Automatic docking equipment and replenishment system for realizing docking based on docking vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides automatic docking equipment and a supply system for realizing docking based on a docking vehicle, the automatic docking equipment determines position information of a docking mechanism through an image shot by a shooting machine, controls a vehicle-mounted platform to move to a docking position according to the position information, and controls a guide rail device to unlock and overlap on a docking vehicle body, so as to realize docking. The carrying vehicle body is controlled to move to the position below the current to-be-butted body, the lifting mechanism is controlled to lift the current to-be-butted body up from the bearing frame, the carrying vehicle body is controlled to bear the current to-be-butted body to move to the butting vehicle body along the guide rail equipment so that the current to-be-butted body and the butting mechanism can achieve positioning butting, and after positioning butting, the butting mechanism is controlled to be started. Positioning and locking are completed through the butt joint mechanism; and after positioning locking is determined, the carrying vehicle body is controlled to restore to the original shape, and the carrying vehicle body is reversely away from the butt-joint vehicle body along the guide rail equipment and returns to the initial position. Therefore, the automatic docking can be accurately and quickly completed, so that the replenishment efficiency can be improved while the quick replenishment operation is realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of weapon equipment, in particular to an automatic docking equipment based on a docking vehicle for realizing docking and a supply system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the evolution of modern war patterns and the upgrading of special operation requirements, unmanned material supply technology has become a key technical field for improving the sustained combat capability of equipment. In the field of military application, the new generation of high-intensity combat equipment presents the characteristics of doubled ammunition consumption and increased oil supply frequency. Taking main battle tanks as an example, the average consumption of ammunition per single combat task has increased by 3.8 times compared with ten years ago, and the fuel supply cycle has been shortened to 40% of the original standard. In the field of civil emergency, the disinfectant supply demand of bio-chemical pollution disposal equipment presents exponential growth, especially in the nuclear and biochemical pollution environment, the equipment surface contamination level can reach 10 6 CFU / cm 2 orders of magnitude, and the traditional manual supply method has significant safety risks.

[0003] However, the current weapons and equipment need to be manually operated on site to load and unload ammunition and oil. During combat, people need to stand outside the equipment cabin to replace ammunition or supplement oil at all times, which is extremely unsafe and complicated to operate, requiring a lot of time to train to be competent. It is not difficult to see that the existing docking technology still needs manual operation for docking and locking to realize automatic replacement of ammunition or oil. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides an automatic docking equipment based on a docking vehicle for realizing docking and a supply system, which can accurately and quickly complete automatic docking.

[0005] The technical scheme provided by the present application includes:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides an automatic docking equipment based on a docking vehicle for realizing docking, which comprises:

[0007] A camera is installed on a vehicle-mounted platform of a docking carrier body;

[0008] A storage rack comprises a bearing rack for placing a body to be docked and a bearing base, the bearing rack is installed on the bearing base, and the bearing base is arranged on the vehicle-mounted platform;

[0009] A guide rail equipment is rotatably connected to the side end of the bearing base;

[0010] A carrier body is provided with a lifting mechanism and is placed on the bearing base between the bearing racks;

[0011] The docking mechanism is arranged on a docking platform arranged on the docking vehicle body;

[0012] The control system is configured to control the camera to capture the docking mechanism when it is determined that the docking mechanism needs to be replenished with the body to be docked, analyze the captured image to determine the position information of the docking mechanism, control the vehicle-mounted platform to move to a dockable position according to the position information, control the guide rail device to be unlocked and lapped on the docking vehicle body, control the carrier vehicle body to move to the current body to be docked and control the lifting mechanism to lift the current body to be docked from the carrier frame, control the carrier vehicle body to carry the current body to be docked along the guide rail device to the docking vehicle body, so that the current body to be docked is positioned and docked with the docking mechanism, and after it is determined that the docking mechanism and the current body to be docked have completed the positioning and docking, control the docking mechanism to start to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism; after it is determined that the positioning and locking are completed, control the carrier vehicle body to return to the original state, move away from the docking vehicle body in the reverse direction along the guide rail device, and return to the initial position.

[0013] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application further provide an automatic docking and replenishing system, which comprises the automatic docking device, the docking carrier vehicle body and the docking vehicle body according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, the docking carrier vehicle body is provided with a vehicle-mounted platform, and the docking carrier vehicle body and the docking vehicle body are electrically connected with the control system to control the movement of the docking carrier vehicle body under the control of the control system, so as to realize the carrying, docking and unloading of the body to be docked.

