A folding AGV handling robot and its usage method

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of handling robots. It relates to a folding AGV handling robot and its usage method. The folding AGV handling robot includes a folding connecting frame and two support frames; the two support frames and the folding connecting frame form a portal structure, and the distance between the two support frames is adjusted through the folding connecting frame; a lifting mechanism is further provided between the two support frames, and the lifting mechanism is used for hoisting in the middle of the workpiece and can slide between the two support frames to adjust the hoisting position; vertically arranged direct lifting devices are provided on the opposite sides of the two support frames for hoisting the sides of the workpiece, and through the cooperation of the direct lifting devices on both sides of the workpiece, the adjustment of the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece is realized. The folding AGV handling robot in the present invention integrates the functions of lifting, transporting, hoisting, and walking of materials, and can also meet the alignment adjustment of the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece; the equipment can adaptively change, minimizing the waste of the operation space to the greatest extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of handling robots, and relates to a folding AGV handling robot and its usage method. Background Art

[0002] An AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) intelligent handling robot or an AGV trolley mainly focuses on automatic logistics handling and transportation. The AGV intelligent handling robot automatically transports items to a designated location through special landmark navigation. The most common guiding methods include magnetic stripe guiding, laser guiding, RFID guiding, etc.

[0003] Currently, most AGV handling robots are actually transportation robots, that is, it is necessary to use lifting equipment or manually move the workpiece from a platform or the ground onto the transportation robot or the tray of the transportation robot, and then the transportation robot transports it to the designated location, which can achieve unmanned transportation; this handling technology generally requires more than two types of tooling to operate on the workpiece, and there are also requirements for the lifting height of the workpiece. Especially for the handling of heavy products, heavy lifting equipment is required. The workpiece must be lifted above the height of the transportation robot, and then when it reaches the designated location, lifting equipment is still needed to unload it. The main problems are low efficiency, large workload, a lot of repetitive labor, large lifting height, and inability to match the position during assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a folding AGV handling robot and its usage method.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A folding AGV handling robot includes a folding connecting frame and two support frames respectively connected to both ends of the folding connecting frame; both of the two support frames are arranged below the folding connecting frame, forming a gantry structure with the folding connecting frame, and the distance between the two support frames is adjusted through the folding connecting frame.

[0007] A lifting mechanism is further arranged between the two support frames. The lifting mechanism is slidably arranged below the folding connecting frame and is used for hoisting in the middle of the workpiece, and can slide between the two support frames to adjust the hoisting position; vertically arranged direct-lift hoisting devices are arranged on the opposite sides of the two support frames respectively and are used for hoisting the side of the workpiece, and through the cooperation of the direct-lift hoisting devices on both sides of the workpiece, the adjustment of the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece is realized.

[0008] Furthermore, the foldable connecting frame includes a support body, an adjusting nut, and an adjusting screw; there are two support bodies, which are fixed on two support frames respectively, and the adjusting nut is fixed on one of the support bodies. One end of the adjusting screw is threadedly engaged with the adjusting nut, and the other end is rotatably provided on the other support body, and the distance between the two support bodies is changed by rotating the adjusting screw.

[0009] Furthermore, the support body includes a connecting seat and a crossbeam; the connecting seat is fixedly connected to the support frame, one end of the crossbeam is fixedly provided on the connecting seat, and the crossbeam is provided with a mounting hole for installing the vertical lifting device; the crossbeams on the two connecting seats are slidably connected, and one of the crossbeams is provided with a guide rail, and the lifting mechanism is slidably provided on the guide rail.

[0010] Furthermore, the length of the guide rail and the crossbeam provided with the guide rail are both greater than half of the maximum distance between the two connecting seats. When the guide rail passes through the midpoint, the vehicle body can be rotated to achieve lifting at any position.

[0011] Furthermore, a connecting plate is provided between the two connecting seats, and a connecting rod is provided between the two connecting seats and the connecting plate. One end of the connecting rod is hinged to the connecting plate, and the other end is hinged to the connecting seat.

