Lifting mechanism of automated guided vehicle and automated guided vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of automatic guided vehicles, and particularly relates to a lifting mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle, which comprises a load tray, a bottom plate, a connecting rod module connected between the load tray and the bottom plate and capable of enabling the load tray to translate in a first direction, and a lifting module arranged on the bottom plate, connected with the connecting rod module and located on one side of the connecting rod module, and capable of enabling the load tray to translate by driving the connecting rod module; wherein the first direction is a lifting direction of the lifting module to the connecting rod module or a reverse direction of the lifting direction. According to the lifting mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, at least the problem that the lifting structure is disabled due to the unbalanced load of the carried object can be avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of automated guided vehicles, and in particular, to a lifting mechanism of an automated guided vehicle and the automated guided vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a transport vehicle equipped with an automatic guiding device such as an electromagnetic or optical device, capable of traveling along a specified guiding path, and having safety protection and various transfer functions. To achieve a specific transfer function, the automated guided vehicle needs to have a certain lifting capacity, so as to lift the carried goods to a set height. Related automated guided vehicles usually use lifting mechanisms such as lead screws, sliding rails or wedge blocks for lifting operations.

[0003] Taking the lead screw as an example, the related automated guided vehicle adopts a form of lifting by multiple lead screws, and the goods placed on the top of the multiple lead screws are lifted smoothly by synchronously adjusting the heights of the multiple lead screws. However, the form of lifting by multiple lead screws makes the lead screws bear axial force and further bear radial force in the case of vehicle travel or goods unbalanced load, which does not conform to the standard use specification of the lead screw and is easy to cause the failure of the lead screw assembly due to improper use. In addition, the synchronous height adjustment of the multiple lead screws is difficult, and any slight asynchronization in the height adjustment process will cause the risk of goods falling.

[0004] Some automated guided vehicles also use a form of lifting by hollow lead screws, which uses the larger shaft diameter of the hollow lead screw to stably bear the carried goods and increases the bearing capacity of the lead screw to radial force. However, the hollow lead screw has a high precision requirement, which makes the processing difficulty and cost high. In addition, although the hollow lead screw has a certain bearing capacity to radial force, it will still cause damage to the structure of the lead screw if it bears radial force for a long time during use.

[0005] As for the automated guided vehicles that use the form of lifting by sliding rails or wedge blocks, the space occupied by the components related to lifting is large, and more auxiliary equipment needs to be added, which makes the overall cost of the automated guided vehicle high and not convenient for disassembly and assembly. SUMMARY

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a lifting mechanism of an automated guided vehicle and the automated guided vehicle, which can avoid the phenomenon that the lifting structure of the automated guided vehicle fails due to the unbalanced load of the carried object.

[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a lifting mechanism of an automated guided vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0008] a load carrying pallet;

[0009] a bottom plate;

[0010] a linkage module connected between the object tray and the bottom plate, capable of translating the object tray along a first direction; and

[0011] a lifting module disposed on the bottom plate, connected with the linkage module and located at one side of the linkage module, capable of translating the object tray by driving the linkage module;

[0012] wherein the first direction is a lifting direction of the lifting module to the linkage module or a reverse direction of the lifting direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the lifting module comprises:

[0014] a first power source;

[0015] a lifting bracket connected with the linkage module; and

[0016] a transmission assembly having an input end connected with the first power source and an output end connected with the lifting bracket, capable of transmitting power output by the first power source to the lifting bracket to drive the linkage module to translate along the first direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first power source is a reduction motor, and the transmission assembly comprises:

[0018] an intermediate shaft having a hollow structure, an axis of the intermediate shaft being parallel to the first direction, and a first end of the intermediate shaft being connected with an output end of the reduction motor;

[0019] a screw nut rotatably disposed inside the hollow structure and fixedly connected with a second end of the intermediate shaft; and

[0020] a lead screw threadedly engaged with the screw nut, one end of the lead screw being connected with the lifting bracket, and an axis of the lead screw being parallel to the first direction, capable of converting rotational movement of the screw nut into translational movement of the lifting bracket along the first direction.

[0021] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly further comprises:

[0022] a first gear connected with an output end of the first power source; and

[0023] a second gear fixedly connected with the first end of the intermediate shaft and engaged with the first gear.

[0024] In some embodiments, the lifting module further comprises:

[0025] A box body at least partially contains the transmission assembly and is fixedly connected with the first power source to realize integrated loading and unloading of the lifting module.

[0026] In some embodiments, the box body has a first stepped hole and a second stepped hole with different sizes, the intermediate shaft has a first stepped shaft segment and a second stepped shaft segment with different sizes, and the transmission assembly further comprises:

[0027] A first tapered roller bearing is arranged between the first stepped hole and the first stepped shaft segment and supports the first end of the intermediate shaft in the radial direction;

[0028] A second tapered roller bearing is arranged between the second stepped hole and the second stepped shaft segment and supports the second end of the intermediate shaft in the radial and axial directions; and

[0029] A locking retainer is fixedly arranged at the first end of the intermediate shaft and can support the first tapered roller bearing in the axial direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly further comprises:

[0031] A first dustproof ring is in interference fit with the outer cylindrical surface of the locking retainer and is in clearance fit with the first tapered roller bearing and the box body, respectively; and

[0032] A second dustproof ring is arranged in the box body and located on the side of the second tapered roller bearing close to the lifting bracket.

