An automated container loading and unloading robot and a loading and unloading method

Abstract

The present invention provides a container automatic loading and unloading robot and a loading and unloading method, mainly relating to the field of automatic loading and unloading of container goods. A container automatic loading and unloading robot includes a tractor, an extensible conveying mechanism and a robotic arm arranged on a lifting platform. The robotic arm is arranged on one side of the front end of the tractor, and a positioning device is arranged on the other side of the front end of the tractor. The positioning device includes a positioning table hinged to the tractor, a flipping mechanism is arranged between the bottom surface of the positioning table and the tractor, an outer positioning side plate of the positioning table, a positioning bottom plate is arranged on the tractor at the front side of the positioning table, a positioning cylinder is arranged on the tractor on the opposite side of the positioning side plate, and an auxiliary power mechanism and an auxiliary steering mechanism are arranged on the positioning table. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the present invention can improve the efficiency of loading and unloading container goods through automatic loading and unloading operations and ensure the stability of cargo stacking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the field of automatic loading and unloading of container goods, and specifically relates to an automatic loading and unloading robot for containers and a loading and unloading method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Containers are a core component of modern logistics and global trade, and play an important role in promoting the smooth flow of global trade and supply chains. After decades of development, the loading and unloading method of goods in containers has gradually changed from manual to semi-automatic and automatic, aiming to improve the efficiency of container goods loading and unloading. However, due to the narrow internal space of containers, extremely high requirements are imposed on the motion trajectory planning and operation accuracy of loading and unloading equipment, and interference between equipment, goods, and containers is likely to occur, making it difficult to efficiently complete the coordinated operation between equipment for loading and unloading goods.

[0003] Moreover, the stacking of goods in containers is not a simple superposition. The sizes of the goods boxes cannot fully match the size of the container. Once the gaps between the goods are too large, the goods will collapse during transportation, causing damage to the goods. At the same time, this method will also result in insufficient stacking of goods in the container, unable to fully utilize the internal space of the container, and increasing the transportation cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an automatic loading and unloading robot for containers and a loading and unloading method thereof, which can improve the efficiency of container goods loading and unloading through automatic loading and unloading operations and ensure the stability of goods stacking.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention is realized through the following technical solutions:

[0006] An automatic loading and unloading robot for containers includes a tractor, an extensible conveying mechanism, and a robotic arm arranged on a lifting platform. The tractor is an AGV vehicle, which is remotely controlled to run in a straight line, can drive the entire loading and unloading system to stably enter and exit the container, and at the same time ensure the consistency of the traveling spacing, thereby improving the grasping accuracy of the robotic arm for goods. The extensible conveying mechanism is located behind the tractor. As the tractor advances, the extensible conveying mechanism expands and contracts in length to compensate for the change in the conveying space. The extensible conveying mechanism makes up for the distance change between the goods terminal and the container. Through this structure, stable loading and conveying of goods can be maintained during goods loading and unloading.

[0007] The robotic arm is arranged on one side of the front end of the tractor. A positioning device is arranged on the other side of the front end of the tractor, and the positioning device corresponds to the extensible conveying mechanism. The robotic arm is the action unit for loading and unloading goods, and the positioning device is the pre-disposal unit for grasping goods. Through the setting of the positioning device, the robotic arm can complete the positioning and grasping of goods stacking and the positioning and placing of goods unstacking without the participation of the visual recognition system in decision-making, reducing the pressure on the robotic arm and improving the loading and unloading efficiency. At the same time, the positioning device can realize the adjustment of the posture of the goods and the adjustment of the grasping surface, so that when the robotic arm grasps the goods for stacking, it can comprehensively utilize the three dimensions of the length, width and height of the goods to fill the space in the container, thus making full use of the space and improving the stacking stability.

[0008] The positioning device includes a positioning table hinged to the tractor. A turning mechanism is arranged between the bottom surface of the positioning table and the tractor. A positioning side plate is arranged on the outer side of the positioning table. A positioning bottom plate is arranged on the tractor at the front side of the positioning table. A positioning cylinder is arranged on the tractor on the opposite side of the positioning side plate. An auxiliary power mechanism and an auxiliary steering mechanism are arranged on the positioning table. The auxiliary power mechanism is used to relay and convey the goods against the positioning bottom plate. The auxiliary steering mechanism is used to rotate the goods to complete the change of the posture of the goods. A pressing plate is slidably arranged on the positioning side plate, and a pressing cylinder is arranged between the outer side of the positioning side plate and the pressing plate.

[0009] Through the design of the above structure, the goods can be in the postures with the top surface, the right side surface and the front side surface facing up respectively, which is beneficial to the stable adjustment of the posture of the goods, so as to realize the stable grasping of the robotic arm for the goods in different postures, and enable the goods to make full use of the three dimensions of the length, width and height of the goods to fill the space in the container when stacking.

[0010] Preferably, the extensible conveying mechanism includes a scissor extensible frame with wheel sets. Driving rollers are arranged in an array at the top of the scissor extensible frame, and each driving roller has power.

[0011] The scissor extensible structure runs stably, can fully extend to realize the compensation of the length space, and realizes the automatic conveying of goods between the terminal and the container.

[0012] Preferably, the auxiliary power mechanism includes a power lifting frame. Three pairs of power roller wheels are rotatably arranged at the top of the power lifting frame. An opening corresponding to the power roller wheels is arranged on the positioning table. A power lifting driving mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the power lifting frame.

[0013] Preferably, the auxiliary steering mechanism includes a steering lifting frame, and a steering lifting drive mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the steering lifting frame. The steering lifting frame is located above the power lifting frame. A pair of steering rollers are rotatably arranged at the top of the steering lifting frame. The axis of the steering rollers is perpendicular to the axis of the power rollers. The steering rollers and the two power rollers in the middle position are arranged in a circumferential uniform array. When the power lifting frame is in the rising state and the steering lifting frame is in the descending state, there is still a gap between the power lifting frame and the steering lifting frame without interference with each other.

