An adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a four-way shuttle vehicle with self-adaptive lifting and guiding, which has a vehicle body frame. Sub-lane walking wheel assemblies are arranged on the front and rear sides of the vehicle body frame. A jacking mechanism is arranged on the vehicle body frame, and a main-lane walking wheel assembly is arranged on the jacking mechanism. The main-lane walking wheel assembly and the sub-lane walking wheel assemblies are driven to operate by a set of walking driving equipment. Mechanical track automatic alignment devices are further arranged on the two end sides of the main-lane walking wheel mounting frame. The application guarantees the synchronism of lifting, optimizes the structure, further improves the stability of the jacking mechanism, and lays a foundation for improving product quality and cost control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent logistics warehousing equipment technology, and in particular to an adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle. Background Technology

[0002] Four-way shuttles are advanced automated material handling equipment that not only enables fully automated, information-based storage and retrieval of goods within warehouses, but also allows for seamless integration with production processes outside the warehouse. This facilitates the formation of advanced logistics systems, effectively reduces labor intensity, improves space utilization, lowers storage and transportation costs, and enhances enterprise management, leading to their increasingly widespread use.

[0003] The existing four-way shuttle has a relatively complex overall layout. In order to realize its reversing function, a lifting mechanism must be arranged on the four-way shuttle. In order to maintain the stability of the cargo lifting process, an additional lifting guide mechanism is added to ensure the lifting direction. The structural layout is limited, and the lifting guide mechanism often has high requirements for processing precision and installation process, which is not conducive to product quality and cost control. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned issues by providing an adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle. This invention ensures the synchronization of lifting and lowering, optimizes the structure, and further improves the stability of the lifting mechanism, laying a solid foundation for improving product quality and controlling costs.

[0005] The specific solution of the present invention is: an adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle car, having a car frame, with sub-lane traveling wheel assemblies arranged on the front and rear sides of the car frame, a lifting mechanism on the car frame, and a main lane traveling wheel assembly mounted on the lifting mechanism. The main lane traveling wheel assembly and the sub-lane traveling wheel assemblies are driven together by a set of traveling drive equipment. The main lane traveling wheel assembly includes two parallel lifting beams, both of which are connected to the lifting mechanism. Two main lane traveling wheel mounting frames are respectively connected to the bottom ends of the two lifting beams. The two main lane traveling wheel mounting frames are arranged perpendicularly to the lifting beams and connected as a whole. Each of the two main lane traveling wheel mounting frames is equipped with a main lane driving wheel assembly and a main lane driven wheel assembly. The drive wheel assembly and the traveling drive equipment are connected by a chain and sprocket mechanism. Mechanical automatic track alignment devices are also installed at both ends of the main roadway traveling wheel mounting frame. Each mechanical automatic track alignment device has an alignment mounting plate with mounting holes. A rotating shaft is mounted in each mounting hole via a bearing assembly. A reversing gear is fixedly mounted at one end of the rotating shaft, and a reversing plate is mounted at the other end. One end of the reversing plate is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the reversing plate is equipped with one or two guide wheels. The axle of the guide wheels is arranged perpendicular to the rotating shaft. A straight rack is also provided, meshing with the reversing gear. The straight rack is connected to the end side wall of the main roadway traveling wheel mounting frame via rack bolts.

[0006] Furthermore, the mounting plate hole in this invention is an oblong hole; the bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a rolling bearing, wherein the bearing housing is inserted into the oblong hole, and the bearing housing is fixed to the alignment mounting plate by bearing housing bolts and nuts passing through the oblong hole; a protruding plate is provided on the front side of the bearing housing, and at least two adjusting bolts and matching locking nuts are connected to the side of the protruding plate. The adjusting bolts are mounted on the alignment mounting plate, and the front end of the adjusting bolts is connected to the protruding plate. The protruding plate is moved horizontally under the action of the adjusting bolts; a retaining ring for the hole is provided at the connection between the rolling bearing and the bearing housing.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism described in this invention includes a lifting servo motor, a lifting reducer, and a lifting drive assembly. The lifting drive assembly has an output end on each side. One of the output ends is connected to a first reversing reducer via a telescopic coupling. The two output ends of the first reversing reducer are connected to two screw jacks via flange couplings and universal couplings, respectively. The other output end of the lifting drive assembly is connected to a second reversing reducer via a flange coupling. The two output ends of the second reversing reducer are connected to two other screw jacks via flange couplings and universal couplings, respectively. Each of the four screw jacks is equipped with a lifting plate, and the four lifting plates are connected to the corresponding lifting beams.

