Intelligent cargo loading and unloading method for railway freight

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of intelligent logistics complete-set loading and unloading, in particular to an intelligent cargo loading and unloading method for railway freight. The method comprises the following specific operation steps that S1, a central control system is in butt joint with a railway transportation management information system, and the loading and unloading time and the cargo quantity required by railway freight are obtained; s2, the central control system controls a left conveying line G to operate firstly, warehouse goods are conveyed into the warehouse, and the intelligent walking platform prepares for operation; s3, when the goods are about to be transported to the door of the carriage, the intelligent walking platform accurately recognizes the positions of the goods through a front vision front radar, and then a pallet below the goods is clamped; s4, the intelligent walking platform lifts up the goods; and S5, the intelligent walking platform runs into the carriage in a crab-type mode. Corresponding path planning is made according to different loading and unloading working conditions. The robot system integration technology is adopted, and the loading and unloading efficiency and accuracy of railway freight are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent logistics package unloading, and specifically to an intelligent loading and unloading method for railway freight. Compared with the traditional mechanized loading and unloading method for railway freight, this method is more intelligent and efficient, and can realize unmanned and efficient loading and unloading from warehouse to train carriage or from train carriage to warehouse. Background Art

[0002] In my country's logistics industry, road freight accounts for the majority of the proportion. However, in recent years, China's railway freight has made significant progress. In 2023, China's railway freight volume reached 5.01 billion tons, ranking first in the world. Therefore, the proportion of railway freight in the entire logistics industry is expected to increase in the future. In order to make railway freight sufficiently competitive in the logistics industry, it is very important to improve its loading and unloading efficiency. At present, most of the loading and unloading links of railway freight are carried out by mechanized loading and unloading. Mechanized methods mainly use forklifts, cranes, conveyor belts and other equipment, but these equipment are not convenient for loading and unloading operations in train carriages. Manual loading and unloading is still required in the carriages to complete the entire loading and unloading process.

[0003] Therefore, railway freight requires an unmanned method that can realize the loading and unloading process from warehouse to train carriages, which can not only reduce labor costs but also significantly improve the efficiency of railway freight loading and unloading. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention relates to an intelligent cargo loading and unloading method for railway freight, which can be connected with the railway transportation management information system, obtain the railway freight plan in real time, and formulate a cargo loading and unloading plan according to the railway freight plan; it has the ability of path planning, and adopts robot system integration technology to realize the full automation of the cargo loading and unloading process. The above scheme greatly improves the loading and unloading efficiency of railway freight.

[0005] The loading and unloading method is based on an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot, which mainly includes an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent walking platform, a towing mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a lifting device, a front vision front radar and a rear vision rear radar system, an operating platform, a combined conveyor line and a central control system.

[0006] A further solution is that the towing mechanism is composed of a revolving gantry, a loading and unloading base, a telescopic rod, a connecting rod, a sliding groove rod, a towing plate and a hydraulic cylinder. The towing mechanism is connected to the omnidirectional wheeled intelligent walking platform through the revolving gantry, the loading and unloading base is fixed to the lower end of the revolving gantry, the telescopic rod A end is connected to the sliding groove rod E, the telescopic rod B end is fixed below the revolving gantry through a connecting rod, the telescopic rod C end is connected to the sliding groove rod F, and the telescopic rod D end is fixed to the towing plate through a connecting rod. The telescopic rods are connected by a scissor-type structure. Since the A end and the D end can move in the sliding groove, the telescopic rod can perform reciprocating telescopic movement. A hydraulic cylinder is installed on the connecting rod. When the central control system controls the hydraulic cylinder to move forward, the telescopic rod extends forward, thereby driving the towing plate to push the goods out; when the central control system controls the hydraulic cylinder to move backward, the telescopic rod retracts, thereby driving the towing plate to drag the goods back.

[0007] A further solution is that a clamping mechanism is arranged inside the towing plate, and the clamping mechanism is composed of a cylinder, a sliding beam, a sliding guide rail and three adjustable clamping claws. The sliding beam is connected to the cylinder and can slide within a certain range in the sliding guide rail. The three adjustable clamping claws are evenly fixed on the sliding beam. When the central control system controls the cylinder to move downward or upward, the three adjustable clamping claws also move downward or upward accordingly.

[0008] A further solution is that the lifting device is composed of a braking mechanism, a lifting platform, a hydraulic cylinder, a lifting plate, a loading and unloading base plate, a plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters and a plurality of rollers; the loading and unloading base plate is fixed to the lower end of the intelligent walking platform gantry, and a plurality of rollers are provided under the loading and unloading base plate, which can reduce the friction between the loading and unloading floor and the ground during the loading and unloading process, and facilitate the loading and unloading of goods. A plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters are provided in the sliding groove inside the loading and unloading base plate, and the low-center-of-gravity casters can slide in the sliding groove. The lifting plate is placed on a plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters, and when the low-center-of-gravity casters slide in the sliding groove, the lifting plate can be lifted and lowered. The braking mechanism is placed at the bottom of the intelligent walking platform gantry, which can stop the lifting platform from moving during the loading and unloading process, and the lifting platform is connected to the lifting plate through studs.

[0009] The specific implementation steps of this method are as follows.

[0010] S1: The central control system connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm.

