Automatic sand feeding vehicle and sand feeding method

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic sand feeding vehicle and a sand feeding method.The automatic sand feeding vehicle comprises a walking unit and a feeding unit, the walking unit is arranged at the bottom of the feeding unit to bear and drive the feeding unit to move, the feeding unit comprises a storage frame, a feeding mechanism and a conveying pipe, and the top of the storage frame is open; the feeding mechanism is arranged in the storage frame and outputs sand to the outside through a conveying pipe. The guide unit comprises a plurality of visual sensors for feeding back the position of the feeding unit; the robot unit is used for uncovering the sand box of the locomotive and driving the outlet of the conveying pipe to move to the opening position of the sand box; and the control unit is in communication connection with the walking unit, the feeding unit, the guiding unit and the robot unit so as to adjust the walking unit to move to the operation position and start the feeding mechanism after the outlet of the conveying pipe moves to the opening of the sand box. According to the automatic sand feeding device, automatic sand feeding of the automatic sand feeding vehicle to the sand box is achieved through cooperative action of all the units, so that the risk of manual operation is reduced, and the sand feeding efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of rail vehicle equipment, and in particular to an automatic sand loading vehicle and a sand loading method. Background Art

[0002] For railway locomotives, sand is needed to enhance the friction between wheels and rails during operation to meet the operation requirements, especially during vehicle starting, braking and climbing. Therefore, railway locomotives usually have sand boxes at the bottom or side to store sand, and are connected to the sand spreading device near the wheels through pipes to release sand onto the track when needed. However, at present, the sand loading operation of railway locomotives is mostly done by manually pushing carts or carrying sand bags, walking from the sand source to the work site, and the opening of the locomotive sand box is small to reduce the risk of leakage, which will lead to slow sand loading speed and high safety risks in manual operations. In addition, for busy railway hubs or large locomotive depots, the inefficiency of sand loading operations may affect the turnover and operation arrangements of locomotives, thereby having a greater impact on the economic benefits of railways.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the efficiency and safety of locomotive sand box loading operations is a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by technical personnel in this field. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide an automatic sand loading vehicle to improve the efficiency and safety of sand loading operations on a locomotive sand box.

[0005] Another object of the present application is to provide a sand loading method using the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An automatic sand loading vehicle, comprising:

[0008] A walking unit and a feeding unit, wherein the walking unit is arranged at the bottom of the feeding unit to carry and drive the feeding unit to change position, the feeding unit comprises a storage frame, a feeding mechanism and a conveying pipe, the top of the storage frame is opened to receive the sand material, the feeding mechanism is arranged in the storage frame and outputs the sand material to the outside through the conveying pipe;

[0009] A guiding unit, comprising a plurality of visual sensors disposed on the periphery of the feeding unit to provide feedback on the position of the feeding unit;

[0010] A robot unit is arranged on the outer wall of the feeding unit and close to the conveying pipe, and the robot unit is used to open the sand box of the locomotive and drive the outlet of the conveying pipe to move to the opening position of the sand box;

[0011] The control unit is connected to the walking unit, the feeding unit, the guiding unit and the robot unit to adjust the walking unit to move to the working position and start the feeding mechanism after the outlet of the conveying pipe moves to the opening of the sand box.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading car, the robot unit includes a mechanical arm, a positioning sensor, a cover opening mechanism and a positioning mechanism, the mechanical arm can be connected to the cover opening mechanism and the positioning mechanism at its ends respectively, and the positioning mechanism is used to fix a partial area of ​​the conveying pipe; the positioning sensor is used to detect the locking cover position of the sand box, and feedback the control unit to adjust the mechanical arm to drive the cover opening mechanism or the positioning mechanism to move to the locking cover position.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the mechanical arm includes a reciprocating swinging material mixing operation state, and when the conveying pipe follows the positioning mechanism to move to the opening of the sand box and adds sand, the control unit adjusts the mechanical arm to be in the material mixing operation state.

[0014] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the cover opening mechanism includes two spaced apart clamping jaws, which are electrically or pneumatically driven to achieve approaching and moving away movements, and the clamping jaws move closer to press the lock buckle of the lock cover to remove the lock cover, and the lock cover is transported to a temporary storage support under the drive of the mechanical arm.

