Intelligent positioning lock catch device for boxing wharf

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent positioning lock catch device for a boxing wharf, and the device comprises a fixed frame which is arranged at the side of a driving channel; the positioning structure comprises a UWB positioning base station and a UWB positioning label, the UWB positioning base station is arranged on the fixing frame, the UWB positioning label is arranged at the lock catch position of the container, and the UWB positioning label is positioned through the UWB positioning base station to obtain positioning information; and the processor is in signal connection with the UWB positioning base station, establishes a coordinate system according to the positioning information, and obtains the coordinates of the lock catches at the other three positions of the container in the coordinate system according to the size of the container. According to the method, intelligent positioning of the lock catch can be achieved, compared with machine vision, the computing power requirement can be reduced, and the equipment cost can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of dock container equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to an intelligent positioning and locking device for containers at a loading dock. Background Art

[0002] Container transportation is an important transportation mode in the process of multimodal transportation of international trade goods. Due to the advantages of high standardization, good sealing, low breakage rate, intensification, scale, liner operation, low cost, and good quality of container transportation, the safety and efficiency of goods transportation have been greatly improved. Containers are connected and fixed on cargo ships through locking devices. Patent Publication No. CN113184575A discloses a dock container lock button automatic disassembly and assembly system and method, including a platform. The middle of the platform is a driving lane for trucks to pass through. On both sides of the driving lane, there are two sets of corner lock disassembly and assembly units and one set of middle lock disassembly and assembly units respectively. The corner lock disassembly and assembly units and the middle lock disassembly and assembly units are used to disassemble and assemble the lock buttons at the corners and middle of the container respectively. It also includes a positioning and sensing system, which includes: a first monitoring camera arranged at the entrance end of the driving lane, a second monitoring camera and a display screen arranged at the exit end of the driving lane, and laser sensors arranged on both sides of the driving lane. The laser sensors are used to scan and position the container, display on the display screen and prompt the truck driver to stop at the disassembly and assembly position. The first monitoring camera and the second monitoring camera identify the container number by taking pictures of the container to determine the type of lock button. This patent realizes the automatic disassembly and assembly of the locking device. However, this patented technology relies on machine vision and is greatly affected by the weather. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to solve at least the above problems and provide at least the advantages described later.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent positioning and locking device for containers at a loading dock, which can intelligently position the locking position of the container.

[0005] To achieve these and other advantages of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent positioning and locking device for containers at a loading dock, which includes: A fixed frame, which is arranged on the side of the driving lane; A positioning structure, which includes a UWB positioning base station and a UWB positioning tag. The UWB positioning base stations are all arranged on the fixed frame, and the UWB positioning tag is arranged at the locking position of the container. The UWB positioning base station positions the UWB positioning tag to obtain positioning information; A processor, which is signal-connected to the UWB positioning base station. The processor establishes a coordinate system according to the positioning information, and the processor obtains the coordinates of the locking devices at the other three positions of the container in the coordinate system according to the size of the container.

[0006] Preferably, the positioning information includes distance information and azimuth information.

[0007] Preferably, two laser rangefinders are arranged on the same side of the driving lane to measure the distance of the container offset from the driving lane, and the offset angle of the container is calculated using this distance to adjust the coordinates of the latches at the other three positions of the container in the coordinate system.

[0008] Preferably, the specific calculation method is as follows: the first laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container as a, the second laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container as b, and the distance between the first laser rangefinder and the second laser rangefinder is c; The offset distance of the container is d = |a - b|, and the offset angle θ = arctan(d / c).

[0009] Preferably, it further includes a size detection structure for detecting the container, and the size detection structure includes a length measurement structure and a width measurement structure to measure the length and width of the container.

[0010] Preferably, the length detection structure is arranged on the sliding structure to measure the length of the container, and the sliding structure includes: A guide rail, which is arranged on the fixed frame; Sliders, which include a first slider and a second slider, and both the first slider and the second slider are slidably arranged on the guide rail; Driving motors, which include a first motor and a second motor, the first motor is connected to the first slider to drive the first slider to slide on the guide rail, and the second motor is connected to the second slider to drive the second slider to slide on the guide rail.

