CN216334805U

CN216334805U - Conveying assembly and automatic guided transport vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN216334805U
Application number: CN202122905690.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 肖大伟; 卞波
Original assignee: Smart Acceleration Suzhou Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Smart Acceleration Suzhou Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-24
Filing date: 2021-11-24
Publication date: 2022-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 2031-11-24

Abstract

The utility model relates to a conveying assembly and an automatic guided vehicle. The conveying assembly comprises a butt joint platform, a conveying device, a rotating mechanism and a lifting mechanism. A through hole is formed in the butt joint platform. The conveying device is arranged on the docking platform. The rotating mechanism is aligned with the through hole in the vertical direction. The lift mechanism is connected to the docking platform and is capable of moving the docking platform up and down between a rotational position and a plurality of docking positions higher than the rotational position. The rotation mechanism passes through the through-hole and is higher than the transfer device when the docking platform is in the rotated position, and the rotation mechanism is lower than the transfer device when the docking platform is in the docked position. According to the scheme of the utility model, only the butt joint platform needs to be lifted, and the rotating mechanism does not need to be lifted, so that the rotating mechanism does not need to be provided with a lifting mechanism, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Conveying assembly and automatic guided transport vehicle

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of logistics, in particular to a conveying assembly and an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV).

Background

In many logistic application scenarios, such as full-flow operation from a raw material bin to a production line and to finished product transportation, automatic material handling in storage and production lines, it is necessary to transport items by means of an automated guided vehicle and a transport assembly mounted on the automated guided vehicle. In particular, it is necessary to dock the docking platform of the conveying assembly of the automated guided vehicle with the material platform of the device to be docked (such as a conveyor belt, a roller, a tray, a rack, a shelf, etc.) to convey the article. In practice, the material platforms of different devices to be docked may be located at different heights and the orientation of the articles on the docking platform of the transport assembly of the automated guided vehicle needs to be adjusted to the actual situation.

It is known to adjust the height of the docking platform of the transport assembly of an automated guided vehicle and to provide the docking platform with a lifting and lowering swivel mechanism that can be raised and swivel the articles when their orientation needs to be adjusted. However, the rotating mechanism and the docking platform of the conveying assembly of the known automated guided vehicle require a special lifting mechanism, and are complex and costly.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a conveyor assembly and automated guided vehicle that at least partially address the problems of the prior art.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model provides a conveying assembly. The delivery assembly comprises: the docking platform is provided with a through hole; the conveying device is arranged on the docking platform; a rotation mechanism aligned with the through hole in a vertical direction; and a lifting mechanism connected to the docking platform and capable of moving the docking platform up and down between a rotational position and a plurality of docking positions higher than the rotational position; wherein the rotation mechanism passes through the through-hole and is above the transfer device when the docking platform is in the rotated position, and the rotation mechanism is below the transfer device when the docking platform is in the docked position.

Optionally, the conveying device comprises a first conveying device and a second conveying device arranged at a distance from the first conveying device, and the through hole is arranged between the first conveying device and the second conveying device.

Optionally, the transport assembly comprises a first clamp and a second clamp disposed on the docking platform and on either side of the conveyor, the first clamp and the second clamp being movable in a direction towards or away from each other.

Optionally, the transport assembly comprises a synchronized gripping mechanism comprising: the forward rotation lead screw is connected with the first clamping piece; the reverse screw rod is connected with the second clamping piece; the coupler is connected with the forward rotation lead screw and the reverse rotation lead screw; and the driver is connected to the coupler so as to drive the forward rotation lead screw and the reverse rotation lead screw to synchronously and reversely rotate, so that the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are driven to synchronously and reversely move.

Optionally, the synchronized gripping mechanism is disposed below the conveyor.

Optionally, the conveying assembly is used for conveying material frames.

The present invention also provides an automated guided vehicle, comprising: the mobile device comprises a body, wherein the bottom of the body is provided with a mobile device; and any one of the above conveying assemblies, the conveying assembly being disposed on the body.

Optionally, the body includes a base and a stand extending upwardly from the base, the rotation mechanism is disposed on the base, and the docking platform is disposed on the stand.

According to the scheme of the utility model, the butt joint platform of the conveying assembly of the automatic guide transport vehicle can move between the rotating position and the plurality of butt joint positions, can be butted with material platforms with different heights, has stronger adaptability and wider application range, and can also adjust the orientation of an article on the conveying device according to the requirement. In addition, in the whole process, only the butt joint platform needs to be lifted, and the rotating mechanism does not need to be lifted, so that the rotating mechanism does not need to be provided with a lifting mechanism, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced.

