Accurately-positioned unmanned AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) mini-carrier

Abstract

The accurate-positioning mini unmanned AGV comprises a machine body, a fork leg and a control unit, an anti-collision sensor capable of sensing whether an obstacle exists in front of the fork leg is arranged at the free end of the fork leg, and the control unit is arranged in the machine body and comprises an upper computer, a laser navigator, a first servo controller and a second servo controller; the laser navigator is arranged at the top of the machine body, the laser navigator, the first servo controller and the second servo controller are made to communicate with the upper computer, signals of the laser navigator and the anti-collision sensor are sent to the upper computer, the upper computer sends the signals to the servo controllers after data processing, and the servo controllers are connected with the laser navigator. The servo controller can be used for controlling the driving mechanism to act, positioning of the mini unmanned AGV is achieved, obstacles can be recognized in the positioning process, and positioning is accurate.

Description

[0001] Divisional application statement

[0002] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with the invention name “An Unmanned AGV Mini Transporter” and application number 201810844219.8 filed on July 27, 2018. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned automated mobile devices, and in particular to an unmanned AGV mini transport vehicle with accurate positioning. Background Art

[0004] AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) refers to a transport vehicle equipped with an electromagnetic or optical automatic guidance device, capable of traveling along a specified guide path, with safety protection and various transfer functions. It is a transport vehicle that does not require a driver in industrial applications and uses a rechargeable battery as its power source. Existing AGV transport vehicles are usually intelligently modified based on existing transport vehicles. However, since the driving mechanism of traditional transport vehicles is usually set on the main body and driven wheels are set on the fork legs of the transport vehicle, the volume of the main body is large; in addition, the lifting mechanism of the fork legs of traditional transport vehicles usually adopts a connecting rod mechanism, which is prone to swing during lifting and lowering, affecting the positioning accuracy of the laser navigator; at the same time, the existing AGV transport vehicles do not have obstacle recognition function and the positioning accuracy is poor. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an unmanned AGV mini transporter with accurate positioning.

[0006] The specific technical scheme is as follows: An unmanned AGV mini transporter with accurate positioning includes a body, a fork leg, and a control unit. The fork leg is arranged on one side of the body, one end of the fork leg is arranged on the body, and the other end is a free end. The fork leg includes a receiving chamber, a driving mechanism, a lifting plate, and a lifting mechanism capable of driving the lifting plate to rise or fall;

[0007] An anti-collision sensor is provided at the free end, and the anti-collision sensor can enable the unmanned AGV mini transporter to sense whether there is an obstacle in front of the fork leg; the control unit is arranged in the body, and the control unit includes a host computer, a laser navigator, a first servo controller and a second servo controller. The laser navigator is arranged on the top of the body, and the laser navigator, the first servo controller and the second servo controller communicate with the host computer respectively. The signals of the laser navigator and the anti-collision sensor are sent to the host computer, and the host computer sends the signal to the servo controller after data processing. The servo controller controls the action of the driving mechanism to realize the positioning of the unmanned AGV mini transporter.

[0008] Preferably, the height of the machine body is 312.5 mm, the length of the fork leg is 1150 mm, there are two fork legs, and the two fork legs are parallel and spaced apart.

[0009] Further preferably, the driving mechanism and the lifting mechanism are both arranged in the accommodating chamber, two groups of the lifting mechanisms are provided in each of the fork legs, and the two groups of the lifting mechanisms are arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism to form a matrix lifting mechanism to improve the stability of cargo lifting.

[0010] Further preferably, the driving mechanism includes a servo motor, a transmission assembly and a driving wheel. The servo motor is connected to the driving wheel through the transmission assembly. The power of the servo motor is transmitted to the driving wheel through the transmission assembly, thereby realizing the rotation of the driving wheel, driving the unmanned AGV mini transporter to move. There are two driving wheels, and the two driving wheels are arranged at intervals. When the unmanned AGV mini transporter needs to turn, differential steering is achieved by controlling the rotational speed of the two driving wheels.

