AGV fork truck for carrying whole pallets of containers

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of AGV fork trucks of handling whole pallets turnover box, belong to logistics device and AGV technical field;Contain chassis, portal, clamping mechanism and pallet fork, drive pallet fork move backward and downward, insert the bottom of whole pallets turnover box, drive pallet fork move upward and forward, lift and move forward whole pallets turnover box, enter the inside of clamping mechanism, carry out clamping and locking.Portal is hinged with clamping mechanism, limit its limit position;Clamping mechanism does not have to adjust up and down position, can improve overall rigidity.Clamping mechanism generates transverse clamping force, so that whole pallets turnover box is clamped and becomes a whole, automatically adapt the angle deviation and offset deviation of whole pallets turnover box, obtain flexible clamping effect and sway damping;Can regulate and control clamping force, save clamping energy, and ensure the stability and safety of handling process.Chassis contains fork rest, rear support rod and front support rod;Rear support rod and front support rod are respectively hinged with fork rest and pallet fork, and provide support, can reduce mass, improve structural strength.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to AGV forklifts, particularly for transporting turnover boxes, and belongs to the technical field of logistics devices and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles). Background Technology

[0002] AGV forklifts, also known as electric forklifts, unmanned forklifts, or automated forklifts, are products that combine forklifts or pallet trucks with AGV technology. Based on their structural characteristics, AGV forklifts are divided into stacker AGVs and pallet jack AGVs. Stacker AGVs use a traditional forklift structure with cantilever beam forks, enabling them to move up, down, tilt, and forward / backward, facilitating loading, unloading, and stacking operations. Pallet jack AGVs use a traditional pallet jack (also known as a pallet truck or pallet trolley) structure with simply supported beam forks and wheels at the rear of the forks, facilitating the handling of goods in warehouses, shopping malls, or freight yards.

[0003] With the rapid development of e-commerce, the volume of express delivery business has surged. To reduce damage to packages during unpacking, sorting, and packaging, express delivery transfer stations and agents commonly use turnover boxes and AGVs for temporary transport of packages within the workplace. Because turnover boxes are rigid and provide support, they effectively prevent excessive localized stress on packages, significantly reducing the likelihood of damage. Express packages are typically packaged with corrugated cardboard, foam bags, or air columns, resulting in large volume, light weight, and low density. Therefore, stacked turnover boxes have a high center of gravity, making them prone to swaying, tipping, and accidents during transport. Patent application number 201310321454.4 proposes a stackable logistics turnover box, including a base, a box body, and a lid. The box body is stacked on top of the base, and the box body has reinforcing ribs on the bottom and sides, saving space and solving the problem of turnover boxes easily breaking when stacking heavy goods.

[0004] Smart meters are stored in turnover boxes during transportation and warehousing. During warehousing, turnover boxes filled with smart meters are stacked on top of each other on pallet trucks to form a stack of meter turnover boxes. The stack of meter turnover boxes is placed in a storage location in a flat warehouse and is automatically transported using AGVs. For example, invention patent application number 202111274932.1 discloses an RFID-based intelligent warehousing material detection system and method. The intelligent warehouse is divided into a flat storage area, a handover area, a three-dimensional storage area, and a central control center. Each of the flat storage area, handover area, and three-dimensional storage area has storage locations and is also equipped with electric forklifts, lifting stations, overhead cranes, and stacker cranes.

[0005] Stacked turnover boxes have a high center of gravity, making them prone to swaying, tipping over, and causing accidents during handling. Therefore, existing AGVs employ clamping mechanisms. For example, utility model patent application number 202021208621.6 discloses a clamping device and AGV, including at least two clamping components. The clamping components include a bottom support plate, a slide rail, a clamping plate, and a power unit, which prevents tipping when transporting stacked turnover boxes. Invention patent application number 201810273277.X discloses an AGV for handling high-level stacked yeast trays, including a fork reinforcement plate and a stabilizing device. The fork reinforcement plate is welded to the AGV forks, and the stabilizing device is provided on the fork reinforcement plate; this prevents the yeast trays from swaying or tilting during transportation.

[0006] In addition, to improve the convenience, stability, and safety of handling stacks of turnover boxes and reduce energy consumption, various patented technologies have emerged. Utility model patent application number 201721389036.9 discloses a single-fork AGV forklift, including an AGV body and a frame. The frame has a back plate, and the back plate has two shifting units. The upper shifting unit has an upper fork tooth, and the lower shifting unit has a lower fork tooth. With only one fork tooth in a single horizontal plane, it occupies little space, is flexible in use, saves energy, and ensures stable transport of goods. Utility model patent application number 201820738796.4 discloses an AGV trolley for handling turnover components, including a body with fork teeth for handling turnover components; a baffle at the upper end of the body to limit the maximum height; and a locking device on the body to increase the stability of the goods, thus improving the stability and safety of transporting turnover components.

[0007] With the development of ranging technologies such as laser, infrared, and ultrasonic, the motion and positioning accuracy of existing AGVs has gradually improved. The navigation accuracy of current AGVs generally reaches ±10mm, with a fork tilt angle tolerance of ±0.5° and a lateral offset tolerance of ±10mm. To address the issue of lateral cargo offset, invention patent application number 202011426040.4 discloses an AGV forklift with a centering positioning function. This forklift features a support frame with a centering positioning mechanism at the top. A hydraulic rod, in conjunction with a rubber plate, compresses the cargo, moving any off-center cargo to the center position, thus preventing instability caused by cargo center of gravity deviation and improving the safety of the AGV forklift.

[0008] Existing technologies employ two clamping methods for stacked turnover boxes: vertical and horizontal. The vertical clamping method generates downward pressure at the top of the stack, which, together with the forks at the bottom, forms a clamping force to prevent swaying and tipping. However, this downward pressure, combined with the weight of the lower turnover boxes, results in greater pressure on the bottom boxes. Since turnover boxes are generally made of injection-molded engineering plastics, they are prone to significant deformation and cracking, leading to crack propagation and reducing their lifespan. Significant deformation refers to substantial deformation that is visually perceptible. The horizontal clamping method generates a lateral clamping force, preventing the stack from swaying and tipping. It provides lateral sway damping, resulting in a relatively smaller clamping force and ensuring safety. However, the lateral clamping force needs to automatically adapt to the angular and offset deviations of the AGV forklift in the horizontal direction; otherwise, rotation and offset effects will occur, causing the stack of turnover boxes to tilt, rotate, and shift, reducing stability and affecting the clamping effect. To improve the gripping effect on stacks of turnover boxes, existing gripping mechanisms generate gripping force at the top of the stack and need to be able to move vertically to adjust their position and adapt to the height of the stack. Current technology generally uses vertical tracks to limit the vertical movement trajectory of the gripping mechanism. Because the gripping mechanism can move vertically within the track, it has lateral clearance to accommodate vertical movement; however, this affects the overall rigidity of the AGV forklift, making it prone to swaying relative to the track, thus affecting the stability and safety of handling the entire stack of turnover boxes.

[0009] With the application and development of new-generation information technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, the control technology and level of electromechanical systems are constantly improving. Therefore, further research and improvement of AGV forklifts for handling stacks of turnover boxes is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide an AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes, improving its structure and clamping method to automatically adapt to angular and offset deviations of the stack, generating a flexible clamping action and sway damping, ensuring stability and safety during transport, avoiding excessive localized stress on the turnover boxes, preventing significant deformation and cracks, and extending the service life of the turnover boxes. The orientations described in this specification are based on the AGV forklift in transport mode; its forward direction is front, and its reverse direction is rear; the front-to-back direction is longitudinal, and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is transverse; other directions follow the same principle. Figure 1 In the middle, the right side is the front, and other directions follow the same pattern. The specific technical solution of this invention is as follows.

