Angle adjusting device and angle adjusting method for electric conveying belt

Abstract

The invention discloses an electric conveyor belt angle adjusting device and an angle adjusting method, and belongs to the field of conveyors. A rotary conveyor belt assembly is arranged at the foremost end of the telescopic conveyor belt, a mobile robot is arranged at the front end of the rotary conveyor belt assembly, and a 3D camera and a mechanical arm assembly are arranged on the mobile robot; the rotary conveyor belt assembly comprises a turnover platform and a rotary conveyor belt; the head ends of the rotary conveyor belt and the telescopic conveyor belt are connected into a whole through the turnover platform; the front end of the rotary conveying belt assembly is driven by autonomous movement of the mobile robot to do planar transverse movement with the foremost end of the telescopic conveying belt as the rotation center, the position of the rotary conveying belt assembly in the boxcar is changed, and the angle and position of the electric conveying belt stretching into the boxcar are adjustable. By adjusting the conveying path of the turnover box, the picking point of the turnover box is closest to the placing point of the turnover box, and the distance between the front end of the rotary conveying belt assembly and the place where the transported turnover box needs to be placed is shortest.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of conveyor systems, and in particular relates to a method for adjusting the angle of an electric conveyor belt. Background Art

[0002] The measurement center is a place that provides power companies with automated calibration lines and intelligent warehousing.

[0003] At the metering center, calibrated meters and instrument transformers are placed in their designated containers. Meter containers are stacked five layers high, while instrument transformer containers are stacked three layers high. The stacked containers are then placed on a motorized conveyor belt, which transports them to the loading area.

[0004] Currently, the calibration process for electricity meters and instrument transformers at the metrology center is fully automated; however, the loading and unloading of meter and instrument transformer turnover boxes in and out of truck compartments is still performed manually. First, the end of the telescopic conveyor belt (also known as the conveyor belt) is extended into the interior of the transport truck compartment to place and stack the turnover boxes directly on the truck compartment floor. The loading and unloading personnel pick up the turnover boxes from the conveyor belt and place them on the floor inside the truck compartment, and then manually stack them to a height of 12 boxes of electricity meters or 5 boxes of instrument transformers.

[0005] Whenever a single or small stack of crates reaches the end of the conveyor belt (also known as the pick-up point), the conveyor belt stops until all crates at the end of the conveyor belt are removed from the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt then starts moving forward. The operator then manually pushes the stack of crates to the required position (called the drop point) and the appropriate orientation. During this operation, loading and unloading crates is a heavy physical task.

[0006] In order to improve the efficiency of loading and unloading operations, the pick-up point of the turnover box at the end of the conveyor belt should be as close as possible to the placement point of the turnover box. This can shorten the time required to pick up and place the turnover box.

[0007] Due to the rectangular structure of the freight car, the last section of the conveyor belt can only extend into the interior of the freight car through the box door (or car door) at the rear of the freight car. The shortest distance from the center of the robot arm base to the center of the target corner position of the conveyor belt entering the middle of the freight car is 1108mm. However, if the conveyor belt can move laterally, the shortest distance will be shortened to 658mm. Therefore, having a conveyor belt with a laterally movable end can shorten the distance between the pick-up and placement points, thereby reducing the physical labor intensity of turnover box loading and unloading operations and improving loading and unloading efficiency.

[0008] However, the entire conveyor line is usually composed of multiple sections (or strips) of linear conveyor belts and their supporting frames. Since the overall conveying path and equipment layout of the conveyor line are basically fixed, it is unrealistic to frequently adjust or change the position of the conveyor belt (especially the position of the last section of the conveyor belt extending into the rear of the freight car). Sometimes, due to the location or space limitations of the loading and unloading site, such changes or adjustments to the conveyor belt position are also difficult to achieve.

[0009] Similarly, it is inconvenient to try to reduce or adapt the distance between the end of the conveyor belt and the turnover box picking point to the turnover box placement point by timely adjusting the position of the truck body; because the parking position or parking space of the loading and unloading site is also relatively limited and fixed.

[0010] In order to solve this problem, the electric conveyor belt needs to have the function of being able to move or transport goods horizontally (left and right) in the freight car.

