Carrier robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a transport robot, including a mobile device with a vertically mounted support assembly. The support assembly houses a gripping component and a storage component, with the storage component positioned above the gripping component. The storage component has multiple storage slots, and the gripping and storage components are rotatable relative to each other, allowing the gripping component to store gripped items in designated storage slots. This transport robot features a high degree of automation, capable of replacing manual handling and storage of medical waste, avoiding direct contact between medical personnel and such objects, effectively reducing the risk to medical staff and lowering their workload. Furthermore, the storage component allows for the simultaneous transport of multiple items, significantly improving transport efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a transport robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of society, mechanical equipment is used to replace manual labor in many situations. Mechanical replacement has many advantages. For example, when handling, loading and storing some toxic and harmful items, it is necessary to avoid direct contact with people. Especially in hospital settings, medical staff often face the problem of handling medical waste. If medical waste is handled directly, the risk factor is high and the labor intensity of medical staff is high. Therefore, using some mechanical equipment, such as robots, to support the work of medical staff can avoid the above problems.

[0003] By using robots to replace manual handling, loading, and storage of medical waste, direct contact between medical staff and these objects can be avoided, effectively reducing the risk to medical personnel and also decreasing their workload. However, the hospital environment is unique, with relatively narrow corridors and passageways between wards, making the design of a suitable transport robot for hospital use essential. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a transport robot that features high operating speed and high handling efficiency.

[0005] The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0006] A transport robot includes a mobile device with a vertically mounted support assembly. The support assembly has a gripping component and a storage component, which is located above the gripping component and has multiple storage slots. The gripping component and the storage component can rotate relative to each other to allow the gripping component to store the gripped items in the designated storage slots.

[0007] Furthermore, the support assembly is equipped with a lifting component, the lifting component is equipped with a flipping component, and the gripping component is mounted on the flipping component. The lifting component drives the flipping component and the gripping component to move vertically, and the flipping component drives the gripping component to rotate so as to store the gripped items in the storage slot.

[0008] Furthermore, the gripping component includes a first gripper and a second gripper, which can open and close relative to each other to grip an item; the first gripper and the second gripper are provided with a support structure, which can engage with the item to lift the item through the first gripper and the second gripper.

[0009] Furthermore, the supporting structure includes a mounting groove disposed on the top surface of the first gripper and the second gripper, the mounting groove being able to engage with a rod-like structure on the article.

[0010] Furthermore, the supporting structure includes a receiving and gripping space disposed on the claw bodies of the first and second grippers, the receiving and gripping space being able to engage with a plate-like structure on the article.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner sides of the first and second grippers are respectively provided with limiting plates, and the item can be abutted against the limiting plates to limit the gripping position of the item.

[0012] Furthermore, the gripping assembly includes a gripper drive element, which is connected to a gripper drive gear. The gripper drive gear is connected to a first gripper, and the gripper drive gear meshes with a gripper driven gear. The gripper driven gear is connected to a second gripper. The gripper drive element can drive the first gripper and the second gripper to open and close relative to each other through the gripper drive gear and the gripper driven gear.

[0013] Furthermore, the gripping assembly includes a gripper mounting plate, a gripper drive element connected to the gripper mounting plate, an output shaft of the gripper drive element connected to a gripper drive gear, a hinge hole provided on the gripper mounting plate, and the shaft of the gripper driven gear housed within the hinge hole; the gripper mounting plate is connected to a gripper stabilizing member, and a receiving plate is provided at the end of the gripper stabilizing member away from the gripper mounting plate, with the first gripper and the second gripper mounted on the receiving plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the flipping assembly includes a flipping frame, which is mounted on the lifting assembly. A flipping drive element is installed inside the flipping frame, and the flipping drive element is connected to a flipping gear. The rotating shaft of the flipping gear is movably mounted on the flipping frame, and a flipping arm is installed on the rotating shaft of the flipping gear. The flipping arm is connected to the gripping assembly, and the flipping drive element drives the gripping assembly to rotate through the flipping gear and the flipping arm.

[0015] Furthermore, the lifting assembly includes a chain drive assembly, which is mounted on the support assembly. A lifting platform is mounted on the chain drive assembly, and a tilting assembly is mounted on the lifting platform. The chain drive assembly drives the tilting assembly and the gripping assembly to move vertically along the support assembly via the lifting platform.

[0016] Furthermore, the storage component includes a storage rack, on which storage components are provided, and multiple storage slots are provided on the storage components. A covering and limiting component is movably provided at the storage components, which can cover the items in the storage slots to prevent the items from falling out.

