Lifting device and unmanned towing vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a lifting device and an unmanned towing vehicle, the lifting device is applied to lifting of a trailer connecting mechanism, the unmanned towing vehicle is provided with a towing pin, the trailer connecting mechanism comprises a connecting arm and a towing ring arranged on the connecting arm, the lifting device is arranged on the unmanned towing vehicle, and the lifting device comprises a driving mechanism and a lifting assembly, the driving mechanism is used for driving the lifting assembly to lift and lower, the connecting arm is lifted through the lifting assembly, and the towing ring is docked with the towing pin. The lifting device can realize automatic lifting control of the trailer connecting arm, the towing ring and the towing pin are matched in height, the two are quickly connected, manual operation can be omitted, and the docking efficiency of the unmanned towing vehicle and the trailer is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned tractor, in particular to a lifting device and unmanned tractor. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to realize automatic connection or disconnection with the trailer or the trailer, the unmanned tractor is provided with an automatic disconnection hook structure, and the front end of the trailer is provided with a tripod structure, which is provided with a structure matched with the hook or the traction pin. In the existing tractor and trailer docking process, due to the inconsistency of the height of the trailer tripod and the height of the tractor hook, or the trailer tripod is placed in close contact with the ground, or the trailer tripod is in a drooping state in front of the trailer and will release the trailer brake after lifting, all of which are adapted to the height of the tractor hook by manually lifting the tripod, which is difficult to apply to the scene of unmanned tractor. SUMMARY

[0003] In order to solve one or more technical problems in the prior art, or at least provide an alternative, the present application provides a lifting device and unmanned tractor to solve the problem of matching the trailer and the unmanned tractor, and save manual operation.

[0004] The present application provides a lifting device applied to the lifting of a trailer connecting mechanism, the unmanned tractor is provided with a traction pin, the trailer connecting mechanism includes a connecting arm and a traction ring provided on the connecting arm, the lifting device is provided on the unmanned tractor, and the lifting device includes a driving mechanism and a lifting assembly, the driving mechanism is used to drive the lifting assembly to lift, so that the connecting arm is lifted to make the traction ring dock with the traction pin.

[0005] Preferably, the lifting assembly includes a lifting arm and a trigger provided at one end of the lifting arm, the driving mechanism includes a first motor, the first motor drives the lifting arm to drive the trigger to lift, and the trigger abuts against the connecting arm to drive the connecting arm to lift after being lifted upward.

[0006] Preferably, the other end of the lifting arm is connected with the first motor through a pivot shaft, and the first motor drives one end of the lifting arm with the trigger to lift or drop relative to the other end of the lifting arm.

[0007] Preferably, a pivot shaft support is arranged between the first motor and the lifting arm, the pivot shaft is installed on the pivot shaft support, the pivot shaft support includes a vertical plate arranged on one side of the lifting arm, and a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch are arranged on the vertical plate in a vertical direction, the first proximity switch is used to detect the lifting position of the lifting arm, and the second proximity switch is used to detect the dropping position of the lifting arm.

[0008] Preferably, the trigger is at a first angle with the lifting arm; and / or the trigger is a guide roller.

[0009] Preferably, the lifting device further comprises a vertical rotating shaft, the other end of the lifting arm is rotationally connected with the vertical rotating shaft, the driving mechanism comprises a second motor, the second motor drives the vertical rotating shaft to rotate to drive the lifting arm to swing in the horizontal direction, so that the lifting arm has a storage position of swinging below the towing pin and a working position of extending towards the connecting arm.

[0010] Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are respectively installed on a first mounting seat and a second mounting seat, the other end of the lifting arm is between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, the first mounting seat is provided with a third proximity switch and a fourth proximity switch arranged in the horizontal direction, the third proximity switch is used to detect the storage position, and the fourth proximity switch is used to detect the working position.

[0011] Preferably, in the first working position, the lifting arm is at a second angle with the rear end surface of the unmanned towing vehicle; the second angle is an obtuse angle.