Drawings

The features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements, and wherein:

fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with articles on the transport assembly of the automated guided vehicle in a first orientation;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with articles on the transport assembly of the automated guided vehicle in a second orientation different from the first orientation;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a transport assembly of an automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a conveyor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of the docking platform and synchronized gripping mechanism of the transport assembly of the automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a portion of a synchronized gripping mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to limit the utility model, its application, or uses. Moreover, the dimensions and proportions of the parts of the figures are only schematic and do not correspond strictly to actual products.

The utility model provides a conveying assembly, which is used for conveying articles. Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying assembly is used for conveying the material frame, for example, for conveying the material frame in Surface Mount Technology (SMT). In other embodiments of the present invention, the conveyor assembly may also be used to transport articles in other logistics application scenarios, such as full flow operations from a manufacturing plant raw material silo to a production line and to finished product transportation, warehousing, and automated material handling in a production line. The conveying assembly can be installed on an automatic guide transport vehicle to realize intelligent conveying of articles.

Fig. 1 to 7 schematically show an automated guided vehicle and a transport assembly thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In particular, fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an autonomous mobile robotic automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the autonomous mobile robotic self-guiding transporter with an article on a transport assembly of the autonomous mobile robotic self-guiding transporter in a first orientation in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the autonomous mobile robotic self-guiding transporter with an article on a transport assembly of the autonomous mobile robotic self-guiding transporter in a second orientation different from the first orientation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a transport assembly of an autonomous mobile robotic automated guided vehicle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 shows a top view of a conveyor assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model; FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of the docking platform and synchronized gripping mechanism of the transport assembly of the autonomous mobile robotic automated guided vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a portion of a synchronized gripping mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The automated guided vehicle and the transfer assembly thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1 to 7.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the automated guided vehicle 10 includes a body 100. Preferably, the body 100 includes a base 110 and a stand 120 extending upwardly from the base 110. The base 110 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its dimension in the height direction may be significantly smaller than its dimensions in the length direction and the width direction. For example, the size of the susceptor 110 in the height direction may be less than or equal to 310 mm. The upright 120 may include a front upright 121 and a rear upright 122. The front upright 121 extends upward from the front (e.g., foremost) of the base 110. A rear upright 122 extends upwardly from a rear (e.g., rearmost) end of the base 110. The bottom of the body 100 is provided with a moving device 130, and the moving device 130 can be moved or rotated by a driving unit (not shown) so that the body 100 can be moved or rotated. The driving unit may be provided within the body 100. The moving device 130 may be a wheel, and preferably may include at least one steering wheel. The steering is performed by steering the steering wheel, so that the automated guided vehicle 10 can be laterally driven.

As shown in fig. 1 to 7, the automated guided vehicle 10 further includes a transfer assembly 200 provided on the body 100. The delivery assembly 200 may be removably disposed on the body 100. The transport assembly 200 includes a docking platform 210, a conveyor 220, a rotation mechanism 230, and a lift mechanism (not shown). The various components of the delivery assembly 200 will be described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 1-7.

The docking platform 210 of the conveying assembly 200 is used for docking with a material platform (such as a conveyor belt, a roller, a tray, a rack, a shelf, etc.) of a device to be docked for conveying an article 300, for example, conveying an article 300 from a material platform of one device to be docked to a material platform of another device to be docked, for automated handling of material (particularly heavy material) for warehousing or production lines, shelf handling, automated handling of automated warehousing systems and roller transfer, etc. The docking may be a positive docking, a side docking, or the like. As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the docking platform 210 is disposed on the upright 120 of the body 100. Specifically, docking platform 210 may be connected to one or both of front upright 121 and rear upright 122 of body 100 and located between front upright 121 and rear upright 122. The docking platform 210 has a through hole 211 formed therein. Docking platform 210 may also have a sensor mount 212 for mounting a sensor that senses the presence of an item 300.

A conveyor 220 is provided on the docking platform 210 for conveying the article 300. The transfer device 220 may be rotatably disposed on the docking platform 210. The conveyor 220 may be, for example, a roller, a belt, or the like. Preferably, in the present embodiment, the transfer device 220 includes a first transfer device 221 and a second transfer device 222 disposed apart from the first transfer device 221. The first conveyor 221 and the second conveyor 222 may be disposed spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The conveying directions of the first conveying device 221 and the second conveying device 222 are both left and right directions. The distance between the first conveyor 221 and the second conveyor 222 may be a fixed distance, for example 15 mm. The through-hole 211 of the docking platform 210 as described above is disposed between the first transfer device 221 and the second transfer device 222.

