Crawler-type self-adaptive climbing platform car and tree climbing equipment

Abstract

According to the crawler-type self-adaptive climbing platform vehicle and the tree climbing equipment comprising the crawler-type self-adaptive climbing platform vehicle, the contact area between the equipment and the surface of a tree is increased through the movable crawler belts surrounding the peripheries of the rollers, so that the overall balance of the equipment is improved; and meanwhile, the single walking wheel is allowed to avoid a convex obstacle part formed on the surface of the trunk of the tree through the overturning action of the single walking wheel. The climbing platform vehicle comprises a main body platform, a pair of symmetrical crawler-type walking units are arranged on the two sides of the lower portion of the main body platform, and each crawler-type walking unit comprises a plurality of walking wheels distributed in the same plane and a movable crawler belt surrounding and wrapping the outer sides of the walking wheels. The wheel edge driving device is used for driving the walking wheels and the movable crawler belt to synchronously rotate; and each walking wheel can independently turn over and lift upwards, and allows the moving crawler belt close to the lower part to locally sink upwards to achieve an avoidance effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pole-shaped climbing work platform equipment, specifically a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle and a tree climbing device including the device. Background Technology

[0002] In current planting and production scenarios, specific equipment is typically used to prune and cut the outward-extending branches of trees before felling them as a whole. This reduces the risk of the tree falling and minimizes damage to the trunk and surrounding trees from these irregular branches. While shorter trees can generally be pruned manually using cutting devices, manual methods are inefficient and pose significant safety risks for tall trees in complex environments. Therefore, a series of self-climbing workbench devices have emerged on the market, enabling efficient pruning or cutting at various heights.

[0003] For example, a controllable trajectory tree-climbing and pruning robot disclosed in Chinese invention patent application CN201810645613.9 includes a drive module, a battery controller module, an electric chainsaw module, and a wire-locking hand crank module. Each drive module is arranged in a ring at uniform intervals around the tree trunk. Each drive module includes a drive frame, a motor bracket, a hub motor, a linear motor, and a steering push rod. The motor bracket is hinged to the middle of the drive frame. The axle of the hub motor is rotatably connected to the motor bracket, and the hub of the hub motor is in rolling contact with the tree trunk. One end of the steering push rod is hinged to one end of the movable rod of the linear motor, and the other end of the steering push rod is hinged to the outer wall of the motor bracket. The wire-locking hand crank is connected to the drive frame in the drive modules on both sides through steel wires. For example, Chinese invention patent application CN202011259478.8 discloses an electric tree-climbing robot device, comprising two arc-shaped frames. The side walls of the two arc-shaped frames are rotatably connected by multiple hinges. A power source and an inclined drive wheel are installed on the side wall of one of the arc-shaped frames. The power source controls the rotation of the drive wheel. Multiple inclined rollers are provided on the inner walls of both arc-shaped frames. The drive wheel is arranged parallel to the rollers. A pull rope is connected to the side wall of one arc-shaped frame via a locking device. A storage device is installed at one end of the other arc-shaped frame, and the pull rope is connected to the storage device. This invention can use a power source to drive the drive wheel and rollers to rotate, quickly climbing trees. It can also use the pull rope to tightly hold the arc-shaped frame against trees of different diameters. The structure is simple, easy to install, and with the cooperation of damping springs and telescopic tubes, it ensures that the rollers are in close contact with the tree, improving safety during tree climbing.

[0004] However, the applicant discovered that most existing tree climbing devices employ a design where the driving wheels are directly in contact with the tree surface. In actual use, the irregularities in the growth of the tree's main branches result in bumps and depressions on the surface of the branches that the device grips and climbs. Furthermore, if the device prunes or cuts the outer branches during its ascent, the remaining branches protrude outwards, further hindering the driving wheels. In addition, because the direct use of rollers for propulsion results in a small contact area between the rollers and the tree trunk, uneven stress on the rollers when encountering depressions or bumps can easily occur during ascent, leading to tilting or even the device falling.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle and a tree climbing device including the climbing platform vehicle. The moving tracks surrounding multiple rollers increase the contact area between the device and the tree surface to improve the overall balance of the device. At the same time, it allows individual wheels to avoid protruding obstacles formed on the surface of the tree trunk through their own flipping motion. Utility Model Content

[0006] This utility model provides a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle and a tree climbing device including the climbing platform vehicle. The moving tracks surrounding multiple rollers increase the contact area between the device and the tree surface to improve the overall balance of the device. At the same time, it allows individual wheels to avoid protruding obstacles formed on the surface of the tree trunk through their own flipping motion.