[0008] Furthermore, the sub-lane traveling wheel assembly described in this invention includes two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies and two sets of sub-lane driven wheel assemblies. The two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies are connected to the traveling drive device via a coupling.

[0009] Furthermore, the walking drive device described in this invention includes a walking servo motor and a walking reducer. The two output ends of the walking reducer are respectively equipped with a main roadway walking drive sprocket and a sub-roadway walking drive sprocket. The main roadway walking drive sprocket is used for transmission connection with the main roadway drive wheel assembly, and the sub-roadway walking drive sprocket is used for transmission connection with the sub-roadway walking wheel assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the vehicle frame described in this invention includes a vehicle floor plate, with side plates facing the main aisle on the front and rear sides of the vehicle floor plate, and side plates facing the sub-aisle on the left and right sides of the vehicle floor plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the lifting beam described in this invention is also equipped with an anti-slip plate.

[0012] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0013] 1. A single walking servo motor drives a vertical dual-output reducer to achieve movement in the main tunnel and sub-tunnels. This structure is simple and compact, saving costs and reducing the installation space required for the four-way shuttle.

[0014] 2. The lifting mechanism in this invention uses a single lifting servo motor to simultaneously drive four screw jacks, realizing the switching of operation between the main aisle traveling wheel assembly and the sub-aisle traveling wheel assembly. The structure is mature and stable, and the appropriate screw jack can be selected according to the tonnage of the four-way shuttle, which facilitates serialized design and fully ensures the reliability and stability of the lifting mechanism. At the same time, the lifting mechanism and the main aisle traveling wheel assembly are rigidly connected to form a stable frame structure, which can ensure the stability of the four-way shuttle when lifting goods without the need for a lifting guide mechanism, further reducing costs.

[0015] 3. In this invention, the guide wheels in the mechanical track automatic alignment device can switch states with the lifting mechanism, ensuring that the four-way shuttle does not ride on the track when traveling in the main roadway, thus guaranteeing its operational reliability. The structure is simple and does not require additional power, effectively controlling costs. At the same time, it ensures that the guide wheels also roll and move with the lifting mechanism during the switching process between the main roadway and the sub-roadway, thereby achieving the alignment from the main roadway to the sub-roadway and ensuring that the shuttle enters the sub-roadway with proper alignment and stable operation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top-view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical track automatic alignment device in this invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the walking drive device in this invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism in this invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main tunnel traveling wheel assembly in this invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle body frame in this invention.

