Four-way shuttle vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a four-way shuttle vehicle. The four-way shuttle vehicle comprises a shell, a first driving unit, a transmission assembly, wheels and a steering assembly. Through cooperative work of the first driving unit, the transmission assembly, the steering assembly and the direction adjusting mechanism, the complex mode that two sets of driving equipment and moving units are combined is abandoned, four-direction movement is achieved through one set of transmission assembly and steering assembly, a bottom wheel lifting mechanism is not needed, the direction adjusting mechanism adopts a worm and gear labor-saving mechanism, and the labor-saving effect is achieved. Compared with a large number of mechanical parts of two sets of driving units, the internal structure is effectively simplified, the dead weight of a vehicle body is reduced, in addition, when the wheels steer, a third transmission shaft drives a small straight gear to rotate, and then a large straight gear rotates; the positioning plates are driven to extend out to make contact with the corners of the inner walls of the side faces of the warehouse rails for position adjustment, the problem that the shuttle vehicle is possibly clamped after steering at the intersection of the rails is effectively solved, and running smoothness and stability are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automatic warehousing, and in particular to a four-way shuttle vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the development process of warehousing, automated high-bay warehouses have become a key change in improving warehousing efficiency and space utilization. As an advanced material handling equipment in automated high-bay warehouses, four-way shuttles are mainly used for the storage and handling of goods inside shelves. There are two common four-way shuttle vehicles: One is to use a mode of two sets of drive devices and mobile units, such as the four-way shuttle vehicle disclosed in the announcement number CN115072233A. This type of four-way shuttle vehicle uses two sets of drive devices and mobile units. One set of drive devices and mobile units is responsible for movement in one direction, and the other set is responsible for movement in another direction. In actual operation, the two sets of drive devices are coordinated and controlled by the control system to achieve the movement of the vehicle in different directions. However, this technical solution includes two sets of motors and two sets of mobile units, resulting in an extremely complex internal structure. Many mechanical parts cooperate with each other, which not only significantly increases the weight of the vehicle body, improves energy consumption, but also increases the probability of failure. In addition, in order to prevent the two sets of mobile units from contacting the ground at the same time and interfering with movement, an additional wheel lifting mechanism needs to be set, which further increases the complexity and cost of the structure; The second is to use the motor built into the wheel to adjust the direction of travel by changing the direction of the wheel. For example, the commutation structure of a four-way shuttle vehicle disclosed in announcement number CN218705937U integrates the motor into the wheel and drives the wheel to turn, thereby changing the direction of travel of the vehicle. This method is simpler in structure than the previous one, and does not require complex transmission components to connect drive devices in different directions. However, this technology has extremely high requirements for the design and manufacture of the motor. The motor needs to be highly integrated in the narrow wheel space, and the stability and reliability of the motor under various working conditions must be guaranteed. This greatly increases the R&D cost, precision manufacturing process and later maintenance difficulty of the motor, which in turn leads to high vehicle costs. In view of the limitations of existing technical solutions, it is urgent to develop a new four-way shuttle technology that can simplify the structure, reduce the weight, and effectively control the cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art, and the present invention proposes a four-way shuttle vehicle.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is a four-way shuttle vehicle, comprising a shell, a first drive unit is fixedly installed inside the shell, transmission components are arranged on both sides of the shell, wheels are arranged at the four corners of the lower part of the shell, a steering component is arranged above the wheels inside the shell, the steering component comprises an adjustment rod rotatably connected to the inside of the shell, a worm gear is installed on the top of the adjustment rod, a bearing is installed below the adjustment rod, connecting rods are installed on the sides of the wheels, the connecting rods are installed on the inner side of the bearings, and a bevel gear is fixedly installed on the end of the connecting rod away from the wheel; The transmission assembly includes a first transmission rod fixedly mounted on the output ends on both sides of the first drive unit, and also includes a first transmission shaft rotatably arranged on both sides of the shell, the first transmission shaft and the first transmission rod are transmission-connected by a first gear set, and both ends of the first transmission shaft are fixedly connected with a first end face gear corresponding to the bevel gear, the transmission assembly also includes a second transmission shaft rotatably arranged inside the shell, the second transmission shaft is vertically arranged with the first transmission shaft, and the second transmission shaft and the first transmission shaft are transmission-connected by a second gear set, and one end of the second transmission shaft away from the first transmission shaft is fixedly connected with the first end face gear corresponding to the bevel gear, and the inside of the shell is also provided with a direction adjustment mechanism for adjusting the wheel angle through the steering assembly, the direction adjustment mechanism includes a second drive unit fixedly mounted inside the shell, and second transmission rods are fixedly mounted on the output ends on both sides of the second drive unit, the direction adjustment mechanism also includes a third transmission shaft rotatably arranged on both sides of the shell, the second transmission rod and the third transmission shaft are transmission-connected by a third gear set, and the ends of the third transmission shaft are fixedly mounted with worms, and the worms are meshingly connected with the worm wheel.

