Device and method for automatically replacing batteries of a molten metal car

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of metal casting, and particularly relates to a molten iron car automatic battery replacement device and method, which comprises a vehicle-mounted battery compartment, a mechanical hand mechanism and a ground battery charging cabinet, the vehicle-mounted battery compartment is arranged on the molten iron car, a first space for bearing the battery is arranged in the vehicle-mounted battery compartment, a first taking and placing opening for the battery taking and placing through is arranged on the side of the first space; the ground battery charging cabinet is arranged on one side of the battery replacement area railway track, a second space for placing the battery and charging the battery is arranged in the ground battery charging cabinet, a second taking and placing opening for the battery taking and placing through is arranged on the side of the second space; the mechanical hand mechanism is arranged between the vehicle-mounted battery compartment and the ground battery charging cabinet; the mechanical hand mechanism comprises a taking and placing mechanism for taking and placing the battery and a positioning mechanism for positioning the taking and placing mechanism and the taking and placing position in the vehicle-mounted battery compartment or the ground battery charging cabinet; the present application does not need personnel operation, reduces the labor intensity, reduces the parking time and improves the production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of metal casting, and in particular to a device and method for automatically changing batteries in a molten iron car. Background Technology

[0002] Steel companies are actively transforming and upgrading to intelligent and unmanned factories, and intelligent molten iron transportation is an essential part of the intelligent upgrading and development. Due to the need for environmental protection and energy conservation, molten iron transportation vehicles have emerged with functions such as covering, self-propelled, automatic parking, automatic hook and unhooking, and intelligent weighing. Since molten iron ladle cars do not have any power themselves, all of the above functions require the addition of on-board batteries for power supply and the installation of battery charging devices.

[0003] There are three existing methods for charging the batteries of molten iron trains:

[0004] The first method is manual plug-in charging. A power box is set up on the ground with a manual plug, and the molten iron car is equipped with a fixed socket for receiving power. When in use, the molten iron transport car needs to be parked near the ground power box, and then the operator drags the manual plug to the socket on the molten iron transport car and plugs it in. Then the operator turns on the power switch of the ground power box to charge the onboard battery. This method requires manual operation for both plugging and connecting the power, which increases the labor intensity of the workers. At the same time, the molten iron car needs to be parked next to the charging device for a long time during the charging process, which increases the downtime and reduces production efficiency.

[0005] The second method is the ground-based automatic charging method. This involves installing a ground-based automatic charging device next to the rails, with the molten iron transport car equipped with a pantograph. When charging is needed, the transport car stops at the automatic charging device, and charging is initiated via the onboard pantograph. However, this method requires the molten iron car to remain stopped next to the charging device for an extended period, increasing downtime and reducing production efficiency.

[0006] The third method is manual battery pack replacement. When the vehicle's battery needs charging, the operator removes the battery pack from the molten iron car, connects it to a ground charger for charging, and then reinstalls the battery on the molten iron car for use. This method requires manual removal and charging of the battery, which is inefficient and increases the workload of the personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for automatically replacing batteries in molten iron cars, which eliminates the need for manual operation, reduces labor intensity, minimizes downtime, and improves production efficiency.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0009] This invention provides an automatic battery replacement device for a molten iron car, comprising an onboard battery compartment, a robotic arm mechanism, and a ground battery charging cabinet. The onboard battery compartment is mounted on the molten iron car and has a first space for carrying batteries. A first loading / unloading port for battery loading / unloading is located on the side of the molten iron car. The ground battery charging cabinet is located on one side of the railway track in the battery replacement area and has a second space for placing and charging batteries. A second loading / unloading port for battery loading / unloading is located on the side of the second space. The robotic arm mechanism is positioned between the onboard battery compartment and the ground battery charging cabinet for loading / unloading and replacing batteries between them. The robotic arm mechanism includes a loading / unloading mechanism for loading / unloading batteries and a positioning mechanism for positioning the loading / unloading mechanism relative to the loading / unloading position within the onboard battery compartment or the ground battery charging cabinet.

[0010] In one possible technical solution, both the vehicle-mounted battery compartment and the ground battery charging cabinet are provided with a housing, a base fixedly installed at the lower end of the housing, a support seat fixedly installed inside the housing for supporting the battery, a spacer insulator fixedly installed inside the housing, a buffer spring embedded in the upper end of the spacer insulator, a contacting contact connected to the upper end of the buffer spring and used for conducting electricity with the conductive sheet at the lower end of the battery pack, four symmetrically fixed on the outside of the housing for the reference of the position of the robotic arm mechanism for picking and placing, a second fixedly installed on the inner wall of the housing for battery positioning, and a third fixedly installed at the lower end of the housing for housing positioning.

[0011] In one possible technical solution, the vehicle battery compartment is further provided with a door hinged to the housing located outside the first access port.

[0012] In one possible technical solution, the vehicle battery compartment is further provided with a locking pin hinged to the inner wall of the housing near the compartment door. The hinged end of the locking pin is connected to an inner end and an outer end respectively. One end of a compression spring is connected to the inner wall of the housing near the inner end, and the other end of the compression spring contacts the inner end. The outer end is a claw shape that matches the shape of the battery.

