robot

Abstract

The application provides a robot, which comprises a base assembly, a walking mechanism installed at the bottom of the base assembly, an electric box assembly installed on the base assembly, a stand column assembly installed on the base assembly through the electric box assembly, a rocker arm assembly installed on the stand column assembly, a grabbing mechanism installed at the lower side of the rocker arm assembly, and a goods basket placed on the base assembly; the rocker arm assembly comprises a lifting mechanism connected with the grabbing mechanism to drive the grabbing mechanism to lift, a sensor mounting seat is arranged opposite to the position of the grabbing mechanism, a laser height sensor and a reflective measuring sensor are installed on the sensor mounting seat, the laser height sensor and the reflective measuring sensor can vertically downwardly irradiate to the goods basket, and a reflective plate is arranged on the bottom surface of the goods basket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a robot for use in the logistics industry. Background Technology

[0002] Logistics is the planning, implementation, and control of the efficient and low-cost flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from production to consumption to meet customer needs. Logistics consists of transportation, distribution, warehousing, packaging, handling and loading / unloading, distribution processing, and related logistics information. Specific aspects of logistics activities include: customer service, demand forecasting, order processing, distribution, inventory control, transportation, warehouse management, factory and warehouse layout and location, handling and loading / unloading, procurement, packaging, and information management.

[0003] The rapid rise of e-commerce and the demands of the industry are constantly increasing the requirements for warehousing, logistics and distribution, a crucial link in the supply chain. It's no longer just about simple shipping; it's about effectively managing warehousing, inventory and logistics to ensure the healthy development of the entire e-commerce process and ultimately meet customer needs at the lowest possible overall cost throughout the logistics journey.

[0004] To optimize warehouse operations and respond quickly to customer needs, the warehouse is equipped with advanced logistics software and hardware, including automated storage and retrieval systems, automated storage and retrieval robots, automated sorting systems, barcode management systems, and value-added processing equipment, to achieve automated inbound and outbound operations as much as possible.

[0005] Existing automated storage and retrieval robots, such as those disclosed in Chinese patent application No. 202011279517.0, still require improvement in controlling the lifting and rotation of the gripping mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a robot equipped with a laser height sensor and a reflective measurement sensor, which can ensure the stable and effective grasping of goods by the gripping mechanism, avoid collisions or invalid operations, and provide timely feedback after the goods are taken away, thereby improving logistics efficiency.

[0007] Another objective of this invention is to provide a robot in which a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch and a third proximity switch are provided on a rotating platform. The first proximity switch controls the rocker arm assembly to remain in its initial position during standby, which can ensure that the center of gravity is in the center and is conducive to walking stability. The second and third proximity switches control the rotating platform to rotate the rocker arm assembly to two extreme swing positions, preventing the robot's center of gravity from deviating too much and causing instability when the robot walks.

[0008] Another objective of this invention is to provide a robot that uses a road-mounted wheeled walking mechanism, which is flexible in movement, can be deployed and used in a larger area, and can be scheduled according to workload requirements, making reasonable use of the number of robots entering the work and saving energy.

[0009] Another objective of this invention is to provide a robot whose walking mechanism has a small turning radius and can effectively avoid tilting during turns, allowing it to move quickly and stably with high work efficiency.

[0010] Another objective of this invention is to provide a robot that can draw power from a power supply rail to operate and simultaneously charge an energy storage module, enabling it to work while charging the energy storage module. Furthermore, when power cannot be drawn from the power supply rail, the energy storage module supplies power to the UPS module to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the robot. This allows the robot to move independently of the power supply rail, which is beneficial for scheduling different work areas. Moreover, the power supply rail ensures that the robot can work continuously for extended periods.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a robot, including a base assembly, a walking mechanism mounted on the bottom of the base assembly, an electrical box assembly mounted on the base assembly, a column assembly mounted on the base assembly through the electrical box assembly, a rocker arm assembly mounted on the column assembly, a gripping mechanism mounted on the lower side of the rocker arm assembly, and a cargo basket placed on the base assembly.

[0012] The column assembly includes a column, a rotating platform mounted on the top of the column, and a rotating motor mounted on the rotating platform and capable of driving the rotating platform.

[0013] The rocker arm assembly includes a rocker arm housing, a traveling mechanism and a lifting mechanism installed inside the rocker arm housing, a traveling motor installed on the rocker arm housing that can drive the traveling mechanism, and a lifting motor installed on the rocker arm housing that can drive the lifting mechanism. The bottom of the rocker arm housing near one end is installed on the rotating platform of the column assembly. The traveling mechanism can drive the lifting mechanism to move. The lifting mechanism is connected to the gripping mechanism to drive the gripping mechanism to move up and down. When the traveling mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move, the lifting mechanism drives the gripping mechanism to move. When the rotating platform drives the rocker arm housing to rotate around the column assembly, the rocker arm housing drives the lifting mechanism to rotate around the column assembly, and the lifting mechanism drives the gripping mechanism to rotate around the column assembly.

