AGV pallet jacking and clamping positioning mechanism

Abstract

The application discloses an AGV tray jacking and clamping positioning mechanism and belongs to the technical field of positioning equipment. The jacking and clamping positioning mechanism comprises oppositely arranged clamping and positioning devices, a jacking device is arranged below the clamping and positioning devices, and the clamping and positioning devices are arranged on the fixed plates at the top of main frames. The jacking and clamping positioning mechanism has the beneficial effects that the integrated mechanical structure of jacking, guiding and guiding in, bidirectional clamping and accurate limiting can realize full-process automatic operation of tray alignment, jacking and locking, and manual auxiliary intervention is not needed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism, belonging to the technical field of positioning equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible and unmanned logistics transportation systems are a core component of modern intelligent manufacturing production lines. AGVs, as flexible logistics transfer equipment, are widely used in the turnover of material pallets and automated loading and unloading processes in workshops. In fully automated production modes, subsequent processes such as robotic arm picking and precise docking at workstations place stringent requirements on the positioning and placement accuracy of pallets. Not only must the pallet be smoothly detached from the AGV, but it must also maintain a high-precision, high-stability locking and positioning state at the workstation to ensure the continuity and accuracy of the assembly line operation and reduce efficiency losses and operational errors caused by manual alignment. Currently, the industry has disclosed numerous lifting and positioning structures adapted to AGV pallets, which can meet the basic load-bearing and simple alignment requirements under normal working conditions. However, due to structural design limitations, traditional technical solutions still have many inherent structural defects and cannot adapt to the demanding production scenarios of high precision and high cycle time.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent CN208132339U discloses a positioning structure for AGV assembly vehicle pallets. The patent's technical solution includes a lifting component and a positioning pin locking structure. A positioning cylinder drives the positioning pin to embed into the pallet's positioning hole, thereby achieving pallet positioning and fixation. However, this structure has significant technical drawbacks and poor adaptability to actual operation. This solution only uses a single-point positioning pin for alignment and limitation, without a corresponding bidirectional clamping and correction structure. The gaps generated during AGV start-up and shutdown, travel bumps, and workstation docking cannot be eliminated, resulting in weak overall anti-deviation and anti-shaking performance, and difficulty in ensuring consistent positioning. Furthermore, the lifting action and positioning locking are independent and lack linkage. Horizontal slippage deviation easily occurs during the pallet lifting process, making integrated lifting, alignment, and locking impossible. In addition, the structure lacks a front-mounted guide and buffer limiting structure, resulting in extremely low pallet docking tolerance and a high risk of docking misalignment and lifting deviation, directly causing automated material handling failure and affecting the normal operation of the production line.

[0004] In addition, most existing AGV pallet positioning and lifting structures suffer from limited functionality and insufficient adaptability. They typically only achieve single lifting or single-point positioning, lacking integrated structures for bidirectional clamping correction, V-shaped precise positioning, guiding, and limit buffering. This makes it impossible to simultaneously address issues such as pallet docking deviation, transport swaying, and insufficient positioning accuracy, thus failing to meet the demands of high-cycle, high-precision automated production operations. Based on these inherent shortcomings of existing technologies, this paper proposes an AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism that integrates lifting, guiding alignment, bidirectional clamping, and precise limiting to overcome the many deficiencies of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism that integrates lifting and precise positioning functions.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is: an AGV pallet lifting, clamping and positioning mechanism, including clamping and positioning devices arranged opposite to each other, a lifting device provided below the clamping and positioning devices, and the clamping and positioning devices located on a fixed plate at the top of the main frame.

[0007] The bottom of the main frame is fixed to the base plate.

[0008] The base plate is provided with a guiding device, which includes several guide rollers rotatably connected to the guide frame, and a trumpet-shaped guide inlet is provided at the entrance of the guide frame.

[0009] The lifting device includes a lifting plate that is slidably connected to the main frame, a lifting arm that is vertically connected to the top of the lifting plate, a lifting roller at the end of the lifting arm, the lifting plate being connected to the output shaft of the lifting cylinder, and the bottom of the lifting cylinder being fixed to the base plate.

[0010] The lifting plate is slidably connected to the guide rail on the main frame via a slider.

[0011] The clamping and positioning device includes a clamping cylinder fixed on a fixed plate and a clamping plate rotatably connected to the fixed plate. The clamping plate includes an active clamping plate and a driven clamping plate that cooperate with each other. The output end of the clamping cylinder is rotatably connected to the active clamping plate, and the driven clamping plate is hinged to the active clamping plate through a hinge.

[0012] The clamping plate includes a non-positioning clamping plate and a positioning clamping plate. The clamping end of the non-positioning clamping plate is flat, and the clamping end of the positioning clamping plate is provided with a V-shaped positioning opening.