[0014] Through the above lifting structure, the rollers can be exposed only when goods positioning and goods steering are required, thus not affecting the positioning of the height during goods grasping. This structure is in the descending state when the positioning table flips, and the rollers will not penetrate the positioning table, thus also avoiding interference with the swinging action of the positioning table and ensuring the stable operation of the equipment.

[0015] Preferably, the two steering rollers and the two power rollers in the middle position all have independent power, and the two steering rollers and the two power rollers rotate clockwise or counterclockwise simultaneously.

[0016] Preferably, the auxiliary steering mechanism includes a steering wheel rotatably arranged on the bottom surface of the positioning table. The height of the steering wheel is higher than that of the positioning table. A steering drive motor for driving the steering wheel is installed on the bottom surface of the positioning table. The power rollers on the power lifting frame are located on both sides of the steering wheel. When the power rollers rise and are exposed above the positioning table, the height of the power rollers is higher than that of the steering wheel.

[0017] Through the setting of the steering wheel, the steering structure and the auxiliary power mechanism can be separated, making the operation of the auxiliary steering mechanism and the auxiliary power mechanism relatively independent and streamlining the structure. However, the steering wheel cannot be retracted, which easily causes misalignment of the goods during grasping. The structure of the auxiliary steering mechanism can be selected according to actual needs.

[0018] A method for automatic loading and unloading of containers uses the above-mentioned automatic loading and unloading robot for containers to complete the loading and unloading of goods in the container. The specific steps are as follows:

[0019] When stacking goods, the following steps are executed:

[0020] S11: First, determine the size of the container according to the type of the container, and then determine the stacking target according to the specifications of the goods, and construct a stacking model. The stacking model is manually modeled. According to the size of the goods, a way of splicing the length, width, and height dimensions can be provided so that the stacked boxes can be fully filled in the container. The way of interspersed combination can not only ensure the utilization of the container space but also increase the friction between the goods, thus improving the stability of goods stacking.

[0021] S12: Before loading, dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform and make the lifting platform flush with the bottom surface of the container. Then, start the tractor to pull the extensible conveying mechanism to run into the container. The tractor stops after reaching a set distance from the front side of the container. After stacking one side of the goods each time, the tractor retreats the corresponding distance to ensure this positioning distance.

[0022] S13: Detect the environment inside the container through the vision recognition system of the robotic arm. By combining the results of the vision recognition system of the robotic arm with the preset stacking model, obtain candidate boxes each containing at least one piece of goods according to the set stacking sequence, and judge the placement pose of the goods inside the candidate boxes according to the stacking model. The stacking sequence is from bottom to top and from left to right. The placement pose of the stacked goods is determined by the preset stacking model. The vision recognition system is used to identify and position the placement location and output the stacking candidate boxes of the goods.

[0023] S14: Receive the goods conveyed by the extensible conveying mechanism through the positioning device, and adjust its grasping position and grasping side according to the placement pose of the next piece of goods. The robotic arm performs fixed-point grasping according to different grasping sides, and stacks the grasped goods at the pre-selected candidate box with the assistance of the image recognition system of the robotic arm. The grasping position of the goods is preset according to the grasping side and the size of the goods. The grasping points of the robotic arm for the goods are relatively fixed. This positioning and grasping method saves the time for the robotic arm to recognize the goods and can relatively improve the stacking efficiency of the goods.

[0024] S15: As the stacking of the goods on one side inside the container is completed, after the tractor retreats the corresponding distance, repeat steps S13 and S14 to complete the stacking of the next side of the goods. After the loading of the entire vehicle is completely finished, the tractor exits the container, and the vehicle carries the container for transfer.

[0025] When unstacking the goods, perform the following steps:

[0026] S21: First, dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform and make the lifting platform flush with the bottom surface of the container. Then, start the tractor to pull the extensible conveying mechanism towards the container until the tractor reaches a set distance from the outermost side of the goods inside the container. This set distance is the activity space of the robotic arm. After that, whenever the outermost side of the goods is unstacked, the tractor advances the corresponding distance to ensure this set distance.

[0027] S22: Collect the image information of the outermost side of the goods in the container through the vision recognition system on the robotic arm and perform preprocessing. Obtain the top layer area of the stacked goods according to the preprocessed image information and set the unstacking order. Subsequently, obtain candidate boxes each containing at least one good according to the set unstacking order, and use image processing methods and deep learning methods respectively to determine the placement pose of the goods to be grasped. The unstacking order is from top to bottom and from left to right. When the robotic arm unstacks the goods, it can grasp multiple goods at a time according to the size of the goods.

[0028] S23: The robotic arm grasps the goods within the candidate box and places them on the positioning device, and the positioning device assists in transferring them to the extensible conveyor mechanism for downstream conveyance.

[0029] S24: As the unstacking of the entire side of the goods in the container is completed, after the tractor advances a corresponding distance, repeat steps S22 and S23 to complete the unstacking of the next side of the goods.

[0030] Preferably, when performing the unstacking operation on the goods in step S23, if any goods fall, it is necessary to reconstruct the image information in the container through the vision recognition system of the robotic arm and reset the unstacking order.

[0031] Preferably, when the fallen goods are at the same height as the inner goods, the goods that have fallen to the outside have a higher unloading priority.

[0032] This determination method can avoid interference of the outside goods with the grasping of the inner goods, and thus can ensure the stable unstacking of the goods. More specifically, when the goods are transferred to a lower level, the grasping surface of the robotic arm can be switched from the front side to the top surface, thereby reducing the total travel of the robotic arm and improving the unstacking efficiency.

