A novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading system, method, terminal, medium

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of automatic loading and unloading of containers, and discloses a novel automatic loading and unloading system, method, terminal, and medium for twist locks of containers. A handling robot moves a lock-picking fixture to the vicinity of a twist lock head through a preset path, and a mechanical vision device recognizes the lock head through mechanical vision and converts it into an image signal and transmits it to an image processing system. The image processing system converts pixel distribution and brightness and color information into digital signals, and then performs various operations on these signals to obtain the area and position characteristics of the lock head, and then outputs the results according to the preset tolerance, including the number, position, and presence / absence, to achieve automatic recognition; after the recognition is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to complete the precise positioning of the unlocking fixture. The present invention integrates mechanical vision and path planning algorithms, solves the problem of controlling the robot to move and position to the lock-picking station, obtains the lock position through vision, and performs robot path planning through algorithms, which is more flexible and intelligent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of automatic loading and unloading of containers, and in particular relates to a novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading system, method, terminal and medium. Background Art

[0002] At present, the loading and unloading of container twist locks is a relatively time-consuming part of port operations. With the continuous increase in port throughput, the traditional manual loading and unloading method of twist locks has greatly affected the port operation efficiency. Realizing the intelligent and automated loading and unloading of twist locks is the general trend of port technology development.

[0003] However, there are many types of container twist locks at present, and there is no unified standard both domestically and internationally. The container twist locks on the same ship may be of different models. The existing automatic loading and unloading systems cannot truly realize the automatic loading and unloading of all types of twist locks. Therefore, it is very difficult to realize a truly intelligent automatic loading and unloading twist lock system.

[0004] Through the above analysis, the problems and defects of the prior art are as follows:

[0005] (1) ZPMC has developed an automated system that uses robots to load and unload twistlocks. The system operates well and is suitable for most types of twistlocks. However, due to the harsh working environment of the port, the life of the robots is greatly shortened. The system needs to be equipped with six robots, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are extremely high, making it difficult to promote its use. In addition, the robots need to be installed and debugged on site, and the installation process is cumbersome.

[0006] (2) There are many types of container twist locks, and the types of twist locks on different ships on the same route may also be different, which places high requirements on the compatibility of the clamps of the twist lock loading and unloading system.

[0007] (3) With the rapid development of international trade, the throughput of port containers has increased dramatically, which places high demands on the automatic loading and unloading efficiency of twist locks.

[0008] The difficulty of solving the above problems and defects is:

[0009] A low-cost mechanism is used to replace the robot to perform the operation, and a clamp that is compatible with most twist locks is designed to meet high-load loading and unloading needs.

[0010] The significance of solving the above problems and defects is:

[0011] The present invention develops an automatic loading and unloading system which is low-cost, can adapt to the harsh environment of ports, is suitable for ports in various places and various types of twist locks, and meets the working scenarios of high throughput in port operations, which is of great significance. Summary of the invention

[0012] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading system, method, terminal and medium.

[0013] The present invention is implemented as follows: a novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method, comprising:

[0014] After the loading and unloading trolley is positioned under the twist lock by the sensor, the motor drives the positioning platform to complete the horizontal positioning of the unlocking fixture and the container corner fitting; the lifting push rod raises the positioning platform to the unlocking position. After the unlocking fixture is positioned, the twist lock head is in the center of the unlocking fixture. The unlocking push rod pushes the connecting rod to drive the unlocking fixture to rotate in a circle. After the unlocking is completed, the lifting push rod descends to remove the twist lock from the corner fitting.

[0015] The loading and unloading trolley moves under the transfer device; after the transfer device completes the three-axis positioning, the electromagnet block on the electromagnetic clamp tightly absorbs the lock head, and then through the three-axis drive, the electromagnetic clamp takes the twist lock out of the loading and unloading trolley and places it in the twist lock box on the conveying device;

[0016] After the unloading operation is completed, the conveying device drives the chain and the chain plate to slide on the guide rail through the drive system, and transports the twist lock to the picking station of the handling robot;

[0017] The handling robot moves the lock-removing fixture to the vicinity of the twist lock through a preset path. The industrial camera of the mechanical vision device converts the lock position into an image signal, which is transmitted to the image processing system in the host computer via the serial communication protocol. The image processing system converts the pixel distribution and brightness and color information into digital signals, and then performs various calculations on these signals to obtain the area and relative position characteristics of the lock. Then, the results are output according to the preset tolerance, including the number, position, and presence / absence, to achieve automatic recognition.

[0018] After the recognition is completed, the robot path is generated in the upper computer through the robot path planning algorithm, and the path and coordinates are transmitted to the lower computer control system in the form of digital signals via the serial communication protocol to achieve precise positioning of the unlocking fixture.

