Automatic loading and unloading of a crane pipe

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of liquid handling equipment, and discloses an automatic loading and unloading crane pipe, which comprises a crane pipe body, a driving mechanism, a loading and unloading joint and a floating connection assembly. The floating connection assembly comprises an outer pipe, an inner pipe and a hose fixedly connected with the inner pipe and the outer pipe at two ends. An adjusting piece is arranged in the outer pipe. The inner ring of the adjusting piece keeps the inner pipe coaxial with the outer pipe. A guide surface is arranged on one side of the inner ring. The guide surface forms a floating space in front of the inner ring for the movement of the inner pipe. After the loading and unloading joint is connected with the vehicle interface, the driving mechanism drives the outer pipe to move backward, so that the inner pipe exits the inner ring and enters the floating space and moves with the change of the position of the vehicle. After the unloading is completed, the driving mechanism adjusts the crane pipe body, so that the end of the inner pipe is opposite to the entrance of the guide surface. Then, the inner pipe is guided into the inner ring through the guide surface and is restored to the centering. The present application takes into account the stable centering during automatic docking and the floating adaptation after connection, and reduces the additional load transmitted from the change of the position of the vehicle to the crane pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid loading and unloading equipment technology, and specifically to an automatic loading and unloading arm. Background Technology

[0002] Loading arms are specialized equipment used in the petroleum, chemical, and other fields for loading and unloading liquid media between tank trucks and stationary pipelines. Automatic loading arms typically use a drive mechanism to adjust the position of the arm and the end loading / unloading connector, aligning the connector with the vehicle interface to complete the automatic connection. During unloading, as the amount of media carried by the vehicle gradually decreases, the vehicle's suspension will change accordingly. Simultaneously, due to equipment vibration and slight vehicle swaying, the connected vehicle interface may experience minor axial, radial, or angular positional changes relative to the loading arm body.

[0003] Chinese invention patent document CN109896494B discloses an automatic loading and unloading arm, including a column, inner arm, middle arm, outer arm and vertical pipe, and drives corresponding rotary joints through multiple drive components to automatically adjust the position of the vertical pipe; Chinese patent document CN218088954U discloses an oil transfer arm, whose sealing cap is provided with an elastic device including a pull rod assembly and a compression pipe. When the sealing cap is subjected to external force formed by shaking or up-and-down movement during oil transfer, the elastic device provides corresponding movement margin.

[0004] The aforementioned technologies can respectively achieve active adjustment of the loading arm's end position or elastic buffering of post-connection swaying. However, during the docking phase of automatic loading arms, the loading / unloading joint needs to maintain a defined axial position and connection length to prevent it from automatically retracting or shifting when contacting the vehicle interface. After connection, if the end remains rigidly positioned, small positional changes at the vehicle interface can easily transmit additional loads to the loading arm and rotary joint. While continuous elastic buffering allows for a certain amount of movement, the elastic element always has a restoring effect, still exerting a centering force on the vehicle interface. Therefore, the relevant technologies lack a connection structure that can maintain stable coaxiality during automatic docking, release the centering constraint after connection to move with the vehicle interface, and restore coaxiality before exiting the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an automatic loading and unloading arm, which aims to solve the problem in related technologies where the end loading and unloading joint of the automatic loading and unloading arm needs to maintain stable coaxiality during the docking stage, while after the connection is completed, it needs to adapt to small-range positional changes of the vehicle interface, making it difficult to balance the two working states.

[0006] An automatic loading and unloading arm of the present invention includes an loading arm body, a drive mechanism, and a loading and unloading connector disposed at the end of the loading arm body. A floating connection assembly is provided between the loading arm body and the loading and unloading connector. The floating connection assembly includes an outer tube, an inner tube movably disposed inside the outer tube and connected to the loading and unloading connector, and flexible hoses at both ends fixedly connected to the inner tube and the outer tube, respectively. An adjusting member is provided inside the outer tube. The adjusting member has an inner ring adapted to the outer circumference of the inner tube. A guide surface is provided on the side of the inner ring facing the loading and unloading connector. A floating space with a radial dimension larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube is formed inside the outer tube on the side of the guide surface facing the loading and unloading connector. A position holding assembly is provided between the inner tube and the outer tube. When the inner tube is in the docking position inside the inner ring, it is kept coaxial with the outer tube by the inner ring and abuts against the limiting platform inside the outer tube to limit the shortest length. The position holding assembly holds the docking position. After the loading and unloading connector is connected to the vehicle interface, the drive mechanism drives the loading arm body to move, so that the outer tube moves axially relative to the inner tube constrained by the vehicle interface, so that the inner tube switches between the inner ring and the floating space.

