Apparatus and method for operating a twist lock and associated robot

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and method for operating a twist-lock and an associated robot. The apparatus comprises: a clamping assembly comprising a plurality of pairs of clamping portions, the plurality of pairs of clamping portions being spaced apart at different distances and adapted to engage with different types of twist-locks, respectively; and an operating assembly adapted to drive a pair of clamping portions among the plurality of pairs of clamping portions to clamp the twist-lock and drive the clamped twist-lock to rotate so as to allow the clamped twist-lock to be mounted on or removed from a container. In this way, the apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to most types of twist-locks without changing the clamping assembly, thereby improving operating efficiency and reducing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a robot, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for operating a twist-lock using the robot. Background Art

[0002] Twistlocks and corner castings together form a standard swivel connector used to secure shipping containers. The main use of twistlocks is to lock stacked containers on container ships.

[0003] Many types of twistlocks, such as manual twistlocks, semi-automatic twistlocks, or fully automatic twistlocks, can be used between containers in a stack. "In the stack" means there is a container both above and below the twistlock. Each type of twistlock has many different configurations. Installing or removing a twistlock from a container is a tedious and dangerous task.

[0004] In order to perform the tedious and dangerous work with safe and efficient operation, some automatic twist-lock handling robots have been proposed. WO2012141658A2 discloses an automatic stevedore remote station with a camera that can detect the presence, distance, shape and orientation of twist-locks via machine vision. The automatic stevedore remote station also has a clamp and a twister that can move to the detected twist-locks and remove / install the twist-locks from / onto the transport container. The automatic stevedore remote station is provided in the form of an industrial robot that can move the camera and its end effector together. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and method for operating a twist-lock and an associated robot to at least partially address the above and other potential problems.

[0006] The first aspect is a device for operating a twist-lock, comprising: a clamping assembly including a plurality of pairs of clamping parts, the plurality of pairs of clamping parts being spaced apart at different distances and being adapted to engage with different types of twist-locks, respectively; and an operating assembly adapted to drive a pair of clamping parts in the plurality of pairs of clamping parts to clamp the twist-lock, and drive the clamped twist-lock to rotate, so as to allow the clamped twist-lock to be installed on or removed from a container.

[0007] Since the clamping assembly includes a plurality of pairs of clamping parts spaced at different distances, the apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to most types of twist-locks without changing the clamping assembly, thereby improving operation efficiency and reducing the cost of quickly changing equipment.

[0008] In some embodiments, the operating assembly includes: a translation mechanism adapted to drive a pair of clamping parts among the plurality of pairs of clamping parts to move away from or closer to each other to clamp or release the twist lock; and a rotation mechanism adapted to drive the clamped twist lock to rotate. This arrangement can make it easier to implement the operating assembly.

[0009] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a switch operating assembly, the switch operating assembly comprising at least one subassembly, the at least one subassembly being adapted to operate different switches of different types of twist locks to allow the twist locks to be rotated by the operating assembly. The switch operating assembly enables the device to have a wider range of applications, for example, the device can be applied to various twist locks having switches.

[0010] In some embodiments, the switch operating assembly includes a first switch subassembly adapted to be coupled to a first switch of a first type of twist-lock and to operate the coupled first switch to allow the twist-lock to be rotated.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first switch subassembly includes: a first actuator; a first driving component adapted to drive the first actuator to be coupled to the first switch; and a first operating component adapted to drive the coupled first switch to translate to an unlocked position to allow the twist lock to be rotated. This arrangement can make it easier to implement the switch operating assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the switch operating assembly further includes a second switch subassembly adapted to be coupled to a second switch of a second type of twist-lock and to operate the coupled second switch to allow the twist-lock to be rotated.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second switch subassembly includes: a second actuator; a second driving component adapted to drive the second actuator to be coupled to the second switch; and a second operating component adapted to drive the coupled second switch to rotate to an unlocked position to allow the twist lock to be rotated.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second operating member is adapted to drive at least one of the second drive member or the first switch subassembly to rotate. This arrangement can make the control of the device more flexible.

