Modular omnidirectional mobile robot and adaptive intelligent track system

Abstract

This invention discloses a modular omnidirectional mobile robot and an adaptive intelligent track system, relating to the field of suspended conveying technology. It includes a vehicle body and a track assembly and a suspension assembly installed within the vehicle body. The suspension assembly includes a winding roller and a cable wound around the winding roller. A base is rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the cable, and a strapping strap is mounted on the base. One end of the strapping strap passes through the base and is movably engaged with it. Several evenly distributed positioning holes are formed on the strapping strap. A rigid rod is rotatably mounted at the bottom of the vehicle body, and a hook is rotatably mounted on the rigid rod. With the strapping strap passing through the base, the hook passes through two positioning holes. This invention, through the engagement of the hook and the positioning holes on the strapping strap, limits the positioning holes to prevent the strapping strap from falling off. Furthermore, by hooking the strapping strap, it also limits the cable. When the object stops suddenly, the rigid rod pulls the cable, greatly reducing damage to the cable caused by the inertia of the object during sudden stops.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of suspended conveying technology, specifically to a modular omnidirectional mobile robot and an adaptive intelligent track system. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional overhead cranes, cantilever cranes, and other similar equipment have some inherent drawbacks when transporting workpieces. For example, their degrees of freedom of movement are limited, allowing only unidirectional movement along a fixed track (X-axis or Y-axis), making multi-angle path planning impossible. They also require detours around factory columns, leading to efficiency losses. Furthermore, they suffer from low space utilization: ground tracks occupy operating space, exacerbate ground traffic hazards, and fixed conveyor structures are difficult to adapt to changes in production layout.

[0003] Currently, there are some improved lifting and conveying devices, such as the suspended crane disclosed in European patent application 23200815.1, which discloses a tracked vehicle with multiple suspension elements, including a vehicle body and lifting components mounted on the vehicle body. This device has two sets of track units symmetrically installed. When the tracks rotate, the hooks on them continuously engage with the guide rails above, thereby moving the vehicle body in a direction perpendicular to the guide rails. Rollers that cooperate with the guide rails are mounted on the hooks, and the vehicle body moves along the guide rail direction when subjected to a force parallel to the guide rails. Therefore, this device allows the vehicle body to move bidirectionally along the X and Y axes. By decoupling the X and Y axis movements, the track units alternately couple / decouple within the track grooves, achieving omnidirectional movement in a two-dimensional plane.

[0004] The aforementioned lifting robot can perform precise transport within the guide rail coverage area. In some practical applications, such as in factories or warehouses, it is often necessary to lift and transport heavy, long, narrow objects like steel beams. This requires the use of two lifting robots working together, suspending the object at both ends and then transporting it synchronously. Because the transported object is heavy, if a sudden stop occurs during transport, the object continues to move under its inertial force, which will generate a huge tension on the suspension cable in a short period of time, potentially even breaking the cable. To avoid this, the only common approach is to reduce the robot's transport speed to decrease the inertia of the transported object, but this undoubtedly reduces the overall transport efficiency. Therefore, how to reduce the damage to the suspension cable caused by the inertia of the suspended object due to a sudden stop without reducing the transport speed is a problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular omnidirectional mobile robot and an adaptive intelligent track system to address the aforementioned shortcomings in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a modular omnidirectional mobile robot, comprising a vehicle body and a track assembly and a suspension assembly installed within the vehicle body. The suspension assembly includes a winding roller and a cable wound around the winding roller. A base is rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the cable, and a strapping strap is mounted on the base. One end of the strapping strap passes through the base and is movably engaged with the base. Several evenly distributed positioning holes are provided on the strapping strap. A rigid rod is rotatably mounted at the bottom of the vehicle body, and a hook is rotatably mounted on the rigid rod. With the strapping strap passing through the base, the hook passes through two positioning holes.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hook includes a connecting block that rotates with a rigid rod and a hook-shaped portion that slides with the connecting block, the hook-shaped portion being a three-quarters arc shape.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a guide block that cooperates with the strapping is fixedly installed at the bottom of the base.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rigid rod includes a top section that rotatably engages with the bottom of the vehicle body and an arc-shaped guide rail on which the bottom of the top section is fixedly installed, and a bottom section that rotatably engages with the connecting block is slidably installed on the arc-shaped guide rail.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom section is equipped with a claw that cooperates with the arc-shaped guide rail, and the claw is equipped with balls that roll in cooperation with the arc-shaped guide rail.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle body is equipped with a motor for driving the track assembly to move and a battery pack for powering the motor. A first conductive rod that is stationary relative to the vehicle body and a second conductive rod that moves vertically relative to the vehicle body are fixedly installed between the motor and the battery pack.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a rotating arm is mounted on the vehicle body at a position corresponding to the lower part of the second conductive rod via a pin, and a support rod for lifting the second conductive rod is vertically slidably mounted on the rotating arm; the second conductive rod is arc-shaped and coaxial with the rotating shaft of the rotating arm.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end of the rotating arm is connected to a horizontal sleeve by a telescopic spring, and a connecting arm is slidably installed between the sleeves of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots; a sealing ring is installed at the end of the connecting arm, and a T-shaped groove communicating with the inside of the sleeve is opened inside the connecting arm, and a sealing plug is installed at one end of the T-shaped groove.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top support rod is provided with a plate-shaped portion, the plate-shaped portion having an inclined groove, and a circular roller that cooperates with the inclined groove is mounted on the sleeve via a rigid arm.

