An automatic cleaning system

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic cleaning system, comprising: four stations uniformly distributed on a circumference and a central circulation device located in the middle of the four stations; the central circulation device drives the hopper to circulate in a cycle and enter the four stations in sequence; the four stations include: station 1 for loading and weighing, station 2 for feeding and receiving hoppers, station 3 for removing residual materials in the hopper, and station 4 for cleaning the hopper. The system transfers the hopper between the four stations through the central circulation device, realizes the automation of the whole process from receiving hoppers, cleaning, loading to feeding hoppers, and greatly improves the operation efficiency and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of construction, and in particular to an automatic cleaning system. Background Art

[0002] In the construction field, hoppers are usually used as transport carriers for cement concrete. However, after use, the hopper needs to be cleaned to remove the remaining material. In the prior art, the hopper is usually cleaned manually, which has low efficiency and low safety. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main technical problem solved by the present invention is to provide an automatic cleaning system for improving the operation efficiency and safety of hopper cleaning and realizing automated operation.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0005] An automatic cleaning system, comprising: four stations uniformly distributed on a circumference and a central circulation device located in the middle of the four stations; the central circulation device comprises: an integral support and a track, a main planetary drive mechanism rotating on the integral support and the track, and four bucket devices placed on the main planetary drive mechanism; the four bucket devices are used to carry buckets, and are driven by the main planetary drive mechanism to circulate in a cycle and enter the four stations in turn; the four stations are: station 1 located below the unloading device and equipped with a weighing mechanism; station 2 equipped with a lifting platform mechanism; station 3 equipped with a bucket opening mechanism; station 4 equipped with another bucket opening mechanism and a cleaning mechanism; wherein,

[0006] Station 1 is used for: if there is a cleaned hopper transferred from station 4 in this cycle, the hopper is charged, and the hopper is weighed by a weighing mechanism, so that the charging stops when the hopper reaches the specified weight; and the charged hopper is transferred to station 2 in the next cycle;

[0007] Station 2 is used to: if there is no hopper at this station in this cycle, take the hopper to be cleaned from the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism, and transfer the hopper to be cleaned to station 3 in the next cycle; or, if there is a loaded hopper transferred from station 1 at this station in this cycle, transfer the loaded hopper to the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism;

[0008] Station 3 is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station 2 in this cycle, the hopper to be cleaned will be opened by the hopper opening mechanism of this station to remove the residual materials therein; and the hopper to be cleaned will be transferred to station 4 in the next cycle;

[0009] Station No. 4 is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station No. 3 at this station in this cycle, the hopper to be cleaned will be opened by the hopper opening mechanism of this station, and the hopper to be cleaned will be cleaned by spraying high-pressure water through the cleaning mechanism; and the cleaned hopper will be transferred to station No. 1 in the next cycle.

[0010] In order to facilitate unified management and achieve uniform operation of the entire process, the system may be provided with a control box for unified control of the central circulation device and the devices of the four workstations. For example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) may be used as the main control device in the control box.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the integral support and track include a support mechanism with a circular track, a gear arranged at the center of the support mechanism, a hydraulic motor for driving the gear, and an encoder; the main planetary drive mechanism includes an integral support with a driven wheel in the middle, the integral support has four ends corresponding to four workstations respectively, and the bottom surface of each end is provided with a moving wheel running on the circular track; the driven wheel is meshed and connected with the gear, and drives the integral support to rotate under the drive of the gear; four bucket devices are respectively arranged on the four ends of the integral support, and the bucket device includes a detachable liftable platform arranged at the end, and the liftable platform is provided with a plurality of limit block assemblies for positioning the carried bucket.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the weighing mechanism includes an electronic scale assembly and a first hydraulic cylinder capable of lifting the electronic scale assembly; when weighing is required, the first hydraulic cylinder drives the electronic scale assembly to lift the bucket device and the bucket it carries upward together, so that the electronic scale assembly can weigh the bucket.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the weighing mechanism also includes a main body support frame, a plurality of first copper sleeve assemblies are provided on the top of the main body support frame, a plurality of guide shafts are movably installed in the plurality of first copper sleeve assemblies, and an electronic scale assembly is installed on the top of the plurality of guide shafts; wherein, a position sensing sheet is also provided at the lower end of at least one guide shaft, and a rising into position sensor and a first falling into position sensor cooperating with the position sensing sheet are also provided on the main body support frame.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the lifting platform mechanism includes: a lifting device that can move in the vertical direction, a second hydraulic cylinder that drives the lifting device to rise and fall through a connecting piece, and a first bracket for supporting the lifting device and the second hydraulic cylinder, the first bracket being provided with a descent sensor for detecting whether the lifting device has descended into place and a rise sensor for detecting whether the lifting device has risen into place.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the No. 2 workstation is also equipped with a blocking mechanism for blocking and positioning the main planetary drive mechanism in each cycle, the blocking mechanism includes a fixed bracket, a second copper sleeve assembly is provided on the fixed bracket, a gear shaft is provided in the second copper sleeve assembly, and a first cylinder for driving the gear shaft to rise or fall is provided on the fixed bracket. When the gear shaft is raised, the main planetary drive mechanism is blocked and positioned. The fixed bracket is also provided with a rising position sensor and a second falling position sensor for detecting the movement of the gear shaft; the main planetary drive mechanism is also provided with a buffer rubber column cooperating with the gear shaft.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the hopper opening mechanism includes: a hook opening push block driven by a hook opening cylinder, used to push open the hook device of the hopper; a hopper opening arm driven by a motor, used to press down or push the connecting rod mechanism of the hopper to open or close the hopper opening; and a sensor for detecting the forward or backward movement of the hook opening cylinder, and a sensor for detecting the movement position of the hopper opening arm.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the hook opening push block is installed at the front end of two push rods, the two push rods are installed in two linear bearings, the push rods are provided with springs located between the linear bearings and the hook opening push block, the two linear bearings are fixed on a sliding base, the sliding base is installed on a slide rail, and the hook opening cylinder drives the sliding base to move on the slide rail to drive the hook opening push block to move.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the cleaning mechanism includes: a hopper cover for covering the hopper opening, a nozzle for spraying high-pressure water into the hopper, a water inlet pipe interface connected to the nozzle, a lifting cylinder for driving the nozzle and the hopper cover to rise or fall, and a rising position sensor and a third falling position sensor for detecting the movement of the lifting cylinder.