[0011] An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of crates includes a chassis 1, a body 2, a mast 3, a clamping mechanism 4, and forks 5, and carries a battery 6. Figure 1As shown, the forks 5 are driven to move backward and downward, reaching their rear and lower limit positions, inserting into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes. Then, the forks 5 are driven upward and forward, reaching their upper and forward limit positions; the stack of turnover boxes is lifted and moved forward to load them, entering the interior of the clamping mechanism 4 for clamping and locking. The vehicle body 2 is a box structure, fixedly installed on the chassis 1 for fixation and support; the vehicle body 2 supports the clamping mechanism 4, allowing the clamping mechanism 4 to move laterally for clamping or releasing. The vehicle body 2 passes through the lower end of the clamping mechanism 4, defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position of the lower end of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0012] The mast 3 is a portal frame, vertically installed on the chassis 1 and body 2, and integrated with them. The mast 3 is hinged to the clamping mechanism 4, passing through the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4, and defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position of the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4. The clamping mechanism 4 does not require vertical adjustment, thus improving the overall rigidity of the AGV forklift. The clamping mechanism 4 generates a horizontal lateral clamping force, clamping the entire stack of turnover boxes into a single unit, automatically adapting to angular and offset deviations of the stack, achieving flexible clamping action and sway damping, ensuring stability and safety during handling.

[0013] The chassis 1 includes a fork 11, rear wheels 12, rear support rods 13, front support rods 14, front wheels 15, longitudinal beams 16, and crossbeams 17, which are fixedly connected to form a rigid frame structure, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the fork 11 is fixedly connected to the frame structure and becomes an integral part, providing fixation and support for the vehicle body 2, mast 3, clamping mechanism 4, fork 5 and battery 6.

[0014] The fork 11 is a longitudinally horizontal straight strip structure with a U-shaped cross-section, and is fixedly connected to the frame structure at the front end to form a single unit. The fork 11 has a transverse axle hole at the rear, through which the axle of the rear wheel 12 passes, so that the rear wheel 12 is fixedly installed at the rear of the fork 11.

[0015] The rear wheel 12 has an axle, rotates around the axle, and is located at the rear of the chassis 1, fixedly mounted to the fork 11 via the axle. The front wheel 15 has an axle, rotates around the axle, and is fixedly mounted to the rigid frame structure formed by the longitudinal beam 16 and the cross beam 17 via the axle, so that the front wheel 15 is located at the front of the chassis 1. The rear wheel 12 and the front wheel 15 together provide support for the fork 11, longitudinal beam 16, and cross beam 17, which are fixedly connected as a whole, making the fork 11 a simply supported beam structure, which can reduce weight and improve structural strength.

[0016] The rear support rod 13 is located at the rear of the fork carriage 11, hinged at its lower end to the rear of the fork carriage 11 and at its upper end to the rear of the fork 5, and is a straight rod structure. The front support rod 14 is located at the front of the fork carriage 11, hinged at its lower end to the front of the fork carriage 11 and at its upper end to the front of the fork 5, and has the same structure and dimensions as the rear support rod 13. This allows the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 to jointly provide support for the fork 5, making the fork 5 a simply supported beam structure, which reduces weight and increases structural strength. Both the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 can be in an upright position, rotating backward and downward relative to their lower ends to achieve a tilted-back state; and can also be in a tilted-back state, rotating upward and forward relative to their lower ends to achieve an upright position.

[0017] Therefore, during loading operations, both the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate backward and downward at their upper ends relative to their lower ends, achieving a backward tilt state. This allows the forks 5 to move backward and downward to their rear and lower limit positions, enabling them to insert into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes. After the forks 5 are inserted into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, both the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate upward and forward at their upper ends relative to their lower ends, achieving an upright state. This allows the forks 5 to move upward and forward to their upper and front limit positions, enabling them to lift and move the stack of turnover boxes forward. Similarly, unloading operations can also be performed. That is, the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate to achieve a backward tilt or upright state, allowing the forks 5 to move backward and downward to their rear and lower limit positions, and also to move upward and forward to their upper and front limit positions, enabling loading and unloading operations.

[0018] The longitudinal beam 16 is a longitudinal straight rod structure, and the transverse beam 17 is a transverse straight rod structure; multiple longitudinal beams 16 and transverse beams 17 are fixedly connected to each other to form the rigid frame structure, such as... Figure 2 As shown. The frame structure is fixedly connected to the fork 11 on the rear side to form a whole, fixedly connected to the axle of the front wheel 15 on the lower surface of the front part, fixedly connected to the lower surface of the battery 6 at the rear, and fixedly connected to the body 2 and mast 3 on the upper surface, so that the front wheel 15, battery 6, body 2 and mast 3 are all fixedly installed on the chassis 1.

[0019] The vehicle body 2 is a box-shaped structure with an upper plate on its upper surface, a front plate on its front side, a push-pull rod 21 and a controller 22 installed inside, a back plate on its rear surface, a bumper 23 installed in the middle of the rear surface of the back plate, and rearward-extending side plates on both the left and right sides. A horizontal bottom plate 24 and a track plate 25 are located between the side plates and the back plate. Lower springs 26 are fixedly installed on the inner surface of the side plates, and a frame structure fixedly installed on the lower surface of the chassis 1 for fixation and support. Figure 3 As shown.

[0020] The push-pull rod 21 is installed inside the vehicle body 2 and is a longitudinal straight rod structure. It is hinged to the front panel of the vehicle body 2 at the front end and to the forks 5 at the rear end. Under the control of the controller 22, it can extend and retract axially, generating a longitudinal pushing and pulling action on the forks 5. This allows the forks 5 to move backward and downward, inserting into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, and also allows the forks 5 to move upward and forward, lifting and transporting the stack of turnover boxes. The controller 22 is fixedly installed on the rear surface of the front panel of the vehicle body 2, located in the upper inner part of the vehicle body 2. It is electrically connected to the battery 6 to obtain power and can control the AGV forklift to perform loading, clamping, locking, transporting, releasing, unlocking, and unloading operations.

[0021] The safety bar 23 is an upright, straight rod structure, fixedly installed on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2 back panel. Under the control of the controller 22, a safety pin can extend from its lower end to lock the forks 5, preventing them from swaying and becoming unstable during transportation, increasing stability and ensuring safety. The safety pin is a cylindrical structure, which, under the control of the controller 22, can retract into the safety bar 23 to unlock the forks 5, or extend from the lower end of the safety bar 23 to lock the forks 5.

[0022] The base plate 24 is a horizontal rectangular plate, fixedly connected to the rear surface of the back panel of the vehicle body 2 at its front edge, and fixedly connected to the side panels of the vehicle body 2 at both ends. It has a rear groove in the middle and rear section to prevent interference with the forks 5. Its upper surface abuts against and supports the clamping mechanism 4, allowing the clamping mechanism 4 to move laterally for clamping or releasing. The rear groove is located in the middle and rear section of the base plate 24, extending vertically through it, and can accommodate the front part of the forks 5, preventing interference with the forks 5.

[0023] The track plate 25 is a horizontal corner plate with a lower track, located on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle body 2 and above the bottom plate 24. It is fixedly connected to the side plate at the outer edge and to the back plate at the front edge for fixation and support. The lower track is a through hole that runs vertically through the track plate 25, is arc-shaped, and passes through the lower end of the clamping mechanism 4 to limit the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position of the lower end of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0024] The lower spring 26 is a cylindrical tension spring, which is fixedly connected to the side plate of the vehicle body 2 at the outer end and fixedly connected to the clamping mechanism 4 at the inner end. This allows the clamping mechanism 4 to automatically release the clamping state and also allows the stack of turnover boxes to obtain sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0025] The gantry 3 is a portal frame, vertically installed on the chassis 1 and body 2, exposing the upper plate of the body 2. It includes two columns 31 on the left and right, and a top plate 33 is fixedly installed on the top of the columns 31, making the gantry 3 a portal frame and integrated with the chassis 1 and body 2. A spring 32, a navigator 34, and a crank 35 are fixedly installed on the top plate 33 of the gantry 3, and a monitoring device 36 is installed through the crank 35. An upper rail 37 is provided on the top plate 33, passing through the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4, defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position of the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4. Figure 4 As shown.