[0033] Preferably, in S14, based on the conveying state of the goods, the goods respectively have three grasping surfaces: the top surface, the right side surface, and the front side surface;

[0034] When it is necessary to grasp the top surface, the positioning in the length direction of the goods is completed through the cooperation of the conveying of the auxiliary power mechanism and the positioning bottom plate, and then the positioning in the width direction of the goods is completed through the extension of the positioning cylinder and the cooperation of the positioning side plate, and then the positioning and grasping of the top surface can be realized by the robotic arm;

[0035] When it is necessary to grasp the right side surface, first complete the positioning in the length direction and width direction of the goods, and then the positioning table is flipped 90 degrees outward. At the same time, the positioning in the height direction of the goods is completed through the pressing action of the pressing plate. At this time, the right side surface is in the upward position after flipping, and at this time, the positioning and grasping of the right side surface can be realized by the robotic arm;

[0036] When it is necessary to grasp the front side, first use the auxiliary steering mechanism to complete a 90-degree rotation of the goods. Subsequently, through the cooperation of the conveying of the auxiliary power mechanism and the positioning bottom plate, the positioning in the width direction of the goods is completed. Through the extension of the positioning cylinder and the cooperation of the positioning side plate, the positioning in the length direction of the goods is completed. Subsequently, the positioning table flips outward by 90 degrees. At the same time, through the pressing action of the pressing plate, the positioning in the height direction of the goods is completed. At this time, the front side is in an upward position after flipping. At this time, the positioning and grasping of the front side can be achieved through the robotic arm.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0038] 1. The present invention adjusts and positions the stacking posture of the goods, makes full use of the length, width and height dimensions of the goods to fill the space in the container, makes the stacking of the goods in the container more compact, saves space and ensures the stability of the goods at the same time.

[0039] 2. By adding a positioning device for the goods, the present invention can, according to the preset stacking sequence of the goods, pre-adjust the posture of the goods during palletizing, avoiding the step of using the robotic arm for separate adjustment, reducing the steps of posture adjustment and visual recognition when the robotic arm grabs the goods, improving the efficiency of the robotic arm when grabbing the goods, and thus improving the loading efficiency. At the same time, when the goods are depalletized, the positioning device can assist in correcting the posture of the goods, enabling the goods to be located at the center position of the extensible conveying mechanism for conveying, reducing the probability of the goods falling during the conveying process.

[0040] 3. The present invention completes the automatic loading and unloading of the container in the vehicle, makes full use of AGV, robot and image recognition technologies, realizes the loading and unloading of goods in a narrow space, and provides a method for filling the loading space of the container by using the size of the goods itself. Without changing the size of the packing box and without using fillers, the goods can fully fill the space in the container, improving the utilization rate of the container, making the stacking of the goods more stable, and reducing the probability of collapse during transportation due to too large gaps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from a top-down perspective in the working state;

[0042] FIG Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from a front perspective in the working state;

[0043] FIG Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from a top-down perspective in the standby state;

[0044] FIG Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the tractor of the present invention from the first perspective;

[0045] FIGFigure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the second perspective of the tractor in the flipped state of the positioning table of the present invention;

[0046] Appendix Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure in the auxiliary steering state in the positioning device of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0047] Appendix Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure in the auxiliary power state in the positioning device of Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0048] Appendix Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure in the cooperating state of the power lifting frame and the steering lifting frame of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0049] Appendix Figure 9 It is of the present invention Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the partial enlarged structure of part A.

[0050] Reference numerals shown in the drawings: 1, tractor; 2, extensible conveying mechanism; 3, robotic arm; 4, positioning device; 5, auxiliary power mechanism; 6, auxiliary steering mechanism; 7, lifting platform; 21, scissor extension frame; 22, drive roller; 31, suction cup group; 41, positioning table; 42, flipping mechanism; 43, positioning side plate; 44, positioning bottom plate; 45, positioning cylinder; 46, pushing plate; 47, pressing plate; 48, downward pressing cylinder; 51, power lifting frame; 52, power lifting drive mechanism; 53, power roller; 61, steering lifting frame; 62, steering lifting drive mechanism; 63, steering roller; 64, steering wheel; 65, steering drive motor. Specific embodiments

[0051] In combination with the drawings and specific embodiments, the present invention will be further described. It should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and not to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by this application. Embodiment 1

[0052] An automated container loading and unloading robot consists of a tractor 1, an extensible conveying mechanism 2, a robotic arm 3, and a positioning device 4. The tractor 1 serves as the traction power, carrying the robotic arm 3 into the container for loading and unloading of goods. The extensible conveying mechanism 2 is connected behind the tractor 1 and compensates for the conveying direction as the tractor 1 moves, acting as the transportation component for goods. The robotic arm 3 is the action unit for loading and unloading goods, and palletizing and truck unloading operations of goods are completed through the robotic arm 3. The positioning device 4 is installed on one side of the tractor 1 to complete the positioning of goods during loading, facilitating the fixed-point grasping of the robotic arm 3, enabling the goods to be stably and precisely grasped, thus ensuring the palletizing accuracy. During unloading, through the positioning action, the goods can be stably located at the center position of the conveyor belt, facilitating the conveying of goods and avoiding jamming and dropping of goods during the unloading process.

[0053] Tractor:

[0054] The tractor 1 adopts an AGV vehicle, which is controlled by a remote terminal, enabling the AGV vehicle to move sequentially forward and backward in the container according to the palletizing or unloading of goods. The tractor 1 uses a dual positioning method of visual positioning and lidar positioning to detect the environment inside the container in real time, ensuring the positioning and driving of the AGV vehicle inside the container. When the tractor 1 is loading and unloading goods in the container, it ensures that the tractor 1 always maintains a set distance from the goods in the front, thus providing a stable space for the movement of the robotic arm 3.