[0011] An invention patent application with a publication date of December 7, 2016 and publication number CN 106185189 A discloses an "angle-adjustable conveyor belt" comprising a conveyor device, a support rod, and a crossbar. The conveyor device is connected to the support rod via bearings, which in turn are connected to the crossbar via bearings. The conveyor device comprises drive wheels, rollers, and a conveyor belt. Drive wheels are located at each end of the conveyor belt, and rollers are located within the conveyor belt, contacting the conveyor belt. The drive wheels are connected to a connecting seat via bearings, which are connected to the support rod via bearings. The support rod is connected to the crossbar via bearings. A single-acting hydraulic cylinder is installed on the crossbar. This technical solution uses the thrust of a single-acting hydraulic cylinder to cause the crossbar to extend and retract. This extension and retraction of the crossbar raises or lowers one end of the conveyor device, creating a conveyor belt with adjustable pitch angle. The change in pitch angle increases the conveyor belt's operating range. This technical solution changes the overall pitch angle of the conveyor belt by raising or lowering one end of the conveyor device, thereby achieving adjustable pitch angle. However, since the front end of the conveyor belt coincides with the longitudinal axis of the conveyor belt, the conveying angle of the conveyor belt cannot be changed, so it cannot be used to solve the purpose of the present invention of having the function of being able to move horizontally at the end of the conveyor belt to shorten the distance between the picking and placing points.

[0012] The invention patent with the authorization announcement date of 2015.12.23 and the authorization announcement number CN 103449098 B discloses "a conveyor belt device with adjustable size", which includes an inner conveyor belt and an outer conveyor belt. The outer conveyor belt is supported by a driving wheel located above and a driven wheel located below. The inner conveyor belt is inside the outer conveyor belt, and the inner conveyor belt is supported by a support wheel. A height adjustment structure is provided between the upper part of the outer conveyor belt and the upper part of the inner conveyor belt. The height adjustment structure is: the upper pulley is connected to the lower pulley through support rods on both sides, and the angle between the two support rods is adjustable. When the turnover boxes of the conveyor belt device provided by the present invention reach the end of the conveyor belt (also called the picking point), the conveyor belt will stop running until all the turnover boxes at the end of the conveyor belt are transported off the conveyor belt; then the conveyor belt starts to move forward again; then the operator manually pushes the turnover box stack to the desired position (called the placement point). When the turnover boxes reach the end of the conveyor belt (also called the picking point), the conveyor belt will stop running until all the turnover boxes at the end of the conveyor belt are transported off the conveyor belt; then the conveyor belt starts to move forward again; then the operator manually pushes the turnover box stack to the desired position (called the placement point). The height can be effectively adjusted and can play a shock-absorbing role. This technical solution can adjust the height of the conveyor belt without changing its footprint, but it cannot achieve the function of the end of the conveyor belt being able to move laterally (or adjust), and still cannot meet the purpose of the present invention of having the function of being able to move laterally at the end of the conveyor belt to shorten the distance between the picking and placement points. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electric conveyor belt with adjustable angle device and angle adjustment method. It solves the purpose of "shortening the distance between the pick-up and placement points" by adding a set of rotatable conveyor belts (also known as a minimized rotation conveyor belt assembly) to the end of the existing telescopic conveyor belt. The rotatable conveyor belt actually adds a function to the existing conveyor belt system: the conveying path / angle of the turnover box can be adjusted at the end of the conveyor belt; this means that the end of the conveyor belt can easily achieve a lateral movement mode (or lateral transmission) in the truck, so that the pickup point of the turnover box is closest to the placement point, and a more compact robotic arm system can be used to place and stack the turnover boxes at any position in the truck compartment.

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention is to provide an electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device, including a telescopic conveyor belt, which is characterized by:

[0015] A rotating conveyor assembly is provided at the front end of the telescopic conveyor, and a mobile robot is provided at the front end of the rotating conveyor assembly, wherein a 3D camera and a mechanical arm assembly are provided on the mobile robot;

[0016] The front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly constitutes the pickup point for the transported turnover box;

[0017] The rotating conveyor belt assembly includes a turnover platform and a rotating conveyor belt; the rotating conveyor belt and the head end of the telescopic conveyor belt are connected as a whole through the turnover platform;

[0018] The mobile robot is movably arranged at the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly. Through the autonomous movement of the mobile robot, the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly is driven to make a horizontal plane movement with the front end of the telescopic conveyor belt as the rotation center, thereby changing the position of the rotating conveyor belt assembly in the truck compartment, and realizing the adjustable angle and position of the electric conveyor belt extending into the truck compartment. By adjusting the conveying path of the turnover box, the picking point of the turnover box is made closest to the placement point of the turnover box, so as to achieve the shortest distance between the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the location where the transported turnover box needs to be placed.

[0019] Specifically, the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device uses a 3D camera installed at the front end of the mobile robot to scan the interior of the freight car. Based on the scanning information, it decides where to place the first batch of turnover boxes. On the one hand, it improves the automatic control capability of the telescopic conveyor belt, and on the other hand, it also improves the intelligence level of the operation of placing / stacking the turnover boxes in the freight car.