[0019] In a possible implementation, each workstation is also provided with a hopper in place sensor for detecting whether the hopper is in place.

[0020] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0021] The automatic cleaning system of the present invention is provided with four workstations, including workstation No. 1 for loading and weighing, workstation No. 2 for feeding hopper and receiving hopper, workstation No. 3 for removing residual material in the hopper and workstation No. 4 for cleaning the hopper. The system transfers the hopper between the four workstations through a central circulation device, and seamlessly connects with the transport vehicle and the unloading device, thereby realizing the automation of the entire process from receiving hopper, cleaning, loading to feeding hopper, greatly improving the operation efficiency and safety.

[0022] The system also has the following features:

[0023] 1. The hopper and the transport vehicle exist separately and do not affect each other. While cleaning the hopper, the transport vehicle can continue to operate, improving transportation efficiency.

[0024] 2. The four workstations can be used simultaneously without conflicting with each other, thus saving time and improving discharge efficiency.

[0025] 3. During use, if any hopper has a problem, just move the hopper away without affecting the use of other workstations.

[0026] 4. The required amount of concrete can be weighed according to the needs, so that the material can be accurately discharged without wasting concrete. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments and the description of the prior art are briefly introduced below.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of an automatic cleaning system in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic cleaning system in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a weighing mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a lifting platform mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a blocking mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a hopper opening mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a cleaning mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an integral bracket and a track in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the main planetary drive mechanism and the bucket device in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] The following is a detailed description through specific embodiments.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 One embodiment of the present invention provides an automatic cleaning system. The system includes: four stations evenly distributed on a circle and a central circulation device located in the middle of the four stations. The central circulation device drives the hopper to circulate in a cycle and enter the four stations in turn; the four stations include: Station 1 for loading and weighing, Station 2 for feeding and receiving hoppers, Station 3 for clearing residual materials in the hopper, and Station 4 for cleaning the hopper. The system transfers the hopper between the four stations through the central circulation device, realizing the automation of the entire process from receiving hoppers, cleaning, loading to feeding hoppers, thereby improving operation efficiency and safety.

[0040] Among them, the central circulation device includes: an integral bracket and a track 5, a main planetary drive mechanism 4 that rotates on the integral bracket and the track 5, and four bucket devices 6 placed on the main planetary drive mechanism 4; the four bucket devices 6 are used to carry buckets, and are driven by the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to circulate periodically and enter four workstations in turn.

[0041] Among the four stations: Station 1 is located below the unloading device and is equipped with a weighing mechanism 1, Station 2 is equipped with a lifting platform mechanism 2, Station 3 is equipped with a hopper opening mechanism 7, and Station 4 is equipped with another hopper opening mechanism 7 and a cleaning mechanism 8. The functions of each station are as follows.

[0042] Station No. 1 is a loading and weighing station, which is used for: if there is a cleaned hopper transferred from station No. 4 at this station in this cycle, the hopper will be loaded, and the hopper will be weighed by weighing mechanism 1, so that the loading will be stopped when the hopper reaches the specified weight; and the loaded hopper will be transferred to station No. 2 in the next cycle.

[0043] Station No. 2 is a hopper delivery and collection station, which is used for: if there is no hopper at this station in this cycle, the hopper to be cleaned carried by the transport vehicle will be collected from the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism 2, and the hopper to be cleaned will be transferred to station No. 3 in the next cycle; or, if there is a loaded hopper transferred from station No. 1 at this station in this cycle, the loaded hopper will be sent to the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism 2.

[0044] Station No. 3 is a station for clearing residual materials from the hopper, and is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station No. 2 at this station in this cycle, the hopper to be cleaned will be opened by the hopper opening mechanism 7 of this station to clear the residual materials therein; and the hopper to be cleaned will be transferred to station No. 4 in the next cycle.

