An axial freight manipulator and robot

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology and discloses an axial freight manipulator, including a base plate; a swing arm mechanism for controlling the axial transport of goods; a posture conversion mechanism for controlling the operating posture of the gripped goods; and a switching mechanism for controlling the mutual linkage between the swing arm mechanism and the posture conversion mechanism. This axial freight manipulator and robot, through the mutual linkage of the swing arm mechanism and the posture conversion mechanism, can perform aerial axial transfer of goods gripped by the manipulator. It allows for lateral transfer while simultaneously rotating the gripped goods by 90 degrees, thereby changing the placement angle of the goods and enabling multiple posture conversions of the goods. This improves the applicability of the overall freight process, achieving both relative positional transfer and cargo flipping transfer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to an axial freight robotic arm and robot. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, for the transportation of foreign trade goods, goods need to be neatly arranged before loading onto trucks or ships. However, when goods are transported from warehouses by locomotives or transport vehicles, manual handling is often required, which is inefficient and difficult to achieve with tall vehicles. With the continuous development of automation technology, robotic arms and other handling methods have gradually become the main means of loading goods. However, robotic arms can only achieve short-distance transport. Furthermore, while they are fast at grasping goods with uniform orientation, they struggle to quickly transfer goods with varying orientations. Additionally, some conventional robotic arms cannot be used interchangeably for different cargo handling postures, and the overall shape of the goods also varies. Changing grippers is time-consuming and labor-intensive, delaying cargo transfer efficiency. Given the significant limitations of robotic arms, this paper proposes an axial freight robotic arm and robot to address these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an axial freight manipulator and robot, solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an axial freight manipulator, comprising a base plate; a swing arm mechanism for controlling the axial transport of goods; a posture conversion mechanism for controlling the operating posture of the gripped goods; and a switching mechanism for controlling the mutual linkage between the swing arm mechanism and the posture conversion mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, the swing arm mechanism includes a power component and a clamping component;

[0008] The power assembly includes a drive motor, the output end of which is connected to a drive gear, a gear sleeve meshing with the drive gear, one end of which is connected to a swing arm, and a connecting arm is mounted on the swing arm.

[0009] Preferably, the clamping assembly includes a rotating bracket, on which a transverse gripper, a suction cup gripper, and a hook are mounted, and the clamping assembly is connected to the swing arm mechanism via a posture conversion mechanism.

[0010] Preferably, the attitude conversion mechanism includes a connecting shaft, one end of which is connected to a pulley, which is connected to a second pulley via a belt. A support shaft is connected to the axis of the second pulley, which is rotatably connected to the connecting arm. One end of the support shaft is connected to a rotating bracket.

[0011] Preferably, the switching mechanism includes a cylinder, the output end of the cylinder is connected to a connecting sleeve, the inside of the connecting sleeve is connected to a bearing sleeve, a linkage sleeve is installed on the bearing sleeve, the linkage sleeve is slidably connected to a gear sleeve through a keyway, a sliding key that cooperates with the linkage sleeve is provided on the connecting shaft, and one end of the connecting shaft is connected to a vertical plate.

[0012] Preferably, two limiting clamps are rotatably connected to the upright plate, and the two limiting clamps are in contact with the connecting shaft. A connecting spring is connected to one side of the limiting clamp, and the other end of the connecting spring is connected to the upright plate.

[0013] Preferably, a support frame is connected to the connecting sleeve, and the support frame is located between two limiting clamps.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes a tightening mechanism, which includes a fixed base plate, a fixed pull rod connected to the fixed base plate, a support spring sleeved on the surface of the fixed pull rod, a spring pressure plate connected to the bottom of the support spring, a rotating frame in contact with the bottom of the spring pressure plate, a pressure wheel installed on the rotating frame, a central rod rotatably connected to the rotating frame, and the central rod connected to the connecting arm.

[0015] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an axial freight manipulator and robot, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. This axial freight manipulator and robot, through the mutual linkage of the swing arm mechanism and the posture conversion mechanism, can perform aerial axial transfer of goods held by the manipulator. It can perform lateral transfer while also rotating the held goods 90 degrees, thereby changing the placement angle of the goods and realizing multiple posture conversions of the goods. This improves the applicability of the equipment in the overall freight process, and can realize both transfer with the relative position unchanged and transfer with the goods flipped.