[0014] The lifting mechanism is provided with a sensor mounting base at the position opposite the gripping mechanism. The sensor mounting base is equipped with a laser height sensor and a reflective measurement sensor. The laser height sensor and the reflective measurement sensor can illuminate the cargo basket vertically downwards.

[0015] The bottom surface of the cargo basket is equipped with a reflector;

[0016] The laser height sensor is used to measure the distance between itself and the goods in the basket, so as to calculate the distance that the lifting mechanism should lower the gripping mechanism to ensure that the gripping mechanism can stably grip the goods. The reflective measurement sensor is used to detect the reflected light from the reflector on the bottom surface of the basket. Once the reflected light from the reflector is detected, it is determined that the goods on the bottom surface of the corresponding basket have been taken out.

[0017] The reflector is reflective paper or a reflective mirror. The basket is equipped with partitions to divide the basket into several storage areas. The reflector is located on the bottom surface of the basket corresponding to the storage area. The goods are stored in the storage area. The goods are thin objects.

[0018] The laser height sensor and the reflective measurement sensor protrude outwards from the outer periphery of the gripping mechanism in the horizontal direction to illuminate the cargo basket vertically downwards. The sensor mounting base is also equipped with a lifting origin proximity switch to limit the lifting mechanism from continuing to pull the gripping mechanism upwards.

[0019] The column assembly also includes a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch and a third proximity switch installed on the rotating platform. The first to third proximity switches control the rocker arm assembly to remain in the initial position during standby and to the two extreme swing positions of the rocker arm assembly when the rotating platform rotates.

[0020] Both the moving motor and the lifting motor are located on the side of the column assembly away from the gripping mechanism, and the moving motor and the lifting motor are located on opposite sides of the column assembly.

[0021] The gripping mechanism includes a cylinder body, a cylinder top cover fixed to the upper end of the cylinder body, a piston installed inside the cylinder body, a spring installed inside the cylinder body, a sealing ring installed on the upper end of the piston, a cylinder bottom cover installed at the lower end of the cylinder body, a suction cup installed at the lower end of the piston, an air pipe connector installed on the piston and extending out of the cylinder body, and a vacuum pump connected to the air pipe connector and installed on the base assembly. The cylinder body has a strip-shaped groove on its side, through which the air pipe connector extends out of the cylinder body and is able to move up and down along the strip-shaped groove driven by the piston. The cylinder bottom cover has a circular hole for the suction cup to pass through, and the piston moves along its axis... The device features a stepped hole. One end of a spring rests against the upper cover of the cylinder, while the other end extends into the stepped hole and rests against the stepped wall of the hole. The cylinder body, piston, suction cup, air pipe connector, and vacuum pump are connected to form an airtight space. When the gripping mechanism grips a product, the suction cup adheres tightly to the product. The vacuum pump draws a vacuum, causing the suction cup to suck up the product. Simultaneously, the external atmospheric pressure pushes the piston to compress the spring and move it upward, causing the suction cup to move upward until it is completely retracted into the cylinder body. As the suction cup retracts into the cylinder body, the product rests against the lower cover of the cylinder, preventing the suction cup from breaking the vacuum due to shaking during the lifting and gripping process.

[0022] The base assembly includes a base housing, a rail power supply module installed in the base housing, a UPS module and an energy storage module installed in the base housing. The rail power supply module is used to supply power to the UPS module when it is in electrical contact with the power supply rail. The UPS module uses the power supplied by the rail power supply module as its working power and simultaneously supplies power to the energy storage module for charging. When the rail power supply module fails to supply power to the UPS module, the UPS module immediately draws power from the energy storage module and outputs it as its working power.

[0023] The walking mechanism includes a power component and a cornering component. The power component is installed at the bottom of one end of the base housing, and the cornering component is installed at the bottom of the other end of the base housing, opposite to the power component.

[0024] The power assembly includes two opposing power wheels, located on the bottom sides of one end of the base housing. The cornering assembly includes a steering wheel, located at the bottom center of the other end of the base housing. By controlling the speed difference between the two power wheels and simultaneously controlling the steering angle of the steering wheel, the walking mechanism drives the base assembly to turn during movement. When the speed difference between the two power wheels is 0 and the steering angle of the steering wheel is 0, the walking mechanism drives the base assembly to move in a straight line.

[0025] The power assembly also includes a mounting base plate and two drive wheel brackets respectively mounted on both ends of one side of the mounting base plate. The two drive wheels are respectively mounted on the two drive wheel brackets. Each drive wheel includes a power motor and a traveling wheel mounted on the shaft of the power motor. The two drive wheel brackets are arranged opposite to each other, and the two traveling wheels are located on the outside of the two drive wheel brackets and on both sides of the base box.

