Self-guiding unmanned forklift positioning device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a self-guiding unmanned forklift positioning device which comprises a first camera and a vertical positioning device, the first camera is arranged on the side, close to a portal frame, of a pallet fork and used for shooting a first image including the tail end of the pallet fork and first goods to be forked, and the vertical positioning device is arranged on the first camera. Based on the first image, accurate alignment can be achieved when the pallet fork forks the goods; the vertical positioning device comprises a second camera and a laser emitter, when goods are stacked, vertical reference laser rays can be projected to the edges of the first goods and the second goods which are stacked through the laser emitter, and the second camera is used for obtaining second images of the first goods and the second goods projected by the reference laser rays; therefore, based on the vertical positioning device, the edges of the stacked goods can be aligned in the vertical direction, and the goods are prevented from inclining due to deviation of the stacking position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the warehouse automation management technical field, and in particular to a self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) system is an intelligent logistics transportation solution based on unmanned technology, and its core is composed of vehicle, navigation device, control system, energy system and other modules. It is widely used in intelligent warehouses. In the prior art, the AGV is laid with magnetic strips, tracks or laser guide on the ground of the warehouse, so that the AGV travels along the preset path, and the AGV is equipped with ultrasonic sensors to realize environmental perception and obstacle avoidance. Therefore, in the prior art, the AGV realizes accurate travel and obstacle avoidance. However, in an intelligent warehouse, the AGV needs to place goods on the shelves. In order to avoid tilting of the goods, only one layer of goods is placed on each layer of shelves. This can avoid tilting of the goods, but greatly increases the number of layers of shelves and manufacturing cost, and also reduces the space utilization of the shelves. Therefore, how the AGV more accurately identifies the position of the existing goods on the shelves and accurately stacks the goods on the existing goods to prevent tilting of the goods has become a technical problem to be solved in the field. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device to solve the technical problem that the AGV is prone to tilting when stacking multiple layers of goods.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides a self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device, which comprises a vehicle body frame and a navigation and positioning device, the vehicle body frame comprises a vehicle body, a portal and a fork, the portal is arranged on the vehicle body, the fork is arranged on the portal in a lifting manner, and the navigation and positioning device is used for autonomous walking and positioning of the forklift. The self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device comprises:

[0005] A first camera is arranged on one side of the fork close to the portal and located in the middle of the fork and facing the end of the fork, and is used for shooting a first image including the end of the fork and the first goods to be forked;

[0006] A vertical positioning device is arranged on the vehicle body and used for vertical alignment when stacking goods, the vertical positioning device comprises a second camera and a laser emitter; the laser emitter is horizontally rotatable and arranged on the top of the second camera, the laser emitter is used for projecting a vertical reference laser line to the edge of the first goods and the second goods on the goods shelf; the second camera is used for acquiring a second image of the reference laser line projected on the first goods and the second goods.

[0007] Further, the bottom of the laser emitter is provided with a rotating disc, the laser emitter is driven to rotate horizontally by the rotating disc, the rotating disc comprises a rotating drive motor, a worm gear and a worm, the rotating drive motor is connected with the worm, the worm is engaged with the worm gear, and the laser emitter is arranged on the worm gear.

[0008] Further, the second camera is a 3D TOF camera.

[0009] Further, the first camera is an analog camera, and a distance measuring sensor is arranged above the first camera and used for setting the distance of the goods to the root of the forks.

[0010] Further, the self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device is fixed to the side of the upper part of the vehicle body through an L-shaped mounting rod, so that the reference laser line avoids the mast and the forks.

[0011] Further, a lithium battery is arranged in the vehicle body, and the lithium battery provides power for the vehicle body.

[0012] Further, a lifting slide rail is arranged on the mast, a lifting frame is arranged on the lifting slide rail, and the forks are arranged on the lifting frame through a side shifting oil cylinder.