[0033] In some embodiments, the intermediate shaft comprises:

[0034] A first hollow shaft cavity and a second hollow shaft cavity arranged along the axis of the intermediate shaft, the second hollow shaft cavity is in communication with the first hollow shaft cavity, and the inner diameter of the second hollow shaft cavity is greater than the inner diameter of the first hollow shaft segment and the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the nut;

[0035] In the state where the lifting module is not lifted, the part of the lead screw close to the lifting bracket is sleeved in the nut, and the part of the lead screw away from the lifting bracket is sleeved in the first hollow shaft cavity.

[0036] In some embodiments, a lead screw fixing hole is arranged at the connection between the lifting bracket and the lead screw, the lead screw fixing hole can accommodate the lead screw and limit the rotation of the lead screw.

[0037] In some embodiments, the lifting module further comprises:

[0038] A slide rail is fixedly arranged in the lifting bracket, and the extension direction of the slide rail is parallel to the first direction; and

[0039] A guide block is arranged on the box body and sleeved on the slide rail. A cross-sectional shape of the guide block is in a matching arrangement with a cross-sectional shape of the slide rail, and the guide block can guide the slide rail to move in the first direction.

[0040] In some embodiments, the slide rails are two, the guide blocks are two, the two guide blocks are matched with the two slide rails respectively, the two slide rails are symmetrically arranged, and the axis of the lead screw is located on a symmetry plane of the two slide rails.

[0041] The box body comprises:

[0042] Two guide block fixing ears are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the box body and are used for connecting the two guide blocks respectively.

[0043] In some embodiments, the box body comprises:

[0044] A motor fixing ear is fixedly connected to an outer shell of the first power source, can make an axis of an output shaft of the first power source parallel to the first direction, and can make the axis of the output shaft of the first power source located on the symmetry plane.

[0045] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further comprises:

[0046] A rotating module is arranged between the connecting rod module and the object carrying tray and can drive the object carrying tray to rotate relative to the connecting rod module.

[0047] In some embodiments, the rotating module comprises:

[0048] A slewing support inner ring is fixedly arranged on a side of the connecting rod module close to the object carrying tray.

[0049] A slewing support outer ring is fixedly arranged on a side of the object carrying tray close to the connecting rod module and is rotatably supported on the slewing support inner ring.

[0050] In some embodiments, the slewing support outer ring comprises an outer gear ring, and the rotating module further comprises:

[0051] A second power source is fixedly arranged on the connecting rod module.

[0052] A third gear is drivingly connected to an output end of the second power source and can drive the object carrying tray to rotate through meshing with the outer gear ring.

[0053] In some embodiments, the connecting rod module comprises:

[0054] An upper end mounting plate is used for supporting the object carrying tray.

[0055] An intermediate frame is arranged parallel to the upper end mounting plate.

[0056] a first linkage assembly arranged between the upper end mounting plate and the intermediate frame and capable of changing the distance between the upper end mounting plate and the intermediate frame; and

[0057] a second linkage assembly arranged between the intermediate frame and the bottom plate and capable of changing the distance between the intermediate frame and the bottom plate.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first linkage assembly comprises:

[0059] a first linkage having a first end hingedly connected to the upper end mounting plate via a first hinge shaft and a second end hingedly connected to the intermediate frame via a second hinge shaft;

[0060] the second linkage assembly comprises:

[0061] a second linkage having a first end hingedly connected to the intermediate frame via a third hinge shaft and a second end hingedly connected to the bottom plate via a fourth hinge shaft;

[0062] the second hinge shaft and the third hinge shaft are coaxially arranged so that the second end of the first linkage and the first end of the second linkage have the same hinging position on the intermediate frame;

[0063] the first linkage and the second linkage have the same length, and the axes of the first hinge shaft, the second hinge shaft, the third hinge shaft and the fourth hinge shaft are parallel to each other;

[0064] the linkage module is connected to the lifting module via the first hinge shaft, and during the driving of the linkage module by the lifting module, the axis of the first hinge shaft and the axis of the fourth hinge shaft have the same orthogonal projection on the bottom plate.

[0065] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further comprises:

[0066] a rotating module fixedly arranged on the linkage module and capable of driving the object tray to rotate on a horizontal plane;

[0067] the intermediate frame comprises:

[0068] a first recess through the one end of the intermediate frame in the vertical direction and used for accommodating the lifting module; and

[0069] a second recess through the other end of the intermediate frame away from the first recess in the vertical direction and used for accommodating the rotating module;

[0070] wherein, during the driving of the linkage module by the lifting module, the orthogonal projection of the first linkage assembly and the second linkage assembly on the bottom plate and the orthogonal projection of the first recess and the second recess on the bottom plate do not overlap.

[0071] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further comprises:

[0072] A photoelectric sensor is arranged in the linkage module to detect the distance between the object-carrying tray and the bottom plate.

