Silo unloading robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a shallow circular silo unloading robot, relating to the field of grain storage technology. It includes a chassis with a grain conveying channel at one end and a grain suction interface at the other. A hydraulic cylinder is mounted on the chassis, with a bracket fixed to one end of the piston rod. A rotating shaft is fixedly mounted on the bracket, and several grain-dispensing plates are fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft. Two symmetrically arranged first grain-driving spirals are fixed on the rotating shaft. A grain-collecting plate is located at one end of the grain conveying channel, cooperating with the grain-dispensing plates. A magnetic plate is located inside the grain-dispensing plate. This invention's shallow circular silo unloading robot employs a dual-drive grain spiral system. The inner wear-resistant alloy steel spiral is responsible for collecting the central grain flow, while the outer flexible rubber spiral achieves thorough cleaning of the silo walls through an adaptive bonding mechanism. This invention also includes a secondary air separation device, realizing complete impurity removal from the source to the conveying process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of grain storage technology, specifically to a shallow circular silo unloading robot. Background Technology

[0002] Shallow circular silos are one of the most widely used core silo facilities in my country's grain storage sector. They have large storage capacity and small footprint, playing a vital role in ensuring national food security. Currently, the mainstream shallow circular silo unloading operation heavily relies on a combination of a "fixed central unloading system" and "high-intensity manual labor." Specifically, a fixed central auger or scraper conveyor is usually installed at the bottom of the silo to unload grain from the central unloading port. However, due to the flow characteristics of grain (such as the angle of accumulation and internal friction) and the conical structure of the shallow circular silo bottom, a large amount of grain, especially the residual grain adhering to the silo walls, cannot flow naturally to the center under gravity. This results in a ring-shaped "dead grain zone" remaining inside the silo in the later stages of the mechanized unloading process, requiring manual intervention by personnel entering the silo.

[0003] However, the technology of manual assistance is relatively dangerous, and the existing unloading equipment is difficult to effectively clean the grain in the dead corners close to the warehouse wall, and it is easy to cause wear and tear on the warehouse wall and breakage of the grain. At the same time, the cleaning of grain impurities is mostly done by subsequent separate processing, which disconnects the warehouse cleaning and impurity removal process, resulting in a cumbersome operation process and limited cleaning effect. Therefore, a shallow round warehouse unloading robot is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problem mentioned in the background art that existing outbound equipment cannot effectively clean the warehouse during the outbound operation and has poor cleaning effect, the present invention aims to provide a shallow circular warehouse outbound robot.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a shallow circular silo unloading robot, comprising a chassis, a grain conveying channel on the chassis, a grain suction interface at one end of the grain conveying channel, a hydraulic cylinder on the chassis, a bracket fixed to one end of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder, a rotating shaft fixedly mounted on the bracket, several grain-dispensing plates fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft, two symmetrically arranged first grain-driving spirals fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft, a drive motor fixedly mounted on the grain conveying channel, the drive motor being connected to the rotating shaft via gears and chains, the drive motor being located inside a protective cover, a housing and an electrical control box on the chassis, a support rod fixedly mounted on the grain conveying channel, a camera mounted on the upper end of the support rod, a grain collecting plate at one end of the grain conveying channel, the grain collecting plate cooperating with the grain dispensing plates, a groove being formed on the grain dispensing plate, and a magnetic plate being placed in the groove.

[0006] Preferably, a sliding plate is installed at one end of the grain feeding plate, and the sliding plate is slidably coupled with the magnetic plate.

[0007] Preferably, one end of the sliding plate has several notches, and a roller is installed in the notch, and the roller is configured to cooperate with the magnetic plate.

[0008] Preferably, a cavity is formed between the magnetic plate and the groove, a plurality of impurity-absorbing holes are provided on the magnetic plate, and a first impurity-removing pipe is provided on the lower side of the chassis, with one end of the first impurity-removing pipe communicating with the cavity.