[0015] In some embodiments, multiple pairs of clamping portions are adapted to engage with different types of twist locks at different distances from the container. This arrangement allows for greater flexibility in clamping the twist locks.

[0016] In some embodiments, the manipulation assembly is adapted to be coupled to a tool flange of a robot so that the robot can drive the device in rotation and / or translation. This arrangement allows the device to be controlled more flexibly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the manipulation assembly is coupled to the tool flange to allow the robotic drive to rotate about multiple axes and / or translate in multiple directions.

[0018] In a second aspect, a robot is provided, comprising the above-mentioned device according to the first aspect.

[0019] In a third aspect, a method for operating a twistlock using the robot according to the second aspect is provided. The method comprises: determining the type of twistlock to be operated; determining a pair of clamping parts according to the determined type of twistlock; controlling the determined pair of clamping parts to be coupled to the twistlock; and controlling the clamping assembly to rotate to allow the clamped twistlock to be installed on or removed from a container. The method enables the robot to automatically operate multiple types of twistlocks.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: determining a subassembly from the switch operating assembly according to the determined twist-lock type; and controlling the switch of the determined subassembly operating the twist-lock to allow the twist-lock to be rotated by the operating assembly. The method also enables the corresponding switch to be automatically unlocked according to the type of the twist-lock, thereby improving the degree of automation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further comprises controlling the device to rotate about at least one axis and / or move in at least one direction.

[0022] It is to be understood that the summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals generally refer to like components throughout the example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a simplified view of an apparatus for operating a twist-lock according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a clamp assembly having a twist lock clamped by a first clamping portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3 shows a side view of a clamp assembly having a twist-lock clamped by a first clamping portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a clamp assembly having a twist lock clamped by a second clamping portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5shows a side view of a clamp assembly having a twist-lock clamped by a second clamping portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6 and Figure 7 shows a perspective view of two parts of a clamping assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figures 8 to 10 shows a simplified view of an apparatus for operating a twist-lock according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figures 11 to 14 shows a perspective view of an apparatus for operating a twist-lock according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0032] Fig.15 A flow chart illustrating a method of robotically operating a twist-lock according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] In the drawings, the same or similar reference symbols are used to designate the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to a number of example embodiments. It is to be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, rather than implying any limitation on the scope of the subject matter.

[0035] As used herein, the term "including" and variations thereof should be read as open terms, which mean "including but not limited to." The term "based on" should be read as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be read as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" should be read as "at least one other embodiment." The terms "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other definitions (explicit and implicit) may be included below. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the definitions of terms are consistent throughout the description.

[0036] The handling of twistlocks and semi-automatic twistlocks has long been a heavy burden on the container industry. This burden includes the operational costs of placing and removing these twistlocks at each step of the container supply chain (on ships, road trucks and trains). Moreover, handling often occurs in high-traffic areas (such as the apron at a container terminal) or in areas where inherently unsafe conditions exist (such as the cargo hold of a ship) or in close proximity to moving containers. Therefore, it is often a source of injury or casualty.

[0037] Many robots have been developed for automated twist-lock handling stations that can perform placement and removal of twist-locks. Although various robots have been developed, they have not led to large-scale applications. The main reason for this phenomenon is that robots cannot be applied to all types or most types of twist-locks that need to be handled.

[0038] Specifically, there are at least six types of twist locks commonly used between containers, which are completely different from each other in structure and operation method. For example, some simple twist locks can be taken out of the container by rotating a certain angle around a vertical axis after being clamped. Some other twist locks can only be rotated after their switches are unlocked. In addition, for twist locks with switches, the methods of operating the switches are different. For example, some twist lock switches need to be pulled out a certain length, while some other switches need to be rotated a certain angle to unlock the switch.