[0018] 2. This axial freight manipulator and robot, through its clamping components, can directly switch grippers to handle the transfer of different types of goods, directly avoiding the need to change grippers, thereby improving efficiency and convenience in the freight transfer process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall side structure of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall rear structure of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the swing arm mechanism of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the switching mechanism of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting shaft structure of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the linkage sleeve connection structure of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a switching mechanism for an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism of an axial freight manipulator and robot proposed in this invention.

[0027] In the diagram: 1. Base plate; 2. Vertical plate; 3. Swing arm mechanism; 301. Drive motor; 302. Drive gear; 303. Gear sleeve; 304. Swing arm; 305. Connecting arm; 306. Rotating bracket; 307. Lateral gripper; 308. Suction cup gripper; 309. Hook; 4. Attitude conversion mechanism; 401. Connecting shaft; 402. Belt pulley one; 403. Belt pulley two; 404. Support shaft; 5. Switching mechanism; 501. Cylinder; 502. Connecting sleeve; 503. Linkage sleeve; 504. Bearing sleeve; 505. Limit clamp; 506. Connecting spring; 507. Spreading frame; 6. Fastening mechanism; 601. Fixed base plate; 602. Fixed tie rod; 603. Support spring; 604. Spring pressure plate; 605. Rotating frame; 606. Pressure roller; 607. Center rod. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Please see Figure 1-8 An axial freight manipulator includes a base plate; a swing arm mechanism 3 for controlling the axial transport of goods; the swing arm mechanism 3 includes a power assembly and a clamping assembly.

[0030] Please see Figure 3 The power assembly includes a drive motor 301, the output end of which is connected to a drive gear 302. A gear sleeve 303 meshes with the drive gear 302, and one end of the gear sleeve 303 is connected to a swing arm 304. A connecting arm 305 is mounted on the swing arm 304. By rotating the drive motor 301 forward and backward, the swing arm 304 and the connecting arm 305 will rotate, which in turn drives the clamping assembly on the rotating bracket 306 to perform 180-degree axial material transfer, transferring the material from one side of the swing arm 304 to the other side, thereby realizing the axial transfer of the material.

[0031] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 The clamping assembly includes a rotating bracket 306, on which a transverse gripper 307, a suction cup gripper 308, and a hook 309 are mounted. The clamping assembly is connected to the swing arm mechanism 3 via a posture conversion mechanism 4. The transverse gripper 307, driven by the extension and retraction of a cylinder, opens or retracts two clamping rods to clamp the material. For wider materials, the suction cup gripper 308 is used to directly adsorb and grip them. The hook 309 is used for lifting and transferring materials. Therefore, it can switch between clamping different types of materials without disassembling the grippers, making operation extremely simple.

[0032] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 3-4 The attitude conversion mechanism 4 is used to control the running attitude of the clamped goods;

[0033] The attitude conversion mechanism 4 includes a connecting shaft 401, one end of which is connected to a pulley 402. The pulley 402 is connected to a second pulley 403 via a belt. A support shaft 404 is connected to the axis of the second pulley 403. The support shaft 404 is rotatably connected to the connecting arm 305, and one end of the support shaft 404 is connected to the rotating bracket 306. When the swing arm 304 rotates, it will drive the second pulley 403 to rotate. Through the belt connection, the support shaft 404 will also rotate, thus ensuring that the relative vertical position of the material held by the clamping assembly does not change. Because both the swing arm 304 and the support shaft 404 rotate, the two rotation angles cancel each other out, and the relative vertical angle during material transfer remains unchanged. If it is necessary to change the angle of the cargo in the air and flip the landing point for transportation, it is necessary to control the rotation of pulley 402, and then use the belt drive to rotate pulley 403. So when the swing arm 304 and pulley 403 rotate alone, the axial rotational force cancels out. However, when pulley 402 rotates again, it will drive pulley 403 to rotate again, thus eliminating the rotational force cancellation. Therefore, when the cargo is transferred, the air posture will be changed during the handling process, and the relative position of the material will be changed after it is transferred to the landing point.