[0011] Preferably, the length measurement structure includes: A first photoelectric sensor, which is arranged on the first slider and is used to detect whether a container passes through; A second photoelectric sensor, which is arranged on the second slider and is used to detect whether a container passes through; A first ultrasonic distance sensor, which is arranged on the first slider and is used to detect the distance between the first slider and the second slider; Among them, the first photoelectric sensor, the second photoelectric sensor, and the first ultrasonic distance sensor are all connected to the processor in signal. When the first photoelectric sensor detects that the rear end of the container passes through the first photoelectric sensor, the first photoelectric sensor sends a signal to the processor, and the processor displays a parking message on the display screen to remind the driver to stop the vehicle; The second slider drives the second photoelectric sensor to move in the vehicle traveling direction. When the second photoelectric sensor passes by the front end of the container, the second slider stops moving, and the first ultrasonic distance sensor measures the distance between the first slider and the second slider, which is the length of the container.

[0012] Preferably, the width measurement structure includes: A second ultrasonic distance measurement sensor, which is arranged on a fixed bracket on the left side in the vehicle traveling direction; A third ultrasonic distance measurement sensor, which is arranged on a fixed bracket on the right side in the vehicle traveling direction and is opposite to the position of the second ultrasonic distance measurement sensor; Wherein, both the second ultrasonic distance measurement sensor and the third ultrasonic distance measurement sensor are arranged on the fixed bracket between the first slider and the second slider; When the first photoelectric sensor detects that the container passes by, the second ultrasonic distance measurement sensor and the third ultrasonic distance measurement sensor simultaneously measure the sum w of the distances from them to the container. The difference between the distance between the fixed brackets on both sides in the vehicle traveling direction and w is the width of the container.

[0013] Preferably, the display screen is arranged in the middle of the driving lane and directly in front of the vehicle after it stops.

[0014] Preferably, manipulators that can move along the driving lane are arranged on both sides of the driving lane. The manipulators adjust their positions according to the coordinate positions provided by the processor to realize the automatic disassembly and assembly of the container latches.

[0015] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: First, the present invention uses a UWB positioning base station to position a UWB positioning tag, which not only realizes the positioning of the container in the terminal area but also can be used for the positioning of the latch position, achieving multiple uses of a single UWB positioning tag. Second, the present invention uses a UWB positioning tag to position a certain one of the four latches, and then the positions of the other three latches can be inferred. The structure is simple and less affected by the climate. Compared with machine vision, the present invention can reduce the computing power requirement and also helps to reduce the equipment cost. Third, the present invention uses ultrasonic distance measurement sensors to measure the length and width of the container, and the method is simple and reliable.

[0016] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the present invention will be partially reflected by the following description and partially understood by those skilled in the art through the research and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a technical solution of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a latch of a technical solution of the present invention.

[0018] 1. Driving lane; 2. UWB positioning base station; 3. Lock; 4. UWB positioning tag; 5. Track; 6. First slider; 7. Second slider; 8. Second ultrasonic ranging sensor; 9. Third ultrasonic ranging sensor; 10. Container; 11. Box body; 12. Locking box; 13. Locking groove; 14. Locking tongue; 15. Contact plate; 16. Tension spring; 17. Driving rod; 18. Worm; 19. Worm gear. Detailed implementation mode

[0019] The following further elaborates on the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can implement it with reference to the text of the specification.

[0020] It should be understood that terms such as "having", "including", and "comprising" used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or their combinations.

