A working mechanism, a cleaning assembly and a sanitation vehicle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611248457.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-08-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-27
AI Technical Summary
该清扫作业机构设计合理,借助横向滑移机构,清扫机械臂可被快速移动至两侧工位,一辆车仅需一套机械臂和扫盘即可依次清扫道路两侧,以及摆臂机构可根据需要向车宽外侧移动,使机械臂基座相对车体大幅度外移,其末端扫盘能触及更远的路沿、护栏或花坛角落,有效拓展作业空间;摆臂收拢后,整车外宽小,便于行驶和避障。
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Figure CN122980362A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of sanitation vehicle technology, and in particular to an operating mechanism, a sweeping assembly, and a sanitation vehicle thereof. Background Technology
[0002] In existing sanitation vehicle operation solutions, two common approaches are used to cover the work areas on both sides of the vehicle: One approach is to equip the sanitation vehicle with a single fixed-base robotic arm, placing it on the left, right, or middle of the unmanned sanitation vehicle. However, each of these positions makes it difficult to cover the cleaning range on the other two sides of the unmanned sanitation vehicle, unless a long-reach robotic arm is used. However, excessively long arms are prone to swaying, affecting end-effector positioning accuracy and greatly increasing the design load of the robotic arm. Furthermore, this approach only addresses a portion of the cleaning work area. The second approach is to equip each side of the vehicle with a set of robotic arms and sweeping discs. While this solves the problem of double-sided coverage, it significantly increases hardware costs. In actual operation, often only one side of the robotic arm is operational, while the other side's robotic arm and sweeping disc remain idle, resulting in low energy and equipment utilization and waste.
[0003] For example, patent CN116043751A discloses an unmanned sweeper with a robotic arm; the base of the robotic arm is fixed to the center of the vehicle body and cannot move, and the working space of the robotic arm is a semi-circular area in front of the vehicle; when there is garbage to be cleaned on the side of the sanitation vehicle, it is often necessary to move the vehicle to assist the robotic arm to reach the working range; especially when there are obstacles in some areas that the sanitation vehicle cannot reach the effective area, the working space of the robotic arm will be limited. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a working mechanism, a sweeping assembly, and a sanitation vehicle, which can flexibly switch between left and right workstations, effectively expanding the working space.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: This application provides a working mechanism for installation at the front of a sanitation vehicle. The working mechanism includes a lateral sliding structure and a sweeping swing arm structure. The lateral sliding structure includes a lateral slide rail and a slide platform structure disposed on the lateral slide rail. The sweeping swing arm structure is swayably disposed on the slide platform structure.
[0006] Further or preferred: The transverse sliding structure also includes a crossbeam, a transverse slide rail is provided on the crossbeam, and a mounting bracket for fixing the working mechanism is provided on the back of the crossbeam; both ends of the crossbeam are provided with limiting and buffering structures for limiting and buffering the slide structure.
[0007] The crossbeam is provided with a transverse rack, and the slide structure is provided with a gear that meshes with the transverse rack and a drive structure for driving the gear; the slide structure includes a slide vertical plate and two sets of upper and lower sliders provided on the back of the slide vertical plate. The sliders are provided with grooves that are adapted to the transverse slide rail, and the gears are located between the upper and lower sets of sliders.
[0008] The drive structure includes an integrated servo drive motor and a reducer, which are connected to the shaft of the gear via the reducer. A position sensor for detecting the position of the slide table is provided on the slide table structure or crossbeam, and the position sensor is connected to the servo drive motor.
[0009] The crossbeam and / or the slide structure are provided with a slide locking and positioning structure for locking the slide structure for positioning; the slide locking and positioning structure is a slide positioning pin structure provided on the slide structure, the slide positioning pin structure includes a pin and a pin driving structure for driving the pin to extend and retract, and a set of pin positioning holes are provided on the crossbeam corresponding to the pin.
[0010] The slide structure is equipped with a position sensor for sensing the position of the latch, and the position sensor is connected to the drive structure of the slide structure.
[0011] The upper front of the vertical plate of the slide is provided with a swing arm mounting seat; the cleaning swing arm structure includes a swing arm body and a swing arm drive structure integrated on the swing arm body for driving the swing arm to swing, and one end of the swing arm body is rotatably connected to the swing arm mounting seat.
[0012] The swing arm body is provided with a swing arm locking and positioning structure for locking the swing arm body on the corresponding swing arm mounting seat; the swing arm body is a hollow arm structure, and the swing arm locking and positioning structure is integrated into the hollow arm structure.
[0013] This application provides a cleaning assembly, including a sweeping disc structure and the working mechanism, wherein the sweeping disc structure is mounted on a cleaning swing arm structure; the sweeping disc structure is a sweeping disc robotic arm with integrated sweeping brushes, and the sweeping disc robotic arm is mounted on the end of the cleaning swing arm structure.