[0015] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the positioning sensor is an industrial camera or a laser sensor, and the robot unit also includes a loading vision sensor, the detection range of which covers the opening of the sand box and feeds back to the control unit to stop the feeding mechanism when the material level meets the loading requirements.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the bottom of the material storage frame is an inclined wall surface, the feeding mechanism is arranged at the low point of the bottom of the material storage frame, and a material shaking mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the material storage frame to drive the bottom of the material storage frame to vibrate.

[0017] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the top opening of the material storage frame is provided with an openable and closable dust cover, and during the operation of the walking unit and the feeding unit feeding the sand box, the dust cover closes the top opening of the material storage frame.

[0018] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the feeding mechanism is a pneumatic conveyor, a screw conveyor or a conveyor belt.

[0019] Preferably, in the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle, the walking unit includes a wheeled all-terrain chassis, a tracked all-terrain chassis or a multi-legged robot all-terrain chassis.

[0020] A sand loading method, wherein sand is loaded onto a locomotive sand box by the automatic sand loading vehicle described in any one of the above embodiments, and the sand loading method comprises at least the following steps:

[0021] Material cart movement: The control unit drives the walking unit to drive the feeding unit carrying the sand material to move to the preset working position of the sand box close to the locomotive through the feedback information of the guiding unit;

[0022] Sand box cover opening: The control unit adjusts the robot unit to approach the opening of the sand box and opens the cover of the sand box. The opened locked cover is transported to the temporary storage position by the robot unit;

[0023] Sand loading: The control unit adjusts the robot unit to drive the outlet of the conveying pipe to move to the opening of the sand box, and adjusts the feeding mechanism to start, so that the sand in the storage frame is loaded into the sand box through the conveying pipe;

[0024] Closing the sand box cover: After loading is completed, the control unit closes the feeding mechanism, the robot unit drives the conveying pipe to leave the sand box, and after taking the lock cover at the temporary storage position, moves to the opening position of the sand box to close the cover, and the robot unit resets.

[0025] Preferably, in the above-mentioned sand loading method, in the sand loading step, the control unit receives the material level information detected by the robot unit, or the material level information set by an independently arranged visual sensor to determine the stop of the material loading process in the sand box.

[0026] Preferably, in the above-mentioned sand loading method, a flow sensor is provided in the delivery pipe and is communicatively connected with the control unit. During the sand loading step, when the flow sensor detects abnormal flow in the delivery pipe, it feeds back to the control unit to emit an audible, optical or electronic alarm signal.

[0027] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the automatic sand loading vehicle provided by the present application mainly includes a walking unit, a feeding unit, a guiding unit, a robot unit and a control unit, wherein each unit is communicatively connected with the control unit so as to collect feedback information and adjust the action through the control unit; when it is necessary to load sand on the sand box of the locomotive, the control unit adjusts the movement of the walking unit, and through the image guidance of the visual sensor of the guiding unit, the walking unit moves to the working position, thereby driving the feeding unit to move to the working position; the control unit then opens the cover of the sand box through the robot unit, and then adjusts the robot unit to drive the conveying pipe in the feeding unit to move to the opening position of the sand box, and the control unit then starts the feeding structure to transport the sand in the storage frame to the inside of the sand box; the above process does not require manual operation, and can realize rapid loading of the sand box in a busy locomotive depot through an automated structure, thereby improving sand loading efficiency and safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic sand loading vehicle provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a top view schematic diagram of the automatic sand loading car;

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure for opening the sand box by the robot unit;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the cover opening mechanism and the cover locking mechanism;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the coordination state between the robot arm and the positioning mechanism;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the conveying pipe located at the opening of the sand box.

[0035] Among them, 10-walking unit; 20-feeding unit; 210-storage frame; 220-feeding mechanism; 230-conveying pipe; 30-guiding unit; 40-robot unit; 410-mechanical arm; 420-positioning sensor; 430-opening mechanism; 4310-gripping claw; 440-positioning mechanism; 50-sand box; 510-locking cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The core of this application is to disclose an automatic sand loading vehicle to improve the efficiency and safety of sand loading operations on a locomotive sand box.

[0037] Another object of the present application is to provide a sand loading method using the above-mentioned automatic sand loading vehicle.

[0038] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiments shown below do not limit the invention contents described in the claims. In addition, the entire contents of the structures represented by the following embodiments are not limited to those necessary as solutions to the inventions described in the claims.