[0021] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "setting" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be fixedly connected and set, or detachably connected and set, or integrally connected and set. 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. The orientation or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "lateral", "longitudinal", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention provides an intelligent positioning lock device for a container terminal, which includes: A fixed frame, which is arranged on the side of the driving lane 1; A positioning structure, which includes a UWB positioning base station 2 and a UWB positioning tag 4. The UWB positioning base stations 2 are all arranged on the fixed frame, and the UWB positioning tags 4 are arranged at the lock 3 position of the container 10. The UWB positioning base station 2 positions the UWB positioning tag 4 to obtain positioning information; A processor, which is signal-connected to the UWB positioning base station 2. The processor establishes a coordinate system according to the positioning information, and the processor obtains the coordinates of the locks 3 at the other three positions of the container 10 in the coordinate system according to the size of the container 10.

[0023] In this technical solution, the fixing frame can be a fixing rod. The UWB positioning base station 2 and the UWB positioning tag 4 are located on the same side of the driving lane 1 to facilitate the positioning and identification of the UWB positioning tag 4 by the UWB positioning base station 2. Since the container 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped structure and the 4 latches are arranged at the four corners of the bottom of the container, after obtaining the coordinate position of a certain latch 3 among the 4 latches 3 of the container 10, the coordinate positions of the other 3 latches 3 can be calculated according to the length and width of the container 10.

[0024] The present invention uses the UWB positioning base station 2 to position the UWB positioning tag 4, which is less affected by climatic conditions, and realizes both the tracking of the container 10 and the positioning of the position of the latch 3.

[0025] In another technical solution, the positioning information includes distance information and azimuth information. By detecting the distance information and azimuth information, it is convenient to establish a coordinate system, that is, taking the UWB positioning base station 2 of the fixing frame as the origin, the vertical direction of the fixing frame as the z-axis direction, the driving lane 1 as the x-axis direction, and the width direction of the driving lane 1 as the y-axis direction, the coordinates of the UWB positioning tag 4 in the coordinate system are obtained, and according to the length and width of the container 10, the coordinate positions of the other 3 positions of the container 10 can be inferred.

[0026] In another technical solution, two laser rangefinders are arranged on the same side of the driving lane 1 to measure the distance of the container 10 offset from the driving lane 1, and the offset angle of the container 10 is calculated by using this distance to adjust the coordinates of the latches 3 at the other three positions of the container 10 in the coordinate system. Since the distance between the two laser rangefinders is fixed and arranged on the same side of the driving lane 1, when the container 10 forms an angle with the driving lane 1, the measured distances of the two laser rangefinders on both sides will be different, and the offset angle of the container 10 can be calculated by using the distances measured by the two laser rangefinders.

[0027] In another technical solution, the specific calculation method is as follows: the first laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container 10 as a, the second laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container 10 as b, and the distance between the first laser rangefinder and the second laser rangefinder is c; The offset distance of the container 10 is d = |a - b|, and the offset angle θ = arctan(d / c).

[0028] After obtaining the distance a and the distance b, the processor can calculate the offset angle according to the above calculation method.

[0029] In another technical solution, it further includes a size detection structure for detecting the size of the container 10. The size detection structure includes a length measurement structure and a width measurement structure to measure the length and width of the container 10. The container 10 has multiple types, and the length and width of each type are different. Therefore, after knowing a certain position of the container 10, it is also necessary to identify the type of the container 10 to infer the positions of the other three latches 3 based on its size.

[0030] In another technical solution, the length detection structure is arranged on the sliding structure to measure the length of the container 10. The sliding structure includes: A guide rail, which is arranged on the fixed frame; Sliders, which include a first slider 6 and a second slider 7. The first slider 6 and the second slider 7 are both slidably arranged on the guide rail; Drive motors, which include a first motor and a second motor. The first motor is connected to the first slider 6 to drive the first slider 6 to slide on the guide rail, and the second motor is connected to the second slider 7 to drive the second slider 7 to slide on the guide rail.

[0031] The sliders are used to drive the length detection structure to slide, so that the length detection structure can detect containers 10 of different sizes and can also detect the lengths of containers 10 at different positions, reducing the parking control requirements of the vehicle.