[0045] Station No. 4 is a hopper cleaning station, which is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station No. 3 at this station in this cycle, the hopper to be cleaned will be opened by the hopper opening mechanism 7 of this station, and the hopper to be cleaned will be cleaned by spraying high-pressure water through the cleaning mechanism 8; and the cleaned hopper will be transferred to station No. 1 in the next cycle.

[0046] Furthermore, the No. 2 station may also be equipped with a blocking mechanism 3 for blocking and positioning the main planetary drive mechanism 4 in each cycle.

[0047] Furthermore, each workstation is also provided with a hopper in place sensor for detecting whether the hopper is in place, specifically including: a hopper in place sensor 902 for checking whether the hopper at workstation No. 2 is in place, a hopper in place sensor 903 for checking whether the hopper at workstation No. 3 is in place, a hopper in place sensor 904 for checking whether the hopper at workstation No. 4 is in place, and a hopper in place sensor 901 for checking whether the hopper at workstation No. 1 is in place.

[0048] Furthermore, in order to facilitate unified management and achieve consistent operation of the entire process, the system may be provided with a control electrical box for unified control of the central circulation device and each device of the four workstations.

[0049] The components of the system are further described below.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 3 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the weighing mechanism 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. The weighing mechanism 1 is mainly used to weigh the hopper and provide concrete weight data when unloading. It is used to calculate the production amount and reduce material waste. The weighing mechanism 1 mainly includes the following components:

[0051] Electronic scale component 101: This component is used to weigh the hopper. When used, the total weight of the bucket device 6 and the hopper it carries is weighed, and the weight of the bucket device 6 and the hopper itself is removed to obtain the weight data of the concrete in the hopper. This component can be composed of a weighing device and an electronic scale system. When the weight of the concrete in the hopper reaches the requirement, the electronic scale system will send a signal to the control box (control center), and the control center will control the unloading device to stop unloading. This component can be composed of 4 weighing modules.

[0052] The first copper sleeve assembly 102 is used to fix the guide shaft 103 to prevent it from moving left and right and to guide it. There are four sets of this assembly.

[0053] Guide shaft 103: The mechanism has a total of 4 identical guide shafts 103, which are used for guiding and limiting when the first hydraulic cylinder lifts the hopper.

[0054] The first hydraulic cylinder 104: The first hydraulic cylinder is mainly used to lift the bucket, and specifically, to lift the bucket-carrying device and the bucket it supports together.

[0055] Rising to position sensor 105: When the hopper rises, the position sensor senses the sensor and rises to position. At this time, the sensor will send a signal to the PLC in the automatic cleaning system control box, and the PLC will issue a command to close the solenoid valve corresponding to the first hydraulic cylinder 104, thereby stopping the first hydraulic cylinder 104.

[0056] Position sensing plate 106: The sensing plate can be made of iron material, fixed to the lower end of one of the corresponding guide shafts, and moves up and down together with the guide shaft to achieve the function of switching the sensor on and off to control the first hydraulic cylinder.

[0057] First drop position sensor 107: When the hopper drops, the position sensor senses the sensor and drops to the position. At this time, the sensor will send a signal to the PLC in the automatic cleaning system control box, and the PLC will issue a command to close the solenoid valve corresponding to the first hydraulic cylinder 104, thereby stopping the first hydraulic cylinder 104.

[0058] Main body support frame 108 : as a supporting component for other components of the weighing mechanism 1 , other components are mounted on the main body support frame 108 .

[0059] Please refer to Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lifting platform mechanism 2 in one embodiment of the present invention. The lifting platform mechanism 2 is mainly used as a connection tool between the transport vehicle and the automatic cleaning system. When there is no hopper at station No. 2, it is used to unload the hopper on the transport vehicle, and when there is a hopper at station No. 2, it is used to lift the hopper to load the transport vehicle.

[0060] The lifting platform mechanism 2 mainly includes the following components:

[0061] Lifting device 201: This device is a connecting rod mechanism, which is composed of a square support rod, a pulley, a bearing, etc. and can be deformed in the vertical direction to change the height. This device is driven up and down by the second hydraulic cylinder 203 and is used to take and put away the bucket.

[0062] Connecting piece 202 : This piece is used to connect the second hydraulic cylinder 203 and the lifting device 201 .

[0063] The second hydraulic cylinder 203 is used to drive the lifting device to move up and down through the connecting member 202.

[0064] Descending sensor 204: When the lifting device descends to the right position, the descending sensor outputs a signal and the second hydraulic cylinder stops.

[0065] Lifting sensor 205: When the lifting device rises to the right position, the lifting sensor outputs a signal and the second hydraulic cylinder stops.

[0066] The first bracket 206 is used to place the lifting device and the second hydraulic cylinder and other accessories.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 5 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the blocking mechanism 3 in one embodiment of the present invention. The main functions of the blocking mechanism 3 are: to control the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to stop positioning, and to provide a more stable method for accurately connecting the transport vehicle with the automatic cleaning system when unloading the bucket.