[0017] Furthermore, the storage component includes an arc-shaped storage rack with multiple storage slots evenly distributed on it. The storage rack is movably mounted on the storage rack body and can rotate relative to it. The center of the storage rack coincides with its rotation axis.

[0018] Furthermore, the covering limiting component includes a limiting bracket, which is movably mounted on the storage rack. The limiting bracket is provided with multiple limiting claws, and the limiting bracket can rotate relative to the storage rack so that the limiting claws cover the items in the storage slot.

[0019] Furthermore, the covering and limiting component includes a limiting cover, which is positioned above the storage component to cover the items in the storage slot; the limiting cover is provided with a pick-up and put-out opening, and a limiting arm is movably provided at the pick-up and put-out opening, so that the gripping component can place the items in the storage slot through the pick-up and put-out opening, and the limiting arm can rotate relative to the storage component so that the limiting arm covers the items in the storage slot at the pick-up and put-out opening.

[0020] The transport robot of this invention has a high degree of automation and can replace manual handling, loading and storage of some medical waste, avoiding direct contact between medical staff and such objects, effectively reducing the risk factor for medical staff, and also reducing the labor intensity of medical staff; at the same time, by setting up storage components, multiple items can be transported at one time, which greatly improves the transport efficiency. In addition, setting the storage components on the top can save the space occupied by the robot, making it very suitable for use in areas with relatively narrow activity ranges, such as hospitals or warehouses.

[0021] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the grasping component of the transport robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the gripper of the grasping component of the transport robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention, after the gripper has been hidden.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the lifting assembly of the transport robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5This is a perspective view of the storage component of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a top view of the storage component of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a side view of the storage component of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a top view of the coverage and limiting component of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a side view of the coverage and limiting component of a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the opening of the coverage limiting component in a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the closure of the coverage limiting component in a first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention when placing items;

[0035] Figure 13 This is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the grasping component of the transport robot according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of the storage component of the second embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of the storage component of the transport robot according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, after the concealment and limiting cover is installed.

[0039] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the transport robot of the present invention when placing items. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To better understand the purpose, function, and specific design of this invention, the transport robot of this invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] like Figure 1-12As shown, the transport robot of the present invention includes a mobile device 1, which is used for the movement of the transport robot. In this embodiment, the mobile device 1 is a wireless remote-controlled vehicle. A support assembly 3 is vertically arranged on the mobile device 1. A gripping assembly 2 and a storage assembly 4 are arranged on the support assembly 3. The storage assembly 4 is located above the gripping assembly and has multiple storage slots 45. The gripping assembly 2 and the storage assembly 4 can rotate relative to each other so that the gripping assembly 2 can store the gripped items in the designated storage slots 45. That is, the gripping assembly 2 can store the gripped items in one of the multiple storage slots 45 according to actual needs.

[0043] It can be understood that the support assembly 3 can be two sets. The gripping assembly 2 and the storage assembly 4 can be set on one support assembly 3 respectively, or they can be connected to two support assemblies 3 at the same time. As long as the storage assembly 4 is set above the gripping assembly 2, the vertical space can be fully utilized.

[0044] The support assembly 3 is equipped with a lifting assembly, which in turn is equipped with a flipping assembly 5. The gripping assembly 2 is mounted on the flipping assembly 5. The lifting assembly can drive the flipping assembly 5 and the gripping assembly 2 to move vertically, and the gripping assembly 2 can grip items. In this embodiment, the storage assembly 4 is mounted on the top of the support assembly 3. The lifting assembly drives the flipping assembly 5 and the gripping assembly 2 to move vertically, and the flipping assembly 5 drives the gripping assembly 2 to rotate, so as to store the gripped items in the storage slot 45 of the storage assembly 4. This allows the transport robot to carry multiple items at the same time, improving the efficiency of the transport robot.

[0045] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the lifting assembly includes a chain drive assembly, which is mounted on the support assembly 3. The support assembly 3 includes columns 31, which are vertically mounted on the moving device. The chain drive assembly is connected to the columns 31. In this embodiment, there are two columns 31, which are vertically fixed on the moving device 1. The chain drive assembly is positioned between the two columns 31. A lifting platform 36 is mounted on the chain drive assembly, and a tilting assembly 5 is mounted on the lifting platform 36. The chain drive assembly drives the tilting assembly 5 and the gripping assembly 2 to move vertically along the columns 31 via the lifting platform 36.

[0046] The chain drive assembly includes a driven lifting wheel 32, a driving lifting wheel 33, a chain 34, and a lifting drive element 35. The driven lifting wheel 32 is located at the midpoint of the upper ends of the two columns 31, and the driving lifting wheel 33 is located at the midpoint of the lower ends of the two columns 31. The chain 34 is fitted onto the driven lifting wheel 32 and the driving lifting wheel 33. The driving lifting wheel 33 is connected to the lifting drive element 35, which can drive the driving lifting wheel 33 to rotate, thereby moving the chain 34.

