Lifting and forking mechanism and carrying device

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of warehouse logistics, and particularly discloses a lifting and forking mechanism and a carrying device. The lifting and forking mechanism comprises a mounting frame and a fork arm, the fork arm comprises an arm body, a lifting driving mechanism and a supporting piece, the first end of the arm body is slidably mounted on the mounting frame, the lifting driving mechanism is arranged on the arm body, and the supporting piece is connected to the arm body and spaced from the mounting frame in the length direction of the arm body; the lifting driving mechanism can drive the arm body to extend downwards relative to the arm body so as to be supported on the ground, then the arm body is jacked to rise relative to the mounting frame, and the lifting driving mechanism can drive the supporting piece to get close relative to the arm body so that the arm body can descend relative to the mounting frame and the supporting piece can break away from the ground. According to the lifting and forking mechanism and the carrying device, the structural compactness and modular arrangement of the carrying device can be improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent with the title: A Fork Arm, a Lifting Fork Lifting Mechanism and a Handling Device, and the application number: 202011563789.3. The filing date of the parent application is December 25, 2020. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of warehousing logistics, and in particular to a lifting fork lifting mechanism and a handling device. Background Art

[0003] With the high-efficiency and automated development of the warehousing logistics industry, handling devices with self-moving functions are widely used in various links of the warehousing logistics industry to achieve efficient and automated handling of materials.

[0004] A pallet is a carrier for loading materials in warehousing logistics. After the materials are placed on the pallet, the handling device runs to the position where the pallet is located. After docking with the fork holes on the pallet, the pallet is lifted and carried by the fork, so as to realize the handling of the materials carried on the pallet. According to the opening method of the fork holes on the pallet, existing pallets are usually divided into day-shaped pallets, S-shaped pallets, and cross-shaped pallets, etc.

[0005] Existing equipment for handling pallets usually includes electric pallet trucks, automatic forklifts, etc. The fork arms of electric pallet trucks and automatic forklifts are inserted into the fork holes to carry the pallet, and after the fork arms are inserted, the fork arms are lifted and lowered to drive the pallet off the ground. For existing electric pallet trucks and automatic forklifts, etc., the fork arms are usually connected to the vehicle body through a mounting frame, and the lifting drive mechanism for driving the fork arms to lift and lower is connected between the mounting frame and the fork arms, resulting in problems such as an increase in the size of the handling equipment and an increase in the assembly difficulty, which is not conducive to the modular production of the handling equipment and the improvement of the assembly efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a lifting fork lifting mechanism to improve the modular production of handling equipment, simplify the structure and assembly of the handling equipment, and improve the structural compactness of the handling equipment.

[0007] Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a handling device to improve the modular production and assembly of the handling device, simplify the structure of the handling device, and improve the structural compactness of the handling device.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A lifting fork lifting mechanism includes:

[0010] A mounting frame;

[0011] The fork arm includes an arm body, a lifting drive mechanism and a support member. The first end of the arm body is slidably mounted on the mounting frame. The lifting drive mechanism is disposed on the arm body. The support member is connected to the arm body and is spaced from the mounting frame in the length direction of the arm body.

[0012] The lifting drive mechanism can drive the support member to extend downward relative to the arm body to support on the ground, and then push the arm body to rise relative to the mounting frame. The lifting drive mechanism can drive the support member to approach the arm body, so that the arm body descends relative to the mounting frame and the support member disengages from the ground.

[0013] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork mechanism, the lifting drive mechanism includes a second link and a second drive assembly. The first ends of the two second links are both hinged to the support member. The second ends of the two second links are respectively connected to the second drive assembly. The second drive assembly is configured to drive the second ends of the two second links to approach or separate from each other to lift the support member.

[0014] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork mechanism, the second drive assembly includes:

[0015] A lead screw, which includes a second thread section and a third thread section with opposite helix directions;

[0016] Two second nut seats are respectively sleeved on the second thread section and the third thread section. The first ends of the two second links are respectively hinged to the two second nut seats;

[0017] A lifting drive motor is connected to the arm body and is used to drive the lead screw to rotate, so as to drive the two second nut seats to slide towards or away from each other along the lead screw.

[0018] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork mechanism, the lead screw includes a first optical axis section located between the second thread section and the third thread section. A lead screw seat is rotatably sleeved on the first optical axis section, and the lead screw seat is connected to the arm body.

[0019] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork mechanism, one lead screw seat is provided at each end of the first optical axis section, and at least part of the support member can be located between the two lead screw seats.

[0020] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork mechanism, the arm body has a long strip box-shaped structure with an opening downward. The lifting drive mechanism is at least partially located inside the arm body, and the support member can be exposed outside the arm body.

[0021] And / or, the support member includes support rollers, and the axle of the support rollers is arranged along the width direction of the arm body.

[0022] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork-lifting mechanism, the mounting frame has a lifting mounting cavity, and the first end of the arm body is slidably mounted in the lifting mounting cavity and slidably cooperates with the opposite two side cavity walls of the lifting mounting cavity;

[0023] And / or, the mounting frame includes two bracket parts arranged at intervals, and each bracket part is slidably connected with one of the fork arms.

[0024] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork-lifting mechanism, vertical Z guide grooves extending in the vertical direction are formed on the opposite two side cavity walls of the lifting mounting cavity, guiding members are arranged on the opposite two sides of the arm body along the width direction, and the guiding members are slidably or rollably arranged in the corresponding Z guide grooves;

[0025] And / or, the first end of the arm body is narrowed in the width direction to form a mounting head, and the mounting head is slidably mounted in the lifting mounting cavity.