[0014] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application provides an automatic docking device based on a docking vehicle. The automatic docking device includes a camera mounted on the vehicle-mounted platform of the docking transport vehicle. The storage rack includes a support frame and a support base for placing the object to be docked. The support frame is mounted on the support base, which is set on the vehicle-mounted platform. A guide rail is rotatably connected to the side of the support base. The transport vehicle is equipped with a lifting mechanism and is placed on the support base between the support frames. The docking mechanism is mounted on the docking platform. When the control system determines that an object to be docked needs to be added to the docking mechanism, it controls the camera to photograph the docking mechanism, analyzes the captured images, and determines the docking point. The system uses the location information of the docking mechanism to control the vehicle platform to move to a docking position, unlocks the guide rail device and attaches it to the docking vehicle, moves the transport vehicle to the object to be docked, and controls the lifting mechanism to lift the object from the support frame. The transport vehicle then carries the object along the guide rail device to the docking vehicle, enabling the object to be docked and the docking mechanism to achieve positioning and docking. After confirming that the docking mechanism and the object to be docked have completed positioning and docking, the docking mechanism is activated to complete positioning and locking. After confirming that positioning and locking are complete, the transport vehicle returns to its original position and moves away from the docking vehicle along the guide rail device, returning to its initial position. Therefore, this application eliminates the need for manual assistance during the docking process. Instead, it determines the location information of the docking mechanism based on images captured by a camera, and then controls the transport vehicle to move along the guide rail device to the docking position based on this location information, performing positioning and docking. After confirming that positioning and docking are complete, the docking mechanism completes positioning and locking, and then returns to its initial state. It is evident that the technical solution provided in this application can accurately and quickly complete automatic docking, thereby achieving rapid replenishment operations while also improving replenishment efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of automatic docking device based on docking vehicles provided in this application;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of automatic docking device based on docking vehicles provided in this application;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the docking clamping mechanism provided in this application when it docks with the docking mechanism;

[0019] Figure 4This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a docking and clamping mechanism;

[0020] Figure 5 A front structural diagram of a docking mechanism provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the rear structure of a docking mechanism provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an automatic docking method based on docking vehicles provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 8 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device; Detailed Implementation

[0024] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this invention to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of this invention, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0027] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 The present application provides a structural schematic diagram of an automatic docking device based on docking vehicles, which includes: a camera 1, a storage rack 2, a guide rail device 3, a transport vehicle 4, a docking mechanism 5, and a control system;

[0028] The system includes a camera 1 installed at a designated location on a vehicle platform 61; a storage rack 2 comprising a support frame 21 and a support base 22 for placing the object to be docked; the support frame 21 is mounted on the support base 22, which is set on the vehicle platform 61; and a guide rail device 3 rotatably connected to the side of the support base 22. A transport vehicle 4 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 41 and placed on the support base 22 between the support frames 21. A docking mechanism 5 is installed on a docking platform 71 on a docking vehicle 7. A control system, when determining that the object to be docked 8 needs to be replenished to the docking mechanism 5, controls the camera to photograph the docking mechanism 5, analyzes the photographed image to determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5, and controls the vehicle platform 61 based on the position information. Platform 61 moves to a docking position, controls the guide rail device 3 to unlock and engage with the docking vehicle 7, controls the transport vehicle 4 to move under the current docking body 8 and controls the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21, controls the transport vehicle 4 to carry the current docking body 8 along the guide rail device 3 to the docking vehicle 7, so that the current docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can be positioned and docked. After confirming that the docking mechanism 5 and the current docking body 8 have completed the positioning and docking, controls the docking mechanism 5 to start, so as to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism 5. After confirming that the positioning and locking has been completed, controls the transport vehicle 4 to return to its original state, and moves away from the docking vehicle 7 along the guide rail device 3 and returns to the initial position.

[0029] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted platform 61 can be understood as the vehicle body platform of the docking and transport vehicle 6 used to carry objects. In this embodiment, it is used to install automatic docking equipment. The vehicle-mounted platform 61 can be equipped with a mounting bracket 62 for placing a camera; the designated position can be understood as the position for taking wide-angle photos of the docking platform 71.

[0030] The top of the support frame 21 supports the workpiece 8 to be docked. In some embodiments, the support frame 21 includes support rods 211 and support seats 212. The same number of support rods 211 are arranged opposite each other on opposite sides of the support base 22. The support seats 212 are respectively arranged on the top of the support rods 211 on the same side to support the workpiece 8 to be docked. In this embodiment, the support frame 21 can form two rows of independent support rods 211. The two rows of support rods 211 are installed on the support seats 212, which are arranged on the support base 22. The middle of the two rows of support rods 211 is used to place the docking vehicle 7. The docking vehicle 7 is not restricted when moving between the two rows of support rods 211.

[0031] The guide rail device 3 is rotatably connected to the side of the support base 22. One end of the guide rail device 3 is connected to the side of the support base 22, and the other end is in an open state, allowing the other end to rotate around the fixed end. When the open end rotates forward around the fixed end and is placed on the ground, the transport vehicle 4 can travel along the guide rail device 3 to the support frame 21. When the open end rotates in the opposite direction around the fixed end and is perpendicular to the support base 22, the guide rail device 3 is in its initial retracted state. When the open end rotates forward around the fixed end and is mounted on the docking vehicle 7, the transport vehicle 4 can travel along the guide rail device 3 to a docking state with the docking mechanism 5. In some embodiments, the docking vehicle 7 may be provided with a positioning embedding notch for accurate docking with the guide rail device 3, so that the guide rail device 3 is accurately mounted at the positioning embedding notch. In this way, the transport vehicle 4 can travel stably and accurately to the docking position with the docking mechanism 5. As one embodiment, the guide rail device 3 includes a linear track, a rotating shaft, a rotating motor, and a reduction mechanism. One end of the linear track is open, and the rotating shaft is installed at the bottom of the other end. The rotating shaft is sleeved on the output end of the reduction mechanism, and the input end of the reduction mechanism is connected to the output end of the rotating motor. The input end of the rotating motor is connected to a control system so that, under the control of the control system, the rotating shaft drives the linear track to rotate forward or backward in a specified direction. In this embodiment, when the rotating motor rotates, it drives the reduction mechanism to rotate, which in turn drives the rotating shaft to rotate forward or backward, thereby enabling the navigation device to accurately achieve forward or reverse rotation.

