Unmanned motor sweeper and safety contact edge integrated device thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses an unmanned motor sweeper and a safety contact edge integrated device thereof, and belongs to the technical field of protection. The safety contact edge integrated device comprises a support, a contact edge plate and a safety contact edge; the support is used for being fixedly connected with the unmanned sweeper, the contact edge plate is connected with the support through at least three connecting units, and the at least three connecting units are arranged in a non-collinear mode. The safety contact edge is fixed at the outer edge of the contact edge plate; the connecting unit comprises a spring and a fastener which are coaxially arranged, the fastener is fixedly connected between the support and the contact edge plate, and the spring is pressed between the support and the contact edge plate. The anti-collision device is simple in structure and reasonable in design, and can be separated from the sweeping vehicle in time during collision, so that damage to sweeping equipment caused by collision force is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of sweepers, in particular to an unmanned sweeper and a safety edge contact integrated device thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the application of unmanned driving technology in various fields is becoming more and more extensive. As a new type of cleaning equipment, unmanned sweepers (or unmanned cleaning robots) have the advantages of high degree of automation and high work efficiency. They have been widely used in the cleaning field.

[0003] Unmanned road sweepers mainly use motor-driven sweeping brushes to perform cleaning tasks. However, during use, unmanned road sweepers may misjudge obstacles, which may cause collisions with obstacles during driving or automatic operation, thus causing damage to the vehicle. So far, there are no mature products for collision protection of unmanned (road) road sweepers.

[0004] Some known unmanned road sweeper manufacturers usually install rigid protective nets or rigid guide wheels for the front sweeping brushes as insurance measures, but their protective effects are not ideal after operational testing, and they cannot provide collision protection for the vehicle body. After a collision, the vehicle body is often damaged, resulting in high maintenance costs. In addition, after long-term use of unmanned road sweepers, some parts or functions are prone to failure, such as brake delay, which will cause the vehicle to fail to brake in time after encountering an obstacle, resulting in a collision.

[0005] In addition, when the unmanned road sweeper is operating close to the edge, the judgment range of the vehicle's edge cutting angle is too large. When the edge cutting angle is too large, the raised curb of the road will produce a large collision force on the sweeping brush, which can easily cause damage to the vehicle's cleaning mechanism.

[0006] After investigation, it was found that the safety edge is a rubber band-shaped pressure-sensitive switch, which is usually used to prevent industrial robots and other automated equipment from causing harm to operators. The safety edge is composed of a soft, bendable strip that can be fixed on the edges of moving parts that are at risk of extrusion and shearing. When the operator or the operator's limbs touch the safety edge, the pressure change of the safety edge will trigger the switch, thereby stopping the movement of the robot and avoiding danger. The safety edge is usually composed of an aluminum rail and a safety contact strip. The specially shaped side can protect the safety contact strip from damage and allow the impact angle of the safety edge to exceed 90°. In addition, the safety edge does not restrict entry, but provides safety protection through a sensory mechanism, so reliable control of its control circuit is very important.

[0007] Based on the characteristics of the safety touch edge, some indoor low-speed cleaning robot products improve the anti-collision effect by adding safety touch edges. However, the installed safety touch edges are connected to the product itself through rigid structural parts. After a collision occurs, the emergency braking stroke and impact force will still cause secondary damage to the product itself, causing the internal rigid structural parts of the product to twist and deform, making the maintenance cost too high.

[0008] Based on this, it is necessary to develop a safety edge touch integrated device for unmanned sweepers to solve the current situation of no collision protection in this field. Summary of the invention

[0009] In view of the problem in the prior art that the cleaning brush disc of an unmanned sweeper may be damaged when a collision occurs, the purpose of the utility model is to provide an unmanned sweeper and an integrated safety edge contact device thereof, so as to at least partially solve the above problem.

[0010] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution of the utility model is:

[0011] In the first aspect, the utility model provides a safety touch edge integrated device, comprising a bracket, a touch edge plate and a safety touch edge; the bracket is used to fixedly connect to an unmanned sweeper, the touch edge plate is connected to the bracket through at least three connecting units, and at least three of the connecting units are not arranged in a colinear manner; the safety touch edge is fixed at the outer edge of the touch edge plate; the connecting unit comprises a coaxially arranged spring and a fastener, the fastener is fixedly connected between the bracket and the touch edge plate, and the spring is pressed between the bracket and the touch edge plate.