[0014] This application provides a sanitation vehicle, including a frame and the sweeping assembly, with a lateral sliding structure installed at the front end of the frame.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The sweeping mechanism is reasonably designed. With the help of the lateral sliding mechanism, the sweeping robotic arm can be quickly moved to the work positions on both sides. One vehicle only needs one set of robotic arm and sweeping disc to sweep both sides of the road in sequence. The swing arm mechanism can move outward as needed, so that the base of the robotic arm moves outward relative to the vehicle body. Its end sweeping disc can reach the far curb, guardrail or flower bed corner, effectively expanding the working space. After the swing arm is retracted, the overall width of the vehicle is small, which is convenient for driving and obstacle avoidance. Attached Figure Description
[0016] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the working mechanism of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lateral sliding structure of the present invention.
[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the slide structure of the present invention.
[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the slide positioning pin structure of the present invention.
[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the swing arm structure of the present invention.
[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rocker arm positioning pin structure of the present invention.
[0022] In the picture: 1. Lateral sliding structure, 11. Mounting bracket; 12. Crossbeam; 13. Transverse slide rail; 14. Transverse rack; 15. Slide table structure. 151. Servo drive motor I; 152. Reducer; 153. Gear; 154. Slide table positioning pin structure; 155. Positioning sensor I. 1541. Worm Gear Drive Motor I; 1542. Connecting Rod Structure I; 1543. Pin I; 1544. Position Sensor I; 2. Clean the swing arm structure, 21. Swing arm; 22. RV reducer; 23. Servo drive motor II; 24. Swing arm positioning pin structure; 25. Positioning sensor II. 241. Worm gear drive motor II; 242. Linkage structure II; 243. Pin II; 244. Position sensor II. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through the description of the examples.
[0024] Although the invention has been shown and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications in detail may be made within the equivalent scope and scope of the claims without departing from the invention. In the drawings, the same item numbers refer to the same elements.
[0025] Throughout this disclosure, various terms are used to describe the physical shape or arrangement of features. Many of these terms are used to describe features conforming to a cylindrical or generally cylindrical geometry with the feature as its radius and a central axis perpendicular to that radius. Unless otherwise specified, the terms are given the following meanings: The terms “longitudinal,” “longitudinal,” “axial,” and “axial” refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation parallel to the central axis. The terms “radial” and “radially” refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation perpendicular to the central axis. The terms “inward” and “inner” refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation extending radially toward the central axis. The terms “outward” and “outer” refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation extending radially away from the central axis.
[0026] In this specification, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” “downward,” “top,” and “bottom,” and their derivatives (e.g., “horizontal,” “downward,” “upward,” etc.) should be interpreted as referring to the direction described or the direction shown in the accompanying drawings. These relative terms are for ease of description and are not generally intended to require a specific direction.
[0027] As the level of automation in urban sanitation continues to improve, driverless sanitation vehicles are gradually being put into use. In order to clean up garbage in blind spots along the roadside, at the edges of green belts, and at the bottom of static obstacles, a robotic arm is often installed at the front of the sanitation vehicle, and a sweeping end effector is installed at the end of the robotic arm.
[0028] In existing cleaning operation solutions, two approaches are typically used to cover the working areas on both sides of the vehicle: One approach is to equip the sanitation vehicle with a single fixed-base robotic arm, placing it on the left, right, or middle of the unmanned sanitation vehicle. However, each of these positions makes it difficult to cover the cleaning range on the other two sides of the unmanned sanitation vehicle, unless a long-reach robotic arm is used. However, excessively long arms are prone to swaying, affecting end-effector positioning accuracy and greatly increasing the design load of the robotic arm. Furthermore, this only addresses a portion of the cleaning space. The second approach is to equip each side of the vehicle with a set of robotic arms and sweeping discs. While this solves the problem of double-sided coverage, it significantly increases hardware costs. In actual operation, often only one robotic arm is active, while the other robotic arm and sweeping disc remain idle, resulting in low energy and equipment utilization and waste.
[0029] The robotic arm's base is fixed to the center of the vehicle and cannot be moved. The robotic arm's working space is a semi-circular area in front of the vehicle. When there is garbage to be cleaned on the side of the sanitation vehicle, the vehicle often needs to be moved to assist the robotic arm in reaching the working area. Especially when there are areas where the sanitation vehicle cannot reach the effective area due to obstacles, the robotic arm's working space is limited. For a dual robotic arm solution with the robotic arms arranged on both sides in front of the sanitation vehicle, although it can cover both sides, the overall cost increases significantly, and the robotic arm on the non-working side is often idle, which does not meet the requirements of lightweight and economy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a working space expansion mechanism that can allow a single robotic arm to flexibly switch between left and right work positions, while simultaneously extending the effective arm span and possessing high-rigidity positioning.
[0030] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this application provides a working mechanism to overcome the problems that a single robotic arm cannot efficiently cover the working areas on both sides of the vehicle, that dual robotic arms have a high idle rate and high cost, and that the positioning stiffness is insufficient after the arm is extended.