[0009] Preferably, the grain conveying channel is provided with an installation groove, a suction pipe is fixedly installed in the installation groove, the suction pipe is provided with a plurality of suction holes, and a second impurity removal pipe is provided at the lower end of the grain conveying channel, the second impurity removal pipe being connected to the suction pipe; The grain conveying channel is equipped with several "Z"-shaped rods, each with a first pin and a second pin. The first pin and the second pin are located at two bends of the "Z"-shaped rod, respectively. The "Z"-shaped rod is installed in the grain conveying channel via the first pin. The grain conveying channel has an arc-shaped sliding groove, and the second pin is located in the sliding groove and slides in cooperation with it. A counterweight is installed at one end of the "Z"-shaped rod.

[0010] Preferably, a second feed-driving screw is also installed at both ends of the rotating shaft, and the two second feed-driving screws are symmetrically installed on both sides of the support.

[0011] Preferably, two symmetrically arranged tracks are installed on the underside of the chassis, and an electric motor is provided on the underside of the chassis, which drives the tracks.

[0012] Preferably, the grain conveying channel is inclined, the grain-dispensing plates are arranged in a circular array with the axis of the rotating shaft as the center, and the two first grain-driving spirals are located on both sides of the grain-dispensing plates.

[0013] Preferably, a support is fixed on the bracket, the first grain driving spiral and the grain feeding plate are both located inside the support, and a protective cover is fixed on the grain conveying channel.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. The shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention adopts a dual-drive grain spiral. The wear-resistant alloy steel spiral (first drive spiral) located inside the cleaning mechanism performs efficient and directional collection and compression of the main grain pile to form a stable and controllable core grain flow. At the same time, the flexible rubber spiral (second drive spiral) located on the outermost side has a curved surface design and generates adaptive deformation under the action of rotational centrifugal force, which can closely fit the irregular surface of the concrete silo wall. Its working mechanism is not the traditional rigid pushing, but a gentle peeling and throwing of the thin layer of grain attached to the silo wall through flexible contact, which completely solves the problem of dead corners of grain accumulation on the silo wall and effectively avoids damage to the silo structure and grain particles during the cleaning process.

[0015] 2. The shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention constructs a two-stage online impurity removal system, realizing the synchronous and integrated operation of impurity cleaning and grain conveying; the first-stage impurity removal is directly integrated into the grain feeding plate, and light impurities are sucked up by the negative pressure cavity at the same time as the grain feeding action occurs; the second-stage impurity removal is located inside the grain conveying channel, and through the porous air separation pipe arranged at the bottom, a directional negative pressure airflow is applied during the grain lifting process to dynamically and pneumatically clean the grain flow, effectively removing residual dust, chaff and other light impurities. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of the shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of the shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of the shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0019] Figure 4 This is a top view of the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 The shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention Figure 4 AA sectional view.

[0021] Figure 6 The shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention Figure 4 BB cross-sectional view.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second grain-driving spiral of the shallow circular bin unloading robot of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 The shallow circular warehouse unloading robot of the present invention Figure 7 Top view.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the second grain-driving spiral and the bin wall of the shallow circular bin unloading robot of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation position of the magnetic plate in the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the "Z"-shaped rod structure of the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0027] Figure 12This is a schematic diagram of the "Z"-shaped rod structure of the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0028] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation position of the suction pipe of the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 14 This indicates the installation position of the rollers of the shallow circular silo unloading robot of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 101. Chassis; 102. Tracks; 103. Grain conveying channel; 104. Hydraulic cylinder; 105. Support frame; 106. Support; 107. Rotating shaft; 108. Drive motor; 1081. Protective cover; 109. First grain conveying auger; 110. Grain feeding plate; 111. Housing; 112. Electrical control box; 113. Support rod; 114. Camera; 115. Grain suction interface; 116. Electric control motor; 11 7. Grain collecting plate; 1171. Groove; 118. Magnetic plate; 119. Notch; 120. Sliding plate; 1201. Roller; 121. Cavity; 122. Second grain driving screw; 123. First impurity removal pipe; 131. Installation groove; 132. Impurity suction pipe; 133. Second impurity removal pipe; 141. "Z" shaped rod; 142. First pin; 143. Second pin; 144. Slide groove; 145. Counterweight rod. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] like Figures 1-14 As shown, the shallow circular silo unloading robot provided in this embodiment includes a chassis 101. Two symmetrically arranged tracks 102 are mounted on the underside of the chassis 101. Two independently controllable electric motors 116 (preferably waterproof and dustproof servo motors or hydraulic motors) are located on the underside of the chassis 101, driving the tracks on both sides respectively. Through differential speed control, flexible forward, backward, turning, and stationary rotation are achieved. The tracks 102 are wide foamed tracks; the foamed structure significantly reduces their density, greatly reducing the weight of the walking mechanism while maintaining sufficient traction. More importantly, the wide track ground contact area effectively reduces the ground pressure of the entire machine, enabling it to walk stably on loose grain surfaces with high fluidity and low load-bearing capacity, fundamentally solving the problems of traditional wheeled or narrow-tracked equipment easily sinking and slipping.

