Trolley capable of maintaining a horizontal situation during moving

Abstract

A trolley capable of maintaining a horizontal situation during moving mainly includes a horizontal controlling device disposed on a trolley body. The horizontal controlling device has a gyroscope, a swing base, two operating shafts, two stepping motors, a control module, and four linking rods. The gyroscope is adapted to detect an inclined state defined between the trolley body and a road surface when the trolley is moving. The control module is adapted to execute the analysis and calculation processing to further drive the stepping motor and allow the relative operating shaft to execute a reverse operation so that a basket of the trolley body is restored to the horizontal situation with the aid of the linking rod, thereby preventing the trolley from being affected by the uneven road surface during moving, effectively maintaining the horizontal situation of the trolley at all times, and increasing the convenience of carrying different objects.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the design of a trolley carrier, and more particularly to a trolley carrier that maintains a horizontal state while in motion. [Previous Technology]

[0002] It is found that when a stroller is used outdoors, encountering uneven surfaces will cause it to bounce and vibrate up and down or side to side. If the stroller is used as a baby stroller, it will cause the baby inside to feel uneasy and uncomfortable, leading to crying or waking up. Of course, if the stroller is used to carry items, it will cause the items placed on it to tilt forward, backward, left, or right, and may even cause them to collide with each other, resulting in damage or loss of the items. In view of this, many manufacturers have developed various designs to address the balance of moving strollers, which are analyzed as follows:

[0003] Common knowledge 1, Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. M422338, "Multifunctional Mobile Cart with Horizontal Detection and Warning," includes a moving device and a gyroscope. The moving device has wheels and a container for placing items, and the gyroscope is mounted on the moving device to detect the horizontal state of the moving device when the wheels move. As stated in the inventive purpose of common knowledge 1, it is intended to allow the user to perform stretching exercises by holding the handle of the moving device and selectively pushing it, thereby further... The existing technology, while meeting the needs of stretching the hands and back, also displays the horizontal status of the moving device detected by the gyroscope, allowing users to understand whether the stretching posture is correct. Furthermore, when the moving device is tilted, an additional warning device installed in the device can provide an auxiliary warning when the device is about to tip over. Therefore, the technology disclosed in conventional 1 is more suitable for providing users with stretching exercises, and it only provides a warning when the moving device deviates horizontally, allowing users to correct or avoid the tilt themselves. It needs improvement.

[0004] According to common knowledge 2, Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. M491607, "Pushing Device with Balance Maintenance Function", it includes a base, a platform, a control processing unit and a detection unit. The base is equipped with a power unit, the platform is mounted on the base, and the bottom of the platform is equipped with a lifting unit and a pivot support unit connected to the base. The lifting unit is driven by the power unit to maintain the platform at a certain tilt. However, when the platform is tilted slightly from its starting plane, the power unit will drive the lifting unit to automatically lift and lower, so that the platform can maintain a certain balance according to the terrain. However, the added structure is not only complex and has a high manufacturing cost, but also may be affected by insufficient power or mechanical failure, resulting in the inability to use. Therefore, it needs to be improved.

[0005] According to common knowledge 3, Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. M568227, "Balance Structure of a Handcart," it includes a plurality of wheels and a cart body. The wheels are disposed under the cart body, and the cart body is provided with a plurality of telescopic units, a tilt sensing unit, and a control module. Each of the telescopic units has a telescopic end connected to one of the wheels. The tilt sensing unit is used to sense the tilt state of the cart body. The control module is connected to both the telescopic units and the tilt sensing unit, thereby allowing the control module to control the tilt state based on the tilt sensing unit. The sensor detects the tilt state and controls the extension or retraction of each telescopic unit to restore the cart from a tilted state to a level state. However, although conventional design 3 can utilize the advantage of automatically sensing the tilt of the cart and coordinating the calculations of the control module to control the required extension and retraction of the telescopic unit, the overall structure of conventional design 3 is too simple and cannot effectively calculate the extension and retraction length of the telescopic unit. Furthermore, it cannot correct the tilt in real time, which can easily cause the cart to fail to maintain a level position for use. Improvement is needed.