[0026] The upright column 31 is a vertical cylindrical structure that passes through the clamping mechanism 4 and is hinged to it. Its lower end is fixedly installed inside the chassis 1 and body 2, protruding from the upper plate of the body 2, allowing the mast 3 to be vertically installed on the chassis 1 and body 2, becoming an integral part of them. The upper spring 32 is a cylindrical tension spring with the same structure and dimensions as the lower spring 26. It is located on the lower surface of the top plate 33, fixedly connected to the top plate 33 at its outer end and fixedly connected to the clamping mechanism 4 at its inner end. This allows the clamping mechanism 4 to automatically disengage from its clamping state, and also provides sway damping for the entire stack of turnover boxes, ensuring stability and safety during handling.

[0027] The top plate 33 is a horizontal plate with through mounting holes at both the top and bottom. It is fixedly connected to the top of the column 31 at both the left and right sides through these mounting holes, making the gantry 3 a portal frame and integrating it with the chassis 1 and the body 2. The top plate 33 is fixedly connected to the outer ends of the upper spring 32 at both ends of its lower surface to define the position of the outer ends of the upper spring 32. The navigator 34 is fixedly mounted in the middle of the upper surface of the top plate 33, and the crank 35 is fixedly mounted on the left and right sides of the upper surface, providing fixation and support for the navigator 34 and the crank 35.

[0028] The curved rod 35 is a horizontal round rod that bends backward in the middle. It is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the top plate 33 at both ends. The monitoring device 36 is fixedly installed through the backward-bending middle section, providing fixation and support for the monitoring device 36. The upper track 37 is located on the left and right sides of the top plate 33. It is a through hole that runs vertically through the top plate 33 and is arc-shaped. It passes through the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4 to limit the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position of the upper end of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0029] The clamping mechanism 4 includes a vertical rod 41, a clamping handle 42, and a driving rod 43. Under the control of the controller 22, the driving rod 43 can extend and retract laterally, driving the vertical rods 41 on the left and right sides to move laterally, thereby driving the clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides to clamp or release the entire stack of turnover boxes.

[0030] The vertical rod 41 is an upright straight rod located on the left and right sides of the gantry 3. Its lower end passes through the lower track of the track plate 25, and its upper end passes through the upper track 37 of the top plate 33, thus defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position. The vertical rod 41 passes through the clamping handle 42, enabling it to drive the clamping handle 42 to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes. The vertical rod 41 passes through the drive rod 43 in its lower middle part, allowing the drive rod 43 to be hinged to the vertical rod 41 and drive it to move laterally, thereby driving the clamping handle 42 to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes. The vertical rod 41 is fixedly connected at its upper end to the inner end of the upper spring 32 and at its lower end to the inner end of the lower spring 26, allowing it to automatically return to its original position. This causes the clamping mechanism 4 to quickly enter the release state and provides damping for the stack of turnover boxes, ensuring stability and safety during handling. The vertical rod 41 has a universal ball 49 at its lower end, and abuts against the bottom plate 24 of the vehicle body 2 through the universal ball 49, so that the bottom plate 24 supports the clamping mechanism 4 on its upper surface and facilitates the lateral movement of the clamping mechanism 4, thereby reducing the friction between it and the bottom plate 24.

[0031] The clamping handle 42 is a curved rod structure, stacked on top of each other and located on the left and right sides of the stack of turnover boxes. It includes a sleeve 44, a crank 45, a hinge 47, and a clamping plate 48. The crank 45 has a hole 46 in the middle. The sleeve 44 passes through the upright 31 of the gantry 3, and the hole 46 passes through the vertical rod 41. The hinge 47 allows the crank 45 to be elastically hinged to the clamping plate 48, enabling the vertical rod 41 to drive the clamping plate 48 of the clamping handle 42 to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes. Figure 5 As shown.

[0032] The sleeve 44 is a vertical cylindrical structure, fixedly connected to the crank 45 at its upper end, and has a through-hole that passes through the column 31 of the gantry 3. This allows the clamping handle 42 to rotate relative to the column 31 of the gantry 3 for clamping or releasing. It also allows multiple clamping handles 42 to be stacked vertically and positioned on the left and right sides of the stacked turnover boxes. The crank 45 is a curved rod structure with a sleeve hole 46 in the middle. It has a front section at the front of the sleeve hole 46 and a rear section at the rear. Both the front and rear sections are straight rods, with the front section curved relative to the rear section, giving the crank 45 its curved rod shape. The front section is fixedly connected to the upper end of the sleeve 44 at its front end, and fixedly connected to the front end of the rear section at the sleeve hole 46 at its rear end, making the crank 45 and the sleeve 44 an integral unit.

[0033] The sleeve hole 46 extends vertically through the crank 45, forming a circular through hole. It passes through the vertical rod 41 and is able to rotate relative to it, allowing the vertical rod 41 to drive the crank 45 to rotate around the column 31 of the gantry 3, thereby driving the clamping handle 42 to rotate for clamping or releasing. The hinge 47 is located at the rear end of the crank 45 and is elastic, allowing the crank 45 to be elastically hinged to the clamping plate 48.

[0034] The clamping plate 48 is a vertical curved plate structure, bending inward at both ends. It has a flexible lining on its inner side, which abuts against and clamps the stack of turnover boxes, generating a horizontal clamping force. This provides a flexible clamping effect and sway damping, ensuring stability and safety during handling. The lining of the clamping plate 48 is fixedly installed on its inner side and is elastic, preferably made of a flexible material. Under the clamping action of the clamping plate 48, it can undergo elastic deformation, providing a flexible clamping effect and sway damping for the abutting turnover boxes, ensuring stability and safety during handling. The clamping plate 48 protrudes outward from the middle of its outer side, with an outward protrusion and a through hole running vertically through the outward protrusion. The through hole and the rear end of the crank 45 together form the hinge 47 to achieve an elastic hinge connection. This allows the clamping plate 48 to rotate relative to the crank 45 when clamped, automatically adapting to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the entire stack of turnover boxes, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0035] The drive rod 43 is a horizontal straight rod with through holes at both ends. It passes through the vertical rod 41 via these holes and is hinged to the lower middle part of the vertical rod 41. Under the control of the controller 22, it can extend and retract laterally, driving the vertical rod 41 to move laterally. This, in turn, drives the clamping handle 42 to rotate around the column 31 of the gantry 3, causing the clamping plate 48 to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes. Under the control of the controller 22, the extension and retraction of the drive rod 43 are adjusted, as is the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0036] The fork 5 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, comprising fixedly connected ribs 51, a face plate 52, and a curved plate 53. The ribs 51 are hinged to the upper ends of the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 at the rear and front parts respectively, forming a simply supported beam structure, which reduces weight and increases structural strength. The face plate 52 abuts against and supports the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes for transporting the stack. The curved plate 53 is locked relative to the vehicle body 2 and hinged to the rear end of the push-pull rod 21. Figure 6 As shown. The rib 51 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a straight section and an upper curved section. The upper surface of the straight section is fixedly connected to the panel 52 to provide fixation and support for the panel 52. The front end of the straight section is bent upward to form the upper curved section, so that the rib 51 presents an L-shaped curved plate structure.

[0037] The straight section of the rib plate 51 is a longitudinally horizontal straight strip structure, hinged at the rear to the upper end of the rear support rod 13 and at the front to the upper end of the front support rod 14. Its cross-section is inverted U-shaped, with a cross-sectional dimension smaller than that of the fork carriage 11. This allows the straight section of the rib plate 51 to enter the fork carriage 11 when the rear support rod 13 and front support rod 14 are in a tilted-back state, enabling the forks 5 to move backward and downward. Upon reaching their rear and lower limit positions, the height can be reduced, facilitating insertion into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes. The upper curved section of the rib plate 51 is a vertically upright horizontal straight plate, fixedly connected at its lower edge to the front end of the straight section of the rib plate 51. A longitudinally upright inverted U-shaped curved plate 53 is located in the middle of the front surface.

[0038] The panel 52 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a straight section and an upper curved section. The lower surface of the straight section is fixedly connected to the straight section of the rib plate 51 for fixation and support. The front end of the straight section is bent upward to form the upper curved section, so that the panel 52 presents an L-shaped curved plate structure. The front surface of the upper curved section is fixedly connected to the upper curved section of the rib plate 51, which can improve the overall structural strength of the fork 5, increase the load-bearing capacity, and avoid permanent deformation and damage.