[0012] Furthermore, one or more vertical lifting devices arranged side by side are respectively provided on the two support frames.

[0013] Furthermore, the vertical lifting device includes a lifting motor, a lifting guide rail, and a lifting tool; the lifting guide rail is fixed on the support frame; the lifting tool is slidably arranged on the lifting guide rail for lifting the workpiece; the lifting motor is arranged at one end of the lifting guide rail and is connected to the lifting tool through a screw to drive the lifting tool to rise and fall.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a navigator and a power supply system; the navigator and the power supply system are both arranged on the support frame; the navigator is used to cooperate with the on-site navigation device to complete movement and control; the power supply system is used to supply power to the entire robot; support wheels and steering wheels for driving the support frame to move are provided under the support frame, and the steering wheel is rotatably connected to the support frame for steering control of the support frame; the lifting mechanism, the vertical lifting device support wheel and the steering wheel are all connected to the navigator and controlled by the navigator.

[0015] A method for using the foldable AGV transport robot as described above, directly utilizing the lifting mechanism and / or vertical lifting device on the foldable AGV transport robot to lift materials, achieve single-point or multi-point lifting, and transport them to a designated location;

[0016] Before transportation or after use, adjust the distance between the two support frames of the folding AGV handling robot through the folding connection frame to adapt to different storage and transportation space requirements;

[0017] When used for material assembly, according to the required assembly angle, adjust the displacement of the two-sided vertical lifting devices to meet the requirements of the required assembly azimuth angle of the component, and transport the component to the designated assembly material location to achieve material assembly at the required position.

[0018] Furthermore, use multiple folding AGV handling robots to lift a material simultaneously, and use multiple vertical lifting devices or lifting mechanisms to lift the workpiece off the ground to achieve multi-machine linkage of the material.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0020] 1) The folding AGV handling robot in the present invention can not only meet the handling function but also the transportation function, and at the same time can meet the alignment adjustment of the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece during assembly; the equipment can be self-adaptive and change, minimizing the waste of the operation space. It realizes the improvement of handling efficiency and assembly efficiency, and can be widely used in the assembly of discrete products, intelligent handling, and the repair and maintenance of field equipment.

[0021] 2) The folding AGV handling robot in the present invention combines intelligent navigation technology, steering wheel steering technology, folding and telescoping technology, and various lifting technologies. It has intelligent navigation and multi-mode lifting, and can also adopt multi-machine combination to realize the functions of lifting, transporting, hanging, and walking of materials. It can be widely used in the alignment function of material handling, transportation, and assembly, and can be widely used in intelligent material handling, the assembly of discrete products, the intelligent assembly of discrete products, the intelligent repair of field materials, etc.

[0022] 3) Two types of lifting devices are adopted in the present invention to achieve multi-point lifting. The axial inclination angle can be controlled for two-point lifting, and the plane inclination angle can be controlled for three-point lifting. It can meet the parallel synchronous lifting of materials, and can also perform multi-position inclined synchronous lifting to meet the adjustment of various assembly positions and postures. In addition, a vision system can be configured to meet the automatic docking and alignment of components.

[0023] 4) The folding AGV handling robot in the present invention uses its own lifting mechanism to lift the workpiece, without the need to adopt other lifting equipment. The vertical lifting device can achieve large-tonnage and small-stroke lifting, and only needs to lift the workpiece off the ground.

[0024] Other advantages, objects, and features of the present invention will be described to some extent in the subsequent description, and to some extent, will be obvious to those skilled in the art based on the study of the following text, or can be taught from the practice of the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention can be achieved and obtained through the following description. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in detail preferably with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the folding AGV handling robot in the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the folding connecting frame in the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support body in the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vertical lifting device in the present invention.