[0055] The tractor 1 serves as the direct action unit for the diversion of goods during loading and unloading. By moving the tractor 1, it pulls the extensible conveying mechanism 2, thereby realizing the connection between the goods inside the container and the external goods and completing the transfer operation of the goods.

[0056] The front side of the tractor 1 also serves as an installation unit. The robotic arm 3 and the positioning device 4 are arranged left and right. The positioning device 4 corresponds to the extensible conveying mechanism 2, and the robotic arm 3 grasps the goods through its own degrees of freedom.

[0057] Extensible conveying mechanism:

[0058] The telescopic conveying mechanism 2 adopts a roller conveyor. The driving roller 22 is installed on the scissor telescopic frame 21, which can be extended and contracted under the action of an external force, so as to achieve compensation in the length direction. The bottom of the scissor telescopic frame 21 is equipped with a wheel set, which serves as the support for the contraction action of the telescopic conveying mechanism 2. In this system, the external force that controls the extension and contraction of the scissor telescopic frame 21 comes from the tractor 1. Through the traction power of the tractor 1, the scissor telescopic frame 21 is driven to perform an extension action, and through the free extension of the scissor telescopic frame 21, compensation in the length direction is achieved, so that the distance between the driving rollers 22 installed thereon is adjusted to meet the conveying requirements of the goods. Specifically, each driving roller 22 has power and can stably convey the goods transported thereon.

[0059] Manipulator 3:

[0060] The manipulator 3 adopts a manipulator with at least five degrees of freedom and uses at least five rotating joints to realize the grasping and palletizing of goods. At the same time, the multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator 3 can be deployed more smoothly inside the container, can more effectively avoid the inner wall of the container, and complete the loading and unloading of goods in a limited space.

[0061] The grasping action component of the manipulator 3 adopts a suction cup group 31, with dozens of suction cups arranged in an array in the flat plate to complete the negative pressure grasping of the goods. The suction cups of the suction cup group 31 do not need to work simultaneously. When grasping the goods, some suction cups can adsorb the goods to complete the loading, unloading and palletizing, avoiding interference between the suction cup group 31 and the inner wall of the container. A vision recognition system is installed on the manipulator 3 to recognize the environment inside the container and the position of the goods through the vision recognition system. Based on the object detection algorithm of the image processing method, obstacles are recognized and the contour and boundary of the obstacles are output, and the distance between the obstacles and the manipulator 3 is calculated by using the deep learning method or point cloud data. According to the detected obstacle (such as goods and the inner wall of the container) information, the vision recognition system combines the path planning algorithm to plan the running action for the manipulator 3, and stably performs the palletizing or grasping action on the goods on the premise of ensuring not touching the boundary of the container.

[0062] Positioning device:

[0063] The positioning device 4 is located on the front side of the telescopic conveying mechanism 2 on the tractor 1. The positioning device 4 is used to position the conveyed goods (mainly packaging boxes), so that the manipulator 3 can accurately grasp the goods. Secondly, the positioning device 4 can adjust the posture of the packaging box to adjust the grasping side of the packaging box. In the loading and palletizing process of the container, the adjustment of the length, width and height of the packaging box can be fully utilized to fill the container as much as possible, so as to ensure the stable loading of the container and improve the loading capacity. At the same time, when the positioning device 4 unloads the goods, it positions the unloaded goods so that the goods can be stably conveyed on the telescopic conveying mechanism 2.

[0064] The positioning device 4 has functions of rotating, flipping and positioning the goods. Specifically, the structure of the positioning device 4 is as follows. The positioning device 4 includes a positioning table 41 installed on the top of the tractor 1. One side of the positioning table 41 away from the robotic arm 3 is hinged to the outer side of the top of the towing side. A flipping mechanism 42 is installed on the tractor 1, and the flipping mechanism 42 is used to drive the positioning table 41 to flip by 90 degrees. A positioning side plate 43 is installed on the outer side of the positioning table 41, and the positioning side plate 43 is vertically fixed to the positioning table 41. A positioning cylinder 45 is installed inside the positioning table 41. The front end of the piston rod of the positioning cylinder 45 is installed with a pushing plate 46. The pushing plate 46 corresponds to the positioning side plate 43. When positioning the goods, the goods are pushed against the positioning side plate 43 by the extension action of the positioning cylinder 45 to achieve positioning in the width direction. For the convenience of driving the positioning cylinder 45, in this embodiment, the positioning cylinder 45 adopts a double-rod cylinder. And to avoid interference with the operation of the robotic arm 3, in this embodiment, the positioning cylinder 45 is installed at the upstream position of the positioning table 41 and does not have a fixed contact with the positioning table 41. More specifically, the positioning cylinder 45 is installed on the mounting bracket fixedly connected to the tractor 1, and the positioning cylinder 45 is not on the actual running track of the robotic arm 3. A positioning bottom plate 44 is installed on the front side of the positioning table 41. The positioning bottom plate 44 is perpendicular to the positioning table 41 but not connected. The positioning bottom plate 44 is installed on the tractor 1. The goods are transported by the power of the extensible conveying mechanism 2 and are positioned under the limitation of the positioning bottom plate 44 to achieve positioning in the length direction of the goods. The flipping action of the positioning table 41 can realize the grasping of the side of the goods. In this embodiment, the flipping mechanism 42 can adopt a cylinder drive to drive the positioning table 41 to flip, or a motor rotation to drive the positioning table 41 to rotate around the hinge axis to achieve the flipping purpose. In this embodiment, the structure driven by a cylinder is adopted. This kind of structure can adapt to goods with a larger weight and has stronger adaptability than the rotation of the motor. By flipping the goods by 90 degrees, the goods can be changed from the top surface facing up to the right side surface facing up, so as to change the stacking direction of the goods, and thus utilize the dimensional change of the goods itself to realize the change of the stacking position and direction, adapt to the stacking method of the goods, make full use of the space inside the container, and achieve the effect of "filling the gaps". At the same time, this kind of stacking method makes the goods stacked in a staggered layer, so that the friction between the goods is greater and the stacking of the goods is more stable.