[0020] Furthermore, the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device collects images captured by a 3D camera and uses a spatial visualization algorithm to confirm the placement position of the turnover box in the truck compartment, and operates the system to make the picking point of the turnover box closest to the placement point of the turnover box. By changing the planar position of the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly in the truck compartment, the planar angle between the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the telescopic conveyor belt is changed, thereby reducing the distance between the picking point and the placement point.

[0021] Specifically, two vertical small electric conveyor belts are arranged vertically between the front end exit of the telescopic conveyor belt and the head end entrance of the rotating conveyor belt, which serve as guardrails and have a guiding / guiding function; ensuring that the orientation of the turnover box does not change when it passes through the turnover platform and enters the rotating conveyor belt.

[0022] Furthermore, the mobile robot is fixed to the bottom of the rotating conveyor belt to serve as a support between it and the ground; the mobile robot also serves as a transverse driver of the rotating conveyor belt.

[0023] Specifically, a robotic arm assembly is vertically arranged on the mobile robot, and the robotic arm assembly serves as a picking and placing mechanism for the turnover box.

[0024] Furthermore, the turnover platform includes a set of correspondingly arranged and mutually matching guide rails and sliders; the end of the telescopic conveyor belt is connected to the turnover platform as a whole; the guide rail is an arc-shaped guide rail, and the guide rail is fixed on the extended structure of the turnover platform; the slider is fixed to the arc-shaped recessed structure at the head end of the rotating conveyor belt as a whole; when the slider slides along the guide rail, the minimum gap between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform is ensured to allow a smooth transition of the turnover box.

[0025] Furthermore, spherical rollers are provided on the upper surface of the turnover platform so that the turnover boxes being transported can change their movement direction and angle without resistance according to the angle of the rotating conveyor belt.

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention further provides a method for adjusting the angle of the above-mentioned electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device, which is characterized by being performed according to the following steps:

[0027] 1) Confirm that the truck compartment is empty, the compartment door is open, and the rotating conveyor belt assembly is rotated to 0° and located at the entrance of the truck compartment;

[0028] 2) Use a 3D camera to scan the interior of the truck to determine the target location of the turnover box, the origin, the front center of the 3D camera, and the center point of the target location;

[0029] 3) Determine the extension or retraction distance E of the existing telescopic conveyor belt and the rotation angle θ between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform;

[0030] 4) Extend or retract the existing telescopic conveyor belt to a distance E;

[0031] 5) Adjust the rotation angle between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform to θ and start the vertical small electric conveyor belt;

[0032] 6) Place the turnover box on the conveyor belt and start all conveyor belts;

[0033] 7) When the turnover box reaches the end of the rotating conveyor belt, stop the conveyor belt and let the robotic arm assembly pick up and place the turnover box to the target location until all the turnover boxes at the end of the rotating conveyor belt are picked up and placed.

[0034] Specifically, in the carousel assembly, the pivot point between the turnover platform and the carousel assembly is defined as the origin (0, 0);

[0035] The frontmost point of the rotating conveyor assembly is the front center of the 3D camera (Cx, Cy);

[0036] The rotation direction of the vertical small electric conveyor is determined by the value of θ;

[0037] When the synthetic deviation angle is positive, the drive wheel inside the vertical small electric conveyor belt will rotate counterclockwise, and when the synthetic angle is negative, the drive wheel inside the vertical small electric conveyor belt will rotate clockwise;

[0038] The composite angle is the sum of all deviation angles from the starting point of the loading task allocation.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0040] 1. The technical solution of the present invention adds a set of rotatable conveyor belts at the end of the existing telescopic conveyor belt, which can adjust the conveying path / angle of the turnover boxes at the end of the conveyor belt. The end of the conveyor belt can then be conveniently moved horizontally (or called horizontal conveying) within the truck, and a more compact robotic arm system can be used to place and stack turnover boxes at any location within the truck compartment.

[0041] 2. The technical solution of the present invention uses images captured by a 3D camera to confirm the placement of the turnover box in the truck compartment and manipulate the system to bring the turnover box pickup point closest to the placement point. In addition to extending or shortening the existing telescopic conveyor belt, the angle of the conveyor belt can also be changed to reduce the distance between the pickup point and the placement point.