[0012] Preferably, in the second working position, the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned towing vehicle, and the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the connecting arm, after the connecting arm is lifted to a height at which the connecting arm is perpendicular to the towing pin, the lifting arm slides along the lower surface of the connecting arm to maintain the height of the connecting arm when the unmanned towing vehicle gradually approaches the trailer; the rear side of the unmanned towing vehicle is provided with a visual sensor for monitoring the alignment of the towing pin and the towing ring.

[0013] The application also provides an unmanned towing vehicle comprising the lifting device and an automatic plug-pull traction device, the automatic plug-pull traction device comprises a towing pin and a driving member for driving the lifting of the towing pin, when the towing ring reaches directly below the towing pin, the driving member drives the towing pin to insert into the towing ring to connect the trailer to the unmanned towing vehicle; the unmanned towing vehicle is provided with a distance measuring sensor to measure the distance between the unmanned towing vehicle and the trailer, when the distance between the two is a preset distance, the driving mechanism drives the lifting assembly to act.

[0014] Due to the above technical scheme, the application has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] The lifting device of the application can realize automatic lifting control of the trailer connecting arm, so that the traction ring and the traction pin are matched in height to realize quick connection of the two, manual operation can be omitted, and the docking efficiency of the unmanned tractor and the trailer is improved.

[0016] Further, the lifting assembly comprises a lifting arm and a trigger member arranged at one end of the lifting arm, the driving mechanism comprises a first motor, the first motor drives the lifting arm to drive the trigger member to lift, and the trigger member drives the connecting arm to lift after abutting against the connecting arm upward; in this way, the lifting assembly has simple structure, the connecting arm is driven to lift after the trigger member abuts against the connecting arm upward, the operation is simple, the force acting on the trailer is appropriate, the trailer is prevented from being excessively interfered to cause unstable parking of the trailer and affect the docking effect.

[0017] Further, the other end of the lifting arm is connected with the first motor through a pivot shaft, the first motor drives one end of the lifting arm with the trigger member to lift or descend relative to the other end of the lifting arm; in this way, the lifting arm has a swing lifting structure, one end of the lifting arm is a free end, the free end can be quickly lifted to improve the efficiency.

[0018] Further, a pivot shaft support is arranged between the first motor and the lifting arm, the pivot shaft is mounted on the pivot shaft support, the pivot shaft support comprises a vertical plate arranged on one side of the lifting arm, the vertical plate is provided with a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch arranged in a vertical direction, the first proximity switch is used to detect the lifting position of the lifting arm, and the second proximity switch is used to detect the descending position of the lifting arm; in this way, the position of the lifting arm is determined by combining the detection means, the control accuracy of the lifting arm is improved, and excessive movement of the lifting arm is prevented.

[0019] Further, the trigger member and the lifting arm form a first included angle; in this way, the arrangement of the lifting arm and the trigger member is optimized, for example, the lifting arm is arranged on one side of the automatic uncoupling hook of the unmanned tractor to avoid interference, and the lifting arm can extend towards the direction of the trailer to contact the trailer, and the extension direction of the trigger member is different from that of the lifting arm, so that the contact range with the trailer is increased, which is beneficial to reduce the activity range of the lifting arm.

[0020] The trigger member is a guide roller, so that buffering can be provided to prevent excessive collision between the trigger member and the connecting arm and reduce the wear between the two.

[0021] Further, the lifting device further comprises a vertical rotating shaft, the other end of the lifting arm is rotationally connected with the vertical rotating shaft, the driving mechanism comprises a second motor, the second motor drives the vertical rotating shaft to rotate to drive the lifting arm to swing in the horizontal direction, so that the lifting arm has a storage position of swinging below the traction pin and a working position of extending towards the connecting arm; in this way, the lifting arm can be flexibly adjusted in the telescopic state by swinging in the horizontal direction, and the lifting arm can be stored when not in use to avoid occupying too much space and affecting the connection of the unmanned towing vehicle and the trailer or the driving of the subsequent vehicle.

[0022] Further, the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are respectively installed on the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, the other end of the lifting arm is between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, the first mounting seat is provided with a third proximity switch and a fourth proximity switch arranged in the horizontal direction, the third proximity switch is used to detect the storage position, and the fourth proximity switch is used to detect the working position; in this way, the position and state of the lifting arm can be accurately detected to improve the control accuracy and efficiency.