[0032] Controlling the transport vehicle body 4 to restore its original state can be understood as restoring the initial state.

[0033] The transport vehicle body 4 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 41. The lifting mechanism 41 can lift the object to be docked 8 by raising it, thus detaching the object from the support frame 21. The lifting mechanism 41 can then lower the lifted object to be docked 8 back onto the support frame 21. In other words, the transport vehicle body 4 can be used to transport the object to be docked 8 onto the support frame 21. In some embodiments, the transport vehicle body 4 further includes a transport vehicle platform 42. The lifting mechanism 41 includes multiple electric cylinders 411, with pairs of electric rods arranged in a one-to-one correspondence on opposite sides of the transport vehicle platform 42. All electric cylinders 411 are electrically connected to a control system to lift or place the object to be docked 8 from or onto the support frame 21 under the control of the control system. In this embodiment, the multiple electric cylinders 411 are independent and do not affect each other. The control system can independently control each electric rod, causing them to cooperate to change the position of the lifted object to be docked 8, thereby enabling the object to be docked with the docking mechanism 5.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cooperation between the transport vehicle body 4 and the guide rail device 3 can be implemented in at least two ways, one of which is:Figure 2 As shown, the bottom of the transport vehicle platform 42 is equipped with rotating wheels 43, and the straight track is the wheel track that guides and limits the rotation of the rotating wheels 43. In this embodiment, the distance between the rotating wheels 43 in the transport vehicle 4 is exactly the distance between the wheel tracks. Another implementation is that the bottom of the transport vehicle platform 42 is equipped with guide rail wheels, and both the support base 22 and the guide rail device 3 are equipped with limiting tracks that cooperate with the guide rail vehicles, and the limiting tracks on the support base 22 and the guide rail device 3 can be connected. In this embodiment, the guide rail wheels are configured to cooperate with the limiting tracks, and the guide rail wheels can travel directly to the position of the docking mechanism 5 along the limiting tracks.

[0035] In some embodiments, the guide rail device 3 is rotatably connected to opposite two sides or one side of the support base 22. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 4 can travel along the guide rail device 3 on either side to the docking vehicle 7 where the guide rail device 3 has been installed, or to transport the guide rail device 3 of the object to be docked 8 from that side.

[0036] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the automatic docking equipment also includes a docking clamping mechanism 9 for supporting the body 8 to be docked. The docking clamping mechanism 9 is provided with a positioning guide component 91 and a docking clamping mounting platform 92. The docking mechanism 5 includes a positioning mounting platform 51, a snap-fit ​​guide component 52 and a locking positioning device 53. The positioning mounting platform 51 and the locking positioning device 53 are both used to be installed on the docking platform 71. The snap-fit ​​guide component 52 is circumferentially disposed on the platform of the docking platform 71 facing the body 8 to be docked. The locking positioning device 53 is circumferentially installed on the positioning mounting platform 51 in a manner adjacent to the snap-fit ​​guide component 52. The positioning guide component 91 is circumferentially disposed on the docking clamping mounting platform 92 in a one-to-one correspondence with the snap-fit ​​guide component 52.

[0037] The control system is used to, when it determines that a docking body 8 needs to be replenished to the docking mechanism 5, control the camera to photograph the docking mechanism 5, analyze the captured image to determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5, control the vehicle platform 61 to move to a dockable position based on the position information, control the guide rail device 3 to unlock and engage with the docking vehicle body 7, control the transport vehicle body 4 to move under the current docking body 8 and control the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21, and control the transport vehicle body 4 to carry the current docking body 8 along the guide rail. The rail device 3 drives the docking clamping mechanism 9 to dock with the docking mechanism 5, so that the docking clamping mechanism 9 docks with the positioning guide component 91 under the positioning guidance of the snap-fit ​​guide component 52. After confirming that the snap-fit ​​guide component 52 and the positioning guide component 91 are fully engaged, the locking positioning device 53 is activated to complete the positioning and locking. After confirming that the positioning and locking is completed, the transport vehicle 4 is controlled to move away from the docking clamping mechanism along the guide rail device 3 and return to the initial position.