[0006] Common knowledge 4, Taiwan Patent No. I656058, "Gyroscope Stabilization Control for Two-Wheeled Vehicles," is characterized by its applicability to a vehicle control unit used on transport vehicles. The gyroscope device includes a flywheel housing and a flywheel, which includes a medium and a stabilizing structure. Therefore, during use, the control torque value applied to the stability of one or more gyroscopes coupled to a vehicle frame can be determined. Simultaneously, the number of input shafts that cause the flywheels of the one or more gyroscopes to rotate can be increased to generate the determined control torque value. The combination of vehicle stability control unit and gyroscope can dynamically adjust the control torque according to the vehicle frame state, improving the vehicle's stability and anti-tipping ability during driving. However, after use, it was found that its disadvantages are that multiple gyroscopes and turntable mechanisms need to be installed on the vehicle, so the overall structure is more complex. This not only causes the vehicle to be overloaded, but also affects fuel efficiency or battery range. At the same time, it may require higher calculation and control precision to ensure that the stability control unit can calculate and output appropriate torque in real time. Otherwise, it may affect the vehicle's handling performance, which needs to be improved.

[0007] Common knowledge 5, Taiwan Utility Model Patent No. M658904, "Bicycle Gyroscope Electric Balancer," includes a set of wingspan supports attached to a plurality of assembled wings provided by a bicycle frame, a battery unit located at a preset position on the bicycle frame, a plurality of gyroscope mechanisms respectively assembled on each assembled wing, and a set of switches located on a support frame of the gyroscope mechanisms and electrically connected to the battery unit and the gyroscope mechanisms. Based on the principle of conservation of angular momentum, the gyroscope can be used to sense and maintain direction while the vehicle is in motion, giving the vehicle stronger anti-tilt capability and increasing riding safety. Therefore, the switch can be selectively activated to provide additional stability support as needed. While it offers enhanced assistance during long rides or on uneven surfaces, it has been found that although it provides active assistance when needed, it cannot avoid the risk of tilting or tipping over in extreme situations. Furthermore, it still relies on a continuous battery power supply, which increases the vehicle's load and maintenance requirements. The significant energy consumption from prolonged battery use also leads to increased charging frequency, causing battery degradation and requiring frequent battery replacements, thus increasing maintenance costs. Additionally, the assembly location and size design of the gyroscope mechanism in conventional 5 may cause compatibility issues with some bicycles, limiting its application to certain types of bicycles, which requires improvement. [Summary of the Invention]

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a trolley that maintains a horizontal state while moving. By means of a horizontal control mechanism with multi-axial tilt detection and adjustment function, the trolley can be effectively kept in a horizontal and stable state at all times while moving, thereby improving the overall convenience of use.

[0009] Therefore, the trolley carrier for maintaining a horizontal state during movement according to the present invention includes a vehicle body, a wheel assembly disposed under the vehicle body, and a horizontal control mechanism disposed on the vehicle body; wherein, the horizontal control mechanism includes a gyroscope, a swing base, two actuators, two stepper motors, a control module, and four linkages. The aforementioned gyroscope is disposed on one side of the support of the vehicle body and is located between the four top locking slots of the support. The swing base is disposed on the base of the vehicle body, and the swing base is respectively formed with an X-axis groove based on the X-axis of the base and a Y-axis groove based on the Y-axis of the base. At the same time, the X-axis groove and the Y-axis groove are... Each of the two actuators can be pivotally mounted on one of the two actuators, thus forming an alternating arrangement along the X and Y axes. Each of the X-axis slots and the Y-axis slots has a stepper motor on one side, and each stepper motor has a pressure member corresponding to the actuator, causing the actuator to tilt when the pressure member is activated. The top ends of each of the connecting rods extend into the corresponding top pressure slots, and the ends of any two connecting rods are connected to the two sides of any one of the actuators. Finally, the gyroscope uses the principle of angular momentum to perform multi-axis detection of the tilt state of the support, generates detection information which is processed by the control module, and generates a processing result which is then executed by the stepper motor.