[0034] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 4-7 The switching mechanism 5 controls the linkage between the swing arm mechanism 3 and the posture conversion mechanism 4. The switching mechanism 5 includes a cylinder 501, the output end of which is connected to a connecting sleeve 502. A bearing sleeve 504 is connected inside the connecting sleeve 502, and a linkage sleeve 503 is mounted on the bearing sleeve 504. The linkage sleeve 503 is slidably connected to the gear sleeve 303 via a keyway. When the drive motor 301 rotates, it drives the gear sleeve 303 to rotate, which in turn drives the linkage sleeve 503 to rotate. The linkage sleeve 503, connected by the keyway, also drives the connecting shaft 401 to rotate, which in turn drives the pulley 402 to rotate. The connecting shaft 401 is equipped with a sliding key that cooperates with the linkage sleeve 503. One end of the connecting shaft 401 is connected to a vertical plate 2. Therefore, the linkage sleeve 503 ultimately plays a linkage role, causing the driving rotational force to synchronously drive the rotation of the connecting shaft 401, ultimately converting the posture of the material.

[0035] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 7Two limiting clamps 505 are rotatably connected to the upright plate 2, and the two limiting clamps 505 are in contact with the connecting shaft 401. A connecting spring 506 is connected to one side of the limiting clamp 505, and the other end of the connecting spring 506 is connected to the upright plate 2. The spring provides clamping force to drive the limiting clamp 505 to clamp the connecting shaft 401, thereby limiting the position of the connecting shaft 401 and preventing it from rotating when it is not needed, which would cause the material to deviate from its landing position. A spreading frame 507 is connected to the connecting sleeve 502, and the spreading frame 507 is located between the two limiting clamps 505. During the extension of the cylinder 501, the connecting sleeve 502 will drive the spreading frame 507 to move laterally, and then contact the two limiting clamps 505. The inclined surface of the spreading frame 507 will slide and spread the two limiting clamps 505, thus limiting the connection shaft 401. This ensures that the rotation of the connecting shaft 401 is not restricted.

[0036] In addition, please see Figure 8 The tightening mechanism 6 includes a fixed base plate 601, a fixed pull rod 602 connected to the fixed base plate 601, a support spring 603 sleeved on the surface of the fixed pull rod 602, a spring pressure plate 604 connected to the bottom of the support spring 603, a rotating frame 605 in contact with the bottom of the spring pressure plate 604, a pressure roller 606 mounted on the rotating frame 605, and a central rod 607 rotatably connected to the rotating frame 605, which is connected to the connecting arm 305. The tightening mechanism 6 mainly tightens the belt because it may loosen during long-term use. If the belt loosens, the entire robotic arm will fail. Therefore, when the belt loosens, the support spring 603 applies elastic force to the spring pressure plate 604. The spring pressure plate 604 provides relative rotational force to the two rotating frames 605, thereby controlling the two pressure rollers 606 to compress and tighten the belt, thus achieving automatic belt tightening and maintaining the overall stability of the robotic arm.

[0037] This invention provides a robot comprising a robotic arm formed in any of the above embodiments. The robotic arm is mounted on the robot's end effector. It is understood that the robot's end effector includes the end of the robot having a robotic arm. The robotic arm in this embodiment has the same structure and function as the robotic arms in the above embodiments, and will not be described again here.