[0038] In this embodiment, the number of snap-fit ​​guide components 52 and positioning guide components 91 are the same, and the positioning guide component 91 is a pair of snap-fit ​​guide components 52 mating components. The snap-fit ​​guide components 52 can be evenly distributed on the platform of the docking platform 71 facing the parts to be docked, so as to mate with the positioning guide components 91 one by one to achieve preliminary docking.

[0039] The docking mechanism 5 is equipped with positioning labels and a snap-fit ​​guide component 52. In some embodiments, the control system controls the camera to capture images of the docking mechanism 5, analyzes the captured images, and determines the position information of the docking mechanism 5 by the following steps: identifying the positioning labels in the image and obtaining the first position camera coordinate information of each positioning label in the camera coordinate system; determining the second position camera coordinate information of the snap-fit ​​guide component 52 in the camera coordinate system based on the positional relationship between each positioning label and the snap-fit ​​guide component 52 in the docking mechanism 5 and the first position camera coordinate information; and determining the position information of the docking mechanism 5 based on the positional relationship between the camera 1 and the transport vehicle 4 and the second position camera coordinate information.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first camera coordinate information is a name given only to distinguish it from the camera coordinate information mentioned later, and is not intended to define a specific camera coordinate information. The second camera coordinate information is also a name given only to distinguish it from the camera coordinate information mentioned earlier, and is not intended to define a specific camera coordinate information.

[0041] In this embodiment, the positional relationship between the positioning guide plates in each positioning label and docking mechanism 5 is fixed. Based on this, after determining the position camera coordinate information, the second position camera coordinate information in the camera coordinate system of the docking point can be determined according to the position camera coordinate information and the fixed relationship between them. The camera 1 is fixedly installed at a preset position on the mounting frame 62, meaning the positional relationship between the camera 1 and the mounting frame 62 is fixed. After determining the second position camera coordinate information, the position information of the docking mechanism 5 in the coordinate system of the mounting frame 62 can be determined based on the positional relationship between the camera 1 and the mounting frame 62. After determining the position information, the docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can be automatically docked according to the position information.

[0042] In other embodiments, the docking clamping mechanism 9 is provided with a first signal connection terminal 93, and the docking mechanism 5 further includes a second signal connection terminal 54 and a signal docking drive mechanism 55. The second signal connection terminal 54 is installed at the output end of the signal docking drive mechanism 55, and the signal docking drive mechanism 55 is installed on the positioning mounting platform 51. The signal docking drive mechanism 55 is electrically connected to the control system so that after the control system determines that the positioning and locking are completed, it drives the signal docking drive mechanism 55 to start, so that the second signal connection terminal 54 is electrically connected to the first signal connection terminal 93 under the drive of the signal docking drive mechanism 55.

[0043] In this embodiment, the name "first signal connection terminal 93" is used only to distinguish it from the signal connection terminals described later, and is not intended to define a specific signal connection terminal. Similarly, the name "second signal connection terminal 54" is used only to distinguish it from the signal connection terminals described later, and is not intended to define a specific signal connection terminal.

[0044] As one embodiment, the first signal connection terminal 93 can be a signal jack, and the second signal connection terminal 54 can be a signal probe inserted into the signal jack. When the signal probe is accurately inserted into the signal jack, it indicates that the first signal connection terminal 93 and the second signal connection terminal 54 are successfully connected. As another embodiment, the first signal connection terminal 93 can be a signal jack, and the second signal connection terminal 54 can be a signal pin inserted into the signal jack.

[0045] The positioning and locking device locks the connection between the docking mechanism 5 and the docking clamping mechanism 9, thus completing the mechanical connection, while the connection between the first signal connection end 93 and the second signal connection end 54 completes the electrical connection. In this embodiment, the mechanical and electrical connections are completed immediately after the docking clamping mechanism 9 is installed in place.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the positioning guide assembly 91 includes multiple positioning rods 911 and multiple U-shaped mounting seats 912. A protruding disc boss 921 is provided at the center of the docking clamping mounting platform 92. One end of each positioning rod 911 is circumferentially mounted to the edge of the positioning mounting plate 522 via the U-shaped mounting seat 912, and the other end is circumferentially mounted to the disc via the U-shaped mounting seat 912. The snap-fit ​​guide assembly 52 includes an annular body 521 and a positioning mounting plate 522. A V-shaped groove 5211 is provided circumferentially on one side edge of the annular body 521. The bottom of 11 is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove 5212 that precisely engages the positioning rod 911, and the other edge is mounted on the positioning mounting plate 522, which is mounted on the positioning mounting groove. The control system controls the motion mechanism to drive the docking clamping mechanism 9 so that the positioning rod 911 is fully embedded in the snap-fit ​​groove 5212 under the guidance of the V-groove 5211. After confirming that the positioning rod 911 is fully engaged in the snap-fit ​​groove 5212, the control system starts the locking positioning device 53 to complete the positioning and locking and then stop. In this embodiment, the positioning rod 911 is circumferentially mounted on the edge of the disc boss 921 and the positioning mounting plate 522 via U-shaped mounting bases 912; one positioning rod 911 corresponds to two U-shaped mounting bases 912. For each positioning rod 911, one U-shaped mounting base 912 abuts against one end of the positioning rod 911 and is engaged with the edge of the positioning mounting plate 522, and the other U-shaped mounting base 912 abuts against the other end of the positioning rod 911 and is engaged with the disc boss 921. The height of the U-shaped mounting base 912 is set according to the assembly position of the positioning rod 911 and the V-groove.