[0039] like Figure 1-Figure 6As shown, the present invention provides an automatic sand loading vehicle, which mainly includes a walking unit 10, a feeding unit 20, a guiding unit 30, a robot unit 40 and a control unit. Among them, the walking unit 10 is the basic bearing and moving part of the automatic sand loading vehicle, which needs to realize smooth movement on the track of the locomotive, or the bottom surface of one side of the locomotive, so as to drive the position change of the feeding unit 20. The commonly used walking unit 10 may include a wheeled all-terrain chassis, a crawler all-terrain chassis or a multi-legged robot all-terrain chassis, so that the automatic sand loading vehicle can meet the operation requirements in all terrains; and it should be noted that the power drive of the walking unit 10 can be a commonly used power element such as a motor or a hydraulic cylinder, and the power element needs to be connected to the control unit in communication, so that the path planning, position movement and stop operation of the walking unit 10 can be performed through the control unit.

[0040] The feeding unit 20 is arranged on the top of the walking unit 10 so as to be able to follow the walking unit 10 to achieve displacement. The feeding unit 20 specifically includes a storage frame 210, a feeding mechanism 220 and a conveying pipe 230. Among them, the top of the storage frame 210 is open to facilitate the filling of sand into it. It should be noted that the storage frame 210 is a cavity structure, and its upward opening has a large space to facilitate the filling of sand into it. With the help of the position adjustment of the walking unit 10, the operator can move the storage frame 210 to a position convenient for sand feeding by automatic adjustment or manual pushing, such as the bottom of the sand source position transmission belt to directly receive the sand, or a position convenient for manual filling. The feeding mechanism 220 is arranged inside the material storage frame 210 so as to be able to contact the sand inside the material storage frame 210 and provide a driving force to output the sand to the outside of the material storage frame 210 through the delivery pipe 230; the delivery pipe 230 is used to provide a running passage for the sand, and it should be noted that the parameters such as the diameter, length and curvature of the delivery pipe 230 need to be designed according to actual conditions to ensure that the sand can be smoothly transported; and the connection of the delivery pipe 230 needs to be well sealed to prevent sand leakage. At the outlet of the delivery pipe 230, a valve or a nozzle or other device can also be set as needed to control the output amount and direction of the sand.

[0041] It should be further explained that the feeding mechanism 220 in the feeding unit 20 in the above embodiment is also connected to the control unit for communication, so that the opening and closing adjustment of the feeding mechanism 220 can be realized through the control unit.

[0042] The guiding unit 30 includes a visual sensor arranged on the periphery of the feeding unit 20. Preferably, a plurality of visual sensors are arranged at intervals on the periphery of the feeding unit 20 to enable visual detection of various areas around the feeding unit 20. The guiding unit 30 is communicated with the control unit to feed back image information around the feeding unit 20 to the control unit. The control unit can judge the environmental conditions around the feeding unit 20 through the guiding unit 30 and control the movement of the walking unit 10. Similarly, the operator can also use a remote control or other equipment to perform remote manual operation and movement of the automatic sand loading vehicle based on the image information of the guiding unit 30 to meet the movement requirements of the walking unit 10.

[0043] The robot unit 40 is fixedly arranged on the outer wall of the feeding unit 20, and the robot unit 40 is arranged close to the conveying pipe 230. Specifically, the robot unit 40 is communicated with the control unit so that after the walking unit 10 moves to the working position close to the locomotive sand box 50, it can perform the opening action of the sand box 50 under the adjustment of the control unit. After completing the opening of the sand box 50, the robot unit 40 can also drive the outlet section of the conveying pipe 230 to move to the opening position of the sand box 50. After the feeding mechanism 220 is started, the purpose of adding the sand material in the storage frame 210 into the sand box 50 is achieved.