[0039] The straight section of the panel 52 is a longitudinally horizontal straight flat plate, with a width (i.e., lateral dimension) greater than that of the straight section of the rib plate 51. Both the rib plate 51 and the straight section of the panel 52 have through holes running vertically through them at their intersections with the rear wheel 12, rear support rod 13, and front support rod 14, to prevent interference. The upper curved portion of the panel 52 has rearward-facing detection elements 56 installed on both sides. These detection elements 56 detect the distance to the stack of turnover boxes for positioning.

[0040] The curved plate 53 is a longitudinally upright inverted U-shaped structure, comprising a horizontal upper base plate 54 and left and right vertical plates 55. The upper base plate 54 has vertical holes running vertically through it, and the lower part of the vertical plates 55 has horizontal holes running horizontally through it. The rear edge of the vertical plates 55 is fixedly connected to the center of the front surface of the upper curved portion of the rib plate 51, achieving fixation and support. The curved plate 53 uses the vertical holes through which the safety pin of the safety bar 23 passes, locking the forks 5 relative to the vehicle body 2. The curved plate 53 uses the horizontal holes through which a pin passes, allowing the push-pull rod 21 to hinge to the forks 5 at its rear end. Under the control of the controller 22, it can axially extend and retract, generating a longitudinal pushing and pulling action on the forks 5. This allows the forks 5 to move backward and downward, inserting into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, and also allows the forks 5 to move upward and forward, lifting and carrying the stack of turnover boxes.

[0041] Supplementary explanation: (1) When the AGV forklift is unloaded, it is preferable to use the controller 22 to control the axial retraction of the push-pull rod 21, so that the forks 5 are in the upper limit and front limit position after being raised, and the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 are both in an upright state; the safety pin of the safety rod 23 can extend and insert into the vertical hole of the fork 5 in the curved plate 53; so that the forks 5 are locked relative to the vehicle body 2, in a locked state, increasing the stability of the transportation process, ensuring safety, and avoiding shaking and instability during driving. At this time, it is preferable that the drive rod 43 of the clamping mechanism 4 is in an extended state, so that the vertical rod 41 automatically returns to its original position under the tension of the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26, and is located at the outer limit position at both the upper and lower ends, so that the clamping mechanism 4 is in a released state.

[0042] (2) During loading operations, the AGV forklift uses the controller 22 to control the axial extension of the push-pull rod 21, causing the forks 5 to move backward and downward to the rear limit and lower limit positions; the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate backward and downward at their upper ends relative to their lower ends to obtain a backward tilting state. The cross-section of the fork carriage 11 is U-shaped; the cross-section of the straight section of the rib plate 51 of the fork 5 is inverted U-shaped, and the cross-sectional size is smaller than that of the fork carriage 11, so that when the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 are in the backward tilting state, the straight section of the rib plate 51 can enter the interior of the fork carriage 11, so that the forks 5 can move backward and downward to the rear limit and lower limit positions, thereby reducing the height and facilitating insertion into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes.

[0043] After the forks 5 are inserted into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, the controller 22 controls the push-pull rod 21 to retract axially, causing the forks 5 to move upward and forward to reach the upper limit and forward limit position; the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate upward and forward at their upper ends relative to their lower ends to obtain an upright state; at the same time, the stack of turnover boxes is lifted and moved forward, so that the stack of turnover boxes enters between the clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides of the clamping mechanism 4; that is, the stack of turnover boxes enters the interior of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0044] At this time, the forks 5 are at their upper and forward limit positions after being raised. The controller 22 controls the safety pin of the safety bar 23 to extend and insert into the vertical hole of the curved plate 53 of the forks 5. This locks the forks 5 relative to the vehicle body 2, increasing the stability of the transportation process, ensuring safety, and preventing swaying and instability during operation. Simultaneously, the controller 22 controls the drive rod 43 of the clamping mechanism 4 to retract laterally, causing the vertical rod 41 to move inward along the lower track of the track plate 25 and the upper track 37 of the top plate 33, driving the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 to stretch elastically. This drives the clamping handles 42 on both sides to rotate inward relative to the column 31 of the mast 3, causing the clamping plates 48 of the clamping handles 42 to abut against and clamp the entire stack of turnover boxes through the inner lining, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force. This provides the entire stack of turnover boxes with flexible clamping action and sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0045] (3) The clamp 42 includes a sleeve 44; the sleeve 44 is a cylindrical structure, fixedly connected to the crank 45 at the upper end, and has an inner hole through which it passes through the column 31 of the gantry 3. All clamps 42 passing through the same column 31 of the gantry 3 are stacked together by the sleeve 44; the clamps 42 on the left and right sides can rotate relative to the column 31 of the gantry 3 to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes.

[0046] Therefore, when the clamping mechanism 4 is in the clamping state, each of the stack of turnover boxes is preferably clamped by a clamping handle 42 on each of the left and right sides through the inner lining of the clamping plate 48. That is, each turnover box corresponds to a pair of clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides. This makes the stack of turnover boxes clamped and become a whole, preventing the turnover boxes stacked on top of each other from shifting, tilting and tipping over due to shaking during the handling process, thus ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0047] (4) When the AGV forklift is transporting the entire stack of turnover boxes without being fully loaded, the clamping mechanism 4 is in a clamping state; the drive rod 43 retracts, and the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 are both in a stretched state; all the clamping handles 42 above the entire stack of turnover boxes are in a free state, and all the clamping handles 42 that clamp the entire stack of turnover boxes are in a clamping state, so that the vertical rod 41 produces a slight bending elastic deformation.

[0048] Since the vertical rod 41 passes through the lower track of the track plate 25 at its lower end and through the upper track 37 of the gantry 3 on the top plate 33 at its upper end, thus defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position; therefore, when the AGV forklift is transporting the entire stack of turnover boxes without full load, the clamping mechanism 4 is in a clamping state. Preferably, the controller 22 is used to regulate the retraction amount of the drive rod 43, that is, to regulate the clamping force of the drive rod 43, so as to regulate the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 4, so that the vertical rod 41 is not located at the outer limit and inner limit positions at its lower and upper ends. This can avoid excessive tilting and deformation of the vertical rod 41, reduce the clamping force, save energy for clamping operation, avoid excessive local stress on the turnover boxes, avoid significant deformation, cracks and crack propagation in all the turnover boxes being clamped, and improve the service life of the turnover boxes.

[0049] (5) During the transport process, the forks 5 of the AGV forklift are locked and the clamping mechanism 4 is clamped, so that the entire stack of turnover boxes is clamped and becomes a whole; the lower springs 26 and upper springs 32 on both sides are in a stretched state. If the entire stack of turnover boxes shakes due to uneven ground, collision or braking, the elongation of the lower springs 26 and upper springs 32 on both sides will change, and the clamping plate 48 in the clamped state will also generate torsion and compression, which will change the clamping effect of the inner lining of the clamping plate 48, and the elastic deformation of the inner lining will also change.

[0050] Therefore, both the lower spring 26 and the upper spring 32 are preferably rubber springs, and the lining of the clamping plate 48 is preferably made of a flexible material with elasticity. The lower spring 26, the upper spring 32, and the lining of the clamping plate 48 can generate a periodic force that resists swaying, absorbs swaying energy, and produces sway damping. That is to say, during handling, the clamping mechanism 4 can obtain a flexible clamping effect and sway damping through the lining of the lower spring 26, the upper spring 32, and the clamping plate 48.

[0051] (6) During loading operations, the AGV forklift lifts and moves the stack of turnover boxes forward, entering the space between the clamping handles 42 on both sides of the clamping mechanism 4. When clamping, the controller 22 drives the drive rod 43 to retract, causing the vertical rods 41 on both sides to move inward, causing the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 to stretch elastically; driving the clamping handles 42 on both sides to rotate inward around the column 31 of the mast 3, causing the clamping plates 48 of the clamping handles 42 to abut against and clamp the stack of turnover boxes through the inner liner, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force.