[0047] A lifting platform 36 is provided on the chain 34. The lifting platform 36 is connected to the gripping component 2. The lifting platform 36 can rise and fall with the movement of the chain 34, thereby realizing the raising and lowering of the gripping component 2. In this embodiment, the lifting platform 36 is provided with a guide post 37. The guide post 37 can enhance the stability of the lifting platform 36 when it moves. Specifically, the guide post 37 is vertically fixed on the moving device 1, and the lifting platform 36 is provided with a through hole that cooperates with the guide post 37, so that the lifting platform 36 can move relative to the guide post 37.

[0048] Preferably, there are two guide columns 37, one on each side of the lifting platform 36. Notably, a guide column fixing plate is provided at the top of the column 31, and the guide column fixing plate is connected to the guide column 37 to improve the stability of the lifting platform 36. Preferably, a linear slide rail is provided on the column 31, and a slider is provided on the linear slide rail. The slider is connected to the lifting platform 36 to further improve the stability of the lifting platform 36 during movement.

[0049] Preferably, a limit switch 38 is also provided at the top of the column 31. When the lifting platform 36 comes into contact with the limit switch 38, the lifting drive element 35 is de-energized to prevent the lifting platform 36 from moving too high and colliding with other parts, causing damage to the equipment. Similarly, a limit switch 38 is also provided at the bottom of the column 31.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, the gripping component 2 in this embodiment includes a gripper, which is connected to a gripper drive device 23. The gripper drive device 23 and the gripper are fixedly mounted on a gripper mounting plate 29. The gripper mounting plate 29 is connected to a flipping component 5. The flipping component 5 can drive the gripper mounting plate 29 to flip, thereby causing the gripper drive device 23 and the gripper to flip as a whole. After the gripping component 2 grips an item, the lifting component transports the item to the top of the support component 3, and then the flipping component 5 places the item into the storage component 4.

[0051] The gripper includes a first gripper 21 and a second gripper 22, which are connected to a gripper drive device 23. The gripper drive device 23 can drive the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 to open or close, thereby realizing the gripping function of the gripping component 2. The first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 are provided with a support structure, which can engage with the object to lift the object through the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22.

[0052] The gripper drive device 23 includes a gripper drive element and a gripper transmission assembly. The gripper drive element is connected to the gripper transmission assembly, and the gripper transmission assembly is connected to the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22. The gripper drive element drives the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 to open or close through the gripper transmission assembly.

[0053] Specifically, the gripper transmission assembly includes a gripper drive gear 24 and a gripper driven gear 25, which mesh with each other. The gripper drive gear 24 is connected to the first gripper 21, and the gripper driven gear 25 is connected to the second gripper 22. The gripper drive gear 24 is connected to a gripper drive element, which drives the gripper drive gear 24 to rotate, thereby driving the gripper driven gear 25 to rotate, so as to drive the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 to open or close.

[0054] The gripper drive element is connected to the gripper mounting plate 29. The gripper drive element can be any one of a motor, cylinder, or hydraulic cylinder. In this embodiment, the gripper drive element is a servo motor. The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the gripper drive gear 24. The gripper mounting plate 29 is provided with a hinge hole. The gripper driven gear 25 is connected to the gripper driven gear shaft 251. The gripper driven gear shaft 251 is the rotating shaft of the gripper driven gear 25. The gripper driven gear shaft 251 is housed in the hinge hole and can rotate relative to the hinge hole. The servo motor drives the gripper drive gear 24 to rotate, thereby driving the gripper driven gear 25 to rotate, so as to realize that the gripping component 2 can grip the object.

[0055] The first gripper 21 includes a gripper connecting part 211 and a first gripping arm 212. The gripper connecting part 211 is cylindrical, and one end of the gripper connecting part 211 is fixedly connected to the gripper drive gear 24. The axis of the gripper connecting part 211 coincides with the axis of the gripper drive gear 24, so that the gripper connecting part 211 can be rotated when the gripper drive gear 24 rotates. The first gripping arm 212 is disposed on the side wall of the end of the gripper connecting part 211 away from the gripper drive gear 24, and the first gripping arm 212 extends in a direction away from the gripper connecting part 211. The second gripper 22 includes a gripper connecting part 211, a gripper connecting part 211, and a second gripping arm 213. The second gripper 22 is a mirror image of the first gripper 21, and will not be described in detail here.