[0042] 3. The technical solution of the present invention uses a 3D camera installed at the front end of the mobile robot to scan the interior of the freight car. Based on the scanned information, it decides where to place the first batch of turnover boxes. On the one hand, it improves the automatic control capability of the telescopic conveyor belt, and on the other hand, it also improves the intelligence level of the operation of placing / stacking the turnover boxes in the freight car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device of the present invention;

[0044] Figures 2a to 2d It is a schematic diagram of the partial details of the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3a and Figure 3b Schematic diagram of minimizing the distance between the front center point and the target point of the rotating conveyor belt assembly according to the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the rotation direction of the driving wheel of the small vertical conveyor belt of the present invention when the total deviation angle is given;

[0047] Figure 5 It is a schematic block diagram of the overall process of the method for adjusting the angle of the electric conveyor belt of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6a1. It is a schematic diagram showing relevant numerical values ​​of the first embodiment of the present invention and calculating the extension length of the existing telescopic conveyor belt;

[0049] Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of the effect after adjusting the extension length and angle in column 1;

[0050] Figure 6c yes Figure 6a A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure;

[0051] Figure 7a 1. It is a schematic diagram showing relevant numerical values ​​of the second embodiment of the present invention and calculating the extension length of the existing telescopic conveyor belt;

[0052] Figure 7b 2 is a schematic diagram showing the effect of adjusting the extension length and angle according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] In the figure, 1 is the robotic arm assembly, 2 is the rotating conveyor assembly, 2a is the turnover platform, 2b is the rotating conveyor, 2c is the guide rail, 2d is the slider, 3 is the mobile robot, 4 is the telescopic conveyor, 5 is the vertical small electric conveyor, 5a is the guide limit plate, 6 is the 3D camera, 7 is the floor inside the freight compartment, 8 is the pivot point between the turnover platform and the rotating conveyor assembly, 9 is the front end point of the rotating conveyor assembly, 10 is the center point of the target position, 11 is the center line of the system, 12 is the turnover box buffer boundary, 13 is the imaginary line, 14 is the extension or retraction value of the telescopic conveyor, and 15 is the angle θ between the center line of the conveyor and the imaginary line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0055] A belt conveyor is a continuous conveying machine that uses a conveyor belt as both a traction and load-bearing component. The conveyor belt is wound around a drive pulley and bend pulleys, with appropriate tension applied by a tensioning device. During operation, the belt is driven by a drive unit, and friction between the drive pulley and the conveyor belt causes the belt to move. Materials are continuously loaded onto the conveyor belt and move along with it, thus conveying the materials.

[0056] The telescopic conveyor is a tool for loading products into the truck compartment. By implementing the technical solution of the present invention, adding a robotic arm and adopting a spatial visualization algorithm, the loading process can be fully automated.

[0057] In the technical solution of the present invention, further improvements are made by implementing a method for adjusting the angle of the electric conveyor belt to shorten the pick and place time and reduce the investment cost of large robotic arms.

[0058] In other words, the technical solution of the present invention is to add another vertical rotating shaft structure (also called a rotating shaft combination structure) at the front end of the electric conveyor belt (from the perspective of the flow direction of cargo transportation, it should be the end of the cargo running route of the electric conveyor belt), and set a rotating conveyor belt assembly on the rotating shaft. By adjusting the angle between the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the center line of the electric conveyor belt, the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly can be rotated in a plane around the electric conveyor belt, so that the picking point of the turnover box is closest to the placement point of the turnover box. By changing the plane position of the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly in the truck compartment and changing the plane angle between the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the telescopic conveyor belt, the distance between the picking point and the placement point is reduced to improve the accuracy of placing the turnover box in the truck compartment.

[0059] The technical solution of the present invention is a motorized conveyor system that determines the placement of turnover boxes in the truck compartment and operates the system so that the pickup point of the turnover box is closest to the placement point. In this way, in addition to extending or shortening the existing telescopic conveyor, the angle of the conveyor belt can also be changed. In actual use, the use of this motorized conveyor system with variable angle can reduce the distance between the pickup point and the placement point by up to 41% (from 1108mm to 658mm).

[0060] In the technical solution of the present invention, a rotating shaft combination structure is added to the conveyor belt to allow the end of the conveyor belt to move laterally. This is achieved by adding a rotating conveyor belt assembly between the robotic arm assembly and the existing telescopic conveyor belt.

[0061] exist Figure 1 In the technical solution of the present invention, a telescopic conveyor belt 4 is provided at the front end of the telescopic conveyor belt, a rotating conveyor belt assembly 2 is provided at the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly, a mobile robot 3 is provided, and a 3D camera 6 and a robotic arm assembly 1 are provided on the mobile robot.

[0062] The rotating conveyor belt assembly includes a turnover platform 2a and a rotating conveyor belt 2b; the rotating conveyor belt and the head end of the telescopic conveyor belt are connected as a whole through the turnover platform.