[0073] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic guided vehicle is provided, comprising the lifting mechanism as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0074] Therefore, according to the lifting mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least the failure of the lifting structure caused by the unbalanced load of the carried object can be avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0075] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0076] The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0077] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a lifting mechanism of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0078] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting module of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0079] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a lifting module of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0080] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting module of an automatic guided vehicle from a top view according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0081] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a box of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0082] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting bracket of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0083] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting module of an automatic guided vehicle from a side view according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0084] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a linkage module of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0085] Figure 9is a structural schematic diagram of a rotating module of an automatic guided vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0086] In the drawings:

[0087] 1, a carrier tray;

[0088] 2, a base plate;

[0089] 3, a connecting rod module, 31, an upper end mounting plate, 32, a middle frame, 321, a first recess, 322, a second recess, 33, a first connecting rod assembly, 331, a first connecting rod, 332, a first hinge shaft, 333, a second hinge shaft, 34, a second connecting rod assembly, 341, a second connecting rod, 342, a third hinge shaft, 343, a fourth hinge shaft;

[0090] 4, a lifting module, 41, a first power source, 411, a first gear, 42, a lifting bracket, 421, a screw fixing hole, 43, a transmission assembly, 431, an intermediate shaft, 431a, a first stepped shaft section, 431b, a second stepped shaft section, 431c, a first hollow shaft cavity, 431d, a second hollow shaft cavity, 432, a nut, 433, a screw rod, 434, a second gear, 435, a first tapered roller bearing, 436, a second tapered roller bearing, 437, a locking ring, 438, a first dustproof ring, 439, a second dustproof ring, 44, a box body, 441, a first stepped hole, 442, a second stepped hole, 443, a guide block fixing lug, 444, a motor fixing lug, 45, a sliding rail, 451, a symmetry plane, 46, a guide block, 47, a connecting rod assembly connecting hole;

[0091] 5, a rotating module, 51, a slewing support inner ring, 52, a slewing support outer ring, 53, a second power source, 54, a third gear;

[0092] 6, an optical-electric sensor.

[0093] It should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, like or similar reference numerals are intended to represent like or similar parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0094] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application or uses. The present disclosure can be implemented in numerous different forms, not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of components and steps set forth in these embodiments, the components of the materials, numerical expressions, and numerical values, unless specifically stated otherwise, should be interpreted as merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation.

[0095] The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. Words such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element preceding the word encompasses the element listed after it, and do not exclude the possibility of encompassing other elements as well. Terms such as "above," "below," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, this relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0096] In this disclosure, when a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device. When a specific device is described as being connected to other devices, the specific device may be directly connected to the other devices without an intermediary device, or it may be not directly connected to the other devices but have an intermediary device.

[0097] All terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in a general dictionary, such as a dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or highly formalized meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0098] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0099] like Figures 1-9 As shown, in one aspect of this disclosure, a lifting mechanism for an automated guided vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0100] Cargo tray 1;

[0101] Base plate 2;

[0102] Linkage module 3, connected between the cargo tray 1 and the base plate 2, enables the cargo tray 1 to translate along a first direction; and

[0103] The lifting module 4 is disposed on the base plate 2 and connected to the linkage module 3. It is located on one side of the linkage module 3 and can drive the linkage module 3 to move the cargo tray 1 horizontally.

[0104] Wherein, the first direction is the lifting direction of the lifting module 4 to the connecting rod module 3 or the opposite direction of the lifting direction.

[0105] The lifting mechanism is integrally installed on the automated guided vehicle through the upper load tray 1 and the lower bottom plate 2, thereby providing the function of lifting or lowering the height of the load for the automated guided vehicle. On this basis, the application controls the direction of the translational movement of the load tray 1 through the connecting rod module 3, and drives the connecting rod module 3 through the lifting module 4, thereby separating the load bearing function and the power function of the lifting module 4, and avoiding the failure of the lifting structure caused by the unbalanced load of the carried object.

[0106] Specifically, the lifting module 4 in the prior art generally bears the load bearing function and the power function at the same time, that is, it needs to support the load tray 1 and control the position height of the load tray 1. In the case of unbalanced load of goods or acceleration / deceleration movement of the automated guided vehicle, the lifting module 4 in the prior art will simultaneously bear the vertical load and the moment perpendicular to the vertical direction. Taking the common screw rod 433-nut 432 pair of the lifting module 4 as an example, in this case, the screw rod 433 in the lifting module 4 will simultaneously bear the axial force brought by the vertical load and the radial force brought by the moment perpendicular to the vertical direction. The radial force is very harmful to the screw rod 433 which needs to bear the load and move, and is easy to cause damage to the structure of the screw rod 433, thereby easily causing the overall failure of the lifting structure.

[0107] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 1 The translational direction of the load tray 1 is vertically upward or downward, and the lifting direction of the lifting module 4 to the connecting rod module 3 is vertically upward, that is, the first direction is the vertical direction at this time. However, for those skilled in the art, the first direction is not limited to the vertical direction for different lifting direction requirements, but can have a certain angle with the vertical direction, and correspondingly, the connecting rod module 3 is used to make the load tray 1 translate along the corresponding first direction at this time, and the driving force of the lifting module 4 to the connecting rod module 3 can also correspondingly have the same angle with the vertical direction. The lifting mechanism with the first direction having a certain angle with the vertical direction as the translational direction of the load tray 1 can meet more complex goods carrying scenarios and requirements, and thus has wider applicability.