[0033] The chassis 101 is equipped with a grain conveying channel 103, which is inclined. In this embodiment, the inclination angle is 10 degrees. One end of the grain conveying channel 103 is equipped with a grain suction interface 115, which is connected to a central negative pressure grain suction system (not shown in the figure, but a fixed facility) installed on the top of the shallow circular silo via a high-strength wear-resistant hose. During operation, the central system establishes a stable negative pressure airflow within the grain conveying channel 103, and the grain is suspended and conveyed under the action of the airflow.

[0034] A hydraulic cylinder 104 is mounted on the chassis 101. The cylinder body is fixed to the reinforced part of the chassis 101 by a U-shaped hinge. The top of the piston rod is connected to a rigid "gate"-shaped bracket 105. The stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 104 is designed according to the maximum grain stacking height of the shallow round silo. The extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 104 are controlled by the hydraulic servo valve in the electrical control box 112. The insertion depth of the bracket 105 and all the cleaning components on it relative to the grain stack surface can be precisely adjusted to achieve layered and gradual cleaning, avoiding the risk of equipment overload or grain collapse caused by cleaning the bottom at once.

[0035] A rotating shaft 107 is mounted on the support 105 via a pair of self-aligning bearings with mounting seats. A drive motor 108 is fixedly mounted on the grain conveying channel 103. The drive motor 108 drives the rotating shaft 107 via a reducer (not shown separately in the figure, but can be integrated into the protective cover 1081) and a chain. Multiple L-shaped grain-distributing plates 110 are welded and fixed on the rotating shaft 107. They are evenly distributed along the circumference to form a grain-distributing roller. On both sides of the grain-distributing roller, a first grain-driving spiral 109 is coaxially mounted. Its blades are continuous and made of wear-resistant alloy steel. The two spirals rotate in opposite directions. During operation, the grain on both sides is continuously gathered and compressed towards the central grain-distributing roller area to form a stable grain flow. A support 106 is fixed on the support 105. The first grain-driving spiral 109 and the grain-distributing plates 110 are both located inside the support 106.

[0036] On the outer side of the bearing seats on both sides of the bracket 105, a second feed-driving spiral 122 is installed at the end of the rotating shaft 107 via a spline connection; this spiral is fundamentally different from the first feed-driving spiral 109: its blades are made of wear-resistant rubber in one piece; such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the driving surface of its blades is not a straight line, but is designed as an involute or a circular arc with a specific curvature that matches the curvature of the shallow circular silo wall. When the robot approaches the silo wall, the rotating rubber spiral slightly opens under centrifugal force, and its flexible blades can adaptively conform to the uneven surface of the concrete silo wall; as... Figure 9 As shown, its working mechanism is "pushing" rather than "pushing". It gently peels off the thin layer of grain that is tightly attached to the bin wall through flexible contact and "throws" it towards the center of the machine to merge with the main grain flow. This completely solves the problems of bin wall wear, grain breakage and dead corners that cannot be cleaned due to gaps caused by the rigid contact of the metal spiral.

[0037] A support rod 113 is fixed to the upper side of the grain conveying channel 103, and a camera 114 is installed at its top. The camera 114 has a field of view covering the grain surface area in front of and to the side of the robot. The collected image data is transmitted in real time to the industrial computer in the electrical control box 112. The computer has a built-in vision model trained based on deep learning algorithms, which can identify the boundaries of the grain pile, the undulation of the grain surface, the position of the bin wall, and obstacles in real time. It also integrates the robot's own inertial measurement unit data and uses synchronous localization and mapping algorithms to build a map in real time and accurately locate itself in the unknown bin environment, thereby planning the optimal cleaning path covering the entire bottom of the bin.