The rotation mechanism 230 is used to rotate the articles 300 received on the conveyor 220 to adjust the orientation of the articles 300 as desired. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the article 300 in a rectangular parallelepiped shape is changed from the first orientation to the second orientation after being rotated by 90 degrees by the rotating mechanism 230. The rotation mechanism 230 is a rotating disk, which may be, for example, 10mm in diameter. The rotation mechanism 230 may be disposed on the base 110. The rotation mechanism 230 is aligned in the vertical direction with the through hole 211 in the docking platform 210.

The lift mechanism is connected to the docking platform 210 and is capable of moving the docking platform 210 up and down between a rotational position and a plurality of docking positions higher than the rotational position. When docking platform 210 is in the rotated position, rotation mechanism 230 passes through hole 211 and is above carousel 220. That is, the upper surface of the rotating mechanism 230 is higher than the upper surface of the transfer device 220. In this case, the article 300 received on the conveyor 220 is received on the rotating mechanism 230 at a distance from the conveyor 220 so that the orientation of the article 300 can be rotated by the rotating mechanism 230 without being affected by the conveyor 220. When docking platform 210 is in the docked position, rotation mechanism 230 is lower than carousel 220. That is, the upper surface of the rotating mechanism 230 is lower than the upper surface of the transfer device 220. In this case, the article 300 received on the rotating mechanism 230 is re-received onto the conveyor 220 at a distance from the rotating mechanism 230 so as to be conveyed by the conveyor 220 without being affected by the rotating mechanism 230. The docking position can be multiple, so as to adapt to different heights of the material platforms of different devices to be docked. In the whole process, only the docking platform 210 needs to be lifted, and the rotating mechanism 230 does not need to be lifted, so that the rotating mechanism 230 does not need to be provided with a lifting mechanism, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced.

The lifting mechanism may be a push rod, such as an electric push rod. The elevating mechanism may be provided in the front stand 121 or the rear stand 122. For example, in the present embodiment, the lifting mechanism may be provided only in the rear uprights 122. Of course, the lifting mechanism may be provided in both the front standing member 121 and the rear standing member 122.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 1 to 5, the automated guided vehicle 10 further includes a first clamping member 241 and a second clamping member 242 disposed on the docking platform 210 and located at both sides of the transfer device 220. Specifically, the first gripper 241 is located on the front side of the first conveyor 221, i.e., the side of the first conveyor 221 away from the second conveyor 222; the second gripper 242 is located on the rear side of the second conveyor 222, i.e., the side of the second conveyor 222 away from the first conveyor 221. The first clamping piece 241 and the second clamping piece 242 are movable in a direction toward or away from each other. The first gripping member 241 may push the article 300 on the conveyor 220 backwards as desired; the second gripper 242 may push the articles 300 on the conveyor 220 forward as desired. In this manner, the article 300 may be enabled to be transported between different sized material platforms. Preferably, as shown in fig. 6, a linear guide 260 may be provided on the docking platform 210, the linear guide 260 being perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying device 220 within the plane of the docking platform 210, so that the first and

second clamping members

241 and 242 can be linearly moved toward or away from each other.

In order to be able to adjust the movements of the first clamping member 241 and the second clamping member 242 synchronously, the conveying assembly 200 preferably further comprises a synchronous clamping mechanism 250. Preferably, the synchronized gripping mechanism 250 is disposed below the conveyor 220 to provide a compact structure, thereby reducing the space occupied by the transport assembly 200. As shown in fig. 5, 6 and 7, the synchronized gripping mechanism 250 includes a forward rotation lead screw 251, a reverse rotation lead screw 252, a coupling 253, and a driver 254. The forward rotation lead screw 251 is connected with the first clamping piece 241, the reverse rotation lead screw 252 is connected with the second clamping piece 242, the coupler 253 is connected with the forward rotation lead screw 251 and the reverse rotation lead screw 252, and the driver 254 is connected with the coupler 253 to drive the forward rotation lead screw 251 and the reverse rotation lead screw 252 to synchronously and reversely rotate, so that the first clamping piece 241 and the second clamping piece 242 are driven to synchronously and reversely move. The driver 254 may be a servo motor, and may be connected to the coupling 253 by a timing belt, thereby rotating the coupling 253 and thereby rotating the forward rotation lead screw 251 and the reverse rotation lead screw 252 in synchronization and in reverse. The forward rotation lead screw 251 and the reverse rotation lead screw 252 are connected by the coupler 253, so that the forward rotation lead screw 251 and the reverse rotation lead screw 252 synchronously move in the reverse direction, the first clamping piece 241 and the second clamping piece 242 synchronously move in the reverse direction, the problem of synchronous error of controlling the movement of the first clamping piece 241 and the second clamping piece 242 respectively is solved, only one driver 254 is used, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced. The precision of the synchronous clamping mechanism 250 of the conveying assembly 200 provided by the utility model can reach +/-1 mm. Since the first and second