[0026] As an alternative technical solution of the lifting fork-lifting mechanism, the lifting fork-lifting mechanism further includes a horizontal driving unit arranged on the mounting frame, the horizontal driving unit is connected between the two bracket parts and drives the mounting frame to move along the length direction of the fork arms.

[0027] A handling device includes a vehicle body and the above-mentioned lifting fork-lifting mechanism, and the mounting frame is slidably arranged on the vehicle body.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0029] The lifting fork lifting mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention has a first end of the arm body slidably mounted on the mounting frame, and a lifting drive mechanism is mounted on the arm body, so that the fork arm forms a module that can be independently processed and assembled relative to the mounting frame, thereby improving the modularity of the fork arm, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the lifting fork lifting mechanism, reducing the processing cost, and facilitating the maintenance and replacement of the fork arm; at the same time, since a support member is provided at a portion of the arm body away from the mounting frame, and the support member can be supported on the ground, when the lifting fork lifting mechanism lifts goods, the arm body is supported by the mounting frame and the support member, thereby ensuring the reliability of the lifting fork lifting mechanism in taking and placing goods; moreover, the support member can be moved closer to the arm body to be disengaged The lifting mechanism is designed to lift the fork arm and the support member relative to the ground, so that when the fork arm is not raised, the second end of the fork arm can pass over the bottom beam of the fork hole with the pallet and penetrate into the fork hole, so that the lifting fork lifting mechanism can be suitable for lifting various pallets, thereby improving the applicability and flexibility of use of the lifting fork lifting mechanism; furthermore, because the lifting drive mechanism drives the support member to descend relative to the arm body until it is supported on the ground, the arm body is lifted relative to the mounting frame through the relative lifting between the arm body and the support member, which can simultaneously drive the support member to lift and lower relative to the arm body and the arm body to lift and lower relative to the mounting frame, thereby effectively simplifying the structure of the lifting drive mechanism, reducing the space occupied by the lifting drive mechanism, and improving the structural compactness of the fork arm and the lifting fork lifting mechanism.

[0030] The transport device provided in the embodiment of the present invention adopts the above-mentioned lifting fork lifting mechanism to transport materials, which can simplify the structure of the transport device, improve the compactness of the structure of the transport device, and facilitate modular setting of the transport device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a fork arm provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a lifting drive mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the fork arm and the mounting frame when the fork arm provided in the first embodiment of the present invention is in an initial state;

[0034] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the mechanism after removing the arm body from the middle structure;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the fork arm and the mounting frame when the fork arm provided in the first embodiment of the present invention is in a lifted state;

[0036] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the structure after removing the arm body;

[0037] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the handling device provided in the second embodiment of the present invention in the initial state;

[0038] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the handling device provided in the second embodiment of the present invention in the state where the fork arms are extended

[0039] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the tray provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 It is a schematic front structural diagram of the vehicle body provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 It is a schematic rear structural diagram of the vehicle body provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12 It is a schematic structural diagram of the translation drive mechanism provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] The markings in the figure are as follows:

[0044] 10. Handling device; 20. Tray; 201. Fork hole;

[0045] 1. Vehicle body; 11. Housing; 111. Bearing surface; 112. Accommodation groove; 1121. Limit groove wall; 113. X guide groove; 114. First guide roller; 12. Driving wheel; 13. Universal wheel;

[0046] 2. Fork arm; 21. Arm body; 22. Lifting drive mechanism; 221. Lead screw; 2211. First thread section; 2212. Second thread section; 2213. Third thread section; 2214. First optical axis section; 2215. Second optical axis section; 222. First connecting rod; 223. First nut seat; 2231. Sleeve part; 2232. Limit seat part; 2233. Slide seat part; 224. Second nut seat; 225. Second connecting rod; 225. Second connecting rod; 226. Lead screw seat; 227. Lifting drive motor; 228. Reducer; 229. Limit sleeve; 23. Support wheel; 24. Third guide roller; 25. Hinge shaft;

[0047] 3. Translation drive mechanism; 31. Mounting frame; 311. Bracket part; 3111. Side plate; 3112. Connecting part; 3113. Z guide groove; 3114. Hinge hole; 312. Connecting frame part; 3121. Installation groove; 313. Frame top plate; 32. Electric roller; 321. Roller; 322. Installation shaft; 33. Elastic part; 34. Second guide roller. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present invention, rather than limiting the present invention. Additionally, it should be noted that for the sake of description, only parts related to the present invention rather than all structures are shown in the drawings.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "connected to", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0050] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over", and "on" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "below", "under", and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0051] In the description of this embodiment, the orientation or positional relationships such as "above", "below", "right", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplifying the operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0052] Embodiment 1

[0053] As Figure 1 and 2 shown, this embodiment provides a fork arm 2, which can be applied to handling equipment that needs to lift the fork arm 2 to pick up materials, such as being applied to a self - movable handling device, serving as the fork arm of the handling device to carry pallets, or can also be applied to non - movable lifting equipment to achieve the lifting of materials.

[0054] Specifically, the fork arm 2 includes: an arm body 21 that extends in the horizontal direction; an external connecting member that can be supported on an external structure; and a lifting drive mechanism 22 that is disposed on the arm body 21 and connected to the external connecting member. The lifting drive mechanism 22 is configured to be able to drive the external connecting member and the arm body 21 to move up and down relative to each other.