[0031] The operating mechanism of this application is installed at the front of the sanitation vehicle. The operating mechanism includes a lateral sliding structure and a sweeping swing arm structure. The lateral sliding structure includes a lateral slide rail and a slide platform structure set on the lateral slide rail. The sweeping swing arm structure is set on the slide platform structure and can swing inward and outward. In this application, the two sides of the sanitation vehicle are the outer side and the middle part of the sanitation vehicle is the inner side. When the slide platform structure is at the end position of the lateral slide rail, the sweeping swing arm structure can swing to the outer side or the inner side of the sanitation vehicle.
[0032] This operating mechanism utilizes a lateral sliding structure, allowing the sweeping robotic arm to be quickly moved to both sides of the workstation. A single vehicle requires only one set of robotic arms and sweeping discs to sweep both sides of the road sequentially. Furthermore, the swing arm mechanism can move outwards as needed, causing the robotic arm base to shift significantly outwards relative to the vehicle body. Its end sweeping discs can reach further curbs, guardrails, or flower bed corners, effectively expanding the working space. When the swing arm is retracted, the overall vehicle width is small, facilitating driving and obstacle avoidance.
[0033] In some embodiments, The lateral sliding structure includes a crossbeam, a lateral slide rail, and a slide platform structure. The lateral slide rail is located on the crossbeam. The slide platform structure and the lateral slide rail work together to allow the slide platform structure to move left and right laterally to adjust its position. The back of the crossbeam is equipped with a mounting bracket for installing and fixing the working mechanism. The entire working mechanism is fixed to the front of the sanitation vehicle by the mounting bracket.
[0034] This mechanism features a crossbeam to support the transverse slide rail and slide table structure. The slide rail is mounted on the crossbeam, and the slide table is adjusted left and right by the guide of the slide rail. The crossbeam can distribute the impact load generated by the sweeping arm operation, ensuring smooth sliding and high positioning accuracy, and reducing the offset deformation caused by working vibration. The back of the crossbeam is equipped with a mounting bracket to fix the entire working mechanism in front. The bracket is positioned at the rear and does not occupy the movement space in front of the crossbeam, which can prevent the bracket from interfering with the swing of the sweeping arm.
[0035] The crossbeam is a monolithic steel beam structure, which effectively ensures structural strength and load-bearing capacity; the mounting brackets are a pair arranged side by side with a certain spacing between them; the two mounting brackets have the same structure, can be used interchangeably, and reduce costs.
[0036] The mounting bracket is an integral structure formed by welding a set of steel plates. The mounting bracket includes a horizontal plate, a vertical plate, and a connecting plate. The connecting plate is welded to the front end of the horizontal plate. A set of stiffening ribs is provided between the horizontal plate and the connecting plate. The connecting plate has a set of connecting holes for connecting to the crossbeam. The vertical plate is welded to the horizontal plate. A set of stiffening ribs is provided between the vertical plate and the horizontal plate. The vertical plate has a set of connecting holes for connecting to the frame. The vertical plates of the two mounting brackets are arranged in parallel, and the structure is stable and reliable.
[0037] The crossbeam is made of an integrated steel beam structure, which has excellent bending and impact resistance and can withstand the vibration and load brought by the sweeping arm operation, with reliable overall load-bearing strength. It is fixed by a pair of parallel installation brackets with intervals, and the two-point support can distribute the load. The bracket structure is consistent and the parts are interchangeable. The vertical plates of the double brackets are arranged in parallel and the force direction is uniform. The brackets are not easy to tilt during operation and the overall installation structure is stable.
[0038] In some embodiments, Both ends of the crossbeam are equipped with limiting and buffering structures for limiting and buffering the slide structure; the addition of limiting and buffering structures at the left and right ends of the crossbeam can physically stop the slide structure when it slides laterally to the left and right limit positions, preventing the slide from rushing out of the slide rail travel and avoiding failures such as derailment and collision damage of the cleaning swing arm; when the slide moves quickly to the cleaning positions at both ends, the buffering structure can absorb the impact kinetic energy of the slide, reduce impact vibration, and reduce the rigid collision noise of the slide, slide rail and cleaning swing arm; Optionally, the limiting and buffering structure can be made of rubber blocks or buffer plates; independent buffer blocks made of rubber or polyurethane can be used, which can be detachably installed at both ends of the crossbeam with bolts. The pad block structure is simple and compact, occupies little space, and absorbs the impact force of the slide table by means of the elastic body under pressure deformation, which can weaken the sliding impact vibration and isolate the abnormal noise generated by the hard metal collision; the buffer block is an easily damaged independent accessory, which can be replaced individually after wear without disassembling the main body of the crossbeam, making subsequent maintenance convenient.
[0039] In some embodiments, The crossbeam is equipped with a transverse rack, and the slide structure is equipped with a gear that meshes with the transverse rack and a drive structure for driving the gear.