[0056] Preferably, the gripper mounting plate 29 is connected to the gripper stabilizing member 210. A receiving plate 2101 is provided at the end of the gripper stabilizing member 210 away from the gripper mounting plate 29. The first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 are disposed on the receiving plate 2101. Two gripper positioning posts are provided on the receiving plate 2101. Correspondingly, gripper positioning holes are provided at the bottom of the gripper connection portion 211 between the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22. The gripper connection portion 211 between the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 can be sleeved on the two positioning posts of the receiving plate 2101 to enhance the stability of the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 during rotation.

[0057] It is worth noting that limiting plates 26 are respectively provided on the inner sides of the first gripping arm 212 and the second gripping arm 213. The limiting plates 26 can limit the items when the first gripping arm 212 and the second gripping arm 213 grip the items, so that the items gripped by the first gripping arm 212 and the second gripping arm 213 can abut against the limiting plates 26, thereby ensuring that the gripping assembly 2 can grip the object to the same position each time it grips an object. Preferably, the limiting plates 26 are provided with hollow parts to reduce the weight of the limiting plates 26.

[0058] In this embodiment, the ends of the first gripping arm 212 and the second gripping arm 213 away from the gripper connection portion 211 are bent inward to make it easier for the gripper to grasp the item. In addition, the supporting structure includes a mounting groove 27. The top surface of the end of the first gripping arm 212 and the second gripping arm 213 away from the gripper connection portion 211 is provided with the mounting groove 27. The mounting groove 27 can be engaged with the rod-like structure on the item, such as the frame at the bottom of a hospital bed.

[0059] Preferably, a guide block 28 is provided on the top surface of the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 near the mounting groove 27. In this embodiment, the guide block 28 is provided on the top of the side of the mounting groove 27 away from the gripper connection part 211. A guide surface 281 is provided on the top of the guide block 28. The guide surface 281 is inclined and the height of the end near the mounting groove 27 is lower than the height of the end away from the mounting groove 27, so that when the item is hung on the guide surface 281, it can also slide into the mounting groove 27. In addition, the item hung in the mounting groove 27 is also prevented from sliding out of the mounting groove 27 due to the reverse action of the mounting groove 27, thereby improving the reliability of the gripping component 2 in lifting the item.

[0060] Preferably, to facilitate the gripping component 2 in gripping items, a vision module 39 is also provided on the lifting platform 36. In this embodiment, the vision module 39 is a camera, and the operator can control the gripping component 2 to grip items more accurately based on the image captured by the camera. In this embodiment, the lifting drive element 35 adopts a DC geared motor with an encoder. Feedback is obtained through the encoder of the DC geared motor, and PID adjustment is used to achieve precise stopping at a specific height.

[0061] The flipping assembly 5 includes a flipping frame 51, which is mounted on the lifting platform 36. A flipping drive element is fixedly mounted inside the flipping frame 51. The flipping drive element can be any one of a motor, a cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder. In this embodiment, a servo motor is used as the flipping drive element. The flipping drive element is connected to a flipping gear 52. The rotating shaft of the flipping gear 52 is movably mounted on the flipping frame 51. A flipping arm 54 is mounted on the rotating shaft of the flipping gear 52. The flipping arm 54 is connected to the gripping assembly 2. The flipping drive element drives the gripping assembly 2 to rotate through the flipping gear 52 and the flipping arm 54.

[0062] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flipping gear 52 is connected to the flipping shaft 53, which is movably mounted on the flipping frame 51. The flipping shaft 53 is connected to the flipping arm 54, which is connected to the gripper mounting plate 29. The flipping drive element drives the flipping shaft 53 to rotate through the flipping gear 52, which in turn drives the flipping arm 54 to rotate, thereby driving the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22 to rotate, so as to realize the flipping and conveying of the gripped items.

[0063] It is worth noting that the tilting arm 54 is connected to the tilting shaft 53 via a tilting connector 55. The tilting connector 55 is cylindrical, with a flange at one end. A connecting hole is located at the central axis of the tilting connector 55 for fixed connection with the tilting shaft 53. The tilting arm 54 has a through hole that mates with the cylindrical portion of the tilting connector 55. The tilting arm 54 is sleeved on the outside of the cylindrical portion of the tilting connector 55 and fixedly connected to the side wall of the flange of the tilting connector 55. By providing the tilting connector 55, the shearing force of the tilting arm 54 on the tilting shaft 53 can be reduced, the reliability of the connection between the tilting arm 54 and the tilting shaft 53 can be improved, and the service life of the tilting shaft 53 and the tilting arm 54 can be extended.