[0065] Specifically, a pressure plate 47 is installed on the top of the positioning side plate 43, and the pressure plate 47 can be displaced in the vertical direction relative to the positioning side plate 43. A downward pressure cylinder 48 is installed on the outer side of the positioning side plate 43, and the pressure plate 47 can be driven to be stably raised and lowered by the driving of the downward pressure cylinder 48. The downward pressure cylinder 48 uses a side-sliding rodless cylinder to avoid the collision with the inner wall of the container caused by the increased extension action of the ordinary cylinder. When the positioning platform 41 is flipped 90 degrees, the pressure plate 47 changes from a horizontal state to a vertical state. Through the contraction action of the downward pressure cylinder 48, the pressure plate 47 can drive the cargo to collide with the positioning platform 41 which is in a vertical state at this time, thereby realizing the positioning of the cargo in this state, which is convenient for the robot arm 3 to accurately grasp the cargo. Specifically, a vertically arranged slide groove is provided on the inner side wall of the positioning side plate 43, a sliding pair that slides with the slide groove is provided on the pressure plate 47, the piston rod of the downward pressure cylinder 48 is fixedly connected to the top of the pressure plate 47, and the pressure plate 47 is driven by the downward pressure cylinder 48 to slide stably back and forth under the limit of the slide groove to realize the positioning of the goods.

[0066] Due to the various sizes of goods, the goods are transported by the extending conveying mechanism 2. Under the action of their own inertia, it is impossible to guarantee that they can contact the positioning base plate 44. Therefore, an auxiliary power mechanism 5 is added to the positioning platform 41. The power of the auxiliary power mechanism 5 is connected to the power of the extending conveying mechanism 2, so that the goods can contact the positioning base plate 44 to complete the positioning in the length direction.

[0067] The auxiliary power mechanism 5 can assist the goods to pass smoothly through the unpowered part of the positioning platform 41, so that the goods can be stably positioned in the length direction. In order to adapt to more complex cargo stacking methods, such as filling the gap on the top floor or the edge of the container, it is necessary to grab the front side of the goods to complete the stacking, or when there is a problem with the direction of entry of the goods during the transportation of the goods and the grabbing direction needs to be repositioned, it is necessary to add an auxiliary steering mechanism 6 to the positioning platform 41. The auxiliary steering mechanism 6 can drive the goods to rotate at a certain angle, so that the goods are at the correct grabbing angle to complete the subsequent positioning and grabbing.

[0068] The setting of the auxiliary power mechanism 5 and the auxiliary steering mechanism 6 should not affect the positioning of the goods. In this embodiment, the auxiliary power mechanism 5 and the auxiliary steering mechanism 6 are both of a liftable structure. When the auxiliary power mechanism 5 is needed to drive the goods to position in the length direction, the auxiliary power mechanism 5 is raised to complete the guidance. When positioning in the width direction, the auxiliary power mechanism 5 is lowered to re-place the goods on the positioning platform 41 for positioning in the width direction. The auxiliary steering mechanism 6 is only raised when the steering angle of the goods needs to be adjusted to assist in the rotation of the goods, thereby realizing the positioning of the grabbing angle of the goods.

[0069] Auxiliary power mechanism:

[0070] The auxiliary power mechanism 5 includes a power lifting frame 51. A number of power rollers 53 are rotatably arranged at the top of the power lifting frame 51, and each power roller 53 is a driving wheel. The positioning table 41 has an opening corresponding to the power roller 53. By the stretching action of the power lifting frame 51, the power roller 53 can be driven to extend above the positioning table 41, so as to drive the goods thereon. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are 6 power rollers 53 in two rows and three columns, and the power rollers 53 are driven by a power motor.

[0071] Auxiliary steering mechanism:

[0072] In this embodiment, the auxiliary steering mechanism 6 includes a steering lifting frame 61, and a steering lifting drive mechanism 62 is installed at the bottom of the steering lifting frame 61. A pair of steering rollers 63 are rotatably arranged at the top of the steering lifting frame 61, and each steering roller 63 is driven by a steering motor. The steering rollers 63 and the two power rollers 53 in the middle position are arranged in a circumferential uniform array. The axis of the steering roller 63 is perpendicular to the axis of the power roller 53. By the simultaneous clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the four rollers, the goods can be driven to rotate, so as to realize the angle adjustment of the goods. When the rotation direction of the goods is changed, the power rollers 53 on the front and rear sides do not operate, and only the two middle power rollers 53 rotate.

[0073] Among them, when the goods are assisted to rotate, the position of the goods should be adjusted first by the forward and reverse rotation of the power roller 53 to avoid interference between the goods and the positioning bottom edge, which affects the rotation. At the same time, in order to ensure that the goods can accurately complete the rotation process and determine the rotation angle of the goods during the rotation of the goods, a visual recognition system for the goods needs to be added to the tractor 1. The attitude of the goods is analyzed by the visual recognition system of the goods, the adjustment path of the goods is analyzed, and the actions of the power roller 53 and the steering roller 63 are controlled by the controller to jointly drive the goods to complete the specified angle adjustment. Subsequently, the steering roller 63 descends, and the power roller 53 drives the goods to abut against the positioning bottom plate 44. After the power roller 53 descends, the positioning cylinder 45 extends to make the goods abut against the positioning side edge, and the positioning in the length and width directions of the goods is completed in sequence. Subsequently, the positioning table 41 is turned 90 degrees to place the front side or the right side of the goods facing up and wait for the robot arm 3 to grab. This adjustment method realizes the grasping of the side of the goods, enables the top surface, the left side surface, and the front side surface of the goods to be grabbed and palletized by the robot arm 3, thus creating three palletizing postures, so as to make full use of the length, width, and height of the goods for palletizing caulking, improve the stability of the goods palletizing, and improve the bearing capacity of the container.