[0026] The corner assembly also includes a mounting plate, a corner motor mounted on the mounting plate, a drive gear mounted on the shaft of the corner motor, a steering shaft rotatably mounted on the mounting plate, a steering gear mounted on one end of the steering shaft, and a steering wheel bracket mounted on the steering gear on the side away from the mounting plate. The steering wheel is mounted on the steering wheel bracket, and the drive gear meshes with the steering gear.

[0027] The track power supply module is installed at the bottom of the base housing near the power component. The track power supply module includes a mounting base plate, a telescopic motor mounted on the mounting base plate, a rotating plate mounted on the shaft of the telescopic motor, two connecting rods with one end connected to the rotating plate, two telescopic plates connected to the other end of the connecting rods, two sets of sliding plates mounted on one end of the telescopic plates, two sliding shafts passing through the sliding plates, and two conductive brushes mounted on the outside of the two sets of sliding plates. The rotation of the telescopic motor drives the rotating plate to rotate, which in turn drives the connecting rods to swing. The swing of the connecting rods pushes and pulls the telescopic plates, thereby causing the sliding plates to move back and forth relative to the sliding shafts, which in turn causes the conductive brushes to telescopically move. The mounting base plate and the sliding shafts are respectively mounted on the base housing. A bearing is installed between the sliding plate and the sliding shaft. The conductive brush has two contact brush heads to contact the power supply rail.

[0028] The base assembly also includes guide wheels and obstacle avoiders respectively located on both ends of the base housing.

[0029] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The robot of this invention is equipped with a laser height sensor and a reflective measurement sensor, which ensures stable and effective grasping of goods by the gripping mechanism, avoiding collisions or ineffective operations. It also provides timely feedback after goods are removed, improving logistics efficiency. The robot's rotating platform is equipped with a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch, and a third proximity switch. The first proximity switch controls the rocker arm assembly to remain in its initial position during standby, ensuring the center of gravity is centered and promoting stable movement. The second and third proximity switches control the rotating platform to rotate the rocker arm assembly to its two extreme swing positions, preventing excessive deviation of the robot's center of gravity and resulting in instability. This invention uses a road-wheeled walking mechanism, which is flexible and can be deployed in a larger area, reducing the number of robots required and lowering logistics system costs. It can be scheduled according to workload needs, ensuring work efficiency while saving energy by rationally scheduling the number of robots in operation. In case of robot maintenance or malfunction, other robots can be readily substituted, eliminating the need for backup robots or downtime. The robot's walking mechanism has a small turning radius and effectively avoids lateral tilting during turns, resulting in fast and stable movement and high work efficiency. The robot of this invention can draw power from the power supply rail to work and can simultaneously charge the energy storage module, enabling it to work while charging the energy storage module. This reduces the inconvenience of scheduling energy storage module charging outside of work hours, such as the need for additional charging operations or the impact on working hours due to charging. When power cannot be drawn from the power supply rail, such as when the robot leaves the power supply rail or during a power outage, the energy storage module can supply power to the UPS module, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the robot. This allows the robot to move independently of the power supply rail, which is beneficial for scheduling different work areas. Furthermore, powering the robot from the power supply rail ensures continuous long-term operation. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To further understand the features and technical content of this invention, please refer to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0031] In the attached diagram,

[0032] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the robot of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the robot of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the column assembly of the robot of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the column assembly and rocker arm assembly of the robot of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the robot of the present invention from another angle;

[0037] Figure 6 This is an exploded perspective view of the rocker arm assembly and gripping mechanism of the robot of the present invention, showing the gripping mechanism in a descending state;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the cargo basket of the robot of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a plan view of the lifting mechanism, gripping mechanism, and cargo basket of the robot of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the gripping mechanism of the robot of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 10 This is an exploded perspective view of the gripping mechanism of the robot of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a partial perspective view of the robot of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 12 This is an exploded perspective view of the robot of the present invention from another angle;

[0044] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit relationship between the track power supply module, UPS module, and energy storage module of the robot of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the robot and the power supply rail of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 15This is a plan view of the base assembly and walking mechanism of the robot of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 16 This is a planar schematic diagram of the base assembly and walking mechanism of the robot of the present invention from another angle;

[0048] Figure 17 This is a perspective view of the power component of the robot of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 18 This is an exploded perspective view of the power component of the robot of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 19 This is a perspective view of the cornering component of the robot of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 20 This is an exploded perspective view of the cornering component of the robot of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 21 This is a perspective view of the track power supply module of the robot of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 22 This is an exploded perspective view of the track power supply module of the robot of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 23 This is a perspective view of the track power supply module of the robot of the present invention, showing it in an extended state;

[0055] Figure 24 This is a perspective view of the track power supply module of the robot of the present invention, showing it in a retracted state. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the preferred embodiments of the present invention and their accompanying drawings.