[0013] In one possible technical solution, the positioning mechanism includes a running track and a running frame installed parallel to one side of the railway track. The running frame is mounted on the running track via a running mechanism. A column is rotatably connected to the top of the running frame via a rotating mechanism, which drives the column to rotate. A movable seat is connected to the column via a lifting mechanism, which drives the movable seat to move up and down along the column. The movable seat is connected to an outer sleeve via a lateral movement mechanism, which drives the outer sleeve to move laterally along the movable seat. A telescopic arm is connected to the inner side of the outer sleeve via a telescopic mechanism, which drives the telescopic arm to extend and retract from the inner side of the outer sleeve to the outer side. One end of the telescopic arm extends out of the outer sleeve and is connected to a pick-and-place mechanism. A bracket is connected to the outer side of the outer sleeve, which is biased towards the extended end of the telescopic arm. Four positioning sensors 1 corresponding to the identification block 1 are provided on the bracket. A positioning sensor 2 for identifying block 2 is provided at the front end of the telescopic arm, and a positioning sensor 3 for identifying block 3 is provided at the lower part of the bracket.

[0014] In one possible technical solution, the bracket is fitted onto the outside of the outer sleeve and extends in the direction of the telescopic arm's extension. The rear structure of the bracket is a box-type frame, and the interior of the box-type frame has a channel for the telescopic arm and the pick-and-place mechanism to pass through. The extended end of the telescopic arm and the pick-and-place mechanism are disposed in the channel, and an observation hole is provided through the side of the box-type frame, which communicates with the channel. Four positioning sensors are symmetrically arranged on the front side of the box-type frame, and a positioning sensor is arranged at the bottom of the front side of the box-type frame. A docking plate extends forward from the top of the front side of the box-type frame to abut against the top of the compartment door.

[0015] In one possible technical solution, the picking and placing mechanism includes a motor, a gear, a guide plate, a guide plate, a clamping plate, and a clamping plate. The telescopic arm has a cylindrical structure. The motor is installed on the inner side of the end plate at the extended end of the telescopic arm. The output shaft of the motor extends forward and passes through the end plate. The outer side of the output shaft is connected to the gear. The guide plate and the guide plate are arranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the gear. The guide plate and the guide plate are respectively provided with racks that mesh with the gear. The front side of the end plate is fixed with a slide rail corresponding to the position of the guide plate and the guide plate. The rear sides of the guide plate and the guide plate are respectively connected to the slide rail through fixed sliders. The mutually distant ends of the guide plate and the guide plate are respectively connected to the clamping plate and the clamping plate.

[0016] In one possible technical solution, the telescopic mechanism includes a motor, a lead screw, and a lead screw nut. The motor is installed inside the outer sleeve on the side away from the extended end of the telescopic arm. The output end of the motor is connected to the lead screw. A lead screw nut is sleeved on the outer side of the lead screw, and the lead screw nut is nested and connected to the tail end of the telescopic arm.

[0017] In one possible technical solution, the lifting mechanism includes a motor and a gear. A slide rail and a rack arranged parallel to it are vertically fixed on one side of the column. The movable seat is slidably engaged with the slide rail via a slider. The motor is mounted on the movable seat, and the output end of the motor is connected to the gear that meshes with the rack.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for automatically changing the battery of a molten iron car, which is implemented according to any of the above-mentioned devices for automatically changing the battery of a molten iron car. In the initial state, the lifting mechanism drives the moving seat to be positioned at a reference height. When the molten iron car carrying the battery needs to be replaced, the molten iron car is first stopped in the battery replacement area, and the operator issues a battery replacement command. Motor 6 drives the traveling wheels to move along the traveling track, driving the robotic arm mechanism to approach the onboard battery compartment. When the positioning sensor 3 detects the target block 3, motor 6 is turned off. At this time, the lateral movement mechanism moves the outer sleeve forward. When the distance between the four positioning sensors 1 and the target block 1 is within the set range, the adjustment action is stopped when the detection distance of the four positioning sensors 1 is 'a', by adjusting the posture of the rotation mechanism, lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism. Then the lateral movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve to continue moving forward until the top of the front side of the bracket abuts and pushes the top of the compartment door, flipping the compartment door upward. The door opens, then the lateral movement mechanism stops. At this time, the telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm to extend forward. When the positioning sensor detects a distance of b from the second marker, it stops. At this time, the pick-and-place mechanism reaches the pick-and-place position and performs a gripping action to clamp the battery. Then, the lifting mechanism moves the entire moving seat slightly upward by a distance c. Then, the telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm to retract to the initial position. After that, the lateral movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve to retract backward. The door flips down and closes under its own gravity. At this time, the rotating mechanism drives the column to rotate 180 degrees. The control system selects the "battery-free" pick-and-place position of the ground battery charging cabinet and calculates the moving distance of the traveling wheels, rotating mechanism, lifting mechanism, lateral movement mechanism and telescopic mechanism according to the position of the markers three, one and two on the shell where the pick-and-place position is located, and plans the movement trajectory. Each moving mechanism runs according to the movement trajectory to reach the pick-and-place position. The pick-and-place mechanism releases the battery and puts it into the second space for charging.

[0019] Then, the control system selects the "battery fully charged" pick-up and drop-off position of the ground battery charging cabinet and calculates the moving distance of the traveling wheels, rotating mechanism, lifting mechanism, lateral movement mechanism and telescopic mechanism according to the position of the marker block three, marker block one and marker block two on the shell where the pick-up and drop-off position is located, and plans the motion trajectory. Each moving mechanism runs to the pick-up and drop-off position according to the motion trajectory. The pick-up and drop-off mechanism grabs the battery. Based on this principle, the control system controls the robotic arm mechanism to transport the fully charged battery from the ground battery charging cabinet to the vehicle battery compartment to complete the battery replacement action.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: When the robotic arm mechanism picks up and places the battery, it moves by the traveling mechanism to approach the vehicle battery compartment or the ground battery charging cabinet. When the positioning sensor three identifies the marker block three, it means that the position for performing the battery replacement action has been reached. The lateral movement mechanism can be activated to drive the outer sleeve forward. When the four positioning sensors one detect that the distance to the marker block one is within the set range, the adjustment action is stopped when the detection distance of the four positioning sensors one is all 'a' by adjusting the posture of the rotation mechanism, lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism. At this time, it means that the telescopic mechanism together with the pick-up and place mechanism is aligned with the battery pack. The telescopic arm is driven forward by the telescopic mechanism. When the positioning sensor two detects that the distance to the marker block two is 'b', the action stops. At this time, it means that the pick-up and place mechanism has reached the pick-up and place position and can perform the pick-up and place action of the battery.