[0010] Therefore, by means of the horizontal control mechanism located between the support and the base, when the support is tilted due to the roller assembly hitting an uneven road surface, the tilt state of the support in each axis can be detected. The control module processes the detected information and generates a processing result. Under the control of the stepper motor, the pressure member is driven according to the processing result, so that the support returns to a non-tilted state under the reverse action generated by the swing member and the linkage. This improves the trolley's ability to avoid being affected by external factors during movement, allowing the support to maintain a horizontal and stable state, and further enhancing the overall convenience of use.

Implementation Method

[0011] The foregoing description and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will become clear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Referring to Figure 1, in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trolley carrier 3 (shown in a simplified diagram in the figure) that maintains a horizontal state during movement includes a vehicle body 31, a wheel assembly 32 disposed under the vehicle body 31, and a horizontal control mechanism 33 disposed on the vehicle body 31; wherein, the vehicle body 31 has a base 311, and a support seat 312 located above the base 311 and corresponding to the base 311, wherein the base 311 has a bottom surface 311a and a top surface 311b corresponding to the support seat 312, and an X-axis and a Y-axis are defined in the left-right and front-back directions of the top surface 311b, respectively; in addition, a receiving space for accommodating objects is provided on the support seat 312. The space 312a and the side opposite the support 312 to the accommodating space 312a are provided with four top control grooves 312b corresponding to the top surface 311b. Two of the top control grooves 312b are respectively aligned left and right with the X-axis as the reference, and the other two top control grooves 312b are respectively aligned front and back with the Y-axis as the reference. In this embodiment, the vehicle body can be configured as a baby stroller, as shown in FIG1, or as a cargo stroller as shown in the second preferred embodiment of FIG2. In addition, the wheel assembly 32 has a plurality of wheels 321 provided on the bottom surface 311a. The stroller carrier 3 is moved by the rotation of the wheels 321.

[0013] Continuing from the foregoing, the horizontal control mechanism 33 is located between the base 311 and the support 312. The horizontal control mechanism 33 includes a gyroscope 331 disposed on one side of the support 312 and located between the top grooves 312b, a swing seat 332 disposed on the top surface 311b and corresponding to the gyroscope 331, two actuating rods 333 pivotally mounted on the swing seat 332, two stepper motors 334 disposed on the swing seat 332 and connected to the actuating rods 333 for actuation, a control module 335 connected to the gyroscope 331 and the stepper motors 334 respectively, and a four-linkage rod 336. The swing seat 332 has an X-axis groove 332a based on the X-axis and a Y-axis groove based on the Y-axis. The groove 332b is provided, and each of the X-axis groove 332a and the Y-axis groove 332b can be pivotally mounted on an actuating rod 333, so that the two actuating rods 333 are staggered in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. At the same time, a stepper motor 334 is provided on one side of each of the X-axis groove 332a and the Y-axis groove 332b. In addition, each stepper motor 334 has a pressure member 334a corresponding to the actuating rod 333. The actuating rod 333 will swing and tilt due to the action of the pressure member 334a. Furthermore, the top ends of each of the connecting rods 336 extend into the top pressure grooves 312b, and the ends of any two connecting rods 336 are respectively connected to the two sides of any one of the actuating rods 333. In this embodiment, the top ends of the connecting rods 336 are provided as universal joints.