[0040] The drive structure includes an integrated servo drive motor and a reducer, which are connected to the shaft of the gear via the reducer. The slide structure or crossbeam is equipped with a position sensor for detecting the position of the slide, and the position sensor is connected to the servo drive motor.
[0041] The rack and pinion transmission method drives the slide table to move laterally. It has high transmission rigidity and small gap, which can accurately transmit power and is not prone to slippage or idle. It can reliably drive the sweeping arm to quickly switch between work positions on both sides of the vehicle. The servo drive motor and reducer are integrated into one unit. The reducer reduces the speed and increases the output torque, which can overcome the weight of the swing arm and sweeping disc and the road surface resistance. The drive structure has a high degree of integration, occupies little slide table installation space, and is convenient for overall assembly.
[0042] A position sensor is added to collect the lateral position signal of the slide table in real time and feed it back to the servo drive motor to form a closed-loop control system. The servo motor can accurately control the start and stop, movement distance and movement speed according to the sensor signal. It can flexibly set the left and right cleaning positions and fine adjust the position of the sweeping disc. The start, stop and acceleration and deceleration are controllable, the movement process is smooth, the impact and vibration of the gear rack are reduced, the positioning accuracy of the work position is high, and it is easy for the sweeping disc to accurately align with the cleaning points such as the curb and flower bed corners, with a high degree of automation.
[0043] In some embodiments, The slide structure includes a slide vertical plate and two sets of upper and lower sliders on the back of the slide vertical plate. Two transverse slide rails are correspondingly set on the crossbeam, one transverse slide rail is located at the upper part and the other transverse slide rail is located at the lower part. The sliders are provided with slide grooves that are adapted to the transverse slide rails. The upper slider cooperates with the upper transverse slide rail and the lower slider cooperates with the lower transverse slide rail. The gear is located between the upper and lower sets of sliders.
[0044] The slide table is equipped with two sets of upper and lower sliders that cooperate with the upper and lower double-layer transverse slide rails respectively. The double-layer guide structure can share the downward pressure load and overturning moment brought by the sweeping arm and sweeping disc, and constrain the freedom of the slide table in the forward and backward and deflection directions, so as to prevent the slide table from tilting or skewing during operation. The slide groove and slide rail fit together, and the sliding guidance is smooth. It can withstand the lateral impact from road debris and curbs during the sweeping process. The overall guiding rigidity is high and the operation is not easy to jam.
[0045] The gear is positioned in the middle of the upper and lower sets of sliders, and the driving force is located in the middle of the force range of the double-layer slider. The driving force and the center of gravity of the support are close, so no additional deflection torque is generated when the slide table is driven to move horizontally, reducing the wear of the slider on one side. The upper and lower slide rails bear the load symmetrically, and the force distribution is balanced. The gear-rack meshing transmission is smooth, which further ensures that the cleaning swing arm is reliably positioned when it moves laterally and reduces vibration.
[0046] In some embodiments, The upper front of the slide table vertical plate is provided with a swing arm mounting seat. The drive structure is fixed on the front of the slide table vertical plate and located below the swing arm mounting seat. The integrated design results in a compact structure.
[0047] In some embodiments, The crossbeam and / or the slide structure are provided with a slide locking and positioning structure for locking the slide structure for positioning.
[0048] Optionally, the slide locking and positioning structure is a slide positioning pin structure provided on the slide structure. The slide positioning pin structure includes a pin and a pin driving structure for driving the pin to extend and retract. A set of pin positioning holes are provided on the crossbeam corresponding to the pin. The pin drive structure includes a worm gear drive motor I and a connecting rod structure I; the connecting rod structure converts the rotational motion of the worm gear drive motor into linear motion, thereby driving the pin to extend or retract; or the pin drive structure is an electric push cylinder, with the pin mounted on the electric push cylinder, and the electric push cylinder drives the pin to extend or retract.
[0049] The slide structure is equipped with a position sensor for sensing the position status of the latch, and the position sensor is connected to the drive structure of the slide structure.
[0050] The sliding table is equipped with a positioning pin structure. After the sliding table moves to the cleaning position, the pin extends into the corresponding positioning hole of the crossbeam to lock and fix the sliding table, offsetting the vibration and lateral impact generated during the operation of the sweeping arm, preventing the sliding table from shifting laterally due to external forces, and ensuring the stability of the sweeping point. Two optional pin drive methods are provided: a worm gear motor with a linkage mechanism can convert the rotary motion into linear extension and retraction of the pin. The worm gear has a self-locking function, and the pin will not loosen itself after power is cut off; the electric push cylinder drive has a simple structure and rapid response, which can simplify the mechanical linkage parts. Both options can be flexibly selected according to the installation space.