[0055] For the fork arm 2 provided in this embodiment, by disposing the lifting drive mechanism 22 on the arm body 21, after the fork arm 2 is independently processed and assembled, it can be assembled with the external structure on which the fork arm 2 is installed, so as to realize the lifting of the fork arm 2 relative to the external structure, improve the assembly efficiency of the fork arm 2 and the external structure, and is conducive to the modular assembly and replacement of the fork arm 2, and improve the structural compactness of the handling device applying the fork arm 2.

[0056] Combined with Figures 3 - 6 , in this embodiment, taking the realization of the vertical lifting of the fork arm 2 relative to the mounting frame 31 on which the fork arm 2 is installed as an example, the specific structure of the fork arm 2 is described. And in this embodiment, the first end of the fork arm 2 is slidably connected to the mounting frame 31, and the second end of the fork arm 2 is in a free state.

[0057] The external connecting member includes a hinge shaft 25. The hinge shaft 25 is hinged to the mounting frame 31 and extends along the width direction of the arm body 21. By setting the hinge shaft 25 to be hingedly connected to the fork arm 2 and the mounting frame 31, the connection stability between the mounting frame 31 and the fork arm 2 can be improved. Further, a hinge hole 3114 is formed on the mounting frame 31, and the hinge shaft 25 is inserted into the hinge hole 3114.

[0058] The lifting drive mechanism 22 includes a first connecting rod 222 and a first drive assembly. The first end of the first connecting rod 222 is hinged to the hinge shaft 25, and the other end supports the arm body 21. The first drive assembly is configured to be able to drive the first connecting rod 222 to rotate around the hinge shaft 25 to lift the arm body 21. By setting the rotation of the first connecting rod 222 relative to the hinge shaft 25 to drive the arm body 21 to lift, the rotation stability can be improved, and the occupied space of the lifting drive mechanism 22 in the vertical direction can be reduced, and the cost can be lowered.

[0059] In this embodiment, the first drive assembly includes a lead screw 221, a lifting drive motor 227 and a first nut seat 223. The lead screw 221 extends along the length direction of the arm body 21 and includes a first thread section 2211; the first nut seat 223 is rotatably sleeved on the first thread section 2211, and the second end of the first connecting rod 222 is hinged to the first nut seat 223. With this structural arrangement of the first drive assembly, the structural compactness can be further improved, and the lifting smoothness can be improved.

[0060] The first end of the first link 222 is hinged to the bottom end of the support portion 311, and the first link 222 is located on the side of the first nut seat 223 facing the mounting bracket 31. When the fork arm 2 is in the initial state, the lead screw 221 is higher than the first end of the first link 222, and the first link 222 extends obliquely upward in the direction from the first end to the second end. With this arrangement, when the arm body 21 needs to be raised, the first nut seat 223 moves in the direction towards the mounting bracket 31, and the second end of the first link 222 rotates upward around the hinge axis 25, thereby driving the lead screw 221 to be lifted up.

[0061] In this embodiment, two first links 222 are provided, and the two first links 222 are respectively located on opposite sides of the lead screw 221. The upper end of each first link 222 is hinged to the first nut seat 223. With this arrangement, the synchronous lifting and lowering of both ends of the first link 222 can be effectively achieved, and the smoothness of the lifting and lowering movement of the arm body 21 can be improved.

[0062] When the fork arm 2 is arranged on a movable handling device and the fork arm 2 can extend relative to the vehicle body of the handling device, in order to prevent the free end of the fork arm 2 from drooping or deforming due to lack of effective support, the external member further includes a support member 23, and the lifting drive mechanism 22 can drive the support member 23 to extend downward relative to the arm body 21 to support the fork arm 2, improving the lifting stability of the fork arm 2 for materials, and improving the use reliability and service life of the fork arm 2.

[0063] Further, the lifting drive mechanism 22 includes two second links 225 and a second drive assembly. One end of each of the two second links 225 is hinged to the support member 23, and the other ends of the two second links 225 are respectively connected to the second drive assembly. The second drive assembly is configured to drive the other ends of the two second links 225 to approach or move away from each other to lift and lower the support member.

[0064] Further, the second drive assembly includes the above-mentioned lead screw 221 and a lifting drive motor 227, and also includes two second nut seats 224 and a lifting drive motor 227. The lead screw 221 includes a second thread section 2212 and a third thread section 2213 with opposite helix directions, and the helix direction of the second thread section 2212 is opposite to that of the first thread section 2211; the two second nut seats 224 are respectively sleeved on the second thread section 2212 and the third thread section 2213, and the other ends of the two second links 225 are respectively hinged to the two second nut seats 224. The lifting drive motor 227 is used to drive the lead screw 221 to rotate to drive the two second nut seats 224 to move towards or away from each other along the lead screw 221.

[0065] With this arrangement, when the lead screw 221 rotates, the two second nut seats 224 move synchronously towards or away from each other, thereby driving the second ends of the two second link rods 225 to move in a direction approaching or moving away from each other, thereby driving the support member 23 to move vertically up and down. Moreover, the arrangement of the above-mentioned lifting drive mechanism 22 can ensure that the support member 23 can only move in the vertical direction, restrict the movement of the support member 23 in the X direction, ensure the accuracy of the position of the support member 23, and shorten the stroke of the relative movement of the second nut seat 224 relative to the lead screw 221. In other embodiments, one of the second nut seats 224 can also be replaced with a fixed seat fixed to the relative arm body 21, and the relative opening and closing of the two second link rods 225 are driven by the sliding of the other second nut seat 224 along the lead screw 221. However, with this arrangement, the support member 23 not only has a displacement in the Z direction but also has a displacement in the X direction.