[0047] As an example, such as Figure 5As shown, the docking clamping mounting table 92 has multiple threaded positioning holes circumferentially, the positioning mounting plate 522 has multiple first through holes axially, and the locking positioning device 53 further includes a torque motor 531, a motor mounting plate with multiple second through holes, a screw 532, and a protective sleeve 533; the protective sleeve 533 is installed between the positioning mounting plate 522 and the motor mounting plate in a manner that connects the first through holes and the second through holes, and the screw 532 is installed at the output end of the torque motor 531. 32 is installed in the motor mounting plate away from the protective sleeve 533 by passing through the second through hole; the torque motor 531 is electrically connected to the control system so that the control system drives the torque motor 531 after determining that the positioning rod 911 is fully engaged in the engagement groove, so that the screw 532 passes through the protective sleeve 533 and drills into the threaded positioning hole, and the body to be docked 8 moves axially during the drilling process of the screw 532, and stops the torque motor 531 from rotating after detecting that the torque motor 531 has reached the set stall torque.

[0048] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the V-groove is configured as an outer conical surface, and the positioning guide assembly 91 further includes a positioning ring 913 of the conical body. The positioning ring 913 is mounted on the signal docking drive mechanism 55 in a mounting manner between the U-shaped mounting base 912 and the disc boss 921. The control system controls the feed drive motor to drive the signal connector to be inserted into the signal socket until the inner conical surface of the positioning ring 913 matches the outer conical surface of the V-groove, and then stops the feed drive motor from rotating.

[0049] Therefore, in the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, the automatic docking equipment includes a camera 1 mounted on the vehicle platform 61 of the docking transport vehicle 6; a storage rack 2's support frame 21 mounted on a support base 22 on the vehicle platform 61; a guide rail device 3 rotatably connected to the side of the support base 22; a transport vehicle 4 equipped with a lifting mechanism 41, placed on the support base 22 between the support frames 21; a docking mechanism 5 mounted on the docking platform 71; and when the control system determines that the docking body 8 needs to be replenished to the docking mechanism 5, it controls the camera to photograph the docking mechanism 5, analyzes the photographed image to determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5, and controls the vehicle platform 6 according to the position information. 1. Move to the docking position, control the guide rail device 3 to unlock and attach to the docking vehicle 7, control the transport vehicle 4 to move under the current docking body 8 and control the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21, control the transport vehicle 4 to carry the current docking body 8 along the guide rail device 3 to the docking vehicle 7, so that the current docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can be positioned and docked. After confirming that the docking mechanism 5 and the current docking body 8 have completed the positioning and docking, control the docking mechanism 5 to start, so as to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism 5. After confirming that the positioning and locking has been completed, control the transport vehicle 4 to return to its original state, and move away from the docking vehicle 7 along the guide rail device 3 and return to the initial position. As can be seen, this application eliminates the need for manual assistance during the docking process. Instead, it determines the position information of the docking mechanism 5 based on images captured by a camera. The control system then moves the transport vehicle 4 along the guide rail device 3 to the docking position with the docking mechanism 5, and performs positioning and docking. After confirming successful positioning and docking, the system controls the docking mechanism 5 to lock in place and then returns to its initial state. Therefore, the technical solution provided in this application can accurately and quickly complete automatic docking, achieving rapid replenishment operations while improving replenishment efficiency.

[0050] Secondly, this application also provides an automatic docking and resupply system. This system includes the automatic docking equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect, a docking transport vehicle 6, and a docking vehicle 7. The docking transport vehicle is equipped with an onboard platform 61. Both the docking transport vehicle 6 and the docking vehicle 7 are electrically connected to the control system to control the movement of the docking transport vehicle 6 under the control of the control system, thereby realizing the transport, docking, and unloading of the object to be docked 8. In this embodiment, manual assistance is no longer required to complete the resupply task. Instead, the automatic docking equipment, the docking transport vehicle 6, and the docking vehicle 7 work together to complete the resupply of the object to be docked 8. The onboard platform 61 of the docking transport vehicle 6, in conjunction with the adjustment of the transport vehicle 4, moves the object to be docked 8 to the docking range of the docking platform 71, achieving precise positioning when the object to be docked 8 is docked with the docking mechanism 5. This allows for precise automatic resupply operations while improving resupply efficiency.

[0051] Thirdly, such as Figure 7 As shown, this application also provides an automatic docking method based on docking vehicles. This automatic docking method is applied to the control system of the automatic docking equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The automatic docking method includes the following steps:

[0052] Step 101: When it is determined that the docking body 8 needs to be replenished to the docking mechanism 5, the camera is controlled to capture images of the docking mechanism 5, and the captured images are analyzed to determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5.