[0057] Please see Figure 1-24 This invention provides a robot that can be used for e-commerce sorting operations and e-commerce picking operations.

[0058] Please see Figure 1-2 The robot includes a base assembly 3, a walking mechanism 4 mounted on the bottom of the base assembly 3, an electrical box assembly 5 mounted on the base assembly 3, a column assembly 6 mounted on the base assembly 3 through the electrical box assembly 5, a rocker arm assembly 7 mounted on the column assembly 6, a gripping mechanism 8 mounted on the lower side of the rocker arm assembly 7, and a cargo basket 9 placed on the base assembly 3.

[0059] Please see Figure 3-5The column assembly 6 includes a column 60, a rotating platform 62 mounted on the top of the column, a rotary motor 63 mounted on the rotating platform 62 and capable of driving the rotating platform 62, and a first proximity switch 65, a second proximity switch 66, and a third proximity switch 67 mounted on the rotating platform 62. The rocker arm assembly 7 is mounted on the rotating platform 62. The first to third proximity switches 65, 66, and 67 can respectively control the rocker arm assembly 7 to remain in its initial position during standby and to its two extreme swing positions when the rotating platform 62 rotates. By controlling the rocker arm assembly 7 to not exceed its extreme swing positions, the robot's center of gravity is prevented from deviating too much, causing instability during robot movement. Keeping the rocker arm assembly 7 in its initial position during standby ensures that the center of gravity is centered, which is beneficial for stable movement.

[0060] The rocker arm assembly 7 includes a rocker arm housing 70, a moving mechanism 72 and a lifting mechanism 73 installed within the rocker arm housing 70, a moving motor 75 mounted on the rocker arm housing 70 to drive the moving mechanism 72, and a lifting motor 76 mounted on the rocker arm housing 70 to drive the lifting mechanism 73. The rocker arm housing 70 is mounted near one end of its bottom on a rotating platform 62 of the column assembly 6. The moving mechanism 72 can drive the lifting mechanism 73 to move. The lifting mechanism 73 is connected to the gripping mechanism 8. The lifting mechanism 73 can drive the gripping mechanism 8 to move up and down. When the moving mechanism 72 drives the lifting mechanism 73 to move, the lifting mechanism 73 drives the gripping mechanism 8 to move. The rotating platform 62, driven by the rotating motor 63, causes the rocker arm housing 70 to rotate around the column assembly 6. The rotation of the rocker arm housing 70 around the column assembly 6 causes the lifting mechanism 73 to rotate around the column assembly 6, and the rotation of the lifting mechanism 73 around the column assembly 6 causes the gripping mechanism 8 to rotate around the column assembly 6. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 8 can rotate and move horizontally and vertically, thereby adjusting its position accordingly to grip the desired product 200. Therefore, this invention is applicable to vertical picking operations that extend into a basket.

[0061] Both the moving motor 75 and the lifting motor 76 are located on the side of the column assembly 6 away from the gripping mechanism 8 to promote the balance of the gravitational torque of the rocker arm assembly relative to both ends of the column assembly 6. Furthermore, the moving motor 75 and the lifting motor 76 are located on opposite sides of the column assembly 6 to further promote the balance of the gravitational torque of the rocker arm assembly relative to both sides of the column assembly 6. This facilitates stable robot movement, especially preventing tilting during turns.

[0062] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 8The lifting mechanism 73 has a sensor mounting base 78 positioned opposite the gripping mechanism 8. The sensor mounting base 78 houses a laser height sensor 781, a reflective measurement sensor 783, and a lifting origin proximity switch 785. The lifting origin proximity switch 785 limits the lifting mechanism 73 from further lifting the gripping mechanism 8, preventing a collision between the gripping mechanism 8 and the lifting mechanism 73. The lifting mechanism 73 has a chain 735, which moves the gripping mechanism 8 up and down to achieve lifting and lowering.

[0063] Please see Figure 7-8 The basket 9 is divided into several storage areas 93 by partitions 91. Reflectors 95 are installed on the bottom surface of each storage area 93. Goods 200, which are thin items, are stored in the storage areas 93. The laser height sensor 781 and the reflective measurement sensor 783 protrude horizontally outwards from the outer periphery of the gripping mechanism 8, allowing them to illuminate the basket 9 vertically downwards. The laser height sensor 781 measures the distance between itself and the goods 200 in the basket 9 to calculate the distance the lifting mechanism 73 should lower the gripping mechanism 8 to ensure stable gripping of the goods 200. The reflective measurement sensor 783 detects the reflected light from the reflectors 95 on the bottom surface of the basket 9. Once the reflected light is detected, it indicates that the storage area is empty of goods 200, preventing the gripping mechanism 8 from retrieving more goods and allowing for timely replenishment. The reflector 95 can be reflective paper or a reflector, as long as it can reflect light.