[0011] Preferably, the lifting plate is arranged above the accommodating chamber, and the lifting plate is connected to the lifting mechanism. When the lifting plate is not raised, the height of the lifting plate from the ground is 91 mm. When the lifting plate is raised, the height of the goods can be lifted to 90 mm.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes an oil cylinder, a swing arm assembly and a platform, the piston of the oil cylinder is connected to the swing arm assembly, the swing arm assembly is connected to the platform, the platform is fixed under the lifting plate by bolts, and the oil cylinder provides power to the swing arm assembly so that the swing arm assembly can drive the platform to rise or fall, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the lifting plate.

[0013] Further preferably, the swing arm assembly includes an outer swing arm, an inner swing arm, a rotating shaft and a pivot shaft, the outer swing arm is connected to the side wall of the accommodating chamber through the rotating shaft, the inner swing arm is connected to the outer swing arm through the pivot shaft, the piston of the oil cylinder is connected to the outer swing arm, one end of the outer swing arm is movably connected to the platform, and one end of the inner swing arm is rotatably connected to the platform, and when the oil cylinder pushes the outer swing arm to move, the outer swing arm can drive the inner swing arm to move, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the platform.

[0014] Further preferably, the swing arm assembly includes an upper guide rail, a lower guide rail and a spring, the lower guide rail is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating chamber, the upper guide rail is arranged on the platform, the outer swing arm is provided with a first roller, and the inner swing arm is provided with a second roller, the first roller is located in the upper guide rail, and the second roller is located in the lower guide rail, one end of the spring is fixed in the accommodating chamber, and the other end is connected to the platform, so that the spring is stretched when the platform rises, and when the platform needs to descend, the restoring force of the spring can assist the platform to descend.

[0015] Further preferably, there are two inner swing arms, which are connected by a connecting rod, and there are two outer swing arms, which are connected by another connecting rod, so that the inner swing arms and the outer swing arms on both sides of the platform can be linked.

[0016] Preferably, the fork leg further includes a steering wheel, and the steering wheel is a driven wheel.

[0017] Technical effects of the present invention:

[0018] The present invention provides an unmanned AGV mini transporter with accurate positioning, comprising a body, a fork leg, and a control unit. The fork leg is arranged on one side of the body, one end of the fork leg is arranged on the body, and the other end is a free end. The fork leg comprises a accommodating chamber, a driving mechanism, a lifting plate, and a lifting mechanism capable of driving the lifting plate to rise or fall. An anti-collision sensor capable of sensing whether there is an obstacle in front of the fork leg is arranged at the free end, and the control unit is arranged in the body, so that it includes a host computer, a laser navigator, a first servo controller, and a second servo controller. The laser navigator is arranged on the top of the body, so that the laser navigator, the first servo controller, and the second servo controller communicate with the host computer respectively, so that signals of the laser navigator and the anti-collision sensor are sent to the host computer, and the host computer sends the signal to the servo controller after data processing. The servo controller can be used to control the action of the driving mechanism to realize the positioning of the unmanned AGV mini transporter. During the positioning process, obstacles can be identified and the positioning is accurate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1It is a schematic diagram of an unmanned AGV mini transporter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a side view of an unmanned AGV mini transporter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a fork leg according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a driving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The essential features and advantages of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with examples, but the present invention is not limited to the listed embodiments.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an unmanned AGV mini transporter of the present embodiment includes a body 1 and a fork leg 2, and the fork leg 2 is arranged on one side of the body 1. The fork leg 2 includes a receiving chamber 3 and a driving mechanism 4, and the driving mechanism 4 is arranged in the receiving chamber 3. The driving mechanism 4 includes a servo motor 41, a transmission assembly 42 and a driving wheel 43, and the servo motor 41 is connected to the driving wheel 43 through the transmission assembly 42. In the above technical scheme, by arranging the driving mechanism in the fork leg, there is no need to arrange the driving mechanism in the body 1, which can effectively reduce the volume of the body and reduce the size of the transporter. The power of the servo motor 41 is transmitted to the driving wheel through the transmission assembly, thereby realizing the rotation of the driving wheel and driving the unmanned AGV mini transporter to move. In this embodiment, there are two driving wheels, and the two driving wheels are arranged at intervals. When the unmanned AGV mini transporter needs to turn, differential steering is achieved by controlling the rotation speed of the two driving wheels. In this embodiment, the body height of the unmanned AGV mini transporter is 312.5mm, the length of the fork legs is 1150mm, and when the lifting platform is not raised, the height of the lifting platform from the ground is 91mm. The above technical solution can reduce the size of the transporter relative to existing transporters.