[0015] The adaptive intelligent track system, working in conjunction with the aforementioned modular omnidirectional mobile robot, includes several parallel I-beam guide rails and crossbeams connecting the various I-beam guide rails. The vehicle body is equipped with charging interfaces for recharging the track components, and the adaptive intelligent track system includes charging stations that mate with these charging interfaces.

[0016] In the above technical solution, the modular omnidirectional mobile robot provided by the present invention has a rotatable rigid rod installed on the vehicle body, and a hook installed at the bottom of the rigid rod. By cooperating with the positioning hole on the strapping, the positioning hole is limited to ensure that the strapping will not fall off. On the other hand, because the strapping is hooked, the cable is also limited. When the object stops suddenly, the rigid rod will pull the cable, which greatly reduces the damage to the cable caused by the inertia of the object due to the sudden stop.

[0017] In this invention, when two robots cooperate to transport long objects, if one robot malfunctions and stops suddenly, the other robot will also automatically stop suddenly in a very short time. The relative distance between the two robots can always remain stable, avoiding the situation where the object falls off the strapping due to the relative movement of the two robots. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first three-dimensional structure of the modular omnidirectional mobile robot in the embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second three-dimensional structure of the modular omnidirectional mobile robot in the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the sleeve and connecting arm in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the sleeve and connecting arm in the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the initial state of the hook in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the top support rod in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a partial structural diagram of the track assembly in the embodiment.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Car body; 2. Winding roller; 3. Cable; 4. Base; 5. Bundling strap; 501. Positioning hole; 6. Rigid rod; 601. Top section; 602. Arc-shaped guide rail; 603. Bottom section; 604. Hanging claw; 7. Hook; 701. Connecting block; 702. Hook-shaped part; 8. Guide block; 9. Motor; 10. Battery pack; 11. First conductive rod; 12. Second conductive rod; 13. Rotating arm; 14. Top support rod; 1401. Inclined groove; 15. Telescopic spring; 16. Sleeve; 17. Connecting arm; 1701. T-slot; 18. Sealing plug; 19. Circular roller; 20. I-beam guide rail; 21. Crossbeam. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a modular omnidirectional mobile robot and an adaptive intelligent track system that works in conjunction with it. The modular omnidirectional mobile robot includes a vehicle body 1 and a track assembly and a suspension assembly installed within the vehicle body 1. The specific structure of the track assembly is prior art and will not be described in detail here. The suspension assembly includes a winding roller 2 and a cable 3 wound around the winding roller 2. The specific structure of the suspension assembly is prior art. The adaptive intelligent track system includes several parallel I-beam guide rails 20 and crossbeams 21 connecting each I-beam guide rail 20. The crossbeams 21 are fixedly installed on the crossbeams of a warehouse or workshop by fasteners. The track assembly cooperates with the I-beam guide rails 20. When the track assembly is working, the vehicle body 1 moves horizontally along a direction perpendicular to the I-beam guide rails 20 (i.e., the X-axis direction). The modular omnidirectional mobile robot also includes a Y-axis drive assembly for driving the vehicle body 1 to move along a direction parallel to the I-beam guide rails 20. The specific structure of the Y-axis drive assembly is prior art and will not be described in detail here. This modular omnidirectional mobile robot, through the cooperation of its tracked assembly and Y-axis drive assembly, can achieve X-axis, Y-axis, and diagonal movements, as well as small-range orbital movements around columns. This modular omnidirectional mobile robot has a large payload capacity and high transport accuracy, making it suitable for various large, medium, and small sites with transport requirements.