[0064] Please see Figure 8-11The gripping mechanism 8 includes a cylinder body 81, a cylinder top cover 82 fixed to the upper end of the cylinder body 81, a piston 83 installed inside the cylinder body 81, a spring 84 installed inside the cylinder body 81, a sealing ring 85 installed on the upper end of the piston 83, a cylinder bottom cover 86 installed on the lower end of the cylinder body 81, a suction cup 87 installed on the lower end of the piston 83, an air pipe connector 88 installed on the piston 83 and extending out of the cylinder body 81, and a vacuum pump 89 connected to the air pipe connector 88 and installed on the base assembly 3. The cylinder body 81 has a strip-shaped groove 812 on its side. The air pipe connector 88 extends out of the cylinder body 81 through the strip-shaped groove 812 and can move up and down along the strip-shaped groove 812 driven by the piston 83. The cylinder bottom cover 86 has a round hole 862 for the suction cup 87 to pass through, without affecting the cylinder bottom cover 86's ability to confine the piston 83 inside the cylinder body 81. The piston 83 has a stepped hole 832 along its axis. One end of the spring 84 abuts against the cylinder cover 82, and the other end extends into the stepped hole 832 and abuts against the stepped wall of the stepped hole 832. The cylinder body 81, piston 83, suction cup 87, air pipe connector 88, and vacuum pump 89 are connected to form an airtight space. When the gripping mechanism 8 grips, the suction cup 87 is pressed against the product 200. The vacuum pump 89 draws a vacuum, and the suction cup 87 sucks up the product 200. At the same time, the external atmospheric pressure pushes the piston 83 to compress the spring 84 and move it upward, driving the suction cup 87 to move upward until the suction cup 87 is completely retracted into the cylinder body 81. At this time, the product 200 will abut against the cylinder cover 86 because the suction cup 87 is retracted into the cylinder body 81, preventing the suction cup 87 from breaking the vacuum and causing the gripping mechanism 8 to fail during the lifting and gripping process.

[0065] Please see Figure 11-14 The base assembly 3 includes a base housing 30, a rail power supply module 31 installed in the base housing 30, a UPS module 32 and an energy storage module 33 installed inside the base housing 30. The power box assembly 5 is installed on one side of the top surface of the base housing 30.

[0066] The track power supply module 31 is used to supply power to the UPS module 32 when it is in electrical contact with the power supply rail 10. The UPS module 32 uses the power supplied by the track power supply module 31 as its working power source and simultaneously supplies power to the energy storage module 33 for charging. When the track power supply module 31 fails to supply power to the UPS module 32, the UPS module 32 immediately draws power from the energy storage module 33 and outputs it as its working power source.

[0067] Please see Figure 15-18The walking mechanism 4 includes a power component 41 and a corner component 43. The power component 41 is installed at the bottom of one end of the base housing 30 connected to the electrical box component 5, and the corner component 43 is installed at the bottom of the other end of the base housing 30 opposite to the power component 41. The power component 41 includes a mounting plate 411, two drive wheel brackets 413 respectively installed at both ends of one side of the mounting plate 411, and drive wheels 415 respectively installed on the two drive wheel brackets 413. The drive wheel 415 includes a power motor 4151 and a walking wheel 4153 installed on the shaft of the power motor 4151. The two drive wheel brackets 413 are arranged opposite each other, and the two walking wheels 4153 are located on the outside of the two drive wheel brackets 413 and on both sides of the base housing 30.

[0068] Please refer to the following: Figures 19-20 The cornering assembly 43 includes a mounting plate 430, a cornering motor 431 mounted on the mounting plate 430, a drive gear 432 mounted on the shaft of the cornering motor 431, a steering shaft 433 rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 430, a steering gear 434 mounted on one end of the steering shaft 433, a steering wheel bracket 435 mounted on the steering gear 434 on the side away from the mounting plate 430, and a steering wheel 436 mounted on the steering wheel bracket 435. The steering shaft 433 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 430 via a bearing seat 437, a rolling bearing 438, a flat bearing 439, and a bushing 440. The cornering motor 431 is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate 430 via a motor fixing plate 441. The steering wheel bracket 435 rotates with the steering gear 434, thereby driving the steering wheel 435 to turn. The drive gear 432 meshes with the steering gear 434. The rotation of the angle motor 431 drives the drive gear 432 to drive the steering gear 434 to rotate, thereby realizing the steering of the steering wheel 436. The steering wheel 436 is located in the middle of the bottom of the base housing 30 at the end away from the power component 41.