[0066] Moreover, the arrangement of the above-mentioned second drive assembly and the first drive assembly can enable the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly to share the lead screw 221 and the lifting drive motor 227, simplify the structure of the lifting drive mechanism 22, and reduce costs. In other embodiments, the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly can be independently arranged, and both the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly can adopt drive structures such as a motor cooperating with a sprocket chain drive, a lead screw nut mechanism, a crank slider mechanism, or a link mechanism to drive the corresponding external parts to lift, or adopt linear drive structure forms such as a linear motor or a hydraulic cylinder. Moreover, the above various linear drive structures are relatively common and will not be elaborated here.

[0067] A set of second link rods 225 are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the lead screw 221, and the two sets of second link rods 225 are respectively hinged to the two ends of the wheel shaft of the support member 23 to improve the connection and support stability of the support member 23. In other embodiments, only one set of second link rods 225 can also be arranged, such as only arranged directly below the lead screw 221.

[0068] To realize the connection between the second nut seat 224 and the second link rod 225, the second nut seat 224 includes a sleeve portion and a connecting plate portion protruding from the outer surface of the sleeve portion. The inner wall of the sleeve portion is provided with a thread adapted to the corresponding thread section. The connecting plate portion extends in the Y direction and is respectively hinged to the two second link rods 225 at both ends. Further, the upper side surface of the connecting plate portion is attached to the arm body 21 to prevent the second nut seat 224 from rotating relative to the arm body 21.

[0069] A screw seat 226 is rotatably sleeved on the screw 221, and a light hole is opened on the screw seat 226 for the screw 221 to pass through, and the screw seat 226 is connected to the arm body 21. Further, the screw 221 includes a first optical axis section 2214 located between the second thread section 2212 and the third thread section 2213, and the screw seat 226 is sleeved on the first optical axis section 2214, which can prevent the two second nut seats 224 from colliding with each other and avoid wear on the threads on the screw 221.

[0070] More preferably, a lead screw seat 226 is provided at each end of the first optical axis section 2214, and when the fork arm is in the initial state, the support member 23 is at least partially located between the two lead screw seats 226. This arrangement can avoid the second nut seat 224 and the support member 23 from colliding, and limit the travel of the first nut seat 226 moving toward each other; at the same time, it can also raise the initial installation position of the support member 23, so that when the fork arm 2 is in the initial state, the support member 23 is sandwiched between the two lead screw seats 226, shortening the gap between the lead screw 221 and the support member 23 in the initial state, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the fork arm 2 in the vertical direction in the initial state, and improving the compactness of the structure.

[0071] Furthermore, a limiting sleeve 229 is sleeved on one end of the second threaded segment 2212 away from the screw seat 226, and one end of the third threaded segment 2213 away from the screw seat 226 abuts against the arm body 21 to achieve stroke limiting when the corresponding second nut seat 224 moves forward and backward.

[0072] Furthermore, the support member 23 is a support roller, and the axle of the support roller extends along the width direction of the arm body 21 to ensure that the fork arm 2 can move along the length direction of the arm body 21 while being supported by the support member 23, thereby improving the translation smoothness of the fork arm 2 and facilitating the adjustment of the fork arm 3.

[0073] In order to improve the support stability of the support member 23 on the arm body 21, the support member 23 includes a wheel axle and at least two wheel bodies spaced apart on the wheel axle. The at least two wheel bodies are respectively located on opposite sides of the lead screw 221, and when the fork arm 2 is in the initial state, the upper end of the wheel body is higher than the lower side of the lead screw 221, so as to further shorten the distance between the wheel axle and the lead screw 221 and improve the compactness of the structure.

[0074] The lead screw 221 also includes a second optical axis section 2215 located between the second thread section 2212 and the first thread section 2211, and the lifting drive motor 227 is connected to the second optical axis section 2215 through a reducer 228. The setting of the reducer 228 can reduce the rotation speed of the lead screw 221 and increase the torque of the lead screw 221, thereby improving the running stability of the lifting drive mechanism 22.

[0075] To ensure that the support member 23 can descend to contact the ground when the fork arm 2 is at the lowest and highest positions of the mounting bracket 1, preferably, the first nut seat 223 includes a screw sleeve portion 2231 and a sliding seat portion 2233 slidably sleeved on the screw sleeve portion 2231. The screw sleeve portion 2231 is in driving cooperation with the first threaded section 2211. Two limiting seat portions 2232 for restricting the sliding stroke of the sliding seat portion 2233 are provided on the screw sleeve portion 2231. The first connecting rod 222 is hinged to the sliding seat portion 2233.

[0076] Take Figure 4 the direction shown as an example for illustration. When the handling device 10 is in the initial state, there is a certain gap between the sliding seat portion 2233 and the right limiting seat portion 2232. Thus, in the initial stage of the first nut seat 223 moving along the lead screw 221, the sliding seat portion 2233 slides relative to the screw sleeve portion 2231, the sliding seat portion 2233 does not move, and the second connecting rod 225 does not act, that is, the lead screw 221 does not rise or fall, and only the support member 23 rises or falls; when the sliding seat portion 2233 slides to abut against the right limiting seat portion 2232, the continued movement of the screw sleeve portion 2231 along the lead screw 221 drives the sliding seat portion 2233 to move along the lead screw 221, and then drives the second connecting rod 225 to act, causing the lead screw 221 to rise. When the fork arm 2 is in the initial state, the gap between the sliding seat portion 2233 and the right limiting seat portion 2232 can be specifically set according to the height of the support member 23 from the ground.