[0007] Its effects are as follows: By setting a floating connection assembly between the loading arm body and the loading / unloading joint, the inner tube remains coaxial with the outer tube when it is in the docking position of the inner ring of the adjusting component. The limiting platform restricts further shortening of the floating connection assembly, meeting the stability requirements of the loading / unloading joint position and connection length during the automatic docking stage. After vehicle connection is completed, the rearward movement of the loading arm body causes the inner tube to exit the inner ring and enter a floating space with a radial dimension larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube. This releases the continuous centering constraint of the inner ring on the inner tube, allowing the loading / unloading joint to move accordingly with changes in the vehicle interface position, reducing the additional load transmitted to the loading arm body due to vehicle position changes. After unloading, the drive mechanism actively adjusts the position of the loading arm body so that the end of the inner tube is aligned with the guide surface inlet. The guide surface then guides the inner tube during its transition into the inner ring, restoring a stable coaxial state.

[0008] Preferably, the guide surface is arranged around the inner ring and gradually converges towards the axis of the outer tube along the direction of the floating space toward the inner ring, and the guide surface and the inner ring are in a continuous transition.

[0009] Its effect is that the guide surface and the inner ring form a continuous transition structure. After the drive mechanism has made the end of the inner tube opposite to the inlet of the guide surface, the guide surface can guide the remaining position deviation during the entry process, reduce the possibility of the end of the inner tube directly colliding with the edge of the inner ring and getting stuck, and make the inner tube smoothly enter the inner ring and restore coaxiality.

[0010] Preferably, the inner tube has an arc-shaped end face near the adjusting member. When the end of the inner tube is opposite to the inlet formed by the guide surface and moves from the floating space to the inner ring, the arc-shaped end face contacts the guide surface to guide the inner tube to cross the guide surface and enter the inner ring.

[0011] Its effect is that the arc-shaped end face can increase the smoothness of the transition when the end of the inner tube contacts the guide surface, so that the axial relative movement generated when the outer tube approaches the inner tube can be stably converted into a small-range radial guiding effect, avoiding the sharp end face from pressing against the guide surface and affecting the reset.

[0012] Preferably, the position holding assembly includes a sliding groove disposed on the adjusting member, a telescopic block slidably disposed in the sliding groove, a spring abutting between the telescopic block and the adjusting member, and a limiting hole disposed on the inner tube. The spring is used to push the telescopic block to move toward the inner tube. When the inner tube moves to the docking position, the telescopic block extends into the limiting hole.

[0013] Its effect is as follows: when the inner tube enters the inner ring and moves to the docking position, the telescopic block enters the limiting hole under the action of the spring, maintaining the relative position of the inner tube and the outer tube, so that the loading and unloading joint maintains a fixed connection position before automatic docking; when the inner tube moves axially relative to the outer tube, the telescopic block can return to the sliding groove, which facilitates the switching between the centering state and the floating state.

[0014] Preferably, the telescopic block has a front arc surface and a rear arc surface on the front and rear sides along the axial direction of the inner tube at one end facing the inner tube. When the inner tube moves closer to or further away from the docking position relative to the outer tube along the axial direction, the edge of the limiting hole on the corresponding side can move along the front arc surface or the rear arc surface and push the telescopic block to retract into the sliding groove against the spring action.

[0015] Its effect is that the front arc surface and the rear arc surface correspond to the relative movement direction when the inner tube leaves the docking position and reapproaches the docking position, respectively. This allows the telescopic block to be smoothly pressed back into the sliding groove when the inner tube moves in both directions, avoiding the position holding component from forming a one-way jam. This ensures that the actions of the inner tube leaving the centering area and resetting into the centering area can be completed continuously.

[0016] Preferably, limit blocks are provided on both sides of the telescopic block, and a limit slide corresponding to the limit block is provided in the sliding groove. The limit block is slidably disposed in the limit slide and cooperates with the limit slide to limit the maximum extension of the telescopic block toward the inner tube.