[0039] Even after the switch is unlocked, in addition to rotating around the vertical axis by a certain angle, some other twist locks also need to be deflected by a certain angle around another axis (such as a horizontal axis) before they can be removed from the container. In addition, some other twist locks need to be tilted by a certain angle around another horizontal axis to be removed from the container, while rotating around the vertical axis by a certain angle and deflecting around the horizontal axis by a certain angle.

[0040] In addition, the structure of the twist lock also leads to different clamping positions. For example, some conventional twist locks are provided with a part dedicated to the clamping component, which is usually of a standard size. However, for some other twist locks, there is no special part for clamping or manual clamping. Therefore, it is usually necessary to design a special clamping component to clamp them. In summary, the various factors mentioned above lead to poor versatility of conventional robots.

[0041] In order to improve the versatility of the robot, some conventional robots can target different types of twistlocks by changing the gripping parts. When different twistlocks are removed from the container, the robot needs to constantly replace the corresponding gripping parts. Although the replacement of the gripping parts can be performed by a quick change device, the replacement is still time-consuming. In addition, the quick change device usually has a complex structure, resulting in a high cost of the quick change device. These factors lead to high cost and low efficiency in operating the twistlocks.

[0042] To at least partially address the above and other potential problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus 100 for operating a twist-lock 200 . Figure 1A simplified view of an apparatus 100 for operating a twist-lock 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. It is to be understood that the operation of a twist-lock mentioned herein refers to removing or installing the twist-lock from a container 203. The embodiments of the present disclosure will be mainly described by taking the removal of a twist-lock 200 from a container 203 as an example. It is to be understood that the operation of installing a twist-lock 200 into a container 203 is similar and will not be described separately below.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, generally, the device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a clamping assembly 101 and an operating assembly 102. The device 100 can be coupled to a tool flange 301 of a robot 300. In this way, the robot 300 can drive the device 100 to rotate and / or translate. For example, in some embodiments, the robot 300 can drive the device 100 to rotate around multiple axes that are perpendicular or parallel to each other. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the robot 300 can also drive the device 100 to translate in multiple directions, thereby allowing the device 100 to be controlled more flexibly. In this way, whether it is a twist-lock that can be removed only by rotating the twist-lock, or a twist-lock that needs to be deflected and / or tilted after rotation to be removed, most twist-locks can be removed by the robot 300 having the device 100, thereby improving the efficiency of operating the twist-lock.

[0044] Different from the conventional clamping device 100 used in the robot 300, the clamping assembly 101 includes multiple pairs of clamping parts, which are spaced apart at different distances. In this way, different types of twist locks with different engagement structures can be clamped by the clamping assembly 101.

[0045] For example, for the twist-lock 100 having the above-mentioned engagement portion 201 dedicated to clamping components, a pair of clamping portions (i.e., the first pair of clamping portions 1011) can be used to engage with the engagement portion 201, such as abutting against the engagement portion 201, to clamp the twist-lock 200, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 The distance between the first pair of clamping parts 1011 can be adjusted by the operating assembly 102. For example, the first pair of clamping parts 1011 can be driven to move away from or close to each other to clamp or release the twist lock 200, which makes the clamping of the twist lock 200 more flexible.

[0046] In some alternative embodiments, the distance between the first pair of clamping portions 1011 may also be fixed due to the standard size of the engagement portion 201 to be clamped. For example, the first pair of clamping portions 1011 may be integrally formed with a clamping size that matches the standard size of the engagement portion 201 as long as it does not interfere with the twist lock and the container.

[0047] For those twist-locks without the dedicated engagement portion 201, the inventors have found that the size of the lower portion of these twist-locks is fixed because the lower portion of these twist-locks needs to be inserted into a standard-sized slot of the lower container 203. Compared with the dedicated engagement portion mentioned above for clamping, the lower portion is usually smaller in size, resulting in the first pair of clamping portions 1011 being unable to securely clamp the lower portion due to interference. In order to securely clamp these twist-locks without the dedicated engagement portion 201, a second pair of clamping portions 1012 is provided, which are spaced apart at a smaller distance than the first pair of clamping portions 1011.