[0007] The above-mentioned technical objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle is characterized by comprising a main platform, with a pair of symmetrical tracked walking units arranged on both sides below the main platform. Each tracked walking unit includes several walking wheels arranged in the same plane and movable tracks surrounding and covering the outside of the walking wheels, as well as wheel-side drive devices for driving the walking wheels and movable tracks to rotate synchronously. Each walking wheel can independently flip and lift upwards, and the lower movable track can be partially concave upwards to avoid obstacles.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the walking unit further includes a connecting base plate connected to the lower parts of both sides of the main platform. The walking wheel is installed on the inner side of the connecting base plate, and the walking wheel and the connecting base plate are connected by an adaptive support mechanism. The adaptive support mechanism includes a swing rod installed on the connecting base plate and a support and return spring disposed between the swing rod and the connected base plate. One end of the swing rod is hinged to the connecting base plate, while the other end is rotatably mounted with the walking wheel.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tracked walking unit further includes transition guide wheels that are rotatably mounted at both ends of the connecting base plate. The moving track simultaneously surrounds the outer sides of the transition guide wheels and the walking wheels, and the moving track surrounding the outer sides of the transition guide wheels and the walking wheels forms an inclined section that curves outward from the inside.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wheel-side drive device is a wheel-side motor, and each of the tracked walking units on both sides is provided with a separate drive device.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wheel-side motors serving as drive devices are provided at both the front and rear ends of the tracked walking unit.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an outwardly protruding support section is provided at the position of the connecting base plate between the two transition guide wheels, which serves to support the upper suspended section of the annular moving track.

[0014] A tree climbing device includes a ring-shaped connecting frame and several tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicles. The main platform of each tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle is connected to the inner wall of the ring-shaped connecting frame, and the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicles are evenly spaced apart within the same circumference.

[0015] In summary, this utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0016] This utility model provides a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle and a tree climbing device including the climbing platform vehicle. The moving tracks surrounding multiple rollers increase the contact area between the device and the tree surface to improve the overall balance of the device. At the same time, it allows individual wheels to avoid protruding obstacles formed on the surface of the tree trunk through their own flipping motion. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall cross-section when the tree climbing equipment is connected and fixed to the tree trunk;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structural layout of the connection and installation relationship between the ring connecting frame, climbing platform vehicle, and scissor-type adjustment mechanism in a tree climbing device;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the adaptive support mechanism;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a walking wheel in an adaptive support mechanism flipping upwards to avoid a protruding obstacle;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the scissor lift mechanism from a top-down view.

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the scissor lift mechanism in its raised position;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the scissor lift mechanism in its depressed state.

[0025] In the picture:

[0026] A—Tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle; A1—Main platform; A2—Tracked walking unit; A201—Walking wheel; A202—Moving track; A2021—Inclined section; A203—Wheel-side drive device; A204—Connecting base plate; A205—Adaptive support mechanism; A2051—Swing rod; A2052—Support and return spring; A206—Transition guide wheel; A207—Support section.

[0027] B—Ring-shaped connecting frame;

[0028] C – Scissor lift adjustment mechanism, C1 – Connecting frame, C101 – Main body, C102 – Sliding part, C2 – Scissor lift connecting rod assembly, C201 – Connecting support rod, C3 – Telescopic drive assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following specific embodiments are merely explanations of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to these embodiments without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

[0030] This solution is achieved through the following technical means:

[0031] Example: In this example, a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle and a tree climbing device including the climbing platform vehicle are provided. The moving tracks surrounding multiple rollers increase the contact area between the device and the tree surface to improve the overall balance of the device. At the same time, it allows individual wheels to avoid protruding obstacles formed on the surface of the tree trunk by their own flipping motion.

[0032] First, a brief explanation of the overall structure of the tree-climbing device is required. When the device is connected and fixed to the tree trunk, a cross-sectional diagram in the horizontal direction can be found in the instruction manual. Figure 1 The structural layout shown will be used for explanation. First, this tree-climbing device includes a ring-shaped connecting frame B, which appears circular in a horizontal view. Naturally, this ring-shaped connecting frame B has a built-in connection structure that can be opened and closed. For example, it can use a pair of corresponding semi-circular connecting segments that can be assembled into a complete ring. These two semi-circular connecting segments are connected at opposite ends using a hinged structure, and at opposite ends using a pin locking mechanism. This allows the ring-shaped connecting frame B to be opened by rotating the two semi-circular connecting segments when it needs to be installed and fixed to the tree trunk. After the approximate position adjustment is completed, the two semi-circular connecting segments can be locked and fixed into a complete ring or cylindrical structure surrounding the outside of the tree trunk.