[0064] like Figure 5-11 As shown, the storage assembly 4 includes a storage frame 41 and a storage component 42. The storage frame 41 is fixedly mounted on the top of the support assembly 3, and the storage component 42 is connected to the storage frame 41. Multiple storage slots 45 are provided on the storage component. Items grasped by the transport robot can be placed in the storage slots 45, that is, items grasped by the grasping component 2 can be placed in the storage slots 45. A covering and limiting component 47 is movably provided at the storage component 42, which can cover the items in the storage component 42 to prevent the items from falling out.

[0065] Specifically, the storage component 42 in this embodiment includes a connecting plate 43 and a storage rack 44. The two ends of the connecting plate 43 are connected to the storage rack body 41 and the storage rack 44, respectively. The storage rack 44 is provided with multiple storage slots 45, the actual number of which is designed according to requirements. Items gripped by the gripping component 2 are transported to the top of the support component 3 via a lifting component, and then placed into one of the storage slots 45 for storage via a flipping component 5. Preferably, to prevent items from falling out of the storage slot 45, the bottom of the storage slot 45 is inclined, with the angle between the bottom of the storage slot 45 and the storage rack 44 being 15-30 degrees; this embodiment uses 23 degrees.

[0066] Preferably, in this embodiment, the storage rack 44 is movably mounted on the storage rack body, and the storage rack 44 can rotate relative to the storage rack body 41 so that items can be placed in different storage slots 45. To achieve the above objective, the connecting plate 43 in this embodiment can rotate relative to the storage rack body 41 to drive the storage rack 44 to rotate, thereby allowing the gripping component 2 to place the gripped items into different storage slots 45.

[0067] Specifically, a rotary drive element is provided inside the storage rack 41. The rotary drive element is connected to a rotary shaft 46, which is connected to a connecting plate 43. The rotary drive element can drive the connecting plate 43 to rotate via the rotary shaft 46. For ease of control, the rotary drive element in this embodiment is an angle servo motor. The storage rack 44 is arc-shaped, and the center of the arc coincides with the axis of the rotary shaft 46, so that the center of the arc coincides with the rotation axis of the storage rack 44. Multiple storage slots 45 are evenly distributed on the arc-shaped storage rack 44. In this embodiment, there are three storage slots 45, and the included angle between two adjacent storage slots 45 is 45 degrees.

[0068] It is worth noting that, in order to improve the stability of items in the storage slot 45, the storage assembly 4 also includes a cover limiting assembly 47. The cover limiting assembly 47 is hinged to the storage frame 41. The cover limiting assembly 47 can rotate relative to the storage frame 41 in the vertical plane so that the cover limiting assembly 47 can cover the storage slot 45, thereby limiting the items in the storage slot 45.

[0069] The covering and limiting component 47 includes a limiting bracket, which is movably mounted on the storage rack 41. The limiting bracket is provided with a plurality of limiting claws 473. The limiting bracket can rotate relative to the storage rack 41 so that the limiting claws 473 cover the items in the storage slot 45.

[0070] Specifically, the limiting bracket in this embodiment includes a connecting arm 471 and a cover plate 472. One end of the connecting arm 471 is connected to a cover driving element, and the other end of the connecting arm 471 is connected to the cover plate 472. A limiting claw 473 is provided on the cover plate 472. The cover driving element can drive the connecting arm 471 to rotate so that the limiting claw 473 can cover the items in the storage assembly 42. It is worth noting that the included angle between the limiting claw 473 and the cover plate 472 is the same as the included angle between the bottom of the storage groove 45 and the storage shelf 44.

[0071] Since there are three storage slots 45 in this embodiment, there are five limiting claws 473 in this embodiment. The included angle between two adjacent limiting claws 473 is 45 degrees, so that the items in the storage slots 45 can be limited no matter whether the storage rack 44 rotates to the left or right.

[0072] Preferably, to make the cover support more flexible, the cover drive element is connected to the cover support via an acceleration gear set. In this embodiment, the cover drive element is preferably a servo motor for easy operation.

[0073] In this embodiment, the transport robot operates by remote control of its various drive components. After the gripping component 2 picks up an item, the lifting component transports the item above it. Then, the cover bracket is raised, and the flipping component 5 places the item into the storage slot 45. The cover bracket then lowers, covering the item to complete storage. Afterward, the gripping component 2 can descend via the lifting component to pick up another item, which is then placed above the lifting component. At this point, the storage rack 44 rotates, aligning the empty storage slot 45 with the gripping component 2. The cover bracket is then raised, and the flipping component 5 places the item into the storage slot 45. The cover bracket then lowers, covering the item to complete storage. To retrieve an item, the same operation is performed; further details are omitted here.

[0074] This embodiment achieves the purpose of storing items into the designated storage slot 45 of the storage component 4 by rotating the storage component 4 horizontally while keeping the gripping component 2 stationary in the horizontal direction. It can be understood that storing items into the storage slot 45 of the storage component 4 sequentially can also be achieved by keeping the storage component 4 stationary in the horizontal direction while rotating the gripping component 2 horizontally.