[0013] Different from the prior art, the above technical solution self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device comprises a first camera and a vertical positioning device, the first camera is arranged on the side of the forks close to the mast and used for shooting a first image comprising the end of the forks and the first goods to be forked, and accurate alignment of the forks when forking goods can be realized based on the first image; the vertical positioning device comprises a second camera and a laser emitter, the laser emitter can project a vertical reference laser line to the edge of the first goods and the second goods when stacking the goods, and the second camera is used for acquiring a second image of the reference laser line projected on the first goods and the second goods, so that the edges of the stacked goods can be vertically aligned based on the vertical positioning device, and the goods can be prevented from tilting due to deviation of the stacking position.

[0014] The above content related to the description of the utility model is only a summary of the technical scheme of the present application. In order to enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the technical scheme of the present application, and then can be implemented according to the content of the description and the drawings, and in order to enable the above-mentioned purposes and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the present application to be more easily understood, the following is described in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present application and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The drawings are only used to show the principles, implementation modes, applications, characteristics and effects of the specific embodiments of the present application and other related contents, and cannot be considered as a limitation of the present application.

[0016] In the drawings of the specification:

[0017] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device described in the specific embodiment;

[0018] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the portal and fork described in the specific embodiment;

[0019] Figure 3 The structure diagram of the vertical positioning device described in the specific embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4 The structure diagram of the rotating disc described in the specific embodiment;

[0021] The reference signs involved in the above drawings are explained as follows:

[0022] 10, vehicle body; 11, vertical positioning device; 12, fork; 13, portal; 111, reference laser line; 22, first goods; 21, second goods; 14, first camera; 15, distance measuring sensor; 131, lifting slide rail; 132, lifting frame; 133, side shift oil cylinder; 113, second camera; 114, laser emitter; 115, rotating disc; 116, mounting rod; 1141, rotating drive motor; 1142, mounting plate; 1143, worm gear; 1144, worm; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to detail the possible application scenarios of the present application, the technical principles, the specific schemes that can be implemented, the purposes and effects that can be achieved, etc., the following is described in conjunction with the specific examples listed and the accompanying drawings. The examples described in this paper are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the present application, therefore only as an example, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0024] The term "embodiment" is mentioned herein means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The term "embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it particularly limit the independence or association between other embodiments. In principle, in the present application, as long as there is no technical contradiction or conflict, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way to form a corresponding implementable technical solution.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, the meanings of the technical terms used herein are the same as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs; the use of related terms herein is only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present application.

[0026] In the description of the present application, the phrase "and / or" is a description of the logical relationship between the objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which means that there are three cases: A exists, B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. In addition, the character " / " herein generally represents that the associated objects before and after are a "or" logical relationship.

[0027] In the present application, terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual quantity, primary and secondary, or order relationship between the entities or operations.

[0028] In the present application, without more limitation, the "includes", "contains", "has" or other similar expressions used in the sentence are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, and these expressions do not exclude the presence of other elements in the process, method or product including the described elements, so that the process, method or product including a series of elements can not only include those limited elements, but also include other elements not explicitly listed, or also include the elements inherent to such process, method or product.

[0029] As the same as the understanding in the "Guidelines for Examination", in the present application, the expressions "greater than", "less than", "exceed" and the like are understood as not including the number; the expressions "above", "below", "within" and the like are understood as including the number. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two (including two), and similar expressions related to "multiple" are also understood in this way, for example, "multiple groups", "multiple times" and the like, unless otherwise explicitly limited.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the spatial relative expressions used, such as "central", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", and the like, indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the specific embodiments or the drawings, and are only used to facilitate the description of the specific embodiments of the present application or to facilitate the understanding of the reader, and do not indicate or imply that the indicated device or component must have a particular position, a particular orientation, or be constructed or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0031] Unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "mount", "connect", "connect", "fix", "set", and the like should be understood broadly. For example, the "connection" can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integral setting; it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection, or communication connection; it can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 The present embodiment provides a self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device, which comprises a vehicle body frame and a navigation and positioning device. The vehicle body frame comprises a vehicle body 10, a portal 13 and a fork 12. The portal 13 is arranged on the vehicle body 10, and the fork 12 is arranged on the portal 13 in a lifting manner. The navigation and positioning device is used for autonomous walking and positioning of the forklift. A lithium battery is arranged in the vehicle body 10, and the lithium battery provides power for the vehicle body 10. The navigation and positioning device can be a SLAM navigation device. The SLAM navigation device uses laser radar and visual sensor to construct an environment map in real time, can realize dynamic path planning in an unmanned warehouse, and thus realizes unmanned driving and picking and placing goods. In the present embodiment, the vehicle body frame and the navigation and positioning device are both conventional technologies in the art, and thus will not be described in detail.