[0023] Further, in the first working position, the lifting arm and the rear end surface of the unmanned towing vehicle form a second included angle; the second included angle is obtuse; in this way, the lifting arm can provide a larger space for the unmanned towing vehicle to reach a matching distance with the trailer after extending, so that the lifting device can be prevented from accidentally touching the trailer and affecting the stability of the trailer.

[0024] Further, in the second working position, the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned towing vehicle, and the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the connecting arm, after the connecting arm is lifted to a height at which the connecting arm is perpendicular to the traction pin, the lifting arm slides along the lower surface of the connecting arm to maintain the height of the connecting arm when the unmanned towing vehicle gradually approaches the trailer; in this way, during the reversing process of the unmanned towing vehicle, the angle / attitude of the unmanned towing vehicle can be adjusted to make the connecting arm parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned towing vehicle, and after the connecting arm is lifted to the height at which the connecting arm is perpendicular to the traction pin, the lifting arm moves backward relative to the connecting arm when the unmanned towing vehicle continues to reverse, and based on the supporting action of the lifting arm, the connecting arm can be maintained at the above-mentioned height to avoid drooping again.

[0025] Further, the rear side of the unmanned towing vehicle is provided with a visual sensor for monitoring the alignment of the traction pin and the traction ring; by providing the visual sensor, the unmanned towing vehicle can adjust the left and right positions of the unmanned towing vehicle relative to the connecting arm according to the monitoring result, so as to finally make the traction pin and the traction ring opposite to each other, and the precision control of the connection of the trailer and the unmanned towing vehicle can be improved.

[0026] The unmanned tractor of the present application can realize automatic lifting control of the trailer connecting arm through the lifting device, so that the traction ring and the traction pin are matched in height and accurately aligned, manual operation can be omitted, and the docking efficiency of the unmanned tractor and the trailer is improved.

[0027] The unmanned tractor is provided with a distance measuring sensor to measure the distance between the unmanned tractor and the trailer, and when the distance between the two is a preset distance, the driving mechanism drives the lifting assembly to act; in this way, the lifting device can be accurately controlled to start working, so as to improve the docking efficiency of the unmanned tractor and the trailer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present application, form a part of the present application and illustrate the illustrative embodiments of the present application and together with the description serve to explain the present application. In the drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic view of the lifting device in the storage position according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic view of the lifting device in the working position according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic view of the lifting device in the working position according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 An enlarged schematic view of the structure at A in FIG. 6.

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic view of the lifting device acting on the trailer according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic view of the structure of the unmanned tractor according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic view of the structure of the unmanned tractor according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 An enlarged schematic view of the structure at B in FIG. 7.

[0035] REFERENCE SIGNS:

[0036] 100 - lifting device, 200 - trailer, 201 - connecting arm, 202 - traction ring, 300 - unmanned tractor, 301 - traction pin;

[0037] 10 - lifting arm, 11 - trigger, 12 - first motor, 13 - shaft support, 131 - vertical plate, 14 - first proximity switch, 15 - second proximity switch, 16 - second motor, 171 - first mounting seat, 172 - second mounting seat, 18 - third proximity switch, 19 - fourth proximity switch, 20 - fifth proximity switch, 132 - detection piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present application, the following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] In order to enable a more complete understanding of the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict, if possible.

[0040] It should be noted that in the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, however, the present application can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, therefore, the scope of protection of the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0041] In addition, in the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0042] In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" and the like are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0043] In the present application, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. However, it is noted that direct connection means that the two main bodies connected by the connection relationship are not connected by a transition structure, but are connected by a connection structure to form a whole. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature is "on" or "under" the second feature can be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of the present specification, the description referring to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "an example", "a specific example", or "some examples" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 to 6 The present application provides a lifting device 100 for unmanned tractor, which is applied to the lifting of trailer 200 connecting mechanism. The unmanned tractor 300 is provided with a towing pin 301, and the trailer 200 connecting mechanism comprises a connecting arm 201 and a towing ring 202 arranged on the connecting arm 201. The lifting device 100 is arranged on the unmanned tractor 300, and the lifting device 100 comprises a driving mechanism and a lifting assembly. The driving mechanism is used to drive the lifting assembly to lift, so as to lift the connecting arm 201 through the lifting assembly to make the towing ring 202 butt joint with the towing pin 301.