[0077] The arm body 21 has a long strip box-like structure with an open lower end, and a cavity with an open lower end is formed therein. The lead screw 221, the lifting drive motor, and the reducer 228 are accommodated in the cavity to protect the lifting drive mechanism 22 and improve the structural compactness and the appearance beauty of the fork arm 2.

[0078] Furthermore, to improve the sliding stability between the fork arm 2 and the mounting bracket 31, and to improve the sliding stability of the arm body 21 relative to the mounting bracket 31, Z-direction guide grooves 3113 are provided on both opposite sides of the fork arm 2 of the mounting bracket 31, and the Z-direction guide grooves 3113 extend in the vertical direction. Guide members are provided on both opposite sides of the arm body 21, and the guide members extend out of the corresponding Z-direction guide grooves 3113 and are in sliding or rolling cooperation with the groove walls of the Z-direction guide grooves 3113. In this embodiment, the guide member is the third guide roller 24, and preferably, at least two third guide rollers 24 are provided in the vertical direction.

[0079] In this embodiment, the fork arm 2 is supported by the hinge shaft 25 and the support member 23 at the same time. However, it can be understood that when there is only the support member 23, by abutting the lower end of the support member 23 against an external structure, such as the ground, the lifting of the arm body 21 relative to the mounting bracket 31 can also be achieved by the support member 23 pushing the arm body 21. At this time, the hinge shaft 25 can be not provided, and only the arm body 21 and the mounting bracket 31 need to be slidably connected.

[0080] This embodiment provides a lifting fork mechanism, including the above-mentioned mounting seat 31 and the above-mentioned fork arm 2.

[0081] Embodiment 2

[0082] As Figure 7 and 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a handling device 10, which can be applied to a warehousing and logistics system to perform fork-lifting handling on a pallet 20 for carrying materials, so as to improve the efficiency and convenience of material handling. The handling device 10 provided in this embodiment can be an AGV-type handling device, an AMR-type handling device, or other forms of handling devices that can realize the handling of materials or pallets.

[0083] Specifically, the handling device 10 includes a vehicle body 1, a mounting frame 31, and a fork arm 2. The vehicle body 1 can move autonomously; the mounting frame 1 can slide horizontally relative to the vehicle body 1, and the fork arm 2 is slidably arranged on the mounting frame 1 and can lift vertically relative to the mounting frame 1, so that the fork arm 2 can move horizontally and vertically relative to the vehicle body 1, so as to be able to move horizontally to extend under the pallet 20 and move vertically to lift the pallet 20, and move horizontally to move the pallet 20 directly above the vehicle body 1.

[0084] For the handling device 10 provided in this embodiment, by providing a fork arm 2 that can move horizontally and vertically relative to the vehicle body 1, when it is necessary to handle the pallet 20, the fork arm 2 can be first moved horizontally relative to the vehicle body 1 to partially extend outside the vehicle body 1, so that the fork arm 2 is inserted into the fork hole 201 of the pallet 20; then the pallet 20 is lifted by raising the fork arm 2 relative to the vehicle body 1, so that the pallet 20 is lifted and separated from the ground; when the pallet 20 is lifted to a certain height, the fork arm 2 is retracted relative to the vehicle body 1, so that at least part of the vehicle body 1 can enter under the pallet 20; then, by lowering the fork arm 2, the pallet 20 is integrally supported on the vehicle body 1 and / or the fork arm 2.

[0085] That is, for the handling device 10 provided in this embodiment, by providing the fork arm 2 that can horizontally move and vertically lift relative to the vehicle body 1, when the handling device 10 performs the initial docking for handling the pallet 20, only the fork arm 2 needs to extend into the fork hole 201, and the vehicle body 1 is located outside the pallet 20. Moreover, when the pallet 20 is lifted to a preset height, the vehicle body 1 can partially enter the bottom of the pallet 20. Thus, while ensuring that the handling device 10 can fork and lift the pallet 20, during the process of the handling device 10 handling the pallet 20, the pallet is located above the vehicle body 1, thereby being able to reduce the size of the handling device 10 in the extending direction of the fork arm 2 during the handling of the pallet 20, reduce the turning radius and floor space of the handling device 10 when handling the pallet 20, and improve the flexibility of use of the handling device 10. At the same time, since the fork arm 2 can vertically lift relative to the vehicle body 1, the height of the fork arm 2 can be adjusted according to the height position of the fork hole 201, and no matter what type of pallet is handled, the vehicle body 1 can be moved to the bottom of the pallet 20, enabling the handling device 10 to be applicable to the handling of various different types of pallets, with high flexibility of use and a wide range of applications.

[0086] The above-mentioned pallet 20 can be Figure 9 the grid pallet shown in the figure, or it can also be a daily character pallet, a Sichuan character pallet, or a pallet with other structures, as long as the pallet 20 has a fork hole 201 that can be inserted by the fork arm 2. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the pallet 20 that the handling device 10 can handle. Moreover, this embodiment takes the grid pallet with a national standard of 1200x1000x153m as an example to introduce the specific structure of the handling device 10. The handling of other types of pallets 20 by the handling device 10 can refer to its handling of the grid pallet 20, and this embodiment will not elaborate one by one.

[0087] The fork arm 2 and the mounting bracket 31 can adopt the structure and cooperative setting in the first embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0088] For the convenience of description, a coordinate system is established in the Figure 7 direction shown in the figure, where the X direction is the extending direction of the fork arm 2, the Z direction is the height direction, and the Y direction is determined according to the right-hand rule.