[0011] S2: The central control system controls the left conveyor line G to start running first. Conveyor line G transports the goods in the warehouse at intervals at the corresponding speed. At the place where the warehouse and the conveyor line are connected, a QR code scanning sensor is installed. After recognizing the QR code on the goods, the information is sent to the central control system, indicating that the goods have been shipped out of the warehouse. The intelligent walking platform quickly drives to the side of conveyor line G, ready to operate.

[0012] S3: When a pallet of cargo is about to approach the towing plate of the towing mechanism, the intelligent walking platform accurately identifies the position of the cargo soft pallet through the front vision radar, and then the central control system controls the towing mechanism to extend to the front according to the programmed loading program 1. At this time, the clamping mechanism cylinder pushes the three adjustable claws downward to the position where the soft pallet can be clamped, and then the claws clamp the soft pallet.

[0013] S4: The central control system controls the towing mechanism to move back, and then tows the entire pallet of goods to the loading and unloading floor.

[0014] S5: The central control system then controls the bottom steering wheel to rotate 90° toward the carriage simultaneously, and the front visual radar also rotates 90° toward the carriage to observe the internal environment of the carriage and determine the driving route. Then the intelligent walking platform drives crab-style to the middle carriage III.

[0015] S6: The central control system controls the bottom steering wheel to rotate back 90°, and the front vision radar also rotates back 90° to observe the environment of the left compartment I, and identifies the cargo stacking position through the front vision radar. Then the intelligent walking platform drives to the vicinity of the cargo stacking position. The central control system controls the towing mechanism to extend slowly according to the programmed unloading program 1. After the cargo is unloaded to the stacking position, the clamp is released and the cylinder controls the clamp to move up to the initial position. At this time, the soft tray is separated from the adjustable clamp to complete the loading and unloading of the cargo.

[0016] S7: The intelligent walking platform moves back to the middle carriage III. The central control system controls the bottom steering wheel to rotate 90° toward the warehouse, and the front vision radar rotates 90° toward the warehouse. It observes the exit direction and determines the exit route, then drives out in a crab style and proceeds to load and unload the next pallet of cargo.

[0017] S8: Repeat the above loading and unloading steps, and the intelligent walking platform continues to load and unload the goods to the left carriage I. When the left carriage I of the train is full of goods, the central control system sends a signal to stop the left conveyor line G and start the right conveyor line H.

[0018] S9: Conveyor line H transports goods at a corresponding speed. When the goods on the right conveyor line H are about to approach the carriage, the intelligent walking platform starts loading and unloading the goods. The loading and unloading steps are the same as S1 to S7 above, until the goods in the right carriage II are full.

[0019] S10: When the cargo in carriage II on the right side of the train is full, the intelligent walking platform will stack the cargo in carriage III in the middle.

[0020] S11: When the middle carriage III is full of cargo, the central control system stops the conveyor line H and sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system. When the next carriage arrives at the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform loads and unloads cargo in the next carriage.

[0021] A further solution is that the intelligent walking platform can load and unload not only soft pallet-borne goods, but also hard pallet-borne goods. The specific implementation steps are as follows: the intelligent walking platform quickly drives to the side of the conveyor line. When the goods are about to approach the lifting device, the front vision radar accurately identifies the position of the slot under the hard pallet. The central control system extends the lifting device into the slot under the hard pallet according to the written loading program 2. At this time, the height of the lifting plate is lower than the height of the slot under the hard pallet. The central control system drives the hydraulic cylinder to move backward according to the preset loading program. When several low-center-of-gravity casters in the sliding groove of the loading and unloading bottom plate slide to the top of the sliding groove, the hydraulic cylinder stops moving, and the lifting plate is in the highest position, lifting the hard pallet and the entire pallet of goods off the ground. The intelligent walking platform completes the lifting of the goods. At this time, in order to prevent the goods from rolling back due to their own weight, the central control system controls the braking mechanism to clamp the lifting platform and the lifting plate, which can effectively prevent the goods from rolling back and ensure the safety of the cargo loading and unloading process; When the intelligent walking platform is ready to unload the goods, the central control system controls the brake mechanism to release, and then drives the hydraulic cylinder forward according to the programmed unloading program 2. When a number of low-center-of-gravity casters slide to the lowest point of the sliding slot, the hydraulic cylinder stops moving, and the lifting plate drops to the lowest position. At this time, the lifting plate is separated from the hard pallet and the entire pallet of goods, and the bottom of the hard pallet contacts the ground. The intelligent walking platform completes the loading and unloading of the goods and slowly drives out of the carriage. The method of driving the intelligent walking platform into and out of the carriage is the same as the above-mentioned soft pallet-bearing cargo loading and unloading process.

[0022] A further solution is that the intelligent walking platform can first load and unload the goods in the right compartment II, then load and unload the goods in the left compartment I, and finally load and unload the goods in the middle compartment III. The specific implementation steps are the same as the above-mentioned soft (hard) pallet cargo loading and unloading method.

[0023] A further solution is that the omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot can also make conveyor lines G and H run towards the warehouse to load and unload the goods in the train carriages to the internal warehouse. The specific implementation steps are as follows.

[0024] S1: The central control system connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm.

[0025] S2: The central control system controls conveyor line G and conveyor line H to run simultaneously, and the conveyor lines transport towards the warehouse at the corresponding speed.

[0026] S3: The intelligent walking platform first drags the goods in the middle of the carriage out and places them on the conveyor line G on the left, which then transports them to the warehouse.