[0021] The positioning mechanism enables the automatic positioning of the pick-up and place mechanism with the pick-up and place position in the vehicle battery compartment or ground battery charging cabinet. The pick-up and place mechanism reaches the pick-up and place position through the first pick-up and place port or the second pick-up and place port to pick up and place the battery. The entire battery replacement operation is carried out in a streamlined and fully automated manner without the need for manual operation, which reduces labor intensity.

[0022] This invention employs an automatic battery replacement method. The ground battery charging cabinet can contain multiple independent housings and their internal structural facilities, enabling automatic charging of multiple batteries. After the vehicle-mounted battery compartment is automatically removed and placed into the ground battery charging cabinet, batteries marked as "fully charged" or with high charge levels can be immediately removed from the ground battery charging cabinet and returned to the vehicle-mounted battery compartment without waiting for battery charging, saving downtime and improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic battery replacement device for a molten iron car according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a rendering of the onboard battery compartment of the automatic battery replacement device for molten iron cars according to the present invention, on the molten iron car.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle's battery compartment;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle's battery compartment.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a top view of the robotic arm mechanism;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pick-and-place mechanism;

[0029] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between guide plate one and guide plate two;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a side view of the support structure.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a front view schematic diagram of the support structure;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the battery insertion and removal process;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a front view structural diagram of the ground battery charging cabinet.

[0034] Reference numerals: 1-Vehicle battery compartment; 11-Base; 12-Housing; 13-Support base; 14-Spacer insulator; 15-Buffer spring; 16-Electrical contact; 17-Battery pack; 18-Conductive sheet; 19-Connecting cable; 110-Block 1; 111-Compartment door; 112-Tension spring; 113-Block 2; 114-Block 3; 115-Locking pin; 116-Compression spring;

[0035] 2-Mechanical arm mechanism; 21-Column; 22-Slide rail one; 23-Rack one; 24-Motor one; 25-Gear one; 26-Moving seat; 261-Slider one; 27-Slider two; 28-Motor two; 29-Gear two; 210-Slide rail two; 211-Rack two; 212-Motor three; 213-Telescopic arm; 2131-End plate; 214-Outer sleeve; 215-Lead screw nut; 216-Lead screw; 217-Motor four; 218-Guide plate one; 219-Clamping plate one; 22 0-Positioning sensor one; 221-Pressure sensor; 222-Bracket; 2221-Box frame; 2222-Dating plate; 223-Positioning sensor two; 224-Positioning sensor three; 225-Motor five; 226-External gear rotary bearing; 227-Card holder; 228-Traveling wheel; 229-Traveling rail; 230-Motor six; 231-Gear three; 232-Traveling frame; 233-Guide plate two; 234-Clamping plate two; 235-Slide rail three; 236-Slider three;

[0036] 3-Ground battery charging cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that the following embodiments are merely illustrative examples of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. All equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] According to the present invention, an automatic battery replacement device for a molten iron car, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the system includes an onboard battery compartment 1, a robotic arm mechanism 2, and a ground-based battery charging cabinet 3. The onboard battery compartment 1 can be mounted on the frame of a molten iron car and has a first space inside to hold the battery. The first space has a first retrieval port on its side for the battery to be placed and removed. The ground-based battery charging cabinet 3 is located on one side of the railway track in the battery replacement area and has a second space inside for placing and charging the battery. The second space has a second retrieval port on its side for the battery to be placed and removed. The orientation of the second retrieval port and the first retrieval port are both perpendicular to the railway track, but opposite in orientation. The battery placement direction in the first or second space is perpendicular to the railway track. The robotic arm mechanism 2 is located between the onboard battery compartment 1 and the ground-based battery charging cabinet 3 for placing and removing the battery between the two. The robotic arm mechanism 2 includes a retrieval mechanism for placing and removing the battery and a positioning mechanism for positioning the retrieval mechanism relative to the retrieval position in the onboard battery compartment 1 or the ground-based battery charging cabinet 3.

[0039] In one embodiment, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, both the vehicle-mounted battery compartment 1 and the ground battery charging cabinet 3 are equipped with a box-shaped housing 12 with only one side open and having a first or second pick-up and drop-off port, a base 11 fixedly installed at the lower end of the housing 12, a support seat 13 fixedly installed inside the housing 12 for supporting the battery, a spacer insulator 14 fixedly installed inside the housing 12, a buffer spring 15 embedded at the upper end of the spacer insulator 14, a contacting contact 16 connected to the upper end of the buffer spring 15 and used to conduct electricity to the conductive sheet 18 at the lower end of the battery pack 17, four symmetrically fixed on the outside of the housing 12 for the reference of the picking and dropping position of the robotic arm mechanism 2, a second marker 113 fixedly installed on the inner wall of the housing 12 for battery positioning, and a third marker 114 fixedly installed at the lower end of the housing 12 for housing positioning.