[0069] The speed difference between the two drive motors 4151 is controlled to control the speed difference between the two drive wheels 415. Simultaneously, the rotation of the angle motor 431 is controlled to control the steering angle of the steering wheel 436. The combined effect of the speed difference between the two drive wheels 415 and the steering angle of the steering wheel 436 enables the walking mechanism 4 to drive the base assembly 3 in a straight line. When the speed difference between the two drive wheels 415 is zero and the steering angle of the steering wheel 436 is zero, the walking mechanism 4 drives the base assembly 3 in a straight line.

[0070] The walking mechanism 4 and steering method of the present invention can achieve a smaller turning radius, maximize the use of limited space, and make steering more stable, especially effectively preventing tilting accidents caused by steering at high speed.

[0071] Please see Figure 21-24 The track power supply module 31 is installed at the bottom of the base housing 30 near the power component 41. The track power supply module 31 includes a mounting base plate 310, a telescopic motor 311 mounted on the mounting base plate 310, a rotating plate 312 mounted on the rotating shaft of the telescopic motor 311, two connecting rods 313 with one end connected to the rotating plate 312, two telescopic plates 314 connected to the other end of the connecting rods (313), two sets of sliding plates 315 mounted on one end of the telescopic plates 314, two sliding shafts 316 passing through the sliding plates 315, and two conductive brushes 317 mounted on the outside of the two sets of sliding plates 315. The rotation of the telescopic motor 311 drives the rotating plate 312 to rotate, which in turn drives the connecting rod 313 to swing. The swing of the connecting rod 313 pushes and pulls the telescopic plate 314, thereby causing the sliding plate 315 to move back and forth relative to the sliding shaft 316, which in turn drives the conductive brushes 317 to telescopically move. When the conductive brush 317 needs to enter the power-drawing working state, it extends and enters the working state; conversely, it retracts to protect itself from external contact. The mounting base plate 310 and the sliding shaft 316 are respectively mounted on the base housing 30. A bearing 318 is installed between the sliding plate 315 and the sliding shaft 316 to facilitate the sliding of the sliding plate 315 relative to the sliding shaft 316. The conductive brush 317 has a contact brush head 3172, which provides elastic force to the contact brush head 3172 so that when the conductive brush 317 is in the working state, the contact brush head 3172 can be elastically pressed against the power supply rail 10. This elastic force can be provided by existing technology, such as a built-in spring in the conductive brush 317. There are two contact brush heads 3172 to provide a larger contact area, improve working stability and power load capacity.

[0072] Please see Figure 11-12 The base assembly 3 can be further equipped with guide wheels 35 and obstacle avoiders 36 to improve the robot's passability, reduce the failure rate, and extend its service life by preventing accidental collisions. Specifically, guide wheels 35 are respectively provided at the four corners on both sides of the front and rear end faces of the base housing 30, so that the outermost protruding positions of the four surfaces are the guide wheels 35 for better guidance. Two obstacle avoiders 36 are respectively installed on the front and rear end faces to effectively scan the front and rear, detect obstacles in time, and avoid collisions.

[0073] In summary, the robot of this invention is equipped with a laser height sensor and a reflective measurement sensor, which ensures stable and effective grasping of goods by the gripping mechanism, avoiding collisions or ineffective operations. It also provides timely feedback after goods are removed, improving logistics efficiency. The robot's rotating platform is equipped with a first proximity switch, a second proximity switch, and a third proximity switch. The first proximity switch controls the rocker arm assembly to remain in its initial position during standby, ensuring the center of gravity is centered and promoting stable movement. The second and third proximity switches control the rotating platform to rotate the rocker arm assembly to its two extreme swing positions, preventing excessive deviation of the robot's center of gravity and resulting in instability. The robot uses a road-mounted wheeled walking mechanism, offering flexible movement and allowing for deployment in a larger area, reducing the number of robots required and lowering logistics system costs. It can be scheduled according to workload needs, ensuring work efficiency while saving energy by rationally allocating the number of robots to work. In case of robot maintenance or malfunction, other robots can be readily substituted, eliminating the need for backup robots or downtime. The robot's walking mechanism has a small turning radius and effectively avoids lateral tilting during turns, resulting in fast and stable movement and high work efficiency. The robot of this invention can draw power from the power supply rail to work and can simultaneously charge the energy storage module, enabling it to work while charging the energy storage module. This reduces the inconvenience of scheduling energy storage module charging outside of work hours, such as the need for additional charging operations or the impact on working hours due to charging. When power cannot be drawn from the power supply rail, such as when the robot leaves the power supply rail or during a power outage, the energy storage module can supply power to the UPS module, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the robot. This allows the robot to move independently of the power supply rail, which is beneficial for scheduling different work areas. Furthermore, powering the robot from the power supply rail ensures continuous long-term operation.