[0017] Its effect is that the extension range of the telescopic block is limited by the cooperation of the limiting block and the limiting slide, so that the telescopic block can be kept within the set working stroke, avoiding the spring pushing the telescopic block to extend too far and disengage from the sliding groove, while ensuring a stable mating position between the telescopic block and the limiting hole.

[0018] Preferably, the limiting platform is formed by the adjustment member and the inner wall of the outer tube, and is located on the side of the inner ring away from the floating space. When the inner tube moves to the docking position, it abuts against the limiting platform.

[0019] Its effect is that the limiting platform mechanically limits the shortest relative position of the inner tube, so that after the loading and unloading joint is subjected to axial force when docking with the vehicle interface, the inner tube cannot continue to retract into the outer tube, thereby maintaining the fixed length of the floating connection component during the docking stage, and working with the inner ring and position holding component to maintain a stable docking state.

[0020] Preferably, the inner tube is provided with an inner tube flange at the end away from the outer tube, the outer tube is provided with an outer tube flange at the end away from the inner tube, and the two ends of the hose are respectively provided with hose flanges, and the two hose flanges are respectively fixedly connected to the inner tube and the outer tube.

[0021] Its effect is that the hose is fixedly connected to the inner and outer pipes through the hose flanges at both ends, so that the sealing connection position of the medium flow channel remains fixed. There is no need to set dynamic sealing of the medium at the relative moving position of the inner and outer pipes, and it is convenient for the hose to be assembled, inspected and replaced.

[0022] Preferably, the hose is disposed inside the inner tube and the outer tube, and the length of the hose is greater than the distance between the two hose flanges when the inner tube and the outer tube are in the docking position, so that the hose retains bending allowance after the inner tube enters the floating space.

[0023] Its effect is that: when the hose has a reserved bending length at the docking position, and the inner tube enters the floating space and undergoes limited axial, radial or angular position changes with the vehicle interface, the hose can maintain the medium connection between the inner tube and the outer tube through the change of bending shape, while avoiding the hose being in a tensioned state in the coaxial state and thus avoiding a continuous centering effect on the inner tube.

[0024] Preferably, the adjusting component is detachably installed inside the outer tube by mounting bolts; after unloading, the driving mechanism adjusts the position of the loading arm body so that the end of the inner tube is opposite to the inlet formed by the guide surface, and then drives the outer tube to move toward the inner tube, so that the inner tube enters the inner ring through the guide surface and is held back by the position holding component.

[0025] Its effects are as follows: the adjustment components are detachable, which facilitates the assembly and maintenance of the centering and guiding parts; after unloading, the drive mechanism first actively adjusts the position of the loading arm body so that the end of the inner tube after moving with the vehicle is aligned with the inlet formed by the guide surface. Then, the guide surface is used to guide the remaining position deviation during the entry process, avoiding the need to rely solely on the guide surface to force the inner tube beyond its normal guiding range, so that the inner tube smoothly enters the inner ring and returns to the centering state.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0027] 1. This invention provides a floating connection assembly with an inner ring, a guide surface, and a floating space between the loading arm body and the loading / unloading connector. This assembly allows the inner tube to be kept coaxial with the outer tube during the automatic docking phase. After the vehicle connection is completed, the outer tube moves backward and exits the inner ring to enter the floating space. This allows the same structure to switch between the centering state and the floating state, ensuring the stability of the automatic docking and reducing the additional load transmitted to the loading arm body by changes in the vehicle interface position during unloading.

[0028] 2. After unloading, the present invention actively adjusts the position of the loading arm body by the drive mechanism so that the end of the inner tube after moving with the vehicle is aligned with the inlet formed by the guide surface. Then, the guide surface guides the remaining position deviation during the entry process, and finally the inner ring restores the stable coaxiality, forming a reset process of "active adjustment - guide transition - inner ring centering", avoiding the need to rely on the elastic return centering structure to continuously apply restoring force to the vehicle interface.

[0029] 3. The present invention uses a flexible tube set inside the inner tube and the outer tube to form a continuous medium channel. The two ends of the flexible tube are fixedly connected to the inner tube and the outer tube respectively, so that the mechanical floating position and the medium sealing position are separated from each other. With the help of the position holding component and the limiting platform, the inner tube can be kept in a certain position during docking and allowed to leave the centering area after connection. The structure is concentrated and the action relationship is clear. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the floating connection component of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the floating connection component of the present invention when it is in the docking position.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the floating connection component of the present invention when it is in a floating state.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the outer tube and the adjusting component of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjusting component of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 This is an exploded structural diagram of the position holding component and the adjusting component of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle.