[0068] The blocking mechanism 3 mainly includes the following components:

[0069] The second copper sleeve assembly 301 is used for guiding and fixing the shaft. There are two of the second copper sleeve assemblies.

[0070] Blocking shaft 302: pushed or pulled back by the cylinder to block the bucket device or allow the device to pass.

[0071] Rising position sensor 303: When the cylinder pushes the stop shaft to rise until the sensor outputs a signal, the PLC in the control box will issue a command based on the signal to close the solenoid valve corresponding to the cylinder, thereby stopping the cylinder.

[0072] The first cylinder 304 is used to push out or pull back the blocking shaft.

[0073] The second descent position sensor 305: When the first cylinder pushes the stopper shaft down to the point where the sensor outputs a signal, the PLC in the control box will issue a command based on the signal to close the solenoid valve corresponding to the first cylinder, thereby stopping the first cylinder.

[0074] Fixed bracket 306: used to fix the above components (accessories, workpieces).

[0075] Please refer to Figure 6 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hopper opening mechanism 7 in one embodiment of the present invention. There are two hopper opening mechanisms 7, which are respectively arranged at the No. 3 and No. 4 stations, and are used to open the hopper opening to discharge the remaining materials, cleaning materials, etc. in the hopper.

[0076] The hopper opening mechanism 7 mainly includes the following components:

[0077] Spring 701: used to buffer the impact force when the hook opening cylinder moves forward. There are two springs, which are sleeved on the two push rods.

[0078] Linear bearing 702: used for guiding and fixing the push rod. There are two linear bearings, and two push rods are installed in the two bearings respectively, and can slide back and forth in the bearings.

[0079] Cylinder forward sensor 703: When the hook cylinder moves forward to the right position, it sends a signal to the control box PLC to close the corresponding solenoid valve of the cylinder, thereby stopping the cylinder.

[0080] Hook opening cylinder 704: Before the hopper opening needs to be opened, the cylinder pushes the push rod, and the hook opening push block 714 at the front end of the push rod is used to open the hook device on the hopper.

[0081] Cylinder retraction sensor 705: When the hook-opening cylinder receives the signal to retract, the sensor sends a signal to the control box PLC to close the corresponding solenoid valve of the cylinder, and then the cylinder stops.

[0082] Bucket opening motor 706: used to output power to drive the bucket opening arm to open the bucket opening and the pipe wall bucket opening. The motor is controlled on and off by the corresponding inverter.

[0083] Mounting base plate 707: used to mount and fix the components of the entire bucket opening mechanism.

[0084] Origin sensor 708: When the hopper opening mechanism is not working or waiting to work, the hopper opening arm needs to stop at this position.

[0085] Bucket closing sensor 709: When the bucket needs to be closed, the bucket opening motor will drive the bucket opening arm to move. When the sensor is sensed, the motor stops.

[0086] Bucket opening sensor 710: When the bucket needs to be opened, the bucket opening motor will drive the bucket opening arm to move. When the sensor is sensed, the motor stops.

[0087] Bucket opening arm 711: A linkage mechanism used to press down or push the bucket to open or close the bucket opening.

[0088] Coupling 712: used to connect the bucket opening motor output shaft and the bucket opening arm so that the motor outputs power to the bucket opening arm.

[0089] Slide rail 713: used for limiting and linear guiding when the cylinder drives the push rod to move forward and backward. Two linear bearings 702 and two push rods, hook push blocks, etc. installed thereon are installed on a sliding base, which is driven by the cylinder to slide on the slide rail 713.

[0090] Hook opening push block 714: a hook device used to push open the hopper, which is used together with a spring, a linear bearing and a hook opening cylinder.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 7 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning mechanism 8 in one embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning mechanism 8 is arranged at station 4, and its main functions are: to cover the top of the bucket and spray high-pressure water to flush the concrete in the bucket out of the bucket.

[0092] The cleaning mechanism 8 mainly includes the following components:

[0093] Lifting cylinder 801: used to drive the cleaning nozzle and hopper cover to move up and down.

[0094] Guide shaft 802: used for guiding the cleaning workpiece (including the nozzle and hopper cover) when the lifting cylinder drives it to move up and down.

[0095] Water inlet pipe interface 803: used to connect the water inlet pipe to deliver water to the sprinkler.

[0096] Hopper cover 804: Waterproof cotton can be installed under the cover. When the hopper reaches station No. 4 and needs to be cleaned, the lifting cylinder drives the hopper cover downward, and the waterproof cotton is pressed against the hopper opening to prevent water from overflowing when cleaning the hopper.

[0097] Nozzle 805: used to spray high-pressure water flow when washing the hopper to clean the inside of the hopper.

[0098] The sensor 807 is used to sense whether the lifting cylinder 801 has risen to the right position. When the sensor outputs a signal, the PLC in the control box sends a command to activate the hopper opening mechanism of the station.

[0099] The third sensor 808 is used to sense whether the lifting cylinder 801 has been lowered to the correct position. When the sensor outputs a signal, the PLC in the control box will start the booster pump according to the signal instruction to clean the hopper.