[0027] S4: After the first pallet of goods is loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform drags the second pallet of goods out and places it on the right conveyor line H for transportation, and then places the third pallet of goods on the left conveyor line G. The subsequent loading and unloading steps are carried out in the same way as the above-mentioned left-right alternating scheme, which doubles the loading and unloading efficiency. When the goods pass through the warehouse entrance, the QR code sensor scans the QR code on the goods and sends the information to the central control system, indicating that the goods have been put into storage; S5: When the cargo in the middle carriage III is loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform will load and unload the cargo in the left carriage I or the right carriage II. When the cargo in this carriage is loaded and unloaded, the central control system stops the conveyor line and sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system. When the next carriage arrives at the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform will load and unload the cargo in the next carriage.

[0028] A further solution is that in the loading and unloading method, the central control system includes a central processing unit, a controller, a memory, an integrated circuit and a human-computer interaction interface, etc., wherein the central processing unit is responsible for receiving and processing data from the front vision front radar rear vision rear radar system and various sensors, and can send control instructions to each actuator to coordinate the normal operation of each mechanism; the controller is used to connect each actuator, and can write programs and algorithms for it to realize automatic control, and the controller can monitor the operating status of each actuator in real time. Once an abnormality is found, it immediately sends a fault signal to the central processing unit to stop the intelligent walking platform and wait for maintenance personnel to repair it; the memory stores the settings, configurations, running programs and algorithms required by the central control system; the integrated circuit can process and convert various signals to ensure that the signals can be correctly transmitted in the central control system. A human-computer interaction interface is set on the side of the main body of the intelligent walking platform, which can display the working status of the intelligent walking platform in real time and can perform simple manual operations.

[0029] A further solution is that the conveyor lines of steps 1 and 8 in the soft pallet-loaded cargo loading and unloading method are located on both sides of the carriage loading port, and the conveyor lines are formed by quick-connection of multiple sections of detachable belt conveyors or roller conveyor units. The total length can be adjusted according to actual conditions, and the placement position can also be flexibly adjusted according to the layout between the warehouse and the train carriage. Each section of the conveyor unit is equipped with an independent motor and can operate independently. This method enhances the adaptability of the robot system to different loading and unloading requirements.

[0030] A further solution is that the front vision radar in steps 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the soft pallet loading and unloading method is placed on the revolving gantry of the intelligent walking platform, and a lighting lamp is installed on the revolving gantry to illuminate the environment for the front vision in a dark environment. The front vision is a high-definition camera with a built-in image processing algorithm, which can identify the cargo soft pallet, hard pallet, internal environmental conditions of the carriage and various obstacles. The function of the front radar is to detect the distance between the cargo soft pallet, hard pallet, cargo stacking position and the intelligent walking platform in real time. The front vision radar coordinates with the lighting lamp to send the collected information to the central control system in real time to achieve precise operation.

[0031] A further solution is that the steering wheels in step 4, step 5 and step 6 of the soft pallet loading and unloading method are composed of a steering mechanism and a traveling mechanism, and each steering wheel is independently controlled. The traveling mechanism drives the rubber-coated wheels to rotate through the traveling motor to make the intelligent walking platform move forward or backward, and the steering mechanism rotates the steering wheel 360° through the steering gear, which can realize the functions of lateral movement, oblique movement, and in-situ steering of the intelligent walking platform, so that the intelligent walking platform can be flexibly operated in the train compartment, greatly improving the loading and unloading efficiency.

[0032] A further solution is that the work platform is composed of several square platforms of the same size. Its total length can be adjusted according to the actual situation and it is easy to disassemble and assemble. The placement position can also be flexibly adjusted according to the layout between the warehouse and the train carriage. This method enhances the adaptability of the robot system to different loading and unloading requirements. The plane of the work platform is flush with the conveying surface of the conveyor line and the bottom surface of the train carriage. The work platform is used for the operation of the intelligent walking platform.

[0033] A further solution is that the intelligent walking platform also includes rear vision and rear radar. The rear vision uses panoramic scanning technology, which can monitor the surrounding environment of the intelligent walking platform in real time and ensure the safety of the intelligent walking platform during operation.

[0034] A further solution is that the central control system is connected to the railway transportation management information system through the Internet of Things technology, so that the central control system can obtain the railway transportation plan, such as when to start loading and unloading, when to complete loading and unloading, and how much cargo to load and unload. Then the loading and unloading time is calculated through the built-in algorithm, and the conveying speed of the conveyor line and the driving speed of the intelligent walking platform are controlled and coordinated, so that the intelligent walking platform can load and unload the cargo required by railway freight within the corresponding time.

[0035] Through these technical solutions, the method realizes unmanned loading and unloading from warehouse to train carriage or from train carriage to warehouse, and improves the loading and unloading efficiency of railway freight. As railway freight accounts for an increasingly larger proportion in the entire logistics industry in the future, this method has broad application prospects.

[0036] Beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention formulates corresponding path planning according to different loading and unloading conditions. For example, when loading and unloading goods from a warehouse to a train carriage, the transportation scheme of "single conveyor line transportation" is adopted for transporting goods, and the loading and unloading scheme of "first loading and unloading the two sides of the carriage and then loading and unloading the middle of the carriage" is adopted when loading and unloading goods; when loading and unloading goods from a train carriage to a warehouse, the transportation scheme of "two conveyor lines transportation" is adopted for transporting goods, and the loading and unloading scheme of "first loading and unloading the middle of the carriage and then loading and unloading the two sides of the carriage" is adopted when loading and unloading goods. This method formulates corresponding path planning according to different loading and unloading conditions, so that the loading and unloading efficiency of railway freight is improved.