[0040] A battery pack 17 can be installed on the support base 13. A conductive plate 18 is provided at the bottom of the battery pack 17. When the battery pack 17 is placed on the support base 13, under the compensation and buffering pressure of the buffer spring 15, the conductive plate 18 at the bottom of the battery pack 17 can make close contact with the power contact 16 to conduct electricity. For example, the battery pack 17 in the vehicle battery compartment 1 can conduct the battery's electricity to the electrical equipment to provide power. One end of the connecting cable 19 is fixedly connected to the power contact 16, and the other end is connected to the electrical equipment to meet the various functional applications of the molten iron car. Similarly, the power contact 16 in the ground battery charging cabinet 3 can be connected to the power source to charge the battery pack 17.

[0041] The use of standard blocks 110, 113, and 114 is to assist the robotic arm mechanism 2 in accurately positioning the battery replacement process, which helps to achieve fully automated operation throughout the entire process, eliminating the need for human operation and reducing labor intensity.

[0042] Preferably, such as Figure 11 As shown, the ground battery charging cabinet 3 includes multiple independent housings 12 and their internal structural facilities, which can automatically charge multiple batteries.

[0043] To meet the safety requirements during the operation or work of the molten iron car, unlike the ground battery charging cabinet 3, the vehicle-mounted battery compartment 1 is also equipped with a compartment door 111 hinged to the shell 12 and located outside the first loading and unloading port, to prevent the battery pack 17 inside the vehicle-mounted battery compartment 1 from slipping due to unstable factors such as bumps and vibrations during the operation or work of the molten iron car.

[0044] In practice, the door 111 can be hinged to the top or one side of the first loading and unloading port. The hinged connection allows for easy coordination with the robotic arm mechanism 2 to achieve automatic door opening.

[0045] Preferably, the vehicle battery compartment 1 is also provided with a locking pin 115 hinged to the inner wall of the housing 12 near the compartment door 111. Specifically, the hinged connection can be such that the locking pin 115 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the housing 12 via a pivot. The hinged end of the locking pin 115 is connected to an inner end and an outer end, respectively, to the inner and outer sides. One end of a compression spring 116 is connected to the inner end of the inner wall of the housing 12, and the other end of the compression spring 116 contacts the inner end. The outer end is a claw-shaped clamp that matches the shape of the battery. When the compartment door 111 is open, the compression spring 116 is in its natural state. At this time, the compression spring 116, through the action of the battery door, locks the battery door. Applying pressure to the inner end causes the locking pin 115 to rotate around the hinge end, thereby bringing the outer end closer to the inner wall of the housing 12. In this state, the locking pin 115 will not obstruct the battery removal and placement. When the door 111 is closed, the door 111 can abut against the outer end. Under the pressure of the door 111 on the outer end, the locking pin 115 rotates around the hinge end, bringing the inner end closer to the inner wall of the housing 12, and the compression spring 116 is compressed and contracted. When the battery pack 17 is placed in the vehicle battery compartment 1, the claw shape of the outer end can just lock the battery pack 17, further improving the stability of the battery pack 17 installation.

[0046] Preferably, a tension spring 112 is connected between the inner side of the door 111 and the inner wall of the housing 12. When the door is opened, the robotic arm mechanism 2 overcomes the tension of the tension spring 112. After the robotic arm mechanism 2 is withdrawn, the door 111 can be automatically closed under the tension of the tension spring 112.

[0047] In one embodiment, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 5As shown, the positioning mechanism includes a running track 229 and a running frame 232 installed parallel to one side of the railway track. The running mechanism includes symmetrically arranged running wheels 228 fixedly installed below the running frame 232, and the running wheels 228 are rotatably matched with the running track 229. A motor 230 is fixedly installed below the running frame 232, and the output end of the motor 230 is directly connected to the running wheels 228. A column 21 is rotatably connected to the top of the running frame 232 through a rotating mechanism, which drives the column 21 to rotate. A movable seat 26 is connected to the column 21 through a lifting mechanism, which drives the movable seat 26 to move up and down along the column 21. The movable seat 26 is connected to an outer sleeve 214 through a transverse movement mechanism, which is used to... The outer sleeve 214 is moved laterally along the movable seat 26; the inner side of the outer sleeve 214 is connected to the telescopic arm 213 through a telescopic mechanism, which is used to drive the telescopic arm 213 to extend and retract from the inner side of the outer sleeve 214 to the outer side; with the extension direction of the extension direction as the front reference, the front end of the telescopic arm 213 extends out of the outer sleeve 214 and is connected to a pick-and-place mechanism for picking up and placing the battery; the outer side of the front end of the outer sleeve 214 is connected to a bracket 222, and four positioning sensors 220 corresponding to the identification block 110 are provided on the bracket 222. The front end of the telescopic arm 213 is provided with a positioning sensor 223 for identifying block 213, and the lower part of the bracket 222 is provided with a positioning sensor 224 for identifying block 314.

[0048] When the robotic arm 2 picks up and places the battery, it controls the motor 230 to rotate, driving the traveling wheels 228 to move along the traveling track 229 to approach the vehicle battery compartment 1 or the ground battery charging cabinet 3. When the positioning sensor 224 identifies the marker block 114, it means that the position for battery replacement can be reached. The lateral movement mechanism can be activated to drive the outer sleeve 214 forward. When the four positioning sensors 220 detect that the distance to the marker block 110 is within the set range, the adjustment of the rotation mechanism, lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism is stopped when the detection distance of the four positioning sensors 220 is 'a'. At this time, it means that the telescopic mechanism and the pick-up and place mechanism are aligned with the battery pack 17. The telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm 213 to extend forward. When the positioning sensor 223 detects that the distance to the marker block 113 is 'b', it stops. At this time, it means that the pick-up and place mechanism has reached the pick-up and place position to perform the picking or placing action of the battery. The pick-up and place action can then be performed by the pick-up and place mechanism.