[0023] In the diagram: 1—Main tunnel traveling wheel assembly, 2—Car body frame, 3—Mechanical automatic track alignment device, 4—Sub-tunnel traveling wheel assembly, 5—Battery, 6—Lifting mechanism, 7—Traveling drive equipment, 8—Alignment mounting plate, 9—Protruding plate, 10—Rotating shaft, 11—Tilting gear, 12—Straight rack, 13—Tilting plate, 14—Guide wheel, 15—Sub-tunnel traveling drive sprocket, 16—Main tunnel traveling drive sprocket, 17—Traveling reducer, 18—Traveling servo motor, 19—Lifting plate 20—Screw jack, 21—Universal coupling, 22—Second reversing reducer, 23—Flange coupling, 24—Lifting drive assembly, 25—Extendable coupling, 26—First reversing reducer, 27—Lifting reducer, 28—Lifting servo motor, 29—Main roadway driven wheel assembly, 30—Main roadway traveling wheel mounting frame, 31—Lifting beam, 32—Anti-slip plate, 33—Main roadway side plate, 34—Car floor plate, 35—Sub-roadway side plate, 36—Main roadway drive wheel assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solution 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 protection scope of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention or simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] See Figures 1 to 7This invention relates to an adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle vehicle, comprising a vehicle frame 2. Further, the vehicle frame includes a floor plate 34, with main lane side plates 33 on the front and rear sides and sub-lane side plates 35 on the left and right sides. Sub-lane traveling wheel assemblies 4 are provided on the front and rear sides of the vehicle frame. A lifting mechanism 6 is provided on the vehicle frame, and the main lane traveling wheel assembly 1 is mounted on the lifting mechanism. The main lane traveling wheel assembly and the sub-lane traveling wheel assembly are driven together by a set of traveling drive equipment 7. The main lane traveling wheel assembly includes two parallel lifting beams 31. Further, the lifting beams are also provided with anti-slip plates 32. Both lifting beams are connected to the lifting mechanism, and two main lane traveling wheel mounting brackets 30 are connected to the bottom of each end of the two lifting beams. The two main lane traveling wheel mounting brackets are arranged perpendicularly to the lifting beams and connected as a single unit. Each of the two main roadway traveling wheel mounting frames is equipped with a main roadway driving wheel assembly 36 and a main roadway driven wheel assembly 29. The main roadway driving wheel assembly is connected to the traveling drive equipment via a chain and sprocket mechanism. Mechanical track automatic alignment devices 3 are also provided on the sides of both ends of the main roadway traveling wheel mounting frames. The mechanical track automatic alignment device has an alignment mounting plate 8 with mounting plate holes. A rotating shaft 10 is mounted in the mounting plate holes through a bearing assembly. A reversing gear 11 is fixedly mounted on one end of the rotating shaft, and a reversing plate 13 is mounted on the other end of the rotating shaft. One end of the reversing plate is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the reversing plate is equipped with one or two guide wheels 14. The axle of the guide wheel is arranged perpendicular to the rotating shaft. A rack 12 is also provided, which meshes with the reversing gear and is connected to the end side wall of the main roadway traveling wheel mounting frame by rack bolts. Furthermore, the mounting plate hole in this invention is an oblong hole; the bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a rolling bearing, wherein the bearing housing is inserted into the oblong hole, and the bearing housing is fixed to the alignment mounting plate by bearing housing bolts and nuts passing through the oblong hole; a protruding plate 9 is provided on the front side of the bearing housing, and at least two adjusting bolts and matching locking nuts are connected to the side of the protruding plate. The adjusting bolts are mounted on the alignment mounting plate, and the front end of the adjusting bolts is connected to the protruding plate. The protruding plate moves horizontally under the action of the adjusting bolts; a retaining ring for the hole is provided at the connection between the rolling bearing and the bearing housing.

[0027] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism described in this embodiment includes a lifting servo motor 28, a lifting reducer 27, and a lifting drive assembly 24. The lifting drive assembly has an output end on each side. One of the output ends is connected to a first reversing reducer 26 via a telescopic coupling 25. The two output ends of the first reversing reducer are connected to two screw jacks 20 via flange couplings and universal couplings, respectively. The other output end of the lifting drive assembly is connected to a second reversing reducer 22 via a flange coupling 23. The two output ends of the second reversing reducer are connected to two other screw jacks via flange couplings and universal couplings 21, respectively. Each of the four screw jacks is equipped with a lifting plate 19, and the four lifting plates are connected to the corresponding lifting beams.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sub-lane traveling wheel assembly includes two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies and two sets of sub-lane driven wheel assemblies. The two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies are connected to the traveling drive device via a coupling. Furthermore, the traveling drive device in this invention includes a traveling servo motor 18 and a traveling reducer 17. The two output ends of the traveling reducer are respectively equipped with a main lane traveling drive sprocket 16 and a sub-lane traveling drive sprocket 15. The main lane traveling drive sprocket is used for driving connection with the main lane driving wheel assembly, and the sub-lane traveling drive sprocket is used for driving connection with the sub-lane traveling wheel assembly.