[0044] On the basis of the above embodiment, the control unit is used to realize the operation adjustment, cover opening and loading action of the automatic sand loading car, which can adopt PLC (programmable logic controller) or microprocessor and other devices, with the help of feedback information of the guide unit 30, and the position adjustment of the walking unit 10 at least includes the feeding position at the sand source position and the working position close to the locomotive. When the walking unit 10 is at the feeding position, the sand material is added to the storage frame 210 through a transmission belt or manual operation; when the walking unit 10 is at the working position, the control unit can adjust the robot unit 40 to open the cover of the sand box 50, and drive the outlet of the conveying pipe 230 to move to the opening position of the sand box 50, and then start the feeding mechanism 220 to realize the loading of the sand box 50; here, the outlet of the conveying pipe 230 can be located directly above the opening of the sand box 50 or inserted into the opening of the sand box 50. The comprehensive control function of the control unit can improve the intelligence level of the automatic sand loading vehicle, while reducing the difficulty of adjusting the various components of the entire automatic sand loading vehicle. The control unit can preset the degree and realize automatic adjustment. At the same time, it can also set buttons or remote control devices to enable operators to perform manual intervention actions.

[0045] And on the basis of the above embodiment, the guiding unit 30 can adopt the combined effect of laser radar, GPS, inertial navigation, etc., that is, the distance between the trolley and the surrounding environment is accurately measured by laser radar, GPS provides global position information, and inertial navigation maintains high-precision position and attitude information in a short time. The control unit receives the data of these sensors to achieve high-precision positioning and driving of the trolley position, ensuring that the automatic sand loading vehicle accurately reaches the working position and docks with the locomotive sand box 50. At the same time, for the energy supply of the entire automatic sand loading vehicle, it can be realized by batteries, and equipped with an intelligent battery management system to monitor and manage the battery charging and discharging process, extend battery life, and improve the reliability of energy supply; and the automatic sand loading vehicle can also be installed with solar panels so that the automatic sand loading vehicle can use solar energy to achieve the smooth operation of each component.

[0046] In order to further optimize the above technical solution, in some embodiments of the present invention, the robot unit 40 includes a mechanical arm 410, a positioning sensor 420, a cover opening mechanism 430 and a positioning mechanism 440, wherein the mechanical arm 410 is an action execution structure, and its multi-joint structure has flexible bending and extension effects, and can realize corresponding actions under the adjustment of the control unit. Specifically, one end of the mechanical arm 410 is fixed to the side wall of the feeding unit 20, and the other end, that is, the movable end, can be connected to the cover opening mechanism 430 and the positioning mechanism 440 to realize the driving of the cover opening mechanism 430 and the positioning mechanism 440, wherein the cover opening mechanism 430 is used to open the lock cover 510 of the sand box 50, and the positioning mechanism 440 is used to fix and guide the conveying pipe 230. In combination with the positioning sensor 420 in the robot unit 40, during the operation of the robot unit 40, after the walking unit 10 moves to the working position, it drives the feeding unit 20 and the robot unit 40 to approach the sand box 50, and the positioning sensor 420 is used to detect the position of the lock cover 510 of the sand box 50 through visual detection or laser detection and feedback the corresponding position information to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the movement of the robot arm 410 based on the position information of the lock cover 510, and it should be noted that one of the movement adjustments of the robot arm 410 by the control unit is to adjust the robot arm 410 to drive the cover opening mechanism 43 0 moves to the position of the locking cover 510, and activates the opening mechanism 430 to realize the opening action of the sand box 50; and the control unit adjusts another movement of the robot arm 410, after the locking cover 510 of the sand box 50 is opened, adjusts the robot arm 410 to drive the positioning mechanism 440 to move to the opening position after the sand box 50 is opened. Since the positioning mechanism 440 is fixed to a partial area of ​​the conveying pipe 230, it can drive the conveying pipe 230 to move so that the outlet of the conveying pipe 230 is located at the opening position after the sand box 50 is opened, and realizes the loading action of the sand box 50 after the control unit starts the feeding mechanism 220.

[0047] Furthermore, in order to improve the uniform distribution of the sand in the sand box 50 during the feeding process, in some embodiments of the present invention, the robot arm 410 includes a material-scratching operation state. When the robot arm 410 is in the material-scratching operation state, it can swing back and forth in a single direction, or it can move in a circular path in the circumferential direction. In the process of the delivery pipe 230 following the positioning mechanism 440 to move to the opening of the sand box 50 and add sand, the control unit can adjust the robot arm 410 to be in the material-scratching operation state as needed, so as to swing the positioning mechanism 440, thereby driving the delivery pipe 230 to swing so that the sand is more evenly fed into the sand box 50. It should be noted that the swinging action of the robot arm 410 can be achieved by a servo motor or a vibration motor, which will not be repeated here.