[0063] Furthermore, two vertical small electric conveyor belts 5 are correspondingly arranged vertically between the front end (exit) of the telescopic conveyor belt and the head end (inlet) of the rotating conveyor belt.

[0064] A pair of guide and limiting plates 5a may also be provided on both sides of the end (exit) of the rotating conveyor belt.

[0065] The robotic arm assembly 1 is arranged on the top of the mobile robot 3, which is exactly at the end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly 2; the rotating conveyor belt assembly is connected to the existing telescopic conveyor belt 4, and the rotating conveyor belt assembly is composed of a turnover platform 2a and a rotating conveyor belt 2b: the turnover platform is a rotating base connected to the end of the existing telescopic conveyor belt.

[0066] Two vertical small electric conveyor belts 5 are arranged between the turnover platform and the existing telescopic conveyor belt. The vertical small electric conveyor belts are arranged on both sides of the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform. The two vertical small electric conveyor belts act as guardrails and have a guiding / guiding function. When the direction of the rotating conveyor belt is different from the direction of the turnover platform, it can ensure that the orientation of the turnover box will not change when it passes through the turnover platform and enters the rotating conveyor belt.

[0067] The mobile robot 3 is fixed to the bottom of the rotating conveyor belt, serving as a support for the ground 7 (see Figure 3a ), and also serves as a lateral drive for the rotating conveyor belt; connected to the mobile robot is a robotic arm assembly 1, which serves as a picking and placing mechanism for the turnover box.

[0068] Since the mobile robot has the function of autonomous movement, it can drive / drive the front end of the rotating conveyor belt 2b to move in an arc shape (or called plane rotation, simply called rotation) around the center of the rotation axis of the turnover platform 2a, that is, the plane movement trajectory of the front end of the rotating conveyor belt 2b is an arc with the rotation axis of the turnover platform 2a as the center.

[0069] In order to use the spatial visualization algorithm, a set of 3D cameras 6 is set up to load the front end of the mobile robot, and the center point of the front face of the 3D camera represents the front end of the entire rotating conveyor assembly.

[0070] like Figures 2a to 2d As described in, in order to allow the rotating conveyor 2b to rotate smoothly on the turnover platform 2a, a set of matching guide rail and slider structure systems are used: the guide rail 2c is installed on the extended structure on the turnover platform, and the slider 2d is connected to the recessed structure of the rotating conveyor. The overall effect is to ensure a minimum gap between the rotating conveyor and the turnover platform to allow a smooth transition of the turnover box.

[0071] Before the tote is delivered to the freight car, the carousel assembly will adopt the default configuration: there is no deviation angle between the carousel assembly and the existing telescopic conveyor, and the carousel assembly will be manually placed / positioned at the edge of the empty freight car entrance (equivalent to defining the starting position).

[0072] Before the turnover boxes are placed on the entire conveyor system, it is assumed that the control system knows the specifications of the turnover boxes; as mentioned earlier, the two types of turnover boxes differ only in height: the turnover boxes for electricity meters are 120mm high and need to be stacked 12 layers in the freight car, and the turnover boxes for transformers are 200mm high and need to be stacked 5 layers high.

[0073] The rotating conveyor belt assembly uses a 3D camera installed on the front end of the mobile robot to scan the interior of the truck compartment. Based on the scan information, the control system can decide where to place the first batch of turnover boxes. This operation can be performed using the spatial visualization algorithm tool software currently on the market.

[0074] The applicant believes that the use of a mobile robot to drive the movement of the rotating conveyor belt, the use of a 3D camera to scan the interior of the freight car, and the use of a spatial visualization algorithm tool software to realize the spatial visualization function of the interior of the freight car are all prior arts; after mastering the idea of ​​solving the problem by the technical solution of the present invention, the technical personnel in this field can clearly understand how to implement the relevant technical solutions and functions. Therefore, the relevant structures and specific implementation methods such as the mobile robot, 3D camera, and scanning the interior space of the freight car will not be further described here.

[0075] Assuming the target location for the first batch of crates is on the leftmost inner side of the truck bed, on floor panel 7, the carousel assembly will move to a position determined by the target location while minimizing the distance between the center of the target location and the center of the front of the 3D camera (which is fixed and represents the front-most point on the carousel assembly). This is achieved by moving the carousel assembly longitudinally along the existing telescopic conveyor. The mobile robot will move to change the angle between the carousel and the existing telescopic conveyor, ultimately resulting in the robotic arm assembly being positioned to most efficiently pick up and place the crates.

[0076] exist Figure 3a The first step to achieve this is to assume that all relevant points lie on a two-dimensional (XY) plane, namely the floor 7 of the interior of the truck bed.