[0013] The lifting plate is provided with a limiting block, which cooperates with the buffer, and the top of the buffer is fixed to the fixing plate.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention include: By integrating lifting, guiding, bidirectional clamping, and precise limiting into a single mechanical structure, this invention enables fully automated pallet alignment, lifting, and locking without manual intervention. The invention features a dual-clamping plate structure combining planar clamping and V-shaped positioning, effectively eliminating pallet docking gaps and transport offset issues. The secure positioning and clamping significantly improves the repeatability of pallet positioning, meeting the requirements of high-precision workstation docking. Simultaneously, the guide rollers and flared guide inlet on the base plate enhance the pallet placement tolerance, while the limiting and buffering structure of the lifting plate and buffer ensures the stability of lifting and clamping operations, reducing equipment and material damage from impacts. The overall structure boasts strong adaptability and flexibility, enabling stable integration with industrial robots and automatic gripping equipment to complete automated loading and unloading docking operations. This effectively reduces manual intervention, significantly improves the automation level and overall operating cycle of the production line, and substantially optimizes production efficiency and operational consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 The three-dimensional representation of the present invention Figure 1 ; Figure 2 The three-dimensional representation of the present invention Figure 2 ; Figure 3 A partial view of the clamping and positioning device; Figure 4 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the unfolded state of the clamping plate; Figure 6 This is a view showing the clamping and positioning of the tray by the clamping plate.

[0016] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Main frame; 2. Fixing plate; 3. Base plate; 4. Guide frame; 5. Guide roller; 6. Lifting plate; 7. Lifting arm; 8. Lifting roller; 9. Lifting cylinder; 10. Slider; 11. Guide rail; 12. Clamping cylinder; 13. Active clamping plate; 14. Driven clamping plate; 15. Hinge; 16. V-shaped positioning port; 17. Limiting block; 18. Buffer. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-6 The present invention will be further described as follows: Example 1 This embodiment provides an AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism for conventional logistics and transportation operations. The equipment uses a main frame 1 as the overall load-bearing base, with the bottom of the main frame 1 fixedly mounted on a base plate 3, effectively ensuring the overall installation rigidity and operational stability of the machine. A fixing plate 2 is fixedly installed at the top of the main frame 1, and two sets of oppositely arranged clamping and positioning devices are assembled on the top surface of the fixing plate 2. The overall layout is compact and orderly, and it can stably complete the pallet positioning and clamping operations.

[0018] In this embodiment, a guiding device is mounted on the base plate 3, and multiple sets of guide rollers 5 are rotatably installed on the guide frame 4. The feeding end of the guide frame 4 is set as a trumpet-shaped guide inlet. In actual operation, the AGV trolley carrying the pallet drives the pallet into the mechanism along the trumpet-shaped guide structure. Relying on the large-diameter gradient guide structure and the freely rotating guide rollers 5, it adaptively conforms to the side wall of the pallet, which can effectively correct the pallet positioning deviation, avoid docking jamming, skewing and other problems, greatly improve the fault tolerance performance of pallet positioning, and provide a preliminary alignment basis for subsequent precise clamping and positioning.

[0019] The clamping and positioning device mainly consists of a clamping cylinder 12, an active clamping plate 13, and a driven clamping plate 14. The clamping cylinder 12 is fixedly installed on the fixed plate 2, and its output end is rotatably connected to the active clamping plate 13. The driven clamping plate 14 is hinged to the active clamping plate 13 via a hinge 15. Before the AGV pallet enters the workstation, the equipment is in standby mode, and the clamping cylinder 12 remains extended, driving the active clamping plate 13 and the driven clamping plate 14 to fully unfold outward, creating sufficient passage space between the two clamping plates and completely avoiding structural interference and collisions between the pallet and the clamping plates during the pallet's entry. After the pallet is in place, the clamping cylinder 12 retracts, driving the active clamping plate 13 to swing, simultaneously driving the driven clamping plate 14 to move in coordination, achieving synchronous clamping and fixing of the pallet on both sides. The pallet has a pre-set positioning post structure on both sides. During clamping operations, the positioning clamping plate precisely engages with the positioning posts of the pallet through its own V-shaped positioning port 16. It works in conjunction with the non-positioning clamping plate on the other side, which has a flat end face, to form a limiting fit. This allows the pallet to self-align and correct itself during clamping, eliminating assembly gaps and ensuring that the pallet clamping and positioning is stable, reliable, and highly accurate.

[0020] A lifting device is installed below the clamping and positioning device. The lifting cylinder 9 is fixed to the surface of the base plate 3, and the output shaft of the lifting cylinder 9 is fixedly connected to the lifting plate 6. The lifting plate 6 forms a vertical sliding fit with the guide rail 11 on the main frame 1 through the slider 10, thereby ensuring the linear accuracy of the lifting operation. A lifting arm 7 is vertically fixed on the top surface of the lifting plate 6. The end of the lifting arm 7 is rotatably equipped with a lifting roller 8. During the lifting operation, the lifting arm 7 moves upward synchronously with the lifting plate 6, and the lifting roller 8 contacts the lower surface of the pallet, thereby providing stable support for the pallet and completing the overall lifting action. At the same time, the rolling characteristics of the roller reduce the friction loss of the pushing and avoid hard wear on the pallet. Meanwhile, a limit block 17 is fixedly installed on the lifting plate 6, and a buffer 18 is fixedly installed on the bottom side of the fixed plate 2. The limit block 17 and the buffer 18 cooperate accordingly to achieve buffering and limiting at the end of the lifting stroke, weakening the impact vibration of lifting start and stop, and ensuring the stability of the whole machine operation.

