Unmanned vehicle and loading method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned distribution, and discloses an unmanned vehicle and a loading method. The unmanned vehicle is used for loading and unloading containers and specifically comprises a vehicle body, a driving source, a transmission mechanism and an operation arm. Wherein the driving source is arranged on the vehicle body and provides power for movement of the vehicle body; the driving source is connected with the transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism is in transmission connection with the operation arm, a hooking part is arranged at the tail end of the operation arm and used for hooking a container, and the driving source can drive the transmission mechanism and enable the operation arm to drag the container to a vehicle body. According to the invention, the loading and unloading operation of the unmanned vehicle on the container does not depend on site configuration and corresponding special automatic loading and unloading equipment is not provided any more, the loading and unloading equipment in manual operation is completely avoided, and the manual loading and unloading mode can be completely eliminated, so that the adaptability of loading and unloading goods in the logistics distribution process of the unmanned vehicle is effectively improved, and the logistics distribution efficiency is improved. The loading and unloading efficiency is improved, and the manual operation intensity and the manual operation cost are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned delivery technology, and in particular to an unmanned vehicle and a loading method. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned vehicle logistics delivery is a new type of logistics delivery method that has emerged in recent years with the rapid development of autonomous driving technology. It uses technologies such as computers, artificial intelligence, big data and communication networks to complete unmanned vehicle delivery tasks, greatly improving delivery efficiency and reducing labor costs.

[0003] At present, in the process of unmanned vehicle delivery, goods need to be loaded and unloaded when passing through the stations. During the loading and unloading process, each station needs to install and configure special automatic loading and unloading equipment or use manually operated loading and unloading equipment, or completely use manual loading and unloading methods to load and unload the goods.

[0004] The above methods have high requirements for site configuration during the loading and unloading process of goods, low loading and unloading efficiency, and high manual work intensity and cost. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an unmanned vehicle and a loading method to solve the problems in the existing unmanned vehicle delivery process, that is, the high configuration requirements for sites for cargo loading and unloading, low efficiency, and high manual labor intensity and operating costs.

[0006] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] Unmanned vehicle, used for loading and unloading cargo boxes, including:

[0008] Vehicle body;

[0009] A driving source, provided on the vehicle body, the driving source providing power for the movement of the vehicle body;

[0010] A transmission mechanism, the driving source is connected to the transmission mechanism;

[0011] The operating arm is connected to the transmission mechanism through transmission. A hook portion is provided at the end of the operating arm, and the hook portion is used to hook the cargo box. The driving source can drive the transmission mechanism and enable the operating arm to drag the cargo box to the vehicle body.

[0012] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, the vehicle body includes a frame, the operating arm includes a first rod and a second rod connected to the first rod at an angle, the first rod is hinged to the frame, and the hanging portion is provided at an end of the second rod away from the first rod.

[0013] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, a guide rail is provided at the bottom of the cargo box, and a guide wheel is provided on the frame. When the operating arm drags the cargo box to the vehicle body, the guide wheel can slide with the guide rail. A baffle is provided on the outward side of the guide wheel, and the baffle is used to limit the side wall of the cargo box.

[0014] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, a plurality of support blocks are provided at intervals on the frame, and when the operating arm drags the cargo box to the vehicle body, the cargo box is pressed against the support blocks.

[0015] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, the transmission mechanism includes a transmission rod and a slider, one end of the transmission rod is hinged to the first rod, and the other end of the transmission rod is hinged to the slider, the slider is connected to the driving source, and the driving source can drive the slider to slide along the frame.

[0016] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, the transmission mechanism further includes a synchronous chain, and the driving source and the slider are connected via the synchronous chain.

[0017] As an optional solution for an unmanned vehicle, the connecting portion is a hook detachably connected to the operating arm, and a handle that can be connected to the hook is protruding outward on the side wall of the cargo box.

[0018] The loading method, based on any of the above schemes, includes:

[0019] The operating arm flips toward the direction of the cargo box and is hooked on the hooking portion;

[0020] The operating arm drags the cargo box so that a side of the cargo box close to the vehicle body is lifted off the ground;

[0021] The operating arm continues to drag the cargo box so that the bottom of the cargo box contacts the vehicle body;

[0022] The operating arm continues to drag the cargo box, causing the bottom of the cargo box to slide, squeeze the vehicle body, and completely lift the cargo box off the ground.