[0100] Please refer to Figure 8 , is a schematic diagram of the structure of the integral bracket and the track 5 in one embodiment of the present invention. The integral bracket and the track 5 are the main load-bearing mechanism of the entire system, and are mainly composed of the following components:

[0101] The support mechanism 501 is composed of arc-shaped I-beams, I-beams, and circular columns, including a central circular column and a peripheral circular track, and a plurality of connectors connecting the central circular column and the peripheral circular track. The bottom of the central circular column is supported on the ground, and support legs are provided below the peripheral circular track. The support mechanism 501 with a circular track enables the main planetary drive mechanism 4 and the bucket device 6 to perform circular motion on the circular track with the central circular column as the center.

[0102] Gear 502: It is arranged at the top of the central circular cylinder of the support mechanism 501. The gear 502 is a driving gear, which is driven to rotate by the hydraulic motor 503, thereby driving the driven wheel on the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to rotate, and then driving the bucket device 6 to move on the circumference.

[0103] Hydraulic motor 503: It is arranged on the support mechanism 501, and is used to output power to drive the gear 502 to rotate, thereby driving the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to move. The hydraulic motor 503 can be controlled by the on-off of the corresponding electromagnetic valve of the hydraulic station.

[0104] Encoder 504: Installed at the center of the encoder fixing bracket, which is fixed to the upper surface of the central circular cylinder in the bracket mechanism 501, and the center of the encoder coincides with the center of the central circular cylinder in the bracket mechanism 501; a connecting frame is fixed on the encoder output shaft, and both ends of the connecting frame are fixed on the driven wheel 405. When the hydraulic motor 503 drives the bucket device 6 to rotate through the gear 502, etc., the shaft of the encoder 504 will also rotate, thereby transmitting a pulse signal to the control box to feedback the position of the bucket device 6.

[0105] Please refer to Fig. 9 , is a schematic structural diagram of the main planetary drive mechanism 4 and the bucket device 6 in one embodiment of the present invention. The main planetary drive mechanism 4 is installed on the integral support and the track 5, and can rotate on the integral support and the track 5; the bucket device 6 for carrying the bucket is placed on the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to drive the bucket to flow to different workstations.

[0106] The main planetary drive mechanism 4 includes the following components:

[0107] Integral support 401: This support is mainly welded from I-beams according to design requirements. It plays a load-bearing and connecting role. The integral support 401 has four ends corresponding to four workstations respectively.

[0108] Moving wheel 404: Two moving wheels 404 can be set on the bottom surface of each end of the integral bracket 401, and the entire main planetary drive mechanism 4 has a total of 8 moving wheels; the moving wheel 404 runs on the circular track of the integral bracket and the track 5, and its main function is to reduce resistance when the entire mechanism rotates, making it easy to start.

[0109] Driven wheel 405: It is arranged at the center of the integral support 401. The driven wheel is meshed with the gear 502. The hydraulic motor 503 drives the gear 502 as the driving wheel to output power, driving the driven wheel 405 to rotate. The driven wheel 405 and the integral support 401 are fixed together, thereby driving the integral support 401 to rotate, and finally realizing the rotation movement of the entire main planetary drive mechanism 4.

[0110] Buffering rubber column 406: Several buffering rubber columns 406 can be set at appropriate positions of the integral bracket 401, and the buffering rubber columns 406 cooperate with the stop shaft 302 of the blocking mechanism 3. Specifically, a total of 4 buffering rubber columns can be set. When the main planetary drive mechanism 4 drives the bucket device 6 to reach the No. 2 station each time, the buffering rubber column 406 will be squeezed to the stop shaft 302 due to the inertia of movement, playing a buffering role. Moreover, a positioning block can be further provided below. It only needs to adjust the position of the positioning block and only needs to be used in conjunction with the stop shaft to fix the problem of inaccurate position of the automatic cleaning system and the transport vehicle.

[0111] There are four bucket devices 6, which are respectively arranged on the four ends of the integral bracket 401 of the main planetary drive mechanism 4. The bucket device 6 may include:

[0112] Liftable platform 601: This platform is mainly used to place the hopper and is detachably arranged at the end of the integral support 401. The liftable platform can be supported by other power mechanisms to move up and down within the required range to achieve the required effect.

[0113] Limit block assembly 602: The liftable platform 402 is provided with a number of limit block assemblies 602 for positioning the loaded hopper. The limit block assembly 602 is used to prevent the hopper from moving when it is placed on the hopper loading device, which not only ensures that the hopper can be taken and placed smoothly every time, but also plays a role in safety protection. There are 16 groups of this assembly, 4 groups are set on each liftable platform 402, and each group consists of 4 ladder-shaped metal blocks. The inclined surface of each metal block is inward, forming a groove with a larger top and a smaller bottom. The main function is to allow the foot of the hopper to smoothly enter the groove formed by the assembly, limit the foot of the hopper, and prevent the hopper from moving.

[0114] In some embodiments, the operation process of the automatic cleaning system of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0115] S01. Initially, there will be empty hoppers on stations 1, 3, and 4 of the automatic cleaning system.