[0046] Generally, when the trailer 200 is parked at a designated position, the connecting arm 201 at the front end thereof is in a drooping state. The connecting arm 201 is lifted to a height matching the towing pin 301 through the lifting device 100, so that the unmanned tractor 300 and the trailer 200 can be automatically connected without human participation. It can be understood that initially, part of the structure of the lifting assembly can move to the lower side of the connecting arm 201, so as to abut and lift the connecting arm 201 upward. During the lifting process, if the lifting height is too high, part of the structure of the lifting assembly can move to the upper side of the connecting arm 201, so as to press down the connecting arm 201 to reduce the height thereof, and finally make the connecting arm 201 reach the height matching the towing pin 301.

[0047] Regarding the connection between the towing ring 202 and the towing pin 301, the towing pin 301 is inserted into the round hole of the towing ring 202 to achieve the connection. The related structure and control means can be achieved by the person skilled in the art with the aid of conventional technical means or conventional technical means in the art, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the lifting assembly comprises a lifting arm 10 and a trigger 11 arranged at one end of the lifting arm 10, and the driving mechanism comprises a first motor 12. The first motor 12 drives the lifting arm 10 to drive the trigger 11 to lift. After the trigger 11 abuts against the connecting arm 201 upward, the connecting arm 201 is lifted.

[0049] In particular implementation, when the unmanned tractor 300 backs up to the designated position, the trigger 11 is driven by the first motor 12 to be below the connecting arm 201, and the trigger 11 is lifted by the first motor 12. After the trigger 11 abuts against the connecting arm 201, the trigger 11 can push the connecting arm 201 to be lifted, so as to realize the height lifting of the connecting arm 201. As shown in Figure 2 Or Figure 4 The lifting arm 10 extends towards the trailer 200, so that the area of the lifting arm 10 close to the connecting arm 201 can contact the connecting arm 201 when the trailer 200 and the unmanned tractor 300 satisfy a certain distance. The trigger 11 is arranged at the end of the lifting arm 10 to act on the connecting arm 201. It can be understood that in some embodiments, the trigger 11 can also be omitted, and the end of the lifting arm 10 directly acts on the connecting arm 201.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the trigger 11 forms a first angle with the lifting arm 10. The first angle is, for example, a right angle, as shown in Figure 4 When the lifting arm 10 extends towards the trailer 200, the trigger 11 forms a right angle with the lifting arm 10. When the connecting arm 201 has a certain width, the trigger 11 can increase the contact area with the connecting arm 201, and can improve the stability and reliability of the lifting of the connecting arm 201. The first angle is, for example, an obtuse angle. When the lifting arm 10 extends towards the trailer 200, the trigger 11 forms an obtuse angle with the lifting arm 10. When the distance between the connecting arm 201 and the unmanned tractor 300 is large, part of the trigger 11 can relatively close to the connecting arm 201 to ensure contact with the connecting arm 201.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the trigger 11 is a guide roller. When the guide roller is used, the guide roller has the freedom of rotation along its own axis, which can reduce the impact when the trigger 11 collides with the connecting arm 201, can reduce the wear between the two, and can prevent the trailer 200 from moving when the impact is large, thereby affecting the parking angle of the trailer 200 and affecting the docking effect of the trailer 200 and the unmanned tractor 300.

[0052] It can be understood that in other embodiments, the trigger 11 can also be a rod or a plate.

[0053] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, further, the other end of the lifting arm 10 is drivingly connected to the first motor 12 through a pivot shaft, and the first motor 12 drives the one end of the lifting arm 10 with the trigger 11 to be lifted or lowered relative to the other end of the lifting arm 10.