[0049] Specifically, in combination Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the bracket 222 is fitted onto the outside of the outer sleeve 214 and extends forward. The rear structure of the bracket 222 is a box frame 2221. The box frame 2221 has a channel inside for the telescopic arm 213 and the pick-and-place mechanism to pass through. The front end of the telescopic arm 213 and the pick-and-place mechanism are set in the channel. An observation hole is provided through the side of the box frame 2221, and the observation hole is connected to the channel. Four positioning sensors 220 are symmetrically arranged on the front side of the box frame 2221, and a positioning sensor 224 is arranged at the bottom of the front side of the box frame 2221. A docking plate 2222 extends forward from the top of the front side of the box frame 2221 and is connected to it for abutting the top of the door 111.

[0050] The rear structure of the bracket 222 is a box-type frame 2221. This structural design is to better adapt to the box structure of the vehicle battery compartment 1 or the ground battery charging cabinet 3. It corresponds one-to-one with the four standard blocks 110 on the vehicle battery compartment 1 or the ground battery charging cabinet 3. Four positioning sensors 220 are set on the side of the box-type frame 2221, which is conducive to more accurately adjusting the telescopic mechanism and the loading and unloading mechanism to be aligned with the battery pack 17. Corresponding to the standard block 114 fixed at the bottom of the vehicle battery compartment 1 or the ground battery charging cabinet 3, a positioning sensor 224 is set at the bottom of the box-type frame 2221 to facilitate the positioning of the overall action mechanism.

[0051] like Figure 10 As shown, in order to achieve automatic opening of the door 111 of the vehicle battery compartment 1, the door 111 is hinged to the top or one side of the first access port. In this embodiment, the door 111 is hinged to the top of the first access port as an example. The door 111 can be rotatably connected to the top of the first access port through a pivot. The docking plate 2222 moves forward until it abuts and pushes the top of the door 111. Based on the lever principle, the door 111 flips upward and opens, thus achieving automatic opening of the door 111. It should be noted that the docking plate 2222 must have sufficient length so that the door 111 does not collide with or obstruct the box frame 2221 after flipping upward.

[0052] By setting the front end of the telescopic arm 213 together with the pick-and-place mechanism inside the channel, on the one hand, it corresponds to the position of the battery pack 17 in the vehicle battery compartment 1 or the ground battery charging cabinet 3, which is conducive to the precise positioning of the battery replacement action; on the other hand, when transporting the battery during the battery replacement process, the channel can provide protection for the battery and prevent the battery from falling due to equipment operation accidents of the pick-and-place mechanism; the observation hole can be used to observe the execution of the battery replacement action in real time.

[0053] Preferably, the front end of the mating plate 2222 can be connected to a wear-resistant metal joint. Further, the joint can be processed into an arc shape to reduce the resistance when opening the door 111.

[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the loading and unloading mechanism includes a motor 217, a gear 231, a guide plate 218, a guide plate 233, a clamping plate 219, and a clamping plate 234. The telescopic arm 213 has a cylindrical structure. The motor 217 is installed inside the end plate 2131 at the front end of the telescopic arm 213. The output shaft of the motor 217 extends forward and passes through the end plate 2131. The outer side of the output shaft is connected to the gear 231. The gear 231 has vertically arranged guide plates 218 and 233 on opposite sides. On one side of gear 231, gear 233 is provided with rack 3 that meshes with gear 231. On the front side of end plate 2131, slide rail 3 235 is fixed at the position corresponding to guide plate 1 218 and guide plate 233. The rear sides of guide plate 1 218 and guide plate 233 are respectively connected to slide rail 3 235 through fixed slider 3 236. The mutually distant ends of guide plate 1 218 and guide plate 233 are respectively connected to clamp plate 1 219 and clamp plate 234. Clamp plate 1 219 and clamp plate 234 are two flat plates facing each other.

[0055] When the pick-up and place mechanism performs the pick-up and place action, the motor 217 can be started. The motor 217 drives the gear 231 to rotate. Under the transmission action of the rack 3, the guide plate 218 and the guide plate 233 move along the slide rail 235 in the direction of approaching or moving away from each other, thereby driving the clamping plate 219 and the clamping plate 234 to clamp or release the battery.

[0056] It should be noted that since clamping plate 1 219 and clamping plate 234 clamp or release the battery from opposite directions, the specific structure of the support base 13 needs to provide clearance for clamping plate 1 219 and clamping plate 234 to perform clamping or releasing.

[0057] In one preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor 221 is fixedly installed on the inner side of the first clamping plate 219 and the second clamping plate 234. The pressure detection value of the pressure sensor 221 can be used to determine whether the battery is clamped.

[0058] In one embodiment, the telescopic mechanism includes a motor 212, a lead screw 216, and a lead screw nut 215. The motor 212 is installed inside the rear end of the outer sleeve 214. The output end of the motor 212 is connected to the lead screw 216. The lead screw nut 215 is sleeved on the outside of the lead screw 216. The lead screw nut 215 is nested and connected to the tail end of the telescopic arm 213.

[0059] The motor 212 drives the lead screw 216 to rotate, which in turn drives the lead screw nut 215 and the telescopic arm 213 to slide linearly along the surface of the lead screw 216, thereby realizing the telescopic movement of the telescopic arm 213.

[0060] In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism includes a motor 24 and a gear 25. A slide rail 22 and a rack 23 arranged parallel to it are vertically fixed on one side of the column 21. The movable seat 26 is slidably engaged with the slide rail 22 through a slider 261. The motor 24 is installed on the movable seat 26, and the output end of the motor 24 is connected to the gear 25 that meshes with the rack 23.

[0061] The motor 24 drives the gear 25 to rotate, and the moving seat 26 moves up and down along the slide rail 22 through the guiding action of the rack 23.