[0108] As shown in Figure 2 Further, in some embodiments, the lifting module 4 comprises:

[0109] a first power source 41;

[0110] a lifting bracket 42 connected to the connecting rod module 3; and

[0111] The transmission assembly 43 is connected to the first power source 41 at an input end and connected to the lifting bracket 42 at an output end, and is capable of transmitting power output by the first power source 41 to the lifting bracket 42, so as to drive the lifting bracket 42 to move the linkage module 3 along the first direction.

[0112] In order to make the lifting module 4 only bear axial load during driving the linkage module 3, the lifting bracket 42 is further arranged between the lifting module 4 and the linkage module 3, and is used to connect the lifting module 4 and the linkage module 3 and transmit only radial force (i.e. load along the first direction) to the lifting module 4.

[0113] In order to effectively lift the object tray 1, the first power source 41 is connected to the lifting bracket 42 through the transmission assembly 43, so as to transmit lifting force to the object tray 1 through the lifting bracket 42. In addition, considering that the driving mode of the lifting bracket 42 is translational motion, and the first power source 41 usually adopts rotational motion to provide power, the transmission assembly 43 is further used to transmit power from the input end to the output end while converting the power form into the power form corresponding to the lifting bracket 42.

[0114] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, Figure 3 in some embodiments, the first power source 41 is a reduction motor, and the transmission assembly 43 comprises:

[0115] an intermediate shaft 431 having a hollow structure, an axis of the intermediate shaft 431 being parallel to the first direction, and a first end of the intermediate shaft 431 being connected to an output end of the reduction motor;

[0116] a nut 432 rotatably arranged inside the hollow structure and fixedly connected to a second end of the intermediate shaft 431; and

[0117] a lead screw 433 threadedly matched with the nut 432, one end of the lead screw 433 being connected to the lifting bracket 42, and an axis of the lead screw 433 being parallel to the first direction, so as to convert rotational motion of the nut 432 into translational motion of the lifting bracket 42 along the first direction.

[0118] In order to further reduce the volume of the lifting mechanism, the first power source 41 is preferably a reduction motor, i.e. an integrated power source comprising a reducer function and a motor function, and is capable of directly providing the transmission assembly 43 with an output power at a rated rotational speed required by the transmission assembly 43.

[0119] When the first power source 41 is a deceleration motor and the driving form required by the lifting bracket 42 is translation, the transmission assembly 43 should be able to at least convert the rotational motion output by the deceleration motor into the translational motion required by the lifting bracket 42. At this time, the transmission assembly 43 is preferably a nut 432-screw rod 433 power pair, which can drive the screw rod 433 using the rotational motion of the nut 432. Under the condition that the nut 432 and the screw rod 433 are threadedly engaged, the rotational motion is converted into the translational motion of the screw rod 433.

[0120] In order to ensure the structural stability of the nut 432 while achieving power connection between the nut 432 and the deceleration motor, the transmission assembly 43 introduces the intermediate shaft 431 as a power connection component between the nut 432 and the deceleration motor. Even if one end of the intermediate shaft 431 with a certain length is connected with the deceleration motor and the other end is connected with the nut 432.

[0121] In order to further reduce the volume of the transmission assembly 43, the intermediate shaft 431 has a hollow structure, so that the nut 432 can be installed in the hollow structure of the intermediate shaft 431; and the screw rod 433 is accommodated in the interior of the nut 432 and is threadedly engaged with the inner thread of the nut 432 through the outer thread of the screw rod 433.

[0122] In order to ensure that the screw rod 433 does not bear loads in other directions except axial loads, the axis of the screw rod 433 is parallel to the first direction, and in the process of power conversion of the transmission assembly 43, the rotational motion of the nut 432 is converted into the translational motion of the lifting bracket 42 along the first direction.

[0123] Further, in some embodiments, in order to achieve power connection between the first power source 41 and the intermediate shaft 431, the transmission assembly 43 further comprises:

[0124] a first gear 411 connected to the output end of the first power source 41; and

[0125] a second gear 434 fixedly connected to the first end of the intermediate shaft 431 and engaged with the first gear 411.

[0126] Further, as Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments, the lifting module 4 further comprises:

[0127] a box 44 at least partially accommodating the transmission assembly 43 and fixedly connected with the first power source 41 to achieve integrated assembly and disassembly of the lifting module 4.

[0128] In order to achieve flexible rotation of the intermediate shaft 431 relative to the housing 44, such as Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the housing 44 has a first stepped hole 441 and a second stepped hole 442 of different sizes inside, the intermediate shaft 431 has a first stepped shaft section 431a and a second stepped shaft section 431b of different sizes, and the transmission assembly 43 further includes:

[0129] A first tapered roller bearing 435 is disposed between the first stepped hole 441 and the first stepped shaft section 431a, and is radially supported on the first end of the intermediate shaft 431;

[0130] A second tapered roller bearing 436 is disposed between the second stepped bore 442 and the second stepped shaft section 431b, and is radially and axially supported on the second end of the intermediate shaft 431; and

[0131] The locking retaining ring 437 is fixedly installed at the first end of the intermediate shaft 431 and can support the first tapered roller bearing 435 axially.