[0054] In this embodiment, the lifting arm 10 is a swing type lifting, that is, one end of the lifting arm 10 with the trigger 11 is a free end, which can be lifted or lowered around the other end of the lifting arm 10, which is more flexible and faster than the overall lifting of the lifting arm 10. When working, only the end of the lifting arm 10 with the trigger 11 needs to be below the connecting arm 201, which can reduce the influence of the excessive contact between the connecting arm 201 and the lifting arm 10 on the connection between the connecting arm 201 and the traction pin 301. As shown in Figure 4 , the front end of the connecting arm 201 protrudes forward relative to the trigger 11, and the lifting arm 10 is located on one side of the connecting arm 201, which provides a larger space for the front traction ring 202 to extend out of the way, so that the traction ring 202 can be connected to the traction pin 301 without any obstacles.

[0055] It can be understood that the lifting arm 10 is not limited to the swing type described above, but can also be set to the overall lifting type.

[0056] Further, a rotating shaft support 13 is provided between the first motor 12 and the lifting arm 10, and a pivot shaft is installed on the rotating shaft support 13. The rotating shaft support 13 includes a vertical plate 131 provided on one side of the lifting arm 10, and a first proximity switch 14 and a second proximity switch 15 are arranged on the vertical plate 131 in a vertical direction. The first proximity switch 14 is used to detect the lifting position of the lifting arm 10, and the second proximity switch 15 is used to detect the lowering position of the lifting arm 10.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3 , by providing the proximity switch, the height of the lifting arm 10 can be detected, and the control accuracy is improved. In order to further improve the detection accuracy, a detection point or a detection surface can be provided on the side of the lifting arm 10 facing the proximity switch. When the detection point or the detection surface enters the detection range of the proximity switch, the proximity switch acts and provides a detection signal. For example, when the second proximity switch 15 detects that the lifting arm 10 is in the lowered position, the control system can control the unmanned tractor 300 to reverse in order to make the trigger 11 reach below the connecting arm 201. Then, the first motor 12 drives the lifting arm 10 to lift, and the trigger 11 pushes the connecting arm 201 to lift after abutting against the connecting arm 201, and when the first proximity switch 14 detects that the lifting arm 10 is in the lifted position, it can indicate that the connecting arm 201 is raised to a specified height.

[0058] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments and examples, further, the lifting device 100 further comprises a vertical rotating shaft, and the other end of the lifting arm 10 is rotationally connected with the vertical rotating shaft. The driving mechanism comprises a second motor 16, and the second motor 16 drives the vertical rotating shaft to rotate to drive the lifting arm 10 to swing in the horizontal direction, so that the lifting arm 10 has a storage position swinging below the traction pin 301 and a working position extending towards the connecting arm 201.

[0059] Thus, the lifting arm 10 can be swung out or retracted to have a working position and a storage position, especially in the storage position, it can be partially hidden to the space below the hitch pin 301, so that the unmanned towing vehicle 300 has a more simple appearance, and the lifting arm 10 can be prevented from interfering with the surrounding structure when it is always in the extended state. In the working position, the lifting arm 10 extends towards the trailer 200 to ensure the contact between the trigger 11 and the connecting arm 201.

[0060] Further, the upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are respectively installed on the first mounting seat 171 and the second mounting seat 172, and the other end of the lifting arm 10 is between the first mounting seat 171 and the second mounting seat 172. The first mounting seat 171 is provided with a third proximity switch 18 and a fourth proximity switch 19 arranged along the horizontal direction. The third proximity switch 18 is used to detect the storage position, and the fourth proximity switch 19 is used to detect the working position.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6 , the first mounting seat 171 and the second mounting seat 172 can be respectively fixed on the rear end surface of the unmanned towing vehicle 300, and the vertical rotating shaft is supported between the first mounting seat 171 and the second mounting seat 172. The upper end of the vertical rotating shaft is in transmission connection with the output end of the second motor 16. Further, the front end of the rotating shaft support 13 can be sleeved outside the vertical rotating shaft to make the lifting arm 10 in transmission connection with the vertical rotating shaft. The second motor 16 is arranged on the first mounting seat 171, and the first motor 12 is arranged on one side of the rotating shaft support 13, so that the compactness of the structure arrangement is improved.

