Automatic loading and unloading system of dangerous goods transfer trolley in explosion-proof place

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic loading and unloading system for a dangerous goods transfer trolley in an explosion-proof place, which comprises an in-plant logistics system, a dangerous goods transfer trolley and a three-degree-of-freedom robot, and the three-degree-of-freedom robot is positioned in a connection area between the in-plant logistics system and the dangerous goods transfer trolley. Trays are carried between the compartment of the dangerous goods transfer trolley and the logistics system in the plant; a visual system is installed in the connection area and used for recognizing the parking posture and height of the dangerous goods transfer trolley. The connection area is provided with an optical communication system for the transfer trolley to communicate with a logistics system in a plant; and the automatic explosion-proof door is arranged at a reserved loading and unloading vehicle interface of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle and is opened during connection. The automatic loading and unloading function of the transfer trolley is achieved, and the transfer trolley has the beneficial effects of being small in occupied area, high in personnel safety and high in transfer efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a loading and unloading system, in particular to an automatic loading and unloading system for a dangerous goods transfer vehicle in an explosion-proof location. Background Art

[0002] Some explosion-proof workshops have certain restrictions on the equivalent of explosives and special requirements for civil engineering. Therefore, the layout of each workshop is relatively scattered, and the flow of materials between the workshops is generally achieved by dangerous goods transfer vehicles. The materials involved in explosion-proof workshops are relatively dangerous. Improving the automation level of the logistics system will help improve production safety and improve production efficiency. The present invention aims to solve the problem of material connection between the dangerous goods transfer vehicle and the logistics system in the factory when the materials are circulated in the workshop, and proposes an automated connection system suitable for explosion-proof places and for the production of various types of small batch products.

[0003] Existing truck automatic loading and unloading solutions are usually implemented using automatic forklifts or large-scale automated equipment. The automatic forklift solution is more flexible, but is limited by its navigation and mobility, and its reliability and safety are lower than fixed equipment. To ensure its safety, it often runs at a low speed, which limits its docking efficiency. Large-scale automated docking equipment is generally used in the warehousing and logistics system of bulk commodities, which can complete the overall loading and unloading of materials in the cargo box with high efficiency. However, when faced with a large number of material types, different workshops have different quantities of goods to be loaded and unloaded, and different materials have different requirements for transfer trucks, there are problems such as insufficient adaptability and large footprint. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention provides an automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transfer vehicles in explosion-proof places, which can automatically adapt to the parking position deviation of the truck and use a three-degree-of-freedom robot to complete the pallet transportation between the truck and the logistics system in the factory. It has the characteristics of flexible picking up, strong adaptability, small footprint and fast transfer speed, and is suitable for explosion-proof places.

[0005] The technical solution to achieve the purpose of the present invention is:

[0006] An automatic loading and unloading system for hazardous goods transfer vehicles in explosion-proof places includes an in-plant logistics system, a hazardous goods transfer vehicle and a three-degree-of-freedom robot, wherein the three-degree-of-freedom robot is located in a docking area between the in-plant logistics system and the hazardous goods transfer vehicle, and transports pallets between the carriage of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle and the in-plant logistics system; a visual system is installed in the docking area to identify the parking position and height of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle; an optical communication system is installed in the docking area for the transfer vehicle to communicate with the in-plant logistics system; an automatic explosion-proof door is arranged at a reserved hazardous goods transfer vehicle loading and unloading interface, and is opened during docking.

[0007] Furthermore, a chain conveyor is installed on the bottom plate of the cargo box of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle, and the conveying direction is consistent with the length direction of the cargo box. The pallet moves back and forth in the cargo box through the chain conveyor to reach a set location.

[0008] Furthermore, the chain conveyor is provided with a pallet side guide near the cargo box opening, and the chain conveyor is provided with a pallet longitudinal guide on both sides.

[0009] Furthermore, a pallet mechanical limit block and a visual recognition target are installed at the tail of the chain conveyor; and a photoelectric switch is installed at the tail of the cargo box.

