An adaptive multi-specification material high-precision unmanned connection and transportation system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a high-precision unmanned connection transportation system and method for self-adapting to multi-specification materials. The system comprises an unmanned vehicle, a conveying roller mechanism, a material connection device, a horizontal transfer mechanism, a first longitudinal transfer mechanism, a second longitudinal transfer mechanism, a jacking mechanism and a longitudinal transfer mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of transportation technology, and specifically to an unmanned vehicle shuttle transportation system capable of automatic loading and unloading. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, unmanned logistics technology is developing rapidly, and a large amount of logistics sorting and transportation has begun to be completed by robots or unmanned vehicles. Through their integrated autonomous driving kits, they can complete functions such as driving according to planned routes and autonomously avoiding obstacles. Although this can reduce human involvement to a certain extent, the automatic loading and unloading of goods is still a difficult technology to achieve.

[0003] On logistics production lines, it is usually necessary to automatically load goods from automated production lines into unmanned vehicles, or unload material bins from unmanned vehicles onto automated production lines. In most existing technologies, this still requires manual labor to unload each material bin and load it onto the production line. This cannot achieve true automation and can lead to situations where vehicles are waiting for people, reducing unloading efficiency and posing certain safety issues.

[0004] Currently, most mainstream automated loading and unloading solutions use conveyor lines to transfer materials to unmanned vehicles (UGVs). However, this approach has certain technical limitations: existing UGVs often use fixed rollers, chains, or simple forks as their delivery and carrying mechanisms. These devices typically can only handle goods in single-sized boxes or pallets. When dealing with materials with varying packaging forms, such as those with inconsistent length, width, and height, the inability to stack or effectively plan space often prevents full utilization of the UGV's carrying capacity. This necessitates additional manual assistance or specialized tooling for transfer, failing to achieve truly flexible or adaptive connections. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned deficiencies in existing technologies, this invention provides a high-precision unmanned transport system and method for adaptive multi-specification materials. This system can rationally design stacking or placement schemes based on information such as the outer packaging dimensions of the materials, thereby reducing manual assistance and achieving adaptive unmanned vehicle loading and unloading.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention discloses a high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for adaptive multi-specification materials, characterized in that it comprises: An unmanned vehicle, which is equipped with a storage space; A conveyor roller mechanism, which is used to connect to a preceding material conveying line; Material receiving device, including: A transverse conveying mechanism, wherein the width of the transverse conveying mechanism is smaller than the gap between the conveying rollers of the conveying roller mechanism; the transverse transmission belt mechanism includes a primary longitudinal conveying mechanism and a secondary longitudinal conveying mechanism that can be extended and connected. A lifting mechanism and a transverse conveyor belt mechanism are disposed on top of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to control the transverse conveyor belt mechanism to move up and down between above and below the conveyor roller mechanism. A longitudinal transfer mechanism is disposed below the conveyor roller mechanism, and a lifting mechanism is connected to the longitudinal transfer mechanism. The longitudinal transfer mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move along the conveying direction of the conveyor roller mechanism. The conveyor roller mechanism is also equipped with a size measuring device, which is used to measure the length, width and height of the material.

[0007] Preferably, the primary longitudinal movement mechanism and the secondary longitudinal movement mechanism both employ a single conveyor belt device, and the primary and secondary longitudinal movement mechanisms are slidably connected to form an extendable conveyor belt mechanism for transporting materials to the unmanned vehicle.

[0008] Preferably, the unmanned vehicle's accommodating space is provided with a support frame consisting of several parallel conveyor rollers at the bottom, and the gap between adjacent support frames is greater than or equal to the gap between the conveyor rollers of the conveyor roller mechanism.

[0009] Preferably, the longitudinal movement mechanism includes at least two sets of guide rail synchronous belt mechanisms, each of which includes at least a guide rail, a set of synchronous belt pulleys, and a slide block, and the lifting mechanism is mounted on the slide block.