[0019] After positioning is completed, the lock is taken. After the handling robot moves the twist-lock to the twist-lock basket, it uses the mechanical vision device to find the empty lock holding structure in the twist-lock basket again and puts the lock into the lock holding structure.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel automatic container twist lock loading and unloading system, the novel automatic container twist lock loading and unloading system comprising a loading and unloading trolley, a linear slide, a transfer device, a conveying device, a container placement rack, a handling robot, and a twist lock basket;

[0021] The container rack is arranged on one side of the conveying device and two racks are arranged. The linear slide is arranged on both sides of the container rack 5, and is arranged symmetrically. Four loading and unloading trolleys are arranged according to the workstations where the containers are placed. Two loading and unloading trolleys are installed on a single linear slide for loading and unloading two twist locks on one side of the container.

[0022] The transfer device is placed between the linear slide and the conveying device, and one unit is arranged parallel to the conveying device;

[0023] The handling robot is installed on one side of the other end of the conveying device, and one unit is arranged. The twist-lock basket is installed outside one end of the conveying device, and the handling robot and the conveying device are located on the same side of the twist-lock basket.

[0024] Furthermore, a guide plate is installed on the container placement rack, and the container is positioned above the container placement rack under the guidance of the guide plate.

[0025] After the loading and unloading trolley is positioned to the position below the twist lock through the sensor, the motor drives the positioning platform so that the unlocking fixture and the container corner fitting are positioned in the horizontal plane. The lifting push rod raises the positioning platform to the unlocking position. After the unlocking fixture is positioned, the twist lock head is in the center of the unlocking fixture. The unlocking push rod pushes the connecting rod to drive the unlocking fixture to rotate in a circle, and the unlocking is completed; the lifting push rod descends to remove the twist lock from the corner fitting; the loading and unloading trolley then quickly moves to under the transfer device.

[0026] After the transfer device completes the three-axis positioning, the electromagnet block on the electromagnetic clamp tightly absorbs the lock head, and then through the three-axis drive, the electromagnetic clamp clamp takes the twist lock out of the loading and unloading trolley and places it in the twist lock box on the conveying device.

[0027] After the unloading operation is completed, the conveying device drives the chain and the chain plate to slide on the guide rail through the drive system, and transports the twist lock to the picking station of the handling robot;

[0028] The handling robot moves the lock-removing fixture to the vicinity of the twist lock head through a preset path. The mechanical vision of the mechanical vision device identifies the lock head and converts it into an image signal and transmits it to the image processing system. The image processing system converts the pixel distribution and brightness, color and other information into digital signals, and then performs various calculations on these signals to obtain the area and position characteristics of the lock head, and then outputs the results according to the preset allowable degree, including the number, position, presence / absence, etc., to realize the automatic recognition function; after the recognition is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to complete the precise positioning of the unlocking fixture; after the positioning is completed, the lock is taken, and the handling robot moves the twist lock to the twist lock basket, and then uses the mechanical vision device again to find the empty lock holding structure in the twist lock basket and put the lock into the lock holding structure.

[0029] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading method.

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor executes a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading method.

[0031] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information data processing terminal, which is used to execute a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading method.

[0032] Combining all the above technical solutions, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0033] The loading and unloading trolley of the present invention uses standard container corner pieces for sensor positioning, and the robot uses mechanical vision for fixture positioning and twist lock transportation, and is suitable for all types of twist locks, with strong versatility.

[0034] The present invention realizes automatic loading and unloading of twist locks by arranging 5 linear slide rails, 8 loading and unloading trolleys and a robot. It has a simple structure, avoids the use of robots with high environmental requirements, has low manufacturing and maintenance costs, is suitable for harsh port environments, and has a long service life. With an integrated design, the entire system can be hoisted onto the crane platform as a whole after assembly, and is easy to install and use.

[0035] The present invention integrates mechanical vision and path planning algorithms, solves the problem of controlling the robot's movement and positioning to the lock-picking station, obtains the lock position visually, and plans the robot's path through algorithms, which is more flexible and intelligent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading method provided in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading system provided in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of a loading and unloading trolley 1 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a linear slide 2 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a transfer device 3 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a conveying device 4 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a transport robot 6 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a mechanical vision device 8 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 2-Figure 8 In: 1. Loading and unloading trolley; 1-1. Lifting push rod; 1-2. Positioning platform; 1-3. Unlocking fixture; 1-4. Unlocking push rod; 1-5. Container corner fittings; 1-6. Motor; 2. Linear slide; 3. Transfer device; 4. Conveying device; 5. Container placement rack; 6. Handling robot; 7. Twist-lock basket; 8. Mechanical vision device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0047] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading system, method, terminal and medium. The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method, comprising:

[0049] S101, after the loading and unloading trolley is positioned to the position below the twist lock by the sensor, the motor drives the positioning platform to complete the horizontal plane positioning of the unlocking fixture and the container corner fitting; the lifting push rod raises the positioning platform to the unlocking position, and after the unlocking fixture is positioned, the twist lock head is in the center position inside the unlocking fixture, and the unlocking push rod pushes the connecting rod to drive the unlocking fixture to rotate in a circle, and the unlocking is completed, the lifting push rod descends, and the twist lock is removed from the corner fitting;

[0050] S102, the loading and unloading trolley moves to under the transfer device; after the transfer device completes the three-axis positioning, the electromagnet block on the electromagnetic clamp tightly absorbs the lock head, and then through the three-axis drive, the electromagnetic clamp takes the twist lock out of the loading and unloading trolley and places it in the twist lock box on the conveying device;

[0051] S103, after the unloading operation is completed, the conveying device drives the chain and the chain plate to slide on the guide rail through the driving system to transport the twist lock to the picking station of the handling robot;

[0052] S104, the handling robot moves the lock-removing fixture to the vicinity of the twist lock through a preset path, and the mechanical vision of the mechanical vision device identifies the lock and converts it into an image signal and transmits it to the image processing system. The image processing system converts the pixel distribution and brightness and color information into digital signals, and then performs various calculations on these signals to obtain the area and position characteristics of the lock, and then outputs the results according to the preset tolerance, including the number, position, and presence / absence, to achieve automatic identification;

[0053] S105, after the recognition is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to accurately position the unlocking fixture. After the recognition is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to accurately position the unlocking fixture;

[0054] After positioning is completed, the lock is taken. After the handling robot moves the twist-lock to the twist-lock basket, it uses the mechanical vision device to find the empty lock holding structure in the twist-lock basket again and puts the lock into the lock holding structure.

[0055] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] See Figure 2 , unloading process, the container twist lock automatic loading and unloading system of this embodiment includes a loading and unloading trolley 1, a linear slide 2, a transfer device 3, a conveying device 4, a container placement rack 5, a handling robot 6, a twist lock basket 7, and a mechanical vision device 8.

[0058] Two container racks 5 are arranged on one side of the conveying device 4. The linear slides 2 are arranged on both sides of the container racks 5 in a symmetrical arrangement. Four loading and unloading trolleys 1 are installed on the linear slides 2. Two loading and unloading trolleys 1 are installed on a single linear slide 2 for loading and unloading two twist locks on one side of the container. The transfer device 3 is placed between the linear slide 2 and the conveying device 4, and one is arranged parallel to the conveying device 4. The handling robot 6 is installed on one side of the other end of the conveying device 4, and one is arranged. The twist lock basket 7 is installed outside one end of the conveying device 4, and the handling robot 6 and the conveying device 4 are located on the same side of the twist lock basket 7.

[0059] A guide plate is installed on the container placement rack 5, and the container is guided by the guide plate to fall on the container placement rack 5. Figure 3 After the loading and unloading trolley 1 is positioned to the position below the twist lock by the sensor, the motor 1-6 drives the positioning platform 1-2, so that the unlocking fixture 1-3 and the container corner piece 1-5 complete the horizontal plane positioning, and the lifting push rod 1-1 lifts the positioning platform 1-2 to the unlocking position. After the unlocking fixture 1-3 is positioned, the twist lock head is already in the exact center position inside the unlocking fixture 1-3, and the unlocking push rod 1-4 pushes the connecting rod to drive the unlocking fixture 1-3 to rotate in a circle. After the unlocking is completed, the lifting push rod 1-1 descends to remove the twist lock from the corner piece; the loading and unloading trolley 1 then quickly moves to the bottom of the transfer device 3. After the transfer device 3 completes the three-axis positioning, the electromagnet block on the electromagnetic clamp 3-4 tightly attracts the lock head, and then through the three-axis drive, the electromagnetic clamp 3-4 takes the twist lock out of the loading and unloading trolley 1 and places it in the twist lock box on the conveying device 4. After the unloading operation is completed, the conveying device 4 drives the chain 4-4 and the chain plate 4-2 to slide on the guide rail through the driving system 4-3, and transports the twist lock to the picking station of the handling robot 6. The handling robot 6 moves the lock picking fixture 6-2 to the vicinity of the twist lock head through the preset path, and the mechanical vision of the mechanical vision device 8 recognizes the lock head and converts it into an image signal and transmits it to the image processing system. The image processing system converts the pixel distribution and brightness, color and other information into digital signals, and then performs various calculations on these signals to obtain the area and position characteristics of the lock head, and then outputs the results according to the preset allowance, including the number, position, presence / absence, etc., to realize the automatic recognition function; after the recognition is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to complete the precise positioning of the unlocking fixture. After the positioning is completed, the lock is taken. After the handling robot 6 transports the twist lock to the twist lock basket 7, it uses the mechanical vision device 8 again to find the empty lock holding structure in the twist lock basket 7 and put the lock into it.