[0052] Because the stack of turnover boxes has an angular deviation and is tilted relative to the forks 5, the extension of the upper spring 32 and lower spring 26 on the left and right sides will be different, which will also cause the clamps 42 on the left and right sides to deflect relative to each other. This will cause the cranks 45 of the clamps 42 on the left and right sides to deflect relative to each other, and also cause the clamping plates 48 of the clamps 42 on the left and right sides to deflect relative to each other. Because the stack of turnover boxes has an offset deviation, it will shift back and forth or left and right relative to the forks 5. The back and forth shift will cause the stack of turnover boxes to shift back and forth relative to the clamping plates 48 on both sides. The left and right shift will cause the clamps 42 on the left and right sides to deflect relative to each other, which will also cause the extension of the upper spring 32 and lower spring 26 on the left and right sides to be different.

[0053] Therefore, it is preferable that the upper spring 32 and lower spring 26 on both the left and right sides have the same structural dimensions and elastic modulus, and that the upper spring 32 and lower spring 26 on the same side also have the same structural dimensions and elastic modulus. The design of the elastic modulus needs to comprehensively consider the automatic return of the vertical rods 41 on both sides, the sway damping of the stack of turnover boxes, and the energy saving of clamping operations. It also needs to consider accommodating the angular and offset deviations of the stack of turnover boxes to avoid significant tilting, rotation, and offset tendencies.

[0054] In addition, since the clamping plate 48 is elastically hinged to the crank 45 through the hinge 47, the clamping plate 48 can rotate relative to the crank 45 when clamping, automatically adapting to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the stack of turnover boxes; avoiding the stack of turnover boxes from tilting, rotating and offsetting, and ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0055] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) When the AGV forklift of the present invention is loading, the controller 22 controls the push-pull rod 21 to extend axially, so that the fork 5 moves backward and downward to the rear limit and lower limit position, which is convenient for insertion into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes; the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate relative to each other and obtain a backward tilt state, which can reduce the height. After the fork 5 is inserted into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, the controller 22 controls the push-pull rod 21 to retract axially, so that the fork 5 moves upward and forward to the upper limit and front limit position; the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 rotate relative to each other and obtain an upright state; the stack of turnover boxes is lifted and moved forward, so that the stack of turnover boxes enters between the clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides of the clamping mechanism 4, and is located inside the clamping mechanism 4 for clamping and locking.

[0056] Therefore, compared with existing stacker AGV forklifts, the chassis 1 of the AGV forklift of the present invention includes a rear support rod 13 and a front support rod 14, making the forks 5 a simply supported beam structure, which can reduce weight and improve structural strength. Compared with existing pallet jack AGV forklifts, the AGV forklift of the present invention can achieve a backward tilting or upright state by rotating the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 relative to each other, so that the forks 5 can move backward and downward to reach the rear limit and lower limit position, and can also move upward and forward to reach the upper limit and forward limit position for loading and unloading operations; the upward and forward movement of the forks 5 can lift and move the stack of turnover boxes forward, so that the stack of turnover boxes enters the interior of the clamping mechanism 4 for clamping and locking. Therefore, during clamping and locking operations, it is not necessary to adjust the vertical position of the clamping mechanism 4, nor is it necessary to use a vertical track or have lateral clearance. This improves the overall rigidity of the AGV forklift, and the clamping and locking operations are convenient and reliable, thereby enhancing the stability and safety of transporting the entire stack of turnover boxes.

[0057] (2) During the clamping operation, the AGV forklift of the present invention uses the controller 22 to control the drive rod 43 of the clamping mechanism 4 to retract laterally, so that the vertical rod 41 moves inward along the lower track of the track plate 25 and the upper track 37 of the top plate 33, driving the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 to stretch elastically; driving the clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides to rotate inward relative to the column 31 of the mast 3, driving the clamping plates 48 of the clamping handles 42 to abut against and clamp the entire stack of turnover boxes through the inner lining, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force. The inner lining of the lower spring 26, the upper spring 32 and the clamping plate 48 can generate a periodic force that resists swaying, absorbs swaying energy, and generates swaying damping.

[0058] Therefore, compared with AGVs that use screw drives for clamping, the AGV forklift of the present invention uses the inner lining of the clamping plate 48 to abut and clamp the entire stack of turnover boxes, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force; the lower spring 26, upper spring 32, and the inner lining of the clamping plate 48 absorb swaying energy, generating sway damping; thus, the entire stack of turnover boxes obtains a flexible clamping effect and sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process. In addition, the lateral clamping operation of the clamping mechanism 4 of the present invention has a small stroke, and the clamping operation is convenient and reliable.

[0059] (3) When the AGV forklift of the present invention clamps, the controller 22 controls the drive rod 43 of the clamping mechanism 4 to retract laterally, and the inner lining of the clamping plate 48 abuts against and clamps the whole stack of turnover boxes, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force; the present invention uses the controller 22 to adjust the extension and retraction of the drive rod 43 and adjust the clamping force of the drive rod 43, so as to adjust the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 4.

[0060] Therefore, compared with existing AGVs that generate a fixed clamping force, the AGV forklift of the present invention can adjust the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 4, which can save energy in clamping operation and ensure the stability and safety of the handling process; it can effectively avoid large shaking amplitude due to insufficient clamping force, which affects the stability and safety of the handling process; it can also effectively avoid excessive tilting and deformation of the vertical rod 41 due to excessive clamping force, which would cause obvious deformation, cracks and crack propagation of the turnover box and reduce the service life of the turnover box.

[0061] In addition, when the clamping mechanism 4 of the present invention is in the clamping state, preferably each turnover box corresponds to a pair of clamping handles 42 on the left and right sides; so that the entire stack of turnover boxes is clamped and becomes a whole, avoiding relative misalignment, tilting and tipping of the stacked turnover boxes due to shaking during the handling process, thus ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0062] (4) When the AGV forklift of the present invention clamps, the controller 22 controls the drive rod 43 of the clamping mechanism 4 to retract laterally, driving the clamping handles 42 on both sides to rotate inward, and the inner lining of the clamping plate 48 abuts against and clamps the entire stack of turnover boxes, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force. Since the clamping plate 48 is elastically hinged to the crank 45 through the hinge 47, the clamping plate 48 can rotate relative to the crank 45 when clamping, automatically adapting to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the entire stack of turnover boxes. The design of the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 can also adapt to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the entire stack of turnover boxes.

[0063] Therefore, compared with existing AGVs that drive rigid parts and generate horizontal clamping force, the AGV forklift of the present invention can automatically adapt to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the stack of turnover boxes, avoiding the tendency of the stack of turnover boxes to tilt, rotate and offset, and effectively improving the stability and safety of the handling process.

[0064] (5) The vertical rod 41 of the clamping mechanism 4 of the present invention passes through the lower rail of the track plate 25 at its lower end and through the upper rail 37 of the top plate 33 at its upper end to define the movement trajectory, inner limit position, and outer limit position. When the clamping mechanism 4 is in the clamping state, both the upper spring 32 and the lower spring 26 are in the stretched state. Therefore, the AGV forklift can adjust the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 4, and limit the outer and inner limit positions of the vertical rod 41 at the lower and upper ends through the lower rail of the track plate 25 and the upper rail 37 of the top plate 33, which can effectively avoid excessive tilting and deformation of the vertical rod 41; when the entire stack of turnover boxes is not fully loaded, especially when the number of turnover boxes is small, it can effectively avoid excessive local stress on the turnover boxes, avoid significant deformation, cracks and crack propagation of all the turnover boxes being clamped, and improve service life.

[0065] Furthermore, the upper spring 32 and lower spring 26 of this invention enable the vertical rod 41 to automatically return to its original position, causing the clamping mechanism 4 to quickly enter the release state; thus, the clamping and releasing operation of the clamping mechanism 4 is reliable and convenient. This invention utilizes the controller 22 to control the safety pin of the safety rod 23 to insert into the vertical hole of the curved plate 53 of the fork 5, locking the fork 5 relative to the vehicle body 2; ensuring that the fork 5 is in a locked state during transport by the AGV forklift, guaranteeing stability and safety during handling, and preventing swaying and instability during operation. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the AGV forklift;

[0067] Figure 2 for Figure 1 middle A — A The sectional view shown;

[0068] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial left view;

[0069] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial top view;

[0070] Figure 5 For the clamp 42 in Figure 4 A magnified view of the location;

[0071] Figure 6 For the forks 5 in Figure 1 A top view of the location; where the figure in the dashed ellipse is a top view of the part indicated by the arrow.