[0005] Furthermore, guide wheels are installed on the four outer sides of the shell, and the guide wheels are used to keep rolling between the shuttle vehicle and the inner wall of the warehouse when the shuttle vehicle moves, so as to avoid wear of the shell.

[0006] Furthermore, the first gear set, the second gear set and the third gear set are transmission components composed of two sets of gears meshing with each other.

[0007] Furthermore, the adjusting rod is welded by a longitudinally distributed upper shaft, a longitudinally distributed lower shaft, and a plate connecting the bottom of the upper shaft and the top of the lower shaft, and the upper shaft of the adjusting rod is rotatably connected to the outer shell, and the upper shaft of the adjusting rod corresponds to the center point of the wheel up and down, that is, when the adjusting rod rotates, the bearing drives the connecting rod to rotate around the upper shaft of the adjusting rod, and then drives the wheel to rotate. After the wheel rotates 90°, it can switch between the meshing state of the bevel gear and the first end face gear and the meshing state of the bevel gear and the second end face gear.

[0008] Furthermore, lifting mechanisms are provided on both sides of the upper interior of the shell.

[0009] Furthermore, positioning components and positioning plates are provided at the four corners inside the shell, and storage grooves corresponding to the positioning plates are provided at the four corners of the shell. The positioning component includes a small spur gear fixedly connected to the third transmission shaft and a large spur gear rotatably connected to the inside of the shell. The large spur gear is meshed with the small spur gear and also includes a connecting plate slidably connected to the inside of the shell. A guide plate is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting plate close to the large spur gear, and a guide shaft is fixedly installed on the side of the large spur gear near the edge. A first guide groove corresponding to the guide shaft is provided on the guide plate. When the third transmission shaft rotates, the small spur gear drives the large spur gear to rotate. The large spur gear rotates one circle, driving the guide plate and the connecting plate to move back and forth horizontally through the guide shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, the storage groove is inclined at 45°, and guide rings are installed on the upper and lower parts of the storage groove. Sliding shafts are fixedly installed on the top and bottom of the positioning plate, and the sliding shafts pass through the guide rings. A second guide groove is provided at one end of the connecting plate close to the positioning plate, and the sliding shaft on the top of the positioning plate extends upward to the inside of the second guide groove. The positioning plate is slidably connected to the inside of the storage groove, and the positioning plate is L-shaped. When the shuttle moves to the intersection of the tracks, the direction adjustment mechanism drives the steering assembly to cause the wheels to rotate 90° to adjust the moving direction. The small spur gear drives the large spur gear to rotate one circle, causing the connecting plate to reciprocate horizontally for one process, driving the positioning plate to extend along the guide of the storage groove and the guide ring and then retract. When extending, it touches the inner wall corner of the side of the warehouse track, adjusts the position of the shuttle, and avoids subsequent movement from getting stuck.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include: through the coordinated work of the first drive unit, the transmission assembly, the steering assembly and the direction adjustment mechanism, the complicated combination mode of two sets of drive equipment and the mobile unit is abandoned, and four-way movement is achieved by using one set of transmission assembly and steering assembly, and there is no need for a bottom wheel lifting mechanism. In addition, the direction adjustment mechanism adopts a worm gear labor-saving mechanism, which effectively simplifies the internal structure and reduces the vehicle's own weight compared with the large number of mechanical components of the two sets of drive units. In addition, when the wheel turns, the third transmission shaft drives the small spur gear to rotate, and then the large spur gear rotates. Through the cooperation of the guide shaft, the guide plate and the connecting plate, the positioning plate is driven to extend and contact the corner of the inner wall of the warehouse track side for position adjustment, which effectively avoids the problem of the shuttle car getting stuck after turning at the intersection of the tracks, ensuring the smoothness and stability of the operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The disclosure of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components. Among them: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a four-way shuttle