An aircraft wheel chock automatic deployment system and method

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic wheel chock removal and placement system for aircraft, relating to the field of aircraft wheel chock installation and removal technology. The wheel chock robot includes a fully movable ground-based chassis, a wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism, an autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, a communication system, and a remote control system. The fully movable ground-based chassis includes several driven wheels and a fixed base plate. The wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism includes a conveyor belt and an electric hammer gripper, and is connected to the right side of the fully movable ground-based chassis. The fully movable ground-based chassis is connected to the autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, communication system, and remote control system. Because this invention includes a wheel chock robot, and the wheel chock robot is equipped with a fully movable ground-based chassis, a wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism, an autonomous navigation sensor system, and a communication system, the system can autonomously perform wheel chock removal and placement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft wheel chock installation and removal technology, specifically to an automatic aircraft wheel chock removal and removal system and method. Background Technology

[0002] The placement and removal of aircraft wheel chocks is an important part of aircraft ground services. The placement of wheel chocks relies on manual operation by ground crew to install and remove wheel chocks at the front and rear of the three sets of wheels to prevent the aircraft from moving. Currently, there is no automated equipment or method to achieve rapid placement and removal of wheel chocks. The manual placement and removal of wheel chocks means that the aircraft must undergo more steps to check the condition of the wheel chocks after landing and before pushback, which significantly increases the workload of ground crew and the waiting time of the aircraft at the parking position.

[0003] With the development of robotics technology, the installation and removal of wheel chocks can be accomplished by automated mobile robot systems. Automated wheel chock placement and removal robot systems can achieve batch handling, rapid placement, and rapid removal of aircraft wheel chocks, eliminating manual operation by ground staff, preventing errors such as missed placement or removal, and allowing wheel chock placement and removal to be performed concurrently with other ground support work. However, existing aircraft wheel chock placement and removal systems have some shortcomings, such as:

[0004] Existing aircraft wheel chock removal and placement systems, due to their design and weight, take a long time to deploy and are prone to missing placement or removal. Furthermore, their excessive weight makes it time-consuming and labor-intensive to move the wheel chocks, increasing the workload of ground staff.

[0005] Therefore, we propose an automatic wheel chock removal and placement system and method to solve the problems mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic wheel chock removal and placement system and method for aircraft, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. Currently available aircraft wheel chock removal and placement systems have long deployment times due to design reasons and their own weight, and there is a risk of missing wheel chocks. Furthermore, their excessive weight makes it time-consuming and laborious to move wheel chocks, increasing the workload of ground staff.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an automatic wheel chock removal and placement system for aircraft, including a wheel chock robot and a parking guide line;

[0008] The wheel-stop robot includes a fully movable ground walking chassis, a wheel-stop grasping and transmission mechanism, an autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, a communication system, and a remote control system;

[0009] The fully movable ground walking chassis includes several driven wheels and a fixed base plate, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism includes a conveyor belt and an electric hammer gripper, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism is connected to the right side of the fully movable ground walking chassis;

[0010] The all-moving ground-walking chassis is connected to an autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, a communication system, and a remote control system. The autonomous navigation sensor system is a sensing system that can detect obstacles and wheels, the intelligent autonomous navigation software is a software that can perform positioning and plan the wheel chock placement route, the communication system is a software that can complete two-way communication with the control center, and the remote control system is a remote controller and remote control system that can control the robot.

[0011] Because this invention includes a wheel chock robot equipped with a fully movable ground-walking chassis, a wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism, an autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, and a communication system, the system can autonomously perform wheel chock placement and removal. Furthermore, through the inclusion of other components, it addresses issues such as rapid and precise robot movement on the tarmac, wheel chock placement and removal, environmental perception, planning and decision-making, and functional implementation. This allows the aircraft wheel chock robot to complete its work quickly, accelerating wheel chock placement and removal. Moreover, during use, wheel chock placement can be completed automatically without manual operation by ground staff, thus increasing the convenience and practicality of the device.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric hammer gripper in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism can be rotated at a certain angle via an electric rotating shaft.

[0013] The above technical solution enables the electric hammer gripper to be better adjusted in angle when installing or removing aircraft wheel chocks, thus increasing the operability of the equipment.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the conveyor belt in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism is connected to the fixed base plate in the all-moving ground walking chassis.