[0062] In order to improve the detection accuracy, the rotating shaft support 13 is provided with a detection point or a detection surface. When the detection point or the detection surface enters the detection range of the proximity switch, the proximity switch acts and provides a detection signal. As shown in Figure 3 , the upper end of the rotating shaft support 13 is provided with a detection piece 132. When the detection piece 132 enters the detection range of the third proximity switch 18, the third proximity switch 18 can send a detection signal to indicate that the lifting arm 10 reaches the storage position. When the detection piece 132 enters the detection range of the fourth proximity switch 19, the fourth proximity switch 19 can send a detection signal to indicate that the lifting arm 10 reaches the working position. The detection piece 132 is, for example, a metal structural piece.

[0063] Preferably, in the first working position, the lifting arm 10 and the rear end surface of the unmanned towing vehicle 300 form a second included angle.

[0064] As shown in Figure 2As shown, the lifting arm 10 is at an obtuse angle with the rear end surface of the unmanned tractor 300, which can provide a larger space to prevent the lifting arm 10 from touching the connecting arm 201 during the reversing of the unmanned tractor 300, thereby affecting the stability of the trailer 200. Specifically, the lifting arm 10 swings from the storage position to the first working position, and at this time the fourth proximity switch 19 sends a detection signal.

[0065] Further, the first mounting seat 171 is also provided with a fifth proximity switch 20. When the unmanned tractor 300 reverses to the appropriate position, the lifting arm 10 can swing inward, and when it swings to the second working position, the fifth proximity switch 20 sends a detection signal, at this time the trigger 11 reaches below the connecting arm 201, and the lifting arm 10 can start to lift.

[0066] In the second working position, the extension direction of the lifting arm 10 is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned tractor 300, and the extension direction of the lifting arm 10 is parallel to the connecting arm 201. After the lifting arm 10 drives the connecting arm 201 to lift to a height at which the connecting arm 201 is perpendicular to the towing pin 301, the lifting arm 10 slides along the lower surface of the connecting arm 201 to maintain the height of the connecting arm 201 as the unmanned tractor 300 gradually approaches the trailer 200.

[0067] Specifically, before lifting the connecting arm 201, the relative positional relationship between the unmanned towing vehicle 300 and the connecting arm 201 needs to be adjusted, specifically, the attitude or angle of the unmanned towing vehicle 300 is adjusted so that the extending direction of the connecting arm 201 is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned towing vehicle 300. That is, it is necessary to ensure that the connecting arm 201 can be directly opposite to the unmanned towing vehicle 300 (i.e., the extending direction of the connecting arm 201 is parallel to the vehicle body of the unmanned towing vehicle 300) when the towing pin 301 is inserted into the towing ring 202. Although the towing ring 202 generally has a circular hole, the insertion of the towing pin 301 into the towing ring 202 can be achieved even when the connecting arm 201 is not directly opposite to the unmanned towing vehicle 300. However, after a long time of use, wear will occur between the towing pin 301 and the towing ring 202, causing the hole of the towing ring 202 to deform. In the case where the connecting arm 201 is not directly opposite to the unmanned towing vehicle 300, the following problems may occur when the towing pin 301 is inserted into the towing ring 202: (1) the towing pin 301 is difficult to insert into the towing ring 202; (2) during the process of inserting the towing pin 301 into the towing ring 202, the force of the towing pin 301 on the hole of the towing ring 202 is uneven, although the insertion can be achieved, but it may exacerbate the deformation degree of the hole of the towing ring 202, thereby affecting the reliability of the insertion of the towing pin 301 into the towing ring 202 (for example, the towing pin 301 contacts with part of the hole wall of the towing ring 202, and part of the hole wall is not in contact, stress concentration is easy to occur, and when the unmanned towing vehicle 300 starts with the trailer 200, since there is an inclination angle between the direction of the connecting arm 201 and the vehicle body of the unmanned towing vehicle 300, the trailer 200 will constantly change the angle so as to be able to follow the movement of the unmanned towing vehicle 300, in this process, the towing pin 301 continuously bears the force of the trailer 200, greatly increasing the burden of the towing pin 301 and affecting its service life).