[0089] For the convenience of description, the state when the handling device 10 is not docked with the pallet 20 is defined as the initial state. The state where the fork arm 2 extends along the X direction relative to the vehicle body 1 without rising is defined as the extended state of the fork arm. The state where the fork arm 2 extends relative to the vehicle body 1 and rises to a certain height relative to the vehicle body 1 is called the extended and lifted state of the fork arm. The state where the fork arm 2 retracts to the horizontal initial position and rises to a certain height relative to the vehicle body 1 is called the retracted and lifted state of the fork arm. The state of the fork arm 2 when the handling device completes docking with the pallet 2 is defined as the docked state. That is, from the start of docking of the handling device 10 with the pallet 20 to the completion of docking with the pallet 20, the handling device 10 successively passes through the initial state, the extended state, the extended and lifted state, the retracted and lifted state, and then reaches the docked state.

[0090] To improve the handling stability of the pallet 20, several fork arms 2 are arranged at intervals along the Y direction. Usually, there are two fork holes 201 on the pallet 20, that is, the fork arms 2 are preferably arranged in two. However, it can be understood that when the material size is large, resulting in three or more fork holes 201 on the pallet 20, the fork arms 2 can also be correspondingly arranged in three or more.

[0091] To further improve the structural compactness of the handling device 10 and reduce the volume of the handling device 10, a bearing surface 111 for carrying the pallet 20 is formed on the upper surface of the vehicle body 1. A receiving groove 112 is formed at the position corresponding to the fork arm 2 on the bearing surface 111. The receiving groove 112 extends along the X direction and one end penetrates the corresponding side wall of the vehicle body 1, and the other end forms a limiting groove wall 1121. The limiting groove wall 1121 restricts the fork arm 2 from extending out of the vehicle body 1 in the reverse direction. When the fork arm 2 is in the initial state, at least a part of the fork arm 2 is received in the receiving groove 112. The setting of the receiving groove 112 can reduce the overall thickness of the handling device 10 along the Z direction, improve the structural compactness, and is beneficial for guiding the sliding of the fork arm 2 along the X direction.

[0092] Preferably, the depth of the receiving groove 112 is greater than the thickness of the fork arm 2 along the Z direction, and when the handling device is in the initial state, the upper surface of the fork arm 2 is lower than the upper surface of the vehicle body 1. This setting can ensure that after the handling device 10 completes docking with the pallet 20, the pallet 20 is completely supported on the vehicle body 1, avoiding fatigue damage to the fork arm 2 caused by long-term support of the pallet 20, improving the service life of the fork arm 2, and enhancing the support stability of the pallet 20. In other embodiments, it can also be that the upper surface of the fork arm 2 is higher than the upper surface of the vehicle body 1 or the upper surface of the fork arm 2 is flush with the upper surface of the vehicle body 1. More preferably, the length of the receiving groove 112 along the X direction is greater than the length of the fork arm 2, and when the handling device is in the initial state, the fork arm 2 is completely received in the receiving groove 112.

[0093] In this embodiment, to improve the smoothness of the fork arm 2 extending in the X direction, first guiding rollers 114 are provided on opposite groove walls of the receiving groove 112 extending in the X direction. The first guiding rollers 114 are disposed near the opening of the receiving groove 112. When the fork arm 2 is slidably disposed in the receiving groove 112, the fork arm 2 is supported on the first guiding rollers 114. The arrangement of the first guiding rollers 114 can support and guide the sliding of the fork arm 2 in the receiving groove 112, and at the same time, can avoid interfering with the lifting movement of the fork arm 2 relative to the vehicle body 1.

[0094] As Figure 10 and 11 shown, to implement the autonomous movement function of the vehicle body 1, the vehicle body 1 includes a housing 11 and a drive wheel mechanism. The above-mentioned receiving groove 112 is formed on the surface of the housing 11. The drive wheel mechanism includes drive wheels 12 and a drive motor for driving the drive wheels 12 to rotate. The drive wheels 12 are disposed at the bottom of the housing 11, and the drive motor is disposed inside the housing 11. In this embodiment, two drive wheels 12 are symmetrically arranged relative to the central longitudinal axis to improve the driving stability. Further, the vehicle body 1 further includes universal wheels 13. Four universal wheels 13 are provided, and the four universal wheels 13 are arranged in a rectangular distribution. Each drive wheel 12 is disposed between two universal wheels 13.

[0095] In other embodiments, the number and positions of the drive wheels 12 and the universal wheels 13 can be set according to requirements, and the driving form of the drive wheel mechanism can be differential drive or other existing driving forms, as long as the movement such as forward movement, backward movement, turning, and in-situ rotation of the handling device 10 can be achieved. The present invention does not limit the specific structure of the drive wheel mechanism.

[0096] Preferably, the vehicle body 1 is symmetrically arranged relative to the central longitudinal axis, and the two fork arms 2 are symmetrically arranged relative to the central longitudinal axis to improve the running smoothness and structural compactness of the handling device 10.

[0097] As Figure 6 、 8 and shown in 12, the handling device 10 further includes a translation drive mechanism 3. The translation drive mechanism 3 is respectively connected to the two fork arms 2 to drive the two fork arms 2 to move synchronously in the X direction. This arrangement can reduce the drive cost, improve the handling efficiency of the handling device 10, and ensure the synchronism of the translation of the two fork arms 2. In other embodiments, a translation drive mechanism 3 can also be provided separately for each fork arm 2.