[0075] For example, a rotation drive component is set on the lifting component 3. The rotation drive component is connected to the flipping component 5. The rotation drive component can drive the flipping component 5 and the gripping component 2 to rotate in the horizontal direction, so that the gripping component 2 can correspond to different storage slots 45, thereby achieving the purpose of storing items in the designated storage slots 45 of the storage component 4.

[0076] Example 2

[0077] like Figure 13-17 As shown, the main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 lies in the structure of the gripper of the gripping component 2 and the storage component 4. The structures of the other parts are exactly the same and will not be described in detail here.

[0078] Specifically, such as Figure 14 As shown, the supporting structure of this embodiment includes a receiving and gripping space 216 disposed on the claw body of the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22. The receiving and gripping space 216 can be engaged with the plate-like structure on the article.

[0079] The first gripper 21 in this embodiment includes a gripper connecting part 211, a first upper gripping arm 214, and a first lower gripping arm 215. The gripper connecting part 211 is columnar, and one end of the gripper connecting part 211 is fixedly connected to the gripper drive gear 24. The axis of the gripper connecting part 211 coincides with the axis of the gripper drive gear 24, so that the gripper connecting part 211 can be rotated when the gripper drive gear 24 rotates. The first upper gripping arm 214 and the first lower gripping arm 215 are disposed on the side wall of the gripper connecting part 211, and the first upper gripping arm 214 and the first lower gripping arm 215 extend away from the gripper connecting part 211. The first upper gripping arm 214 is disposed above the first lower gripping arm 215, and a clamping space 216 is formed between the first upper gripping arm 214 and the first lower gripping arm 215. The clamping space 216 can be used to clamp objects with plate-like structures such as hospital beds. The second gripper 22 includes a gripper connecting part 211, a second upper gripping arm 217, and a second lower gripping arm 218. The second gripper 22 is a mirror image of the first gripper 21, and will not be described in detail here. By providing a gripping space 216 on the first gripper 21 and the second gripper 22, the gripped object can be prevented from tilting at a large angle, and the lifted object can be made more stable during transportation. For example, when transporting a hospital bed, it can prevent the hospital bed from tilting too much and avoid the hospital bed from tipping over.

[0080] Preferably, limiting plates 26 are respectively provided on the inner sides of the first upper gripping arm 214, the first lower gripping arm 215, the second upper gripping arm 217, and the second lower gripping arm 218. The limiting plates 26 can limit the position of the object when gripping it, so that the gripped object can abut against the limiting plate 26, thereby ensuring that the gripping assembly 2 can grip the object to the same position each time it grips it. Preferably, the limiting plate 26 is provided with a hollow portion to reduce the weight of the limiting plate 26.

[0081] Compared to Embodiment 1, the storage component 4 in this embodiment can hold more items and prevent items from falling off during rotation. The covering and limiting component 47 in this embodiment includes a limiting cover 48, which is disposed above the storage component 42 to cover the items in the storage component 42. The limiting cover 48 is provided with a pick-and-place opening, and a limiting arm 49 is movably disposed at the pick-and-place opening. Items grasped by the transport robot can be placed into the storage component 42 through the pick-and-place opening, that is, the grasping component 2 can place items into the storage component 42 through the pick-and-place opening. The limiting arm 49 can rotate relative to the storage component 42 so that the limiting arm 49 covers the items in the storage component 42 at the pick-and-place opening.

[0082] Specifically, such as Figure 15-16As shown, the storage assembly 4 includes a storage frame 41 and a storage component 42. The storage frame 41 is fixedly mounted on the lifting assembly. The storage component 42 is connected to the storage frame 41. The storage component 42 is annular and has multiple storage slots 45 evenly distributed on it. The limiting cover 48 is annular and covers the storage slots 45. The storage component 42 can rotate around the storage frame 41, and the designated storage slot 45 can be rotated to the retrieval opening. That is, the storage slot 45 for which the item needs to be retrieved or placed can be rotated to the retrieval opening.

[0083] The storage component 42 includes a connecting plate 43 and a storage rack 44. The two ends of the connecting plate 43 are connected to the storage rack body 41 and the storage rack 44 respectively. The storage rack 44 is arc-shaped and has multiple storage slots 45 evenly distributed on it. In this embodiment, there are eight storage slots 45. The included angle between two adjacent storage slots 45 is 36 degrees. By rotating the storage rack 44, the gripping component 2 can place the gripped items into different storage slots 45.