[0051] Equipped with a position sensor that detects the extension and retraction status of the latch, the sensor signal is fed back to the drive mechanism for the lateral movement of the slide table, forming an interlock control; only after the latch has retracted and unlocked can the control system allow the slide table to slide laterally, and the cleaning operation will start only after the latch extends and locks in place, ensuring stable and reliable operation.
[0052] In some embodiments, The cleaning arm structure includes an arm body and an arm drive structure integrated on the arm body for driving the arm to swing. One end of the arm body is rotatably connected to the arm mounting base. The swing arm body is a hollow arm structure, and the swing arm locking and positioning structure is integrated into the hollow arm structure, making the structure compact.
[0053] The swing arm drive structure is located above the swing arm body. A gear ring is provided on the swing arm mounting base, and a drive gear that meshes with the gear ring is provided on the swing arm drive structure. The drive gear is located inside the hollow arm structure. The swing arm drive structure consists of a servo drive motor II and an RV reducer. The drive gear drives the swing arm to swing.
[0054] The swing arm body adopts a hollow design, which can accommodate the swing arm locking and positioning structure. It can make full use of the internal cavity space of the arm body, and the parts do not need to protrude outward. The overall layout is compact and neat, and it is not easily damaged by roadside gravel and debris. It can also reduce the overall space occupied by the swing arm. One end of the swing arm is hinged to the swing arm mounting base. The swing power is provided by a servo motor, RV reducer, drive gear and gear ring meshing. The RV reducer has a strong load-bearing capacity and small backlash, which can ensure high rigidity of swing arm swing transmission and small positioning error.
[0055] The gear ring is fixed to the swing arm mounting base and remains stationary. The drive gear is arranged in the hollow swing arm cavity, and the swing arm drive structure is installed above it. The power component is located in the upper part of the arm body, and the center of gravity is reasonably arranged. The built-in installation method of gear meshing can protect the meshing parts and reduce the corrosion of the gear pair by dust and mud. The swing arm operates smoothly and controllably when extending outward and retracting inward. The servo motor can precisely control the swing angle of the swing arm, thereby flexibly adjusting the sweeping disk working radius to adapt to various cleaning locations such as curbs and flower beds.
[0056] In some embodiments, The swing arm body is provided with a swing arm locking and positioning structure for locking the swing arm body on the corresponding swing arm mounting seat.
[0057] The swing arm locking and positioning structure is a swing arm positioning pin structure. The swing arm mounting base has a set of positioning holes along the circumference that cooperate with pin II of the swing arm positioning pin structure.
[0058] The drive structure of the swing arm positioning pin structure adopts an electric push structure or a motor drive structure; the drive structure includes a worm gear drive motor II and a connecting rod structure II; the rotational motion of the worm gear drive motor is converted into linear motion through the connecting rod structure, thereby driving the extension and retraction of the pin; or the pin drive structure is an electric push cylinder, with the pin set on the electric push cylinder, and the extension and retraction of the pin is driven by the electric push cylinder.
[0059] The swing arm is equipped with a positioning sensor II. When the swing arm rotates to the preset position, the controller triggers the swing arm positioning pin structure to lock the swing arm through the signal feedback from the positioning sensor. A position sensor II is set in the corresponding pin II to provide feedback on the position status of the pin, so as to avoid the drive motor from working after locking, and the operation is stable and reliable.
[0060] The swing arm body is equipped with a swing arm positioning pin structure. Multiple positioning holes are arranged around the circumference of the swing arm mounting base. After the swing arm rotates to the desired sweeping angle, pin II extends into the corresponding positioning hole, thus mechanically locking the swing arm. This resists the impact torque generated when the sweeping disc sweeps road debris and curbs, preventing the swing arm from shifting angle during operation. The pin is equipped with two optional drive schemes: a worm gear drive motor II combined with a linkage structure can achieve rotary motion to linear extension and retraction. The worm gear has a self-locking capability, so the pin will not retract unexpectedly after power failure; using an electric push cylinder drive simplifies the parts, provides rapid extension and retraction response, and allows for flexible selection of the drive form based on the installation space inside the hollow swing arm, offering strong layout adaptability.
[0061] The swing arm is equipped with a positioning sensor and a position sensor that detects the status of the latch. The sensor transmits signals of the swing arm's rotation angle and the latch's extension and retraction status to the controller. The system initiates latch locking after detecting that the swing arm has reached the preset position. At the same time, it uses the latch position signal to create an electrical interlock. When the latch is locked in place, it restricts the operation of the swing arm drive motor, preventing the gear from being forcibly rotated in the locked state, which could cause damage to the gear ring, drive gear, and latch. The operation is stable and reliable.
[0062] This application provides a cleaning assembly, including a sweeping disc structure and a working mechanism, wherein the sweeping disc structure is mounted on a cleaning swing arm structure. The sweeping disc structure is a sweeping disc robotic arm integrating a sweeping brush, and the sweeping disc robotic arm is mounted on the end of the cleaning swing arm structure.