[0029] In this invention, the mechanical track automatic alignment device 3 is installed on the frame of the four-way shuttle car. The rack is installed on the frame of the four-way car lifting mechanism and meshes with the tilting gear. The rack moves up and down synchronously with the frame of the four-way shuttle car lifting mechanism, thereby driving the tilting gear to rotate. The rotating gear then drives the tilting plate to rotate through the rotating shaft, thereby causing the guide wheel with the threaded shaft installed on it to rotate. This effectively adapts to the switching of the main roadway travel wheel state of the four-way shuttle car.

[0030] In this invention, the meshing clearance between the reversing gear and the spur rack can be adjusted by adjusting the bolt. After adjustment, it can be locked by locking the nut to ensure normal and stable transmission of the reversing gear and the spur rack.

[0031] In this embodiment, the four-way shuttle operates by switching between the main tunnel and the sub-tunnels, which are arranged perpendicularly to each other.

[0032] The mechanical automatic track alignment device in this invention has three states. State 1: The four-way shuttle travels on the main roadway, with the tilting plate pointing vertically downwards. At this time, the guide wheel with the threaded shaft is tangent to the side of the main track in the main roadway, which can play a guiding role and ensure that the four-way shuttle travels in a straight line on the main track without riding on the track. State 2: When the four-way shuttle changes direction, the main roadway traveling wheel assembly is lifted up and leaves the main roadway track. At this time, the lifting mechanism moves the main roadway driving wheel assembly and the main roadway driven wheel assembly together to separate from the main track. At the same time as the lifting action, the rack and pinion drives the tilting gear to move, which in turn drives the tilting plate to move. As the tilting plate flips, it drives the guide wheel with the threaded shaft to rotate 90° counterclockwise (or clockwise) to the horizontal direction. If, at this time, the four-way shuttle's traveling wheel in the sub-roadway is not aligned with the sub-roadway track due to a driving positioning error, the guide wheel with the threaded shaft will apply a certain force to the side of the reversing track when it rotates, forcing the four-way shuttle to move to the left (or right) in the sub-roadway. Align the sub-lane traveling wheels with the sub-lane track to prevent the four-way shuttle from veering off course as soon as it enters the sub-lane track, ensuring that the four-way shuttle's sub-lane traveling wheels can normally enter the sub-lane track; State 3: When the four-way shuttle picks up goods on the sub-track, as the frame of the lifting mechanism in the four-way shuttle rises, it drives the tilting plate to rotate, causing the guide wheel with the threaded shaft installed on it to rotate 90° counterclockwise (or clockwise) to vertically upward; when the four-way shuttle enters the main lane from the sub-track... Then, as the four-way shuttle changes direction, the flip plate of the automatic alignment device rotates clockwise (or counterclockwise) to vertically downward. If, at this time, the main roadway traveling wheels of the four-way shuttle are not aligned with the main roadway track due to driving positioning errors, the guide wheel with the threaded shaft will apply a certain force to the side of the main track, forcing the four-way shuttle to move forward (or backward) towards the sub-roadway, so that the main roadway traveling wheels are aligned with the main roadway track. Through the guidance of the guide wheel, the four-way shuttle is prevented from running off track in the main roadway.

[0033] In the embodiments of the present invention, the walking drive device uses a walking servo motor to drive the main roadway walking wheel assembly and the sub-roadway walking wheel assembly simultaneously, which greatly saves the number of power equipment while ensuring stability and coordination; each running component is driven by a sprocket and chain mechanism, making the operation more precise and stable.

[0034] This invention employs a single servo motor to drive a vertical dual-output reducer to achieve movement in the main and sub-lanes. This structure is simple and compact, saving costs and reducing the installation space required for the four-way shuttle. The lifting mechanism in this invention uses a single lifting servo motor to simultaneously drive four screw jacks, enabling the switching between the main and sub-lane walking wheel assemblies. The structure is mature and stable, and the appropriate screw jack can be selected based on the tonnage of the four-way shuttle, facilitating serialization design and ensuring the reliability and stability of the lifting mechanism. Furthermore, the rigid connection between the lifting mechanism and the main lane walking wheel assembly forms a stable frame structure, guaranteeing the stability of the four-way shuttle when lifting goods without requiring a lifting guide mechanism, further reducing costs. In this invention, the guide wheels in the mechanical track automatic alignment device can switch states with the lifting mechanism, ensuring that the four-way shuttle does not ride on the rails when traveling in the main roadway, thus guaranteeing its operational reliability. The structure is simple and does not require additional power, effectively controlling costs. At the same time, it ensures that the guide wheels also roll and move with the main roadway during the switching process between the main roadway and the sub-roadway, thereby achieving alignment from the main roadway to the sub-roadway and ensuring that the shuttle enters the sub-roadway with proper alignment and stable operation.