[0084] Specifically, a rotary drive element is fixedly installed on the storage rack 41. The rotary drive element is located at the center of the annular shape of the storage assembly 42. The connecting plate 43 is connected to the rotary drive element to drive the storage assembly 42 to rotate. In this embodiment, the rotary drive element is connected to the rotation shaft 46. The storage rack 41 is arranged inside the arc shape of the storage rack 44, and the storage rack 44 is wrapped around the outside of the storage rack 41. The storage rack 44 can rotate around the storage rack 41. The center of the arc shape coincides with the axis of the rotation shaft 46. The rotation shaft 46 is connected to the connecting plate 43. The drive element can drive the connecting plate 43 to rotate through the rotation shaft 46, thereby driving the storage rack 44 to rotate.

[0085] Preferably, in order to prevent items from falling out of the storage slot 45, the bottom of the storage slot 45 is inclined, and the angle between the bottom of the storage slot 45 and the storage rack 44 is 15-30 degrees. In this embodiment, 23 degrees is used.

[0086] It is worth noting that, in order to improve the stability of items within the storage slot 45 and prevent items from falling out of the storage slot 45 when the transport robot moves or the storage rack 44 rotates, the storage assembly 4 also includes a cover limiting assembly 47. The cover limiting assembly 47 includes a limiting cover 48 and a limiting arm 49. The limiting cover 48 is circular and is positioned above the storage slot 45 to limit the items within the storage slot 45. Two fixing parts 481 are symmetrically arranged on the limiting cover 48. The fixing parts 481 are connected to one end of the fixing bracket 482, and the other end of the fixing bracket 482 is connected to the column 31 of the lifting assembly. It can be understood that the other end of the fixing bracket 482 can also be connected to the storage rack 41, as long as the limiting cover 48 can be fixed.

[0087] The limiting cover 48 in this embodiment includes a first limiting part 483 and a second limiting part 484. The first limiting part 483 is inclined outward from the center and parallel to the bottom of the storage groove 45. The second limiting part 484 is perpendicular to the first limiting part 483 and extends in the direction of the storage groove 45. Preferably, the limiting cover 48 has multiple hollow parts to reduce the weight of the limiting cover 48.

[0088] It is worth noting that the limiting cover 48 is provided with a pick-up and put-out opening, which provides space for the gripping component 2 to place items into the storage slot 45. The limiting arm 49 is located at the pick-up and put-out opening, and one end of the limiting arm 49 is connected to the cover driving element. The cover driving element is fixedly installed inside the storage frame 41. The cover driving element can drive the limiting arm 49 to rotate in the vertical plane of the storage frame 41, so that the limiting arm 49 can cover the storage slot 45 at the opening position on the limiting cover 48, thereby limiting the items in the storage slot 45.

[0089] Specifically, in this embodiment, the output end of the cover drive element is disposed on the side wall of the storage rack 41. The limiting arm 49 includes a connecting part 491, a horizontal part 492, and a limiting unit 493 connected in sequence. The connecting part 491 is connected to the output end of the cover drive element. The horizontal part 492 is disposed at the upper position of the storage rack 41 to prevent the limiting arm 49 from colliding with other components when swinging. The limiting unit 493 includes a first limiting piece 494 and a second limiting piece 495. The first limiting piece 494 is connected to the horizontal part 492 and forms an angle with the horizontal part 492. The first limiting piece 494 is parallel to the bottom of the storage groove 45. The second limiting piece 495 is perpendicular to the first limiting piece 494 and extends in the direction of the storage groove 45. The cover drive element drives the connecting part 491 to rotate so that the first limiting piece 494 and the second limiting piece 495 cover the items in the storage assembly 41 at the access opening.

[0090] It is worth noting that the connecting plate 43 in this embodiment is also disposed between the top of the storage frame 41 and the horizontal part 492 of the limiting arm 49. Therefore, an avoidance groove 496 is provided at the position of the connecting part 491 of the limiting arm 49 to increase the rotation space of the connecting plate 43 and thereby avoid interference when the connecting plate 43 rotates.

[0091] In this embodiment, the transport robot operates by remote control of each drive component. After the gripping component 2 grabs an item, the lifting component transports the item to above it. Then, the limiting arm 49 lifts upward, and the flipping component 5 places the item into the storage slot 45. The cover bracket then lowers to cover the item, thus storing it. Afterward, the gripping component 2 can descend via the lifting component to grab another item, and then the lifting component transports the item to above it. At this point, the storage rack 44 rotates, aligning the empty storage slot 45 with the opening of the limiting cover 48. Then, the limiting arm 49 lifts upward, and the flipping component 5 places the item into the storage slot 45. The cover bracket then lowers to cover the item, thus storing it. To retrieve an item, simply repeat the above steps; further details are omitted here.