[0038] Figure label:

[0039] 1. Loading arm body; 11. Drive mechanism; 2. Loading / unloading joint; 3. Outer tube; 31. Outer tube flange; 32. Floating space; 4. Inner tube; 41. Inner tube flange; 42. Arc-shaped end face; 43. Limiting hole; 5. Hose; 51. Hose flange; 6. Adjusting component; 61. Inner ring; 62. Guide surface; 63. Bolt hole; 64. Mounting bolt; 65. Limiting platform; 7. Sliding groove; 71. Limiting slide; 8. Telescopic block; 81. Front arc surface; 82. Rear arc surface; 83. Limiting block; 9. Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, an automatic loading and unloading arm of the present invention includes an loading arm body 1, a drive mechanism 11, a loading / unloading connector 2, and a floating connection assembly disposed between the loading arm body 1 and the loading / unloading connector 2. The floating connection assembly includes an outer tube 3, an inner tube 4 movably disposed within the outer tube 3, a flexible hose 5, an adjusting component 6, and a position holding assembly. The outer tube 3 is connected to the loading arm body 1, the inner tube 4 is connected to the loading / unloading connector 2, and the flexible hose 5 is disposed inside the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3, forming a continuous medium flow channel. The floating connection assembly can keep the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3 coaxial before automatic docking. After the loading / unloading connector 2 is connected to the vehicle interface, the centering constraint on the inner tube 4 is released, allowing the inner tube 4 to move within the outer tube 3 with the position change of the vehicle interface, and returning to the coaxial docking position after the operation is completed.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the loading arm body 1 includes a tube arm for conveying the medium and a rotating connection part disposed between adjacent tube arms. The drive mechanism 11 acts on the loading arm body 1 to adjust the position of the end of the loading arm body 1 and drive the loading / unloading connector 2 to move closer to or away from the vehicle interface along the docking direction. The position recognition and drive control method of the drive mechanism 11 and the loading arm body 1 adopt the existing automatic docking control method of automatic loading arms. The improvement of this application lies in the coordination between the movement of the drive mechanism 11 and the state switching of the floating connection component. By adjusting the position of each tube arm of the loading arm body 1, the loading / unloading connector 2 can complete the automatic docking with the vehicle interface and can actively adjust the position of the outer tube 3 relative to the inner tube 4 after unloading. The loading / unloading connector 2 adopts a loading / unloading connection structure adapted to the vehicle interface, and its locking and unlocking method adopts the vehicle loading / unloading interface connection method in related technologies.

[0043] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the outer tube 3 is a hollow tube, with an outer tube flange 31 at the end near the loading arm body 1, and the outer tube 3 is fixedly connected to the loading arm body 1 through the outer tube flange 31. The inner tube 4 extends into the outer tube 3 from the end of the outer tube 3 near the loading / unloading joint 2, and an inner tube flange 41 is provided at the end of the inner tube 4 away from the outer tube 3, and the inner tube 4 is fixedly connected to the loading / unloading joint 2 through the inner tube flange 41. The radial dimension of the inner cavity of the section of the outer tube 3 near the loading / unloading joint 2 is larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 4, so as to form a floating space 32. When the inner tube 4 exits the inner ring 61 of the adjusting component 6, within the range of positional changes caused by normal unloading at the vehicle interface, the inner tube 4 can generate axial displacement, radial displacement, and small-angle deflection within the floating space 32.

[0044] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the hose 5 is installed inside the inner pipe 4 and the outer pipe 3. Each end of the hose 5 has a hose flange 51, which is fixedly connected to the inner pipe 4 and the outer pipe 3 respectively, ensuring that the hose 5 remains connected at both ends when the inner pipe 4 and the outer pipe 3 move relative to each other. The length of the hose 5 is greater than the distance between the two hose flanges 51 when the inner pipe 4 and the outer pipe 3 are in the mating position, allowing the hose 5 to retain bending allowance in this state. When the inner pipe 4 enters the floating space 32 and changes position, the hose 5 adapts to the relative position change at both ends by changing its bending shape. The bending radius of the hose 5 in all working states is not less than its minimum allowable bending radius to avoid bending and blockage. The hose 5 does not provide mechanical centering between the inner pipe 4 and the outer pipe 3. When used for loading and unloading petroleum and chemical media, the outer pipe 3, inner pipe 4, and adjusting component 6 are made of corrosion-resistant metal materials that meet the requirements of the operating environment or are treated with anti-corrosion measures. The hose 5 is a pressure-resistant and corrosion-resistant flexible pipe fitting, and each flange connection is equipped with a sealing structure adapted to the transported medium.