[0010] Furthermore, the tray side guide is a triangular guide block, and a brass slider is installed on the surface of the guide block.

[0011] Furthermore, an explosion-proof servo motor, a cargo box control system, a hydraulic power pack and a corner cylinder are installed at the front of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle. The explosion-proof servo motor is connected to the chain conveyor to drive the chain conveyor to operate. The cargo box control system is connected to the explosion-proof servo motor, the hydraulic power pack and the photoelectric switch at the rear of the cargo box. The corner cylinder is installed on the chain conveyor and connected to the hydraulic power pack. The hydraulic power pack provides power for the corner cylinder to press the pallet.

[0012] Furthermore, a PLC controller is installed in the cargo box control system.

[0013] Furthermore, the three-degree-of-freedom robot includes a bidirectional telescopic fork, a screw lift, a ground rail and a slewing drive, the bidirectional telescopic fork is installed on the screw lift, the screw lift is installed on the slewing drive, and the slewing drive is connected to the ground rail.

[0014] Furthermore, the docking area is also equipped with a rolling door and a mechanical door seal.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes guide guardrails installed on both sides of the preset parking position of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical improvements:

[0017] 1. A small three-degree-of-freedom robot is used, which occupies a small area and has a small workload when renovating old factory buildings. The docking room and docking equipment can be directly arranged outside the existing factory building;

[0018] 2. The three-degree-of-freedom robot has high precision and rigidity, mature technology, and is safer than a forklift;

[0019] 3. The two-way fork is used to pick up the pallet, which reduces the rotation action and speeds up the transfer;

[0020] 4. The loading and unloading process is fully automated and equipped with explosion-proof doors. The operator's area is not connected to the workshop, which is highly safe.

[0021] 5. It has strong adaptability to cargo box height and length, and can be adapted to a variety of dangerous goods transport vehicles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is the overall schematic diagram of the system.

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the modified hazardous materials transfer vehicle.

[0024] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the rear of the cargo box of the dangerous goods transfer truck.

[0025] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the front of the cargo box of the dangerous goods transfer truck.

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a three-degree-of-freedom robot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] Combination Figure 1 , an automatic truck unloading and loading system for the production of various types of small batch products, consisting of an automatic explosion-proof door 2-1, a visual and optical communication system 2-2, an in-plant logistics system 1-3, a three-degree-of-freedom robot 1-2, a mechanical door seal 2-3, a modified dangerous goods transfer vehicle 1-1, a guide guardrail 2-4 and a rolling door 2-5. The visual and optical communication system 2-2 includes a visual system and an optical communication system. After the truck driver drives the truck to the docking position, he can start the docking process in the operation area. The docking process is automatically controlled by the control system.

[0030] The three-degree-of-freedom robot 2-4 moves the pallet between the truck compartment and the logistics system in the factory. The three-degree-of-freedom robot 2-4 has three degrees of freedom in the z-axis, x-axis movement and z-axis rotation. Based on the visual system 2-2, it compensates for the parking posture deviation and height deviation of the truck. The three-degree-of-freedom robot is equipped with a bidirectional fork for picking up and placing the pallet.

[0031] The visual system 2-2 is fixed in the docking area, with a field of view covering the cargo box and the cargo box opening pallet. It can identify the parking posture and height of the truck and is configured in an "eyes outside the hand" manner. The three-degree-of-freedom robot base coordinate system, the plant coordinate system and the visual system coordinate system are calibrated in advance. The three-degree-of-freedom robot operates in a semi-open loop during actual operation;

[0032] Dangerous goods transfer vehicles 2-6 need to be modified and equipped with chain conveyors. The chain conveyors are used to transport pallets to the cargo box opening to facilitate forking by the three-degree-of-freedom robot, or to transport the pallets placed on the chain conveyors by the three-degree-of-freedom robot into the cargo box, leaving space for the next pallet. A pallet locking system needs to be installed in the dangerous goods transfer vehicle to prevent the pallet from falling off due to bumps during transportation. An optical communication and control system needs to be installed in the dangerous goods transfer vehicle to establish communication with the plant management and control system, receive control instructions and feedback information. An on-board terminal is installed in the cab of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle to display logistics information offline to prompt the driver.