[0023] As an optional solution for the loading method, before the step of hooking the hooking portion with the operating arm, the vehicle body can be moved closer to the cargo box.

[0024] As an optional solution for a loading method, when the operating arm is flipped to an extreme position toward the cargo box, the vehicle body can be moved to allow the operating arm to approach and hook the hooking portion.

[0025] Beneficial effects:

[0026] In the first aspect of the present invention, the driving source can provide power for the entire unmanned vehicle to travel, and can also provide power for the transmission mechanism to load and unload goods. Using a single driving source for multiple power outputs can reduce the cost and the size of the entire unmanned vehicle. The driving source drives the transmission mechanism and enables the operating arm to drag the cargo box to the vehicle body. The operating arm can be flexibly connected to the cargo box through the hook part. The loading and unloading operations of the unmanned vehicle on the cargo box no longer rely on site configuration and the provision of corresponding special automated loading and unloading equipment. At the same time, it also completely avoids the loading and unloading equipment that requires manual operation, and can completely get rid of the manual loading and unloading method, thereby effectively improving the adaptability of loading and unloading goods in the process of unmanned vehicle logistics distribution, improving the efficiency of loading and unloading, and reducing the intensity and cost of manual work.

[0027] In the second aspect of the present invention, by driving the operating arm in the forward and reverse directions by the driving source, the cargo box can be loaded into the vehicle body or unloaded to the ground, so that the entire loading and unloading process does not require excessive manpower participation, and also avoids the need to set up special loading and unloading equipment at the site, thereby improving the loading efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is an axonometric diagram of a portion of a structure for loading and unloading cargo boxes provided on an unmanned vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a front view of a part of the structure for loading and unloading cargo boxes provided on the unmanned vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a front view of the cooperation between the partial structure for loading and unloading cargo boxes and the cargo box provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a partial schematic diagram of the first position of the hanging portion and the handle provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 is a partial schematic diagram of a second position of the hook portion and the handle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6-Figure 11 It is a structural diagram of the process of loading a box into a vehicle body of an unmanned vehicle provided by an embodiment of the invention.

[0034] In the figure:

[0035] 100, cargo box; 110, handle; 120, guide rail; 130, box wheel;

[0036] 11. Frame; 12. Guide wheel; 121. Baffle; 13. Support block; 2. Driving source; 3. Transmission mechanism; 31. Transmission rod; 32. Slider; 33. Synchronous chain; 4. Operating arm; 41. Hanging part; 42. First rod; 43. Second rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0040] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", etc., directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in the description and have no special meaning.

[0041] Please refer to the attached Figure 1 -Attached Figure 5 The first aspect of this embodiment relates to an unmanned vehicle, which is used to load and unload a cargo box 100. The unmanned vehicle specifically includes a vehicle body, a driving source 2, a transmission mechanism 3 and an operating arm 4; wherein the driving source 2 is arranged on the vehicle body, and the driving source 2 provides power for the movement of the vehicle body; the driving source 2 is connected to the transmission mechanism 3; the transmission mechanism 3 is transmission-connected to the operating arm 4, and a hanging portion 41 is provided at the end of the operating arm 4, and the hanging portion 41 is used to hook the cargo box 100. The driving source 2 can drive the transmission mechanism 3 and enable the operating arm 4 to drag the cargo box 100 to the vehicle body.

[0042] In this embodiment, the cargo box 100 is generally a rectangular parallelepiped structure. In order to improve the mobility of the cargo box 100, four box wheels 130 can be installed at the bottom of the cargo box 100. The vehicle body can adopt the existing unmanned vehicle body with wheels, the driving source 2 can adopt a motor, and a corresponding battery pack can be configured on the vehicle body to provide electric energy for the motor. The driving source 2 can provide power for the driving of the entire unmanned vehicle, and can also provide power for the transmission mechanism 3 to load and unload goods, thereby facilitating the integrated installation of the entire unmanned vehicle, and there is no need to add an additional hydraulic system. At the same time, a single driving source 2 is used for multiple power outputs, which can also reduce the cost and the volume of the entire unmanned vehicle.