[0048] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the second pair of clamping parts 1012 can abut against the other engaging parts 201 located at the lower part to clamp the twist lock 200. In this way, the clamping assembly 101 having the first pair of clamping parts 1011 and the second pair of clamping parts 1012 can be applied to most types of twist locks without changing the clamping assembly 101, thereby improving efficiency and reducing the operating cost of the twist lock.

[0049] In some embodiments, in order to firmly clamp the uneven lower part of the twist lock, the shape of the second pair of clamping portions 1012 can match the shape of the lower engaging portion 201. For example, since the engaging portion 201 of the lower part of the twist lock generally has an inclined shape to facilitate the insertion of the lower part into the lower container 203, the second pair of clamping portions 1012 can have a corresponding concave shape to abut against the inclined shape of the engaging portion 201, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 In this way, the twist lock 100 can be firmly clamped.

[0050] In some embodiments, the engagement portion 201 of the twist-lock 200 can be located at different distances from the container 203. For example, the engagement portion 201 dedicated to the clamping part is usually closer to the upper container than the engagement portion located at the lower part. Therefore, multiple pairs of clamping parts are suitable for engaging with different engagement portions 201 at different distances from the container 203. This arrangement can avoid interference during operation, making the control of the operation more flexible when clamping the twist-lock 200.

[0051] Figure 6 and Figure 7 A perspective view of two parts, i.e., a left part and a right part of the clamping assembly 101 is shown. In some embodiments, half of the first pair of clamping parts is formed on the left part, and the other half is formed on the right part. Similarly, half of the second pair of clamping parts 1012 is formed on the left part, and the other half is formed on the right part. In some embodiments, the left part or the right part can be formed integrally. For example, as Figure 7As shown, the right portion of the clamping assembly 101 is integrally formed, which can simplify the assembly of the clamping assembly 101 while increasing the strength.

[0052] In some alternative embodiments, the left or right part may also be formed separately and then assembled together. Figure 6 As shown, the left part can include two separate parts, which can be mounted together on the board. In this way, the assembly of the clamping assembly can be more flexible and can be suitable for various sizes of the engagement part 201.

[0053] The operation component 102 can drive the clamping component 101 to clamp and release the twist-lock. After driving the clamping component 101 to firmly clamp the twist-lock 200, the operation component 102 also drives the clamped twist-lock 200 to rotate, for example, around a vertical axis, to allow the clamped twist-lock 200 to be installed on or removed from the container 203. For example, for a twist-lock that requires simple operation to be removed, when it is rotated to a position aligned with the notch of the container 203, for example, by rotating 90°, the robot 300 can operate the device 100 to move downward to remove the twist-lock 100. For twist-locks that require complex operations to be removed, as long as they can be firmly clamped and rotated by the device 100, the robot 300 can also perform corresponding operations to remove the twist-locks.

[0054] That is, the robot 300 has multiple degrees of freedom and can drive the device 100 to rotate around multiple axes and / or translate in multiple directions, which can be achieved by using a common industrial robot. More importantly, in addition to the degrees of freedom of the robot 300 itself, the device 100 also has at least two degrees of freedom. The at least two degrees of freedom include a translational degree of freedom that drives the left and right parts of the clamping assembly 101 to move closer to and away from each other and a rotational degree of freedom of the twist lock 200 for rotational clamping. By using two degrees of freedom that complement the degrees of freedom of the robot 300, the device 100 can be controlled more flexibly and avoid interference with the container 203 or the twist lock 200 due to the larger size of the robot 300.