[0033] The automatic explosion-proof door 2-1 is a truck loading and unloading interface reserved during the planning and design of the plant, or a truck loading and unloading interface installed during the renovation of the old plant. This explosion-proof door is a normally closed explosion-proof door used to protect the truck driver and is opened at the beginning of the connection;

[0034] There are no special requirements for the logistics system 2-3 in the factory, but a pallet placement position needs to be reserved for the three-degree-of-freedom robot (chain or roller conveyor is recommended). The number of pallets cached in the placement position is flexibly configured according to the specific production requirements of the workshop;

[0035] The optical communication system is used to establish communication between the plant control system and the trucks, to send control instructions and receive feedback information, while ensuring the security of communication;

[0036] The mechanical door seal 2-3 is used to block dust, rain, snow, etc., and keep the docking area clean during the docking process;

[0037] Rolling shutter doors 2-5 are normally closed when not connected to block dust, rain, snow, etc.

[0038] Truck drivers can control the automatic loading and unloading of trucks in the operation room and monitor the loading and unloading process through video.

[0039] The location of the operating room is not shown in this description and the accompanying drawings. There are no special requirements for the layout of the operating room, and it can be arranged in any safe location nearby.

[0040] The present invention is based on a three-degree-of-freedom robot and appropriate modification of a dangerous goods transfer vehicle to realize the automatic loading and unloading function of the transfer vehicle. The system has the characteristics of small footprint, high personnel safety, and high transfer efficiency. The three-degree-of-freedom robot can adjust the posture to compensate for the parking deviation of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle based on the visual system, and transport pallets between the factory and the transfer workshop through a two-way fork. A chain conveyor is installed inside the dangerous goods transfer vehicle to transfer the pallet from the inside of the cargo box to the cargo box outlet, which is convenient for the three-degree-of-freedom robot to fork.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] This embodiment combines Figure 2-Figure 5, a preferred design implementation is provided for the dangerous goods transfer vehicle 1-1 and the three-degree-of-freedom robot 1-2 in Example 1.

[0043] 1. Truck transformation

[0044] Since most hazardous materials transfer vehicles have rear-opening cargo boxes, existing hazardous materials transfer vehicles need to be modified to facilitate the three-degree-of-freedom robot to pick up and place materials.

[0045] See attached Figure 2 The dangerous goods transfer vehicle 1-1 is a modified conventional dangerous goods transfer vehicle. The chain conveyor 3-1 is installed on the bottom plate of the cargo box, and the conveying direction is consistent with the length direction of the cargo box. The pallet 3-2 is placed on the chain conveyor 3-1 and moves back and forth in the cargo box driven by the conveyor.

[0046] See attached Figure 3 The tail of the chain conveyor 3-3 is equipped with a pallet side guide 4-1, a pallet longitudinal guide 4-3, a pallet mechanical limit block 4-5, a visual recognition target 4-4, and a photoelectric switch 4-2. The three-degree-of-freedom robot may produce lateral deviation due to accuracy issues when placing a pallet. The pallet side guide 4-1 is a triangular guide block installed on the structural frame of the chain conveyor 3-1 near the cargo box opening. A brass slider is installed on the surface of the guide block to adapt to the deviation to ensure the accuracy of pallet placement and guide the pallet to the correct placement position; the pallet longitudinal guide 4-3 can ensure that the pallet will not fall off the conveyor when moving forward and backward; the pallet mechanical limit block 4-5 mechanically limits the pallet to ensure that the pallet will not fall out of the cargo box when moving toward the cargo box opening; the visual recognition target 4-4 is used for the visual system in the factory to identify the cargo box posture to guide the three-degree-of-freedom robot to adjust its posture and adapt to the parking deviation of the truck; the photoelectric switch 4-2 is used to detect the position of the pallet. The cargo box is equipped with double photoelectric switches, one of which is used to position the pallet. When the pallet runs to this position, the chain conveyor stops and the pallet can be forked by the three-degree-of-freedom robot at this position. The other is used for electrical limiting to prevent the pallet from rushing through the stop position and falling out of the cargo box. The photoelectric switch used for electrical limit in the photoelectric switch 4-2 is installed closer to the inside of the cargo box than the pallet mechanical limit block 4-5. The pallet triggers the electrical limit before the mechanical limit to prevent the conveyor from running away.