[0063] The lateral sliding structure is pre-set with an extreme left position, a left position, a right position, and an extreme right position. The sweeping arm structure is pre-set with a 0° position, a 90° position, and a 180° position. The lateral sliding structure and the sweeping arm structure are combined with different positions to form an overall multi-position sweeping assembly.
[0064] The sweeping arm is integrated into the end of the sweeping arm, making the sweeping brush and sweeping disc a single unit. The assembly and disassembly are convenient, and the arm can extend and retract synchronously with the sweeping arm. The lateral sliding structure has four preset lateral positions: extreme left, left, right, and extreme right. This allows for quick switching between different lateral sweeping zones on the vehicle body. The rack and pinion servo drive enables precise stopping at each position, eliminating the need for repeated manual adjustments to the slide position. This significantly improves the efficiency of switching between left and right sides of the road. One robotic arm can handle sweeping operations on both sides of the vehicle body, avoiding the drawbacks of high cost and high idle rate associated with dual robotic arms on both sides.
[0065] The sweeping arm features three swing positions: 0°, 90°, and 180°. Combined with multiple lateral sliding positions, it can freely generate various composite sweeping postures: 0° retracts close to the vehicle body for easy obstacle avoidance; 90° extends horizontally to accommodate regular curb cleaning; and 180°, with its maximum swing angle and extreme left / right sliding positions, can reach flower beds, guardrails, and remote corners of medians. This multi-position combination mode covers all sanitation cleaning scenarios, including regular roads, narrow roads, and green belt corners. Once locked in position, the arm maintains a stable posture without requiring continuous motor control, resulting in lower energy consumption, precise cleaning points, and adaptability to diverse urban road cleaning conditions. Furthermore, it operates stably and reliably.
[0066] This application provides a sanitation vehicle, including a frame and the sweeping assembly, with a lateral sliding structure installed at the front end of the frame.
[0067] This application has the following advantages over the prior art: 1. Single-arm double-sided coverage, eliminating idle waste: With the help of the lateral sliding mechanism, the robotic arm can be quickly moved to the far left, left, right and far right work positions. One vehicle only needs one set of robotic arm and sweeping disc to clean both sides of the road in sequence. Compared with the double robotic arm solution, it significantly reduces equipment costs and idle energy consumption. At the same time, it has a wider working range and higher working efficiency than the fixed single-sided solution.
[0068] 2. Flexible arm extension to adapt to changing road conditions: The swing arm mechanism can move outwards as needed, allowing the robotic arm base to move significantly outwards relative to the vehicle body, and its end sweeping disc can reach further curbs, guardrails, or flower bed corners; when the swing arm is retracted, the overall vehicle width is small, making it easier to drive and avoid obstacles.
[0069] 3. High rigidity and precise positioning for accurate cleaning: The precision positioning pin mechanism inserts into the tapered pin hole when the swing arm is extended, forming a rigid constraint. This effectively suppresses the shaking of the arm end during the movement of the robotic arm, ensuring the accuracy and repeatability of the relative posture of the sweeping disc with the ground and curb. Both the cleaning quality and the durability of the components are improved.
[0070] 4. Modular design with strong adaptability: This space expansion mechanism provides a standard robotic arm installation interface, which can be matched with robotic arms and sweeping discs with different degrees of freedom. It can be used for the development of new models or for upgrading existing sanitation vehicles.
[0071] The cleaning operation mechanism of this application is a working space expansion mechanism for a sanitation vehicle robotic arm, used to be installed at the front end of an unmanned sanitation vehicle to support and move the robotic arm. The structure includes: a multi-station lateral sliding mechanism and a multi-station swing arm mechanism; the principle is explained as follows: The multi-station lateral sliding mechanism includes: The system comprises a mounting bracket fixed to the longitudinal beam of the sanitation vehicle, a crossbeam extending along the width of the vehicle, a slide rail and rack mounted thereon, and a slide table slidably mounted on the slide rail. The slide table consists of a servo drive motor with a reducer, gears, a precision positioning pin mechanism, and a precision positioning sensor. The movement of the slide table on the slide rail is controlled by the meshing of the gear and rack at the end of the servo motor. A precision positioning sensor is installed on the slide table. When the slide table moves to a predetermined work position, the robotic arm controller triggers the precision positioning pin mechanism to insert, ensuring that the movement of the slide table at the current position is completely locked. The precision positioning pin mechanism consists of a worm gear drive motor, a linkage mechanism, a pin mechanism, and a position sensor. The linkage mechanism converts the rotational motion of the worm gear drive motor into linear motion. When the pin reaches its extension and retraction limit, the position sensor feeds back the position status of the precision positioning pin mechanism to the robotic arm controller, preventing the pin mechanism from locking and causing the lateral drive servo motor to stall and burn out. The crossbeam plate on which the slide rail is installed has multiple pin positioning holes according to the workstation requirements, as well as corresponding precision positioning sensor triggering structures. When the slide table moves to the preset workstation, the precision positioning sensor triggers the precision positioning pin mechanism to lock. When it is necessary to move to the next preset workstation, the locking mechanism is released, the slide table moves to the next workstation and locks.