[0116] S02. When the operator at the control center presses the unloading key, the following operations are performed.

[0117] S03, the automatic cleaning system controls the electric box (controller) to output a signal, so that the hydraulic station starts to raise the first hydraulic cylinder 104 of station 1. At this time, the first hydraulic cylinder pushes the liftable platform 601 of the station to leave the integral support 401. At the same time, the weighing mechanism 1 of the station will weigh the weight of the liftable platform and the bucket, and automatically weigh and peel. The unloading device is opened. When the concrete falls into the bucket, the weighing mechanism will return the weight information in real time. If the specified weight is reached, the unloading device will be immediately closed to stop unloading. The automatic cleaning system controller outputs a signal again, so that the hydraulic station controls the first hydraulic cylinder to descend until the lower position sensor is in place 107. At this time, the liftable platform 601 has returned to the integral support 401, waiting for the next operation.

[0118] S04, while the material is being unloaded at station 1, a transport vehicle carrying the hopper to be cleaned has already traveled to the top of station 2. When the transport vehicle is aligned and stops, the automatic cleaning system controls the electrical box to output a signal, causing the hydraulic station to start the second hydraulic cylinder 203 of station 2 to raise the liftable platform 601 of the station until the sensor is in place. After rising to the specified height, the foot plate of the hopper will contact the panel of the liftable platform; if the hopper is slightly displaced, the limit block assembly 602 will work at this time, and the inclined surface of the limit block will touch the foot plate of the hopper, thereby correcting the position of the hopper on the liftable platform. When the liftable platform is lifted to the highest position sensor with the hopper, the automatic cleaning system controller will send a signal to the transport vehicle to open the bucket locking device. After the opening is completed, the transport vehicle will send a signal to the automatic cleaning system, and the system controls the electrical box to output a signal, causing the hydraulic station to start the second hydraulic cylinder 203 to descend until the sensor 204 is in place, and the liftable platform will also return to the integral bracket 401. When the above actions are completed, the transport vehicle leaves station 2.

[0119] S05. After the above actions are completed, the sensor 902 of the No. 2 station will check whether there is a hopper on the liftable platform 601 of the station and whether the position of the hopper is correct; when receiving the confirmation signal, the system will control the first cylinder 304 to retract the stop shaft 302 until the second drop-in-place sensor 305 is triggered, and then the PLC will instruct the hydraulic motor to drive the main planetary drive mechanism 4 to rotate, so that the bucket device 6 carrying the empty bucket turns away from the transport vehicle, and at the same time the encoder 504 will immediately return the rotation information to the controller. When it rotates to the specified position, the controller will start the first cylinder 304 again to raise the stop shaft until the rise-in-place sensor 303 is triggered. At this time, the main planetary drive mechanism 4 continues to rotate until the buffer rubber column on the bucket device squeezes the stop shaft 302.

[0120] S06. At this time, the position of the bucket on the main planetary drive mechanism 4 has just changed to another position. The bucket that was originally full of materials at station No. 1 has now just moved to the bottom of the transport vehicle at station No. 2 and triggered the sensor 902. The control box will control the second hydraulic cylinder 203 at station No. 2 to lift the lifting device, causing the liftable platform 601 and the bucket to rise together until the sensor 205 is triggered. After the sensor 205 is triggered, the automatic cleaning system will send a signal to the transport vehicle, and the bucket pinning device on the vehicle will be pinned and return the signal to the cleaning system; the system will start the second hydraulic cylinder 203 again to lower the lifting device until the sensor 204 is triggered, and send a signal to the transport vehicle, at which time the transport vehicle will leave the cleaning system.

[0121] S07, while loading the bucket, if station 1 receives a material unloading instruction, it will unload the material as described in step S03.

[0122] S08. On the other hand, at the same time, the sensor 903 of the No. 3 station is triggered, the system starts the bucket opening motor and rotates it counterclockwise, and rotates the bucket opening arm through the coupling until the bucket closing sensor is triggered; the purpose is to push the bucket arm first to reduce the tension of the bucket locking device; then start the hook opening cylinder, and push the push rod forward until the cylinder forward sensor is triggered. When the push rod is pushed forward, it will also drive the spring, linear bearing and hook opening push block. Because the bucket locking device of each hopper will have different tightness, the spring can act as a buffer when the hook opening push block contacts the bucket locking device of the hopper. If the bucket locking device is too tight, the hook opening push block will move backward through the linear bearing; at the same time, the spring will be compressed, the push cylinder will be pushed forward, and the thrust will increase until the bucket locking device is pushed open. In case the bucket locking device cannot be pushed open, the spring needs to be tightened to the shortest stroke, which will not affect the push cylinder device. After pushing open the bucket lock device, the system starts the bucket opening motor again, but this time it rotates clockwise, through the coupling, the bucket opening arm is rotated until the bucket opening sensor is triggered; at this time, the front end of the bucket opening arm just presses down the bucket arm, and the bucket opening is opened through the lever effect. If there is excess material in the hopper, it will fall into the collection container below. At the same time, the cylinder will be retracted until the cylinder retreat sensor is triggered, and the bucket lock device on the hopper will be lowered. The system will control the bucket opening time according to the setting; when the time is reached, the system will start the bucket opening motor and rotate counterclockwise until the origin sensor is triggered. At this time, the bucket opening arm has left the hopper arm, and the hopper opening will naturally close and wait for the next operation.