[0033] Inside the aforementioned annular connecting frame B are several sets of tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicles A and scissor-type adjustment mechanisms C connected to its inner wall. (See attached instruction manual.) Figure 1 Taking the given structural diagram as an example, in this embodiment, a three-point positioning layout is adopted. Specifically, a tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A and its corresponding scissor-type adjustment mechanism C are considered as a unit group. Three unit groups are evenly spaced and connected to each other on the aforementioned annular connecting frame B. That is, from a horizontal cross-sectional perspective, the angle between the lines connecting each unit group to the center of the annular connecting frame B is 120 degrees.

[0034] Specifically, the ring-shaped connecting frame B, the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A, and the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C located between the two can be found in the instruction manual appendix. Figure 2 The given structural diagram will be used for illustration. Here, the top of the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the annular connecting frame B, while the bottom of the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C is fixedly connected to the top of the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A.

[0035] This section requires reference to the instruction manual. Figure 3The provided structural diagram illustrates the structure of the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A, which is directly attached to the surface of the tree trunk. The tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A firstly includes a main platform A1, which serves as the base for connecting and installing other components. Below the main platform A1, on both sides, are a pair of symmetrical tracked walking units A2. Each tracked walking unit A2 includes several wheels A201 arranged in the same plane, and movable tracks A202 surrounding and covering the outside of the wheels A201, as well as a wheel-side drive device A203 for synchronously rotating the wheels A201 and the movable tracks A202.

[0036] Specifically, the wheel-side drive device A203 can be a wheel-side motor component, such as a stepper motor, whose output shaft is connected to the traveling wheel A201 via a coupling or a transmission structure such as a gear belt. Of course, since each traveling wheel A201 is also covered by a moving track A202, the inner wall of the moving track A202 can be provided with a concave-convex structure, and the outer surface of each traveling wheel A201 can form corresponding concave-convex meshing teeth. This allows one or a few traveling wheels A201 to be used as drive wheels, driving the moving track A202 as a whole to move while simultaneously causing all the rollers covered by the track to rotate.

[0037] In this application, the applicant noted that when the tree-climbing device is actually attached to the outside of the tree trunk and performs climbing operations, the surface on which its wheels A201 are attached is not completely regular and flat. The surface of the tree trunk that the tree-climbing device climbs has a large number of irregular depressions and protrusions, knots, or remnants of branches after being cut. When a tracked walking mechanism is used, when the track A202 moves partially and passes over the depressions on the tree trunk, the rest of the track remains stably in contact with the surface of the tree trunk, so it does not have a significant impact on the climbing process. However, when the tracked mechanism passes over the outward protrusions on the tree trunk, if a rigidly connected and fixed walking wheel A201 structure is used, it will cause the device to encounter significant resistance when moving upward, and may even cause the entire device to tilt and fall.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, considering the above-mentioned problems, each of the aforementioned walking wheels A201 is designed to be able to independently flip and lift upwards, so that when the track partially rotates to above the obstacle protruding above the tree surface, the local section of the moving track A202 is allowed to be recessed upwards to achieve the obstacle avoidance action.

[0039] Specifically, the structural layout of the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A that achieves the above functions can be found in the appendix of the instruction manual. Figure 3 , 4 The following description uses the partial structural diagram shown in Figure 5. First, regarding the structure of the tracked walking unit A2 located on one side, it includes a connecting base plate A204 that is vertically positioned and extends horizontally, connected to the lower parts of both sides of the main platform A1. Several aforementioned walking wheels A201 are movably mounted on the outer side of the connecting base plate A204. The walking wheels A201 and the connecting base plate A204 are connected by an adaptive support mechanism A205. This adaptive support mechanism A205 includes a swing rod A2051 mounted on the connecting base plate A204 and a support and return spring A2052 disposed between the swing rod A2051 and the connected base plate A204. One end of the swing rod A2051 is hinged to the connecting base plate A204, while the other end is rotatably mounted with the walking wheel A201. In this structure, when the track rolls onto the surface of an obstacle, the obstacle provides an upward supporting force to one or a few rollers at that location via the track. The aforementioned support and return spring A2052 is compressed, allowing the traveling wheel A201 and its connected swing arm A2051 to flip and lift upwards, thus providing space for the moving track A202 to concave upwards at that location. In this process, the upward flipping motion of the traveling wheel A201 itself significantly reduces the bumps, vibrations, and impacts on the overall working platform during upward climbing, effectively reducing the obstacles encountered during climbing and lowering the risk of the equipment falling due to clamping connection failure.