[0072] The multi-station swing arm mechanism includes: The system includes a swing arm, an RV reducer, a matching servo drive motor, a precision positioning pin mechanism, and a precision positioning sensor. The servo motor directly drives the swing arm to rotate via the RV reducer. The swing arm is equipped with a precision positioning pin mechanism. When the swing arm rotates to a preset position, the robotic arm controller uses a feedback signal to control the precision positioning pin mechanism to insert, thus locking the swing arm completely. When the swing arm needs to rotate to the next preset position, the pin mechanism releases, and the swing arm rotates to the next preset position and locks.
[0073] The multi-station swing arm mechanism is mounted on the slide table of the multi-station sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism has preset positions at the far left, left, right, and far right. The swing arm mechanism has positions at 0°, 90°, and 180°. By combining different positions of the sliding and swing arm mechanisms, the working space of the robotic arm is expanded. The robotic arm is mounted at the end of the multi-station swing arm mechanism. When the sliding mechanism is at the far left and the swing arm is at 0°, the robotic arm base can extend beyond the left side of the vehicle width for operation. Conversely, when the sliding mechanism is at the far right and the swing arm is at 180°, the robotic arm base can extend beyond the right side of the vehicle width for operation, thus greatly expanding the robotic arm's working space.
[0074] This application integrates a dual-expansion configuration of multi-station lateral sliding and multi-station swing arm amplitude. By utilizing the left and right movement of the slide table on the slide rail and the outward swing of the swing arm, a single robotic arm can simultaneously achieve dual-side station switching and arm extension doubling.
[0075] The multi-position swing arm precision positioning pin locking structure, through the precise cooperation of the pin and the pin hole, immediately establishes a rigid lock after the flexible amplitude change is completed, combining the dual advantages of a wide range of motion and high rigidity precision positioning. The compact crossbeam slide module, positioned at the front of the unmanned sanitation vehicle, highly integrates the left and right workstation switching mechanism, making full use of the limited space at the front of the vehicle. It can be quickly combined as an independent functional module with existing unmanned sanitation vehicles and various robotic arms, facilitating standardization and cost reduction.
[0076] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the preferred embodiment of the cleaning operation mechanism of this application is as follows: The space expansion mechanism of the sanitation vehicle robotic arm in this application includes a multi-station lateral sliding structure 1 and a multi-station sweeping swing arm structure 2; in, The multi-station transverse sliding structure 1 includes a mounting bracket 11, a crossbeam 12, a transverse slide rail 13, a transverse rack 14, and a slide table structure 15. One end of the mounting bracket 11 is rigidly connected to the longitudinal beam connecting the sanitation vehicle, and the other end is rigidly connected to the crossbeam 12. The transverse slide rail 13 and the transverse rack 14 are mounted on it. The slide table structure 15 includes a servo drive motor I 151, a reducer 152, a gear 153, a slide table positioning pin mechanism 154, and a precision positioning sensor I 155. The movement of the slide table structure 15 on the transverse slide rail 13 can be controlled by the meshing of the servo drive motor I 151 with the gear 153 at the end of the reducer 152 and the transverse rack 14. The slide table structure 15 is equipped with a precision positioning sensor I 155. When the slide table structure 15 moves to the predetermined work position, the robotic arm controller triggers the precision positioning pin mechanism to insert through the precision positioning signal feedback from the sensor, thereby ensuring that the movement of the slide table structure 15 at the current position is completely locked.
[0077] The slide table positioning pin mechanism includes a worm gear drive motor I1541, a connecting rod structure I1542, a pin I1543, and a position sensor I1544. The connecting rod structure I1542 converts the rotational motion of the worm gear drive motor I1541 into linear motion. When the pin reaches its extension or retraction limit, the position sensor I1544 feeds back the position status of the slide table positioning pin structure 154 to the robotic arm controller, preventing the pin structure from locking and causing the transverse drive servo motor I to stall and burn out. The transverse beam 12, on which the transverse slide rail 13 is mounted, has multiple pin positioning holes according to the workstation requirements, and corresponding triggering structures for the precision positioning sensor I155. When the slide table structure 15 moves to a preset workstation, the precision positioning sensor I155 triggers the precision positioning pin structure to lock. When it needs to move to the next preset workstation, the precision positioning pin structure releases, and the slide table structure 15 moves to the next workstation and locks.
[0078] The multi-station cleaning swing arm structure 2 includes: a swing arm 21, an RV reducer 22 and a matching servo drive motor II 23, a swing arm positioning pin structure 24, and a positioning sensor II 25; the servo drive motor II 23 directly drives the swing arm 21 to rotate through the RV reducer 22. The swing arm 21 is equipped with a swing arm positioning pin structure 24. When the swing arm 21 rotates to the preset station, the robotic arm controller controls the positioning pin structure to insert through the feedback positioning signal, thereby locking the swing arm 21 completely. When the swing arm 21 needs to rotate to the next preset station, the pin structure is released, and the swing arm 21 rotates to the next preset station and locks.