[0123] S09. When the operator presses the unloading key again, the system will operate according to steps S3-S7 again.

[0124] S10, and the hopper just at station 3 will rotate to station 4; when the sensor 904 at station 4 senses the hopper, the lifting cylinder 801 will smoothly lower the hopper cover 804 and the nozzle 805 through the guidance of the guide shaft 802, and the waterproof cotton under the hopper cover 804 will just press on the hopper, and this waterproof cotton can provide a better sealing effect to prevent water from splashing. When the third descent-in-place sensor 808 is triggered, the system starts the high-pressure water pump and transmits it to the nozzle 805 through the water inlet pipe interface 803. Multiple nozzles at different angles are installed on the nozzle, so that the sprayed water can be sprayed to different positions in the hopper. The system will spray clean water according to the set time, and then the system will send a signal to control the hopper opening device to discharge the sewage in the hopper to the sewage collection area below for treatment. The method of opening the bucket is the same as that of the No. 3 station mentioned above; the opening time is also based on the set time. When the time is reached, the bucket closing signal is issued, the opening hook cylinder is pushed out, and the bucket locking device is pushed open according to the description of the No. 3 station above; then the bucket opening motor rotates counterclockwise, through the coupling, to rotate the bucket opening arm until the bucket closing sensor is triggered. At this time, the opening hook cylinder retreats until the sensor is triggered, the bucket locking device falls down, and hooks the bucket arms together, and finally the motor starts again to rotate clockwise to return to the zero position. In this way, the entire cleaning process is completed, waiting to return to the No. 1 station to unload.

[0125] S11. When cleaning is completed, all mechanisms at station 4 return to their respective origins; when all signals are in place, the blocking shaft is retracted, and the solenoid valve corresponding to the hydraulic motor is actuated to rotate the hydraulic motor, carrying the clean and empty hopper after cleaning to station 1 to wait for reuse.

[0126] S12. After all the above are completed successfully, the entire process of the automatic cleaning system is completed.

[0127] The system structure and working process of the automatic cleaning system disclosed in the present invention are described in detail above through specific embodiments.

[0128] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0129] The automatic cleaning system of the present invention is provided with four workstations, including workstation No. 1 for loading and weighing, workstation No. 2 for feeding hopper and receiving hopper, workstation No. 3 for clearing residual material in the hopper and workstation No. 4 for cleaning the hopper. The hoppers are transferred among the four workstations through a central transfer device, thus realizing the automation of the entire process from receiving hopper, cleaning, loading to feeding hopper, greatly improving the operation efficiency and safety.

[0130] The system also has the following features: 1. The hopper and the transport vehicle exist separately and do not affect each other. While cleaning the hopper, the transport vehicle can continue to operate, improving transportation efficiency. 2. The four workstations can be used at the same time without conflicting with each other; this can save time and improve discharging efficiency. 3. During use, if any hopper has a problem, just move the hopper away without affecting the use of other workstations. 4. The required amount of concrete can be weighed according to needs, so that the material is accurately discharged without wasting concrete. 5. A special wastewater pool with a filtering function can be further set up under the system. The water after cleaning the hopper can be reused for washing the hopper after precipitation and impurities removal; this can save water resources.