[0053] Step 102: Based on the location information, control the vehicle platform 61 to move to the docking position, and control the guide rail device 3 to unlock and connect to the docking vehicle body 7;

[0054] Step 103: After connecting to the docking vehicle 7, control the transport vehicle 4 to move to the current docking body 8 and control the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21. Control the transport vehicle 4 to carry the current docking body 8 and move it along the guide rail device 3 to the docking vehicle 7 so that the current docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can be positioned and docked.

[0055] Step 104: After confirming that the docking mechanism 5 and the current docking body 8 have completed the positioning and docking, control the docking mechanism 5 to start so as to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism 5;

[0056] Step 105: After confirming that the positioning and locking are completed, control the transport vehicle 4 to return to its original state, and move away from the docking vehicle 7 along the guide rail device 3 and return to the initial position.

[0057] As an embodiment, the transport vehicle body 4 further includes a transport vehicle platform 42, and the lifting mechanism 41 includes multiple electric cylinders 411. Pairs of electric cylinders are arranged on opposite sides of the transport vehicle platform 42 in a one-to-one correspondence manner. All of the multiple electric cylinders 411 are electrically connected to the control system. The method of controlling the transport vehicle body 4 to move under the current docking body 8 and controlling the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21 includes the following steps: after receiving a lift signal indicating that the docking body 8 is to be lifted, the output end of each electric cylinder 411 is controlled to output a set length to lift the docking body 8 from the support frame 21, so that the current docking body 8 is in a lifted state; after receiving a placement signal indicating that the docking body 8 is to be placed, the output end of each electric cylinder 411 is controlled to retract a set length to place the docking body 8 on the support frame 21. In this embodiment, the set length is such that when the output end of the electric cylinder 411 moves the workpiece 8 to be docked, the height of the workpiece 8 from the support base 22 is higher than the height of the workpiece 8 placed on the support frame 21. This way, even if the support frame 21 contains the workpiece 8, it will not obstruct the transport vehicle 4 from moving the workpiece 8. In this embodiment, when the workpiece 8 is docked with the docking mechanism 5, the control system can adjust the position and posture of the workpiece 8 by controlling the extension and retraction of the output ends of each electric cylinder.

[0058] As one embodiment, the guide rail device 3 includes a linear track, a rotating shaft, a rotating motor, and a reduction mechanism. One end of the linear track is open, and the bottom of the other end is fitted with a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is sleeved on the output end of the reduction mechanism, and the input end of the reduction mechanism is connected to the output end of the rotating motor. The input end of the rotating motor is connected to the control system. The method of controlling the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21 may include: after receiving a lift signal indicating that the docking body 8 is to be lifted, controlling the rotating motor to rotate by a set angle, so that the rotating motor drives the linear track to rotate forward in a specified direction based on the rotating shaft through the reduction mechanism; after receiving a transport signal indicating that the docking body 8 needs to be transported, controlling the rotating motor to reverse, so that the rotating motor drives the linear track to reverse in a specified direction based on the rotating shaft through the reduction mechanism; and after determining the contact signal that the linear track contacts the ground, controlling the rotating motor to stop rotating.

[0059] As one embodiment, the automatic docking equipment further includes a docking clamping mechanism 9 for carrying the body 8 to be docked, the docking clamping mechanism 9 being provided with a positioning guide component 91 and a docking clamping mounting platform 92;

[0060] The docking mechanism 5 includes a positioning mounting platform 51, a snap-fit ​​guide component 52, and a locking positioning device 53. Both the positioning mounting platform 51 and the locking positioning device 53 are mounted on the docking platform 71. The snap-fit ​​guide component 52 is circumferentially disposed on the platform surface of the docking platform 71 facing the object to be docked 8. The locking positioning device 53 is circumferentially mounted on the positioning mounting platform 51, adjacent to the snap-fit ​​guide component 52. The positioning guide component 91 is circumferentially disposed on the docking clamping mounting platform 92 in a one-to-one correspondence with the snap-fit ​​guide component 52. Step 103 includes the following steps: controlling the transport vehicle 4 to move under the object to be docked 8 and controlling the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the... The workpiece 8 to be docked is lifted from the support frame 21. The transport vehicle 4 is controlled to carry the workpiece 8 to be docked along the guide rail device 3, driving the docking clamping mechanism 9 to dock with the docking mechanism 5. This allows the docking clamping mechanism 9 to dock with the positioning guide component 91 under the positioning guidance of the snap-fit ​​guide component 52. After confirming that the snap-fit ​​guide component 52 and the positioning guide component 91 are fully engaged, the locking positioning device 53 is activated to complete the positioning and locking. After confirming that the positioning and locking are completed, the transport vehicle 4 is controlled to move away from the docking clamping mechanism 9 along the guide rail device 3 and return to the initial position.