[0040] Furthermore, considering that the roller components installed above do not need to actually contact the main trunk of the attached tree, it is not necessary to install the walking wheels A201 on the upper edge of the connecting base plate A204. Instead, a pair of transition guide wheels A206 are rotatably installed at both ends of the connecting base plate A204. The outer sides of these two transition guide wheels A206 are also covered with the same annular rubber material moving track A202, just like the aforementioned walking wheels A201. At this time, the aforementioned wheel-side motor, which serves as the drive device, can be directly installed on the side of the transition guide wheel A206, using the transition guide wheel A206 as the drive wheel for climbing movement to drive all the roller components to rotate. In this embodiment, the moving track A202 surrounding the transition guide wheel A206 and the walking wheel A201 is designed as a structure containing an inclined section A2021 that curves outward from the inside. Under this structure, whether the tree-climbing equipment is climbing upwards or descending downwards, when the moving track A202 crosses the protruding obstacles on the surface of the tree trunk, the force acting on the surface of the moving track A202 will gradually increase. This will give the walking wheels A201 located at the front and rear ends a relatively gentle squeezing and lifting effect, and gradually turn them upwards. This will avoid the risk of the work platform equipment falling due to the instantaneous excessive impact caused by the sudden and violent support collision.

[0041] As a preferred structure, in this embodiment, wheel-side motors serving as drive devices are provided at both the front and rear ends of the tracked walking unit A2. This structure ensures that, regardless of whether the movement is ascending or descending, the wheel-side motor at the front end relative to the direction of movement always drives the walking wheel A201 and the transition guide wheel A206 to rotate, thereby preventing the upper section of the moving track A202 from sagging and loosening, which would affect the stability of the power output.

[0042] Furthermore, considering the lightweight design of the tracked walking unit A2 and the overall equipment, this embodiment eliminates the rollers at locations where contact with the tree trunk is unnecessary. However, because the preferred driving scheme described above uses a stepper motor to rotate the transition guide wheel A206, which in turn rotates the track and all the walking wheels A201 it covers, the lack of a supporting structure between the two transition guide wheels A206 makes the track A202 prone to downward deformation and sinking due to tension in certain sections. If the tracked walking unit A2 continues to operate in this state, the track A202, made of rubber or other materials with elastic deformation capabilities, will be repeatedly subjected to irregular compression and tension during operation, reducing product durability. Therefore, in this embodiment, a more preferred embodiment is provided with an outwardly protruding support section A207 at the position between the two transition guides on the connecting base plate A204. The support section A207 is plate-shaped and extends horizontally, which can support the upper suspended section of the annular moving track A202, thereby reducing the vibration of the track during operation and improving the durability of the equipment components.

[0043] For further details, please refer to the appendix of the instruction manual. Figure 6 The given top-down structural diagram illustrates the specific structural composition of the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C, which is installed between the aforementioned annular connecting frame B and the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A.

[0044] First, the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C includes a pair of connecting frames C1 respectively disposed on the upper and lower layers. Each connecting frame C1 includes an upper main body C101 and a sliding part C102. The main body C101 of the connecting frame C1, viewed from above, is U-shaped with an opening at one end. The sliding part C102 is a slender rod or plate that spans the opening of the U-shaped main body C101. Both ends of the sliding part C102 engage with guide rails formed on both sides of the opening of the main body C101, allowing the sliding part C102 to slide within the plane defined by the main body C101. Between the two aforementioned connecting frames C1, a pair of scissor connecting rod assemblies C2 are respectively provided on both sides. Each scissor connecting rod assembly C2 includes a pair of connecting support rods C201 hinged together at the center. The ends of each connecting support rod C201 in the scissor connecting rod assembly C2 on both sides are respectively hinged to the opposite main body C101 or sliding part C102. (See attached instruction manual.) Figure 6 and 7The schematic diagram shows that an electric actuator as a telescopic drive assembly C3 is also installed between the main body C101 and the sliding part C102. The cylinder of this electric actuator is fixedly mounted on the main body C101 of the aforementioned connecting frame C1, and the end of its telescopic push rod is fixedly connected to the sliding part C102. (Refer to the appendix of the specification.) Figure 7 and 8 The given structural state change diagram shows that the distance between the upper and lower connecting frames C1 can be increased or decreased by the extension and retraction of the electric actuator. When the scissor-type adjustment mechanism C is raised or lowered as a whole, the distance between the annular connecting frame B installed on its upper and lower surfaces and the tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A can be changed. This allows the inner tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicles A to adaptively tighten and closely fit the trunk surface of the tree to be climbed and moved, without deformation of the annular connecting frame B structure made of rigid materials such as aluminum alloy.