[0037] The present invention adopts robot system integration technology, equipped with a controller, memory, integrated circuit, sensor and visual radar system, to automatically control the combined conveyor line and various actuators, so that the intelligent walking platform can operate flexibly in a small space, realizing unmanned loading and unloading from warehouse to train carriage or from train carriage to warehouse, greatly improving the loading and unloading efficiency of railway freight.

[0038] The present invention connects the robot system with the railway transportation management information system through the Internet of Things technology, so that the robot system can obtain the railway freight plan in real time, and then the robot system formulates a corresponding loading and unloading plan according to the railway freight plan, thereby improving the loading and unloading efficiency and accuracy of railway freight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a loading and unloading flow chart of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 It is the overall scheme diagram of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the intelligent walking platform for loading and unloading soft pallet-borne goods of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the towing mechanism of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the clamping mechanism of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the intelligent walking platform for loading and unloading hard pallet-borne goods of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 Structural diagram of the lifting device of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 It is a partial enlarged view of the lifting device of the present invention.

[0047] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the steering wheel structure of the present invention.

[0048] Fig.10 Structural diagram of the independent unit of the combined conveyor line of the present invention.

[0049] Fig.11 It is a structural diagram of the square stand of the present invention.

[0050] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of a soft pallet carrying cargo of the present invention.

[0051] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of a hard pallet carrying cargo according to the present invention.

[0052] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of scanning goods using the scanning two-dimensional code sensor of the present invention.

[0053] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the visual radar system of the present invention scanning the cargo and environment in the compartment.

[0054] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the visual radar system of the present invention scanning the goods on the conveyor line and the surrounding environment.

[0055] In the figure, 1-scanning QR code sensor; 2-cargo; 201-hard pallet; 202-soft pallet; 3-combined conveyor line; 301-independent unit of combined conveyor line; 4-train carriage; 5-lifting device; 501-fixed gantry; 502-lifting plate; 503-loading and unloading hard pallet load-bearing cargo loading and unloading bottom plate; 504-low center of gravity caster; 505-loading and unloading bottom plate roller; 506-lifting platform hydraulic cylinder; 507-lifting platform; 508-stud; 6-steering wheel; 7-central control system; 8-intelligent walking platform; 9-rear Vision; 10-rear radar; 11-front radar; 12-front vision; 121-lighting; 13-braking mechanism; 14-working platform; 141-square platform; 15-towing mechanism; 151-revolving gantry; 152-connecting rod; 153-loading and unloading soft pallet load-bearing cargo loading and unloading bottom plate; 154-telescopic rod; 155-towing plate; 156-towing mechanism hydraulic cylinder; 157-slide rod; 16-clamping mechanism; 161-clamping mechanism cylinder; 162-sliding beam; 163-slide rail; 164-adjustable clamping claw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present application and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0058] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0059] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only used to illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner, and therefore the illustrations only show components related to the present invention rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0060] The present invention discloses an intelligent cargo loading and unloading method for railway freight, which is based on an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot and mainly includes an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent walking platform 8, a towing mechanism 15, a clamping mechanism 16, a lifting device 5, a pneumatic hydraulic device, a front vision 12 front radar 11 rear vision 9 rear radar 10 system, an operating platform 14, a combined conveyor line 3, and a central control system 7.

[0061] After the working environment is set up, the central control system 7 starts the front vision 12 front radar 11 rear vision 9 rear radar 10 system to control the intelligent walking platform 8 to travel to the loading and unloading area. During the initialization process, the central control system 7 loads the programmed work program and loading and unloading environment map to prepare for the upcoming loading and unloading operations. Before the operation, the central control system 7 will perform self-inspections on the intelligent walking platform 8, towing mechanism 15, clamping mechanism 16, lifting device 5, pneumatic and hydraulic devices and other components to ensure that the robot system is in normal working condition. Then, the front vision 12 front radar 11 rear vision 9 rear radar 10 system will scan the surrounding environment of loading and unloading and the internal environment of the carriage 4 in all directions to ensure that there are no obstacles, plan the loading and unloading routes and confirm the cargo stacking location.

[0062] S1: The central control system connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm.

[0063] S2: After the above preparations are completed, the central control system 7 issues a command to start the left conveyor line G to start running. The conveyor line G intermittently conveys the goods 2 in the warehouse at a corresponding speed. After the QR code scanning sensor 1 located at the warehouse entrance scans the QR code on the goods 2, it sends the information to the central control system 7, indicating that the goods 2 have been shipped out of the warehouse. At this time, the intelligent walking platform 8 is ready for loading and unloading operations.

[0064] S3: The intelligent walking platform 8 identifies the position of the goods 2 on the conveyor line through the front vision 12 and the front radar 11, and quickly drives to the side of the conveyor line, and then drives the hydraulic cylinder 156 of the towing mechanism to push forward, so that the towing plate 155 extends to the front. When the goods 2 are about to approach the towing plate 155, the front vision 12 and the front radar 11 accurately identify the part of the soft pallet 202 of the goods that can be clamped. According to the written loading program 1, the clamping mechanism cylinder 161 pushes the sliding beam 162 downward to the appropriate position, and controls the adjustable clamp 164 to clamp the soft pallet 202. Then drive the hydraulic cylinder 156 of the towing mechanism to move backward to drag the whole pallet of goods 2 onto the loading and unloading bottom plate 153. This embodiment realizes accurate loading and unloading of goods 2 through the cooperation between the written loading program 1, the front vision 12 and the front radar 11, the towing mechanism 15, and the clamping mechanism 16.