[0032] The suspension assembly includes a servo motor for controlling the rotation of the winding roller 2. During the operation of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots in formation, the servo motor ensures that the bases 4 at the bottom ends of the two cables 3 are at the same height. Specifically, when transporting long objects, such as steel or steel pipes, the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots cooperate, suspending the object at both ends via cables 3 to maintain its horizontal balance. The modular omnidirectional mobile robots have built-in positioning chips, and the two robots communicate (5.8GHz band) to share location and load data, enabling "train-like" convoy travel to smoothly transport objects to their designated locations. This is particularly suitable for large-area transport locations such as ports, workshops, or warehouses.

[0033] In this embodiment, the I-shaped guide rail 20 is composed of standardized titanium alloy splicing modules with integrated conductive copper rails on the surface, supporting bidirectional power transmission and easily expandable as demand increases. The I-shaped guide rail 20 supports hot-swappable expansion; newly added modules can be automatically identified and the navigation map updated by the modular omnidirectional mobile robot. The I-shaped guide rail 20 has a built-in RFID positioning tag, achieving a positioning accuracy of ±2mm in conjunction with the robot. The vehicle body is equipped with a charging interface for replenishing the track components, and the adaptive intelligent track system includes a charging station that works with the charging interface.

[0034] like Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, a base 4 is rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the cable 3, and a strapping strap 5 is mounted on the base 4. One end of the strapping strap 5 is fixedly connected to the base 4, and the other end passes through the base 4 and is movably engaged with the base 4. Several evenly distributed positioning holes 501 are provided on the strapping strap 5. A rigid rod 6 is rotatably mounted at the bottom of the vehicle body 1. The rotation axis of the rigid rod 6 is perpendicular to the I-shaped guide rail 20. A hook 7 is rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the rigid rod 6. The hook 7 includes a connecting block 701 that rotatably engages with the rigid rod 6 and a hook-shaped part 702 that slidably engages with the connecting block 701. The hook-shaped part 702 is a three-quarter arc shape. With the strapping strap 5 passing through the base 4, the hook-shaped part 702 passes through two positioning holes 501.

[0035] In practice, the winding roller 2 releases the cable 3, causing the base 4 and the strapping 5 to descend to a predetermined height. The operator then uses the strapping 5 to secure the object and inserts it into the base 4 from bottom to top. The position of the hook 7 is then adjusted so that the hook-shaped part 702 passes through the two positioning holes 501 before releasing the operator. The object's weight acts on the strapping 5, causing one end of the strapping 5 to tend to separate from the base 4. However, because the strapping 5 is hooked by the hook 7, it remains in place and does not separate from the base 4, thus maintaining a suspended state. The hook-shaped part 702 remains in contact with the surface of the base 4 under the action of the strapping 5. Two modular omnidirectional mobile robots suspend both ends of the object, keeping it horizontal. Finally, the winding roller 2 rewinds the cable 3, raising the object to the predetermined height. During the transport of objects, even if an emergency stop occurs, the inertial force of the object will tighten the cable 3, and at the same time, the binding strap 5 and the hook 7 will also generate a force. Since the rigid rod 6 and the hook 7 can only rotate, the motion trajectory of the hook 7 will inevitably be different from the motion trend trajectory of the binding strap 5 under the action of the object's inertial force. Therefore, the hook 7 plays a limiting role on the binding strap 5 and the object, greatly reducing the force on the cable 3, thereby reducing the damage to the cable caused by the inertia of the object due to the emergency stop.

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, a guide block 8 that cooperates with the strapping 5 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the base 4. The strapping 5 fits into the guide block 8, increasing the contact area with the surface of the object.