[0032] In another technical solution, the length measurement structure includes: A first photoelectric sensor, which is arranged on the first slider 6 and is used to detect whether a container 10 passes by; A second photoelectric sensor, which is arranged on the second slider 7 and is used to detect whether a container 10 passes by; A first ultrasonic ranging sensor, which is arranged on the first slider 6 and is used to detect the distance between the first slider 6 and the second slider 7; Among them, the first photoelectric sensor, the second photoelectric sensor, and the first ultrasonic ranging sensor are all connected to the processor in signal. When the first photoelectric sensor detects that the rear end of the container 10 passes by the first photoelectric sensor, the first photoelectric sensor sends a signal to the processor, and the processor displays parking information on the display screen to remind the driver to park; The second slider 7 drives the second photoelectric sensor to move in the vehicle traveling direction. When the second photoelectric sensor passes by the front end of the container 10, the second slider 7 stops moving, and the first ultrasonic ranging sensor measures the distance between the first slider 6 and the second slider 7, which is the length of the container 10.

[0033] The slidable settings of the first slider 6 and the second slider 7 facilitate the detection of the length of containers 10 with different sizes and docking positions. After the driver parks the vehicle, the first photoelectric sensor detects the rear position of the container 10. That is, after the driver parks the vehicle, the first photoelectric sensor emits a detection signal perpendicular to the driving lane. If the rear end of the container 10 cannot be detected, the first slider 6 drives the first photoelectric sensor to move in the driving direction. During the movement, the first photoelectric sensor continuously emits detection signals. If the rear position of the container 10 is detected, the first slider 6 stops moving.

[0034] In another technical solution, the width measurement structure includes: A second ultrasonic ranging sensor 8, which is arranged on the fixed frame on the left side in the vehicle traveling direction; A third ultrasonic ranging sensor 9, which is arranged on the fixed frame on the right side in the vehicle traveling direction and is opposite to the position of the second ultrasonic ranging sensor 8; Among them, both the second ultrasonic ranging sensor 8 and the third ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 are arranged on the fixed frame between the first slider 6 and the second slider 7; When the first photoelectric sensor detects the passing of the container 10, the second ultrasonic ranging sensor 8 and the third ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 simultaneously measure the sum w of their distances from the container 10. The difference between the distance between the fixed frames on both sides in the vehicle traveling direction and w is the width of the container 10.

[0035] In this technical solution, the second ultrasonic ranging sensor 8 and the third ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 are arranged opposite to each other. When the container 10 is parallel to the driving lane 1, the difference between the distance L between the two ultrasonic ranging sensors and w is the width of the container 10. When the offset angle of the container 10 is θ, the width of the container 10 is Lcosθ.

[0036] In another technical solution, the display screen is arranged in the middle of the driving lane 1 and directly in front of the vehicle after it stops. Arranging the display screen in the middle of the driving lane 1 facilitates the driver to observe the information on the display screen.

[0037] In another technical solution, manipulators that can move along the driving lane 1 are arranged on both sides of the driving lane 1. The manipulators adjust their positions according to the coordinate positions provided by the processor to achieve automatic disassembly and assembly of the lock 3 of the container 10. The manipulators can automatically disassemble and assemble the lock 3. By receiving the coordinate information sent by the processor and adjusting their own positions, the manipulators can disassemble and assemble the lock 3.