[0015] The above technical solution enables the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism to be more securely connected to the all-moving ground chassis, increasing the stability of the equipment during movement.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the top of the fixed base plate of the all-moving ground walking chassis is connected to the remote control system, and the remote control system can receive remote signals.

[0017] The above technical solution enables the wheel-stop robot to be operated remotely via signals even when no one is managing it, thus increasing the efficiency of the equipment.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the remote control system and the communication system are connected by a wire, and the communication system can transmit remote signals to each module.

[0019] The above technical solution enables remote signals to transmit commands to various units through the communication system, thereby increasing the working efficiency of the wheel-stop robot.

[0020] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the bottom of the fixed base plate in the all-moving ground walking chassis is connected to the wheels through several rotating shafts, and the wheels can rotate more than 180 degrees.

[0021] The above technical solution makes it easier for the wheel-stop robot to move, increasing the mobility of the device.

[0022] Based on the above system, the present invention also proposes a method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks, comprising:

[0023] The wheel guard removal and placement robot is designed with five working states:

[0024] Stop: The wheel-stop robot stops at the designated location; Standby: The wheel-stop robot waits for system commands; Task Planning: The wheel-stop robot plans the route for placing wheel stops on each wheel; Place Wheel Stops: The wheel stops are unloaded and delivered to the designated location; Retrieve Wheel Stops: The wheel stops are removed and delivered to the designated location.

[0025] Wheel stop placement action:

[0026] The wheel chock robot navigates to the front of the front wheel and aligns with it; it places the wheel chock, and if it fails, it performs the removal and placement of the wheel chock again; it navigates to the back of the front wheel and aligns with it; it navigates to the front of the left rear wheel and aligns with it; it navigates to the back of the left rear wheel and aligns with it; it navigates to the back of the right rear wheel and aligns with it; it navigates to the front of the right rear wheel and aligns with it; it returns to the standby position;

[0027] Removing wheel chocks:

[0028] The wheel chock robot navigates to the front of the front wheel and aligns with it; removes the wheel chock, and if it fails, removes the wheel chock again; navigates to the back of the front wheel and aligns with it; navigates to the front of the left rear wheel and aligns with it; navigates to the back of the left rear wheel and aligns with it; navigates to the back of the right rear wheel and aligns with it; navigates to the front of the right rear wheel and aligns with it; returns to the standby position.

[0029] By identifying the reasons for failed placement or removal signals, users can operate the wheel chock robot more accurately during repetitive operations, thereby increasing the accuracy of the device in placing or removing wheel chocks. Furthermore, this reduces the workload of ground staff and increases the device's efficiency.

[0030] As an improvement to the above method, the navigation process of the wheel-mounted robot is divided into two actions:

[0031] Straight-line movement is used for navigation between different wheels of wheel-stop robots;

[0032] Planetary motion is used for wheel-mounted robots to move around the wheel, adjusting their orientation by 180 degrees and changing their position.

[0033] As an improvement to the above method, the wheel-mounted robot can be prompted to work according to remote commands or stop guide lines during the walking process, and the approach accuracy is: heading ±1.5 degrees, distance ±2 cm; lateral deviation ±3 cm.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0035] 1. Because this invention features a wheel chock robot, and the wheel chock robot is equipped with a fully movable ground walking chassis, a wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism, an autonomous navigation sensor system, intelligent autonomous navigation software, and a communication system, the system can autonomously perform wheel chock placement and removal. Furthermore, through the inclusion of other accessories, it addresses issues such as rapid and precise robot movement on the tarmac, wheel chock placement and removal, environmental perception, planning and decision-making, and functional implementation, enabling the aircraft wheel chock robot to complete its work quickly, thereby accelerating the wheel chock placement and removal speed. Moreover, during use, the wheel chocks can be automatically deployed without manual operation by ground personnel, thus increasing the convenience and practicality of the equipment.

[0036] 2. By understanding the reasons for failed placement or removal signals, users can operate the wheel chock robot more accurately when performing repetitive operations, thereby increasing the accuracy of the device when placing or removing wheel chocks. Furthermore, this reduces the workload of ground staff during use, increasing the efficiency of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the automatic aircraft wheel chock removal and placement robot of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main components of the wheel-stop robot of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the entire wheel chock disassembly and reassembly process of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working process of removing and placing the wheel guard according to the present invention.