[0043] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 3 is arranged on the vehicle body and is connected to the driving source 2. The transmission mechanism 3 can directly adopt chain drive to facilitate layout, or it can adopt a worm gear transmission form, or a combination of multiple transmission connections. The specific transmission form can be adjusted according to the transmission efficiency and cost.

[0044] The operating arm 4 is a part that directly interacts with the cargo box 100. The operating arm 4 is usually a metal part with certain strength and rigidity. At the same time, a hanging part 41 is provided on the operating arm 4 to facilitate hanging and cooperating with the cargo box 100 and dragging it to the vehicle body.

[0045] Through this application, the unmanned vehicle's loading and unloading operations on the cargo box 100 no longer rely on site configuration and the provision of corresponding special automated loading and unloading equipment. At the same time, it also completely avoids the need for manual participation in the operation of loading and unloading equipment, and can completely get rid of manual loading and unloading methods, thereby effectively improving the adaptability of loading and unloading goods in the process of unmanned vehicle logistics distribution, improving loading and unloading efficiency, and reducing manual labor intensity and labor costs.

[0046] Optionally, the vehicle body includes a frame 11 , the operating arm 4 includes a first rod 42 and a second rod 43 connected to the first rod 42 at an angle, the first rod 42 is hinged to the frame 11 , and the hanging portion 41 is provided at one end of the second rod 43 away from the first rod 42 .

[0047] In this embodiment, the frame 11 can be directly set on the support plate of the vehicle body. The frame 11 is formed by welding a plurality of steel pipes with square cross sections in a criss-cross manner to ensure a certain support strength. The hollow frame 11 can also reduce the total weight of the unmanned vehicle. The first rod 42 and the second rod 43 can adopt an integrated structure or be connected by welding. The first rod 42 and the second rod 43 are arranged at right angles so that the operating arm 4 presents an L-shaped structure as a whole. When the operating arm 4 is in the initial state of not working, the first rod 42 remains in a horizontal state and the second rod 43 remains in a vertical state. The driving source 2 drives the first rod 42 to rotate around the hinge axis of the first rod 42 and the frame 11, so as to realize the continuous flipping of the hanging part 41 on the second rod 43 and approach the cargo box 100. The L-shaped structure of the operating arm 4 makes the entire unmanned vehicle more compact.

[0048] Optionally, a guide rail 120 is provided at the bottom of the cargo box 100, and a guide wheel 12 is provided on the frame 11. When the operating arm 4 drags the cargo box 100 to the vehicle body, the guide wheel 12 can slide with the guide rail 120. A baffle 121 is provided on the outward side of the guide wheel 12, and the baffle 121 is used to limit the side wall of the cargo box 100.

[0049] In the present embodiment, two guide rails 120 are arranged in parallel, and correspondingly, two guide wheels 12 are also arranged in parallel. A baffle 121 is also provided at the outward end of the guide wheel 12, so that the cargo box 100 can be limited by the baffle 121 in the width direction of the cargo box 100 after contacting the guide wheel 12, thereby ensuring that the cargo box 100 will not fall off due to unexpected circumstances during the process of towing the cargo box 100, thereby ensuring safety and reliability.

[0050] Furthermore, a plurality of support blocks 13 are provided at intervals on the frame 11 . When the operating arm 4 drags the cargo box 100 to the vehicle body, the cargo box 100 is pressed against the support blocks 13 .

[0051] In this embodiment, when the cargo box 100 is completely installed on the vehicle body, the entire cargo box 100 is supported by multiple support blocks 13, the first rod 42 is located below the cargo box 100, and the second rod 43 is located directly in front of the cargo box 100, which can facilitate the operation arm 4 to drive the cargo box 100 to be pushed to the ground smoothly in the reverse direction when the cargo box 100 is unloaded from the vehicle body. There are six support blocks 13, two of which are arranged at intervals on each side. The contact surface between the support block 13 and the cargo box 100 should maintain a certain degree of smoothness. At the same time, the outer side of the support block 13 is provided with an upward limit plate for cooperating with the side wall of the cargo box 100 to ensure that the cargo box 100 will not move in the width direction during the transportation of the cargo box 100 by the unmanned vehicle, thereby improving the safety and stability of transportation. Under the premise of ensuring strength, the support block 13 can be replaced by a metal plate to reduce the weight of the entire unmanned vehicle.