gripping members

241 and 242 can perform simultaneous gripping by the simultaneous gripping mechanism 250, unnecessary changes in the direction of the conveyed article 300 can be prevented.

Alternatively, the front surface of the front upright 121 may be provided with a depth camera obliquely downward for low obstacle avoidance. Optionally, the front surface of the front upright 121 may also be provided with a first monocular camera for recognizing following. Alternatively, the side surfaces of the front upright 121 and the rear upright 122 may be provided with a second monocular camera for reading a mark, such as a two-dimensional code or the like, on the material platform of the device to be docked. Optionally, a warning device, such as a warning light, may be provided on at least one of the front upright 121 and the rear upright 122 to indicate the current status of the automated guided vehicle 10, whether an emergency situation occurs, and the like. Preferably, in the present embodiment, a front warning lamp is disposed at an upper surface of the front upright member 121, and a rear warning lamp is disposed at an upper surface of the rear upright member 122. Optionally, at least one of the front upright 121 and the rear upright 122 may be provided with an emergency stop device, such as an emergency stop button, to emergency brake the automated guided vehicle 10 in case of emergency. Preferably, in the present embodiment, a front scram button is provided at an upper surface of the front upright 121, and a rear scram button is provided at an upper surface of the rear upright 122, so that a user can operate the scram button to emergently brake the automated guided vehicle 10 both in front and at the rear of the automated guided vehicle 10.

Optionally, the automated guided vehicle 10 may further include a groove (not shown) provided on an outer wall of the base 110 or between the base 110 and the front and

rear uprights

121 and 122. A radar (not shown), such as a laser radar, for detecting spatial position information of the automated guided vehicle 10 with respect to the material platform of the device to be docked and feeding back the spatial position information to a control device provided inside the body 100 may be accommodated in the recess. The control device performs 360-degree omnidirectional path planning on the automated guided vehicle 10 based on spatial position information detected by the radar, such as the distance between the automated guided vehicle 10 and the device to be docked, whether an obstacle exists between the automated guided vehicle 10 and the device to be docked, and the like, so as to guide and avoid the obstacle for the movement of the automated guided vehicle 10. A micro-distance camera can be further arranged in the groove and used for accurate butt joint.

The present invention also provides a method for automatically guiding a transport vehicle 10 in conveying articles. The conveying method provided by the present invention will be described below by taking as an example the case where the article 300 on the first material platform of the first device to be docked is conveyed to the second material platform of the second device to be docked by the automated guided vehicle 10 (the height of the second material platform is different from the height of the first material platform, and the orientation of the article 300 needs to be adjusted).

First, the automated guided vehicle 10 is controlled to pick up the article 300 from the first docking device, wherein the docking platform 210 of the conveyor assembly 200 of the automated guided vehicle 10 is in one of the docking positions and the article 300 is received on the conveyor 220. Specifically, the height of the docking platform 210 is adjusted to the same docking position as the height of the first material platform of the first device to be docked by the lifting mechanism of the conveying assembly 200 of the automated guided transport vehicle 10. The automated guided vehicle 10 is then moved autonomously and docked with the first material platform of the first device to be docked. Of course, the adjustment of the height of the docking platform 210 and the autonomous movement of the automated guided vehicle 10 may be performed simultaneously, or the automated guided vehicle 10 may be autonomously moved to be close to the first device to be docked before the height of the docking platform 210 is adjusted. Next, the item 300 to be conveyed on the first material platform is received by the conveyor 220. Since the docking platform 210 is in the docked position with the rotating mechanism 230 lower than the conveyor 220, the article 300 is only received on the conveyor 220 spaced from the rotating mechanism 230.