[0098] The translation driving mechanism 3 includes the above-mentioned mounting bracket 31 and a horizontal driving unit disposed on the mounting bracket 31. The mounting bracket 31 is slidably connected to the vehicle body 1. One end of the fork arm 2 close to the limiting groove wall 1121 is connected to the mounting bracket 31, and the horizontal driving unit drives the mounting bracket 31 to move relative to the vehicle body 1 in the X direction. In this setting form, the movement of the mounting bracket 31 drives the two fork arms 2 to move synchronously, with a compact structure and convenient setting. In other embodiments, it may also be that the fixed end of the horizontal driving unit is fixed relative to the vehicle body 1, and the driving end of the horizontal driving unit is connected to the fork arm 2 to drive the fork arm 2 to move.

[0099] To improve the sliding connection stability between the mounting bracket 31 and the vehicle body 1, the mounting bracket 31 has two support portions 311 spaced apart in the Y direction. The lower ends of the two support portions 311 respectively extend into the two accommodating grooves 112 and are slidably connected to the groove walls of the accommodating grooves 112. The horizontal driving unit is connected between the two support portions 311. This setting can enable the accommodating groove 112 to be used as the guiding groove of the mounting bracket 31 at the same time, ensuring the direction accuracy and stability of the horizontal movement of the fork arm 2.

[0100] Furthermore, at least one groove wall of the accommodating groove 112 extending in the X direction is provided with an X guiding groove 113. The X guiding groove 113 extends in the X direction and penetrates through the side of the vehicle body 1 away from the limiting groove wall 1121. The support portion 311 is provided with a guiding portion corresponding to the X guiding groove 113. The guiding portion extends into the corresponding X guiding groove 113 and is in rolling or sliding connection with the groove wall of the X guiding groove 113. The setting of the X guiding groove 113 and the guiding portion can prevent the mounting bracket 31 from disengaging from the accommodating groove 112 in the Z direction while the mounting bracket 31 is inserted into the accommodating groove 112 from the open end of the accommodating groove 112, with a simple structure and low cost.

[0101] In other embodiments, other X-direction guiding structures may also be provided to achieve the sliding connection between the mounting bracket 31 and the vehicle body 1, such as setting guide rails on the groove walls of the accommodating groove 112 and connecting sliders on the mounting bracket 31 that cooperate with the guide rails. And preferably, in this embodiment, the guiding portion is the second guiding roller 34, and the second guiding roller 34 is in rolling cooperation with the X guiding groove 113 to reduce friction. In other embodiments, the guiding portion may also be a slider or the like.

[0102] As Figure 4 shown, since the support member 23 is disposed at a position close to the second end of the fork arm 2 and can move downward to contact the ground, in order to achieve the avoidance of the support member 23, one end of the accommodating groove 112 away from the limiting groove wall 1121 penetrates through the lower surface of the vehicle body 1, so that when the handling device is in the retracted lifting state, the support member 23 can contact the ground and provide support for the fork arm 2.

[0103] Further, the support part 311 includes two side plates 3111 spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. Second guiding rollers 34 are respectively arranged on the outer sides of the two side plates 3111. Correspondingly, X guiding grooves 113 are formed on the two groove walls of the accommodating groove 112 arranged oppositely in the Y direction to improve the smoothness of the mounting frame 31 moving in the X direction. Preferably, two or more second guiding rollers 34 are arranged on each side plate 3111 in the X direction.

[0104] To prevent relative positions from occurring at the ends of the two side plates 3111, the support part 311 further includes a connecting part 3112 connected between the lower ends of the side plates 3111 to enhance the structural strength and rigidity of the support part 311. The connecting part 3112 can be, but is not limited to, a plate-like structure.

[0105] The mounting frame 31 further includes a top plate 313 connected to the tops of the two support parts 311. The top plate 313 extends in the Y direction, and the upper ends of the side plates 3111 are perpendicularly connected to the top plate 313, so that a space for the connecting fork arm 2 is formed between the support part 311 and the top plate 313.

[0106] In this embodiment, the horizontal driving unit realizes the sliding of the mounting frame 31 relative to the vehicle body 1 in the form of rolling driving. It includes a roller 321, a mounting shaft 322 for mounting the roller 321, and a horizontal driving motor for driving the roller 321 to rotate. The roller 321 is located above the vehicle body 1 and is in rolling contact with the upper surface of the vehicle body 1. The mounting shaft 322 extends in the Y direction and is respectively connected to the mounting frame 31 at both ends. The horizontal driving motor is used to drive the roller 321 to rotate around the mounting shaft 322, so as to realize the movement of the mounting frame 31 relative to the vehicle body 1 in the X direction. The translation driving mechanism 3 realizes the movement in the X direction relative to the vehicle frame in the form of rolling driving, so that each structure of the horizontal driving unit is arranged on the mounting frame 31, making the X driving unit have the advantages of compact structure, small occupied space, high transmission efficiency, and stable operation. In other embodiments, other driving structure forms capable of realizing the movement of the mounting frame 31 in the X direction can also be adopted, such as a rotating motor cooperating with a gear-rack structure, a rotating motor cooperating with a lead screw 221-nut mechanism, etc.

[0107] To simplify the structure, the roller 321 is a roller, and the horizontal driving unit adopts the structural form of an electric roller. The mounting shaft 322 of the electric roller extends in the Y direction and is respectively connected to the mounting frame 31 at both ends. The electric roller is located above the vehicle body 1 and presses against the upper surface of the vehicle body 1. By setting the horizontal driving unit as an electric roller, the horizontal driving motor can be hidden inside the roller 321, making the structure of the horizontal driving unit more compact and the occupied space smaller, which is beneficial to the miniaturized design of the handling device 10.