[0010] This invention discloses a high-precision unmanned docking transportation system and method for adaptive multi-specification materials. Through deep collaboration between software and hardware and innovative design of mechanical structure, it effectively solves the problems of poor adaptability, low space utilization, insufficient docking accuracy, and fragmented operation process in existing unmanned docking technologies. The specific technical effects are as follows: 1. It achieves universal connection of materials of various specifications, significantly improving system flexibility. By setting up a lateral conveying mechanism with a width smaller than the gap between the conveyor rollers, in conjunction with retractable primary and secondary lateral conveying mechanisms, the system can overcome conveyor roller obstacles and reach any depth within the unmanned vehicle's carrying space. Regardless of the size of the material, no customized special tooling is required, enabling adaptive acceptance and placement of irregularly shaped and non-standard materials, breaking the limitation of traditional unmanned vehicles that can only handle standard pallets.

[0011] 2. Maximizing loading space utilization while ensuring transportation stability. Based on material data obtained from dimensional measurement devices and combined with 3D packing optimization algorithms, the system can intelligently plan the placement coordinates, orientation, and stacking layers of materials. This solution not only maximizes the volumetric efficiency of the autonomous vehicle's carrying space but also ensures, through a center of gravity constraint algorithm, that the overall center of gravity of stacked materials of various specifications remains within a safe envelope, effectively preventing cargo tipping or slippage during vehicle start-stop or turning.

[0012] 3. Eliminating docking blind spots and achieving high-precision coverage throughout the entire space. Through the two-axis linkage of the longitudinal movement mechanism (vertical) and the retractable lateral conveying mechanism (lateral / depth), combined with the dynamic adjustment of the lifting mechanism (height), omnidirectional accessibility in three-dimensional space is achieved. In particular, the telescopic design of the secondary lateral movement mechanism solves the problem of material placement in the far corners of deep-cavity carriages, eliminating docking blind spots present in traditional fixed pusher plates or short-distance conveying mechanisms. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism of the present invention in the lifting and connecting state.

[0015] Figure 3 This is the logic flowchart of the present invention.

[0016] The diagram is labeled as follows: 1. Conveyor roller mechanism; 2. Lateral conveyor mechanism; 3. Lifting mechanism; 301. Lifting mechanism; 302. Lower base; 303. Upper top plate; 4. Longitudinal conveyor mechanism; 5. Lifting auxiliary rod; 501. Bayonet. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, is provided below.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for adaptive multi-specification materials, comprising: An unmanned vehicle, which is equipped with a storage space; A conveyor roller mechanism, which is used to connect to a preceding material conveying line; Material receiving device, including: A transverse conveying mechanism, wherein the width of the transverse conveying mechanism is smaller than the gap between the conveying rollers of the conveying roller mechanism; the transverse transmission belt mechanism includes a primary longitudinal conveying mechanism and a secondary longitudinal conveying mechanism that can be extended and connected. A lifting mechanism and a transverse conveyor belt mechanism are disposed on top of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to control the transverse conveyor belt mechanism to move up and down between above and below the conveyor roller mechanism. A longitudinal transfer mechanism is disposed below the conveyor roller mechanism, and a lifting mechanism is connected to the longitudinal transfer mechanism. The longitudinal transfer mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move along the conveying direction of the conveyor roller mechanism. The conveyor roller mechanism is also equipped with a size measuring device, which is used to measure the length, width and height of the material.

[0019] Preferably, the primary longitudinal movement mechanism and the secondary longitudinal movement mechanism both employ a single conveyor belt device, and the primary and secondary longitudinal movement mechanisms are slidably connected to form an extendable conveyor belt mechanism for transporting materials to the unmanned vehicle.

[0020] Preferably, the unmanned vehicle's accommodating space is provided with a support frame consisting of several parallel conveyor rollers at the bottom, and the gap between adjacent support frames is greater than or equal to the gap between the conveyor rollers of the conveyor roller mechanism.

[0021] Preferably, the longitudinal movement mechanism includes at least two sets of guide rail synchronous belt mechanisms, each of which includes at least a guide rail, a set of synchronous belt pulleys, and a slide block, and the lifting mechanism is mounted on the slide block.