[0060] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a linear slide 2 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a transfer device 3 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a conveying device 4 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a transport robot 6 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a mechanical vision device 8 provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] See Figure 2, the locking process, the locking workflow is opposite to the lock removal process in Example 1.

[0067] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more than two; the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "head", "tail", etc. are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0068] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. The hardware part can be implemented using dedicated logic; the software part can be stored in a memory and executed by an appropriate instruction execution system, such as a microprocessor or dedicated design hardware. It can be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the above-mentioned devices and methods can be implemented using computer executable instructions and / or contained in a processor control code, such as a carrier medium such as a disk, CD or DVD-ROM, a programmable memory such as a read-only memory (firmware), or a data carrier such as an optical or electronic signal carrier. Such code is provided on the carrier medium. The device and its modules of the present invention can be implemented by hardware circuits such as very large-scale integrated circuits or gate arrays, semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, etc., or programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable logic devices, etc., can also be implemented by software executed by various types of processors, and can also be implemented by a combination of the above-mentioned hardware circuits and software, such as firmware.

[0069] The above description is only a specific implementation mode of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made by any technician familiar with the technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention and within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method, characterized in that: The new container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method adopts a new container twist lock automatic loading and unloading system including a loading and unloading trolley, a linear slide, a transfer device, a conveying device, a container placement rack, a handling robot, and a twist lock basket; Two container racks are arranged on one side of the conveyor. Linear slides are arranged on both sides of the container racks in a symmetrical arrangement. Four loading and unloading trolleys are arranged according to the workstations where the containers are placed. Two loading and unloading trolleys are installed on a single linear slide to load and unload the two twist locks on one side of the container. The transfer device is placed between the linear slide and the conveying device, and one unit is arranged parallel to the conveying device; The handling robot is installed on one side of the other end of the conveying device, and one of them is arranged. The twist-lock basket is installed outside one end of the conveying device, and the handling robot and the conveying device are located on the same side of the twist-lock basket; The novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method comprises: After the loading and unloading trolley is positioned under the twist lock by the sensor, the motor drives the positioning platform to complete the horizontal positioning of the unlocking fixture and the container corner fitting; the lifting push rod raises the positioning platform to the unlocking position. After the unlocking fixture is positioned, the twist lock head is in the center of the unlocking fixture. The unlocking push rod pushes the connecting rod to drive the unlocking fixture to rotate in a circle. After the unlocking is completed, the lifting push rod descends to remove the twist lock from the corner fitting. The loading and unloading trolley moves under the transfer device; after the transfer device completes the three-axis positioning, the electromagnet block on the electromagnetic clamp tightly absorbs the lock head, and then through the three-axis drive, the electromagnetic clamp takes the twist lock out of the loading and unloading trolley and places it in the twist lock box on the conveying device; After the unloading operation is completed, the conveying device drives the chain and the chain plate to slide on the guide rail through the drive system, and transports the twist lock to the picking station of the handling robot; The handling robot moves the lock-removing fixture to the vicinity of the twist lock through a preset path. The mechanical vision of the mechanical vision device identifies the lock and converts it into an image signal and transmits it to the image processing system. The image processing system converts the pixel distribution and brightness and color information into digital signals, and then performs various calculations on these signals to obtain the area and position characteristics of the lock. Then, the results are output according to the preset tolerance, including the number, position, and presence / absence, to achieve automatic identification; After identification is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to complete the precise positioning of the unlocking fixture.

2. The novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After identification is completed, the robot path planning algorithm is used to accurately position the unlocking fixture; After positioning is completed, the lock is taken. After the handling robot moves the twist-lock to the twist-lock basket, it uses the mechanical vision device to find the empty lock holding structure in the twist-lock basket again and puts the lock into the lock holding structure.

3. A computer device, characterized in that: The computer device includes a memory and a processor, the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes any one of claims 1 to 2 of the new container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method.

4. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor executes the novel container twist-lock automatic loading and unloading method according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

5. An information data processing terminal, characterized in that: The information data processing terminal is used to execute any one of claims 1 to 2 of the novel container twist lock automatic loading and unloading method.

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