[0048] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the cover opening mechanism 430 includes two spaced apart clamping jaws 4310, which are electrically or pneumatically driven to achieve the movement of approaching and moving away from each other, that is, the movement of clamping and releasing; when opening the locking cover 510 of the sand box 50, the two clamping jaws 4310 move towards each other to press the lock of the locking cover 510, so that the locking cover 510 is unlocked from the sand box 50, and the clamping jaws 4310 then move away while maintaining the clamping state, so as to drive the locking cover 510 away from the sand box 50. It should also be noted that, after the robot arm 410 drives the cover opening mechanism 430 to remove the lock cover 510, it moves away from the sand box 50 and transfers the lock cover 510 to the temporary storage support, thereby releasing the robot arm 410, so that the robot arm 410 can perform the subsequent driving action on the positioning mechanism 440; it should also be noted that after completing the sand loading action of the sand box 50, the robot arm 410 drives the cover opening mechanism 430 again to remove the lock cover 510 from the temporary storage support, so as to buckle it and install it on the sand box 50 again, and drive the clamp 4310 away, thereby unlocking the lock of the lock cover 510, thereby fixing the lock cover 510 on the sand box 50 and completing the loading action of the sand box 50.

[0049] In addition, in the automatic sand loading vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present invention, the positioning sensor 420 is an industrial camera or a laser sensor, which can realize the positioning of the lock cover 510 of the sand box 50 to adjust the robot arm 410 with feedback to the control unit.

[0050] At the same time, for the loading process in the sand box 50, it can calculate the time required for loading through the volume of the sand box 50 and the sand flow in the conveying pipe 230, and adjust the opening and closing of the feeding mechanism 220 through the control unit. Considering that the sand is stacked in the sand box 50, it will cause the sand box 50 to overflow at the opening when the sand box 50 is not full. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the robot unit 40 also includes a loading visual sensor, and the detection range of the loading visual sensor at least covers the opening of the sand box 50. It is also connected to the control unit in communication to feedback the material level information of the opening position of the sand box 50, and the loading visual sensor will feedback the control unit to stop the operation of the feeding mechanism 220 when the material level meets the loading requirements, so as to avoid sand overflow and waste.

[0051] Furthermore, in order to make the sand material in the feeding unit 20 convey more thoroughly, in some embodiments of the present invention, the storage frame 210 is configured as a hopper structure, and at least the bottom wall of the storage frame 210 is configured as an inclined wall structure, so that the sand material in the storage frame 210 can move to the lower side of the bottom wall under the action of gravity. On this basis, the feeding mechanism 220 is arranged at the low point of the bottom of the storage frame 210, so that the sand material in the storage frame 210 can be fed from the lowest point, so as to realize the complete delivery of the sand material in the storage frame 210.

[0052] On this basis, taking into account the different operating conditions, a glass window can be provided on the vertical surface of the material storage frame 210 to facilitate the operator to observe the remaining sand in the sand box 50 and judge the material adding demand in the material storage frame 210; and for cold areas or severe weather conditions, the sand may be damp and frozen, affecting the sand loading operation. The material storage frame 210 can also take insulation and moisture-proof measures, such as wrapping with insulation materials, or setting a heating device inside the material storage frame 210 to ensure the normal use of the sand in a low temperature environment.

[0053] It should be noted that the feeding mechanism 220 can transport sand from the storage frame 210 to the outside by pneumatic conveying and mechanical conveying. Pneumatic conveying is to use a pneumatic conveyor, such as an air compressor, to use compressed air to transport sand from the storage frame 210 to the sand box 50. It has the advantages of fast conveying speed and long conveying distance, but the equipment cost is high. Mechanical conveying can use equipment such as a screw conveyor or a conveyor belt, which can realize the conveying of sand through a relatively simple structure, with low maintenance cost, but slow conveying speed. The automatic sand loading car can be configured with different feeding mechanisms 220 according to different usage scenarios.

[0054] Considering that the sand material in the material storage frame 210 may be difficult to fall to the lowest point in the material storage frame 210 due to friction, in some embodiments of the present invention, a material shaking mechanism is provided at the bottom of the material storage frame 210, and the material shaking mechanism can drive the bottom of the material storage frame 210 to vibrate through a vibration motor. When the remaining amount of sand material in the material storage frame 210 is small, the control unit can start the material shaking mechanism to make the bottom of the material storage frame 210 shake and shake the sand material to the lowest point of the material storage frame 210 to meet the loading requirements of the feeding mechanism 220.