[0065] S4: The intelligent walking platform 8 observes the rear and surrounding environment through the rear vision 9 and rear radar 10. After ensuring safety, the intelligent walking platform 8 falls to the middle of the working platform 14. The central control system 7 controls the bottom steering wheel 6 to rotate 90° toward the carriage 4, and the front vision 12 and front radar 11 also rotate 90° toward the carriage 4 to observe the internal environment of the carriage 4 and confirm the driving route.

[0066] S5: The intelligent walking platform 8 drives into the carriage III in a crab-like manner, and then the central control system 7 controls the bottom steering wheel 6 to rotate back 90°, and the front vision 12 and the front radar 11 also rotate back 90° to observe the environment of the left carriage I and confirm the stacking position of the goods 2.

[0067] S6: The intelligent walking platform 8 moves straight to the vicinity of the stacking position of the goods 2. According to the programmed unloading program 1, the towing mechanism 15 slowly extends out. After the goods 2 are unloaded to the stacking position, the adjustable clamp 164 is released and separated from the cargo soft tray 202. The intelligent walking platform 8 completes the loading and unloading process of the goods 2. At this time, the cylinder 161 moves upward, raising the adjustable clamp 164 to the initial position, and the towing mechanism 15 moves backward to the initial position. The rear vision 9 and the rear radar 10 observe the rear environment and route, and the intelligent walking platform 8 falls to the middle carriage III. This embodiment accurately unloads the goods 2 at the stacking position through the cooperation between the programmed unloading program 1, the towing mechanism 15, and the adjustable clamp 164.

[0068] S7: The central control system 7 controls the bottom steering wheel 6 to rotate 90° toward the warehouse, and the front vision 12 and the front radar 11 also rotate 90° toward the warehouse to observe the external environment of the carriage 4 and confirm the exit route, and then drive out in a crab-like manner.

[0069] S8: After the intelligent walking platform 8 drives out, the central control system 7 controls the bottom steering wheel 6 and the front vision 12 and the front radar 11 to rotate 90° to the left conveyor line G, and quickly drives to the conveyor line G. When the next pallet of goods 2 is transported in, the above loading and unloading steps are repeated.

[0070] S9: When the left compartment I is full of goods, the central control system 7 controls the left conveyor line G to stop running, and at the same time starts the right conveyor line H to start running. Goods 2 are transported in from the right conveyor line H, and the intelligent walking platform 8 starts loading and unloading goods in the right compartment II.

[0071] S10: After the QR code scanning sensor 1 scans the information of the goods 2, it sends the information to the central control system 7, which controls the intelligent walking platform 8 to quickly drive to the right conveyor line H to wait for loading and unloading of the goods 2. When the goods 2 are about to approach the towing board 155, the intelligent walking platform 8 loads and unloads the goods 2 to the right carriage II.

[0072] S11: When the right carriage II is full of goods 2, the intelligent walking platform 8 stacks the goods 2 to the middle carriage III. After the middle carriage III is full of goods 2, the central control system 7 stops the conveyor line H and sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system. When the railway transportation management personnel drive the next carriage to the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform 8 loads and unloads the next carriage 4. In this embodiment, the robot system performs path planning, and the loading process adopts the order of "loading and unloading the two ends of the carriage first and then loading and unloading the middle of the carriage", and finally completes the loading and unloading of the carriage goods 2.

[0073] The intelligent walking platform 8 can also load and unload hard pallet-borne goods. The specific implementation steps are as follows: the intelligent walking platform 8 quickly drives to the side of the conveyor line 3. When the goods 2 are about to approach the lifting device 5, the front vision 12 and the front radar 11 accurately identify the position of the slot below the hard pallet 201, and extend the lifting device 5 into the slot below the hard pallet 201. At this time, the height of the lifting plate 502 is lower than the height of the slot below the hard pallet 201. The central control system 7 drives the hydraulic cylinder 506 to move backward according to the programmed loading program 2. When the several low-center-of-gravity casters 504 in the sliding groove of the loading and unloading base plate 503 slide to the top of the sliding groove, the hydraulic cylinder 506 stops moving. At this time, the lifting plate 502 has risen to the highest position, the hard pallet 201 and the entire pallet of goods 2 have left the ground, and the intelligent walking platform 8 has completed the lifting of the goods 2. At this time, in order to prevent the goods 2 from rolling back due to their own weight, the central control system 7 controls the braking mechanism 13 to clamp the lifting platform 507 and the lifting plate 502, which can effectively prevent the goods 2 from rolling back and ensure the safety of the loading and unloading process of the goods 2.

[0074] When the intelligent walking platform 8 is ready to unload the cargo 2, the central control system 7 controls the brake mechanism 13 to release, and then drives the hydraulic cylinder 506 to move forward according to the programmed unloading program 2. When a number of low-center-of-gravity casters 504 slide to the lowest point of the sliding groove, the hydraulic cylinder 506 stops moving, and the lifting plate 502 drops to the lowest position. At this time, the lifting plate 502 is separated from the hard pallet 201 and the entire pallet of cargo 2, and the bottom surface of the hard pallet 201 contacts the ground. The intelligent walking platform 8 completes the loading and unloading of the cargo 2 and slowly drives out of the carriage 4. The method for the intelligent walking platform 8 to enter the carriage 4 and the method for driving out of the carriage 4 are the same as the above-mentioned soft pallet load-bearing cargo loading and unloading process. This embodiment is equipped with a lifting device 5, so that the intelligent walking platform 8 can load and unload hard pallet load-bearing cargo, thereby realizing the adaptability of the loading and unloading method to different cargoes 2.