[0045] At this point, the tree-climbing equipment can be raised or lowered as a whole by rotating the trend-moving wheels A201 in either the forward or reverse direction. Simultaneously, the pruning and cutting equipment installed and fixed to the outside of the ring-shaped connecting frame B can be used to prune the outer branches of the tree. Here, the applicant also needs to emphasize that the function of the aforementioned scissor-type adjustment mechanism C is to allow each traveling roller located under the same tracked adaptive climbing platform vehicle A to move towards the tree surface at a relatively uniform speed when driven by a single device. This eliminates the need for controlling the independent inward or outward movement of each traveling wheel A201, making the overall positioning and clamping process of the tree-climbing equipment more efficient and simple.

[0046] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A caterpillar self-adapting climbing platform vehicle, characterized in that: The application relates to a caterpillar climbing platform vehicle, which comprises a main platform (A1), a pair of caterpillar walking units (A2) arranged symmetrically below the main platform (A1), a plurality of walking wheels (A201) arranged in the same plane and a moving caterpillar belt (A202) wrapped around the outside of the walking wheels (A201) in the caterpillar walking units (A2), and a wheel edge driving device (A203) for driving the walking wheels (A201) and the moving caterpillar belt (A202) to rotate synchronously; each walking wheel (A201) can be independently turned upward to lift and allow the lower moving caterpillar belt (A202) to be partially concave upward to avoid obstacles.

2. The track-based adaptive climbing platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The caterpillar walking unit (A2) further comprises a connecting base plate (A204) connected to the lower part of the two sides of the main platform (A1), the walking wheels (A201) are installed on the outside of the connecting base plate (A204), and the walking wheels (A201) and the connecting base plate (A204) are connected through an adaptive supporting mechanism (A205); the adaptive supporting mechanism (A205) comprises a swing rod (A2051) installed on the connecting base plate (A204) and a supporting reset spring (A2052) arranged between the swing rod (A2051) and the connecting base plate (A204); one end of the swing rod (A2051) is hinged to the connecting base plate (A204), and the other end is rotatably installed on the walking wheel (A201).

3. The track-based adaptive climbing platform vehicle of claim 2, wherein: The caterpillar walking unit (A2) further comprises a transition guide wheel (A206) rotatably installed at the two ends of the connecting base plate (A204), and the moving caterpillar belt (A202) is wrapped around the outside of the transition guide wheel (A206) and the walking wheel (A201); the moving caterpillar belt (A202) wrapped around the outside of the transition guide wheel (A206) and the walking wheel (A201) forms an inclined section (A2021) which is tilted outward from the inside.

4. The track-based adaptive climbing platform vehicle of claim 3, wherein: The wheel edge driving device (A203) is a wheel edge motor, and driving devices are separately arranged at the two sides of the caterpillar walking unit (A2).

5. The track-based adaptive climbing platform vehicle of claim 4, wherein: Wheel edge motors are arranged at the front and rear ends of the caterpillar walking unit (A2) as driving devices.

6. The track-based adaptive climbing platform vehicle of claim 5, wherein: The connecting base plate (A204) is provided with an outwardly protruding supporting section (A207) between the two transition guide wheels (A206), which supports the upper hanging section of the annular moving caterpillar belt (A202).

7. A tree climbing apparatus, characterized by: The application relates to a caterpillar climbing platform vehicle, which comprises a main platform (A1), a pair of caterpillar walking units (A2) arranged symmetrically below the main platform (A1), a plurality of walking wheels (A201) arranged in the same plane and a moving caterpillar belt (A202) wrapped around the outside of the walking wheels (A201) in the caterpillar walking units (A2), and a wheel edge driving device (A203) for driving the walking wheels (A201) and the moving caterpillar belt (A202) to rotate synchronously; each walking wheel (A201) can be independently turned upward to lift and allow the lower moving caterpillar belt (A202) to be partially concave upward to avoid obstacles.

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