[0014] As for the gyroscope 331, it utilizes the principle of angular momentum to perform multi-axis detection of the tilt angular momentum of the support 312. It also detects the tilt of the road surface and generates detection information output to the control module 335. Finally, the control module 335 has technology for analyzing and calculating the magnitude of the tilt angular momentum. It analyzes and processes the received detection information and ultimately outputs a numerical processing result with a tilt correction in the opposite direction. This output controls the stepper motor 334 located in the tilt direction, causing the actuator 333 to swing under the pressure of the clamping member 334a. This, in turn, drives the linkage 336 to restore the support 312 to a horizontal state. Specifically, to prevent the gyroscope 331 from being affected by external factors and causing detection deviation, in this embodiment… In this embodiment, the horizontal control mechanism 33 is provided with a protective cover 337 on one side of the support 312. The protective cover 337 is used to enclose the gyroscope 331 inside. The gyroscope 331 can be mechanically mounted, while the control module 335 is mounted on the base 311. The connection mode between the gyroscope 331 and the control module 335 can be wired, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or wireless (not shown in the figures), depending on the usage requirements. The gyroscope 331 can also be a chip-type device, while the control module 335 is built into the gyroscope 331, as shown in the third and fourth preferred embodiments in Figures 3 and 4. Therefore, the usage mode of the gyroscope 331 can be selected according to different application modes. The following description only uses Figure 1 as an example.

[0015] Referring to Figures 1 and 5, this example uses a baby stroller as an example. Therefore, when using the baby stroller 3, the user can first activate the gyroscope 331 to detect the horizontal state, and then gently place the baby in the receiving space 312a of the support 312. At this time, the gyroscope 331 will immediately detect the magnitude of the tilt angular momentum of the support 312 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions and the tilt of the support 312 relative to the road surface while the support 312 is bearing weight. At the same time, it will generate a detection message and output it to the control module 335 for receiving, so as to analyze and calculate the tilt values ​​in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the detection message. If the processing result is that there is no tilt change in any axis of the support 312 relative to the road surface, it means that it is still in a horizontal state, and the control module 335 will not adjust the tilt. The stepper motor 334 generates drive commands. Conversely, if the result of the analysis and calculation of the detection information is that the support 312 cannot maintain a horizontal state due to excessive weight at a certain axial position, the control module 335 will immediately generate a message outputting a reverse value of the tilt correction amount at that axial position after rapid analysis and calculation. This message is received and executed by the stepper motor 334 located in the X-axis slot 332a (or the Y-axis slot 332b). Based on the adjustment value instruction of the control module 335, the motor generates a drive to make the pressure member 334a perform a reverse pressure action on the side of the actuator 333 that is tilted higher. This causes the linkage rod 336 to gradually change the support 312 from a tilted state to a horizontal state under the linkage of the actuator 333, allowing the baby to lie comfortably in the support 312.

[0016] Referring to Figure 6, continuing from the above, if the stroller 3 encounters uneven road surfaces or slopes while traveling outdoors via the rotation of the wheels 321, the stroller 3 will experience up-and-down or left-and-right vibrations due to the uneven road surface. This will cause the support 312 to be affected by the up-and-down or left-and-right vibrations along with the base 311, resulting in discomfort or unease for the baby inside the support 312. At this time, the gyroscope 331 will not only detect the horizontal state of the support 312, but also simultaneously detect the tilt of the road surface and output the detection information. This information will be sent to the control module 335 for analysis and calculation. Based on the magnitude of the tilt angular momentum between the support 312 and the road surface, a tilt correction value will be output. This value will be connected to the step device located on one side of the X-axis groove 332a that needs tilt correction. The stepper motor 334, or the stepper motor 334 located on one side of the Y-axis groove 332b, executes control commands to maintain the stroller in a horizontal state during movement, so that the baby in the support 312 is not affected by bumps and vibrations during movement. Therefore, the stroller carrier 3 of the present invention, which maintains a horizontal state during movement, whether used as a cargo cart or a baby stroller, can use the horizontal control mechanism 33 to detect and correct tilt in real time during movement, so as to prevent external factors from causing tilting or deviation in any axis, excessive load on the wheels 321 in any direction, wear and tear, or even the stroller carrier 3 from tipping over due to excessive tilting. In this way, the support 312 can be kept in a horizontal and stable state at all times during movement, greatly improving the overall convenience of use.