[0027] In this embodiment, the fork leg 2 includes a lifting mechanism 5 and a lifting plate 6. The lifting mechanism 5 is arranged in the storage chamber 3, and the lifting plate 6 is arranged above the storage chamber 3, and the lifting plate is connected to the lifting mechanism 5. Through the above technical solution, the lifting mechanism is arranged in the storage chamber 3, which can make the structure of the unmanned AGV mini transporter more compact and reduce the volume; the lifting mechanism can drive the lifting plate to rise or fall. When the fork leg of the unmanned AGV mini transporter is inserted under the cargo, the lifting plate rises, so that the fork leg can lift the cargo and then move it to the designated position; when the cargo arrives at the designated position, the lifting plate descends and places the cargo on the ground. Through the above lifting mechanism, the cargo lifting height of 90mm can be achieved, thereby increasing the ground clearance of the cargo and reducing the risk of the cargo being blocked by obstacles during transportation.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 5 includes an oil cylinder 51, a swing arm assembly 52 and a platform 53. The piston of the oil cylinder 51 is connected to the swing arm assembly 52, the swing arm assembly 52 is connected to the platform 53, and the lifting plate is arranged above the platform. In the above technical solution, the oil cylinder provides power to the swing arm assembly, so that the swing arm assembly can drive the platform 53 to rise or fall, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the lifting plate. The lifting plate is fixed to the platform by bolts.

[0029] In this embodiment, the swing arm assembly 52 includes an outer swing arm 521, an inner swing arm 522, a rotating shaft 523 and a pivot shaft 524. The outer swing arm 521 is connected to the side wall 31 of the accommodation chamber via the rotating shaft 523, the inner swing arm 522 is connected to the outer swing arm 521 via the pivot shaft 524, the piston of the oil cylinder is connected to the outer swing arm, one end of the outer swing arm is movably connected to the platform, and one end of the inner swing arm is rotatably connected to the platform. In the above technical solution, when the oil cylinder pushes the outer swing arm to move, the outer swing arm can drive the inner swing arm to move, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the platform.

[0030] In this embodiment, the swing arm assembly 52 includes an upper guide rail 525 and a lower guide rail 526, the lower guide rail 526 is arranged at the bottom of the accommodation chamber 3, the upper guide rail 525 is arranged on the platform, the outer swing arm 521 is provided with a first roller 10, the inner swing arm 522 is provided with a second roller 20, the first roller is located in the upper guide rail, and the second roller is located in the lower guide rail. Through the above technical scheme, the first roller and the second roller roll in the upper guide rail and the lower guide rail respectively, so that the inner and outer swing arms can change the platform height after rotating. Further, the swing arm assembly 52 also includes a spring 527, one end of the spring 527 is fixed in the accommodation chamber, and the other end is connected to the platform, so that when the spring platform rises, the spring is stretched, and when the platform needs to descend, the restoring force of the spring can assist the platform to descend. In this embodiment, the two inner swing arms are connected by a connecting rod, and the two outer swing arms are connected by another connecting rod, so that the inner swing arms and outer swing arms on both sides of the platform can be linked.