[0062] In one embodiment, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the transverse movement mechanism includes a second motor 28 and a second gear 29. A second slider 27 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the moving base 26. The horizontal outer sleeve 214 is slidably fitted with the second slider 27 through a transverse slide rail 210 fixed at its upper end. A second motor 28 is installed on one side of the moving base 26. A second gear 29 is installed at the output end of the second motor 28. A rack 211 that meshes with the second gear 29 is installed at the upper end of the outer sleeve 214 at the position corresponding to the lower side of the second gear 29.

[0063] The operation of motor 28 drives gear 29 to rotate, and through the meshing of rack 211 and the guiding action of slide rail 210, the outer sleeve 214 moves laterally.

[0064] In one embodiment, the rotating mechanism includes a motor 225 and an external gear rotary bearing 226. The upper end of the traveling frame 232 is connected to the column 21 through the fixedly installed external gear rotary bearing 226. The upper end of the traveling frame 232 is equipped with a motor 225 on one side of the external gear rotary bearing 226. The gear 4 connected to the output end of the motor 225 meshes with the external gear rotary bearing 226.

[0065] The rotation of motor 225 drives gear 4 to rotate, which in turn drives the external gear rotary bearing 226 to rotate, thereby causing the column 21 to rotate as a whole.

[0066] As a preferred embodiment, in one embodiment, U-shaped brackets 227 are symmetrically fixedly installed on both sides of the traveling frame 232. The lower part of the brackets 227 is slidably embedded in the outer side of the traveling track 229 through rollers, which can limit the traveling frame 232 during travel and prevent it from tipping over, thereby improving the overall stability of the robot arm mechanism 2.

[0067] According to a method for automatically replacing the battery of a molten iron car according to the present invention, in one embodiment, in the initial state, the lifting mechanism drives the moving seat 26 to be positioned at the reference height. When the molten iron car carrying the battery needs to replace the battery, the molten iron car is first stopped in the battery replacement area, the operator issues a battery replacement command, the motor six 230 drives the traveling wheel 228 to travel along the traveling track 229, and drives the robotic arm mechanism 2 to approach the on-board battery compartment 1. When the positioning sensor three 224 detects the marker block three 114, the motor six 230 is turned off.

[0068] At this time, starting motor 28 can drive gear 29 to rotate. Through the meshing of rack 211 and the guiding action of slide rail 210, outer sleeve 214 moves laterally forward. When the four positioning sensors 220 detect that the distance to the target block 110 is within the set range, the adjustment action is stopped when the detection distance of the four positioning sensors 220 is 'a' by adjusting the posture of the rotation mechanism, lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism. Then the lateral movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve 214 to continue moving forward until the front docking plate 2222 of the bracket 222 abuts and pushes the top of the door 111, flipping the door 111 upward and opening it. Then the lateral movement mechanism stops.

[0069] At this time, the starting motor 212 drives the lead screw 216 to rotate, which in turn drives the lead screw nut 215 and the telescopic arm 213 to slide linearly along the surface of the lead screw 216. The telescopic arm 213 extends forward. When the positioning sensor 223 detects that the distance between the positioning sensor and the target block 213 is b, the action stops and the pick-and-place mechanism reaches the pick-and-place position.

[0070] At this time, motor 4 217 can be started, which drives gear 3 231 to rotate. Guide plate 1 218 and guide plate 2 233 move closer to each other along slide rail 3 235 under the transmission action of rack 3, thereby driving clamping plate 1 219 and clamping plate 2 234 to clamp the battery. The pressure detection value of pressure sensor 221 can determine whether the battery is clamped.

[0071] Then, by starting the motor 24, the gear 25 is rotated. Through the guiding action of the rack 23, the moving seat 26 is moved slightly upward by a distance c. Then, the telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm 213 to retract to the initial position. After that, the lateral movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve 214 to move backward and retract. The door 111 flips down and closes under its own gravity.

[0072] At this time, the rotating mechanism drives the column 21 to rotate 180 degrees. The control system selects the "battery-free" pick-up and put-down position of the ground battery charging cabinet 3 and calculates the moving distance of the traveling wheels 228, rotating mechanism, lifting mechanism, lateral movement mechanism and telescopic mechanism according to the position of the marker block 3 114, marker block 110 and marker block 2 113 of the shell 12 where the pick-up and put-down position is located, and plans the movement trajectory. Each moving mechanism runs according to the movement trajectory to reach the pick-up and put-down position. The pick-up and put-down mechanism releases the battery and puts it into the second space for charging.

[0073] Then, the control system selects the "battery fully charged" pick-up and drop-off position of the ground battery charging cabinet 3 and calculates the moving distance of the traveling wheels 228, rotating mechanism, lifting mechanism, lateral movement mechanism and telescopic mechanism according to the position of the marker block 3 114, marker block 110 and marker block 2 113 of the housing 12 where the pick-up and drop-off position is located, and plans the motion trajectory. Each moving mechanism runs according to the motion trajectory to reach the pick-up and drop-off position. The pick-up and drop-off mechanism grabs the battery. Based on this principle, the control system controls the robotic arm mechanism 2 to transport the fully charged battery from the ground battery charging cabinet 3 to the vehicle battery compartment 1. Similarly, after positioning and opening actions, when the positioning sensor 223 detects that the distance to the marker block 2 113 is b, the pick-up and drop-off mechanism reverses its action and releases the battery to place it on the support seat 13, completing the battery replacement action. Unlike the battery pick-up and drop-off action, before the pick-up and drop-off mechanism releases the battery, the lifting mechanism moves the gripped battery down until the pressure detection value of the pressure sensor 221 on the upper clamping plate 219 increases, indicating that the battery has reached the support seat 13. At this time, the pick-up and drop-off mechanism can perform the release action.