[0055] The two degrees of freedom can be implemented by a suitable mechanism of the operating assembly 102. For example, in some embodiments, the operating assembly 102 can include a translation mechanism 1021 and a rotation mechanism 1022. The translation mechanism 1021 is suitable for driving a pair of clamping parts, such as left and right parts in some embodiments, to move away from or close to each other to clamp or release the twist lock 200.

[0056] In addition to the above two degrees of freedom, the device 100 may also have other degrees of freedom to facilitate the operation of the switch 202 of the twist lock 200. In some embodiments, these other angles may be implemented by the switch operating assembly 103. For example, in some embodiments, the switch operating assembly 103 may include at least one subassembly that is suitable for operating different switches of multiple types of twist locks. In this way, the twist lock 200 can be unlocked to be rotated by the operating assembly 102. By using the switch operating assembly 103, the device 100 can be applied to more twist locks with switches, thereby further expanding the application range of the device.

[0057] In some embodiments, for a twist lock having a switch 202 (i.e., a first switch 2021) that needs to be pulled or pushed to unlock, the switch operating assembly 103 may include a first switch subassembly 1031. The first switch subassembly 1031 may be coupled to the first switch 2021, and operate the coupled first switch 2021 to unlock the switch 202, such as Figure 8 In this way, the twist lock 200 is allowed to be rotated by the operating assembly 102. This arrangement makes the device 100 applicable to the twist lock having the first switch 2021 and improves the applicability of the device 100.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first switch subassembly 1031 may include a first actuator 1037, a first driving component 1032, and a first operating component 1033. The first actuator 1037 is used to approach and be coupled to the first switch 2021. "Coupled" herein refers to a certain positional relationship between two objects coupled to each other, which facilitates further operation. For example, the first actuator 1037 coupled to the first switch 2021 may refer to the first actuator 1037 that abuts against or contacts the first switch 2021 to facilitate further operation of the first actuator 103 on the first switch 2021.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first driving component 1032 can be coupled to the first switch 2021 by translating and driving the first actuator 1037. After being coupled to the first switch 2021, the first actuator 1037 can be driven by the first operating component 1033 to drive the coupled first switch 2021 to translate, that is, push or pull the first switch 2021 to the unlocked position.

[0060] As can be seen from the above description, in order to unlock the first switch 2021, more than two degrees of freedom may need to be introduced. One of the two degrees of freedom of the first switch 2021 is the translational movement of the first actuator 1037 to approach and be coupled to the first switch 2021, and the other degree of freedom is the translation of the first actuator 1037 to drive the coupled first switch 2021 to the unlocked position. In this way, the device 100 can be applicable to the twist lock having the first switch 2021, thereby improving the applicability of the device 100.

[0061] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, for a twist lock having a switch 202 (i.e., the second switch 2022) that needs to be rotated a certain angle to be unlocked, the switch operating assembly 103 may further include a second switch subassembly 1034. Fig. 9 As shown, the second switch subassembly 1034 can be coupled to the second switch 2022, and operate the combined second switch 2022 to unlock the second switch 2022. Similarly, this arrangement also makes the device 100 applicable to the twist lock having the second switch 2022, and further improves the applicability of the device 100.

[0062] For example, in some embodiments, the first switch subassembly 1034 may include a second actuator 1038, a second driving component 1035, and a second operating component 1036. The second actuator 1038 is used to approach and be coupled to the second switch 2022. Similarly, the second actuator 1038 coupled to the second switch 2022 may refer to the second actuator 1038 abutting against or contacting the second switch 2022, so as to facilitate further operation of the second switch 2022 by the second actuator 1038.

[0063] In some embodiments, the second driving component 1035 can be coupled to the second switch 2022 by translating and driving the second actuator 1038. In order to facilitate the second actuator 1038 to approach the second switch 2022, in some embodiments, the first translation direction of the second actuator 1038 approaching the second switch 2022 can be tilted at a certain angle relative to the clamping direction of the clamping assembly 101. That is, the first translation direction of the second actuator 1038 may not be perpendicular to or parallel to the clamping direction of the clamping assembly 101. This arrangement can facilitate the coupling of the second actuator 1038 and the second switch 2022.