and track structure proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 The overall structure diagram of a four-way shuttle vehicle proposed according to one embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a four-way shuttle vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a four-way shuttle vehicle proposed according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of wheels and steering components of a four-way shuttle vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of a housing, a direction adjustment mechanism, a positioning assembly and a positioning plate structure of a four-way shuttle vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning assembly and a positioning plate of a four-way shuttle vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 8 An exploded view of a positioning assembly and a positioning plate structure of a four-way shuttle according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0013] In the figure: 1. housing; 11. guide wheel; 12. storage groove; 2. first drive unit; 3. transmission assembly; 31. first transmission rod; 32. first transmission shaft; 33. first gear set; 34. first end face gear; 35. second transmission shaft; 36. second gear set; 37. second end face gear; 4. wheel; 41. connecting rod; 42. bevel gear; 5. steering assembly; 51. adjustment rod; 52. bearing; 53. worm gear; 6. direction adjustment mechanism; 61. second drive unit; 62. second transmission rod; 63. third transmission shaft; 64. third gear set; 65. worm; 7. positioning assembly; 71. small spur gear; 72. large spur gear; 721. guide shaft; 73. guide plate; 731. first guide groove; 74. connecting plate; 741. second guide groove; 75. guide ring; 8. positioning plate; 81. sliding shaft; 9. lifting mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] It is easy to understand that according to the technical solution of the present invention, without changing the essential spirit of the present invention, a person skilled in the art can propose a variety of interchangeable structural modes and implementation modes. Therefore, the following specific implementation modes and drawings are only exemplary descriptions of the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be regarded as the whole of the present invention or as a limitation or restriction to the technical solution of the present invention.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1-Figure 8A four-way shuttle vehicle comprises a housing 1, a first driving unit 2 is fixedly installed inside the housing 1, transmission components 3 are arranged on both sides of the housing 1, wheels 4 are arranged at the four corners of the lower part of the housing 1, a steering component 5 is arranged inside the housing 1 above the wheels 4, the steering component 5 comprises an adjustment rod 51 rotatably connected to the inside of the housing 1, a worm gear 53 is installed on the top of the adjustment rod 51, a bearing 52 is installed below the adjustment rod 51, connecting rods 41 are installed on the sides of the wheels 4, the connecting rods 41 are installed on the inner side of the bearings 52, and a bevel gear 42 is fixedly installed on the end of the connecting rod 41 away from the wheels 4; The transmission assembly 3 includes a first transmission rod 31 fixedly mounted on the output ends of both sides of the first drive unit 2, and also includes a first transmission shaft 32 rotatably arranged on both sides of the housing 1. The first transmission shaft 32 is connected to the first transmission rod 31 through a first gear set 33. Both ends of the first transmission shaft 32 are fixedly connected with a first end face gear 34 corresponding to the bevel gear 42. The transmission assembly 3 also includes a second transmission shaft 35 rotatably arranged inside the housing 1. The second transmission shaft 35 is arranged perpendicular to the first transmission shaft 32, and the second transmission shaft 35 is connected to the first transmission shaft 32 through a second gear set 36. The end of the second transmission shaft 35 away from the first transmission shaft 32 is fixedly connected to the first transmission shaft 32. A first end face gear 34 corresponding to the bevel gear 42 is connected, and a direction adjustment mechanism 6 for adjusting the angle of the wheel 4 through a steering assembly 5 is also provided inside the housing 1. The direction adjustment mechanism 6 includes a second drive unit 61 fixedly installed inside the housing 1, and second transmission rods 62 are fixedly installed on the output ends of both sides of the second drive unit 61. The direction adjustment mechanism 6 also includes a third transmission shaft 63 rotatably arranged on both sides of the housing 1. The second transmission rod 62 and the third transmission shaft 63 are connected by a third gear set 64. Worms 65 are fixedly installed at the ends of the third transmission shaft 63, and the worms 65 are meshed with the worm wheel 53. Lifting mechanisms 9 are provided on both sides of the upper part of the housing 1.