[0074] Among them, the steering lifting frame 61 and the power lifting frame 51 are arranged in an up-and-down position relationship, as Figure 8As shown, both the power lifting frame 51 and the steering lifting frame 61 are in the shape of folding plates, and the supporting parts of the power lifting frame 51 and the steering lifting frame 61 are located on both sides respectively. The power lifting frame 51 has an extended bracket as the installation support for the power roller 53, and the steering lifting frame 61 has an extended bracket as the installation support for the steering roller 63. At the position slightly to the left of the bottom of the power lifting frame 51 is the power lifting drive mechanism 52 for controlling its lifting, and the power lifting drive mechanism 52 adopts a slide table assembly driven by a cylinder. At the position slightly to the right of the bottom of the steering lifting frame 61 is the steering lifting drive mechanism 62 for controlling the lifting of the controller, and the steering lifting drive mechanism 62 also adopts a slide table assembly driven by a cylinder. Through independent lifting drive units, the steering lifting frame 61 and the power lifting frame 51 can be controlled to perform separate lifting actions. The distance between the steering lifting frame 61 and the power lifting frame 51 is greater than the lifting stroke of the power lifting frame 51, so as to ensure that when the steering lifting frame 61 descends and the power lifting frame 51 ascends, the two do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the extended bracket of the power lifting frame 51 is longer than that of the steering lifting frame 61, and when both are in the descending state, the heights of the power roller 53 and the steering roller 63 are the same.

[0075] Both the power roller 53 and the steering roller 63 adopt rubber wheels, and the friction between the rubber wheels and the goods is greater, which can play a better role in conveying and steering drive. Among them, a pair of power rollers 53 on the front side and the rear side are coaxially connected and are driven by the same power motor, and the middle pair of power rollers 53 are each driven by a power motor. The two steering rollers 63 are respectively driven by their own steering motors.

[0076] Lifting platform:

[0077] In order to enable this container loading and unloading robot to smoothly dock with the container and complete the loading and unloading operations of the goods in the container, in this embodiment, a lifting platform 7 should also be equipped to balance or adjust the height, so that the tractor 1 can smoothly enter the on-vehicle container to complete the loading and unloading of the goods.

[0078] The lifting platform 7 adopts a hydraulic mechanism to control the lifting action. When docking with the container, the container vehicle enters the reverse state. At the same time, the lifting platform 7 adjusts its own height until it is the same as the ground height of the container. As the vehicle slowly reverses, after the container contacts the lifting platform 7, the vehicle is braked. Then the tractor 1 on the lifting platform 7 starts and enters the container to complete the loading and unloading operation of the goods.

[0079] Transfer robot:

[0080] To achieve the automation of cargo handling and unloading, this system can also be equipped with transfer robots to complete the automated handling operations at the back end. When loading a container onto a vehicle, the forklift moves the pallet carrying the goods to the grasping point, and the transfer robot sequentially places the goods onto the extensible conveying mechanism 2. The extensible conveying mechanism 2 transports the goods into the container. After being positioned by the positioning device 4, the goods are grasped by the robotic arm 3 for palletizing. As the palletizing progresses, the tractor 1 gradually retreats until the loading of the goods in the container is completed.

[0081] When unloading a container from a vehicle, the robotic arm 3 grasps the goods in the container and releases them onto the positioning device 4. After the positioning device 4 performs width-direction positioning, it pushes the goods onto the extensible conveying mechanism 2, and at the end, the goods are grasped by the transfer robot and gradually palletized onto an empty pallet. Finally, the forklift transports the goods on the pallet away.

[0082] This system realizes the automated transfer of goods from the loading and unloading site to the container. It can not only complete the automated packing and palletizing of goods but also perform the unloading operation in reverse, greatly improving the automation level of container loading and unloading, enhancing the loading and unloading efficiency of vehicles, and reducing the input of labor costs. Embodiment 2

[0083] Based on the container automated loading and unloading robot of Embodiment 1, the structure of the auxiliary steering mechanism 6 of the positioning device 4 in this embodiment is different. In this embodiment, the auxiliary steering mechanism 6 adopts a turntable structure. A steering wheel 64 is rotatably arranged on the bottom surface of the positioning table 41. The height of the steering wheel 64 is slightly higher than that of the positioning table 41 itself. A steering drive motor 65 is installed on the bottom surface of the positioning table 41, and the steering drive motor 65 is used to drive the steering wheel 64 to rotate. After the power lifting frame 51 of the auxiliary power mechanism 5 is raised, there is still a certain distance between the top of the power lifting frame 51 and the steering drive motor 65, thus avoiding interference between the two. The power rollers 53 on the power lifting frame 51 are arranged on both sides of the steering wheel 64. When the power rollers 53 are raised and exposed above the positioning table 41, the height of the power rollers 53 is higher than that of the steering wheel 64.

[0084] When the goods are conveyed by the extensible conveying mechanism 2, the power rollers 53 are in the raised state and are used to assist in guiding the goods so that the goods can be in contact with the positioning bottom plate 44. When the goods need to be turned, the power rollers 53 convey the goods to the middle position, and then the power rollers 53 descend, and the goods fall onto the steering wheel 64, and the steering wheel 64 drives the goods to rotate, thereby changing the posture of the goods.