[0064] After being coupled to the second switch 2022, the second actuator 1038 can be driven by the second operating member 1036 to drive the coupled second switch 202 to rotate to the unlocked position. For example, in some embodiments, the second switch 2022 can be pivotally mounted to the body of the twist lock 200 via a rotation axis. The second actuator 1038 can push the free end of the second switch 2022 to rotate the second switch 202 around the rotation axis. In this way, the second switch 2022 is operated to unlock.

[0065] The second translation direction of the second actuator 1038 for operating the second switch 2022 may be any suitable direction as long as it can facilitate the operation of the second switch 2022 by the second actuator 1038. For example, in some embodiments, the second translation direction may be perpendicular to the first translation of the second actuator 1038. In some alternative embodiments, the second translation direction may also be at any angle between 0 and 90° to the first translation direction of the second actuator 1038.

[0066] As can be seen from the above, in order to unlock the second switch 2022, more than two degrees of freedom are introduced. In some embodiments, one of the two degrees of freedom of the second switch 2022 is the translational movement of the second actuator 1038 to approach the second switch 2022, and the other degree of freedom is the translational movement of the second actuator 1038 to operate the first switch 2021 to the unlocked position. In this way, the device 100 can be applicable to the twist lock with the second switch 2022, thereby further improving the applicability of the device 100.

[0067] The two degrees of freedom of the first switch 2021 and the two degrees of freedom of the second switch 2022 mentioned above may be implemented by any suitable components. Fig.10 Other possibilities for realizing the above four degrees of freedom are shown. Fig.10 As shown, one of the four degrees of freedom can be replaced by a rotational degree of freedom. In addition, the rotational degree of freedom can be implemented by any suitable component, such as the first driving component 1032, the second driving component 1035, the first operating component 1033 or the second operating component 1036.

[0068] For example, in some embodiments, the rotational freedom can be realized by the second operating member 1036. In these embodiments, the second operating member 1036 can drive at least one of the second driving member 1035 or the first switch subassembly 1031 to rotate. Since the first switch and the second switch have three translational degrees of freedom and one rotational degree of freedom, the device 100 can be applied to most twist locks having switches.

[0069] By introducing the above-mentioned six degrees of freedom, the device 100 can be operated more flexibly, so that it can be applied to most twist-locks, thereby improving the applicability of the device 100. It is to be understood that as long as the twist-lock 200 can be firmly clamped and the switch 202 of the twist-lock 200 can be unlocked, any suitable type of twist-lock can be operated by the device 100. For example, by using the six degrees of freedom of the device 100 and the degrees of freedom of the robot 300, the device 100 is suitable for the above-mentioned twist-lock that needs to be rotated, deflected and / or tilted at a certain angle to be removed from the container.

[0070] The mechanisms or components that realize the above six degrees of freedom (such as the translation mechanism 1021, the rotation mechanism 1022, the first driving component or the second driving component 1035, or the first operating component or the second operating component 1036) may be implemented in any appropriate manner. Figures 11 to 14 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus 100 for operating a twist-lock 200 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 11 to 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the mechanism or component that realizes the translational freedom (such as the translation mechanism 1021, the first driving component or the second driving component 1035, or the first operating component or the second operating component 1036) may include a cylinder piston mechanism.

[0071] For example, in some embodiments, the translation mechanism 1021 may include a cylinder-piston mechanism. The cylinder drives the piston to push the left and / or right portion of the clamping assembly 101 to translate to achieve clamping of the twist lock 200. There may be a suitable structure between the piston and the clamping assembly 101, such as a mounting plate, to facilitate coupling the piston to the clamping assembly 101.