[0061] In another embodiment, the docking clamping mechanism 9 is provided with a first signal connection end 93, and the docking mechanism 5 further includes a second signal connection end 54 and a signal docking drive mechanism 55. The second signal connection end is installed at the output end of the signal docking drive mechanism 55, and the signal docking drive mechanism 55 is installed on the positioning mounting platform 51. The signal docking drive mechanism 55 is electrically connected to the control system. After the positioning and locking are confirmed to be completed, the following steps are further included: driving the signal docking drive mechanism 55 to start, so that the second signal connection end is electrically connected to the first signal connection end 93 under the drive of the signal docking drive mechanism 55.

[0062] Therefore, in the technical solution provided in this embodiment, when the automatic docking method determines that the docking mechanism 5 needs to be replenished with the docking body 8, it controls the camera to photograph the docking mechanism 5, analyzes the photographed image to determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5, controls the vehicle platform 61 to move to the docking position according to the position information, controls the guide rail device 3 to unlock and attach to the docking vehicle body 7, controls the transport vehicle body 4 to move under the current docking body 8 and controls the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21, controls the transport vehicle body 4 to carry the current docking body 8 and move it along the guide rail device 3 to the docking vehicle body 7 so that the current docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can achieve positioning docking. After determining that the docking mechanism 5 and the current docking body 8 have completed positioning docking, the docking mechanism 5 is started to complete the positioning locking through the docking mechanism 5. After determining that the positioning locking has been completed, the transport vehicle body 4 is restored to its original state and moves away from the docking vehicle body 7 along the guide rail device 3 and returns to the initial position. As can be seen, this application eliminates the need for manual assistance during the docking process. Instead, it determines the position information of the docking mechanism 5 based on images captured by a camera. The control system then moves the transport vehicle 4 along the guide rail device 3 to the docking position with the docking mechanism 5, and performs positioning and docking. After confirming successful positioning and docking, the system controls the docking mechanism 5 to lock in place and then returns to its initial state. Therefore, the technical solution provided in this application can accurately and quickly complete automatic docking, achieving rapid replenishment operations while improving replenishment efficiency.

[0063] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also include an automatic docking device for docking based on docking vehicles. This automatic docking device is applied to the control system of the automatic docking equipment described in any embodiment of the first aspect. The automatic docking method includes the following steps:

[0064] The position information determination unit is used to control the camera to photograph the docking mechanism 5 when it is determined that the docking mechanism 5 needs to be replenished with the docking body 8, analyze the photographed image, and determine the position information of the docking mechanism 5.

[0065] The docking vehicle assembly unit is used to control the vehicle platform 61 to move to a dockable position according to the position information, and to control the guide rail device 3 to unlock and attach to the docking vehicle 7.

[0066] The docking unit is used to control the transport vehicle 4 to move to the current docking body 8 after being connected to the docking vehicle body 7, and to control the lifting mechanism 41 to lift the current docking body 8 from the support frame 21, and to control the transport vehicle 4 to carry the current docking body 8 to move along the guide rail device 3 to the docking vehicle body 7, so that the current docking body 8 and the docking mechanism 5 can be positioned and docked.

[0067] The positioning and locking unit is used to control the docking mechanism 5 to start after determining that the docking mechanism 5 and the current docking body 8 have completed the positioning and docking, so as to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism 5;

[0068] The recovery unit is used to control the transport vehicle 4 to return to its original state after the positioning and locking are completed, and to move away from the docking vehicle 7 along the guide rail device 3 and return to the initial position.

[0069] The specific implementation process of the functions and roles of each device in the above-mentioned apparatus can be found in the implementation process of the corresponding steps in the above-mentioned method, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] Fifthly, this application also provides an electronic device. From a hardware perspective, a hardware architecture diagram can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 8 As shown, it includes: a machine-readable storage medium and a processor, wherein: the machine-readable storage medium stores machine-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor; the processor is used to execute the machine-executable instructions to implement the automatic docking operation as described in any embodiment of the third aspect disclosed in the above examples.

[0071] The machine-readable storage medium provided in this application embodiment stores machine-executable instructions. When the machine-executable instructions are invoked and executed by a processor, the machine-executable instructions cause the processor to perform the automatic docking operation as described in any of the third aspects of the above examples.

[0072] Here, a machine-readable storage medium can be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that can contain or store information, such as executable instructions, data, etc. For example, a machine-readable storage medium can be: RAM (Random Access Memory), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, flash memory, storage drives (such as hard disk drives), solid-state drives, any type of storage disk (such as optical discs, DVDs, etc.), or similar storage media, or combinations thereof.

[0073] The systems, devices, modules, or units described in the above embodiments can be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer, which can take the form of a personal computer, laptop computer, cellular phone, camera phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant, media player, navigation device, email sending and receiving device, game console, tablet computer, wearable device, or any combination of these devices.