[0077] First, assume that entering the truck container is the positive Y direction (or positive Y axis). From the observation point outside the truck, moving to the right is the positive X (or positive X axis), and clockwise angles are positive.

[0078] The second step is to define three relevant points of interest: in the carousel assembly, the pivot point 8 between the turnover platform and the carousel assembly is defined as the origin (0, 0), the front end point 9 of the carousel assembly, which is the front center of the 3D camera (Cx, Cy), and the center point of the target position (Tx, Ty).

[0079] The third step is to make two assumptions: First, since there is no deviation angle between the rotating conveyor assembly and the existing telescopic conveyor, the line segment from (0, 0) to (Cx, Cy) will be assumed to be the centerline of the system 11.

[0080] Secondly, an imaginary boundary needs to be established around the target crate (otherwise the rotating conveyor assembly will collide with the crate): the crate buffer boundary 12 can be defined as a circle that just contains the top outside of the crate, with its center at the target point, and the critical distance is the radius of the circle boundary is 460mm.

[0081] In order to place the carousel assembly in a position to maximize pick and place efficiency (minimize the XY plane distance between the frontmost point of the carousel assembly 9, i.e., the front center of the 3D camera (Cx, Cy), and the center point (Tx, Ty) 10 of the target location on the carousel assembly), the center point (Cx, Cy) needs to be moved to a point that touches the boundary of the target tote, and the carousel needs to point to the target point (Tx, Ty). This involves 2 steps: Figure 3b In the process, the extension or retraction value E14 of the existing telescopic conveyor belt is calculated first. This is done by connecting an imaginary line 13 from the target position (Tx, Ty) 10 to the center line 11. The length of this imaginary line 13 is the distance from (0, 0) to (Cx, Cy) plus the target turnover box boundary radius of 460 mm. The distance from the origin (0, 0) to the intersection of this imaginary line and the center line of the conveyor belt is the extension or retraction value E of the telescopic conveyor belt. Subsequently, the angle θ between the center line of the conveyor belt and the imaginary line 13 is calculated (indicated by mark 15 in the figure).

[0082] The distance from the origin (0,0) to the front center (Cx, Cy) of the 3D camera is Cy. Since Cx = 0, the length of the line from the target point to the imaginary line 13 is Cy + 460 mm, so the telescopic value is The angle from the center line to the imaginary line is θ = tan -1 [Tx / (Ty-E)].

[0083] Once the extension (retraction) distance E and the rotation angle θ are determined, the first step is for the mobile robot to drive the rotating conveyor belt to the desired angle, and the wheels of the mobile robot will be configured to travel in an arc with a radius between the center of the wheel and (0, 0); the second step is to extend (retract) the existing telescopic conveyor belt with the cooperation of the mobile robot by rotating its wheels to the Y direction and allowing the existing telescopic conveyor belt to be driven to extend (retract).

[0084] Once the carousel assembly is in place, the turnover box can begin to be transported on the conveying system (i.e. the aforementioned conveyor belt): when the turnover box reaches the end of the existing telescopic conveyor belt, it will enter the turnover platform of the carousel assembly, and the turnover platform will continue to transport the turnover box on it for 1 meter in the same direction until it reaches the spherical roller area before the carousel belt.

[0085] The spherical rollers enable the crates to change their angle of motion without resistance according to the angle of the rotating conveyor belt.

[0086] The rotating conveyor belt and the vertical small electric conveyor belts on both sides of the turnover platform ensure that the orientation of the turnover box will not change due to changes in angles; Figure 4 As shown in , the front corner of the turnover box 14 will be pulled forward and the rear corner will be pushed back. This means that when the composite deviation angle is positive, the two sets of drive wheels inside the vertical small electric conveyor 15 will rotate counterclockwise, and when the composite angle is negative, they will rotate clockwise.

[0087] In other words, if the sum of all deviation angles from the starting point of the loading task is positive (Σθ>0), the drive wheel of the vertical small electric conveyor will rotate counterclockwise. When Σθ<0(16), the drive wheel of the vertical small electric conveyor will rotate clockwise. For details, see Figure 4 As shown in the mark number 17.

[0088] Once the turnover box reaches the middle of the carousel, the fixed baffle will guide the turnover box to the center of the carousel. Once the turnover box reaches the end of the carousel, the carousel will stop and wait for the robot assembly to pick up the current turnover box. Once all the turnover boxes at the end of the carousel are picked up, the carousel will advance and deliver more turnover boxes. For details, please refer to Figure 5 As shown in .