[0132] Since tapered roller bearings can provide radial support for intermediate shaft 431 while also providing axial support for intermediate shaft 431, corresponding first stepped hole 441 and second stepped hole 442, and first stepped shaft section 431a and second stepped shaft section 431b are respectively provided inside the housing 44 and outside the intermediate shaft 431.

[0133] In this configuration, the first stepped hole 441, together with the first stepped shaft, provides radial support for the first tapered roller bearing 435, but only along the first direction and toward the end away from the lifting bracket 42. Therefore, the locking ring 437 fixed to the first end of the intermediate shaft 431 can provide support for the first tapered roller bearing 435 along the first direction and toward the end closer to the lifting bracket 42, thereby enabling the first tapered roller bearing 435 to operate stably. In some preferred embodiments, the outer circumferential surface of the first end of the intermediate shaft 431 has threads, allowing the locking ring 437 to be detachably fixed to the intermediate shaft 431 through a threaded engagement.

[0134] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, in order to prevent external dust from affecting the first tapered roller bearing 435 and the second tapered roller bearing 436, in some embodiments, the transmission assembly 43 further includes:

[0135] The first dustproof ring 438 is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the locking ring 437, and is clearance-fitted with the first tapered roller bearing 435 and the housing 44, respectively; and

[0136] The second dustproof ring 439 is disposed on the housing 44 and located on the side of the second tapered roller bearing 436 near the lifting bracket 42.

[0137] In some embodiments, to further reduce the size of the transmission assembly 43, the intermediate shaft 431 includes:

[0138] A first hollow shaft cavity 431c and a second hollow shaft cavity 431d are arranged along the axis of the intermediate shaft 431. The second hollow shaft cavity 431d communicates with the first hollow shaft cavity 431c, and the inner diameter of the second hollow shaft cavity 431d is greater than the inner diameter of the first hollow shaft segment and the diameter of the outer circle of the nut 432.

[0139] When the lifting module 4 is not lifted, the portion of the lead screw 433 near the lifting bracket 42 is fitted into the lead screw nut 432, and the portion away from the lifting bracket 42 is fitted into the first hollow shaft cavity 431c.

[0140] Based on the intermediate shaft 431 with a two-cavity structure consisting of a first hollow shaft cavity 431c and a second hollow shaft cavity 431d, the lifting module 4, in the non-lifted state, can have the portions of the lead screw 432 and the lead rod 433 near the lifting bracket 42 located within the second hollow shaft cavity 431d. In the lifting state, the lead rod 433 extends out from the lead screw 432, fully releasing the portion of its length originally located within the first hollow shaft cavity 431c, thereby providing sufficient lifting stroke for the lifting module 4.

[0141] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, in order to prevent the lead screw 433 from rotating during gear meshing transmission with the lead screw 432, in some embodiments, a lead screw 433 fixing hole 421 is provided at the connection between the lifting bracket 42 and the lead screw 433. The lead screw 433 fixing hole 421 can accommodate the lead screw 433 and restrict the rotation of the lead screw 433.

[0142] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, to further ensure that the lead screw 433 only bears the load along the first direction, the lifting module 4 further includes:

[0143] A slide rail 45 is fixedly mounted on the lifting bracket 42, and the extending direction of the slide rail 45 is parallel to the first direction; and

[0144] A guide block 46 is disposed on the housing 44 and fitted onto the slide rail 45. The cross-sectional shape of the guide block 46 is fitted and matched with the cross-sectional shape of the slide rail 45, which can guide the slide rail 45 to move along the first direction.

[0145] Based on the mating of the slide rail 45 and the guide block 46, the load on the lifting bracket 42 in directions other than the first direction will be transferred to the housing 44 by the guide block 46 and the slide rail 45, thereby preventing the lead screw 433 from bearing radial force.

[0146] Furthermore, in order to ensure the force balance of the housing 44, in some embodiments, there are two slide rails 45 and two guide blocks 46. The two guide blocks 46 respectively cooperate with the two slide rails 45. The two slide rails 45 are symmetrically arranged, and the axis of the lead screw 433 is located on the symmetry plane 451 of the two slide rails 45.

[0147] To facilitate the fastener's fixation to the housing 44, the housing 44 includes:

[0148] Two guide blocks 46 are fixed with ears 443, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing 44, and are used to connect the two guide blocks 46 respectively.

[0149] In some embodiments, to improve the overall integrity of the lifting mechanism, the housing 44 includes:

[0150] The motor mounting lug 444 is fixedly connected to the housing of the first power source 41, which enables the axis of the output shaft of the first power source 41 to be parallel to the first direction and to be located on the symmetry plane 451.

[0151] Furthermore, in order to achieve the rotatable function of the loading tray 1, such as... Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further includes:

[0152] The rotating module 5 is disposed between the link module 3 and the cargo tray 1, and is capable of driving the cargo tray 1 to rotate relative to the link module 3.

[0153] In some embodiments, the rotating module 5 includes:

[0154] The inner ring 51 of the slewing support is fixedly installed on the side of the connecting rod module 3 near the cargo tray 1;

[0155] The outer ring 52 of the slewing support is fixedly disposed on the side of the cargo tray 1 near the connecting rod module 3, and is rotatably supported by the inner ring 51 of the slewing support.