[0092] The transport robot of this invention has a high degree of automation and can replace manual handling, loading and storage of some medical waste, avoiding direct contact between medical staff and such objects, effectively reducing the risk factor for medical staff, and also reducing the labor intensity of medical staff; at the same time, by setting up storage components, multiple items can be transported at one time, which greatly improves the transport efficiency. In addition, setting the storage components on the top can save the space occupied by the robot, making it very suitable for use in areas with relatively narrow activity ranges, such as hospitals or warehouses.

[0093] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A delivery robot, characterized by, The device includes a mobile device with a vertically mounted support assembly. The support assembly has a gripping component and a storage component. The storage component is located above the gripping component and has multiple storage slots. The gripping component and the storage component can rotate relative to each other so that the gripping component can store the gripped items in the designated storage slots. The storage component includes a storage rack, on which storage components are provided. Multiple storage slots are provided on the storage components. A covering and limiting component is movably provided at the storage components. The covering and limiting component can cover the items in the storage slots to prevent the items from falling out. The covering and limiting component includes a limiting cover, which is positioned above the storage component to cover the items in the storage slot; the limiting cover is provided with a pick-up and put-out opening, and a limiting arm is movably provided at the pick-up and put-out opening; the gripping component can place the items into the storage slot through the pick-up and put-out opening, and the limiting arm can rotate relative to the storage component so that the limiting arm covers the items in the storage slot at the pick-up and put-out opening. The bottom of the storage slot is inclined, and the limiting arm includes a first limiting piece and a second limiting piece, with the first limiting piece being parallel to the bottom of the storage slot; The support assembly is equipped with a lifting component, the lifting component is equipped with a flipping component, and the gripping component is set on the flipping component. The lifting component drives the flipping component and the gripping component to move vertically, and the flipping component drives the gripping component to rotate so as to store the gripped items in the storage slot. The flipping assembly includes a flipping frame, which is mounted on the lifting assembly. A flipping drive element is installed inside the flipping frame and connected to a flipping gear. The rotating shaft of the flipping gear is movably mounted on the flipping frame, and a flipping arm is mounted on the rotating shaft of the flipping gear. The flipping arm is connected to the gripping assembly, and the flipping drive element drives the gripping assembly to rotate through the flipping gear and the flipping arm. The lifting assembly includes a chain drive assembly, which is mounted on the support assembly. A lifting platform is mounted on the chain drive assembly, and a tilting assembly is mounted on the lifting platform. The chain drive assembly drives the tilting assembly and the gripping assembly to move vertically along the support assembly via the lifting platform. The covering and limiting component includes a limiting bracket, which is movably mounted on the storage rack. The limiting bracket is provided with multiple limiting claws, and the limiting bracket can rotate relative to the storage rack so that the limiting claws cover the items in the storage slot.

2. The delivery robot of claim 1, wherein, The gripping component includes a first gripper and a second gripper, which can open and close relative to each other to grip an item; the first gripper and the second gripper are provided with a support structure, which can engage with the item to lift the item through the first gripper and the second gripper.

3. The delivery robot of claim 2, wherein, The supporting structure includes mounting slots on the top surfaces of the first and second grippers, which can engage with rod-like structures on the article.

4. The delivery robot of claim 2, wherein, The supporting structure includes a receiving and gripping space provided on the claws of the first and second grippers, which can be engaged with a plate-like structure on the article.

5. The delivery robot of claim 2, wherein, Limiting plates are provided on the inner sides of the first and second grippers, and the item can be abutted against the limiting plates to limit the gripping position of the item.

6. The delivery robot of claim 2, wherein, The gripping assembly includes a gripper drive element, which is connected to a gripper drive gear. The gripper drive gear is connected to a first gripper, and the gripper drive gear meshes with a gripper driven gear. The gripper driven gear is connected to a second gripper. The gripper drive element can drive the first gripper and the second gripper to open and close relative to each other through the gripper drive gear and the gripper driven gear.

7. The delivery robot of claim 6, wherein, The gripping assembly includes a gripper mounting plate, a gripper drive element connected to the gripper mounting plate, an output shaft of the gripper drive element connected to a gripper drive gear, a hinge hole provided on the gripper mounting plate, and the shaft of the gripper driven gear housed in the hinge hole; the gripper mounting plate is connected to a gripper stabilizing member, and a receiving plate is provided at the end of the gripper stabilizing member away from the gripper mounting plate, with the first gripper and the second gripper mounted on the receiving plate.

8. The delivery robot of claim 1, wherein, The storage component includes an arc-shaped storage rack with multiple storage slots evenly distributed on it. The storage rack is movably mounted on the rack body and can rotate relative to it. The center of the rack coincides with its axis of rotation.

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