[0074] It should be noted that the reference height, distances a, b, and c are preset by the control system according to the actual implementation situation; specifically, the reference height can be determined with the height of the railway track as zero; the distance c ranges from 2 to 5 mm, so that the battery pack 17 is disengaged from the support seat 13. During this process, the docking plate 2222 slides slightly upward, but does not affect the state of resistance to the door 111.

[0075] Since the ground battery charging cabinet 3 contains multiple independent housings 12, when the robotic arm 2 performs battery placement or replacement, the marker block 114 at the lower end of each housing 12 can be used as a target positioning point. The control system stores and updates the position data of the target positioning points, as well as the presence and charge data of each location. The control system determines the running trajectory of the robotic arm 2 based on the position of the target positioning points. Optionally, when the robotic arm 2 carries the battery pack 17 to the ground battery charging cabinet 3, if there are two or more "no battery" placement / removal positions... The system can be set to select the nearest pick-up and place position for placement; when there are two or more nearest pick-up and place positions, the orientation priority order can be set, such as right, top, left, and bottom; when the robotic arm mechanism 2 retrieves a charged battery from the ground battery charging cabinet 3, it prioritizes selecting the pick-up and place position with "battery fully charged" or higher charge based on the battery level; when the "battery fully charged" or higher charge position is selected, the system can be set to select the nearest pick-up and place position for grabbing; when there are two or more nearest pick-up and place positions, the orientation priority order can be set, such as right, top, left, and bottom.

[0076] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0077] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for automatically replacing a battery of a molten metal car, characterized by, The application relates to a battery replacement device for a molten metal car, which comprises a vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1), a mechanical handling mechanism (2) and a ground battery charging cabinet (3), wherein the vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) is arranged on the molten metal car and is internally provided with a first space for bearing batteries, and a first taking and placing opening for taking and placing the batteries is arranged on the side of the first space; the ground battery charging cabinet (3) is arranged on one side of a railway track in a battery replacement area, is internally provided with a second space for placing and charging the batteries, and a second taking and placing opening for taking and placing the batteries is arranged on the side of the second space; the mechanical handling mechanism (2) is arranged between the vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) and the ground battery charging cabinet (3) and is used for taking and placing the batteries between the two; the mechanical handling mechanism (2) comprises a taking and placing mechanism for taking and placing the batteries and a positioning mechanism for positioning the taking and placing mechanism and a taking and placing position in the vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) or the ground battery charging cabinet (3). The vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) is further provided with a compartment door (111) which is hinged to the inner wall of a shell (12) and is located outside the first taking and placing opening. The vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) is further provided with a locking pin (115) which is hinged to the inner wall of the shell (12) and is located on the side of the compartment door (111), the hinged end of the locking pin (115) is connected with an inner end and an outer end on the inner side and the outer side respectively, one end of a compression spring (116) is connected to the side of the inner wall of the shell (12) which is close to the inner end, and the other end of the compression spring (116) is in contact with the inner end; the outer end is in the shape of a clamping jaw which matches the shape of the battery. The positioning mechanism comprises a walking track (229) and a walking frame (232) which are arranged in parallel on one side of the railway track, the walking frame (232) is arranged on the walking track (229) through a walking mechanism, a stand column (21) is rotationally connected to the upper side of the walking frame (232) through a rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism is used for driving the stand column (21) to rotate, a moving seat (26) is connected to the stand column (21) through a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism is used for driving the moving seat (26) to move up and down along the stand column (21), an outer sleeve (214) is connected to the moving seat (26) through a horizontal moving mechanism, the horizontal moving mechanism is used for driving the outer sleeve (214) to move horizontally along the moving seat (26), a telescopic arm (213) is connected to the inner side of the outer sleeve (214) through a telescopic mechanism, the telescopic mechanism is used for driving the telescopic arm (213) to move telescopically from the inner side to the outer side of the outer sleeve (214), one end of the telescopic arm (213) extends out of the outer sleeve (214) and is connected with the taking and placing mechanism, and the end of the outer sleeve (214) which deviates from the extending end of the telescopic arm (213) is connected with a support (222). The support (222) is arranged on the outer side of the outer sleeve (214) and extends to the extending direction of the telescopic arm (213), the rear structure of the support (222) is a box type frame (2221), a hole is formed in the inside of the box type frame (2221) and is used for the telescopic arm (213) and the taking and placing mechanism to pass through, the extending end of the telescopic arm (213) and the taking and placing mechanism are arranged in the hole, and a butt plate (2222) is connected to the front top of the box type frame (2221) and is used for abutting against the top of the compartment door (111).

2. The device for automatically replacing the battery of the molten metal car according to claim 1, wherein The vehicle-mounted battery compartment (1) and the ground battery charging cabinet (3) are both provided with a shell (12), a base (11) fixedly installed at the lower end of the shell (12), a supporting seat (13) fixedly installed in the shell (12) for supporting the battery, a spacing insulator (14) fixedly installed in the shell (12), a buffer spring (15) embedded on the upper end of the spacing insulator (14), an electric contact (16) connected to the upper end of the buffer spring (15) and used for conducting electricity with a conductive sheet (18) at the lower end of a battery pack (17), four symmetrical marker blocks one (110) fixed on the outer side of the shell (12) for the mechanical hand mechanism (2) to take and place the position reference, a marker block two (113) fixedly installed on the inner wall of the shell (12) for battery positioning, and a marker block three (114) fixedly installed at the lower end of the shell (12) for shell positioning.