[0085] In this embodiment, the power lifting frame 51 can be in a symmetrical state, and the power lifting drive mechanism 52 of the power lifting frame 51 can be arranged at the central position of the bottom of the power lifting frame 51, so as to ensure its more stable lifting and stable loading of the goods.

[0086] When using this device for loading operations, first, determine the size of the container according to the type of the container. Subsequently, determine the palletizing target according to the specifications of the goods, and construct a palletizing model. Make full use of the internal space of the container by using the different length, width, and height data of the goods themselves, and provide accurate positioning data for subsequent palletizing actions.

[0087] After the loading starts, dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform 7, and make the lifting platform 7 flush with the bottom surface of the container through the lifting function of the lifting platform 7. Subsequently, the tractor 1 starts and pulls the extensible conveying mechanism 2 to run into the container. According to the result of the visual recognition system of the robotic arm 3 and the preset palletizing model, obtain a candidate box containing at least one piece of goods through the set palletizing sequence. Judge the placement pose of the goods in the candidate box according to the palletizing model, and respectively use the judgment results of traditional image processing methods and deep learning methods to assist in determining the placement pose and positioning of the goods to be palletized in the candidate box. Subsequently, the positioning device 4 receives the goods conveyed by the extensible conveying mechanism 2, and adjusts its grasping position and grasping side according to the placement pose of the next piece of goods. The robotic arm 3 performs fixed-point grasping according to the different grasping sides. Finally, calculate the rotation angle of the grasping manipulator, perform path planning and speed planning, and control the manipulator to grasp the goods for palletizing operations.

[0088] After the whole-surface palletizing of the goods is completed, the tractor 1 retreats a corresponding distance and continues the above palletizing operations until the goods are palletized. Then, the tractor 1 completely exits the container, completing the loading operation of the goods in the container.

[0089] When using this device for unloading operations, first dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform 7, and make the lifting platform 7 flush with the bottom surface of the container through the lifting function of the lifting platform 7. Subsequently, the tractor 1 starts and pulls the extensible conveying mechanism 2 towards the container. Stop when the distance between the tractor 1 and the outermost goods in the container reaches the set distance. Subsequently, collect the image information of the outermost side of the goods in the container by the visual recognition system on the robotic arm 3 and perform preprocessing. Obtain the top layer area of the palletized goods according to the preprocessed image information and set the unstacking sequence. Then, obtain a candidate box containing at least one piece of goods according to the set unstacking sequence, and respectively use image processing methods and deep learning methods to judge the placement pose of the goods to be grasped; then, comprehensively determine the placement pose and grasping point position of the box to be grasped in the candidate box according to the judgment results of the two methods; finally, calculate the rotation angle of the grasping manipulator for path planning and speed planning, and control the manipulator to grasp the goods for unstacking operations.

[0090] Specifically, after the outermost layer of goods is unstacked, the tractor 1 moves forward by the thickness of one layer of goods, and then repeats the above operations for the next unloading operation until all the goods in the container are completely unloaded from the vehicle.

[0091] More specifically, when performing the unstacking operation, if any goods fall due to collision or unstable stacking, it is necessary to reconstruct the image information inside the container through the vision recognition system of the robotic arm 3 and reset the unstacking order from top to bottom. Among them, when the heights are the same, the goods that fall to the outside have a higher unloading priority, so as to avoid interference from the outside goods on the unstacking of the inside goods.

[0092] After the manipulator grabs the unstacked goods, it places the goods at a fixed point on the positioning device 4. The positioning device 4 pushes the goods onto the extensible conveying mechanism 2, and the extensible conveying mechanism 2 transports the goods to the end for transfer.

[0093] This method of loading and unloading goods ensures that the robotic arm 3 can move efficiently and accurately inside the narrow container, avoiding collisions with the container walls or other goods, while improving the stacking efficiency.

Claims

1. An automated container loading and unloading robot, comprising a tractor, an extensible conveying mechanism and a robotic arm arranged on a lifting platform, characterized in that: The extensible conveying mechanism is located at the rear side of the tractor. As the tractor moves forward, the extensible conveying mechanism expands and contracts in length to compensate for the change in the conveying space. The robotic arm is arranged on one side of the front end of the tractor, and a positioning device is arranged on the other side of the front end of the tractor. The positioning device corresponds to the extensible conveying mechanism. The positioning device includes a positioning table hinged to the tractor. A flipping mechanism is arranged between the bottom surface of the positioning table and the tractor. The flipping mechanism is used to drive the positioning table to flip by 90 degrees. A positioning side plate is arranged on the outer side of the positioning table, a positioning bottom plate is arranged on the tractor at the front side of the positioning table, a positioning cylinder is arranged on the tractor on the opposite side of the positioning side plate, an auxiliary power mechanism and an auxiliary steering mechanism are arranged on the positioning table. The auxiliary power mechanism is used to convey the goods by relay and abut them against the positioning bottom plate. The auxiliary steering mechanism is used to rotate the goods to complete the change of the posture of the goods. A pressing plate is slidably arranged on the positioning side plate, and a downward pressing cylinder is arranged between the outer side of the positioning side plate and the pressing plate. The internal environment of the container is detected by the vision recognition system of the robotic arm. The goods conveyed by the extensible conveying mechanism are received by the positioning device, and the grasping position and the grasping side are adjusted according to the placement pose of the next piece of goods. The robotic arm performs fixed-point grasping according to different grasping sides.

2. The automated container loading and unloading robot according to claim 1, wherein: The extensible conveying mechanism includes a scissor extensible frame with a wheel set. Driving rollers are arranged in an array on the top of the scissor extensible frame, and each driving roller has power.