Claims

1. An adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle car, comprising a car frame, sub-lane traveling wheel assemblies arranged on the front and rear sides of the car frame, a lifting mechanism arranged on the car frame, a main lane traveling wheel assembly mounted on the lifting mechanism, the main lane traveling wheel assembly and the sub-lane traveling wheel assemblies being driven together by a set of traveling drive equipment, characterized in that: The main tunnel traveling wheel assembly includes two parallel lifting beams, both of which are connected to a lifting mechanism. Two main tunnel traveling wheel mounting frames are connected to the bottom of each end of the two lifting beams. These mounting frames are arranged perpendicularly to the lifting beams and connected as a single unit. Each mounting frame houses a main tunnel drive wheel assembly and a main tunnel driven wheel assembly. The drive wheel assembly is connected to the traveling drive equipment via a chain and sprocket mechanism. Mechanical automatic track alignment devices are also installed on the sides of both ends of the main tunnel traveling wheel mounting frames. The mechanical track automatic alignment device has an alignment mounting plate with mounting holes. A rotating shaft is mounted in the mounting holes via bearing assemblies. A reversing gear is fixedly mounted at one end of the rotating shaft, and a reversing plate is mounted at the other end. One end of the reversing plate is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end of the reversing plate is equipped with one or two guide wheels. The axles of the guide wheels are arranged perpendicular to the rotating shaft. A rack is also provided, which meshes with the reversing gear. The rack is connected to the end side wall of the main roadway traveling wheel mounting frame by rack bolts.

2. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate has an oblong hole; the bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a rolling bearing, wherein the bearing housing is inserted into the oblong hole and fixed to the alignment mounting plate by bearing housing bolts and nuts passing through the oblong hole; a protruding plate is provided on the front side of the bearing housing, and at least two adjusting bolts and matching locking nuts are connected to the side of the protruding plate. The adjusting bolts are mounted on the alignment mounting plate, and the front end of the adjusting bolts is connected to the protruding plate. The protruding plate moves horizontally under the action of the adjusting bolts; a retaining ring for the hole is provided at the connection between the rolling bearing and the bearing housing.

3. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes a lifting servo motor, a lifting reducer, and a lifting drive assembly. The lifting drive assembly has an output end on each side. One of the output ends is connected to a first reversing reducer via a telescopic coupling. The two output ends of the first reversing reducer are connected to two screw jacks via flange couplings and universal couplings, respectively. The other output end of the lifting drive assembly is connected to a second reversing reducer via a flange coupling. The two output ends of the second reversing reducer are connected to two other screw jacks via flange couplings and universal couplings, respectively. Each of the four screw jacks is equipped with a lifting plate, and the four lifting plates are connected to the corresponding lifting beams.

4. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sub-lane traveling wheel assembly includes two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies and two sets of sub-lane driven wheel assemblies. The two sets of sub-lane driving wheel assemblies are connected to the traveling drive device through a coupling.

5. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking drive device includes a walking servo motor and a walking reducer. The two output ends of the walking reducer are respectively equipped with a main roadway walking drive sprocket and a sub-roadway walking drive sprocket. The main roadway walking drive sprocket is used for transmission connection with the main roadway drive wheel assembly, and the sub-roadway walking drive sprocket is used for transmission connection with the sub-roadway walking wheel assembly.

6. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle frame includes a floor plate, with side plates facing the main roadway on the front and rear sides of the floor plate, and side plates facing the sub-roadway on the left and right sides of the floor plate.

7. The adaptive lifting and guiding four-way shuttle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting beam is also equipped with an anti-slip plate.

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