[0038] The electrical control box 112 integrates a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), frequency converter, servo driver, communication module, and power management system. It receives instructions from the vision system and comprehensively controls the differential speed (walking) of the two track motors, the lifting and lowering of the hydraulic cylinder 104 (cleaning depth), and the start / stop and speed (cleaning intensity) of the drive motor 108. It also communicates and coordinates with the central negative pressure system on the top of the bin. The box 111 serves as a counterweight compartment, and lead blocks or steel plates can be installed inside as needed to adjust the robot's center of gravity under different conditions such as no-load and loaded states, ensuring its stability during walking and operation.

[0039] like Figures 10-13 As shown, a grain collecting plate 117 is provided at one end of the grain conveying channel 103. A long groove 1171 is opened on the rubber substrate of the grain collecting plate 117, and a magnetic plate 118 composed of neodymium iron boron permanent magnets (which is made of multiple magnets spliced ​​together) is embedded inside. A metal sliding plate 120 is adjustablely installed at the end of the grain dispensing plate 110 through a waist-shaped hole and bolts. Its flat part is tightly attached to the surface of the magnetic plate 118 under its own weight and the strong attraction of the magnetic plate 118. The magnetic plate 118 and the groove 1171 form a cavity 121. The magnetic plate 118 is densely covered with impurity suction holes with a diameter of 2-3 mm. A notch 119 can also be opened on the edge of the sliding plate 120 and a small roller 1201 can be installed to reduce sliding friction.

[0040] The first impurity removal pipe 123 is connected to the negative pressure dust removal system (not shown in the figure, but generally installed above the grain silo). In this embodiment, when the first impurity removal pipe 123 is running, a continuous negative pressure dust collection environment is formed in the cavity 121. With the cooperation of the sliding plate 120 and the magnetic plate 118, impurities in the grain can be effectively removed.

[0041] One end of the first impurity removal pipe 123 is connected to the cavity 121, and the other end is connected to the pulse backflushing negative pressure dust removal system located outside the warehouse. When the robot is working, the dust removal system maintains a continuous micro negative pressure environment in the cavity 121 through the first impurity removal pipe 123. The negative pressure draws light non-magnetic impurities (such as straw, dust, and insect carcasses) into the cavity 121 through the impurity suction hole and discharges them through the first impurity removal pipe 123. This process is actively completed while the grain is being distributed.

[0042] To further improve grain quality, a secondary impurity removal device is installed in the grain conveying channel 103. A multi-hole stainless steel suction pipe 132 is fixedly installed along the length direction in the installation groove 131 at the bottom of the grain conveying channel 103. The pipe body has dense gaps or small holes. The suction pipe 132 is also connected to the negative pressure dust removal system outside the warehouse through the second impurity removal pipe 133.

[0043] When grain is conveyed upward along the grain conveying channel 103 under the action of negative pressure airflow, lighter impurities tend to gather towards the bottom under the action of gravity. The intermittent strong negative pressure applied here by the second impurity removal pipe 133 (which can be achieved by periodically opening and closing the solenoid valve) efficiently removes these gathered light impurities and impurities that escape from the first stage, ensuring the cleanliness of the grain leaving the warehouse.

[0044] To prevent grain with high moisture content from forming a "blockage" at the entrance of the grain conveying channel 103 and interrupting the grain flow, this embodiment sets up a purely mechanical anti-blockage and disturbance mechanism, which consists of several "Z"-shaped rods 141. The "Z"-shaped rods 141 are hinged to the inner side wall of the entrance of the grain conveying channel 103 via a first pin 142. The second pin 143 is nested in a pre-opened limiting arc-shaped groove 144 in the side wall of the channel, so that the swing angle of the "Z"-shaped rods 141 is strictly limited to a safe range. One end of the "Z"-shaped rods 141 extends to the bottom of the rotation circumference of the grain feeding plate 110 and is fixed with a counterweight rod 145 that can be increased or decreased.