[0072] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Chassis 1, Fork 11, Rear wheel 12, Rear support rod 13, Front support rod 14, Front wheel 15, Longitudinal beam 16, Crossbeam 17, Body 2, Push-pull rod 21, Controller 22, Bumper 23, Base plate 24, Track plate 25, Lower spring 26, Mast 3, Column 31, Upper spring 32, Top plate 33, Navigation device 34, Crank rod 35, Monitoring device 36, Upper track 37, Clamping mechanism 4, Vertical rod 41, Clamp handle 42, Drive rod 43, Sleeve 44, Crank 45, Sleeve hole 46, Hinge 47, Clamping plate 48, Universal ball 49, Fork 5, Rib 51, Panel 52, Crank plate 53, Upper base plate 54, Vertical plate 55, Detector element 56, and Battery 6. Implementation

[0073] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0074] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the AGV forklift, which includes a chassis 1, a body 2, a mast 3, a clamping mechanism 4, and forks 5, and carries a battery 6. Figure 2 for Figure 1 middle A — A The sectional view shown illustrates the structure of the chassis 1. The chassis 1 includes a fork 11, rear wheels 12, rear support rods 13, front support rods 14, front wheels 15, longitudinal beams 16, and crossbeams 17, which are fixedly connected to form a rigid frame structure.

[0075] The fork 11 is a longitudinally horizontal straight bar structure with a U-shaped cross-section, preferably formed by stamping from medium carbon steel sheet; the fork 11 has a shaft hole at the rear, preferably formed by machining. The longitudinal beam 16 is a longitudinal straight bar structure, and the crossbeam 17 is a transverse straight bar structure; the longitudinal beam 16 and crossbeam 17 are preferably formed by machining from angle steel profiles. The fixed connection between the longitudinal beam 16 and crossbeam 17 is preferably welded, and the fixed connection between the fork 11 and the frame structure at the front end is preferably welded. The rear wheel 12 has an axle and rotates around the axle, preferably implemented using existing caster products; the front wheel 15 has an axle and rotates around the axle, preferably implemented using existing steering wheel products.

[0076] The rear support rod 13 is located at the rear of the fork carriage 11 and has a straight rod structure; the front support rod 14 is located at the front of the fork carriage 11 and has the same structure and dimensions as the rear support rod 13. Both the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 are preferably formed by stamping from medium carbon steel sheet. The rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14 are hinged to the fork carriage 11 at their lower ends and to the forks 5 at their upper ends. Preferably, holes are drilled at the lower and upper ends of the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14, through which pins pass and are hinged to the fork carriage 11 and the forks 5. The pins are preferably formed by machining from medium carbon steel wire. The chassis 1 and its above-described structural features can also be manufactured using other materials and processes found in existing pallet jack AGV forklifts.

[0077] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The partial left view mainly illustrates the structural features of the vehicle body 2. The vehicle body 2 is a box-like structure with an upper plate on its upper surface, a front plate on its front side, a push-pull rod 21 and a controller 22 installed inside, a back plate on its rear surface, a bumper 23 installed in the middle of the rear surface of the back plate, rearwardly extending side plates on both sides, a horizontal base plate 24 and a track plate 25 between the side plates and the back plate, a lower spring 26 fixedly installed on the inner surface of the side plates, and a frame structure of the chassis 1 fixedly installed on the lower surface for fixation and support. The fixed installation of the vehicle body 2 on the lower surface of the chassis 1 frame structure is preferably achieved using known fasteners to facilitate disassembly and maintenance.

[0078] The upper panel, front panel, back panel, and side panels of the vehicle body 2 preferably include a frame and skin. The frame consists of intersecting ribs (or reinforcing ribs) that maintain the structural strength of the vehicle body 2 and prevent deformation and damage. The skin is a thin sheet structure that is fixedly connected to the frame on its inner surface, forming the upper panel, front panel, back panel, and side panels of the vehicle body 2 together with the frame, to protect against dust and achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The frame is preferably formed by welding existing angle steel products; the skin is preferably formed by stamping existing stainless steel sheets; the fixed connection between the skin and the frame is preferably projection welding, but riveting is also possible. The upper panel, front panel, back panel, and side panels of the vehicle body 2 can also be made of engineering plastics through injection molding.

[0079] The push-pull rod 21 is installed inside the vehicle body 2 and is a longitudinal straight rod structure. It can extend and retract axially under the control of the controller 22, generating a longitudinal pushing and pulling action on the forks 5. The push-pull rod 21 and its aforementioned features are preferably implemented using existing electric push rod products, but hydraulic cylinders can also be used. The push-pull rod 21 is hinged to the front plate of the vehicle body 2 at its front end and to the forks 5 at its rear end. Preferably, the push-pull rod 21 has transverse through holes at both the front and rear ends, through which pins pass, and are hinged to the front plate of the vehicle body 2 and the forks 5 respectively. The controller 22 is preferably an existing AGV forklift controller product and is implemented using existing AGV forklift control system development technology. The controller 22 is preferably fixed to the rear surface of the front plate of the vehicle body 2 using known fasteners to facilitate disassembly and maintenance.

[0080] The safety bar 23 is an upright, straight rod structure that, under the control of the controller 22, extends a safety pin from its lower end to lock the forks 5. The safety pin is a cylindrical structure that can retract into the safety bar 23 or extend from its lower end. The safety bar 23 and its safety pin are preferably implemented using existing electric push rod products. The fixed installation of the safety bar 23 on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2 back panel is preferably achieved using existing fasteners for ease of disassembly and maintenance. The base plate 24 is a horizontal rectangular plate with a rear groove in the middle and rear section, preferably formed from machined aluminum sheet. The fixed connection of the base plate 24 to the rear surface of the vehicle body 2 back panel at its front edge, and its fixed connection to the side panels of the vehicle body 2 at its left and right ends, are preferably achieved using existing corner pieces, screws, rivets, and other fasteners for ease of disassembly and maintenance.

[0081] The track plate 25 is a horizontal corner plate with a lower track; the lower track is a through hole running vertically through the track plate 25, and is arc-shaped; the track plate 25 and its lower track are preferably formed by stamping aluminum plate profiles. The fixed connection between the track plate 25 and the side plate at its outer edge, and its fixed connection between its front edge and the back plate, are preferably achieved using existing fasteners such as corner fittings, screws, and rivets, for ease of disassembly and maintenance. The lower spring 26 is a cylindrical tension spring, preferably a cylindrical rubber spring with hooks at its ends, to provide sway damping for the entire stack of turnover boxes; the rubber spring is composed of a metal helical spring and a vulcanized rubber coating, integrating the advantages of metal springs and rubber, with high internal friction damping and low noise. The fixed connection between the lower spring 26 and the side plate of the vehicle body 2 at its outer end, and the fixed connection between its inner end and the clamping mechanism 4, are preferably achieved using hooks.

[0082] Figure 4 for Figure 1This is a partial top view, mainly illustrating the structural features of the gantry 3 as visible from above. The gantry 3 comprises two columns 31, with a top plate 33 fixedly mounted at the top of each column 31. A spring 32, a navigation device 34, and a crank 35 are fixedly mounted on the top plate 33, and a monitoring device 36 is mounted via the crank 35. An upper track 37 is provided on the top plate 33. The columns 31 are vertical cylindrical structures, preferably formed from existing aluminum tubular profiles through machining. The lower ends of the columns 31 are fixedly installed inside the chassis 1 and the vehicle body 2, preferably using existing fasteners for ease of assembly, disassembly, and maintenance.

[0083] The upper spring 32 has the same structure and dimensions as the lower spring 26, and is preferably implemented using the same method. The upper spring 32 is fixedly connected to the top plate 33 at its outer end and to the clamping mechanism 4 at its inner end, both preferably using hooks for attachment. The top plate 33 is a horizontal plate with through-hole mounting holes, preferably formed from aluminum profiles through stamping. The top plate 33 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column 31 through the mounting holes, preferably using existing fasteners such as bolts, nuts, and washers passing through the mounting holes for easy assembly, disassembly, and maintenance.