[0031] The working principle of the lifting mechanism of this embodiment is: the hydraulic oil is provided by the pump station 8 to enter the oil cylinder, the piston of the oil cylinder moves, the connecting rod between the piston and the outer swing arm is hinged, the piston drives the outer swing arm to rotate along the rotating axis, and drives the inner swing arm to move at the same time. At this time, the first and second rollers at the ends of the inner and outer swing arms slide in the upper and lower guide rails respectively, so as to achieve the purpose of lifting the platform from low to high. On the contrary, by controlling the oil inlet of the oil cylinder to be connected with the oil cylinder, under the gravity of the cargo and the platform itself, the hydraulic oil in the oil cylinder flows out from the lower end of the oil cylinder plunger and returns to the oil tank, and the inner and outer swing arms move along the reverse trajectory of the lifting action, and finally the platform drops to the limit position. The lifting mechanism of this embodiment can make the lifting more stable; at the same time, when multiple groups of lifting mechanisms are lifted and lowered at the same time, it is convenient to control the lifting consistency, reduce the swing of the cargo, and avoid affecting the laser navigator.

[0032] In this embodiment, the transmission assembly 42 includes a first sprocket 421, a second sprocket 422, a chain 423 and a reducer 424, the first sprocket 421 is arranged on the reducer 424, the reducer 424 is connected to the servo motor 41, the chain 423 is sleeved between the first sprocket and the second sprocket, and the second sprocket 422 is connected to the driving wheel 43. In the above technical solution, the servo motor is adjusted by the reducer so that the first sprocket outputs an appropriate speed and torque, and the power is transmitted to the second sprocket through the chain, and the second sprocket drives the driving wheel to rotate. In this embodiment, the transmission assembly also includes an electromagnetic brake 425, which is arranged on the servo motor, so as to adjust the rotation of the servo motor.

[0033] In this embodiment, there are multiple fork legs 2, which are arranged in parallel and at intervals, and each fork leg has multiple sets of lifting mechanisms 5, which are arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism. In this embodiment, there are two fork legs, and each fork leg is provided with two sets of lifting mechanisms, and the unmanned AGV mini transporter forms a matrix lifting mechanism to improve the stability of cargo lifting.

[0034] In this embodiment, the fork leg 2 includes a steering wheel 21, and the steering wheel 21 is spaced apart from the driving wheel 43. In this embodiment, the steering wheel is a driven wheel, and the steering wheel is a universal wheel, so that it can move in the direction of movement of the unmanned AGV mini transporter.

[0035] In this embodiment, one end of the fork leg 2 is arranged on the machine body, and the other end is a free end 22, and the free end 22 is provided with an anti-collision sensor 23. By providing the anti-collision sensor, the unmanned AGV mini transporter can sense whether there is an obstacle in front of the fork leg.

[0036] The unmanned AGV mini transporter includes a control unit 7, which is arranged in the body 1. The control unit 7 includes a host computer 71, a laser navigator 72, a first servo controller 73 and a second servo controller 74. The laser navigator 72 is arranged on the top of the body 1, and the laser navigator 72, the first servo controller 73, and the second servo controller 74 communicate with the host computer 71 respectively. In the above technical scheme, the unmanned AGV mini transporter can be positioned by the laser navigator. The signals of the laser navigator and the anti-collision sensor are sent to the host computer, and the host computer sends the signals to the servo controller after data processing, and the servo controller can control the action of the driving mechanism. Those skilled in the art can also adopt the automatic navigation system in the prior art and apply it to the present application to realize the automatic navigation and control of the transporter. In this embodiment, energy is provided by the battery 9, the power switch 30 is used to start or shut down the battery power supply, and the emergency stop switch 40 is used to stop the unmanned AGV mini transporter in an emergency.

[0037] An unmanned AGV mini transporter of the present embodiment sets the driving mechanism in the fork leg, so as to reduce the volume of the body, make the transporter more mini and compact, and move flexibly; at the same time, the lifting mechanism can make the goods rise and fall smoothly to avoid shaking of the goods.