[0055] Furthermore, since there is a certain risk of dust and leakage during the transportation and loading of sand, which will cause certain pollution to the surrounding environment, in some embodiments of the present invention, the top opening of the material storage frame 210 is also provided with an openable and closable dust cover. When the material storage frame 210 receives sand at the sand source, the dust cover is opened to allow the sand to smoothly enter the interior of the material storage frame 210; during the operation of the walking unit 10 and the loading process of the feeding unit 20 to the sand box 50, the dust cover remains closed to seal the top opening of the material storage frame 210 and reduce the risk of dust from the sand.

[0056] It should be noted that in order to ensure the safety of the automatic sand loading car during operation, the automatic sand loading car is also provided with an anti-collision sensor, which is used to detect obstacles around the car to prevent the automatic sand loading car from colliding with a locomotive or other objects. When the anti-collision sensor detects that the distance between the automatic sand loading car and the surrounding objects is less than the safety distance set by the operator, the feedback control unit stops the walking unit 10 in an emergency to avoid collision damage to the surrounding personnel, objects and the automatic sand loading car itself.

[0057] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for feeding sand material, wherein the method uses the automatic feeding vehicle provided in any of the above embodiments to feed sand material to the sand box 50 of the locomotive. Specifically, the method at least includes the following steps:

[0058] S01: Material cart movement: The control unit drives the walking unit 10 to drive the feeding unit 20 carrying the sand material to move to a preset working position of the sand box 50 close to the locomotive through the feedback information of the guiding unit 30 .

[0059] S02: Opening the sand box: The control unit adjusts the robot unit 40 to be close to the opening of the sand box 50 and opens the sand box 50. The opened lock cover 510 is transferred by the robot unit 40 to a temporary storage position.

[0060] S03: Loading sand: The control unit adjusts the robot unit 40 to drive the outlet of the conveying pipe 230 to move to the opening of the sand box 50, and adjusts the feeding mechanism 220 to start, so that the sand in the storage frame 210 is loaded into the sand box 50 through the conveying pipe 230.

[0061] S04: Closing the sand box cover: After the loading is completed, the control unit closes the feeding mechanism 220, and the robot unit 40 drives the conveying pipe 230 to leave the sand box 50, and after taking the locking cover 510 at the temporary storage position, moves to the opening position of the sand box 50 to close the cover, and the robot unit 40 is reset.

[0062] It should be noted that both step S01 and step S02 can be manually performed by an operator through human intervention.

[0063] On the basis of the above-mentioned sand loading method, in step S03, the control unit can also receive the material level information detected by the robot unit 40 to determine the loading time, and when the structure of the robot unit 40 is limited and it is not easy to directly detect the material level, the automatic sand loading vehicle can also be provided with an independent visual sensor to detect the material level, and feedback to the control unit to adjust the feeding mechanism 220 to stop running when the material level in the sand box 50 meets the usage requirements.

[0064] In addition, in order to improve the accuracy of sand feeding, in some embodiments of the present invention, a flow sensor is provided in the delivery pipe 230 to detect the sand feeding speed in the delivery pipe 230. At the same time, the flow sensor is communicated with the control unit. In step S03, when the flow sensor detects that the flow in the delivery pipe 230 is abnormal, that is, a sudden increase or a sudden decrease, it means that the delivery pipe 230 is leaking or blocked. At this time, the flow sensor feeds back the control unit to send out an audible, optical or electronic alarm signal to alert the operator to abnormal sand feeding process and promptly inspect and maintain the automatic sand loading vehicle.

[0065] On the basis of the above embodiment, a pressure sensor can also be provided in the delivery pipe 230 to feedback the pressure value during the process of filling the sand into the sand box 50. When the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor exceeds the preset pressure set by the staff, the pressure sensor will feedback to the control unit to stop loading the material, thereby avoiding damage to the locomotive sand box 50 caused by excessive pressure.

[0066] The terms "first", "second", "left side" and "right side" in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may include steps or units that are not listed.