[0037] In practical applications, warehouses or workshops often lack sufficient space for long objects to pass through. In such cases, two modular omnidirectional mobile robots need to be arranged at an angle relative to each other, allowing the object to pass through its transport path at an angle to avoid other obstacles in the path. To address this, this embodiment also incorporates the following design.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the rigid rod 6 includes a top section 601 that rotatably engages with the bottom of the vehicle body 1 and an arc-shaped guide rail 602 fixedly mounted on the bottom of the top section 601. A bottom section 603 that rotatably engages with the connecting block 701 is slidably mounted on the arc-shaped guide rail 602. A claw 604 that engages with the arc-shaped guide rail 602 is mounted on the bottom section 603, and a ball bearing that rolls with the arc-shaped guide rail 602 is mounted on the claw 604. Specifically, during the transition of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots from a flat arrangement to an oblique arrangement, the object, strapping 5, bottom section 603, claw 604, hook 7, and base 4 rotate relative to the cable 3 and the arc-shaped guide rail 602, while the arc-shaped guide rail 602 and the top section 601 do not rotate due to the limiting effect between the top of the top section 601 and the vehicle body 1.

[0039] In actual operation, when two modular omnidirectional mobile robots cooperate to transport long objects, if one robot suddenly stops due to a malfunction, the other robot needs to stop immediately; otherwise, the two robots will shift relative to each other, causing the object to fall off. To avoid this situation, this embodiment also incorporates the following design.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle body 1 is equipped with a motor 9 for driving the track assembly and a battery pack 10 for powering the motor 9. A first conductive rod 11, stationary relative to the vehicle body 1, and a second conductive rod 12, vertically movable relative to the vehicle body 1, are fixedly installed between the motor 9 and the battery pack 10. The motor 9, battery pack 10, first conductive rod 11, and second conductive rod 12 form a complete circuit. When the battery pack 10 powers the motor 9, the motor 9 runs, the track assembly operates, and the robot moves along a predetermined route. Once the battery pack 10 stops supplying power to the motor 9, the motor 9 immediately stops running, the track assembly stops operating, and the robot immediately stops moving. Under normal circumstances, the second conductive rod 12 is in the energized position. After the second conductive rod 12 rises into the de-energized position, the entire circuit is disconnected, and the robot immediately stops moving.

[0041] It should be noted that the battery pack 10 in this embodiment is a rechargeable battery. The adaptive intelligent track system includes a charging module for replenishing the battery pack 10. The modular omnidirectional mobile robot reports the remaining power and task priority in real time, and the track scheduling allocates charging windows as needed.

[0042] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, a rotating arm 13 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 at a position corresponding to the lower part of the second conductive rod 12 via a pin. A support rod 14 for lifting the second conductive rod 12 is vertically slidably mounted on the rotating arm 13. The second conductive rod 12 is arc-shaped and coaxial with the rotating shaft of the rotating arm 13. When the rotating arm 13 rotates within a predetermined angle range, the top of the support rod 14 is always in contact with the bottom of the second conductive rod 12. Thus, as long as the support rod 14 rises, it can push the second conductive rod 12 into the power-off position. The end of the rotating arm 13 is connected to a horizontal sleeve 16 via a telescopic spring 15. A connecting arm 17 is slidably installed between the sleeves 16 of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots. A sealing ring is installed at the end of the connecting arm 17. A T-shaped groove 1701 communicating with the inside of the sleeve 16 is opened inside the connecting arm 17. A sealing plug 18 is installed at one end of the T-shaped groove 1701. The sealing plug 18 and the T-shaped groove 1701 can be matched in various ways, such as by threaded engagement or by pull-out elastic element engagement, as long as it can seal the T-shaped groove 1701. The sealing plug 18 is mushroom-shaped with a larger bottom, making it easy for the operator to adjust its position using an operating rod. A plate-shaped part is provided on the top support rod 14. An inclined groove 1401 is opened on the plate-shaped part. A circular roller 19 that mates with the inclined groove 1401 is installed on the sleeve 16 via a rigid arm.

[0043] Specifically, before starting work, the operator adjusts the positions of the two robots. During this process, the sealing plug 18 does not seal the T-slot 1701, allowing the sleeve 16 and connecting arm 17 to slide relative to each other. The sleeve 16, rotating arm 13, and telescopic spring 15 also rotate relative to the vehicle body 1 until the positions of the two robots are adjusted. The operator then adjusts the position of the sealing plug 18 using the adjusting rod, so that the sealing plug 18 seals the T-slot 1701. Because the space inside the T-slot 1701 and the sleeve 16 is sealed, the sleeve 16 and the connecting arm 17 can remain relatively stationary. During robot operation, the overall length of the sleeve 16 and the connecting arm 17 remains unchanged. Thus, if one robot stops abruptly due to a malfunction, the other robot, continuing its movement, will stretch the telescopic spring 15, causing relative movement between the rotating arm 13 and the sleeve 16, and also relative movement between the roller 19 and the top support rod 14. This creates an interaction force between the inclined chute 1401 and the roller 19, causing the top support rod 14 to rise and push the second conductive rod 12 into the power-off position, thus stopping the malfunction-free robot. It should be noted that only a very small relative displacement between the two robots is needed for the top support rod 14 to rise; that is, within a safe range where the object will not fall off, the malfunction-free robot can stop, ensuring the safety of the transport.