[0074] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0076] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0077] Furthermore, these computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0078] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0079] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this application according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort. The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automated docking device based on docking vehicles, characterized in that, The automated docking equipment includes: A camera, used for mounting on the vehicle-mounted platform of the docking and transport vehicle; A storage rack includes a support frame for placing the object to be docked and a support base, the support frame being mounted on the support base, and the support base being used to be mounted on a vehicle platform; The guide rail device is rotatably connected to the side end of the support base; The transport vehicle body is equipped with a lifting mechanism and is placed on the support base between the support frames; The docking mechanism is used to install the docking platform on the docking vehicle body; The control system, when it determines that a docking body needs to be replenished to the docking mechanism, controls the camera to capture images of the docking mechanism, analyzes the captured images to determine the position information of the docking mechanism, controls the vehicle-mounted platform to move to a docking position based on the position information, controls the guide rail device to unlock and engage with the docking vehicle body, controls the transport vehicle body to move under the current docking body and controls the lifting mechanism to lift the current docking body from the support frame, controls the transport vehicle body to carry the current docking body along the guide rail device to the docking vehicle body, so that the current docking body and the docking mechanism can be positioned and docked, controls the docking mechanism to start after confirming that the docking mechanism and the current docking body have completed the positioning and docking, controls the docking mechanism to start, so as to complete the positioning and locking through the docking mechanism; after confirming that the positioning and locking has been completed, controls the transport vehicle body to return to its original state, and moves away from the docking vehicle body along the guide rail device and returns to the initial position.

2. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support frame includes support rods and support seats. The same number of support rods are arranged on opposite sides of the support base. The support seats are respectively arranged on the top of the support rods on the same side for supporting the bodies to be connected.

3. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transport vehicle body also includes a transport vehicle platform, and the lifting mechanism includes multiple electric cylinders, with pairs of electric bars arranged in a one-to-one correspondence on opposite sides of the transport vehicle platform; Each of the electric cylinders is electrically connected to the control system, so that, under the control of the control system, the object to be docked is lifted from the support frame or placed on the support frame.

4. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide rail device includes a linear rail, a rotating shaft, a rotating motor, and a reduction mechanism; One end of the linear track is in an open state, and a rotating shaft is installed at the bottom of the other end. The rotating shaft is sleeved on the output end of the deceleration mechanism. The input end of the deceleration mechanism is connected to the output end of the rotating motor. The input end of the rotating motor is connected to the control system so that, under the control of the control system, the rotating shaft drives the linear track to rotate forward or backward in a specified direction.

5. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the transport vehicle platform is equipped with rotating wheels, and the linear track is a wheel track that guides and limits the movement of the rotating wheels.

6. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the transport vehicle platform is equipped with guide rail wheels. Both the support base and the guide rail device are equipped with limiting rails that cooperate with the guide rail vehicle, and the limiting rails on the support base and the limiting rails on the guide rail device can be connected.

7. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide rail device is rotatably connected to the opposite two sides or one side of the support base.

8. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic docking equipment also includes a docking clamping mechanism for carrying the bodies to be docked, the docking clamping mechanism being provided with a positioning guide component and a docking clamping mounting platform; The docking mechanism includes a positioning mounting platform, a snap-fit ​​guide component, and a locking positioning device. The positioning mounting platform and the locking positioning device are both used for mounting on the docking platform. The snap-fit ​​guide component is circumferentially disposed on the platform surface facing the body to be docked. The locking positioning device is circumferentially mounted on the positioning mounting platform in a manner that is adjacent to the snap-fit ​​guide component. The positioning guide component is circumferentially disposed on the docking clamping mounting platform in a one-to-one correspondence with the snap-fit ​​guide component. The control system is used to, when it is determined that a body to be docked needs to be added to the docking mechanism, control the camera to capture images of the docking mechanism, analyze the captured images to determine the position information of the docking mechanism, control the vehicle platform to move to a dockable position based on the position information, control the guide rail device to unlock and engage with the docking vehicle body, control the transport vehicle body to move under the current body to be docked and control the lifting mechanism to lift the current body to be docked from the support frame, control the transport vehicle body carrying the current body to be docked to move along the guide rail device to drive the docking clamping mechanism to dock with the docking mechanism, so that the docking clamping mechanism achieves docking with the snap-fit ​​guide component under the positioning guidance of the snap-fit ​​guide component, and after determining that the snap-fit ​​guide component and the positioning guide component have fully engaged, control the locking positioning device to start, so as to complete the positioning locking through the locking positioning device, and after determining that the positioning locking is completed, control the transport vehicle body to move away from the docking clamping mechanism along the guide rail device and return to the initial position.

9. The automatic docking equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The docking clamping mechanism is provided with a first signal connection end. The docking mechanism also includes a second signal connection end and a signal docking drive mechanism. The second signal connection end is installed at the output end of the signal docking drive mechanism. The docking drive mechanism is installed on the positioning mounting platform. The signal docking drive mechanism is electrically connected to the control system so that after the control system determines that the positioning and locking are completed, it drives the signal docking drive mechanism to start, so that the second signal connection end is electrically connected to the first signal connection end under the drive of the signal docking drive mechanism.

10. An automatic docking and resupply system, characterized in that, The automatic docking and supply system includes the automatic docking equipment, docking transport vehicle, and docking vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. The docking transport vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-mounted platform. Both the docking transport vehicle and the docking vehicle are electrically connected to the control system to control the movement of the docking transport vehicle under the control of the control system, so as to realize the transport, docking, and unloading of the object to be docked.

Images