[0045] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the adjusting member 6 is disposed inside the outer tube 3 and extends circumferentially along the outer tube 3. The adjusting member 6 is provided with bolt holes 63, and the mounting bolts 64 cooperate with the bolt holes 63 to detachably install the adjusting member 6 inside the outer tube 3. An inner ring 61 is formed in the middle of the adjusting member 6. The inner circumferential dimension of the inner ring 61 is adapted to the outer circumferential dimension of the inner tube 4, so that the inner tube 4 can move axially after entering the inner ring 61. At the same time, the inner ring 61 restricts the radial displacement and angular offset of the inner tube 4 relative to the outer tube 3, thereby keeping the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3 coaxial.

[0046] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, the inner ring 61 of the adjusting member 6 has a guide surface 62 on the side facing the loading / unloading joint 2. The guide surface 62 surrounds the inner ring 61 and gradually converges towards the axis of the outer tube 3 from the floating space 32 towards the inner ring 61, and transitions continuously with the inner ring 61. The inner tube 4 has an arc-shaped end face 42 near the adjusting member 6. After unloading, the drive mechanism 11 first adjusts the position of the loading arm body 1 so that the arc-shaped end face 42 of the inner tube 4 is opposite to the inlet formed by the guide surface 62; then the outer tube 3 moves towards the inner tube 4, and the arc-shaped end face 42 contacts the guide surface 62. The guide surface 62 guides the remaining position deviation during the entry process, so that the inner tube 4 smoothly passes the guide surface 62 and enters the inner ring 61. Thus, the drive mechanism 11 is responsible for adjusting the position of the loading arm body 1, and the guide surface 62 is responsible for guiding the remaining deviation when the inner tube 4 enters the inner ring 61.

[0047] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the adjusting member 6 and the inner wall of the outer tube 3 cooperate to form a limiting platform 65, which is located on the side of the inner ring 61 away from the floating space 32. When the inner tube 4 moves along the inner ring 61 to the docking position, the end of the inner tube 4 near the adjusting member 6 abuts against the limiting platform 65. The limiting platform 65 restricts the inner tube 4 from moving further into the outer tube 3, thereby limiting the minimum length of the floating connection assembly. During the automatic docking process, the axial force generated by the contact between the loading / unloading joint 2 and the vehicle interface is transmitted through the inner tube 4 to the limiting platform 65, and then through the adjusting member 6 and the outer tube 3 to the arm arm body 1, preventing the inner tube 4 from continuing to retract into the outer tube 3 due to the docking reaction force.

[0048] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the position holding assembly includes a sliding groove 7, a limiting slide 71, a telescopic block 8, a limiting block 83, a spring 9, and a limiting hole 43 disposed on the inner tube 4. The sliding groove 7 is disposed on the adjusting member 6 and extends in the direction toward the inner ring 61. The telescopic block 8 is slidably disposed in the sliding groove 7. The spring 9 abuts against the tail of the telescopic block 8 between the adjusting member 6 and the adjusting member 6. The elastic force of the spring 9 pushes the telescopic block 8 to move toward the inner ring 61. When the inner tube 4 reaches the docking position and the limiting hole 43 corresponds to the telescopic block 8, the telescopic block 8 extends into the limiting hole 43 under the action of the spring 9, thereby maintaining the relative position of the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3.