[0041] In the diagram: 110, Wheel-stop robot; 111, All-moving ground-walking chassis; 112, Wheel-stop gripping and transmission mechanism; 113, Autonomous navigation sensor system; 114, Intelligent autonomous navigation software; 115, Communication system; 116, Remote control system. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Example

[0043] Please see Figure 1-4 The present invention provides a technical solution: an automatic wheel chock removal and placement system for aircraft, including a wheel chock robot 110 and a parking guide line;

[0044] The wheel-stop robot 110 includes a fully movable ground walking chassis 111, a wheel-stop grasping and transmission mechanism 112, an autonomous navigation sensor system 113, intelligent autonomous navigation software 114, a communication system 115, and a remote control system 116;

[0045] The fully movable ground walking chassis 111 includes several driving wheels and a fixed base plate, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism 112 includes a conveyor belt and an electric hammer gripper, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism 112 is connected to the right side of the fully movable ground walking chassis 111.

[0046] The fully mobile ground-walking chassis 111 is connected to the autonomous navigation sensor system 113, intelligent autonomous navigation software 114, communication system 115, and remote control system 116. The autonomous navigation sensor system 113 is a sensing system capable of detecting obstacles and wheels, the intelligent autonomous navigation software 114 is software capable of positioning and planning wheel chock placement routes, the communication system 115 is software capable of two-way communication with the control center, and the remote control system 116 is a remote controller and remote control system capable of controlling the robot. The system enables automatic wheel chock placement and removal. When the system is activated, the fully movable ground walking chassis 111 is started first, which drives the wheel stop robot 110 to move. When the wheel stop robot 110 moves to the bottom of the aircraft, it can use the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism 112 to grab the wheel stop from the wheel stop on the top conveyor belt through the electric hammer gripper, thereby fixing the wheels at the bottom of the aircraft. When the wheel stop robot 110 receives a command, it can receive it through the communication system 115 and the remote control system 116, and then determine the route through the autonomous navigation sensor system 113 and the intelligent autonomous navigation software 114.

[0047] The electric hammer gripper in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism 112 can rotate at a certain angle via an electric rotating shaft; the bottom of the conveyor belt in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism 112 is connected to the fixed base plate in the all-moving ground walking chassis 111; the top of the fixed base plate of the all-moving ground walking chassis 111 is connected to the remote control system 116, and the remote control system 116 can receive remote signals; the remote control system 116 is wired to the communication system 115, and the communication system 115 can transmit remote signals to various modules; the bottom of the fixed base plate in the all-moving ground walking chassis 111 is connected to the wheels via several rotating shafts, and the wheels can rotate more than 180 degrees.

[0048] Working principle: When using the automatic wheel chock removal and placement system, the fully movable ground walking chassis 111 is first started, which drives the wheel chock robot 110 to move. When the wheel chock robot 110 moves to the bottom of the aircraft, it can use the wheel chock gripping and transmission mechanism 112 to grab the wheel chock from the top conveyor belt through the electric hammer gripper, thereby fixing the wheels at the bottom of the aircraft. When the wheel chock robot 110 receives commands, it can receive them through the communication system 115 and the remote control system 116, and then determine the route through the autonomous navigation sensor system 113 and the intelligent autonomous navigation software 114. Example

[0049] Based on the above system, Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks, the method being as follows: Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes:

[0050] The wheel chock removal and placement robot is designed with five working states:

[0051] A: Stop the machine; the robot will dock at the designated location.

[0052] B: Standby mode, the robot is waiting for system commands;

[0053] C: Task planning, the robot plans the route for placing wheel chocks on each wheel;

[0054] D: Place wheel chocks, remove wheel chocks, and move wheel chocks to the designated location;

[0055] E: Retrieve the wheel chocks, remove the wheel chocks, and move the wheel chocks to the designated location;

[0056] The action of placing wheel chocks can be broken down into the following steps:

[0057] A: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the front wheel and align it;

[0058] B: Use wheel stop robot 110 to place the wheel stop; if it fails, execute the placement command again.

[0059] C: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the front wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0060] D: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the left rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0061] E: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the left rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0062] F: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the right rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0063] G: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the right rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0064] H: Returns the wheel-stop robot 110 to the standby position.

[0065] The process of removing wheel chocks can be broken down into the following steps:

[0066] A: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the front wheel and align it;

[0067] B: Use wheel stop robot 110 to remove the wheel stop; if it fails, repeat the process.