[0012] In some preferred embodiments, the contact edge plate includes a plate body and a flange arranged at the edge of the plate body, and the safety contact edge is fixed on the flange.

[0013] In some preferred embodiments, the plate body is provided with an avoidance hole.

[0014] In some preferred embodiments, weight-reducing holes are provided on the plate body.

[0015] In some preferred embodiments, the edge contact plate is located on a lower side of the bracket.

[0016] In some preferred embodiments, the spring is a helical compression spring.

[0017] In some preferred embodiments, the fastener is a threaded fastener to facilitate adjusting the compression amount of the spring.

[0018] In a second aspect, the utility model also provides an unmanned sweeper, comprising a vehicle body and a sweeping brush disc, wherein the vehicle body is fixedly mounted with the safety touch edge integrated device as described above; at least at the front end of the vehicle body in the direction of travel, the safety touch edge protrudes from the sweeping brush disc.

[0019] In some preferred embodiments, the safety touch edge is arc-shaped and extends from the front end to the rear end in the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and the safety touch edge protrudes from the cleaning brush plate at each location along its extension path.

[0020] In some preferred embodiments, the safety touch edge is arranged in an arc shape around the center of the cleaning brush disc, and the layout range of the safety touch edge is not less than 90°.

[0021] By adopting the above technical scheme, the beneficial effect of the utility model is that when the safety touch edge integrated device of the utility model is hit, the impact force is first transmitted to the safety touch edge, and then to the touch edge plate. After the touch edge plate is subjected to force, it is transmitted to the fastener in the connection unit, thereby cutting the fastener, and then the elastic force of the spring is released, so that the touch edge plate is completely or partially detached, thereby blocking the transmission of the impact force to the vehicle body and reducing the damage caused by the impact force to the vehicle body. In addition, when a collision occurs, a switch signal can be sent to the unmanned sweeper in time through the safety touch edge, so that the unmanned sweeper can brake quickly to avoid causing greater impact damage. When the unmanned sweeper is working close to the edge, in order to prevent the safety touch edge integrated device from accidentally touching the curb, the overall angle of the safety touch edge integrated device can be adjusted by changing the compression amount of the spring at the corresponding position, so as to change the edge cutting angle of the safety touch edge integrated device, thereby preventing the side of the safety touch edge integrated device close to the curb from accidentally hitting the curb. Of course, in other application scenarios, the angle of the touch edge plate can also be adjusted to adapt to the specific environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a front view of the safety touch edge integrated device in the utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a top view of the safety touch edge integrated device in the utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a left view of the safety touch edge integrated device in the utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the safety touch edge integrated device (excluding the safety touch edge) in the present utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a front view of the cleaning arm equipped with the safety touch edge integrated device in the utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a top view of the cleaning arm equipped with the safety edge contact integrated device in the utility model.

[0028] In the figure: 1- bracket, 2- contact edge plate, 21- plate body, 22- flange, 23- weight reduction hole, 24- avoidance hole, 3- safety contact edge, 4- spring, 5- fastener, 10- cleaning arm, 20- motor, 30- cleaning brush plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The specific implementation methods of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the description of these implementation methods is used to help understand the present invention, but does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in each implementation method of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0030] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", etc. are based on the description of the structure of the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0031] The "first" and "second" in this technical solution are only used to distinguish the names of the same or similar structures, or corresponding structures with similar functions, and are not an arrangement of the importance of these structures, nor do they have a ranking, comparison of size, or other meanings.

[0032] In addition, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the connection can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two structures. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model can be understood based on the overall idea of ​​the utility model and the specific context of the scheme.

[0033] Embodiment 1

[0034] A safety edge integrated device, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, it includes a bracket 1, a touch edge plate 2 and a safety touch edge 3. The safety touch edge integrated device can be applied to an unmanned sweeper, and of course can also be applied to other types of sweepers, or cleaning equipment such as a sweeping robot.

[0035] The bracket 1 is used to be fixedly connected to the body of the unmanned sweeper or other structural parts fixed on the body, for example, by welding, screws or bolts.

[0036] The touch edge plate 2 is in a plate-like structure as a whole, and is arranged on one side below the bracket 1. In this embodiment, the touch edge plate 2 is connected to the bracket 1 through three connecting units, and the three connecting units are not arranged in a collinear manner, that is, the three connecting units are arranged in a triangular shape. Of course, in other embodiments, there can be more connecting units, and these connecting units are not arranged in a collinear manner.