[0021] Example 2 This embodiment provides a high-precision AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism to adapt to the precise material handling and high-precision workstation docking conditions of robotic arms. The overall basic structure and installation layout of the equipment are consistent with those of Embodiment 1. By optimizing the assembly and processing precision of each mating structure, the repeatability and operational stability of the equipment are further improved, making it suitable for automated high-precision operation scenarios.

[0022] This embodiment optimizes the guiding device on the base plate 3. Multiple sets of guide rollers 5 are arranged equidistantly along the guide frame 4, and the trumpet-shaped guide structure at the entrance of the guide frame 4 adopts a large-opening, gradually changing design. During the movement of the AGV carrying the pallet, it can be smoothly guided through the trumpet-shaped guide structure, which can accommodate small deviations in pallet positioning and achieve precise pre-alignment, reducing the initial position error of the pallet from the source. At the same time, the main frame 1 and the base plate 3 adopt an assembly method of bolt fastening combined with positioning pins for auxiliary limiting, which effectively improves the assembly accuracy and structural strength of the overall structure and avoids problems such as structural loosening and displacement caused by long-term high-frequency reciprocating operation.

[0023] Regarding the clamping and positioning structure, this embodiment optimizes the hinge engagement precision of hinge 15 to ensure that the swinging movements of the active clamping plate 13 and the driven clamping plate 14 are highly synchronized, eliminating the pallet offset problem caused by uneven clamping force on both sides. When the equipment is in standby mode and the pallet has not entered the workstation, the clamping cylinder 12 continuously drives the two sets of clamping plates to maintain a fully extended state, reserving sufficient guide space and effectively avoiding scraping or interference between the pallet and the clamping plates during high-precision operation, ensuring a smooth and stable guide process. The V-shaped positioning port 16 at the end of the positioning clamping plate adopts a precision one-piece machining process, resulting in higher dimensional accuracy. During operation, it can accurately fit and hold the positioning posts on both sides of the pallet. Relying on the automatic centering characteristics of the V-shaped structure, it completes high-precision adaptive centering of the pallet, effectively ensuring the repeatability of positioning accuracy in multiple cycles of operation, and fully meeting the requirements of automatic gripping operations of industrial robots.

[0024] In the lifting operation structure, the slider 10 and the guide rail 11 of the main frame 1 adopt a precision clearance fit design to minimize the sliding fit clearance and ensure precise and controllable vertical lifting displacement of the lifting plate 6. The lifting rollers 8 at the end of the lifting arm 7 are made of highly wear-resistant material, suitable for long-term high-frequency lifting operations, and extend the service life of the equipment. At the same time, the limiting block 17 on the lifting plate 6 and the buffer 18 at the bottom of the fixed plate 2 adopt a precise alignment installation method, which can accurately limit the maximum lifting stroke of the lifting plate 6. This can not only avoid structural collisions caused by over-travel operations, but also buffer the inertial impact generated by lifting start and stop, making the entire process of pallet loading, lifting, centering, and clamping more stable and precise, and suitable for high-cycle, high-precision automated continuous production conditions.

[0025] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a clamping and positioning device arranged opposite to each other, and a lifting device is provided below the clamping and positioning device. The clamping and positioning device is located on the fixing plate (2) at the top of the main frame (1).

2. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the main frame (1) is fixed to the base plate (3).

3. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base plate (3) is provided with a guide device, which includes several guide rollers (5) that are rotatably connected to the guide frame (4). The guide frame (4) has a horn-shaped guide entrance at its entrance.

4. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting device includes a lifting plate (6) that is slidably connected to the main frame (1) vertically. The top of the lifting plate (6) is vertically connected to a lifting arm (7). The end of the lifting arm (7) is provided with a lifting roller (8). The lifting plate (6) is connected to the output shaft of the lifting cylinder (9). The bottom of the lifting cylinder (9) is fixed on the base plate (3).

5. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting plate (6) is slidably connected to the guide rail (11) on the main frame (1) via a slider (10).

6. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping and positioning device includes a clamping cylinder (12) fixed on a fixed plate (2) and a clamping plate rotatably connected to the fixed plate (2). The clamping plate includes an active clamping plate (13) and a driven clamping plate (14) that cooperate with each other. The output end of the clamping cylinder (12) is rotatably connected to the active clamping plate (13), and the driven clamping plate (14) is hinged to the active clamping plate (13) through a hinge (15).

7. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The clamping plate includes a non-positioning clamping plate and a positioning clamping plate. The clamping end of the non-positioning clamping plate is flat, and the clamping end of the positioning clamping plate is provided with a V-shaped positioning port (16).

8. The AGV pallet lifting, clamping, and positioning mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting plate (6) is provided with a limiting block (17), which cooperates with the buffer (18), and the top of the buffer (18) is fixed on the fixing plate (2).

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