[0084] The navigator 34 is used for navigation of the AGV forklift, and is preferably implemented using an existing laser navigator product. The fixed installation of the navigator 34 and the crank 35 on the top plate 33, and the fixed installation of the monitoring device 36 on the crank 35, are both preferably implemented using existing fasteners to facilitate disassembly and replacement. The crank 35 is a horizontal round rod that bends backward in the middle, and is preferably formed by bending existing aluminum tubular profiles.

[0085] The monitoring device 36 is used at least to monitor obstacles, storage locations, and goods. It preferably utilizes laser, infrared, image processing, or ultrasonic waves for monitoring, and is preferably implemented using existing technologies such as lidar, cameras, digital cameras, or combinations thereof. The upper track 37 is a through-hole penetrating the top plate 33 vertically, and is arc-shaped, preferably formed during the shaping process of the top plate 33.

[0086] like Figure 1 and 3 As shown, the clamping mechanism 4 includes a vertical rod 41, a clamping handle 42, and a drive rod 43. The vertical rod 41 is an upright straight rod, preferably formed by cutting existing aluminum tubular profiles. The vertical rod 41 has a swivel ball 49 at its lower end, preferably a known swivel ball product (also known as a steel ball wheel or bullseye wheel). The swivel ball 49 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the vertical rod 41; the fixed installation of the swivel ball 49 is preferably achieved using known fasteners.

[0087] Figure 5 For the clamp 42 in Figure 4 The enlarged view of the position mainly illustrates the structural features of the clamp 42. The clamp 42 is a curved rod-shaped structure, comprising a sleeve 44, a crank 45, a hinge 47, and a clamping plate 48. A sleeve hole 46 is located in the middle of the crank 45. The sleeve 44 is a vertical cylindrical structure with an inner hole, preferably made from existing aluminum tubular profiles through machining. The sleeve 44 passes through the inner hole to the column 31, allowing the clamp 42 to rotate relative to it. Preferably, a known bushing passes through the inner hole, allowing the column 31 to pass through and rotate relative to it, thus reducing friction.

[0088] The crank 45 has a curved rod-shaped structure with a sleeve hole 46 in the middle and a front section and a rear section; both the front section and the rear section are straight rod-shaped structures; the crank 45 and its above-described structure are preferably forged from a known aluminum alloy material. The front section of the crank 45 is at the front end and is preferably welded to the upper end of the sleeve 44; alternatively, the sleeve 44 and the crank 45 can be integrally forged from a known aluminum alloy material.

[0089] The sleeve hole 46 is a circular through hole through which the vertical rod 41 passes, allowing relative rotation. Preferably, a known bushing passes through the sleeve hole 46, allowing the vertical rod 41 to pass through and rotate relative to it, thus reducing friction. The hinge 47 is located at the rear end of the crank 45 and is elastic, allowing the crank 45 to be elastically hinged to the clamping plate 48. Preferably, this is achieved using existing elastic hinge product structures and manufacturing processes.

[0090] The clamping plate 48 is an upright, curved plate structure, bent inward at both ends, and has a flexible inner lining on its inner surface. The clamping plate 48 has an outward protrusion in the middle of its outer surface, and a through hole running vertically through the protrusion. The clamping plate 48 and its above-described structure are preferably forged from a known aluminum alloy material. The inner lining of the clamping plate 48 is elastic, preferably made of a flexible material, and further preferably molded from a synthetic rubber material. The inner lining of the clamping plate 48 is preferably fixed to the inner surface of the clamping plate 48 using known fasteners to facilitate disassembly and replacement.

[0091] The drive rod 43 is a horizontal straight rod with through holes at both ends. It is hinged to the lower middle part of the vertical rod 41 and can extend and retract laterally under the control of the controller 22. Preferably, this is achieved using an existing electric actuator product. The drive rod 43 passes through the vertical rod 41 via the through holes and is axially positioned on the vertical rod 41. Preferably, this is achieved using a known fastener.

[0092] Figure 6 For the forks 5 in Figure 1A top view of the position; the fork 5 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a fixedly connected rib plate 51, a face plate 52, and a curved plate 53. The rib plate 51 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a straight section and an upper curved section; the straight section of the rib plate 51 is a longitudinally horizontal straight strip structure with an inverted U-shaped cross-section; the upper curved section of the rib plate 51 is an upright transverse straight plate; the rib plate 51 and its above-described structure are preferably formed by stamping from aluminum sheet profiles. The straight section of the rib plate 51 is hinged to the upper end of the rear support rod 13 at the rear and to the upper end of the front support rod 14 at the front; preferably, holes are drilled in the rear and front of the straight section, and pins are passed through them, and the pins are used to hinge the rib plate to the upper ends of the rear support rod 13 and the front support rod 14.

[0093] The panel 52 is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, comprising a straight section and an upper curved section; the straight section of the panel 52 is a longitudinally horizontal straight flat plate; the panel 52 and its above structure are preferably formed by stamping from aluminum sheet profiles. The panel 52 is fixedly connected to the straight section of the rib 51 on its lower surface, and to the upper curved section of the rib 51 on its front surface, preferably by riveting, but welding is also possible. Both the rib 51 and the straight section of the panel 52 have through holes running vertically through them; these through holes are preferably obtained during the forming process, but can also be achieved through machining.

[0094] The curved plate 53 has an inverted U-shaped structure, comprising a horizontal upper base plate 54 and vertical plates 55 on the left and right sides; the curved plate 53 and its structure are preferably formed by bending aluminum sheet profiles. The vertical holes on the upper base plate 54 and the horizontal holes on the vertical plates 55 are preferably machined. The pins passing through the horizontal holes are preferably machined from medium carbon steel wire. The rear edge of the vertical plate 55 is fixedly connected to the front surface of the upper curved portion of the rib plate 51, preferably by welding.

[0095] The detection element 56 is preferably implemented using a known laser rangefinder sensor; the mounting of the detection element 56 on the left and right sides of the bend in the panel 52 is preferably implemented using known fasteners to facilitate maintenance and replacement. The battery 6 is preferably implemented using existing AGV forklift battery products. The controller 22 is electrically connected to the battery 6 to obtain electrical energy. The controller 22 controls the push-pull rod 21, the safety rod 23, the drive rod 43, and the steering wheel that realizes the front wheel 15, and is electrically connected to each of them. The electrical connection is implemented using known wires.