[0037] In this embodiment, the connection unit includes a coaxially arranged spring 4 and a fastener 5, wherein the fastener 5 is a threaded fastener, such as a bolt or a screw, so that the edge contact plate 2 and the bracket 1 are connected to each other through three fasteners 5. In addition, the spring 5 in this embodiment is a helical compression spring. When connected, the spring 4 is inserted into the fastener 5, so that the spring 4 is compressed between the bracket 1 and the edge contact plate 2.

[0038] With such a configuration, when the bracket 1 is fixed on the unmanned sweeper, the compression amount of the corresponding spring 4 can be adjusted by screwing the three fasteners 5, and the angle of the edge contact plate 2 relative to the ground can be adjusted. In addition, when the edge contact plate 2 is subjected to an impact force, the impact force will first act on the fastener 5, thereby cutting off the fastener 5, and then causing the edge contact plate 2 to completely or partially fall off, thereby isolating the impact force from being transmitted to the vehicle body, thereby reducing the damage to the vehicle body caused by the impact force.

[0039] It is easy to understand that in order to enable the touch-edge plate 2 to be the first to receive the impact, the size of the touch-edge plate 2 may usually be relatively large. Correspondingly, the three connecting units will also be dispersedly arranged to better share the impact force. Thus, in order to reduce the structural size of the bracket 1, the bracket 1 in this embodiment is configured to have a split structure, for example, two parts, one of which is configured with two connecting units and the other is configured with a single connecting unit.

[0040] The safety touch edge 3 is fixed at the outer edge of the touch edge plate 2. In this embodiment, the touch edge plate 2 includes a plate-shaped plate body 21 and a flange 22 arranged at the edge of the plate body 21, and the safety touch edge 3 is fixed on the outer side of the flange 22. Usually, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are arranged between the flange 22 and the plate body 21 to prevent the touch edge plate 2 from being deformed before transmitting the impact force to the fastener 5.

[0041] In addition, in order to reduce weight, a weight-reducing hole 23 is provided on the plate body, and there may be one or more weight-reducing holes 23 .

[0042] It is easy to understand that when the safety edge touch integrated device is applied to an unmanned sweeper, it is specifically arranged at the sweeping brush disc. Usually, the center of the edge touch plate 2 is opposite to the center of the sweeping brush disc. Correspondingly, an avoidance hole 24 is opened on the plate body 21 to facilitate the passage of the shaft used to drive the sweeping brush disc (for example, the motor shaft of the motor).

[0043] When in use, the safety touch edge integrated device is fixedly installed on the unmanned sweeper (or other cleaning equipment). As the unmanned sweeper moves forward, when a collision occurs, the impact force is first transmitted to the safety touch edge 3, and then to the touch edge plate 2. After the touch edge plate 2 is subjected to force, it is transmitted to the fastener 5 in the connection unit, thereby cutting the fastener 5. Subsequently, the elastic force of the spring 4 is released, and the touch edge plate 2 is completely or partially detached, thereby blocking the transmission of the impact force to the vehicle body, thereby reducing the damage caused by the impact force to the vehicle body. In this way, the vehicle body is protected by sacrificing the safety touch edge integrated device, and a new safety touch edge integrated device can be replaced after the collision. In addition, when a collision occurs, the safety touch edge 3 can send a switch signal to the unmanned sweeper in time, so that the unmanned sweeper can brake quickly to avoid causing greater impact damage.

[0044] In addition, when the unmanned sweeper is working close to the edge, in order to prevent the safety edge touch integrated device from accidentally touching the curb, the overall angle of the safety edge touch integrated device can be adjusted by changing the compression amount of the spring 4 at the corresponding position, so as to change the edge cut-in angle of the safety edge touch integrated device, thereby preventing the side of the safety edge touch integrated device close to the curb from accidentally hitting the curb. Of course, in other application scenarios, the angle of the edge touch plate 2 can also be adjusted to adapt to the specific environment.