[0016] Guide wheels 11 are installed on the four sides of the exterior of the shell 1. The guide wheels 11 are used to keep rolling between the shuttle car and the inner wall of the warehouse when the shuttle car moves to avoid wear of the shell 1. The first gear set 33, the second gear set 36 and the third gear set 64 are transmission components composed of two groups of gears meshing with each other. The adjusting rod 51 is welded by a longitudinally distributed upper shaft, a longitudinally distributed lower shaft and a plate connecting the bottom of the upper shaft and the top of the lower shaft. The upper shaft of the adjusting rod 51 is rotatably connected to the shell 1, and the upper shaft of the adjusting rod 51 corresponds to the center point of the wheel 4 up and down, that is, when the adjusting rod 51 rotates, the bearing 52 drives the connecting rod 41 to rotate around the upper shaft of the adjusting rod 51, thereby driving the wheel 4 to rotate. After the wheel 4 rotates 90°, it can switch between the meshing state of the bevel gear 42 and the first end face gear 34 and the meshing state of the bevel gear 42 and the second end face gear 37.

[0017] The four corners inside the shell 1 are provided with positioning components 7 and positioning plates 8. The four corners of the shell 1 are provided with storage grooves 12 corresponding to the positioning plates 8. The positioning component 7 includes a small spur gear 71 fixedly connected to the third transmission shaft 63 and a large spur gear 72 rotatably connected to the inside of the shell 1. The large spur gear 72 is meshed and connected with the small spur gear 71, and also includes a connecting plate 74 slidably connected to the inside of the shell 1. The connecting plate 74 is fixedly connected with a guide plate 73 at one end close to the large spur gear 72. A guide shaft 721 is fixedly installed on the side of the large spur gear 72 near the edge. The guide plate 73 is provided with a first guide groove 731 corresponding to the guide shaft 721. When the third transmission shaft 63 rotates, the small spur gear 71 drives the large spur gear 72 to rotate. The large spur gear 72 rotates one circle and drives the guide plate 73 and the connecting plate 74 to reciprocate horizontally through the guide shaft 721.

[0018] The storage groove 12 is set at a 45° inclination, and guide rings 75 are installed on the top and bottom of the storage groove 12. Slide shafts 81 are fixedly installed on the top and bottom of the positioning plate 8, and the slide shaft 81 passes through the guide ring 75. The connecting plate 74 is provided with a second guide groove 741 at one end close to the positioning plate 8, and the slide shaft 81 on the top of the positioning plate 8 extends upward to the inside of the second guide groove 741. The positioning plate 8 is slidably connected to the inside of the storage groove 12, and the positioning plate 8 is L-shaped. When the shuttle moves to the intersection of the tracks, the direction adjustment mechanism 6 drives the steering assembly 5 to cause the wheel 4 to rotate 90° to adjust the moving direction, and the small spur gear 71 drives the large spur gear 72 to rotate one circle, causing the connecting plate 74 to reciprocate horizontally for a process, driving the positioning plate 8 to extend along the guide of the storage groove 12 and the guide ring 75 and then retract. When extending, it contacts the inner wall corner of the side of the warehouse track, adjusts the position of the shuttle, and avoids subsequent movement from getting stuck.

[0019] Specifically, the first drive unit 2 is started, and the output power drives the first transmission rod 31 to rotate. The first transmission rod 31 drives the first transmission shaft 32 to rotate through the first gear set 33. The first end gears 34 at both ends of the first transmission shaft 32 mesh with the bevel gears 42 on the side connecting rods 41 of the wheels 4, and transmit the power to the wheels 4, so that the shuttle vehicle can move in the initial direction; when turning is required, the second drive unit 61 is started, driving the second transmission rod 62 to rotate. The second transmission rod 62 rotates the third transmission shaft 63 through the third gear set 64, and the worm 65 at the end of the third transmission shaft 63 rotates accordingly, meshing with the worm gear 53, driving the adjusting rod 51 to rotate. When the adjusting rod 51 rotates, the connecting rod 41 is driven to rotate around the axis above the adjusting rod 51 through the bearing 52, thereby causing the wheel 4 to rotate 90°. At this time, the bevel gear 42 switches and meshes with the first end gear 34 and the second end gear 37. The driving direction is changed; during the wheel steering process, the third transmission shaft 63 rotates to drive the fixedly connected small spur gear 71 to rotate, and the small spur gear 71 drives the large spur gear 72 to rotate, and the guide shaft 721 on the side of the large spur gear 72 moves in the first guide groove 731 of the guide plate 73, so that the guide plate 73 drives the connecting plate 74 to reciprocate laterally, and the connecting plate 74 cooperates with the top sliding shaft 81 of the positioning plate 8 through the second guide groove 741, driving the positioning plate 8 to extend and then retract along the storage groove 12 and the guide ring 75. When the shuttle moves to the intersection of the track and turns, the positioning plate 8 extends to contact the corner of the inner wall of the warehouse track to adjust the position of the shuttle to avoid subsequent movement jamming; the guide wheels 11 on the four sides of the outside of the shell 1 keep rolling with the inner wall of the warehouse when the shuttle moves, reducing the wear of the shell 1; the lifting mechanism 9 on both sides of the upper part of the shell 1 can play a role in specific circumstances to lift or lower the car body.