[0047] See attached Figure 4, explosion-proof servo motor 5-1, cargo box control system 5-2, hydraulic power pack 5-3 and corner cylinder 5-4 are installed at the front of the cargo box. In order to effectively utilize the internal space of the cargo box, explosion-proof servo motor 5-1, cargo box control system 5-2 and hydraulic power pack 5-3 are all installed inside the chain conveyor 3-1. A PLC controller is installed in the cargo box control system 5-2, which can collect IO points in the cargo box and control the chain conveyor 3-1 and corner cylinder 5-4; explosion-proof servo motor 5-1 is used to drive the chain conveyor to operate; corner cylinder 5-4 is used to press the pallet during the transportation process to prevent the pallet from falling off due to bumps, and can be automatically unlocked during loading and unloading to facilitate the movement of the pallet; hydraulic power pack 5-3 can be controlled by the cargo box control system 5-2 to provide power for the corner cylinder 5-4.

[0048] 2. Three-degree-of-freedom robot design

[0049] See attached Figure 5 The three-degree-of-freedom robot 1-2 is used to adapt to the deviation of the parking posture of the truck. The three-degree-of-freedom robot includes a two-way telescopic fork 6-1, a screw lift 6-2, a ground rail 6-3 and a rotary drive 6-4. The two-way fork is used for picking up and transporting the pallet, the screw lift 6-2 is used for z-axis movement, the ground rail 6-3 is used for x-axis movement, and the rotary drive 6-4 is used for z-axis rotation.

[0050] Taking truck unloading as an example, the transfer process of the automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transfer vehicles in explosion-proof places includes:

[0051] 1) Truck drivers are on standby at the fleet parking lot;

[0052] 2) The plant logistics management system issues a transfer instruction to the large screen in the parking lot standby area, and the team leader accepts the task and assigns transfer personnel on the operation terminal. The plant logistics management system sends the logistics information to the vehicle terminal via optical communication;

[0053] 3) The truck driver drives the transfer vehicle to the unloading location

[0054] 4) Before entering the loading and unloading area, the truck driver opens the back of the cargo box and fixes it on both sides of the cargo box, and then reverses into the loading and unloading area;

[0055] 5) At this time, the optical communication in the cargo box is connected to the optical communication in the factory, and the factory logistics management system issues an opening command to the rolling shutter door 2-5

[0056] 6) The plant logistics management system detects the position of the carriage through the visual system. If the carriage has stopped at the loading and unloading position, the driver will be notified on the on-board terminal;

[0057] 7) The truck driver parks the vehicle, turns off the engine, and walks to a safe operating area;

[0058] 8) The truck driver operates the terminal in the operation area to start the unloading process;

[0059] 9) The factory logistics management system issues an opening command to the explosion-proof door 2-1;

[0060] 10) The factory logistics management system sends an unlocking command to the truck's onboard control system, which controls the corner cylinder to rise and unlock the pallet movement.

[0061] 11) The factory logistics management system sends unloading instructions to the truck on-board control system. The truck on-board control system controls the operation of the chain conveyor and reads the status of the photoelectric switch. When the photoelectric switch is triggered, the chain conveyor stops.

[0062] 12) The factory logistics management system identifies the position of the pallet through the visual system.