[0074] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various other corresponding changes and modifications based on the technical solutions and concepts of this invention, and all such changes and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that, Includes a base assembly (3), a walking mechanism (4) mounted on the bottom of the base assembly (3), an electrical box assembly (5) mounted on the base assembly (3), a column assembly (6) mounted on the base assembly (3) through the electrical box assembly (5), a rocker arm assembly (7) mounted on the column assembly (6), a gripping mechanism (8) mounted on the underside of the rocker arm assembly (7), and a cargo basket (9) placed on the base assembly (3); The column assembly (6) includes a column (60), a rotating platform (62) mounted on the top of the column, and a rotating motor (63) mounted on the rotating platform (62) and capable of driving the rotating platform (62). The rocker arm assembly (7) includes a rocker arm housing (70), a moving mechanism (72) and a lifting mechanism (73) installed inside the rocker arm housing (70), a moving motor (75) installed on the rocker arm housing (70) to drive the moving mechanism (72), and a lifting motor (76) installed on the rocker arm housing (70) to drive the lifting mechanism (73). The rocker arm housing (70) is mounted on the rotating platform (62) of the column assembly (6) near one end of its bottom. The moving mechanism (72) can drive the lifting mechanism (73). 73) Movement: The lifting mechanism (73) is connected to the gripping mechanism (8) to drive the gripping mechanism (8) to move up and down. When the moving mechanism (72) drives the lifting mechanism (73) to move, the lifting mechanism (73) drives the gripping mechanism (8) to move. When the rotating platform (62) drives the rocker arm housing (70) to rotate around the column assembly (6), the rocker arm housing (70) drives the lifting mechanism (73) to rotate around the column assembly (6), and the lifting mechanism (73) drives the gripping mechanism (8) to rotate around the column assembly (6). The lifting mechanism (73) is provided with a sensor mounting base (78) facing the gripping mechanism (8). A laser height sensor (781) and a reflective measurement sensor (783) are installed on the sensor mounting base (78). The laser height sensor (781) and the reflective measurement sensor (783) can illuminate the basket (9) vertically downwards. A reflector (95) is provided on the bottom surface of the cargo basket (9); The laser height sensor (781) is used to measure the distance between itself and the goods (200) inside the basket (9) so as to calculate the distance that the lifting mechanism (73) should lower the gripping mechanism (8) to ensure that the gripping mechanism (8) can stably grip the goods (200). The reflective measurement sensor (783) is used to detect the reflected light of the reflector (95) on the bottom surface of the basket. Once the reflected light of the reflector (95) is detected, it is determined that the goods (200) on the bottom surface of the corresponding basket (9) have been taken out. The base assembly (3) includes a base housing (30), a rail power supply module (31) installed in the base housing (30), a UPS module (32) and an energy storage module (33) installed in the base housing (30). The rail power supply module (31) is used to supply power to the UPS module (32) when it is in electrical contact with the power supply rail (10). The UPS module (32) uses the power supplied by the rail power supply module (31) as its working power and simultaneously supplies power to the energy storage module (33) for charging. When the rail power supply module (31) fails to supply power to the UPS module (32), the UPS module (32) immediately draws power from the energy storage module (33) and outputs it as its working power. The walking mechanism (4) includes a power component (41) and a corner component (43). The power component (41) is installed at the bottom of one end of the base box (30), and the corner component (43) is installed at the bottom of the other end of the base box (30) relative to the power component (41). The track power supply module (31) is installed at the bottom of the base housing (30) near the power component (41). The track power supply module (31) includes a mounting base plate (310), a telescopic motor (311) mounted on the mounting base plate (310), a rotating plate (312) mounted on the rotating shaft of the telescopic motor (311), two connecting rods (313) with one end connected to the rotating plate (312), two telescopic plates (314) connected to the other end of the connecting rods (313), two sets of sliding plates (315) mounted on one end of the telescopic plate (314), two sliding shafts (316) passing through the sliding plates (315), and two sliding shafts mounted on the two sets of sliding plates (315). The conductive brush (317) on the outside is driven by the rotation of the telescopic motor (311) to rotate the rotating plate (312), which in turn drives the connecting rod (313) to swing. The swing of the connecting rod (313) pushes and pulls the telescopic plate (314), thereby driving the sliding plate (315) to move back and forth relative to the sliding shaft (316), which in turn drives the conductive brush (317) to telescopic movement. The mounting base plate (310) and the sliding shaft (316) are respectively mounted on the base box (30). A bearing (318) is installed between the sliding plate (315) and the sliding shaft (316). The conductive brush (317) has two contact brush heads (3172) to contact the power supply rail (10). The base assembly (3) also includes guide wheels (35) and obstacle avoiders (36) respectively located on both ends of the base housing (30).

2. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector (95) is reflective paper or a reflector. The basket (9) is provided with a partition (91) to divide the basket (9) into several storage areas (93). The reflector (95) is located on the bottom surface of the basket (9) corresponding to the storage area (93). The goods (200) are stored in the storage area (93). The goods (200) are thin objects.

3. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The laser height sensor (781) and the reflective measurement sensor (783) protrude outward in the horizontal direction from the outer periphery of the gripping mechanism (8) to illuminate the basket (9) vertically downward. The sensor mounting base (78) is also equipped with a lifting origin proximity switch (785) to limit the lifting mechanism (73) from continuing to pull the gripping mechanism (8) upward.

4. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The column assembly (6) also includes a first proximity switch (65), a second proximity switch (66) and a third proximity switch (67) installed on the rotating platform (62). The first to third proximity switches (65, 66, 67) respectively control the rocker arm assembly (7) to remain in the initial position during standby and the two extreme swing positions of the rocker arm assembly (7) when the rotating platform (62) rotates. The moving motor (75) and the lifting motor (76) are both located on the side of the column assembly (6) away from the gripping mechanism (8), and the moving motor (75) and the lifting motor (76) are located on opposite sides of the column assembly (6).

5. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping mechanism (8) includes a cylinder body (81), a cylinder cover (82) fixed to the upper end of the cylinder body (81), a piston (83) installed inside the cylinder body (81), a spring (84) installed inside the cylinder body (81), a sealing ring (85) installed on the upper end of the piston (83), a cylinder cover (86) installed on the lower end of the cylinder body (81), a suction cup (87) installed on the lower end of the piston (83), and a gas cylinder cover (86) installed on the piston (83) and extending outwards. The cylinder body (81) has an air pipe connector (88) and a vacuum pump (89) connected to the air pipe connector (88) and mounted on the base assembly (3); the cylinder body (81) has a strip groove (812) on its side, the air pipe connector (88) extends out of the cylinder body (81) through the strip groove (812) and can move up and down along the strip groove (812) driven by the piston (83); the cylinder lower cover (86) has a round hole (862) for the suction cup (87) to pass through, and the piston ( 83) A stepped hole (832) is provided along its axis. One end of the spring (84) abuts against the cylinder cover (82), and the other end extends into the stepped hole (832) and abuts against the stepped wall of the stepped hole (832). The cylinder body (81), piston (83), suction cup (87), air pipe connector (88), and vacuum pump (89) are connected to form an airtight space. When the gripping mechanism (8) grips the goods, the suction cup (87) adheres to the goods (200), and the vacuum pump (89) grips the goods. 89) Vacuum is drawn, and the suction cup (87) picks up the product (200). At the same time, the external atmospheric pressure pushes the piston (83) to compress the spring (84) and move it upward, which drives the suction cup (87) to move upward until the suction cup (87) is completely retracted into the cylinder body (81). The product (200) is pressed against the lower cover (86) of the cylinder because the suction cup (87) is retracted into the cylinder body (81), which prevents the suction cup (87) from breaking the vacuum during the lifting and gripping mechanism (8).

6. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power assembly (41) includes two opposing power wheels (415), located on the bottom sides of one end of the base box (30). The corner assembly (43) includes a steering wheel (436), located in the middle of the bottom of the other end of the base box (30). By controlling the speed difference between the two power wheels (415) and simultaneously controlling the steering angle of the steering wheel (436), the walking mechanism (4) drives the base assembly (3) to turn during travel. When the speed difference between the two power wheels (415) is 0 and the steering angle of the steering wheel (436) is 0, the walking mechanism (4) drives the base assembly (3) to travel in a straight line.

7. The robot as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The power assembly (41) also includes a mounting base plate (411) and two power wheel brackets (413) respectively mounted on both ends of one side of the mounting base plate (411). The two power wheels (415) are respectively mounted on the two power wheel brackets (413). The power wheel (415) includes a power motor (4151) and a traveling wheel (4153) mounted on the shaft of the power motor (4151). The two power wheel brackets (413) are arranged opposite to each other. The two traveling wheels (4153) are respectively located outside the two power wheel brackets (413) and on both sides of the base box (30).

8. The robot as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The corner assembly (43) further includes a mounting plate (430), a corner motor (431) mounted on the mounting plate (430), a drive gear (432) mounted on the shaft of the corner motor (431), a steering shaft (433) rotatably mounted on the mounting plate (430), a steering gear (434) mounted on one end of the steering shaft (433), and a steering wheel bracket (435) mounted on the steering gear (434) on the side away from the mounting plate (430). The steering wheel (436) is mounted on the steering wheel bracket (435), and the drive gear (432) meshes with the steering gear (434).

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