[0072] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the mechanism or component that achieves the translational degree of freedom may include a motor and a lead screw. A translational component such as the first pair of clamping portions or the second pair of clamping portions 1012 or the first actuator or the second actuator 1038 can be coupled to a lead screw, which is coupled to the output shaft of the motor. The rotation of the output shaft drives the lead screw to rotate around its own axis. In this way, the component coupled to the lead screw (such as the first pair of clamping portions or the second pair of clamping portions 1012 or the first actuator or the second actuator 1038) achieves translational movement.

[0073] In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a cylinder-piston mechanism and a motor. That is, in some embodiments, some mechanisms or components for achieving translational freedom may include a cylinder-piston mechanism, while other mechanisms or components may include a motor and a lead screw, which makes the arrangement of the device 100 more flexible.

[0074] Alternatively or additionally, the mechanism or component for achieving the rotational freedom (such as the rotation mechanism 1022) may include a servo motor. The servo motor can obtain information about the rotation angle of the output shaft of the servo motor during operation, which enables accurate control of the servo motor and further improves the reliability of the device 100 in operating the twist lock 200.

[0075] It is to be understood that the embodiments in which the mechanism or component for realizing the rotational freedom comprises a servo motor are for illustrative purposes only and do not impose any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Other suitable components or assemblies that can obtain information about the rotation angle may also be possible. For example, in some embodiments, an assembly comprising a common motor and an encoder may also be used to realize the rotational freedom.

[0076] The embodiment of the present disclosure further discloses a robot 300. The robot 300 includes the above-mentioned device 100. With the device 100, the robot 300 can operate most types of twist locks without changing the clamping part or the clamping assembly 101. In this way, the operating efficiency is significantly improved and the cost is significantly reduced.

[0077] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a method of operating a twist-lock 200 using a robot 300 is provided. Fig.15 A flow chart illustrating a method of operating a twist-lock 200 with a robot 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method may be implemented as a program code stored in a memory that may be executed by a controller of the robot 300 or any other suitable controller or processor.

[0078] In block 410, the controller determines the type of twist-lock 200 to be operated. The determination of the type may be achieved in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the device 100 or the robot 300 may include a camera to obtain an image of the twist-lock. The controller may determine the type of the twist-lock 200 by analyzing the image provided by the camera. In some alternative embodiments, each twist-lock 200 may be provided with a label, such as a QR code label, a near field control label, etc., for indicating or storing information about the type of the twist-lock 200. The device 100 and / or the robot 300 may include a sensor, such as a camera or an inductor, to obtain information about the type of the twist-lock 200 and provide the obtained information to the controller. In this way, the type of the twist-lock 200 may be more easily determined.

[0079] In block 420, after the type of twist-lock 200 is determined, the controller determines a pair of clamping portions of the clamp assembly 101 to operate the twist-lock 200 according to the determined type of twist-lock 200. In block 430, the determined pair of clamping portions are controlled to couple to the twist-lock 200, such as to an engagement portion thereof.

[0080] In block 440, the gripper assembly 101 is controlled to rotate to allow the gripper's twist-lock 200 to be mounted on or removed from the container 203. For certain types of twist-locks, in addition to rotation, operations such as yaw and tilt may also be performed. These rotation, yaw and tilt operations may utilize not only the degrees of freedom of the device 100, but also the degrees of freedom of the robot 300. That is, in some embodiments, the controller may also control the device 100 to rotate about at least one axis and / or translate along at least one direction. In this way, the twist-lock may be operated more efficiently.

[0081] In some embodiments, in order to operate the twist-lock 200 using the switch 202, the controller may also determine a subassembly of the switch operating assembly 103 according to the determined type of the twist-lock 200. Then, the controller may control the determined subassembly to operate the switch 202 to unlock the switch 202. In this way, the twist-lock 200 may be rotated by the operating assembly 102. Therefore, the device 100 may be applicable to a twist-lock having a switch, thereby improving the applicability of the device 100 and the robot 300.