[0068] When the extending direction of the connecting arm 201 is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the unmanned towing vehicle 300, the lifting arm 10 starts to work to lift the connecting arm 201 until the connecting arm 201 is lifted to a height at which the connecting arm 201 is perpendicular to the towing pin 301. Thereafter, as the unmanned towing vehicle 300 continues to back up, the trigger 11 of the lifting arm 10 can slide along the lower surface of the connecting arm 201 to always keep the connecting arm 201 at the above-mentioned height until the towing ring 202 of the connecting arm 201 reaches below the towing pin 301 when the unmanned towing vehicle 300 backs up.

[0069] Further, on the basis that the connecting arm 201 is perpendicular to the towing pin 301, in order to align the towing pin 301 with the towing ring 202, the left and right positions of the unmanned towing vehicle 300 can be adjusted so that the towing pin 301 reaches directly above the towing ring 202. The rear side of the unmanned towing vehicle 300 is provided with a visual sensor, for example, which can be used to monitor the alignment of the towing pin 301 with the towing ring 202. Specifically, the visual sensor sends the collected information to the control end, which can adjust the unmanned towing vehicle 300 according to the positional relationship between the towing pin 301 and the towing ring 202, and finally make the towing pin 301 strictly align with the towing ring 202. The visual sensor is, for example, a camera, a camera, etc., and the appropriate type can be selected according to actual needs.

[0070] The working process of the lifting device of the present application is as follows: Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the figure, initially the lifting arm 10 is in the storage position, after performing the hooking task, when the unmanned towing vehicle 300 and the trailer 200 reach a certain distance, the second motor 16 drives the lifting arm 10 to extend outward and form an obtuse angle to the position of the fourth proximity switch 19, then the first motor 12 drives the lifting arm 10 to rotate downward, so that the lifting arm 10 is in the low position, and the second proximity switch 15 detects the descending position of the lifting arm 10; the unmanned towing vehicle 300 continues to back up until the end of the lifting arm 10 with the trigger 11 is below the connecting arm 201; then the first motor 12 drives the lifting arm 10 and the trigger 11 to lift, so that the connecting arm 201 is lifted to the position of the first proximity switch 14, when the connecting arm 201 reaches the preset height, the unmanned towing vehicle 300 continues to back up until the towing pin 301 is connected with the towing ring 202; after the connection is completed, the second motor 16 drives the lifting arm 10 to reset, restoring Figure 1 the state.

[0071] The present application also provides an unmanned towing vehicle 300, comprising the above-mentioned lifting device 100 and an automatic plug-in towing device. The lifting device 100 is used to lift the connecting arm 201 to a height suitable for the towing pin 301, so as to omit the manual lifting operation and improve the efficiency of the connection between the towing ring 202 and the towing pin 301. The automatic plug-in towing device, for example, comprises a towing pin 301 and a driving member for driving the lifting of the towing pin 301, when the towing ring 202 reaches directly below the towing pin 301, the driving member drives the towing pin 301 to insert into the towing ring 202, thereby connecting the trailer 200 to the unmanned towing vehicle 300. For the structure and working process of the lifting device 100, please refer to the above-mentioned related content, which will not be repeated here.

[0072] Preferably, the unmanned towing vehicle 300 is provided with a distance measuring sensor to measure the distance between the unmanned towing vehicle 300 and the trailer 200, when the distance between the two is a preset distance, the driving mechanism drives the lifting assembly to act.

[0073] By setting the distance measuring sensor, the distance between the unmanned tractor 300 and the trailer 200 can be monitored in real time, so as to control the timing of the operation of the lifting device 100, and the control accuracy can be improved. The distance measuring sensor is installed, for example, at the rear side of the unmanned tractor 300. During the reversing process of the unmanned tractor 300, the distance measuring sensor detects the distance in real time. The distance measuring sensor is, for example, a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar, etc. The type, number, installation position, etc. of the distance measuring sensor are set according to actual requirements, and the present application does not make specific limitations. When the distance between the unmanned tractor 300 and the trailer 200 reaches a preset distance, for example, the lifting arm 10 will not collide with the trailer 200 during the process of extending from the storage position to the first working position. Thereafter, according to the reversing condition of the unmanned tractor 300, the lifting arm 10 continues to work and finally realizes the connection between the trailer 200 and the unmanned tractor 300.