[0156] The inner ring 51 and outer ring 52 of the slewing support are respectively fixedly disposed on the connecting rod assembly and the cargo tray 1, and are rotatably connected to each other, thereby realizing the rotatable connection of the cargo tray 1 relative to the connecting rod assembly. In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the slewing bearing between the inner ring 51 and the outer ring 52 of the slewing bearing can be implemented based on ball bearings.

[0157] Furthermore, in order to drive the rotating module 5, in some embodiments, the outer ring 52 of the rotary support includes an external gear ring, and the rotating module 5 further includes:

[0158] The second power source 53 is fixedly installed on the connecting rod module 3;

[0159] The third gear 54 is connected to the output end of the second power source 53 and can drive the cargo tray 1 to rotate by meshing with the external gear ring.

[0160] And such Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the linkage module 3 includes:

[0161] The upper mounting plate 31 is used to support the cargo tray 1;

[0162] The intermediate frame 32 is arranged parallel to the upper mounting plate 31;

[0163] The first link assembly 33 is disposed between the upper mounting plate 31 and the intermediate frame 32, and is capable of changing the distance between the upper mounting plate 31 and the intermediate frame 32; and

[0164] The second link assembly 34 is disposed between the intermediate frame 32 and the base plate 2, and can change the distance between the intermediate frame 32 and the base plate 2.

[0165] like Figure 8 As shown, the linkage assembly adopts a three-layer plane configuration with two-stage linkages sandwiched between the cargo tray 1, the first linkage assembly 33, the intermediate frame 32, the second linkage assembly 34, and the base plate 2. This not only ensures the overall stability of the linkage assembly through the intermediate frame 32, but also provides the linkage module 3 with sufficient extension and retraction space through the two-stage linkage assembly.

[0166] Furthermore, in order to achieve the interconnection between the cargo tray 1, the first linkage assembly 33, the intermediate frame 32, the second linkage assembly 34, and the base plate 2, in some embodiments, the first linkage assembly 33 includes:

[0167] The first connecting rod 331 has its first end hinged to the upper mounting plate 31 via the first hinge shaft 332, and its second end hinged to the intermediate frame 32 via the second hinge shaft 333.

[0168] The second link assembly 34 includes:

[0169] The second connecting rod 341 has its first end hinged to the intermediate frame 32 via the third hinge shaft 342, and its second end hinged to the base plate 2 via the fourth hinge shaft 343.

[0170] By hinged to the first link 331 or the second link 341 of the loading tray 1, the intermediate frame 32, or the base plate 2, the distance between the three planes can be changed by rotating around the hinge point, thereby changing the distance between the upper mounting plate 31 and the base plate 2 in the link module 3. Of course, for those skilled in the art, the first link assembly 33 and the second link assembly 34 can also be telescopic links to change the distance between the upper mounting plate 31 and the base plate 2.

[0171] Compared to using telescopic linkages, the structure of the hinged and rotatable linkage is simpler, resulting in a smaller overall volume of the linkage module 3. Furthermore, the hinged linkage can transmit torque, transferring the deflection torque caused by cargo misalignment or acceleration / deceleration of the automated guided vehicle from the upper mounting plate to the base plate 2. This prevents the deflection torque from acting on other functional modules of the automated guided vehicle, thereby improving the overall structural reliability of the vehicle.

[0172] Furthermore, in order to further simplify the link module 3, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the second hinge shaft 333 and the third hinge shaft 342 are coaxially arranged so that the second end of the first connecting rod 331 and the first end of the second connecting rod 341 are at the same hinge position in the intermediate frame 32.

[0173] A set of second hinge shafts 333 and third hinge shafts 342, which are coaxially arranged, are hinged together on the intermediate frame 32, so that only one corresponding hinge hole needs to be opened on the intermediate frame 32, and only one corresponding hinge pin / shaft and one corresponding shaft clip are provided, thus simplifying the structure of the intermediate frame 32.

[0174] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first link 331 and the second link 341 have the same length, and the axes of the first hinge shaft 332, the second hinge shaft 333, the third hinge shaft 342 and the fourth hinge shaft 343 are parallel to each other.

[0175] The first hinge shaft 332, the second hinge shaft 333, the third hinge shaft 342, and the fourth hinge shaft 343, which are arranged parallel to each other, make the planes in which the first link 331 and the second link 341 rotate parallel or coplanar; and the first link 331 and the second link 341, which are of the same length, can respectively have a trajectory circle with the second hinge point and the third hinge point as the center and the same radius length.

[0176] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the linkage module 3 is connected to the lifting module 4 via the first hinge shaft 332. During the process of the lifting module 4 driving the linkage module 3, the axis of the first hinge shaft 332 coincides with the orthographic projection of the axis of the fourth hinge shaft 343 onto the base plate 2.

[0177] Based on the fact that the planes in which the first connecting rod 331 and the second connecting rod 341 rotate are parallel or coplanar, and that the first connecting rod 331 and the second connecting rod 341 can each have a trajectory circle with the same radius length centered at the second hinge point and the third hinge point respectively, when the connecting rod module 3 is connected to the lifting module 4 through the first hinge shaft 332, and the lifting direction of the lifting module 4 is along a straight line, the orthogonal projection of the axis of the first hinge shaft 332 and the axis of the fourth hinge shaft 343 on the base plate 2 can coincide, thereby ensuring that the upper mounting plate 31 and the base plate 2 remain parallel to each other during the process of the lifting module 4 driving the connecting rod module 3.