[0022] Each of the lifting mechanisms includes a lifting mechanism consisting of a single-sided scissor-type four-bar linkage, a drive cylinder, a lower base, and an upper top plate, with a transverse conveyor belt mechanism located above the upper top plate. The conveyor roller mechanism has two lifting auxiliary rods on each of its two side frame sections. The two ends of the lifting auxiliary rods are vertically connected to the two side frame sections of the conveyor roller mechanism. The bottom of the lifting auxiliary rods has a slot between two adjacent rollers. The two ends of the upper plate of the lifting mechanism are provided with locking ends that cooperate with the slots. When the lifting mechanism is driven by the drive cylinder to raise the height of the upper top plate, the locking ends at both ends of the upper top plate engage with the locking slots, and at the same time, the lifting auxiliary rod is raised. At this time, the lifting auxiliary rod not only connects and locks the upper top plates of the adjacent lifting mechanisms and fixes the distance between the upper top plates, but also helps to stabilize the longitudinal position of the upper top plate, thereby improving the support stability for materials. At the same time, it can also play a role in assisting in supporting and transferring materials between the unmanned vehicle and the transverse conveying mechanism during the process of transversely transferring materials to the unmanned vehicle.

[0023] This invention also provides a high-precision unmanned transport method for adaptive multi-specification materials, based on the above system, and includes the following steps: Step S1: Obtain the three-dimensional outer packaging size data of the material to be connected through the size measuring device on the conveyor roller mechanism; at the same time, obtain the size data of the accommodating space of the target unmanned vehicle and the current occupied status data. Step S2: Input the data obtained in step S1 into the vehicle planning controller, run the three-dimensional packing optimization algorithm, generate the target placement coordinates, stacking layers and placement posture of the material in the containment space, and form the optimal loading scheme. Step S3: According to the optimal loading scheme, control the transverse mechanism to drive the lifting mechanism to move longitudinally along the conveying direction of the conveying roller mechanism, and align the material receiving device with the target receiving station of the material to be received; Step S4: Control the lifting mechanism to lift the lateral conveyor above it to an operating height that matches the target stacking height in the pre-positioned material conveyor line and the optimal loading scheme; Step S5, Material receiving and transfer: Control the start of the transverse conveyor mechanism to receive the material from the front material conveyor line and move it transversely to the space above the unmanned vehicle; Step S6, Adaptive telescopic entry: Based on the material placement coordinates generated in S2, control the first-level and second-level telescopic mechanisms of the transverse conveying mechanism to perform relative telescopic movements, adjust the effective conveying length, and accurately convey the material to the target coordinate position within the accommodating space. Step S7, Reset and Cycle: After the material leaves the transverse conveyor mechanism, control the lifting mechanism to descend, so that the transverse conveyor mechanism falls back below the gap of the conveyor roller mechanism, waiting for the next transfer task.

[0024] The S2 step specifically includes: The first optimization objective is to maximize the volume utilization rate of the storage space. The second constraint is that the overall center of gravity of the stacked materials is located at a preset safety threshold. The third constraint is that the unloading order conforms to the first-in-last-out principle. The heuristic search algorithm is used to iteratively solve the problem and output a loading scheme that includes the material placement coordinates, attitude angle and stacking layer number.

[0025] The S3 step specifically includes: The lateral movement mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move via a guide rail synchronous belt mechanism. During the movement, a photoelectric sensor or magnetic grating ruler installed at the end of the guide rail is used for closed-loop position feedback to ensure that the material receiving device is aligned longitudinally with the entrance center axis of the unmanned vehicle's accommodating space.

[0026] Step S6 specifically includes: When the material needs to be placed deep within the receiving space, the secondary lateral movement mechanism is extended relative to the primary lateral movement mechanism to increase the effective conveying distance of the lateral movement conveyor; when the material is placed near the entrance, the secondary lateral movement mechanism is retracted to shorten the conveying distance; wherein, the motion speed curves of the primary and secondary lateral movement mechanisms are designed with S-shaped acceleration and deceleration to prevent the material from slipping due to inertia during the conveying process.

[0027] Following step S7, the method further includes: Using visual sensors or laser rangefinders installed on the top of the unmanned vehicle's storage space, the actual placement position of the current materials is scanned and recorded. The actual position is then compared with the optimal loading plan in S2. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, an alarm is triggered or the placement coordinates of subsequent materials are replanned.