[0096] The fasteners used for fixing or installing the device are preferably existing screws, bolts, nuts, washers, or other fasteners, but custom fasteners are also acceptable; these are all conventional techniques well-known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here. The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Changes to materials and manufacturing processes, provided the structural and performance requirements of the present invention are met, are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes, characterized in that: Includes chassis (1), body (2), mast (3), clamping mechanism (4) and forks (5). Drive the forks (5) to move backward and downward, insert into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes, and then drive the forks (5) to move upward and forward, lift and move the stack of turnover boxes forward, enter the interior of the clamping mechanism (4), and clamp and lock them. The vehicle body (2) is a box structure, which is fixedly installed on the chassis (1) to obtain fixation and support; The vehicle body (2) passes through the lower end of the clamping mechanism (4), defining the movement trajectory, inner limit position and outer limit position of the lower end of the clamping mechanism (4); The vehicle body (2) has a front panel and a side panel, and a push-pull rod (21) is installed inside the body, and a lower spring (26) is fixedly installed on the side panel. The push-pull rod (21) is hinged to the front plate of the vehicle body (2) at the front end and to the fork (5) at the rear end, and can extend and retract axially to generate a longitudinal push-pull action on the fork (5). Control the axial retraction of the push-pull rod (21) so that the forks (5) move upward and forward; at the same time, lift and move the stack of turnover boxes forward so that the stack of turnover boxes enter the interior of the clamping mechanism (4); The gantry (3) is a gantry frame that is installed on the chassis (1) and the body (2) to form a whole; The gantry (3) includes two columns (31) on the left and right, and a top plate (33) is fixedly installed at the top of the columns (31); a spring (32) is fixedly installed on the top plate (33). The lower spring (26) and upper spring (32) can generate a periodic force that resists swaying, absorb swaying energy, and generate swaying damping. The gantry (3) is hinged to the clamping mechanism (4), passes through the upper end of the clamping mechanism (4), and defines the movement trajectory, inner limit position and outer limit position of the upper end of the clamping mechanism (4); The clamping mechanism (4) does not need to be adjusted in its up and down position, which can improve the overall rigidity of the AGV forklift; The clamping mechanism (4) generates a horizontal clamping force, which clamps the entire stack of turnover boxes into a whole, automatically adapts to angular deviation and offset deviation, obtains flexible clamping effect and sway damping, and ensures the stability and safety of the handling process. The clamping mechanism (4) includes a vertical rod (41), a clamping handle (42), and a driving rod (43); the driving rod (43) extends and retracts laterally, driving the vertical rod (41) to move laterally, thereby driving the clamping handle (42) to clamp or release the entire stack of turnover boxes; The vertical rod (41) is fixedly connected to the inner end of the upper spring (32) at its upper end and to the inner end of the lower spring (26) at its lower end, so that the vertical rod (41) can automatically return to its original position, causing the clamping mechanism (4) to enter the loosened state, and also enabling the entire stack of turnover boxes to obtain sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process. The clamp (42) is a curved rod structure, stacked on top of each other and located on the left and right sides of the stack of turnover boxes. It includes a sleeve (44), a crank (45) and a clamping plate (48). The crank (45) has a sleeve hole (46) in the middle. The sleeve (44) passes through the column (31) and the sleeve hole (46) passes through the vertical rod (41), so that the vertical rod (41) can drive the clamping plate (48) of the clamp (42) to clamp or release the stack of turnover boxes. The clamp (48) is a curved plate structure with a flexible inner lining on the inner side. It abuts against and clamps the entire stack of turnover boxes through the inner lining, generating a horizontal lateral clamping force, which can obtain a flexible clamping effect and sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process. The AGV forklift can adjust the clamping force of the clamping mechanism (4), saving energy in the clamping operation and ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process; The chassis (1) includes a fork (11), a rear strut (13), a front strut (14), and a frame structure; The fork (11) is a longitudinally horizontal straight strip structure, which is fixedly connected to the frame structure at the front end to form a whole; The rear support rod (13) is hinged at the rear of the fork carriage (11) at its lower end and at the rear of the fork (5) at its upper end. The front support rod (14) is hinged at the lower end to the front part of the fork carriage (11) and at the upper end to the front part of the fork (5), and has the same structure and size as the rear support rod (13). The rear support rod (13) and the front support rod (14) together provide support for the fork (5), making the fork (5) a simply supported beam structure, which can reduce the weight and improve the structural strength; The rear support rod (13) and the front support rod (14) both rotate backward and downward, so that the forks (5) move backward and downward and can be inserted into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes; The rear support rod (13) and the front support rod (14) both rotate upward and forward, causing the forks (5) to move upward and forward, enabling them to lift and move the entire stack of turnover boxes forward. The rear support rod (13) and the front support rod (14) rotate, causing the forks (5) to move backward and downward, and also upward and forward, to perform loading and unloading operations.

2. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chassis (1) includes a rear wheel (12) and a front wheel (15). The rear wheel (12) is mounted on the rear of the fork (11) and is located at the rear of the chassis (1); The front wheel (15) is mounted on the frame structure and is located at the front of the chassis (1); The rear wheel (12) and the front wheel (15) provide support together, making the fork (11) a simply supported beam structure, which can reduce the mass and improve the structural strength.

3. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle body (2) has a back panel, a controller (22) is installed inside, a bumper (23) is installed on the rear surface of the back panel, and a track plate (25) is provided in the lower part between the side panel and the back panel. The push-pull rod (21) is a longitudinal straight rod structure. Under the control of the controller (22), it extends and retracts axially, so that the forks (5) can move backward and downward, and also move upward and forward, to lift and carry the entire stack of turnover boxes. The safety bar (23) is an upright straight bar structure. Under the control of the controller (22), a safety pin extends from the lower end to lock the forks (5), increasing stability and ensuring safety. The track plate (25) is a horizontal transverse corner plate with a lower track, located on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle body (2); The lower track passes through the track plate (25), presents an arc shape, and passes through the lower end of the clamping mechanism (4) to limit the movement trajectory, inner limit position and outer limit position of the lower end of the clamping mechanism (4); The lower spring (26) is a tension spring. Its outer end is fixedly connected to the side plate of the vehicle body (2), and its inner end is fixedly connected to the clamping mechanism (4). This allows the clamping mechanism (4) to automatically exit the clamping state, and also allows the entire stack of turnover boxes to obtain sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

4. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top plate (33) has an upper track (37) that passes through the upper end of the clamping mechanism (4) and defines the movement trajectory, inner limit position and outer limit position of the upper end of the clamping mechanism (4). The column (31) is an upright cylindrical structure, which is fixedly installed at the lower end inside the chassis (1) and the body (2), and becomes an integral part of the chassis (1) and the body (2); The upper spring (32) is a tension spring, which is fixedly connected to the top plate (33) at the outer end and fixedly connected to the clamping mechanism (4) at the inner end, so that the clamping mechanism (4) can automatically exit the clamping state, and also so that the whole stack of turnover boxes can obtain sway damping, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

5. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism (4) is able to extend and retract laterally under the control of the controller (22); The vertical rod (41) is an upright straight rod located on the left and right sides of the gantry (3). It passes through the lower track of the track plate (25) at the lower end and through the upper track (37) of the top plate (33) at the upper end to obtain the limitation of the motion trajectory, inner limit position and outer limit position. The handle (42) includes a hinge (47); The drive rod (43) is a horizontal straight rod with through holes at both ends. By passing through the through holes through the vertical rod (41), it can extend and retract laterally under the control of the controller (22), drive the vertical rod (41) to move laterally, drive the clamp (42) to rotate, and drive the clamp plate (48) to clamp or release the entire stack of turnover boxes. The drive rod (43) adjusts the extension and retraction amount under the control of the controller (22), thereby adjusting the clamping force of the clamping mechanism (4).

6. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner lining of the clamping plate (48) is elastic and can produce elastic deformation under clamping action, resulting in flexible clamping action and sway damping. The clamp (48) and the crank (45) together form the hinge (47) to obtain an elastic hinge, so that the clamp (48) can rotate relative to the crank (45) and automatically adapt to the angular deviation and offset deviation of the stack of turnover boxes, ensuring the stability and safety of the handling process.

7. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fork (5) is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, which includes a fixedly connected rib (51), a face plate (52) and a curved plate (53). The rib (51) is hinged to the upper ends of the rear support rod (13) and the front support rod (14) at the rear and front parts respectively, forming a simply supported beam structure, which can reduce the mass and improve the structural strength. The bottom of the stack of turnover boxes is abutted and supported by the panel (52) to transport the stack of turnover boxes; The curved plate (53) is locked relative to the vehicle body (2) and hinged to the rear end of the push-pull rod (21).

8. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rib (51) is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a straight section and an upper curved section; The straight section is a longitudinally horizontal straight strip structure with a cross-sectional dimension smaller than that of the fork holder (11), so that the straight section can enter the interior of the fork holder (11), and when the forks (5) move backward and downward, they can reduce their height, making it easier to insert into the bottom of the stack of turnover boxes.

9. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 8, characterized in that: The panel (52) is a horizontal L-shaped curved plate structure, including a straight section and an upper curved section; The lower surface of the straight section is fixedly connected to the straight section of the rib (51) to obtain fixation and support; The front surface of the upper bend is fixedly connected to the upper bend of the rib (51), which can improve the overall structural strength of the fork (5) and increase its load-bearing capacity.

10. An AGV forklift for transporting stacks of turnover boxes according to claim 7, characterized in that: The curved plate (53) has an inverted U-shaped structure, including a horizontal upper bottom plate (54) and vertical plates (55) on the left and right sides. The vertical plate (55) is fixedly connected to the rib plate (51) to obtain fixation and support; The upper base plate (54) has vertical holes, and the vertical plate (55) has horizontal holes; The vertical hole passes through the safety pin of the bumper (23), thereby locking the forks (5) relative to the vehicle body (2); The curved plate (53) uses the transverse hole to make the push-pull rod (21) hinged to the fork (5), thereby generating a push-pull action on the fork (5).

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