[0075] In addition to the above loading and unloading sequence, the intelligent walking platform 8 can also load and unload the goods in the right compartment II first, then load and unload the goods in the left compartment I, and finally load and unload the goods in the middle compartment III. The specific implementation steps are the same as the above soft (hard) pallet type cargo loading and unloading method.

[0076] The omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot can also make the conveyor lines G and H run towards the warehouse to load and unload the train carriage cargo 2 to the internal warehouse. The specific implementation steps are as follows.

[0077] S1: The central control system connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm.

[0078] S2: The central control system 7 controls the conveyor line G and the conveyor line H to run simultaneously, and the conveyor lines convey toward the warehouse at corresponding speeds.

[0079] S3: The intelligent walking platform 8 first drags the goods 2 in the middle of the carriage and places it on the left conveyor line G, which transports it to the warehouse.

[0080] S4: After the first pallet of goods is loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform 8 drags the second pallet of goods out and places it on the right conveyor line H for transportation, and then places the third pallet of goods on the left conveyor line G. The subsequent loading and unloading steps are carried out in the same way as the above-mentioned left-right alternating scheme. This scheme can double the loading and unloading efficiency. When the goods 2 pass through the warehouse entrance, the QR code sensor 1 scans the QR code on the goods 2 and sends the information to the central control system 7, indicating that the goods 2 have been put into storage.

[0081] S5: When the goods in the middle carriage III are loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform 8 will load and unload the goods in the left carriage I or the right carriage II. When the goods 2 in this carriage are loaded and unloaded, the central control system 7 stops the conveyor line and sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system. When the railway transportation management personnel drive the next carriage to the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform 8 will load and unload the goods 2 in the next carriage.

[0082] This embodiment can realize not only the loading and unloading of goods 2 from the warehouse to the train carriage 4, but also the loading and unloading of goods 2 from the train carriage 4 to the warehouse through the reverse operation of the combined conveyor line, making the loading and unloading function of the loading and unloading method more perfect.

Claims

1. An intelligent cargo loading and unloading method for railway freight, characterized in that: The loading and unloading method is based on an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot, which mainly comprises an omnidirectional wheeled intelligent walking platform (8), a towing mechanism (15), a clamping mechanism (16), a lifting device (5), a pneumatic hydraulic device, a front vision (12), a front radar (11), a rear vision (9), a rear radar (10) system, an operating platform (14), a combined conveyor line (3), and a central control system (7); The towing mechanism (15) is composed of a revolving gantry (151), a loading and unloading base plate (153), a telescopic rod (154), a connecting rod (152), a slide rod (157), a towing plate (155) and a hydraulic cylinder (156); the towing mechanism (15) is connected to the omnidirectional wheeled intelligent walking platform (8) through the revolving gantry (151); the loading and unloading base plate (153) is fixed below the revolving gantry (151); the A end of the telescopic rod (154) is connected to the E end of the slide rod (157); the B end of the telescopic rod (154) is fixed below the revolving gantry (151) through the connecting rod (152); the telescopic rod (157) is fixed to the bottom of the revolving gantry (151); and the The C end of the telescopic rod (154) is connected to the slideway rod (157) F, and the D end of the telescopic rod (154) is fixed to the towing plate (155) through the connecting rod (152). The telescopic rods (154) are connected to each other through a scissor-type structure. Since the A end and the D end can move in the slideway, the telescopic rod (154) can perform reciprocating telescopic movement; the hydraulic cylinder (156) is installed on the connecting rod (152) as the driving force of the telescopic rod (154); the towing plate (155) is connected to the C end and the D end of the telescopic rod (154). When the telescopic rod (154) reciprocates and extends, the cargo (2) can be towed; A clamping mechanism (16) is disposed inside the towing plate (155), and the clamping mechanism (16) is composed of a cylinder (161), a sliding beam (162), a sliding guide rail (163), and three adjustable clamping claws (164). The cylinder (161) is controlled by a central control system (7). The sliding beam (162) is fixed on the towing plate (155) and can slide within a certain range in the sliding guide rail (163). The three adjustable clamping claws (164) are evenly fixed on the sliding beam (162). The lifting device (5) is composed of a braking mechanism (13), a lifting platform (507), a hydraulic cylinder (506), a lifting plate (502), a loading and unloading base plate (503), a plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters (504) and a plurality of rollers (505); the loading and unloading base plate (503) is fixed to the lower end of the door frame (501) of the intelligent walking platform (8), a plurality of rollers (505) are arranged below the loading and unloading base plate (503), and a sliding groove is arranged inside the loading and unloading base plate (503). There are a plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters (504), and the lifting plate (502) is placed on the plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters (504). When the low-center-of-gravity casters (504) slide in the sliding groove, the lifting plate (502) can be driven to perform lifting movement; the braking mechanism (13) is placed at the bottom of the door frame of the intelligent walking platform (8), and can stop the lifting platform (507) from moving. The lifting platform (507) is connected to the lifting plate (502) via studs (508).