[0079] The drive structure of the swing arm positioning pin structure adopts an electric push structure or a motor drive structure; the drive structure includes a worm gear drive motor II241 and a connecting rod structure II242; the rotational motion of the worm gear drive motor is converted into linear motion through the connecting rod structure, thereby driving the extension and retraction of the pin II243; or the pin drive structure is an electric push cylinder, with the pin II243 mounted on the electric push cylinder, and the extension and retraction of the pin is driven by the electric push cylinder.
[0080] The swing arm is equipped with a positioning sensor II25. When the swing arm rotates to the preset position, the controller triggers the swing arm positioning pin structure to lock the swing arm through the signal feedback of the positioning sensor. A position sensor II244 is set in the corresponding pin II to provide feedback on the position status of the pin and prevent the drive motor from working after locking.
[0081] The multi-station cleaning arm structure 2 is installed on the slide structure 15 of the multi-station lateral sliding structure 1. The lateral sliding structure has preset left, left, right, and rightmost workstations, while the multi-station arm structure has 0°, 90°, and 180° workstations. By combining different workstations of the lateral sliding structure and the multi-station arm structure, the working space of the robotic arm is expanded. The robotic arm is installed at the end of the multi-station arm structure. When the lateral sliding structure is at its far left and the arm structure is at 0°, the robotic arm base can extend beyond the left side of the vehicle width for operation. Conversely, when the lateral sliding structure is at its far right and the arm structure is at 180°, the robotic arm base can extend beyond the right side of the vehicle width for operation, thus greatly expanding the robotic arm's working space.
[0082] The above description is merely an illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the above technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form multiple embodiments of the present invention.
[0083] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An operating mechanism for installation at the front of a sanitation vehicle, characterized in that: The working mechanism includes a lateral sliding structure (1) and a sweeping swing arm structure (2). The lateral sliding structure (1) includes a lateral slide rail (13) and a slide table structure (15) provided on the lateral slide rail. The sweeping swing arm structure (2) is swayably provided on the slide table structure (15).
2. The working mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The transverse sliding structure (1) also includes a crossbeam (12), a transverse slide rail is provided on the crossbeam, and a mounting bracket (11) for installing and fixing the working mechanism is provided on the back of the crossbeam; both ends of the crossbeam are provided with a limiting and buffering structure for limiting and buffering the slide structure.
3. The working mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The crossbeam (12) is provided with a transverse rack (14), and the slide structure is provided with a gear that meshes with the transverse rack and a drive structure for driving the gear; the slide structure includes a slide vertical plate and two sets of upper and lower sliders provided on the back of the slide vertical plate. The sliders are provided with grooves that are adapted to the transverse slide rail, and the gears are located between the upper and lower sets of sliders.
4. The working mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The drive structure includes an integrated servo drive motor and a reducer, which are connected to the shaft of the gear through the reducer. The slide structure (15) or the crossbeam (12) is provided with a position sensor for detecting the position of the slide, and the position sensor is connected to the servo drive motor.
5. The working mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The crossbeam (12) and / or the slide structure (15) are provided with a slide locking and positioning structure for locking the slide structure for positioning; the slide locking and positioning structure is a slide positioning pin structure (154) provided on the slide structure, the slide positioning pin structure includes a pin and a pin driving structure for driving the pin to extend and retract, and a set of pin positioning holes are provided on the crossbeam corresponding to the pin.
6. The working mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The slide structure (15) is equipped with a position sensor for sensing the position status of the latch, and the position sensor is connected to the drive structure of the slide structure.
7. The working mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The upper front of the vertical plate of the slide is provided with a swing arm mounting seat; the cleaning swing arm structure includes a swing arm body and a swing arm drive structure integrated on the swing arm body for driving the swing arm to swing, and one end of the swing arm body is rotatably connected to the swing arm mounting seat.
8. The working mechanism as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The swing arm (21) body is provided with a swing arm locking and positioning structure for locking the swing arm body on the corresponding swing arm mounting seat; the swing arm body is a hollow arm structure, and the swing arm locking and positioning structure is integrated into the hollow arm structure.
9. A cleaning assembly, comprising a sweeping disc structure, characterized in that: It also includes the working mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sweeping disc structure is mounted on the cleaning swing arm structure (2); the sweeping disc structure is a sweeping disc robotic arm with integrated sweeping brushes, and the sweeping disc robotic arm is mounted on the end of the cleaning swing arm structure.
10. A sanitation vehicle, comprising a frame, characterized in that: It also includes the cleaning assembly as described in any one of claims 9, wherein the lateral sliding structure (1) is mounted on the front end of the frame.