[0033] As Figure 2As shown, the portal frame 13 is provided with lifting slide rails 131, the lifting slide rails 131 are provided with lifting frames 132, the forks 12 are arranged on the lifting frames 132 through side shift oil cylinders 133. The portal frame, the lifting frame and the forks are all made of steel or steel alloy, having high structural strength. The lifting frames 132 are slidably arranged on the lifting slide rails 131, the lifting frames 132 can be driven to lift on the lifting slide rails 131 by chains, the forks 12 are arranged on the lifting frames 132 through the side shift oil cylinders 133, so that the forks 12 can be lifted synchronously with the lifting frames 132, and the forks 12 can be driven to move along the X axis relative to the lifting frames 132 by the side shift oil cylinders 133, so that the lateral position of the forks 12 relative to the goods to be forked can be adjusted. When the goods need to be taken or placed, the lifting frames drive the forks to lift to a specified height, and then the side shift oil cylinders drive the forks to adjust the horizontal position, so that the forks can be accurately forked into the goods pallet.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in the embodiment, the self-guiding unmanned forklift positioning device comprises a first camera 14 and a vertical positioning device 11. The first camera 14 and the vertical positioning device 11 can more accurately fork the goods and accurately stack the goods on the existing goods on the shelf, that is, Figure 1 stack the first goods 22 on the second goods 21.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2 , the first camera 14 is arranged on one side of the forks 12 close to the portal frame 13, and is located at the middle of the forks 12 and faces the end of the forks 12. The first camera 14 is used for shooting a first image including the end of the forks 12 and the first goods 22 to be forked. The first image shot by the first camera 14 can determine whether the forks are aligned with the pallet of the goods pallet, so that the goods can be more accurately forked.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1 , the vertical positioning device 11 is arranged on the vehicle body 10, and is used for vertical alignment when stacking the goods. As shown in Figure 3As shown, the vertical positioning device 11 includes a second camera 113 and a laser emitter 114; the laser emitter 114 is horizontally rotatable and arranged on the top of the second camera 113, the laser emitter 114 is used to project a vertical reference laser line 111 to the edge of the first goods 22 and the second goods 21 on the shelf; the second camera 113 is used to acquire a second image of the reference laser line 111 projected on the first goods 22 and the second goods 21. In this embodiment, the reference laser line is a laser line perpendicular to the horizontal direction, which is used to highlight whether the goods are tilted, the reference laser line is projected on the edge of the goods, when the goods are tilted, the reference laser line will fall on the goods partially and fall outside the goods partially, thus it can be clearly reflected through the reference laser line whether the goods are tilted. The second camera 113 is a 3D TOF camera. Wherein, the 3D TOF (Time of Flight) camera is a depth sensing device based on the time of flight principle, which calculates the distance information of the target object by measuring the time difference of the light pulse or the modulated light wave from the emission to the reflection back to the sensor, and then generates the depth data in the three-dimensional space. In this embodiment, the reference laser line is projected on the edge of the first goods and the second goods, thus it can be more accurately judged whether the second goods are tilted and whether the first goods are neatly stacked on the top of the second goods by taking the reference laser line as a reference, thus it can effectively avoid the goods from being tilted when they are stacked in multiple layers.

[0037] As shown, Figure 1 The self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device is fixed to the side of the upper part of the vehicle body 10 through an L-shaped mounting rod 116, so that the reference laser line 111 avoids the mast 13 and the forks 12.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first camera 14 can be an analog camera, and a distance measuring sensor 15 is arranged above the first camera 14, which is used to set the distance of the goods to the root of the forks 12. The distance measuring sensor 15 can be an ultrasonic radar or a laser radar, etc. The distance measuring sensor 15 is used to detect the distance between the goods and the forks 12 or the mast 13 when the goods are forked, so as to facilitate more accurate forking of the goods.