2. The loading and unloading method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The implementation steps are as follows: S1: The central control system (7) connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm; S2: The central control system (7) controls the left conveyor line G to start running first. The conveyor line G transports the goods (2) in the warehouse at intervals at a corresponding speed. At the same time, the intelligent walking platform (8) quickly drives to the side of the conveyor line G; S3: When the cargo (2) is about to approach the towing mechanism (15) and the towing board (155), the intelligent walking platform (8) accurately identifies the position of the cargo soft pallet (202) through the front vision (12) and the front radar (11), and then the central control system (7) controls the towing mechanism (15) to extend forward to the limit position according to the written loading program 1. At this time, the clamping mechanism (16) cylinder (161) pushes the three adjustable clamping claws (164) to move downward to the position where the soft pallet (202) can be clamped, and then the clamping claws (164) clamp the soft pallet (202); S4: the central control system (7) controls the towing mechanism (15) to move backward, thereby towing the entire pallet of goods (2) onto the loading and unloading bottom plate (153); S5: Then the central control system (7) controls the bottom steering wheel (6) to rotate 90° synchronously towards the carriage (4), and the front vision (12) and the front radar (11) also rotate 90° towards the carriage (4) to observe the internal environment of the carriage (4) and determine the driving route. At this time, the intelligent walking platform (8) drives in a crab-like manner to the middle carriage III; S6: The central control system (7) controls the bottom steering wheel (6) to rotate back 90°, and the front vision (12) and the front radar (11) also rotate back 90°, observe the direction of the left carriage I, and identify the stacking position of the goods (2) through the front vision (12) and the front radar (11). Then, the intelligent walking platform (8) drives to the vicinity of the stacking position of the goods (2). The central control system (7) controls the towing mechanism (15) to slowly extend according to the written unloading program 1. After the goods (2) are unloaded to the stacking position, the clamp (164) is released, and the cylinder (161) controls the clamp (164) to move up to the initial position. At this time, the soft tray (202) is separated from the adjustable clamp (164), and the loading and unloading of the goods (2) is completed; S7: The intelligent walking platform (8) moves back to the middle carriage III, the central control system (7) controls the bottom steering wheel (6) to rotate 90° toward the warehouse, the front vision (12) and the front radar (11) rotate 90° toward the warehouse, observe the exit direction and determine the exit route, and then crab-style exit, and then load and unload the next pallet of goods (2); S8: Repeat the above loading and unloading steps, the intelligent walking platform (8) continues to load and unload the goods (2) to the left carriage I. When the goods (2) in the left carriage I of the train are full, the central control system (7) sends a signal to stop the left conveyor line G and start the right conveyor line H at the same time; S9: The conveyor line H transports the goods (2) at a corresponding speed. When the goods (2) on the conveyor line H are about to approach the carriage (4), the intelligent walking platform (8) starts loading and unloading the goods (2). The loading and unloading steps are the same as those in S1 to S7 above, until the right carriage II is full of goods. S10: When the cargo (2) in the right carriage II of the train is full, the intelligent walking platform (8) stacks the cargo (2) in the middle carriage III; S11: When the cargo (2) in the middle carriage III is full, the central control system (7) stops the conveyor line H and sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system. After the next carriage (4) arrives at the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform (8) loads and unloads the cargo (2) in the next carriage.

3. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The intelligent walking platform (8) can also load and unload hard pallet-loaded goods, and the specific implementation steps are as follows: the intelligent walking platform (8) quickly drives to the side of the conveyor line (3). When the goods (2) are about to approach the lifting device (5), the front vision (12) and the front radar (11) accurately identify the position of the slot below the hard pallet (201), and extend the lifting device (5) into the slot below the hard pallet (201). At this time, the height of the lifting plate (502) is lower than the height of the slot below the hard pallet (201). The central control system (7) drives the hydraulic cylinder (506) to move forward according to the written loading program 2. After the movement, when the plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters (504) in the sliding groove of the loading and unloading bottom plate (503) slide to the top of the sliding groove, the hydraulic cylinder (506) stops moving, and at this time the lifting plate (502) is in the highest position, the hard pallet (201) and the entire pallet of goods (2) are separated from the ground, and the intelligent walking platform (8) completes the lifting of the goods (2). At this time, in order to prevent the goods (2) from rolling back due to their own weight, the central control system (7) controls the braking mechanism (13) to clamp the lifting platform (507) and the lifting plate (502), thereby preventing the goods (2) from rolling back; When the intelligent walking platform (8) is ready to unload the cargo (2), the central control system (7) controls the brake mechanism (13) to release, and then drives the hydraulic cylinder (506) to push forward according to the programmed unloading program 2. When the plurality of low-center-of-gravity casters (504) slide to the lowest point of the sliding groove, the hydraulic cylinder (506) stops moving. At this time, the lifting plate (502) drops to the lowest position, the lifting plate (502) separates from the hard pallet (201) and the entire pallet of cargo (2), and the bottom surface of the hard pallet (201) contacts the ground. The intelligent walking platform (8) completes the loading and unloading of the cargo (2) and slowly drives out of the carriage (4); wherein the method for the intelligent walking platform (8) to drive into the carriage (4) and the method for driving out of the carriage (4) are the same as the above-mentioned soft pallet load-bearing cargo loading and unloading process.

4. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The intelligent walking platform (8) can also first load and unload the cargo (2) in the right compartment II, then load and unload the cargo (2) in the left compartment I, and finally load and unload the cargo (2) in the middle compartment III. The specific implementation steps are the same as the loading and unloading method described in claim 2.