[0038] It should be pointed out that the above preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unmanned AGV mini transporter with accurate positioning, comprising a body, a fork leg, and a control unit, wherein the fork leg is arranged on one side of the body, one end of the fork leg is arranged on the body, and the other end is a free end, and the fork leg comprises a receiving chamber, a driving mechanism, a lifting plate, and a lifting mechanism capable of driving the lifting plate to rise or fall; Features: An anti-collision sensor is provided at the free end, and the anti-collision sensor can enable the unmanned AGV mini transporter to sense whether there is an obstacle in front of the fork leg; the control unit is arranged in the body, and the control unit includes a host computer, a laser navigator, a first servo controller and a second servo controller. The laser navigator is arranged on the top of the body, and the laser navigator, the first servo controller and the second servo controller communicate with the host computer respectively. The signals of the laser navigator and the anti-collision sensor are sent to the host computer, and the host computer sends the signal to the servo controller after data processing. The servo controller controls the action of the driving mechanism to realize the positioning of the unmanned AGV mini transporter.

2. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 1 is characterized in that: There are two fork legs, and the two fork legs are parallel and spaced apart.

3. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The driving mechanism and the lifting mechanism are both arranged in the accommodating chamber, and two groups of the lifting mechanisms are provided in each fork leg. The two groups of the lifting mechanisms are arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism to form a matrix lifting mechanism to improve the stability of cargo lifting.

4. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 3 is characterized by: The driving mechanism includes a servo motor, a transmission assembly and a driving wheel. The servo motor is connected to the driving wheel through the transmission assembly. The power of the servo motor is transmitted to the driving wheel through the transmission assembly, thereby realizing the rotation of the driving wheel and driving the unmanned AGV mini transporter to move. There are two driving wheels, and the two driving wheels are arranged at intervals. When the unmanned AGV mini transporter needs to turn, differential steering is achieved by controlling the rotation speed of the two driving wheels.

5. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The lifting plate is arranged above the containing chamber, and the lifting plate is connected to the lifting mechanism. When the lifting plate rises, the height of the goods can be raised to 90 mm.

6. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism includes an oil cylinder, a swing arm assembly and a platform. The piston of the oil cylinder is connected to the swing arm assembly, the swing arm assembly is connected to the platform, and the platform is fixed under the lifting plate by bolts. The oil cylinder provides power to the swing arm assembly, so that the swing arm assembly can drive the platform to rise or fall, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the lifting plate.

7. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The swing arm assembly includes an outer swing arm, an inner swing arm, a rotating shaft and a pivot shaft. The outer swing arm is connected to the side wall of the accommodating chamber through the rotating shaft, the inner swing arm is connected to the outer swing arm through the pivot shaft, the piston of the oil cylinder is connected to the outer swing arm, one end of the outer swing arm is movably connected to the platform, and one end of the inner swing arm is rotatably connected to the platform. When the oil cylinder pushes the outer swing arm to move, the outer swing arm can drive the inner swing arm to move, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering of the platform.

8. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 7, characterized in that: The swing arm assembly includes an upper guide rail, a lower guide rail and a spring, the lower guide rail is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating chamber, the upper guide rail is arranged on the platform, the outer swing arm is provided with a first roller, and the inner swing arm is provided with a second roller, the first roller is located in the upper guide rail, and the second roller is located in the lower guide rail, one end of the spring is fixed in the accommodating chamber, and the other end is connected to the platform, so that the spring is stretched when the platform rises, and when the platform needs to descend, the restoring force of the spring can assist the platform to descend.

9. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 7, characterized in that: There are two inner swing arms, which are connected by a connecting rod; there are two outer swing arms, which are connected by another connecting rod, so that the inner swing arms and the outer swing arms on both sides of the platform can be linked.

10. The unmanned AGV mini transporter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fork leg also includes a steering wheel, and the steering wheel is a driven wheel.

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