[0038] In another technical solution, as Figure 2 shown, the lock includes: A box body 11, which is a cuboid box structure. An installation groove is provided on the front side of the box body 11 for installing a UWB positioning tag; A locking structure, which includes a first locking part and a second locking part. The first locking part is arranged above the box body 11, and the second locking part is arranged below the box body 11. Both the first locking part and the second locking part include: A locking box 12, which is arranged on the box body 11. Locking grooves 13 are arranged on the left and right side walls of the locking box 12, and the locking grooves 13 form an angle with the box body 11; Locking tongues 14, which are slidably arranged in the locking grooves 13. The left locking tongue 14 and the right locking tongue 14 are connected by a tension spring 16. A first bevel groove is arranged on the inner end face of the locking tongue 14; A driving structure, which includes a contact plate 15, a driving rod 17, a worm 18, a worm gear and a driving wheel. Second bevel grooves are arranged at both ends of the contact plate 15, and the second bevel grooves are opposite to the first bevel grooves in position. A threaded hole is arranged in the middle of the contact plate 15. The upper end of the driving rod 17 is connected to the upper part of the locking box 12 of the first locking part through a bearing. The lower part of the driving rod 17 rotatably passes through the box body 11 and then is connected to the lower part of the locking box 12 of the second locking part. A worm 18 is arranged in the middle of the driving rod 17. External threads with opposite thread directions are arranged on the upper and lower parts of the driving rod 17 respectively. The driving rod 17 passes through the threaded hole on the contact plate 15 and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole. The worm gear 19 is rotatably connected to the box body 11. The front end of the worm 18 is connected to the driving wheel outside the box body 11 through a connecting piece.

[0039] In this technical solution, the locking box 12 is fixedly connected to the box body 11, such as by welding. The locking box 12 is a hollow cuboid-shaped structure, and the thickness of the left and right side walls of the locking box 12 is greater than that of the front and rear side walls, so as to facilitate the installation of the locking tongues 14 and reduce the weight. The first positioning part and the second positioning part are hollow shell-shaped structures.

[0040] The specific usage method of the lock is as follows: Insert the second locking part of the lock into the corner fitting on the truck. Lift the container onto the truck, and then insert the first locking part into the corner fitting on the container. Rotate the driving wheel, and then drive the driving rod 17 to rotate through the worm gear 19 and the worm 18. The two contact plates 15 move towards each other. During the downward movement of the contact plates 15, the locking tongues 14 are pushed out of the locking grooves 13, and the locking tongues 14 abut against the corner fitting to fix the container to the truck. Rotate the driving wheel in the opposite direction, the driving rod 17 drives the contact blocks to move away from each other, and the tension spring 16 pulls the locking tongues 14 back into the locking grooves 13, and the spreader can lift the container off the truck.

[0041] In this technical solution, the locking groove 13 is inclined. The locking tongue is pushed out of the locking groove 13 by the abutting plate 15, so that the locking tongue 14 can be in close contact with the corner fitting. After the locking tongue 14 is stressed, the force can be transmitted to the locking tongue 14 on the other side through the abutting plate 15, avoiding the situation that the driving rod 17 is deformed and damaged due to excessive stress, and increasing the service life of the lock.

[0042] The principle of the present invention is as follows: The container 10 moves in the driving lane 1. When the tail end of the container 10 passes the first photoelectric sensor, the driver's stop is reflected on the display screen. The second slider 7 drives the second photoelectric sensor to move forward in the driving direction. When the second photoelectric sensor passes the front end of the container 10, the second slider 7 stops moving. The first ultrasonic distance measuring sensor measures the distance between the two sliders, which is the length of the container 10. The second ultrasonic distance measuring sensor 8 and the third ultrasonic distance measuring sensor 9 measure the distance between them and the container 10, and the processor calculates the width of the container 10; The UWB positioning base station 2 positions the UWB positioning tag 4 to obtain the distance and azimuth information between the UWB positioning tag 4 and the UWB positioning base station 2. A coordinate system is established based on this information. According to the length and width of the container 10, the position coordinates of the other three locks 3 can be calculated.

[0043] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. It can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the field, other modifications can be easily achieved. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the equivalent scope, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the illustrated examples here.

Claims

1. The intelligent positioning and locking device for a container terminal, characterized in that, Including: A fixing frame, which is arranged on the side of the driving lane; A positioning structure, which includes a UWB positioning base station and a UWB positioning tag. The UWB positioning base station is arranged on the fixing frame, and the UWB positioning tag is arranged at the locking position of the container. The positioning information is obtained by the UWB positioning base station positioning the UWB positioning tag; A processor, which is signal-connected to the UWB positioning base station. The processor establishes a coordinate system according to the positioning information, and the processor obtains the coordinates of the locking devices at the other three positions of the container in the coordinate system according to the size of the container.