[0131] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail above through specific embodiments. In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For the part that is not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0132] It should be understood that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. A person skilled in the art may modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning system, characterized in that: include: Four workstations evenly distributed on a circumference and a central circulation device located between the four workstations; The central circulation device comprises: an integral support and a track (5), a main planetary drive mechanism (4) that performs rotational motion on the integral support and the track (5), and four bucket carrying devices (6) disposed on the main planetary drive mechanism (4); the four bucket carrying devices (6) are used to carry buckets, and are driven by the main planetary drive mechanism (4) to circulate in a cycle and enter four workstations in sequence. The four workstations are: workstation 1 located below the unloading device and equipped with a weighing mechanism (1); workstation 2 equipped with a lifting platform mechanism (2); workstation 3 equipped with a hopper opening mechanism (7); and workstation 4 equipped with another hopper opening mechanism (7) and a cleaning mechanism (8); wherein: Station No. 1 is used to: if there is a cleaned hopper transferred from station No. 4 at this station in this cycle, then the hopper is charged, and the hopper is weighed by a weighing mechanism (1), so that the charging is stopped when the hopper reaches a specified weight; and the charged hopper is transferred to station No. 2 in the next cycle; Station No. 2 is used to: if there is no hopper at the station in the current cycle, remove the hopper to be cleaned from the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism (2), and transfer the hopper to be cleaned to station No. 3 in the next cycle; or, if there is a loaded hopper transferred from station No. 1 at the station in the current cycle, transfer the loaded hopper to the transport vehicle through the lifting platform mechanism (2); Station No. 3 is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station No. 2 to this station in this cycle, the hopper opening mechanism (7) of this station is used to open the hopper to be cleaned to remove the residual material therein; and the hopper to be cleaned is transferred to station No. 4 in the next cycle; Station No. 4 is used for: if there is a hopper to be cleaned transferred from station No. 3 to this station in the current cycle, the hopper to be cleaned is opened by the hopper opening mechanism (7) of this station, and the hopper to be cleaned is cleaned by spraying high-pressure water flow by the cleaning mechanism (8); and the cleaned hopper is transferred to station No. 1 in the next cycle.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The integral support and track (5) comprises a support mechanism (501) with a circular track, a gear (502) arranged at the center of the support mechanism (501), a hydraulic motor (503) for driving the gear (502), and an encoder (504); The main planetary drive mechanism (4) comprises an integral support (401) with a driven wheel (405) in the middle, the integral support (401) having four ends corresponding to four workstations respectively, and a moving wheel (404) running on a circular track is provided on the bottom surface of each end; the driven wheel (405) is meshedly connected with a gear (502), and driven by the gear (502) to drive the integral support (401) to perform rotational motion; Four bucket-carrying devices (6) are respectively arranged on four ends of the integral support (401), and the bucket-carrying device (6) comprises a detachable liftable platform (601) arranged on the end, and the liftable platform (601) is provided with a plurality of limit block assemblies (602) for positioning the carried bucket.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The weighing mechanism (1) comprises an electronic weighing assembly (101) and a first hydraulic cylinder (104) capable of lifting the electronic weighing assembly (101); when weighing is required, the first hydraulic cylinder (104) drives the electronic weighing assembly (101) to lift the bucket carrying device (6) and the bucket carried by it upwards, so that the electronic weighing assembly (101) can weigh the bucket.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The weighing mechanism (1) further comprises a main body support frame (108), a plurality of first copper sleeve components (102) are arranged on the top of the main body support frame (108), a plurality of guide shafts (103) are movably mounted in the plurality of first copper sleeve components (102), and an electronic scale component (101) is mounted on the top of the plurality of guide shafts (103); wherein a position sensing sheet (106) is also arranged at the lower end of at least one guide shaft (103), and a rising position sensor (105) and a first falling position sensor (107) which cooperate with the position sensing sheet (106) are also arranged on the main body support frame (108).

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The lifting platform mechanism (2) comprises: a lifting device (201) movable in a vertical direction, a second hydraulic cylinder (203) for driving the lifting device (201) to move up and down via a connecting member (202), and a first bracket (206) for carrying the lifting device (201) and the second hydraulic cylinder (203), wherein the first bracket (206) is provided with a descending sensor (204) for detecting whether the lifting device (201) has descended to a certain position, and an ascending sensor (205) for detecting whether the lifting device (201) has ascended to a certain position.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The No. 2 workstation is also equipped with a blocking mechanism (3) for blocking and positioning the main planetary drive mechanism (4) in each cycle, the blocking mechanism (3) comprising a fixed bracket (306), a second copper sleeve assembly (301) being provided on the fixed bracket (306), a gear shaft (302) being provided in the second copper sleeve assembly (301), a first cylinder (304) for driving the gear shaft (302) to rise or fall is also provided on the fixed bracket (306), and the main planetary drive mechanism (4) is blocked and positioned when the gear shaft (302) rises, and a rising position sensor (303) and a second falling position sensor (305) for detecting the movement of the gear shaft (302) are also provided on the fixed bracket (306); The main planetary drive mechanism (4) is also provided with a buffer rubber column (406) that cooperates with the gear shaft (302).

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The hopper opening mechanism (7) comprises: a hook opening push block (714) driven by a hook opening cylinder (704) for pushing open a hook device of the hopper; a hopper opening arm (711) driven by a motor (706) for pressing down or pushing a connecting rod mechanism of the hopper to open or close the hopper opening; and a sensor for detecting the forward or backward movement of the hook opening cylinder (704), and a sensor for detecting the movement position of the hopper opening arm (711).

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The hook opening push block (714) is installed at the front end of two push rods, the two push rods are installed in two linear bearings (702), a spring (701) is sleeved on the push rod and is located between the linear bearings (702) and the hook opening push block (714), the two linear bearings (702) are fixed on a sliding base, the sliding base is installed on a slide rail (713), and the hook opening cylinder (704) drives the sliding base to move on the slide rail (713) to drive the hook opening push block (714) to move.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The cleaning mechanism (8) comprises: a hopper cover plate (804) for covering the hopper opening, a nozzle (805) for spraying a high-pressure water flow into the hopper, a water inlet pipe interface (803) connected to the nozzle (805), a lifting cylinder (801) for driving the nozzle (805) and the hopper cover plate (804) to rise or fall, and a rising position sensor (807) and a third falling position sensor (808) for detecting the movement of the lifting cylinder (801).

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Each workstation is also provided with a hopper in place sensor for detecting whether the hopper is in place.

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