When an adjustment of the orientation of the article 300 is required, the docking platform 210 is controlled to be lowered to a rotated position such that the rotation mechanism 230 passes through the through hole 211 in the docking platform 210 and above the conveyor 220, at which time the article 300 is received on the rotation mechanism 230. Specifically, the height of the docking platform 210 is adjusted to a rotational position by the lift mechanism of the transport assembly 200 of the automated guided vehicle 10. Since docking platform 210 is in a rotated position with rotating mechanism 230 above conveyor 220, article 300 is only received on rotating mechanism 230 and spaced apart from conveyor 220. In this case, the article 300 may be rotated by the rotation mechanism 230 without being affected by the conveyor 220.

Next, the rotation mechanism 230 may be controlled to rotate the article 300 received on the rotation mechanism 230 to a desired orientation. For example, the article 300 may be rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise or clockwise, etc.

After the article 300 is rotated to a desired orientation, the docking platform 210 may be controlled to be raised to a desired docking position of the plurality of docking positions so that the article 300 is re-received on the conveyor 220. The desired docking position is determined according to the height of the second material platform of the second device to be docked to which the article 300 is to be conveyed. Since the docking platform 210 is in the docked position with the rotating mechanism 230 lower than the conveyor 220, the article 300 is only received on the conveyor 220 spaced from the rotating mechanism 230. In this case, the article 300 may be conveyed by the conveyor 220 without being affected by the rotating mechanism 230. Next, the automated guided vehicle 10 is controlled to dock with the second docking apparatus to transfer the article 300 to the second docking apparatus.

The conveying method provided by the utility model further comprises the step of controlling a driver 254 of the synchronous clamping mechanism 250 of the conveying assembly 200 to drive the forward rotating lead screw 251 and the reverse rotating lead screw 252 of the synchronous clamping mechanism 250 to synchronously rotate in the reverse direction, so that the first clamping piece 241 and the second clamping piece 242 are driven to synchronously move in the reverse direction, the position of the article 300 on the conveying device 220 is adjusted according to requirements, and the article 300 can be conveyed between material platforms with different sizes.

In summary, the docking platform 210 of the conveying assembly 200 of the automated guided vehicle 10 according to the present invention can move between the rotating position and the docking positions, and not only can dock with material platforms of different heights, which is more adaptable and wider in application range, but also can adjust the orientation of the object 300 on the conveying device 220 as required. In the whole process, only the docking platform 210 needs to be lifted, and the rotating mechanism 230 does not need to be lifted, so that the rotating mechanism 230 does not need to be provided with a lifting mechanism, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced.

In the present specification, whenever reference is made to "an exemplary embodiment", "a preferred embodiment", "one embodiment", or the like, it is intended that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in other ones of all the embodiments described.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications and substitutions may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveyor assembly, characterized in that the conveyor assembly comprises:

the docking platform is provided with a through hole;

the conveying device is arranged on the docking platform;

a rotation mechanism aligned with the through hole in a vertical direction; and

a lifting mechanism connected to the docking platform and capable of moving the docking platform up and down between a rotational position and a plurality of docking positions higher than the rotational position;

wherein the rotation mechanism passes through the through-hole and is above the transfer device when the docking platform is in the rotated position, and the rotation mechanism is below the transfer device when the docking platform is in the docked position.

2. The transfer assembly of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor spaced apart from the first conveyor, the through-hole being disposed between the first conveyor and the second conveyor.

3. The transport assembly of claim 2, comprising first and second clamps disposed on the docking platform and on either side of the conveyor, the first and second clamps being movable in a direction toward or away from each other.

4. The transport assembly of claim 3, wherein the transport assembly includes a synchronized gripping mechanism, the synchronized gripping mechanism comprising:

the forward rotation lead screw is connected with the first clamping piece;

the reverse screw rod is connected with the second clamping piece;

the coupler is connected with the forward rotation lead screw and the reverse rotation lead screw; and

the driver is connected to the coupler to drive the forward rotation lead screw and the reverse rotation lead screw to synchronously and reversely rotate, so that the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are driven to synchronously and reversely move.

5. The transport assembly of claim 4, wherein the synchronized gripping mechanism is disposed below the conveyor.

6. The transport assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transport assembly is for a stock form transport.

7. An automated guided vehicle, comprising:

the mobile device comprises a body, wherein the bottom of the body is provided with a mobile device; and

the delivery assembly of any of claims 1-6, disposed on the body.

8. The automated guided vehicle of claim 7, wherein the body comprises a base and a riser extending upwardly from the base, the rotation mechanism being disposed on the base, the docking platform being disposed on the riser.