[0030] Reference numerals: 1 - steering wheel; 2 - support wheel; 3 - support frame; 4 - navigator; 5 - lifting mechanism; 6 - folding connecting frame; 7 - vertical lifting device; 8 - power system; 3.1 - cushion block; 6.1 - support body; 6.2 - adjusting nut; 6.3 - connecting rod; 6.4 - connecting plate; 6.5 - adjusting screw; 6.1.1 - connecting seat; 6.1.2 - ear seat; 6.1.3 - cross beam; 7.1 - lifting tool; 7.2 - lifting guide rail; 7.3 - lifting motor. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0031] The following specific examples illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments. Various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the drawings provided in the following embodiments only illustrate the basic concept of the present invention schematically. Without conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0032] Among them, the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes, showing only schematic diagrams rather than actual pictures, and should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention; in order to better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some components in the accompanying drawings will be omitted, enlarged or reduced, which do not represent the dimensions of the actual product; for those skilled in the art, it is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions in the accompanying drawings may be omitted.

[0033] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components; in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc. indicating the orientation or positional relationship, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing the positional relationship in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0034] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , which is a folding AGV handling robot, including a folding connecting frame 6, and two support frames 3, a navigator 4, and a power system 8 respectively connected to both ends of the folding connecting frame 6; both support frames 3 are arranged below the folding connecting frame 6, forming a gantry structure with the folding connecting frame 6, and the distance between the two support frames 3 is adjusted through the folding connecting frame 6; a lifting mechanism 5 is also arranged between the two support frames 3. The lifting mechanism 5 is slidably arranged below the folding connecting frame 6 for hoisting in the middle of the workpiece and can slide between the two support frames 3 to adjust the hoisting position; vertical lifting devices 7 are arranged on the opposite sides of the two support frames 3 for hoisting the sides of the workpiece, and through the cooperation of the vertical lifting devices 7 on both sides of the workpiece, the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece is adjusted. The navigator 4 and the power system 8 are both installed on the support frame 3; the navigator 4 is used to cooperate with the on-site navigation device to complete movement and control; the power system 8 is used to supply power to the entire robot; support wheels 2 and a steering wheel 1 for driving the support frame 3 to move are installed below the support frame 3. The steering wheel 1 is rotatably connected to the support frame 3 for steering control of the support frame 3; the lifting mechanism 5, the vertical lifting device 7, the support wheels 2, and the steering wheel 1 are all connected to the navigator 4 and are controlled by the navigator 4.

[0035] A plurality of cushion blocks 3.1 are installed at the bottom of the support frame 3. The cushion blocks 3.1 are located between the material and the support frame 3. When the weight of the material is large, the support frame 3 will undergo rigid deformation under the pulling force of the material. Both ends of the cushion block 3.1 are respectively supported on the material and the support frame 3 to prevent the support frame 3 from shrinking inward.

[0036] In this embodiment, the foldable connecting frame 6 includes a support body 6.1, an adjusting nut 6.2, and an adjusting screw 6.5; there are two support bodies 6.1, which are fixedly set on two support frames 3 respectively, and an adjusting nut 6.2 is fixedly installed on one of the support bodies 6.1, one end of the adjusting screw 6.5 is threadedly engaged with the adjusting nut 6.2, and the other end is rotatably installed on the other support body 6.1. The motor connected to the adjusting screw 6.5 drives the adjusting screw 6.5 to rotate, thereby changing the distance between the two support bodies 6.1.

[0037] The support body 6.1 includes a connecting base 6.1.1 and a crossbeam 6.1.3. The connecting base 6.1.1 is fixedly connected to the support frame 3. One end of the crossbeam 6.1.3 is fixedly mounted on the connecting base 6.1.1. The crossbeam 6.1.3 is provided with a mounting hole for mounting the vertical lifting device 7. The crossbeams 6.1.3 on the two connecting bases 6.1.1 are slidably connected to each other, and one of the crossbeams 6.1.3 is mounted with a guide rail, on which the lifting mechanism 5 is slidably mounted. The length of the guide rail and the crossbeam 6.1.3 mounted with the guide rail are both greater than half the maximum distance between the two connecting bases 6.1.1.