[0063] 13) The factory logistics management system compensates for the parking posture deviation and height deviation of the truck through the z-axis and x-axis translation and z-axis rotation of the three-degree-of-freedom robots 2-4. The three-degree-of-freedom robot base coordinate system, factory coordinate system, and camera coordinate system have been calibrated in advance to ensure the accuracy of open-loop control.

[0064] 14) The three-degree-of-freedom robot picks up the pallet with its bidirectional fork, retracts the bidirectional fork, and moves the pallet directly above the robot

[0065] 15) The three-degree-of-freedom robot moves to the docking position with the logistics line in the factory area, and the docking position has been calibrated in advance;

[0066] 16) The three-degree-of-freedom robot places the pallet at the connection position of the logistics line in the factory through the bidirectional fork and retracts the fork;

[0067] 17) Repeat steps 11-17 until all pallets in the plant are unloaded.

[0068] 18) The factory logistics management system sends a locking command to the truck's onboard control system, and the truck's onboard control system controls the corner cylinder to press the pallet

[0069] 19) The factory logistics management system controls the explosion-proof door 2-1 to close.

[0070] 20) The factory logistics management system issues a closing command to rolling shutter door 2-5

[0071] 21) The factory logistics management system completes loading and unloading and sends the next logistics information to the truck on-board terminal through optical communication

[0072] 22) The factory logistics management system notifies the truck driver through the operation terminal in the operation area that loading and unloading is completed

[0073] 23) The truck driver drives the truck away from the loading and unloading area and closes the cargo door, and then continues to transfer materials according to the prompts of the on-board terminal.

[0074] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transfer vehicles in explosion-proof places, including an in-plant logistics system, characterized in that: It also includes a hazardous goods transfer vehicle and a three-degree-of-freedom robot, wherein the three-degree-of-freedom robot is located in the docking area between the logistics system in the factory and the hazardous goods transfer vehicle, and transports pallets between the carriage of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle and the logistics system in the factory; a visual system is installed in the docking area to identify the parking position and height of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle; an optical communication system is installed in the docking area for the transfer vehicle to communicate with the logistics system in the factory; an automatic explosion-proof door is set at the reserved loading and unloading interface of the hazardous goods transfer vehicle, and is opened during docking.

2. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A chain conveyor is installed on the cargo box bottom plate of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle, and the conveying direction is consistent with the length direction of the cargo box. The pallet moves back and forth in the cargo box through the chain conveyor to reach the set location.

3. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The chain conveyor is provided with a pallet side guide at a position close to the cargo box opening, and the chain conveyor is provided with a pallet longitudinal guide at both sides.

4. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The tail of the chain conveyor is equipped with a pallet mechanical limit block and a visual recognition target; the tail of the cargo box is equipped with a photoelectric switch.

5. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The tray side guide is a triangular guide block, and a brass sliding block is installed on the surface of the guide block.

6. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 4 is characterized in that: An explosion-proof servo motor, a cargo box control system, a hydraulic power pack and a corner cylinder are installed at the front of the dangerous goods transfer vehicle. The explosion-proof servo motor is connected to the chain conveyor to drive the chain conveyor to operate. The cargo box control system is connected to the explosion-proof servo motor, the hydraulic power pack and the photoelectric switch. The corner cylinder is installed on the chain conveyor and connected to the hydraulic power pack. The hydraulic power pack provides power for the corner cylinder to press the pallet.

7. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 6 is characterized in that: A PLC controller is installed in the cargo box control system.

8. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The three-degree-of-freedom robot comprises a bidirectional telescopic fork, a screw lift, a ground rail and a slewing drive, wherein the bidirectional telescopic fork is mounted on the screw lift, the screw lift is mounted on the slewing drive, and the slewing drive is connected to the ground rail.

9. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The docking area is also equipped with a rolling door and a mechanical door seal.

10. The automatic loading and unloading system for dangerous goods transport vehicles in explosion-proof places according to claim 1 is characterized in that: It also includes guide guardrails installed on both sides of the preset parking position of the hazardous materials transfer vehicle.

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