[0067] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automatic sand loading vehicle, characterized in that: include: A walking unit and a feeding unit, wherein the walking unit is arranged at the bottom of the feeding unit to carry and drive the feeding unit to change position, the feeding unit comprises a storage frame, a feeding mechanism and a conveying pipe, the top of the storage frame is opened to receive the sand material, the feeding mechanism is arranged in the storage frame and outputs the sand material to the outside through the conveying pipe; A guiding unit, comprising a plurality of visual sensors disposed on the periphery of the feeding unit to provide feedback on the position of the feeding unit; A robot unit is arranged on the outer wall of the feeding unit and close to the conveying pipe, and the robot unit is used to open the sand box of the locomotive and drive the outlet of the conveying pipe to move to the opening position of the sand box; The control unit is connected to the walking unit, the feeding unit, the guiding unit and the robot unit to adjust the walking unit to move to the working position and start the feeding mechanism after the outlet of the conveying pipe moves to the opening of the sand box.

2. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot unit includes a robotic arm, a positioning sensor, a cover opening mechanism and a positioning mechanism. The robotic arm can be connected to the cover opening mechanism and the positioning mechanism at its ends respectively, and the positioning mechanism is used to fix a partial area of ​​the conveying pipe; the positioning sensor is used to detect the locking cover position of the sand box, and provide feedback to the control unit to adjust the robotic arm to drive the cover opening mechanism or the positioning mechanism to move to the locking cover position.

3. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mechanical arm includes a reciprocating material mixing operation state. When the conveying pipe follows the positioning mechanism to move to the opening of the sand box and adds sand, the control unit adjusts the mechanical arm to be in the material mixing operation state.

4. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cover opening mechanism includes two spaced apart clamping jaws, which are electrically or pneumatically driven to achieve approaching and moving away movements. The clamping jaws move toward each other to press the lock buckle of the lock cover to remove the lock cover, and the lock cover is transported to a temporary storage support under the drive of the mechanical arm.

5. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning sensor is an industrial camera or a laser sensor, and the robot unit also includes a feeding visual sensor. The detection range of the feeding visual sensor covers the opening of the sand box and feeds back to the control unit to stop the feeding mechanism when the material level meets the feeding requirements.

6. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the material storage frame is an inclined wall surface, the feeding mechanism is arranged at the low point of the bottom of the material storage frame, and the bottom of the material storage frame is provided with a shaking mechanism to drive the bottom of the material storage frame to vibrate.

7. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top opening of the material storage frame is provided with an openable and closable dust cover. During the operation of the walking unit and the feeding unit feeding the sand box, the dust cover closes the top opening of the material storage frame.

8. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism is a pneumatic conveyor, a screw conveyor or a conveyor belt.

9. The automatic sand loading vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking unit includes a wheeled all-terrain chassis, a tracked all-terrain chassis or a multi-legged robot all-terrain chassis.

10. A sanding method, characterized in that: The automatic sand loading vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used to load sand into the locomotive sand box, and the sand loading method comprises at least the following steps: Material cart movement: The control unit drives the walking unit to drive the feeding unit carrying the sand material to move to the preset working position of the sand box close to the locomotive through the feedback information of the guiding unit; Sand box cover opening: The control unit adjusts the robot unit to approach the opening of the sand box and opens the cover of the sand box. The opened locked cover is transported to the temporary storage position by the robot unit; Sand loading: The control unit adjusts the robot unit to drive the outlet of the conveying pipe to move to the opening of the sand box, and adjusts the feeding mechanism to start, so that the sand in the storage frame is loaded into the sand box through the conveying pipe; Closing the sand box cover: After loading is completed, the control unit closes the feeding mechanism, the robot unit drives the conveying pipe to leave the sand box, and after taking the lock cover at the temporary storage position, moves to the opening position of the sand box to close the cover, and the robot unit resets.

11. The sanding method according to claim 10, characterized in that: In the sand loading step, the control unit receives material level information detected by the robot unit, or material level information detected by an independently arranged visual sensor to determine the stopping of the material loading process in the sand box.

12. The sanding method according to claim 10, characterized in that: A flow sensor is provided in the delivery pipe and is in communication connection with the control unit. In the sand loading step, when the flow sensor detects that the flow in the delivery pipe is abnormal, the flow sensor feeds back to the control unit to send out an audible, optical or electronic alarm signal.

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