3. The automated container loading and unloading robot according to claim 1, wherein: The auxiliary power mechanism includes a power lifting frame. Three pairs of power roller wheels are rotatably arranged on the top of the power lifting frame. An opening corresponding to the power roller wheels is arranged on the positioning table. A power lifting driving mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the power lifting frame.

4. The automated container loading and unloading robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary steering mechanism includes a steering lifting frame. A steering lifting driving mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the steering lifting frame. The steering lifting frame is located above the power lifting frame. A pair of steering roller wheels are rotatably arranged on the top of the steering lifting frame. The axis of the steering roller wheels is perpendicular to the axis of the power roller wheels. The steering roller wheels and the two power roller wheels in the middle position are arranged in a circumferential uniform array. When the power lifting frame is in the rising state and the steering lifting frame is in the descending state, there is still a gap between the power lifting frame and the steering lifting frame and they do not interfere with each other.

5. The automated container loading and unloading robot according to claim 4, wherein: Both of the two steering roller wheels and the two power roller wheels in the middle position have independent power, and the two steering roller wheels and the two power roller wheels rotate clockwise or counterclockwise at the same time.

6. The automated container loading and unloading robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary steering mechanism includes a steering wheel rotatably arranged on the bottom surface of the positioning table. The height of the steering wheel is higher than that of the positioning table. A steering driving motor for driving the steering wheel is installed on the bottom surface of the positioning table. The power roller wheels on the power lifting frame are located on both sides of the steering wheel. When the power roller wheels rise and are exposed above the positioning table, the height of the power roller wheels is higher than that of the steering wheel.

7. An automated container loading and unloading method, characterized in that, Using the container automatic loading and unloading robot according to any one of claims 1-6 to complete the loading and unloading of goods in the container, the specific steps are as follows: When stacking goods, the following steps are executed: S11: First, determine the size of the container according to its type, then determine the stacking target based on the specifications of the goods, and construct a stacking model; S12: Before loading, dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform and make the lifting platform flush with the bottom surface of the container. Then, the tractor starts to pull the extensible conveying mechanism to run into the container; S13: Detect the internal environment of the container through the vision recognition system of the robotic arm. By combining the results of the vision recognition system of the robotic arm with the preset stacking model, obtain a candidate box containing at least one piece of goods according to the set stacking sequence, and judge the placement pose of the goods in the candidate box according to the stacking model; S14: Receive the goods conveyed by the extensible conveying mechanism through the positioning device, adjust the grasping position and the grasping side according to the placement pose of the next piece of goods, and perform fixed-point grasping by the robotic arm according to different grasping sides. With the assistance of the image recognition system of the robotic arm, stack the grasped goods at the pre-selected candidate box; S15: As the full-face stacking of the goods in the container is completed, after the tractor retreats a corresponding distance, repeat steps S13 and S14 to complete the stacking of the next face of the goods; When unstacking the goods, perform the following steps: S21: First, dock the container vehicle with the lifting platform and make the lifting platform flush with the bottom surface of the container. Then, the tractor starts to pull the extensible conveying mechanism to run towards the container until the tractor reaches a set distance from the outermost face of the goods in the container; S22: Collect the image information of the outermost face of the goods in the container through the vision recognition system on the robotic arm and perform preprocessing. Obtain the top layer area of the stacked goods according to the preprocessed image information and set the unstacking sequence. Then, obtain a candidate box containing at least one piece of goods according to the set unstacking sequence, and respectively use the image processing method and the deep learning method to judge the placement pose of the goods to be grasped; S23: The robotic arm grasps the goods in the candidate box and places them on the positioning device, and the positioning device assists in transferring them to the extensible conveying mechanism for downstream conveyance; S24: As the full-face unstacking of the goods in the container is completed, after the tractor advances a corresponding distance, repeat steps S22 and S23 to complete the unstacking of the next face of the goods.

8. A container automatic loading and unloading method according to claim 7, characterized in that: When performing the unstacking operation of the goods in step S23, if any goods fall, it is necessary to reconstruct the image information in the container through the vision recognition system of the robotic arm and reset the unstacking sequence.

9. The automated container loading and unloading method according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the fallen goods are at the same height as the inner goods, the fallen goods on the outside have a higher unloading priority.

10. A container automated loading and unloading method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that: In S14, based on the conveying state of the goods, the goods respectively have three grasping faces: the top face, the right side face, and the front side face; When it is necessary to grasp the top face, complete the positioning in the length direction of the goods through the cooperation of the conveyance of the auxiliary power mechanism and the positioning bottom plate, and then complete the positioning in the width direction of the goods through the extension of the positioning cylinder and the cooperation of the positioning side plate, and then the robotic arm can achieve positioning and grasping of the top face; When it is necessary to grasp the right side, first complete the positioning of the goods in the length and width directions. Subsequently, the positioning table flips outward by 90 degrees. At the same time, the positioning in the height direction of the goods is completed through the pressing action of the pressing plate. At this time, the right side is in the upward position after flipping, and at this time, the positioning and grasping of the right side can be achieved through the robotic arm. When it is necessary to grasp the front side, first use the auxiliary steering mechanism to complete the 90-degree rotation of the goods. Subsequently, complete the positioning of the goods in the width direction through the cooperation of the conveying of the auxiliary power mechanism and the positioning bottom plate, and complete the positioning of the goods in the length direction through the cooperation of the extension of the positioning cylinder and the positioning side plate. Then, the positioning table flips outward by 90 degrees. At the same time, the positioning in the height direction of the goods is completed through the pressing action of the pressing plate. At this time, the front side is in the upward position after flipping, and at this time, the positioning and grasping of the front side can be achieved through the robotic arm.

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