[0045] Embodiment 2

[0046] An unmanned sweeper is a mature product in the prior art and will not be described in detail in this embodiment. Figure 5-6 As shown, it shows a cleaning arm 10 connected to a vehicle body (not shown in the figure) when in use, and a motor 20 is fixedly installed at the end of the cleaning arm 10, and a cleaning brush disc 30 is fixedly installed on the motor shaft of the motor 20, and the end of the cleaning arm 10 is also fixedly installed with the safety touch edge integrated device disclosed in the first embodiment. Usually, the cleaning arm 10 is installed on both the left and right sides of the front end of the vehicle body. Specifically, the bracket 1 is fixed to the lower side of the end of the cleaning arm 10, and the avoidance hole 24 provided on the touch edge plate 2 is directly opposite to the motor shaft of the motor 20, so that the motor 20 is connected to the cleaning brush disc 30 located on the lower side of the touch edge plate 2. Among them, at the front end of the vehicle body in the direction of travel, the safety touch edge 3 protrudes from the cleaning brush disc 30, so that the safety touch edge 3 is limited to the cleaning brush disc 30 and receives impact. Of course, in other preferred embodiments, the cleaning arm 10 can also be omitted, so that the safety touch edge integrated device can be directly installed on the vehicle body.

[0047] In this embodiment, the long strip of safety touch edge 3 is arranged around the outer edge of the touch edge plate 2, and the safety touch edge 3 extends from the front end to the rear end in the direction of travel of the vehicle body, and the overall extension direction is in the direction away from the vehicle body, and the safety touch edge 3 protrudes from the cleaning brush plate 30 at each point on its extension path, so that the safety touch edge 3 can be impacted first in a larger range.

[0048] That is, the safety edge 3 is arranged roughly in an arc shape around the center of the cleaning brush disc 30, and the layout range of the safety edge 3 is not less than 90°, so that a section from the front side to the outside of the cleaning brush disc 30 that is easily impacted can be protected.

[0049] When the unmanned sweeper is working, as the unmanned sweeper moves forward, the cleaning brush disc 30 rotates and cleans under the drive of the motor 20. When a collision occurs, the impact force is first transmitted to the safety touch edge 3 and then to the touch edge plate 2. After the touch edge plate 2 is subjected to force, the force is transmitted to the fastener 5 in the connecting unit, thereby cutting the fastener 5. Subsequently, the elastic force of the spring 4 is released, causing the touch edge plate 2 to completely or partially fall off, thereby blocking the impact force from being transmitted to the cleaning arm 10 and even the vehicle body, thereby reducing the damage caused to the cleaning arm 10 and the vehicle body by the impact force.

[0050] In addition, when the unmanned sweeper is operating close to the curb, in order to prevent the safety edge touch integrated device from accidentally touching the curb, the overall angle of the safety edge touch integrated device can be adjusted by changing the compression amount of the spring 4 at the corresponding position. In this way, by changing the edge cutting angle of the safety edge touch integrated device, the side of the safety edge touch integrated device close to the curb can be prevented from accidentally hitting the curb.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations of these embodiments are made without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and still fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A safety edge integrated device, characterized in that: It includes a bracket, a touch edge plate and a safety touch edge; the bracket is used to fix the connection with the unmanned sweeper, the touch edge plate is connected to the bracket through at least three connection units, and at least three of the connection units are not arranged in a colinear manner; the safety touch edge is fixed at the outer edge of the touch edge plate; the connection unit includes a coaxially arranged spring and a fastener, the fastener is fixedly connected between the bracket and the touch edge plate, and the spring is pressed between the bracket and the touch edge plate.

2. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact edge plate comprises a plate body and a flange arranged at the edge of the plate body, and the safety contact edge is fixed on the flange.

3. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plate body is provided with an avoidance hole.

4. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plate body is provided with weight-reducing holes.

5. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The touch edge plate is located on a lower side of the bracket.

6. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spring is a helical compression spring.

7. The safety touch edge integrated device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fastener is a threaded fastener, so as to adjust the compression amount of the spring.

8. An unmanned cleaning vehicle, comprising a vehicle body and a cleaning brush plate, characterized in that: The vehicle body is fixedly mounted with a safety touch edge integrated device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; at least at the front end of the vehicle body in the direction of travel, the safety touch edge protrudes from the cleaning brush plate.

9. The unmanned sweeper according to claim 8, characterized in that: The safety touch edge is arc-shaped and extends from the front end to the rear end in the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and the safety touch edge protrudes from the cleaning brush plate at each location along its extension path.

10. The unmanned sweeper according to claim 9, characterized in that: The safety touch edge is arranged in an arc shape around the center of the cleaning brush disc, and the layout range of the safety touch edge is not less than 90°.

Images