[0049] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the telescopic block 8 has a front arc surface 81 and a rear arc surface 82 formed on the front and rear sides of the inner tube 4 along the axial direction of the inner tube 4, respectively. Limiting blocks 83 are provided on both sides of the telescopic block 8, and a limiting slide 71 corresponding to the limiting block 83 is provided in the sliding groove 7. When the inner tube 4 moves in any axial direction relative to the outer tube 3, the edge of the corresponding side of the limiting hole 43 contacts the front arc surface 81 or the rear arc surface 82. The contact acts on the corresponding arc surface to form a component force towards the inside of the sliding groove 7, causing the telescopic block 8 to retract into the sliding groove 7 against the elastic force of the spring 9, thereby allowing the inner tube 4 to exit or re-enter the docking position. When the limiting hole 43 corresponds to the telescopic block 8 again, the spring 9 pushes the telescopic block 8 to re-extend into the limiting hole 43. The limiting block 83 slides in the limiting slide 71 and, through its cooperation with the limiting slide 71, limits the maximum extension of the telescopic block 8 toward the inner ring 61, preventing the telescopic block 8 from disengaging from the sliding groove 7.

[0050] Based on the above structure, the working process and working principle of the present invention are as follows:

[0051] When the automatic loading arm is in the ready-to-connect state, the inner tube 4 is located within the inner ring 61 of the adjusting component 6. The inner ring 61 restricts the radial displacement and angular offset of the inner tube 4, keeping the inner tube 4 coaxial with the outer tube 3. The inner tube 4 abuts against the limiting platform 65, the floating connection assembly is at its shortest length, and the telescopic block 8 extends into the limiting hole 43 under the action of the spring 9, maintaining the axial position of the inner tube 4. The drive mechanism 11 adjusts the loading arm body 1 so that the connecting end of the loading / unloading connector 2 corresponds to the vehicle interface, and drives the loading arm body 1, outer tube 3, and inner tube 4 to move as a whole toward the vehicle interface. Because the inner tube 4 is constrained by the limiting platform 65 and the position holding assembly, the axial reaction force generated by the docking will not cause the inner tube 4 to retract into the outer tube 3 prematurely. The loading / unloading connector 2 maintains a fixed axial position and connection length until the connection with the vehicle interface is completed.

[0052] After the loading / unloading connector 2 is connected to the vehicle interface, the inner tube 4 remains in its current position along with the vehicle interface because the loading / unloading connector 2 is already connected to the vehicle interface. The drive mechanism 11 drives the arm body 1 and the outer tube 3 to move away from the vehicle interface, causing the outer tube 3 to have an axial displacement relative to the inner tube 4. During the relative movement, the edge of the limiting hole 43 on one side moves along the front arc surface 81 or the rear arc surface 82 corresponding to the telescopic block 8, and presses the telescopic block 8 back into the sliding groove 7, releasing the position holding function; the outer tube 3 continues to move away from the vehicle interface, and the inner tube 4 exits the inner ring 61 and enters the floating space 32. At this time, the inner ring 61 no longer continuously restricts the radial position and angle of the inner tube 4.

[0053] During vehicle unloading, as the vehicle load decreases and the vehicle experiences slight shaking, the vehicle interface may undergo axial, radial, or small-angle positional changes. The loading / unloading connector 2 causes the inner tube 4 to move synchronously with the vehicle interface. Since the inner tube 4 is located within a floating space 32 with a radial dimension larger than its outer diameter, the inner tube 4 can generate corresponding limited displacement or deflection relative to the outer tube 3. The hose 5 maintains medium communication between the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3 through its own bending shape change. In the floating state, the telescopic block 8 is located at the adjusting member 6 and does not provide continuous radial centering for the inner tube 4, which has already exited the inner ring 61. The hose 5 also retains bending allowance. Therefore, this structure does not rely on an elastic centering member to force the loading / unloading connector 2 to return to the axial position of the outer tube 3.

[0054] After unloading, the loading / unloading joint 2 remains temporarily connected to the vehicle interface. The drive mechanism 11 adjusts the loading arm body 1 according to the existing position control method of the automatic loading arm, causing the position of the outer tube 3 to change accordingly until the arc-shaped end face 42 of the inner tube 4 is aligned with the inlet formed by the guide surface 62. Subsequently, the drive mechanism 11 moves the outer tube 3 toward the inner tube 4, and the arc-shaped end face 42 contacts the guide surface 62. The guide surface 62 guides the remaining position deviation during the entry process, allowing the inner tube 4 to gradually enter the inner ring 61. The inner ring 61 re-limits the radial displacement and angular offset of the inner tube 4, restoring the inner tube 4 and the outer tube 3 to coaxiality. As the outer tube 3 continues to move to the docking position, the inner tube 4 abuts against the limiting platform 65, and the limiting hole 43 corresponds to the telescopic block 8. Under the action of the spring 9, the telescopic block 8 re-extends into the limiting hole 43, and the floating connection assembly returns to the centered and held state.