[0028] In step S4, if the optimal loading scheme includes multiple layers of stacking, after the lower layer of material is placed, return to step S4 and control the lifting mechanism to lift to a preset height again to connect and stack the upper layer of material.

[0029] This invention discloses a high-precision unmanned docking transportation system and method for adaptive multi-specification materials. Through deep collaboration between software and hardware and innovative design of mechanical structure, it effectively solves the problems of poor adaptability, low space utilization, insufficient docking accuracy, and fragmented operation process in existing unmanned docking technologies. The specific technical effects are as follows: This system enables universal material handling across various specifications, significantly enhancing its flexibility. By incorporating a lateral conveying mechanism with a width smaller than the gap between the conveyor rollers, along with retractable primary and secondary lateral conveying mechanisms, the system can overcome conveyor roller obstacles and reach any depth within the unmanned vehicle's storage space. Regardless of material size, no customized tooling is required; it can adaptively accept and place irregularly shaped or non-standard materials, breaking the limitation of traditional unmanned vehicles that can only handle standard pallets.

[0030] Maximizing the use of loading space while ensuring transportation stability. Based on material data acquired by a dimensional measurement device and combined with a 3D packing optimization algorithm, the system can intelligently plan the placement coordinates, orientation, and stacking layers of materials. This solution not only maximizes the volumetric efficiency of the autonomous vehicle's carrying space but also ensures, through a center of gravity constraint algorithm, that the overall center of gravity of stacked materials of various specifications remains within a safe envelope, effectively preventing cargo tipping or slippage during vehicle start-stop or turning.

[0031] Eliminating docking blind spots and achieving high-precision coverage throughout the entire space. Through the two-axis linkage of the longitudinal movement mechanism (vertical) and the retractable lateral conveying mechanism (lateral / depth), combined with the dynamic adjustment of the lifting mechanism (height), omnidirectional accessibility in three-dimensional space is achieved. In particular, the telescopic design of the secondary lateral movement mechanism solves the problem of material placement in the far corners of deep-cavity carriages, eliminating docking dead spots present in traditional fixed pusher plates or short-distance conveying mechanisms.

[0032] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for adaptive multi-specification materials, characterized in that, include: An unmanned vehicle, which is equipped with a storage space; A conveyor roller mechanism, wherein the conveyor roller mechanism is used for longitudinal material transport; Material receiving device, including: A transverse conveying mechanism, wherein the width of the transverse conveying mechanism is smaller than the gap between the conveying rollers of the conveying roller mechanism; the transverse transmission belt mechanism includes a primary longitudinal conveying mechanism and a secondary longitudinal conveying mechanism that can be extended and connected. A lifting mechanism and a transverse conveyor belt mechanism are disposed on top of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to control the transverse conveyor belt mechanism to move up and down between above and below the conveyor roller mechanism. A longitudinal transfer mechanism is disposed below the conveyor roller mechanism, and a lifting mechanism is connected to the longitudinal transfer mechanism. The longitudinal transfer mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move along the conveying direction of the conveyor roller mechanism. The conveyor roller mechanism is also equipped with a size measuring device, which is used to measure the length, width and height of the material.

2. The adaptive high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for multi-specification materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the primary and secondary longitudinal transfer mechanisms employ a single conveyor belt device, and the primary and secondary longitudinal transfer mechanisms are slidably connected to form an extendable conveyor belt mechanism for transporting materials to unmanned vehicles.

3. The adaptive high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for multi-specification materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unmanned vehicle's storage space is equipped with several support frames arranged with parallel conveyor rollers at the bottom, and the gap between adjacent support frames is greater than or equal to the gap between the conveyor rollers of the conveyor roller mechanism.

4. The adaptive high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for multi-specification materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal movement mechanism includes at least two sets of guide rail synchronous belt mechanisms. Each guide rail synchronous belt mechanism includes at least a guide rail, a set of synchronous belt pulleys, and a slide block. The lifting mechanism is mounted on the slide block.

