorting robot repeating step S 170 .

6. The sorting method according to claim 5 , wherein after the step S 180 , the sorting method further comprises step S 190 : the sorting robot repeating the steps S 170 and S 180 until all goods to be sorted carried by the storing component have been delivered, and the sorting robot waiting for a next instruction.

7. The sorting method according to claim 4 , wherein in the step S 160 , the sorting mechanism flips at the set angle to deliver the goods to be sorted placed on the sorting mechanism to the corresponding sorting position.

8. The sorting method according to claim 4 , wherein the step S 130 comprises:
S 1301 : the sorting mechanism being raised or lowered to a height of a corresponding storing component under the drive of the lifting mechanism; and
S 1303 : the storing action platform performing an action to convey the goods to be sorted to the sorting mechanism.

9. The sorting method according to claim 8 , wherein the sorting mechanism comprises a sorting bracket and a sorting action platform, the sorting bracket being disposed movably along the vertical direction on the vertical framework, the sorting bracket being connected to the lifting mechanism, the sorting bracket being capable of being raised or lowered along the vertical direction under the drive of the lifting mechanism, the sorting action platform being disposed rotatably on the sorting bracket, the sorting action platform being capable of rotating in a horizontal plane relative to the sorting bracket, the sorting action platform being capable of carrying the goods to be sorted, and the sorting action platform delivering the goods to be sorted to the corresponding sorting position when performing an action, or the sorting mechanism being capable of conveying the goods to the storing component; and after the step S 1301 , the sorting method further comprises step S 1302 : the sorting action platform rotating in the horizontal plane relative to the sorting bracket until a receiving end of the sorting action platform faces the storing component.

10. The sorting method according to claim 4 , wherein the step S 110 comprises:
S 1101 : the sorting robot receiving a receiving instruction, and the receiving instruction comprising receiving position information;
S 1102 : the chassis driving the sorting robot to move to a corresponding receiving position according to the receiving position information; and
S 1103 : the storing action platform receiving the goods to be sorted.

11. The sorting method according to claim 10 , wherein the sorting mechanism has a receiving height when receiving the goods, and the step S 1103 comprises:
S 11031 : the sorting mechanism being raised or lowered to the receiving height under the drive of the lifting mechanism;
S 11032 : the sorting mechanism receiving goods to be sorted;
S 11033 : the sorting mechanism carrying the goods being raised or lowered to the height corresponding to the storing action platform;
S 11035 : the sorting mechanism performing an action to convey the carried good

Assignees

• Hai Robotics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kong Zhe
• Chen Yuqi

Classifications

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• B07C3/08 Primary

  using arrangements of conveyors {(transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G)} · CPC title

• B07C3/008

  Means for collecting objects, e.g. containers for sorted mail items (pile receivers in general B65H31/00) · CPC title

• B07C2501/0063

  Using robots · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title