[0038] The working principle is as follows: First, the drive motor 301 is started, which in turn controls the drive gear 302 to drive the gear sleeve 303 to rotate. The rotation of the gear sleeve 303 will drive the swing arm 304 and the connecting arm 305 to rotate, which will then drive the clamping assembly on the rotating bracket 306 to perform 180-degree axial material transfer, transferring the material from one side of the swing arm 304 to the other side. When the connecting shaft 401 is clamped and fixed by the two limit clamps 505, the first pulley 402 will not rotate, achieving relative fixation. At this time, when the swing arm 304 rotates, it will drive the second pulley 403 to rotate. Through the connection between the belts, the support shaft 404 will also rotate, so that the relative vertical position of the material clamped by the clamping assembly will not change. Because the swing arm 304 rotates and the support shaft 404 also rotates, the two rotation angles will cancel each other out, and the relative vertical angle will not change during the material transfer process. If the cargo requires aerial angle conversion and landing point flipping during transport, directly controlling the extension of cylinder 501 will cause connecting sleeve 502 to slide out of gear sleeve 303. This will then cause the internal linkage sleeve 503 to connect with the sliding key at the tail of connecting shaft 401, forming a unified connection. During the extension of cylinder 501, connecting sleeve 502 will cause the spreading frame 507 to move laterally, then contact the two limit clamps 505. Using its inclined surface, the two limit clamps 505 are slidably spread open, contacting the limit on connecting shaft 401. At this time, when the drive motor 301 rotates, it drives the gear sleeve 303 to rotate, simultaneously driving the linkage... The rotation of the moving sleeve 503, connected by the keyway, will also drive the rotation of the connecting shaft 401. The connecting shaft 401 will then drive the rotation of pulley 402, thus transmitting power to the belt and causing pulley 403 to rotate. Therefore, when the swing arm 304 and pulley 403 rotate individually, the axial rotational forces cancel each other out. However, when pulley 402 rotates again, it will drive pulley 403 to rotate simultaneously, thus dissolving the rotational force cancellation. Therefore, when transferring goods, the robot will undergo aerial posture changes during transport, altering its relative position after reaching its destination. This enables multi-posture switching for material transfer, improving the overall applicability of the robot.Furthermore, depending on the shape and type of the goods, the initial rotation of the connecting shaft 401 can be controlled. Through the transmission between the pulleys, the rotation of the support shaft 404 will be driven, which in turn will drive the rotation of the rotating bracket 306. The rotating bracket 306 is equipped with various "grippers," including a horizontal gripper 307, which is driven by the extension and retraction of the cylinder to open or retract the two clamping rods, thereby clamping the materials. For some wider materials, the suction cup gripper 308 is used to directly adsorb and clamp them. The hook 309 is used for lifting and transferring some materials. Therefore, it is possible to switch between clamping different types of materials without disassembling the grippers, making the operation extremely simple.

[0039] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

Claims

1. An axial freight manipulator, characterized in that: include Base plate; The swing arm mechanism (3) is used to control the axial transport of goods; The attitude conversion mechanism (4) is used to control the running attitude of the clamped goods; The switching mechanism (5) is used to control the mutual linkage between the swing arm mechanism (3) and the attitude conversion mechanism (4); The swing arm mechanism (3) includes a power component and a clamping component; The power assembly includes a drive motor (301), the output end of which is connected to a drive gear (302), a gear sleeve (303) meshing on the drive gear (302), a swing arm (304) connected to one end of the gear sleeve (303), and a connecting arm (305) mounted on the swing arm (304). The clamping assembly includes a rotating bracket (306), on which a transverse gripper (307), a suction cup gripper (308), and a hook (309) are mounted. The clamping assembly is connected to the swing arm mechanism (3) via a posture conversion mechanism (4). The attitude conversion mechanism (4) includes a connecting shaft (401), one end of which is connected to a pulley (402), the pulley (402) being connected to a pulley (403) via a belt, a support shaft (404) being connected to the shaft center of the pulley (403), the support shaft (404) being rotatably connected to the connecting arm (305), and one end of the support shaft (404) being connected to the rotating bracket (306). The switching mechanism (5) includes a cylinder (501), the output end of the cylinder (501) is connected to a connecting sleeve (502), the inside of the connecting sleeve (502) is connected to a bearing sleeve (504), a linkage sleeve (503) is installed on the bearing sleeve (504), the linkage sleeve (503) is slidably connected to the gear sleeve (303) through a keyway, a sliding key that cooperates with the linkage sleeve (503) is provided on the connecting shaft (401), and one end of the connecting shaft (401) is connected to a vertical plate (2). Two limiting clamps (505) are rotatably connected to the upright plate (2), and the two limiting clamps (505) are in contact with the connecting shaft (401). A connecting spring (506) is connected to one side of the limiting clamp (505), and the other end of the connecting spring (506) is connected to the upright plate (2).

2. The axial freight manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support frame (507) is connected to the connecting sleeve (502), and the support frame (507) is located between two limiting clamps (505).

3. The axial freight manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a tightening mechanism (6), which includes a fixed base plate (601), a fixed pull rod (602) connected to the fixed base plate (601), a support spring (603) sleeved on the surface of the fixed pull rod (602), a spring pressure plate (604) connected to the bottom of the support spring (603), a rotating frame (605) in contact with the bottom of the spring pressure plate (604), a pressure wheel (606) installed on the rotating frame (605), a central rod (607) rotatably connected to the rotating frame (605), and the central rod (607) connected to the connecting arm (305).

4. A robot, characterized in that: Applied to an axial freight manipulator as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; the manipulator is mounted on the end effector of the robot.

5. A robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a sensing component that is electrically connected to the end effector and the axial freight machinery.

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