5. The adaptive high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation system for multi-specification materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the lifting mechanisms includes a lifting mechanism consisting of a single-sided scissor-type four-bar linkage, a drive cylinder, a lower base, and an upper top plate, with a transverse conveyor belt mechanism located above the upper top plate. The conveyor roller mechanism has two lifting auxiliary rods on each of its two side frame sections. The two ends of the lifting auxiliary rods are vertically connected to the two side frame sections of the conveyor roller mechanism. The bottom of the lifting auxiliary rods has a slot between two adjacent rollers. The two ends of the upper plate of the lifting mechanism are provided with locking ends that cooperate with the slots. When the lifting mechanism is driven by the drive cylinder to raise the height of the upper top plate, the locking ends at both ends of the upper top plate engage with the locking slots, and at the same time, the lifting auxiliary rod is raised. The lifting auxiliary rod is used to help stabilize the longitudinal position of the upper top plate.

6. A high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation method for adaptive multi-specification materials, characterized in that, The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 includes the following steps: Step S1: Obtain the three-dimensional outer packaging size data of the material to be connected through the size measuring device on the conveyor roller mechanism; at the same time, obtain the size data of the accommodating space of the target unmanned vehicle and the current occupied status data. Step S2: Input the data obtained in step S1 into the vehicle planning controller, run the three-dimensional packing optimization algorithm, generate the target placement coordinates, stacking layers and placement posture of the material in the containment space, and form the optimal loading scheme. Step S3: According to the optimal loading scheme, control the transverse mechanism to drive the lifting mechanism to move longitudinally along the conveying direction of the conveying roller mechanism, and align the material receiving device with the target receiving station of the material to be received; Step S4: Control the lifting mechanism to lift the lateral conveyor above it to an operating height that matches the target stacking height in the pre-positioned material conveyor line and the optimal loading scheme; Step S5, Material receiving and transfer: Control the start of the transverse conveyor mechanism to receive the material from the front material conveyor line and move it transversely to the space above the unmanned vehicle; Step S6, Adaptive telescopic entry: Based on the material placement coordinates generated in S2, control the first-level and second-level telescopic mechanisms of the transverse conveying mechanism to perform relative telescopic movements, adjust the effective conveying length, and accurately convey the material to the target coordinate position within the accommodating space. Step S7, Reset and Cycle: After the material leaves the transverse conveyor mechanism, control the lifting mechanism to descend, so that the transverse conveyor mechanism falls back below the gap of the conveyor roller mechanism, waiting for the next transfer task.

7. The adaptive high-precision unmanned transport method for multi-specification materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, The S2 step specifically includes: The first optimization objective is to maximize the volume utilization rate of the storage space. The second constraint is that the overall center of gravity of the stacked materials is located at a preset safety threshold. The third constraint is that the unloading order conforms to the first-in-last-out principle. The heuristic search algorithm is used to iteratively solve the problem and output a loading scheme that includes the material placement coordinates, attitude angle and stacking layer number.

8. The adaptive high-precision unmanned transport method for multi-specification materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The S3 step specifically includes: The lateral movement mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to move via a guide rail synchronous belt mechanism. During the movement, a photoelectric sensor or magnetic grating ruler installed at the end of the guide rail is used for closed-loop position feedback to ensure that the material receiving device is aligned longitudinally with the entrance center axis of the unmanned vehicle's accommodating space.

9. A high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation method for adaptive multi-specification materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S6 specifically includes: When the material needs to be placed deep within the receiving space, the secondary lateral movement mechanism is extended relative to the primary lateral movement mechanism to increase the effective conveying distance of the lateral movement conveyor; when the material is placed near the entrance, the secondary lateral movement mechanism is retracted to shorten the conveying distance; wherein, the motion speed curves of the primary and secondary lateral movement mechanisms are designed with S-shaped acceleration and deceleration to prevent the material from slipping due to inertia during the conveying process.

10. A high-precision unmanned shuttle transportation method for adaptive multi-specification materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, Following step S7, the method further includes: Using visual sensors or laser rangefinders installed on the top of the unmanned vehicle's storage space, the actual placement position of the current materials is scanned and recorded. The actual position is then compared with the optimal loading plan in S2. If the deviation exceeds the threshold, an alarm is triggered or the placement coordinates of subsequent materials are replanned.

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