[0068] C: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the front wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0069] D: Navigate the wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the left rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0070] E: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the left rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0071] F: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the opposite side of the right rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0072] G: Navigate wheel-stop robot 110 to the front of the right rear wheel and align it, then execute B;

[0073] H: Returns the wheel-stop robot 110 to the standby position.

[0074] The navigation process of the wheel-mounted robot 110 consists of two types of actions:

[0075] 1. Straight-line movement, used for navigation of the wheel-stop robot 110 between different wheels;

[0076] 2. Planetary motion, used for the wheel-stop robot 110 to move around the wheel as a wheel-centric movement, while adjusting its orientation by 180 degrees and changing its position.

[0077] During its movement, the wheel-mounted robot 110 can be prompted to work according to remote commands or stop guide lines, and its approach accuracy is: heading ±1.5 degrees, distance ±2 cm; lateral deviation ±3 cm.

[0078] This completes a series of tasks. The contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0079] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks, the method comprising: The machine stops, and the wheel-stop robot (110) stops at the designated position; Standby mode, the wheel-stop robot (110) awaits system commands; The system includes a wheel-stop robot (110) and a stop guide line; The wheel-stop robot (110) includes a fully movable ground walking chassis (111), a wheel-stop gripping and transmission mechanism (112), an autonomous navigation sensor system (113), intelligent autonomous navigation software (114), a communication system (115), and a remote control system (116). The fully movable ground walking chassis (111) includes several driving wheels and a fixed base plate, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism (112) includes a conveyor belt and an electric hammer gripper, and the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism (112) is connected to the right side of the fully movable ground walking chassis (111); The fully mobile ground-walking chassis (111) is connected to the autonomous navigation sensor system (113), intelligent autonomous navigation software (114), communication system (115), and remote control system (116). The autonomous navigation sensor system (113) is a sensing system that can sense obstacles and wheels. The intelligent autonomous navigation software (114) is a software that can perform positioning and plan the wheel chock placement route. The communication system (115) is a software that can complete two-way communication with the control center. The remote control system (116) is a remote controller and remote control system that can remotely control the robot. Task planning: The wheel stop robot (110) plans the route for placing wheel stops on each wheel; Place wheel chocks, unload wheel chocks and move wheel chocks to the designated location; retrieve wheel chocks, remove wheel chocks and move wheel chocks to the designated location; Wheel stop placement action: The wheel chock robot (110) navigates to the front of the front wheel and aligns it; it places the wheel chock, and if it fails, it repeats the wheel chock placement; it navigates to the back of the front wheel and aligns it; it navigates to the front of the left rear wheel and aligns it; it navigates to the back of the left rear wheel and aligns it. Navigate to the opposite side of the right rear wheel and align it; Navigate to the front of the right rear wheel and align it; Return to standby position; Removing wheel chocks: The wheel chock robot (110) navigates to the front of the front wheel and aligns with it; it removes the wheel chock, and if it fails, it removes the wheel chock again; it navigates to the back of the front wheel and aligns with it; it navigates to the front of the left rear wheel and aligns with it. Navigate to the opposite side of the left rear wheel and align it; Navigate to the opposite side of the right rear wheel and align it; Navigate to the front of the right rear wheel and align it; Return to standby position.

2. The aircraft wheel chock de-stow method of claim 1, wherein, The navigation process of the wheel-stop robot (110) consists of two types of actions: (1) Straight movement, used for navigation between different wheels of the wheel-stop robot (110); (2) Planetary motion, used for the wheel-stop robot (110) to move around the wheel with the wheel as the center, while adjusting the orientation by 180 degrees and changing the position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, During its movement, the wheel-stop robot (110) can be prompted to work according to remote instructions or a stop guide line, and its forward accuracy is: heading ±1.5 degrees, distance ±2 cm; lateral deviation ±3 cm.

4. The method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric hammer gripper in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism (112) can be rotated at a certain angle via an electric rotating shaft.

5. The method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the conveyor belt in the wheel stop gripping and transmission mechanism (112) is connected to the fixed base plate in the all-moving ground walking chassis (111).

6. The method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the fixed base plate of the all-moving ground walking chassis (111) is connected to the remote control system (116), and the remote control system (116) can receive remote signals.

7. The method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The remote control system (116) is connected to the communication system (115), and the communication system (115) can transmit remote signals to each module.

8. The method for removing and placing aircraft wheel chocks according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fixed base plate of the fully movable ground walking chassis (111) is connected to the wheels through several rotating shafts, and the wheels can rotate more than 180 degrees.

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