[0052] Optionally, the transmission mechanism 3 includes a transmission rod 31 and a slider 32, one end of the transmission rod 31 is hinged to the first rod 42, and the other end of the transmission rod 31 is hinged to the slider 32, the slider 32 is connected to the driving source 2, and the driving source 2 can drive the slider 32 to slide along the frame 11.

[0053] In this embodiment, two transmission rods 31 are provided, and the two transmission rods 31 are symmetrically distributed in the width direction relative to the operating arm 4. The two symmetrical transmission rods 31 can ensure that the supporting force for the first rod 42 is always symmetrical, thereby ensuring the stability of the movement. The slider 32 is driven by the driving source 2 to move in the horizontal direction, thereby driving the slider 32 to drive the transmission rod 31 and the operating arm 4 step by step.

[0054] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism also includes a synchronous chain 33 , and the driving source 2 and the slider 32 are connected to each other through the synchronous chain 33 .

[0055] In this embodiment, the sprocket is meshed with the synchronous chain 33, and there are two groups of sprockets. Adaptively, two groups of synchronous chains 33 are also provided. One free end of the synchronous chain 33 is connected to one end of the slider 32, and the other free end of the synchronous chain 33 is connected to the other end of the slider 32. The synchronous chain 33 and the slider 32 can be connected by a threaded connection or a latch. The slider 32 can also be directly replaced by a chain plate, thereby improving replaceability and economy.

[0056] Optionally, the hooking portion 41 is a hook detachably connected to the operating arm 4, and a handle 110 that can be hooked and matched with the hook is protruded outwardly on the side wall of the cargo box 100.

[0057] In this embodiment, the hook portion 41 adopts a hook, and the hook is screwed to the operating arm 4 through an external mounting plate. The hook can be a C-shaped hook with a fixed opening. Of course, an elastic card can also be provided at the opening. When the hook cooperates with the handle 110, the elastic card can be opened by the squeezing effect of the handle 110. When the handle 110 completely enters the C-shaped area of ​​the hook, the elastic card closes the C-shaped opening of the hook through its own elasticity, thereby preventing the handle 110 from falling off the hook.

[0058] Please refer to the attached Figure 6 -Attached Fig.11 The second aspect of this embodiment also relates to a loading method, which is based on the above unmanned vehicle. Specifically, it includes the following steps:

[0059] S1, the operating arm 4 is turned toward the cargo box 100 and hooked on the hooking portion 41;

[0060] S2, the operating arm 4 drags the cargo box 100 so that the side of the cargo box 100 close to the vehicle body is off the ground;

[0061] S3, the operating arm 4 continues to drag the cargo box 100, so that the bottom of the cargo box 100 contacts the vehicle body;

[0062] S4, the operating arm 4 continues to drag the cargo box 100, so that the bottom of the cargo box 100 slides and squeezes the vehicle body and the cargo box 100 is completely off the ground.

[0063] When the operating arm 4 is in the initial state, the first rod 42 is placed horizontally on the frame 11, and the second rod 43 is in a vertical state. The driving source 2 drives the operating arm 4 to flip and makes the hanging part 41 hang on the cargo box 100; then, the driving source 2 drives the operating arm 4 in the reverse direction to reset. During the resetting process, the hanging part 41 and the cargo box 100 will not loosen, and the operating arm 4 drives one end of the cargo box 100 to move. The movement has a vertical component and a horizontal component. The cargo box 100 is dragged by the operating arm 4. At this time, the cargo box 100 uses the box wheel 130 on one side as a support point, so that the side of the cargo box 100 close to the vehicle body is off the ground; the operating arm 4 continues to drag the cargo box 100, and the cargo box 100 begins to contact the guide wheel 12 of the vehicle body, and then the guide wheel 12 is slidably matched with the guide rail 120; then continue to drag the cargo box 100, and the guide rail 120 at the bottom of the cargo box 100 continuously slides and rubs against the guide wheel 12, so that the box wheel 130 on the other side of the cargo box 100 is off the ground and completely placed on the vehicle body.

[0064] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that by driving the operating arm 4 in the reverse direction through the driving source 2, the cargo box 100 can be separated from the vehicle body and placed on the ground, so that the entire loading and unloading process does not require excessive manpower participation, and even 24-hour unmanned operation of the site can be achieved, which also avoids the need for special loading and unloading equipment to be set up at the site, thereby improving the loading efficiency.