[0089] In summary, from Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the detailed steps are as follows:

[0090] 1) Confirm that the truck compartment is empty, the compartment door is open, and the rotating conveyor belt assembly is rotated at an angle of 0° and located at the entrance of the truck compartment;

[0091] 2) Use a 3D camera to scan the interior of the truck to determine the target location of the turnover box, the origin, the front center of the 3D camera, and the center point of the target location;

[0092] 3) Determine the extension or retraction distance (E) of the existing telescopic conveyor belt and the rotation angle (θ) between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform;

[0093] 4) Extend or retract the existing telescopic conveyor belt to a distance E;

[0094] 5) Adjust the rotation angle between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform to θ and start the small vertical conveyor belt (rotate clockwise or counterclockwise according to the θ value);

[0095] 6) Place the turnover box on the conveyor belt and start all conveyor belts;

[0096] 7) When the turnover box reaches the end of the rotating conveyor, stop the conveyor and let the robot assembly pick up and place the turnover box to the target location until all the turnover boxes at the end of the rotating conveyor are picked up and placed.

[0097] The truck is empty and is loaded with turnover boxes for the first time:

[0098] 1): Assume the origin coordinates are (0,0) and the front center of the 3D camera (Cx, Cy) = (0,3936.50);

[0099] 2): Use a 3D camera to scan the inside of the truck to obtain the center coordinates of the target turnover box. Assume that the coordinates (Tx, Ty) are (-925, 5639.60);

[0100] 3): Calculate the expansion value = 5639.60-4298.09 = 1341.51;

[0101] 4): Calculate the angle from the center line to the imaginary line 13 = -12.15°;

[0102] 5): Calculate the sum of all deviation angles of the starting point of the loading task allocation, Σθ=-12.15°;

[0103] 6): Extend the existing telescopic conveyor belt by 1341.51mm;

[0104] 7): Rotate the rotating conveyor belt assembly counterclockwise by -12.15°.

[0105] 8): The sum of all deviation angles at the starting point of the loading task allocation, Σθ<0, so the driving wheel inside the small vertical conveyor will rotate clockwise.

[0106] Depend on Figure 6a As shown in the figure, it can be seen that: the relevant values ​​of embodiment 1 and the calculation of the existing telescopic conveyor belt extension length (1341.51).

[0107] Depend on Figure 6b and Figure 6c As shown in the figure: the situation after the existing telescopic conveyor belt is extended and the angle of the rotating conveyor belt assembly is changed in Implementation Column 1, including the front center point of the final 3D camera being located on the 460mm boundary of the turnover box.

[0108] Implementation 2:

[0109] The first row of turnover boxes has been loaded in the truck compartment:

[0110] 1): Assume the origin coordinate is (0,0);

[0111] 2): The center coordinates of the target turnover box, assuming that the coordinates (Tx, Ty) are (-922.84, 3461.36);

[0112] 3): Calculate the expansion value but use the center line Cy(3936.50), = 3461.36-4298.56 = -837.20;

[0113] 4): Calculate the angle from the center line to the imaginary line 13 = -12.12°;

[0114] 5) Calculate the sum of all deviation angles of the starting point of the loading task allocation (Σθ): (-12.15°) + (+12.15°) + (+12°) + (-12°) + (-12.15°) = -12.15°;

[0115] 6): Retract the existing telescopic conveyor belt to 837.20mm;

[0116] 7): The sum of all deviation angles at the starting point of the loading task allocation, Σθ<0, so the driving wheel inside the small vertical conveyor will rotate clockwise.

[0117] Depend on Figure 7a As shown in , it can be seen that: the relevant values ​​of embodiment 2 and the calculation of the existing telescopic conveyor belt extension length (-837.20) and the current angle difference is +12 and needs to be rotated counterclockwise by 12.12°.

[0118] Depend on Figure 7b As shown in the figure: the situation after the existing telescopic conveyor belt is extended and the angle of the rotating conveyor belt assembly is changed in Implementation Column 2, including the front center point of the final 3D camera being located on the 460mm boundary of the turnover box.

[0119] The technical solution of the present invention is to solve the problem by adding a set of rotatable conveyor belts at the end of the existing telescopic conveyor belt. The rotatable conveyor belt actually adds a function to the existing conveyor belt system: the path angle of the turnover box can be adjusted before the end, which means that the end of the conveyor belt can be moved laterally in the truck, and a more compact robotic arm system can be used to place and stack the turnover boxes at any position in the truck compartment.

[0120] The invention can be widely used in the field of design and manufacture of electric conveyor belt devices.