[0108] To facilitate the installation of the electric roller, a connecting frame part 312 is also provided between the two support parts 311. There are two connecting frame parts 312 arranged at intervals along the Y direction, and the upper end of the connecting frame part 312 is connected to the frame top plate 313. The lower end of the connecting frame part 312 is higher than the upper surface of the vehicle body 1, and the electric roller is clamped between the two connecting frame parts 312.

[0109] To facilitate the installation of the electric roller, an installation groove 3121 is formed on one side of each connecting frame part 312 facing the electric roller, and the installation shaft 322 of the electric roller is inserted into the installation groove 3121. To prevent the electric roller from slipping due to pressing lower than the surface of the relative vehicle body 1, an elastic member 33 is also provided on the mounting frame 31. The elastic member 33 is used to elastically press the electric roller against the upper surface.

[0110] In this embodiment, the elastic member 33 is a spring vertically arranged in the installation groove 3121. The upper end of the spring is connected to the upper groove wall of the installation groove 3121, and the lower end of the spring presses against the installation shaft 322, and the spring is always in a compressed state. In other embodiments, the elastic member 33 can also be other elements that can provide an elastic pressing force, such as elastic gaskets, etc.

[0111] This embodiment also provides a warehousing and logistics system, including a pallet 20 and the above-mentioned handling device 10. By using the above-mentioned handling device to handle the pallet, the convenience and flexibility of pallet handling can be improved, the operation efficiency of the warehousing and logistics system can be increased, and the operation cost of the warehousing and logistics system can be reduced.

[0112] Note that the above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the applied technical principles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described here. Various obvious changes, re-adjustments, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Without departing from the concept of the present invention, more other equivalent embodiments can be included, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lifting fork mechanism, characterized in that, Comprising: Mounting bracket (31); Fork arm (2), including an arm body (21), a lifting drive mechanism (22) and a support member (23), a first end of the arm body (21) is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket (31), the lifting drive mechanism (22) is disposed on the arm body (21), the support member (23) is connected to the arm body (21) and is spaced apart from the mounting bracket (31) in the length direction of the arm body (21); The lifting drive mechanism (22) is capable of driving the support member (23) to extend downward relative to the arm body (21) to support on the ground, thereby pushing the arm body (21) to rise relative to the mounting bracket (31), and the lifting drive mechanism (22) is capable of driving the support member (23) to approach the arm body (21), so that the arm body (21) descends relative to the mounting bracket (31) and the support member (23) disengages from the ground.

2. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting drive mechanism (22) includes a second link (225) and a second drive assembly, first ends of the two second links (225) are respectively hinged to the support member (23), second ends of the two second links (225) are respectively connected to the second drive assembly, and the second drive assembly is configured to drive the second ends of the two second links (225) to approach or move away from each other to lift the support member (23).

3. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second drive assembly includes: A lead screw (221), the lead screw (221) includes a second thread section (2212) and a third thread section (2213) with opposite helix directions; Two second nut seats (224), respectively sleeved on the second thread section (2212) and the third thread section (2213), and first ends of the two second links (225) are respectively hinged to the two second nut seats (224); A lifting drive motor (227), connected to the arm body (21) and used to drive the lead screw (221) to rotate, so as to drive the two second nut seats (224) to slide towards or away from each other along the lead screw (221).

4. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lead screw (221) includes a first optical axis section (2214) located between the second thread section (2212) and the third thread section (2213), and a lead screw seat (226) is rotatably sleeved on the first optical axis section (2214), and the lead screw seat (226) is connected to the arm body (21).

5. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, One lead screw seat (226) is provided at each of the two ends of the first optical axis section (2214), and at least a part of the support member (23) can be located between the two lead screw seats (226).

6. The lifting fork mechanism according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The arm body (21) has a long strip box-shaped structure with an opening downward, at least a part of the lifting drive mechanism (22) is located inside the arm body (21), and the support member (23) can be exposed outside the arm body (21); And / or, the support member (23) includes support rollers, and the axle of the support rollers is arranged along the width direction of the arm body (21).

7. The lifting fork mechanism according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The mounting frame (31) has a lifting mounting cavity, and the first end of the arm body (21) is slidably mounted in the lifting mounting cavity and slidably cooperates with the opposite two side cavity walls of the lifting mounting cavity; and / or, the mounting frame (31) includes two support parts (311) arranged at intervals, and each of the support parts (311) is slidably connected with a fork arm (2).

8. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, Vertically extending Z-guide grooves (3113) are formed on the opposite two side cavity walls of the lifting mounting cavity, guiding members are arranged on the opposite two sides of the arm body (21) in the width direction, and the guiding members are slidably or rollably arranged in the corresponding Z-guide grooves (3113); and / or, the first end of the arm body (21) is narrowed in the width direction to form a mounting head, and the mounting head is slidably mounted in the lifting mounting cavity.

9. The lifting fork mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lifting and forklifting mechanism further includes a horizontal driving unit arranged on the mounting frame (31), the horizontal driving unit is connected between the two support parts (311) and drives the mounting frame (31) to move along the length direction of the fork arm (2).

10. A handling device, characterized in that, It includes a vehicle body (1) and the lifting and forklifting mechanism as claimed in claims 1-9, and the mounting frame (31) is slidably arranged on the vehicle body (1).

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