[0044] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular omnidirectional mobile robot comprising a vehicle body (1) and a track assembly and a suspension assembly mounted within the vehicle body (1), the suspension assembly comprising a winding roller (2) and a cable (3) wound around the winding roller (2), characterized in that, The bottom end of the cable (3) is rotatably installed with a base (4), and the base (4) is installed with a binding belt (5); one end of the binding belt (5) penetrates through the base (4) and is movably matched with the base (4); a plurality of evenly distributed positioning holes (501) are formed in the binding belt (5), the bottom of the vehicle body (1) is rotatably installed with a rigid rod (6), and the rigid rod (6) is rotatably installed with a hook (7); in the state that the binding belt (5) penetrates through the base (4), the hook (7) penetrates through two positioning holes (501); The suspension assembly comprises a servo motor for controlling the rotation of the winding roller (2), and during the working process of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots in the formation, the servo motor ensures that the bases (4) at the bottom ends of the two cables (3) are at the same height; the modular omnidirectional mobile robot is built-in with a positioning chip; The hook (7) comprises a connecting block (701) rotatably matched with the rigid rod (6) and a hook-shaped portion (702) slidably matched with the connecting block (701), and the hook-shaped portion (702) is a three-quarter circular arc. The rigid rod (6) comprises a top segment (601) rotatably matched with the bottom of the vehicle body (1) and an arc-shaped guide rail (602) fixedly installed at the bottom of the top segment (601), the arc-shaped guide rail (602) is slidably installed with a bottom segment (603) rotatably matched with the connecting block (701); the bottom segment (603) is installed with a hook claw (604) matched with the arc-shaped guide rail (602), and the hook claw (604) is installed with a ball bearing matched with the arc-shaped guide rail (602); The vehicle body (1) is installed with a motor (9) for driving the movement of the track assembly and a battery pack (10) for supplying power to the motor (9), and a first conductive rod (11) stationary relative to the vehicle body (1) and a second conductive rod (12) vertically movable relative to the vehicle body (1) are fixedly installed between the motor (9) and the battery pack (10); The vehicle body (1) is installed with a rotating arm (13) through a pin shaft at a position corresponding to below the second conductive rod (12), and a jacking rod (14) for jacking up the second conductive rod (12) is vertically and slidably installed on the rotating arm (13); the second conductive rod (12) is arc-shaped and coaxial with the rotating shaft of the rotating arm (13).

2. The modular omni-directional mobile robot of claim 1, wherein, The base (4) is fixedly installed with a guide block (8) matched with the binding belt (5) at the bottom.

3. The modular omni-directional mobile robot of claim 2, wherein, The end of the rotating arm (13) is connected with a horizontal sleeve (16) through a telescopic spring (15), and a connecting arm (17) is slidably installed between the sleeves (16) of the two modular omnidirectional mobile robots; the end of the connecting arm (17) is installed with a sealing ring, and a T-shaped groove (1701) communicating with the inside of the sleeve (16) is formed in the inside of the connecting arm (17), and a sealing plug (18) is installed at one end of the T-shaped groove (1701).

4. The modular omni-directional mobile robot of claim 3, wherein, A plate-shaped portion is provided on the jacking rod (14), and an inclined groove (1401) is formed in the plate-shaped portion, and a circular roller (19) matched with the inclined groove (1401) is installed on the sleeve (16) through a rigid arm.

5. An adaptive intelligent track system to cooperate with the modular omnidirectional mobile robot of any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, A plurality of mutually parallel I-shaped guide rails (20) and cross beams (21) connecting the I-shaped guide rails (20) are included.

6. The adaptive intelligent track system of claim 5, wherein, The vehicle body (1) is provided with a charging interface for supplementing energy to the track assembly, and the adaptive intelligent track system comprises a charging station matched with the charging interface.

Images