[0020] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents in the above description. Those skilled in the art can make various deformations and modifications to the above embodiments without departing from the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and these deformations and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A four-way shuttle vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a housing, wherein a first driving unit is fixedly installed inside the housing, transmission components are arranged on both sides of the housing, wheels are arranged at the four corners of the lower part of the housing, a steering component is arranged inside the housing above the wheels, the steering component comprises an adjusting rod rotatably connected to the housing, a worm gear is arranged on the top of the adjusting rod, a bearing is arranged below the adjusting rod, connecting rods are arranged on the sides of the wheels, the connecting rods are arranged on the inner sides of the bearings, and a bevel gear is fixedly arranged on the end of the connecting rod away from the wheels; The transmission assembly includes a first transmission rod fixedly mounted on the output ends of both sides of the first drive unit, and also includes a first transmission shaft rotatably arranged on both sides of the shell, the first transmission shaft and the first transmission rod are connected by a first gear set, and both ends of the first transmission shaft are fixedly connected with a first end face gear corresponding to the bevel gear, the transmission assembly also includes a second transmission shaft rotatably arranged inside the shell, the second transmission shaft is arranged perpendicular to the first transmission shaft, and the second transmission shaft is connected to the first transmission shaft by a second gear set, and the end of the second transmission shaft away from the first transmission shaft is fixedly connected with the first end face gear corresponding to the bevel gear, and the inside of the shell is also provided with a direction adjustment mechanism for adjusting the wheel angle through the steering assembly, the direction adjustment mechanism includes a second drive unit fixedly mounted inside the shell, and the second drive rod is fixedly mounted on the output ends of both sides of the second drive unit, and the direction adjustment mechanism also includes a third transmission shaft rotatably arranged on both sides of the shell, the second transmission rod and the third transmission shaft are connected by a third gear set, and the ends of the third transmission shaft are fixedly mounted with worms, and the worm is meshed with the worm wheel.

2. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Guide wheels are installed on the four outer sides of the shell, and the guide wheels are used to keep rolling between the shuttle car and the side wall of the warehouse track when the shuttle car moves, so as to avoid wear of the shell.

3. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The first gear set, the second gear set and the third gear set are transmission components composed of two sets of gears meshing with each other.

4. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting rod is welded by a longitudinally distributed upper shaft, a longitudinally distributed lower shaft, and a plate connecting the bottom of the upper shaft and the top of the lower shaft, and the upper shaft of the adjusting rod is rotatably connected to the shell, and the upper shaft of the adjusting rod corresponds to the center point of the wheel up and down.

5. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Lifting mechanisms are arranged on both sides of the upper interior of the shell.

6. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Positioning components and positioning plates are arranged at the four inner corners of the shell, and receiving grooves corresponding to the positioning plates are arranged at the four inner corners of the shell.

7. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly includes a small spur gear fixedly connected to the third transmission shaft and a large spur gear rotatably connected inside the shell. The large spur gear is meshed with the small spur gear and also includes a connecting plate slidably connected inside the shell.

8. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The end of the connecting plate close to the large spur gear is fixedly connected with a guide plate, a guide shaft is fixedly installed on the side of the large spur gear close to the edge, and a first guide groove corresponding to the guide shaft is provided on the guide plate.

9. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The storage groove is inclined at 45°, and guide rings are installed on the upper and lower parts of the storage groove. Sliding shafts are fixedly installed on the top and bottom of the positioning plate, and the sliding shafts pass through the guide rings. A second guide groove is provided at one end of the connecting plate close to the positioning plate, and the sliding shaft on the top of the positioning plate extends upward to the inside of the second guide groove.

10. A four-way shuttle vehicle as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The positioning plate is slidably connected to the interior of the storage groove, and the positioning plate is L-shaped.

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