[0074] The technical solutions protected by the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. It should be pointed out that the combination of the technical solutions of any one embodiment with those of one or more other embodiments is within the protection scope of the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail above with general description and specific embodiments, some modifications or improvements can be made on the basis of the present application, which is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these modifications or improvements made on the basis of not deviating from the spirit of the present application are within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A lifting device for lifting a trailer connection mechanism, wherein an unmanned tractor is provided with a towing pin, and the trailer connection mechanism includes a connecting arm and a towing ring disposed on the connecting arm, characterized in that, The lifting device is mounted on the unmanned tractor, and the lifting device includes: A drive mechanism and a lifting assembly, wherein the drive mechanism is used to drive the lifting assembly to move up and down, so as to lift the connecting arm through the lifting assembly so that the traction ring engages with the traction pin; The lifting assembly includes a lifting arm and a trigger element disposed at one end of the lifting arm. The driving mechanism includes a first motor to drive the lifting arm to move the trigger element up and down. After the trigger element abuts against the connecting arm upward, it drives the connecting arm to lift. The other end of the lifting arm is connected to the first motor via a pivot shaft. The first motor drives the end of the lifting arm with the trigger element to rise or fall relative to the other end of the lifting arm. A pivot bracket is provided between the first motor and the lifting arm. The pivot shaft is mounted on the pivot bracket. The pivot bracket includes a vertical plate on one side of the lifting arm. The vertical plate is provided with a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. The first proximity switch is used to detect the lifting position of the lifting arm, and the second proximity switch is used to detect the lowering position of the lifting arm. The lifting device also includes a vertical rotating shaft, and the other end of the lifting arm is rotatably connected to the vertical rotating shaft. The driving mechanism includes a second motor, which drives the vertical rotating shaft to rotate so that the lifting arm swings horizontally, so that the lifting arm has a storage position swinging to below the traction pin and a working position extending toward the connecting arm. The upper and lower ends of the vertical rotating shaft are respectively mounted on the first mounting base and the second mounting base, and the other end of the lifting arm is located between the first mounting base and the second mounting base. The first mounting base is provided with a third proximity switch and a fourth proximity switch arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. The third proximity switch is used to detect the storage position, and the fourth proximity switch is used to detect the working position. The second motor is mounted on the first mounting base, the upper end of the vertical rotation shaft is connected to the output end of the second motor, the front end of the rotating shaft bracket is sleeved on the outside of the vertical rotation shaft, and the first motor is mounted on one side of the rotating shaft bracket.

2. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trigger element forms a first angle with the lifting arm; and / or The trigger element is a guide roller.

3. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the first working position, the lifting arm forms a second angle with the rear end face of the unmanned tractor; the second angle is an obtuse angle.

4. A lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the second working position, the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the unmanned tractor, and the extension direction of the lifting arm is parallel to the connecting arm. After the lifting arm drives the connecting arm to be raised to a height where the connecting arm is perpendicular to the towing pin, the lifting arm slides along the lower surface of the connecting arm to maintain the height of the connecting arm as the unmanned tractor gradually approaches the trailer. The unmanned tractor is equipped with a visual sensor at the rear to monitor the alignment of the traction pin and the traction ring.

5. An unmanned tractor unit, characterized in that, Including the lifting device and the automatic insertion / removal traction device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the automatic insertion / removal traction device includes a traction pin and a driving member for driving the traction pin to rise and fall, wherein when the traction ring reaches directly below the traction pin, the driving member drives the traction pin to insert into the traction ring. To connect the trailer to the driverless tractor; The unmanned tractor is equipped with a distance sensor to measure the distance between the unmanned tractor and the trailer. When the distance between the two is a preset distance, the drive mechanism drives the lifting component to move.

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