[0038] Among them, a connecting plate 6.4 is further provided between the two connecting seats 6.1.1, and a connecting rod 6.3 is provided between the two connecting seats 6.1.1 and the connecting plate 6.4. One end of the connecting rod 6.3 is hinged to the connecting plate 6.4, and the other end is hinged to the connecting seat 6.1.1.

[0039] One or more vertical lifting devices 7 arranged side by side can be installed on the two support frames 3 as needed. The vertical lifting devices 7 include a lifting motor 7.3, a lifting rail 7.2, and a lifting tool 7.1. The lifting rail 7.2 is fixed to the support frames 3. The lifting tool 7.1 slides on the lifting rail 7.2 for lifting workpieces. The lifting motor 7.3 is installed at one end of the lifting rail 7.2 and is connected to the lifting tool 7.1 via a screw to drive the lifting tool 7.1 up and down.

[0040] The lifting mechanism 5 in this embodiment adopts existing technology and is mainly composed of a drive device, a transmission device, a drum, a pulley block, a lifting device and a braking device. In addition, various auxiliary devices can be installed, such as a lifting height limiter, a torque limiter, a three-turn protection and other safety devices. The torque limiter is becoming increasingly important, especially on medium and large tonnage cranes. The drive device includes components such as an electric motor, a coupling, a brake, a reducer, and a drum. The wire rope winding system includes a wire rope, a drum, a fixed pulley and a movable pulley. The lifting device includes various types such as hooks, lifting rings, grabs, electromagnetic suction cups, slings, and hanging beams. Safety protection devices include overload limiters, lifting height limiters, lowering depth limiters, overspeed protection switches, etc.

[0041] The usage method of the folding AGV handling robot in this embodiment directly uses the lifting mechanism 5 and / or the vertical lifting device 7 on the folding AGV handling robot to lift the materials, realizing single-point or multi-point lifting, and transporting them to the designated position; before handling or after use, the distance between the two support frames 3 of the folding AGV handling robot is adjusted through the folding connecting frame 6 to adapt to different storage and transportation space requirements; when used for material assembly, according to the required assembly angle, the displacement of the vertical lifting devices 7 on both sides is adjusted to meet the requirements of the required assembly azimuth angle of the components, and the components are transported to the designated assembly material location, and the material assembly is realized at the required position. Multiple folding AGV handling robots are also used to lift a material at the same time, and the workpieces are lifted off the ground by multiple vertical lifting devices 7 or lifting mechanisms 5 to realize the multi-machine linkage of the materials.

[0042] Application examples:

[0043] (1) Handling of floor-standing materials: The folding AGV handling robot moves to above the handling object along the specified trajectory of the navigator 4, uses intermediate lifting and side lifting to lift the materials, and then transports the materials to the designated position along the specified trajectory.

[0044] (2) Handling and assembly: The folding AGV handling robot moves to the designated position along the trajectory, uses the vertical lifting device 7 to lift the component to be assembled, adjusts the left and right vertical lifting displacements according to the required assembly angle to realize the assembly azimuth angle of the component, transports the component to the designated assembly material location, and realizes the material assembly at the required position.

[0045] (3) Multi-machine linkage: Two or more folding AGV handling robots move to above the transfer object along the corresponding trajectories, and use the vertical lifting device 7 or the lifting devices to cooperate to lift the workpiece off the ground to realize the multi-machine linkage of the materials.

[0046] (4) Application of fixed-position assembly: The main machine is fixed, the folding AGV handling robot moves to above the component, lifts the workpiece, then moves to above the assembled main machine, installs the component at the designated position, and the folding AGV handling robot leaves the main machine assembly position and enters the next cycle.