2. The intelligent positioning locking device for a container terminal according to claim 1, wherein, The positioning information includes distance information and azimuth information.

3. The intelligent positioning locking device for the container yard according to claim 1, characterized in that Two laser rangefinders are arranged on the same side of the driving lane to measure the distance of the container deviating from the driving lane, and the deviation angle of the container is calculated by using this distance to adjust the coordinates of the locking devices at the other three positions of the container in the coordinate system.

4. The intelligent positioning and locking device for the container terminal according to claim 3, wherein, The specific calculation method is as follows: The first laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container as a, the second laser rangefinder measures the distance between it and the container as b, and the distance between the first laser rangefinder and the second laser rangefinder is c; The deviation distance of the container is d = |a - b|, and the deviation angle θ = arctan(d / c).

5. The intelligent positioning and locking device for the container terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a size detection structure for detecting the container. The size detection structure includes a length measurement structure and a width measurement structure to measure the length and width of the container.

6. The intelligent positioning and locking device for the container terminal according to claim 5, wherein The length detection structure is arranged on a sliding structure, and the sliding structure includes: A guide rail, which is arranged on the fixing frame; Sliders, which include a first slider and a second slider. The first slider and the second slider are both slidably arranged on the guide rail; Driving motors, which include a first motor and a second motor. The first motor is connected to the first slider to drive the first slider to slide on the guide rail, and the second motor is connected to the second slider to drive the second slider to slide on the guide rail.

7. The intelligent positioning and locking device for a container terminal according to claim 6, wherein The length measurement structure includes: A first optoelectronic sensor, which is arranged on the first slider and is used to detect whether a container passes through; A second optoelectronic sensor, which is arranged on the second slider and is used to detect whether a container passes through; A first ultrasonic rangefinder, which is arranged on the first slider and is used to detect the distance between the first slider and the second slider; Among them, the first optoelectronic sensor, the second optoelectronic sensor, and the first ultrasonic rangefinder are all signal-connected to the processor. When the first optoelectronic sensor detects that the rear end of the container passes through the first optoelectronic sensor, the first optoelectronic sensor sends a signal to the processor, and the processor displays a parking message on the display screen to remind the driver to stop; The second slider drives the second optoelectronic sensor to move in the vehicle traveling direction. When the second optoelectronic sensor passes through the front end of the container, the second slider stops moving, and the first ultrasonic rangefinder measures the distance between the first slider and the second slider, which is the length of the container.

8. The intelligent positioning and locking device for a container terminal according to claim 7, characterized in that, The width measurement structure includes: A second ultrasonic rangefinder, which is arranged on the fixing frame on the left side of the vehicle traveling direction; A third ultrasonic rangefinder, which is arranged on the fixing frame on the right side of the vehicle traveling direction and is opposite to the position of the second ultrasonic rangefinder; Among them, both the second ultrasonic distance measuring sensor and the third ultrasonic distance measuring sensor are arranged on the fixing frame between the first slider and the second slider; When the first photoelectric sensor detects that the container passes by, the second ultrasonic distance measuring sensor and the third ultrasonic distance measuring sensor simultaneously measure the sum w of the distances from them to the container. The difference between the distance between the fixing frames on both sides in the vehicle traveling direction and w is the width of the container.

9. The intelligent positioning locking device for a container terminal according to claim 7, wherein The display screen is arranged in the middle of the driving lane and is directly in front of the vehicle after it stops.

10. The intelligent positioning locking device for a container terminal according to claim 7, characterized in that, Manipulators that can move along the driving lane are arranged on both sides of the driving lane. The manipulators adjust their positions according to the coordinate positions provided by the processor to realize the automatic disassembly and assembly of the container latches.

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