[0178] Furthermore, in order to ensure a stable connection between the upper mounting plate 31, the intermediate frame 32, and the base plate 2, in some embodiments, there are at least three first connecting rods 331, all of which are of the same length and are arranged parallel to each other; and there are at least three second connecting rods 341, all of which are of the same length and are arranged parallel to each other.

[0179] To ensure the balance of the connection between the upper mounting plate 31, the intermediate frame 32, and the base plate 2 when there are at least three first connecting rods 331 or second connecting rods 341, in some embodiments, the hinge positions of the at least three first connecting rods 331 or the at least three second connecting rods 341 and the intermediate frame 32 are respectively located at different vertices of the polygon in the orthographic projection of the base plate 2. Furthermore, to achieve miniaturization of the lifting mechanism, in some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further includes:

[0180] Rotation module 5, fixed to the linkage module 3, is capable of driving the cargo tray 1 to rotate on the horizontal plane;

[0181] The intermediate frame 32 includes:

[0182] A first groove 321, vertically extending through one end of the intermediate frame 32, is used to accommodate the lifting module 4; and

[0183] The second groove 332 is vertically opened at one end of the intermediate frame 32 away from the first groove 321, and is used to accommodate the rotating module 5;

[0184] During the process of the lifting module 4 driving the linkage module 3, the orthographic projections of the first linkage assembly 33 and the second linkage assembly 34 on the base plate 2 do not overlap with the orthographic projections of the first groove 321 and the second groove 332 on the base plate 2.

[0185] The first groove 321 and the second groove 332 respectively form receiving spaces on both sides of the connecting rod assembly, thereby providing sufficient space for the lifting module 4 and the rotating module 5. This allows the lifting module 4, the rotating module 5, and the connecting rod module 3 to be accommodated together in a relatively compact position within the space area corresponding to the base plate 2, thereby further modularizing the lifting mechanism as a whole and miniaturizing its size.

[0186] Furthermore, in order to detect the position of the cargo tray 1, such as... Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the lifting mechanism further includes:

[0187] A photoelectric sensor 6 is disposed on the linkage module 3 and is used to detect the distance between the cargo tray 1 and the base plate 2.

[0188] In another aspect of this disclosure, an automated guided vehicle is provided, including a lifting mechanism as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0189] Therefore, the lifting mechanism provided according to the embodiments of this disclosure can at least avoid the failure of the lifting structure caused by the uneven loading of the transported object.

[0190] The embodiments of this disclosure have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0191] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lifting mechanism for an automated guided vehicle, characterized in that, include: Cargo tray (1); Base plate (2); A linkage module (3) is connected between the cargo tray (1) and the base plate (2), and the linkage module (3) includes: The upper mounting plate (31) is used to support the cargo tray (1). The intermediate frame (32) is arranged parallel to the upper mounting plate (31); A first link assembly (33) is disposed between the upper mounting plate (31) and the intermediate frame (32), capable of changing the distance between the upper mounting plate (31) and the intermediate frame (32), and the first link assembly (33) includes a first link (331), the first end of which is hinged to the upper mounting plate (31) via a first hinge shaft (332), and the second end of which is hinged to the intermediate frame (32) via a second hinge shaft (333); and The second link assembly (34) is disposed between the intermediate frame (32) and the base plate (2), and can change the distance between the intermediate frame (32) and the base plate (2); The linkage module (3) is connected to the lifting module (4) via the first hinge shaft (332); and The lifting module (4) is disposed on the base plate (2) and located on one side of the linkage module (3), and can drive the linkage module (3) to make the cargo tray (1) translate along the first direction; Wherein, the first direction is the lifting direction of the lifting module (4) on the connecting rod module (3) or the opposite direction of the lifting direction; The lifting module (4) includes: First power source (41); The lifting bracket (42) is connected to the linkage module (3); and The transmission component (43) has its input end connected to the first power source (41) and its output end connected to the lifting bracket (42). It can transmit the power output by the first power source (41) to the lifting bracket (42) so that the lifting bracket (42) can drive the linkage module to translate along the first direction. The first power source (41) includes a geared motor, and the transmission assembly (43) includes: The intermediate shaft (431) has a hollow structure, the axis of the intermediate shaft (431) is parallel to the first direction, and the first end is connected to the output end of the geared motor; A nut (432) is rotatably disposed inside the hollow structure and fixedly connected to the second end of the intermediate shaft (431); and The lead screw (433) is threadedly engaged with the lead nut (432). One end of the lead screw (433) is connected to the lifting bracket (42), and the axis of the lead screw (433) is parallel to the first direction, which can convert the rotational motion of the lead nut (432) into the translational motion of the lifting bracket (42) along the first direction. The lifting module (4) further includes a housing (44), a slide rail (45), and a guide block (46). The housing (44) at least partially accommodates the transmission assembly (43) and is fixedly connected to the first power source (41) to achieve integrated loading and unloading of the lifting module (4). The slide rail (45) is fixedly mounted on the lifting bracket (42), and the extension direction of the slide rail (45) is parallel to the first direction. The guide block (46) is mounted on the housing (44) and sleeved on the slide rail (45). The cross-sectional shape of the guide block (46) is fitted and matched with the cross-sectional shape of the slide rail (45) to guide the slide rail (45) to move along the first direction.

2. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly (43) also includes: The first gear (411) is connected to the output end of the first power source (41); and The second gear (434) is fixedly connected to the first end of the intermediate shaft (431) and meshes with the first gear (411).

3. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (44) has a first stepped hole (441) and a second stepped hole (442) of different sizes inside, the intermediate shaft (431) has a first stepped shaft section (431a) and a second stepped shaft section (431b) of different sizes, and the transmission assembly (43) further includes: A first tapered roller bearing (435) is disposed between the first stepped hole (441) and the first stepped shaft section (431a), and is radially supported on the first end of the intermediate shaft (431); A second tapered roller bearing (436) is disposed between the second stepped bore (442) and the second stepped shaft section (431b), and is radially and axially supported on the second end of the intermediate shaft (431); and A locking retaining ring (437) is fixedly installed at the first end of the intermediate shaft (431) and can support the first tapered roller bearing (435) axially.

4. The lifting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transmission assembly (43) also includes: The first dustproof ring (438) is interference-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the locking ring (437), and clearance-fitted with the first tapered roller bearing (435) and the housing (44), respectively; and The second dustproof ring (439) is disposed in the housing (44) and located on the side of the second tapered roller bearing (436) near the lifting bracket (42).

5. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate shaft (431) includes: A first hollow shaft cavity (431c) and a second hollow shaft cavity (431d) are arranged along the axis of the intermediate shaft (431). The second hollow shaft cavity (431d) communicates with the first hollow shaft cavity (431c), and the inner diameter of the second hollow shaft cavity (431d) is greater than the inner diameter of the first hollow shaft cavity and the diameter of the outer circle of the nut (432). When the lifting module (4) is not lifted, the portion of the lead screw (433) near the lifting bracket (42) is fitted into the lead screw nut (432), and the portion away from the lifting bracket (42) is fitted into the first hollow shaft cavity (431c).

6. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the lifting bracket (42) and the lead screw (433) is provided with a lead screw (433) fixing hole (421). The lead screw (433) fixing hole (421) can accommodate the lead screw (433) and restrict the rotation of the lead screw (433).

7. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two slide rails (45) and two guide blocks (46). The two guide blocks (46) cooperate with the two slide rails (45) respectively. The two slide rails (45) are symmetrically arranged, and the axis of the lead screw (433) is located on the symmetrical plane (451) of the two slide rails (45). The housing (44) includes: Two guide blocks (46) are fixed with ears (443), which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing (44) for connecting the two guide blocks (46) respectively.

8. The lifting mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The housing (44) includes: The motor mounting lug (444) is fixedly connected to the housing of the first power source (41), which enables the axis of the output shaft of the first power source (41) to be parallel to the first direction and to make the axis of the output shaft of the first power source (41) located on the plane of symmetry (451).

9. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A rotating module (5) is disposed between the linkage module (3) and the cargo tray (1) and is capable of driving the cargo tray (1) to rotate relative to the linkage module (3).

10. The lifting mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The rotating module (5) includes: The inner ring (51) of the slewing support is fixedly installed on the side of the connecting rod module (3) near the cargo tray (1); The outer ring (52) of the slewing support is fixedly disposed on the side of the cargo tray (1) near the connecting rod module (3) and can be rotatably supported on the inner ring (51) of the slewing support.

11. The lifting mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that, The outer ring (52) of the slewing support includes an outer gear ring, and the rotating module (5) further includes: The second power source (53) is fixedly installed on the connecting rod module (3); The third gear (54) is connected to the output end of the second power source (53) and can drive the cargo tray (1) to rotate by meshing with the outer gear ring.

12. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second link assembly (34) includes: The second link (341) has its first end hinged to the intermediate frame (32) via the third hinge shaft (342) and its second end hinged to the base plate (2) via the fourth hinge shaft (343). The second hinge shaft (333) and the third hinge shaft (342) are coaxially arranged so that the second end of the first connecting rod (331) and the first end of the second connecting rod (341) are at the same hinge position in the intermediate frame (32); The first link (331) and the second link (341) have the same length, and the axes of the first hinge shaft (332), the second hinge shaft (333), the third hinge shaft (342) and the fourth hinge shaft (343) are parallel to each other; During the process of the lifting module (4) driving the connecting rod module (3), the axis of the first hinge shaft (332) and the axis of the fourth hinge shaft (343) are projected onto the base plate (2).

13. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate frame (32) includes: A first groove (321) is vertically formed at one end of the intermediate frame (32), and can form a first receiving space with the first connecting rod assembly (33) and the second connecting rod assembly (34); and The second groove (322) is vertically opened at one end of the intermediate frame (32) away from the first groove (321), and can form a second receiving space with the first connecting rod assembly (33) and the second connecting rod assembly (34); During the process of the lifting module (4) driving the linkage module (3), the orthographic projection of the first linkage assembly (33) and the second linkage assembly (34) on the base plate (2) does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first groove (321) and the second groove (322) on the base plate (2).

14. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A photoelectric sensor (6) is installed on the linkage module (3) to detect the distance between the cargo tray (1) and the base plate (2).

15. An automated guided vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the lifting mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

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