5. According to the loading and unloading method of claim 2, the omnidirectional wheeled intelligent loading and unloading robot can also make the conveyor line G and the conveyor line H run towards the warehouse to load and unload the train carriage cargo (2) to the internal warehouse. The specific implementation steps are as follows: S1: The central control system (7) connects with the railway transportation management information system to obtain the loading and unloading time and cargo volume required for railway freight, and then calculates the loading and unloading speed of the cargo through the built-in algorithm; S2: The central control system (7) controls the conveyor lines G and H to run simultaneously, and transport them towards the warehouse at corresponding speeds; S3: The intelligent walking platform (8) first drags the goods (2) from the middle carriage III and places them on the left conveyor line G, which then transports them to the warehouse; S4: After the first pallet of goods is loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform (8) drags out the second pallet of goods and places it on the right conveyor line H for transportation, and then places the third pallet of goods on the left conveyor line G. The subsequent loading and unloading steps are carried out in the same manner as the above-mentioned left-right alternating scheme; S5: When the cargo (2) in the middle carriage III is loaded and unloaded, the intelligent walking platform (8) then loads and unloads the cargo (2) in the left carriage I or the cargo (2) in the right carriage II. When the cargo (2) in this carriage is loaded and unloaded, the central control system (7) sends a signal to the railway transportation management information system, and when the next carriage (4) arrives at the loading and unloading position, the intelligent walking platform (8) loads and unloads the cargo (2) in the next carriage; When loading and unloading the goods (2) to the warehouse, the conveyor line G and the conveyor line H are operated simultaneously. Compared with the operation of a single conveyor line, the loading and unloading efficiency of the goods (2) can be doubled.

6. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The central control system (7) includes a central processing unit, a controller, a memory, an integrated circuit and a human-computer interaction interface, wherein the central processing unit is responsible for receiving and processing data from the front vision (12), the front radar (11), the rear vision (9), the rear radar (10) system and various sensors, and can send control instructions to various actuators to coordinate the normal operation of various actuators; the controller is used to connect various actuators, and can write programs and algorithms for them to achieve automatic control, and the controller can monitor the operating status of various actuators in real time. Once an abnormality is found, it immediately sends a fault signal to the central processing unit to stop the intelligent walking platform (8) and wait for maintenance personnel to repair; the memory stores the settings, configurations, operating programs and algorithms required for the central control system (7); the integrated circuit can process and convert various signals to ensure that the signals can be correctly transmitted in the central control system (7); a human-computer interaction interface is provided on the side of the main body of the intelligent walking platform (8), which can display the working status of the intelligent walking platform (8) in real time and can perform simple manual operations.

7. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The conveyor line (3) of step 1 and step 8 is located on both sides of the loading port of the carriage (4). The conveyor line (3) is composed of multiple sections of detachable belt conveyor or roller conveyor units that are quickly plugged in. Its total length can be adjusted according to actual conditions, and its placement can also be flexibly adjusted according to the layout between the warehouse and the train carriage (4). Each section of the conveyor unit (301) is equipped with an independent motor and can operate independently.

8. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front vision (12) and the front radar (11) in step 2, step 4, step 5 and step 6 are placed on the revolving gantry (151) of the intelligent walking platform (8), and a lighting lamp (121) is placed on the revolving gantry (151) to illuminate the environment for the front vision (12) in a dark environment. The front vision (12) is a high-definition camera with a built-in image processing algorithm, which can clearly identify the internal environment of the cargo soft pallet (202), the hard pallet (201), the compartment (4) and various obstacles. The front radar (11) can detect the distance between the stacking position of the cargo soft pallet (202), the hard pallet (201) and the cargo (2) and the intelligent walking platform (8) in real time. The front vision (12) and the front radar (11) and the lighting lamp (121) coordinate with each other and send the collected information to the central control system (7) in real time to achieve precise operation.

9. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The steering wheel (6) in step 4, step 5 and step 6 is composed of a steering mechanism and a traveling mechanism, and each steering wheel (6) is independently controlled; the traveling mechanism drives the intelligent walking platform (8) to move forward or backward, and the steering mechanism can make the steering wheel (6) rotate 360 ​​degrees, so as to realize functions such as lateral movement, oblique movement, and on-site steering of the intelligent walking platform (8), thereby enabling the intelligent walking platform (8) to operate flexibly in the train carriage (4), greatly improving the loading and unloading efficiency.

10. The loading and unloading method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The working platform (14) is composed of a plurality of square platforms (141) of the same size. The total length of the working platform (14) can be adjusted according to actual conditions and is easy to assemble and disassemble. The placement position can also be flexibly adjusted according to the layout between the warehouse and the train carriage (4). The plane of the working platform (14) is flush with the conveying surface of the conveyor line (3) and the inner bottom surface of the train carriage (4). The working platform (14) is provided for the intelligent walking platform (8) to operate.

11. The loading and unloading method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent walking platform (8) further comprises a rear vision system (9) and a rear radar (10). The rear vision system (9) adopts a panoramic scanning technology and is capable of real-time monitoring of the operating environment of the intelligent walking platform (8), thereby ensuring the safety of the intelligent walking platform (8) during operation.

12. The loading and unloading method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The central control system (7) is connected to the railway transportation management information system through the Internet of Things technology, so that the central control system can obtain the railway transportation plan, such as when to start loading and unloading, when to complete loading and unloading, and how much cargo to load and unload; then the time for loading and unloading cargo is calculated through the built-in algorithm, and the conveying speed of the conveyor line and the driving speed of the intelligent walking platform are controlled and coordinated, so that the intelligent walking platform (8) can load and unload the cargo required for railway freight within the corresponding time.

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