[0039] In this embodiment, the self-guided unmanned forklift positioning device includes a first camera 14 and a vertical positioning device 11. The first camera 14 is disposed on the side of the fork 12 near the mast 13 and is used to capture a first image including the end of the fork 12 and the first cargo 22 to be picked up. Based on the first image, the fork 12 can be accurately aligned when picking up cargo. The vertical positioning device 11 includes a second camera 113 and a laser emitter 114. When stacking cargo, the laser emitter 114 can project a vertical reference laser line 111 onto the edges of the stacked first cargo 22 and second cargo 21. The second camera 113 is used to acquire a second image of the reference laser line 111 projected onto the first cargo 22 and the second cargo 21. Therefore, based on the vertical positioning device 11, the edges of the stacked cargo can be aligned vertically, preventing the cargo from tilting due to stacking position deviation.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, a rotating disk 115 is provided at the bottom of the laser emitter 114. The laser emitter 114 is driven to rotate horizontally by the rotating disk 115. The rotating disk 115 includes: a mounting plate 1142, a rotary drive motor 1141, a worm gear 1143, and a worm 1144. The worm gear 1143 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 1142. The rotary drive motor 1141 is connected to the worm 1144, and the worm 1144 meshes with the worm gear 1143. The laser emitter 114 is mounted on the worm gear 1143. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotary drive motor 1141 can drive the worm gear 1143 and the worm 1144 to rotate, thereby causing the laser emitter 114 to rotate horizontally, thus adjusting the position of the reference laser line 111 projected by the laser emitter 114 on the goods. In this embodiment, a speed reduction mechanism is formed by a worm gear 1143 and a worm 1144, which can drive the laser emitter 114 to rotate more accurately.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described in the text and drawings of this application, this should not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Any technical solutions that are based on the essential concept of this application and utilize the content described in the text and drawings of this application, resulting in equivalent structural or procedural substitutions or modifications, as well as the direct or indirect application of the technical solutions of the above embodiments to other related technical fields, are all included within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A self-guided unmanned forklift positioning apparatus, the self-guided unmanned forklift comprising: A vehicle body frame and a navigation and positioning device, the vehicle body frame comprising a vehicle body, a portal frame and a fork, the portal frame being arranged on the vehicle body, the fork being arranged on the portal frame in a liftable manner, the navigation and positioning device being used for autonomous walking and positioning of a forklift truck, characterized in that the self-guided unmanned forklift truck positioning device comprises: a first camera arranged on one side of the fork close to the portal frame and located in the middle of the fork and facing the end of the fork, and used for shooting a first image comprising the end of the fork and a first cargo to be forked; a vertical positioning device arranged on the vehicle body and used for vertical alignment when the cargo is stacked, the vertical positioning device comprising a second camera and a laser emitter; the laser emitter is arranged on the top of the second camera in a horizontally rotatable manner, and is used for projecting a vertical reference laser line to the edge of the first cargo and a second cargo on a shelf; the second camera is used for acquiring a second image of the first cargo and the second cargo on which the reference laser line is projected.

2. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the laser emitter is provided with a rotating disc, the laser emitter is driven to rotate horizontally by the rotating disc, and the rotating disc comprises a rotating drive motor, a worm gear and a worm shaft, the rotating drive motor is connected with the worm shaft, the worm shaft is engaged with the worm gear, and the laser emitter is arranged on the worm gear.

3. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The second camera is a 3D TOF camera.

4. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The first camera is an analog camera, and a distance measuring sensor is arranged above the first camera and used for setting the distance of the cargo to the root of the fork.

5. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The self-guided unmanned forklift truck positioning device is fixed to the side edge of the upper part of the vehicle body through an L-shaped mounting rod, so that the reference laser line avoids the portal frame and the fork.

6. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, A lithium battery is arranged in the vehicle body, and the lithium battery provides power supply for the vehicle body.

7. The self-guided, unmanned forklift positioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, A lifting slide rail is arranged on the portal frame, a lifting frame is arranged on the lifting slide rail, and the fork is arranged on the lifting frame through a side shifting oil cylinder.

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