3. The device for automatically replacing the battery of the molten metal car according to claim 2, wherein The bracket (222) is provided with four positioning sensors one (220) corresponding to the recognition marker block one (110), the front end of the telescopic arm (213) is provided with a positioning sensor two (223) for recognizing the marker block two (113), and the lower part of the bracket (222) is provided with a positioning sensor three (224) for recognizing the marker block three (114).

4. The device for automatically replacing a battery of a molten metal car according to claim 3, wherein The box type frame (2221) is provided with an observation hole penetrating through the side, and the observation hole is in communication with the hole; four positioning sensors one (220) are symmetrically arranged on the front side of the box type frame (2221), and a positioning sensor three (224) is arranged at the bottom end of the front side of the box type frame (2221).

5. The device for automatically replacing the battery of the molten metal car according to claim 4, characterized in that, The taking and placing mechanism comprises a motor four (217), a gear three (231), a guide plate one (218), a guide plate two (233), a clamping plate one (219) and a clamping plate two (234), the telescopic arm (213) is in a cylindrical structure, a motor four (217) is installed on the inner side of an end plate (2131) at the end of the telescopic arm (213), an output shaft of the motor four (217) extends forward and penetrates through the end plate (2131), the outer side of the output shaft is connected with the gear three (231), the gear three (231) is arranged in parallel with the guide plate one (218) and the guide plate two (233) on the opposite sides, the guide plate one (218) and the guide plate two (233) are respectively provided with a gear rack three engaged with the gear three (231) on the side deviated from the gear three (231), the front side of the end plate (2131) is fixedly provided with a slide rail three (235) corresponding to the positions of the guide plate one (218) and the guide plate two (233), the rear sides of the guide plate one (218) and the guide plate two (233) are respectively connected with the slide rail three (235) through fixed slide blocks three (236), and the mutually faraway ends of the guide plate one (218) and the guide plate two (233) are respectively connected with the clamping plate one (219) and the clamping plate two (234).

6. The device for automatically replacing the battery of the molten metal car according to claim 5, wherein The telescopic mechanism comprises motor three (212), screw rod (216) and screw nut (215), the outer sleeve (214) is internally provided with motor three (212) on the side away from the extending end of the telescopic arm (213), the output end of motor three (212) is connected with the screw rod (216), the outer side of the screw rod (216) is sleeved with the screw nut (215), and the screw nut (215) is connected with the tail end of the telescopic arm (213) in a nested mode.

7. The device for automatically replacing the battery of the molten metal car according to claim 6, wherein The lifting mechanism comprises motor one (24) and gear one (25), the vertical column (21) is vertically fixed with a slide rail one (22) and a gear rack one (23) arranged in parallel on one side of the slide rail one (22), and the moving seat (26) is slidably connected with the slide rail one (22) through a slide block one (261); the motor one (24) is installed on the moving seat (26), and the output end of the motor one (24) is connected with the gear one (25) engaged with the gear rack one (23).

8. A method for automatically replacing a battery of a molten metal car, characterized by, The device for automatically replacing batteries of the molten iron car according to any one of claims 1-7 is realized, and in the initial state, the lifting mechanism drives the moving seat (26) to be positioned at the reference height; when the molten iron car carrying the battery needs to replace the battery, first, the molten iron car is stopped in the battery replacement area, the operator issues a battery replacement instruction, the motor six (230) drives the walking wheel (228) to walk along the walking track (229), drives the mechanical hand mechanism (2) to approach the car-mounted battery compartment (1), and when the positioning sensor three (224) detects the mark three (114), the motor six (230) is turned off; at this time, the transverse movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve (214) to move forward, and when the four positioning sensors one (220) detect that the distance from the mark one (110) is within the set range, the adjustment of the rotating mechanism, the lifting mechanism and the transverse movement mechanism is stopped when the detection distance of the four positioning sensors one (220) is a; then the transverse movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve (214) to continue to move forward until the front top of the support (222) abuts against and pushes the top of the compartment door (111), and then the transverse movement mechanism stops moving; at this time, the telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm (213) to extend forward, and when the positioning sensor two (223) detects that the distance from the mark two (113) is b, the action is stopped; at this time, the taking and placing mechanism reaches the taking and placing position and performs the grabbing action to clamp the battery; then the lifting mechanism drives the moving seat (26) to move upward by a distance c; then the telescopic mechanism drives the telescopic arm (213) to retract to the initial position, and then the transverse movement mechanism drives the outer sleeve (214) to move backward and retract; the compartment door (111) is turned down and closed under the action of its own gravity; at this time, the rotating mechanism drives the stand (21) to rotate by 180 degrees, the control system selects the "battery-free" taking and placing position of the ground battery charging cabinet (3), calculates the movement distance of the walking wheel (228), the rotating mechanism, the lifting mechanism, the transverse movement mechanism and the telescopic mechanism according to the positions of the mark three (114), the mark one (110) and the mark two (113) of the shell (12) at the taking and placing position, and plans the movement track; each movement mechanism moves to the taking and placing position according to the movement track, and the taking and placing mechanism releases the battery into the second space for charging; Then the control system selects the "battery fully charged" taking and placing position of the ground battery charging cabinet (3), calculates the movement distance of the walking wheel (228), the rotating mechanism, the lifting mechanism, the transverse movement mechanism and the telescopic mechanism according to the positions of the mark three (114), the mark one (110) and the mark two (113) of the shell (12) at the taking and placing position, and plans the movement track; each movement mechanism moves to the taking and placing position according to the movement track, and the taking and placing mechanism grabs the battery; according to the above principle, the control system controls the mechanical hand mechanism (2) to transport the fully charged battery from the ground battery charging cabinet (3) to the car-mounted battery compartment (1), and completes the battery replacement action.

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