[0055] After confirming that the inner tube 4 has re-entered the inner ring 61 and is held by the position holding component, the loading / unloading connector 2 is disconnected from the vehicle interface, and the drive mechanism 11 moves the entire loading arm body 1 away from the vehicle. Since the inner tube 4 is now coaxially held by the inner ring 61 and held in the docking position by the limit platform 65 and the telescopic block 8, the loading / unloading connector 2 will not immediately be in a free-floating state after being separated from the vehicle interface due to the loss of vehicle constraint. The loading arm body 1 can return to the standby position with a determined end posture, completing one unloading operation cycle.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading arm, comprising an arm body, a drive mechanism, and a loading and unloading connector disposed at the end of the arm body, characterized in that, A floating connection assembly is provided between the loading arm body and the loading / unloading connector. The floating connection assembly includes an outer tube, an inner tube movably disposed within the outer tube and connected to the loading / unloading connector, and flexible hoses fixedly connected at both ends to the inner and outer tubes respectively. An adjusting component is provided within the outer tube, having an inner ring adapted to the outer circumference of the inner tube. A guide surface is provided on the side of the inner ring facing the loading / unloading connector. A floating space with a radial dimension larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube is formed within the outer tube on the side of the guide surface facing the loading / unloading connector. A position holding assembly is provided between the inner and outer tubes, including a sliding groove on the adjusting component and a slidably disposed... The sliding groove contains a telescopic block, a spring abutting between the telescopic block and the adjusting component, and a limiting hole on the inner tube. The spring is used to push the telescopic block towards the inner tube. When the inner tube moves to the docking position, the telescopic block extends into the limiting hole. When the inner tube is in the docking position within the inner ring, it is kept coaxial with the outer tube by the inner ring and abuts against the limiting platform in the outer tube to limit the shortest length. The position holding component holds the docking position. After the loading and unloading joint is connected to the vehicle interface, the drive mechanism drives the loading arm body to move, so that the outer tube moves axially relative to the inner tube constrained by the vehicle interface, so that the inner tube switches between the inner ring and the floating space.

2. The automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide surface is arranged around the inner ring and gradually converges towards the axis of the outer tube along the direction of the floating space toward the inner ring, with the guide surface and the inner ring transitioning continuously.

3. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner tube has an arc-shaped end face near the adjusting member. When the end of the inner tube is opposite to the inlet formed by the guide surface and moves from the floating space to the inner ring, the arc-shaped end face contacts the guide surface to guide the inner tube to pass over the guide surface and enter the inner ring.

4. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic block has a front arc surface and a rear arc surface on the front and rear sides along the axial direction of the inner tube at one end facing the inner tube. When the inner tube moves closer to or further away from the docking position relative to the outer tube along the axial direction, the edge of the corresponding side of the limiting hole can move along the front arc surface or the rear arc surface and push the telescopic block to retract into the sliding groove against the spring action.

5. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, Limiting blocks are provided on both sides of the telescopic block, and a limiting slide corresponding to the limiting block is provided in the sliding groove. The limiting block is slidably disposed in the limiting slide and cooperates with the limiting slide to limit the maximum extension of the telescopic block toward the inner tube.

6. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting platform is formed by the adjustment component and the inner wall of the outer tube, and is located on the side of the inner ring away from the floating space. When the inner tube moves to the docking position, it abuts against the limiting platform.

7. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, An inner tube flange is provided at the end of the inner tube away from the outer tube, and an outer tube flange is provided at the end of the outer tube away from the inner tube. Both ends of the flexible hose are provided with flexible hose flanges, and the two flexible hose flanges are fixedly connected to the inner tube and the outer tube respectively.

8. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hose is installed inside the inner and outer tubes. The length of the hose is greater than the distance between the two hose flanges when the inner and outer tubes are in the docking position, so that the hose retains bending allowance after the inner tube enters the floating space.

9. An automatic loading and unloading arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjusting component is detachably installed inside the outer tube by mounting bolts; after unloading, the driving mechanism adjusts the position of the loading arm body so that the end of the inner tube is opposite to the inlet formed by the guide surface, and then drives the outer tube to move toward the inner tube, so that the inner tube enters the inner ring through the guide surface and is held back by the position holding component.

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