[0082] It should be understood that the embodiments described in detail above of the present disclosure are only used to illustrate or explain the principles of the present disclosure, rather than to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, any modifications, equivalent alternatives and improvements, etc. should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. At the same time, the appended claims of the present disclosure are intended to cover all changes and modifications that fall within the scope and boundaries of the claims or the equivalents of the scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A device for operating a twist lock, include: A clamping assembly (101) comprising a plurality of pairs of clamping portions (1011, 1012) spaced apart at different distances and adapted to engage with different types of twist-locks, respectively, the clamping assembly (101) being capable of being applied to different types of twist-locks without changing the clamping assembly (101); an operating assembly (102) adapted to drive a pair of clamping parts among the plurality of pairs of clamping parts (1011, 1012) to clamp the twist-lock (200) and drive the clamped twist-lock (200) to rotate, so as to allow the clamped twist-lock (200) to be installed on or removed from the container (203); as well as A switch operating assembly (103) comprises at least one subassembly adapted to operate different switches (202) of the different types of twist-locks to allow the twist-locks (200) to be rotated by the operating assembly (102).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the operating component (102) include: a translation mechanism (1021) adapted to drive a pair of clamping parts among the plurality of pairs of clamping parts (1011, 1012) to move away from or toward each other to clamp or release the twist lock (200); and The rotating mechanism (1022) is suitable for driving the clamped twist lock (200) to rotate.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the switch operating component (103) include: A first switch subassembly (1031) is adapted to be coupled to a first switch (2021) of a first type of twist-lock and to operate the coupled first switch (2021) to allow the twist-lock (200) to be rotated.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first switch subassembly (1031) include: A first actuator (1037); A first driving component (1032), adapted to drive the first actuator (1037) to be coupled to the first switch (2021); as well as The first operating component (1033) is adapted to drive the coupled first switch (2021) to translate to an unlocking position to allow the twist lock (200) to be rotated.

5. The device according to any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the switch operating component (103) further include: A second switch subassembly (1034) is adapted to be coupled to a second switch (2022) of a second type of twist-lock and to operate the coupled second switch (2022) to allow the twist-lock (200) to be rotated.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the second switch subassembly (1034) include: A second actuator (1038); A second driving component (1035), adapted to drive the second actuator (1038) to be coupled to the second switch (2022); as well as The second operating member (1036) is adapted to drive the coupled second switch (2022) to rotate to an unlocked position to allow the twist lock (200) to be rotated.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the second operating member (1036) is adapted to drive at least one of the second driving member (1035) or the first switch subassembly (1031) to rotate.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, wherein the plurality of pairs of clamping portions (1011, 1012) are adapted to engage with the different types of twist-locks at different distances from the container (203).

9. The device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, wherein the operating component (102) is suitable for being coupled to a tool flange (301) of a robot (300) so that the robot (300) can drive the device (100) to rotate and / or translate.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the operating assembly (102) is coupled to the tool flange (301) to allow the robot (300) to drive the device (100) to rotate about multiple axes and / or translate in multiple directions.

11. A robot (300) for operating a twist-lock (200), comprising a device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method of operating a twist-lock (200) using a robot according to claim 11, include: determining the type of twist-lock (200) to be operated; determining a pair of clamping portions based on the determined type of the twist-lock (200); controlling a determined pair of clamping portions to be coupled to the twist lock (200); Controlling the rotation of the clamping assembly (101) to allow the clamped twist lock (200) to be installed on or removed from the container (203); as well as determining a subassembly from a switch operating assembly (103) based on the determined type of the twist lock (200); The determined subassembly is controlled to operate the switch (202) of the twist-lock (200) to allow the twist-lock (200) to be rotated by the operating assembly (102).

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: include: The device (100) is controlled to rotate about at least one axis and / or move along at least one direction.

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