[0065] Optionally, before the step of operating the arm 4 to hook the hooking portion 41 , the vehicle body may be moved closer to the cargo box 100 .

[0066] In this embodiment, since the length of the operating arm 4 is limited, it is required to be close enough to the cargo box 100 within the operating space of the operating arm 4. Therefore, the operating arm 4 can be ensured to overlap with the handle 110 of the cargo box 100 within the working space by moving the vehicle body.

[0067] Optionally, when the operating arm 4 is flipped to the extreme position toward the cargo box 100 , the vehicle body may be moved to allow the operating arm 4 to approach and hook the hooking portion 41 .

[0068] The operating arm 4 flips to the extreme position toward the cargo box 100, and the operating arm 4 still cannot reach the handle 110 of the cargo box 100. At this time, the vehicle body can move toward the cargo box 100 to a position where the hanging part 41 is hung on the handle 110 to improve flexibility.

[0069] Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the operating arm 4 is flipped toward the cargo box 100, the relative positions of the hook portion 41 and the handle 110 cannot be completely aligned. In this case, the two can be completely aligned by moving the vehicle body forward or backward.

[0070] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unmanned vehicle for loading and unloading a cargo box (100), characterized in that: include: Vehicle body; A driving source (2) is provided on the vehicle body, and the driving source (2) provides power for the movement of the vehicle body; A transmission mechanism (3), the driving source (2) being connected to the transmission mechanism (3); An operating arm (4), the transmission mechanism (3) is transmission-connected to the operating arm (4), a hooking portion (41) is provided at the end of the operating arm (4), and the hooking portion (41) is used to hook the cargo box (100), and the driving source (2) can drive the transmission mechanism (3) and enable the operating arm (4) to drag the cargo box (100) to the vehicle body.

2. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle body comprises a frame (11), the operating arm (4) comprises a first rod (42) and a second rod (43) connected to the first rod (42) at an angle, the first rod (42) is hinged to the frame (11), and the hanging portion (41) is arranged at an end of the second rod (43) away from the first rod (42).

3. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: A guide rail (120) is provided at the bottom of the cargo box (100), and a guide wheel (12) is provided on the frame (11). When the operating arm (4) drags the cargo box (100) to the vehicle body, the guide wheel (12) can slide with the guide rail (120), and a baffle (121) is provided on the outward side of the guide wheel (12), and the baffle (121) is used to limit the side wall of the cargo box (100).

4. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of support blocks (13) are arranged at intervals on the frame (11); when the operating arm (4) drags the cargo box (100) to the vehicle body, the cargo box (100) is pressed against the support blocks (13).

5. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (3) comprises a transmission rod (31) and a slider (32); one end of the transmission rod (31) is hinged to the first rod (42); the other end of the transmission rod (31) is hinged to the slider (32); the slider (32) is in transmission connection with the driving source (2); and the driving source (2) can drive the slider (32) to slide along the frame (11).

6. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (3) further comprises a synchronous chain (33), and the driving source (2) and the slider (32) are transmission-connected via the synchronous chain (33).

7. The unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hooking portion (41) is a hook detachably connected to the operating arm (4), and a handle (110) is protruding outwards on the side wall of the cargo box (100) and can be hooked with the hook.

8. A loading method, characterized in that: The unmanned vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: The operating arm (4) turns over toward the cargo box (100) and is hooked on the hooking portion (41); The operating arm (4) drags the cargo box (100) so that the side of the cargo box (100) close to the vehicle body is lifted off the ground; The operating arm (4) continues to drag the cargo box (100) so that the bottom of the cargo box (100) contacts the vehicle body; The operating arm (4) continues to drag the cargo box (100), causing the bottom of the cargo box (100) to slide and squeeze the vehicle body, thereby completely lifting the cargo box (100) off the ground.

9. The loading method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Before the step of the operating arm (4) hooking the hooking portion (41), the vehicle body can be moved closer to the cargo box (100).

10. The loading method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the operating arm (4) is flipped toward the cargo box (100) to an extreme position, the vehicle body can be moved to allow the operating arm (4) to approach and hook onto the hooking portion (41).

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