[0017] In summary, the present invention mainly solves the problem of the difficulty in maintaining a horizontal state when a trolley is traveling on uneven roads. Specifically, it utilizes a horizontal control mechanism on the trolley's body. This mechanism includes a swing base, two actuators, two stepper motors, a control module, and a four-linkage linkage. During travel, the trolley uses a gyroscope based on the principle of angular momentum to detect the magnitude of the tilt angular momentum between the trolley body and the road surface. The control module then analyzes and calculates the resulting data. After calculation, a reverse numerical result of tilt correction is generated, which controls the stepper motor driven in the tilt direction. This causes the actuators and linkages to work together to immediately eliminate and correct any tilting of the vehicle's support. This ensures that the trolley remains level during movement and prevents tilting or deviation in any axis caused by external factors, thus significantly improving the overall convenience of moving different objects.

[0018] However, the above description is only for illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the contents of the specification of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the patent of the present invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the uphill movement of the first preferred embodiment. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the downhill movement of the first preferred embodiment.

Claims

1. A trolley carrier that maintains a horizontal position while in motion, comprising: a vehicle body having a base, and a support seat located above the base and corresponding to the base, wherein, The base has a bottom surface and a top surface corresponding to the support. The left-right and front-back directions of the top surface are defined as an X-axis and a Y-axis, respectively. The support has a receiving space for accommodating objects, and four top-mounted slots corresponding to the top surface are formed on the side of the support opposite to the receiving space. Two of the top-mounted slots are aligned left-right with respect to the X-axis, and the other two are aligned front-back with respect to the Y-axis. A set of rotating wheels, comprising a plurality of wheels disposed on the bottom surface; and a horizontal control mechanism located between the base and the support, the horizontal control mechanism including a gyroscope disposed on one side of the support and located between the top grooves, a swing seat disposed on the base and corresponding to the gyroscope, two actuators pivotally mounted on the swing seats, two stepper motors disposed on the swing seats and connected to the actuators, a control module connected to the gyroscope and the stepper motors respectively, and four linkages, wherein the swing seats respectively form an X-axis groove based on the X-axis and a Y-axis groove based on the Y-axis, and each of the X-axis groove and the Y-axis groove can accommodate an actuator, so that the two actuators are staggered in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Each of the X-axis and Y-axis slots is equipped with a stepper motor on one side. Each stepper motor has a pressure member corresponding to the actuating rod, causing the actuating rod to tilt under the action of the pressure member. The top ends of each of the connecting rods extend into the top pressure slots, and the ends of any two connecting rods are connected to the two sides of any actuating rod. The gyroscope uses the principle of angular momentum to detect the magnitude of the tilt angular momentum of the support in multiple axes and generates detection information output. Finally, the control module analyzes and calculates the detection information and generates a processing result to control the stepper motor driven in the tilt direction. Under the pressure action generated by the pressure member, one side of the actuating rod moves the connecting rod to restore the support to a horizontal state.

2. The trolley vehicle that maintains a horizontal state while moving, as described in claim 1, wherein, The vehicle body is designed for use as a baby stroller or a cargo cart.

3. The trolley vehicle that maintains a horizontal state while moving, as described in claim 1, wherein, The horizontal control mechanism has a protective cover on one side of the support, which is used to enclose the gyroscope inside.

4. The trolley vehicle that maintains a horizontal state while moving, as described in claim 1, wherein, The top of the linkage is equipped with a universal joint.

5. The trolley vehicle that maintains a horizontal state while moving, as described in claim 1, wherein, The gyroscope is mechanically mounted, and the control module is mounted on the base.

6. The trolley vehicle that maintains a horizontal state while moving, as described in claim 1, wherein, The gyroscope is a chip-based device, and the control module is built into the gyroscope.

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