[0045] Its working principle is to use the rotational kinetic energy of the grain-dispensing plate 110 to achieve passive disturbance: when the grain-dispensing plate 110 rotates past, it impacts and lifts the counterweight rod 145, forcing the "Z"-shaped rod 141 to rotate around the first pin 142. Its upper end then swings rapidly into the grain conveying channel 103, thereby breaking up any grain arches or clumps that may form. When the grain-dispensing plate 110 leaves, the "Z"-shaped rod 141 automatically returns to its original position under the gravity of the counterweight rod 145. This process is carried out periodically and automatically with the rotation of the grain-dispensing plate 110, without the need for additional power, effectively ensuring the continuity and stability of grain flow.

[0046] In this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0047] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A shallow circular silo unloading robot, characterized in that: Includes a chassis (101), on which a grain conveying channel (103) is provided, and at one end of the grain conveying channel (103) a grain suction port (115) is provided. A hydraulic cylinder (104) is provided on the chassis (101), and a bracket (105) is fixed to one end of the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder (104). A rotating shaft (107) is fixedly mounted on the bracket (105), and several grain-dispensing plates (110) are fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft (107). Two symmetrically arranged first grain-driving spirals (109) are fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft (107). A drive motor (108) is fixedly mounted on the grain conveying channel (103). The motor (108) is connected to the rotating shaft (107) via gears and chains. The drive motor (108) is located inside the protective cover (1081). The chassis (101) is provided with a housing (111) and an electrical control box (112). A support rod (113) is fixed on the grain conveying channel (103). A camera (114) is installed on the upper end of the support rod (113). A grain collecting plate (117) is provided at one end of the grain conveying channel (103). The grain collecting plate (117) is configured to cooperate with the grain dispensing plate (110). A groove (1171) is provided on the grain dispensing plate (110). A magnetic plate (118) is provided in the groove (1171).

2. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sliding plate (120) is installed at one end of the grain feeding plate (110), and the sliding plate (120) is slidably engaged with the magnetic plate (118).

3. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sliding plate (120) has several notches (119) at one end, and a roller (1201) is installed in the notch (119). The roller (1201) is configured to cooperate with the magnetic plate (118).

4. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A cavity (121) is formed between the magnetic plate (118) and the groove (1171). The magnetic plate (118) has several impurity suction holes. A first impurity removal pipe (123) is provided on the lower side of the chassis (101). One end of the first impurity removal pipe (123) is connected to the cavity (121).

5. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: An installation groove (131) is provided in the grain conveying channel (103), and a suction pipe (132) is fixedly installed in the installation groove (131). A plurality of suction holes are provided on the suction pipe (132). A second impurity removal pipe (133) is provided at the lower end of the grain conveying channel (103), and the second impurity removal pipe (133) is connected to the suction pipe (132). The grain conveying channel (103) is provided with a plurality of "Z"-shaped rods (141). The "Z"-shaped rods (141) are provided with a first pin (142) and a second pin (143). The first pin (142) and the second pin (143) are respectively located at two bends of the "Z"-shaped rods (141). The "Z"-shaped rods (141) are installed in the grain conveying channel (103) through the first pin (142). The grain conveying channel (103) is provided with an arc-shaped sliding groove (144). The second pin (143) is located in the sliding groove (144) and slides with it. A counterweight rod (145) is installed at one end of the "Z"-shaped rods (141).

6. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft (107) is also equipped with a second feed-driving screw (122) at both ends, and the two second feed-driving screws (122) are symmetrically installed on both sides of the support (106).

7. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two symmetrically arranged tracks (102) are installed on the underside of the chassis (101). An electric motor (116) is provided on the underside of the chassis (101), and the electric motor (116) drives the track (102).

8. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The grain conveying channel (103) is inclined, and the grain dispensing plate (110) is arranged in a circular array with the axis of the rotating shaft (107) as the center. The two first grain driving spirals (109) are located on both sides of the grain dispensing plate (110).

9. The shallow circular silo unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support (105) is fixed with a support (106), the first grain driving spiral (109) and the grain feeding plate (110) are both located inside the support (106), and the grain conveying channel (103) is fixed with a protective cover (1081).

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