[0047] (5) Folding storage and transportation or adjustment of the main machine size: According to the size of the main machine, the folding connecting frame 6 is started to change the distance between the left and right support frames 3, so as to adapt to different main machine assembly spaces; when the AGV vehicle completes the production task, the folding connecting frame 6 is started to fold the AGV vehicle to meet the requirements of the storage and transportation space.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technical solution, and they should all be covered by the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding AGV handling robot, characterized in that: It includes a folding connecting frame and two support frames respectively connected to both ends of the folding connecting frame; both of the two support frames are arranged below the folding connecting frame, forming a portal structure with the folding connecting frame, and the distance between the two support frames is adjusted through the folding connecting frame; below the support frame, there are support wheels and steering wheels for driving the support frame to move, and the steering wheel is rotatably connected to the support frame for controlling the steering of the support frame; There is also a lifting mechanism between the two support frames. The lifting mechanism is slidably arranged below the folding connecting frame for hoisting the middle of the workpiece and can slide between the two support frames to adjust the hoisting position; on the opposite sides of the two support frames, there are vertically arranged direct-lift hoisting devices for hoisting the sides of the workpiece, and through the cooperation of the direct-lift hoisting devices on both sides of the workpiece, the adjustment of the assembly azimuth angle of the workpiece is realized; The folding connecting frame includes a support body, an adjusting nut, and an adjusting screw rod; there are two support bodies, which are respectively fixed on the two support frames. The adjusting nut is fixedly arranged on one of the support bodies, one end of the adjusting screw rod is in threaded cooperation with the adjusting nut, and the other end is rotatably arranged on the other support body. The distance between the two support bodies is changed by rotating the adjusting screw rod; one or more of the direct-lift hoisting devices are arranged side by side on the two support frames respectively.

2. The foldable AGV handling robot according to claim 1, wherein: The support body includes a connecting seat and a cross beam; the connecting seat is fixedly connected to the support frame, one end of the cross beam is fixedly arranged on the connecting seat, and there is an installation hole for installing the direct-lift hoisting device on the cross beam; the cross beams between the two connecting seats are slidably connected, and there is a guide rail on one of the cross beams, and the lifting mechanism is slidably arranged on the guide rail.

3. The foldable AGV handling robot according to claim 2, wherein: The length of the guide rail and the cross beam provided with the guide rail are both greater than half of the maximum distance between the two connecting seats.

4. The foldable AGV handling robot according to claim 2, wherein: There is also a connecting plate between the two connecting seats, and connecting rods are arranged between the two connecting seats and the connecting plate. One end of the connecting rod is hinged to the connecting plate, and the other end is hinged to the connecting seat.

5. The folding AGV handling robot according to claim 1, wherein: The direct-lift hoisting device includes a lifting motor, a lifting guide rail, and a lifting tool; the lifting guide rail is fixedly arranged on the support frame; the lifting tool is slidably arranged on the lifting guide rail for hoisting the workpiece; the lifting motor is arranged at one end of the lifting guide rail and is connected to the lifting tool through a lead screw to drive the lifting tool to lift and lower.

6. The foldable AGV handling robot according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a navigator and a power supply system; both the navigator and the power supply system are arranged on the support frame; the navigator is used to cooperate with the on-site navigation device to complete movement and control; the power supply system is used to supply power to the entire robot; the lifting mechanism, the direct-lift hoisting device, the support wheels, and the steering wheels are all connected to the navigator and are controlled by the navigator.

7. A method for using the folding AGV handling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Directly use the lifting mechanism and / or the direct-lift hoisting device on the folding AGV handling robot to lift the materials, realize single-point or multi-point hoisting, and transport them to the designated position; Before handling or after use, adjust the distance between the two support frames of the folding AGV handling robot through the folding connection frame to meet the requirements of different storage and transportation space; When used for material assembly, according to the required assembly angle, adjust the displacement of the two side vertical lifting devices to meet the requirements of the required assembly azimuth angle of the component, transport the component to the designated assembly material location, and realize material assembly at the required position.

8. The method for using the folding AGV handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: Use multiple of the above-mentioned folding AGV handling robots to lift a material at the same time, and use multiple vertical lifting devices or lifting mechanisms to cooperate to lift the workpiece off the ground to achieve multi-machine linkage of the material.

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