Claims

1. An electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device, including a telescopic conveyor belt, characterized by: A rotating conveyor assembly is provided at the front end of the telescopic conveyor, and a mobile robot is provided at the front end of the rotating conveyor assembly, wherein a 3D camera and a mechanical arm assembly are provided on the mobile robot; The front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly constitutes the pickup point for the transported turnover box; The rotating conveyor belt assembly includes a turnover platform and a rotating conveyor belt; the rotating conveyor belt and the head end of the telescopic conveyor belt are connected as a whole through the turnover platform; The mobile robot is movably arranged at the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly. Through the autonomous movement of the mobile robot, the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly is driven to make a horizontal plane movement with the front end of the telescopic conveyor belt as the rotation center, thereby changing the position of the rotating conveyor belt assembly in the truck compartment, and realizing the adjustable angle and position of the electric conveyor belt extending into the truck compartment. By adjusting the conveying path of the turnover box, the picking point of the turnover box is made closest to the placement point of the turnover box, so as to achieve the shortest distance between the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the location where the transported turnover box needs to be placed.

2. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device uses a 3D camera installed at the front end of the mobile robot to scan the interior of the freight car. Based on the scanning information, it decides where to place the first batch of turnover boxes. On the one hand, it improves the automatic control capability of the telescopic conveyor belt, and on the other hand, it also improves the intelligence level of the operation of placing / stacking turnover boxes in the freight car.

3. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device collects images captured by a 3D camera and uses a spatial visualization algorithm to confirm the placement position of the turnover box in the truck compartment, and operates the system to make the pickup point of the turnover box closest to the placement point of the turnover box. By changing the plane position of the front end of the rotating conveyor belt assembly in the truck compartment, the plane angle between the rotating conveyor belt assembly and the telescopic conveyor belt is changed, thereby reducing the distance between the pickup point and the placement point.

4. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that Two small vertical electric conveyor belts are set between the front end exit of the telescopic conveyor belt and the head end entrance of the rotating conveyor belt to act as guardrails with a guiding / guiding function, ensuring that the orientation of the turnover box does not change when it passes through the turnover platform and enters the rotating conveyor belt.

5. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that The mobile robot is fixed to the bottom of the rotating conveyor belt and serves as a support between the rotating conveyor belt and the ground; the mobile robot also serves as a transverse driver of the rotating conveyor belt.

6. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1 is characterized in that a mechanical arm assembly is vertically arranged on the mobile robot, and the mechanical arm assembly serves as a picking and placing mechanism for the turnover box.

7. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that The turnover platform includes a set of correspondingly arranged and mutually matching guide rails and sliders; The end of the telescopic conveyor belt is connected to the turnover platform as a whole; The guide rail is an arc-shaped guide rail, which is fixed on the expansion structure of the turnover platform; The slider is fixedly connected to the arc-shaped concave structure at the head end of the rotating conveyor belt; As the slider moves along the guide rail, a minimum gap is ensured between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform to allow for a smooth transition of the turnover box.

8. The electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that The upper surface of the turnover platform is provided with spherical rollers so that the turnover boxes being transported can change their movement direction and angle without resistance according to the angle of the rotating conveyor belt.

9. A method for adjusting the angle of the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 1, characterized in that Follow these steps: 1) Confirm that the truck compartment is empty, the compartment door is open, and the rotating conveyor belt assembly is rotated to 0° and located at the entrance of the truck compartment; 2) Use a 3D camera to scan the interior of the truck to determine the target location of the turnover box, the origin, the front center of the 3D camera, and the center point of the target location; 3) Determine the extension or retraction distance E of the existing telescopic conveyor belt and the rotation angle θ between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform; 4) Extend or retract the existing telescopic conveyor belt to a distance E; 5) Adjust the rotation angle between the rotating conveyor belt and the turnover platform to θ and start the vertical small electric conveyor belt; 6) Place the turnover box on the conveyor belt and start all conveyor belts; 7) When the turnover box reaches the end of the rotating conveyor belt, stop the conveyor belt and let the robotic arm assembly pick up and place the turnover box to the target location until all the turnover boxes at the end of the rotating conveyor belt are picked up and placed.

10. The angle adjustment method of the electric conveyor belt adjustable angle device according to claim 9, characterized in that In the carousel assembly, the pivot point between the turnover platform and the carousel assembly is defined as the origin (0, 0); The frontmost point of the rotating conveyor assembly is the front center of the 3D camera (Cx, Cy); The rotation direction of the vertical small electric conveyor is determined by the value of θ; When the synthetic deviation angle is positive, the drive wheel inside the vertical small electric conveyor belt will rotate counterclockwise, and when the synthetic angle is negative, the drive wheel inside the vertical small electric conveyor belt will rotate clockwise; The composite angle is the sum of all deviation angles from the starting point of the loading task allocation.

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