Long-distance card taking mechanism for highway sentry box
By using a belt conveyor mechanism and automated control, the problems of complex structure and unstable movement of existing card retrieval devices have been solved, enabling convenient card retrieval and low-cost automated operation, adapting to various vehicle locations.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LUZHOU SOUTHEAST HIGHWAY DEV CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-12
AI Technical Summary
Existing automatic card dispensing devices have complex structures, unstable card-carrying mechanisms, and are not convenient for picking up and putting down cards. They also suffer from problems such as high costs associated with mechanical grippers or easy damage to swing arms.
The system employs a belt conveyor mechanism, including a horizontally positioned mounting plate and a movable rotating plate. The rotation and position adjustment of the movable rotating plate are controlled by a telescopic mechanism and a servo motor. Combined with a displacement sensor and controller, automated control is achieved. The card holder is designed with an open structure to facilitate the placement and removal of cards.
It enables smooth card movement and convenient card retrieval, reduces device costs, avoids the defects of mechanical grippers and swing arms, adapts to different vehicle positions, reduces driver operation time, and improves the degree of automation.
Smart Images
Figure CN224232208U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automatic card dispensing and delivery mechanisms, specifically to a long-distance card dispensing mechanism for highway toll booths. Background Technology
[0002] Toll booths are located at both the entrances and exits of highways. Toll collection methods include automatic ETC card reading and manual card collection / reading. However, with manual collection, due to driver inexperience or other reasons, the vehicle may be too far from the card reader or toll booth staff. Drivers then need to constantly adjust the vehicle's position, or even unbuckle their seatbelts or get out of the car to collect and swipe the card. This is not only inconvenient for the driver but also wastes time, exacerbating traffic congestion during peak hours.
[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, Chinese Patent Application No. 201811080581.9 discloses an automatic card retrieval device and its control method, comprising a displacement component, a mechanical gripper component, a controller component, and a monitoring component. The mechanical gripper component is mounted on the displacement component. The controller component is electrically connected to the displacement component and the mechanical gripper component, controlling the displacement component to move the mechanical gripper component to the direction of the user's hand. Invention Patent Application No. 201310008746.2 discloses a convenient card retrieval and reading access control system for automobiles, comprising a detection device, a telescopic arm, and a barrier. The telescopic arm includes a first motor, a retractable swing arm, and a sliding arm. A card retrieval device, a card reading window, and a card reader are installed at the front end of the sliding arm. The sliding arm is mounted on a horizontal guide rail. The barrier includes a second motor and a barrier driven by the second motor, and the barrier is placed on a barrier bracket. The card retrieval mechanism mentioned above uses a mechanical gripper, which is expensive. Although the telescopic arm method is cheaper than the mechanical gripper method, it uses a swing arm to control the sliding arm mounted on the vehicle to move back and forth. This method of using a swing mechanism to transmit the card reader and adjust the distance between the driver and the booth is prone to damage after long-term use. In addition, the card insertion opening is too small when the card is read and returned, making it inconvenient to return the card. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths, which solves the problems of complex structure, unstable card-carrying movement mechanism and inconvenient card retrieval in existing automatic card retrieval devices.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0006] A long-range card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths is installed on one side of the booth. It includes a horizontally mounted plate consisting of a fixed plate and a movable rotating plate. The inner end of the movable rotating plate is rotatably connected to the fixed plate and can rotate and be positioned around one side of the fixed plate under the drive of a telescopic mechanism. A belt conveyor mechanism is mounted on the movable rotating plate, including a conveyor belt and a transmission mechanism that drives and positions the conveyor belt. At least one card box with an opening at the top is fixedly mounted on the conveyor belt. This belt conveyor mechanism is more stable and simpler in structure than a swing displacement mechanism. The belt, driven by the conveyor mechanism, can move the card box fixed on it, thus ensuring smooth movement of the card box. The card box has a large opening at the top, eliminating the need for aligning and inserting the card as required by traditional card retrieval devices, making card placement and retrieval more convenient. After configuring the mounting plate as a fixed plate and a movable rotating plate, the movable rotating plate initially tilts downwards at the front end, forming a folded shape. When the driver is far from the guard booth, the movable rotating plate is rotated upwards by controlling the telescopic mechanism. When it rotates to a certain angle and its front end is close to the vehicle, it stops rotating and the movable rotating plate is fixed in its current position (horizontal or slightly tilted). The staff then puts the card into the card box, and the card box and card are sent to the side closest to the driver via a belt conveyor mechanism, after which the conveyor stops, and the driver can take the card. At this point, the movable rotating plate is then controlled to rotate downwards back to its initial position, forming a folded shape. This method of controlling the rotation of the movable rotating plate allows adjustment of the distance between its front end and the vehicle, as well as its height above the ground, making it adaptable to various situations.
[0007] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a drive motor and a drive pulley connected to the drive motor, with a driven pulley on one side of the drive pulley. The conveyor belt is located above the mounting plate and is perpendicular to the mounting plate. The conveyor belt is sleeved on the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and can rotate and be positioned under the drive of the drive pulley. The card holder is installed on the outside of the conveyor belt. In this way, the conveyor belt in the transmission mechanism is set perpendicular to the mounting plate, so that after the drive motor starts and the drive pulley rotates, it will drive the connected conveyor belt to rotate. That is, the card holder moves in a straight line in the middle section of the mounting plate and in a semi-circular trajectory at both ends, so that the card holder can move from one end of the mounting plate to the other, and can be adjusted in the width direction when moving at the ends, which can better adapt to the vehicle position.
[0008] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a servo motor and a driving pulley connected to the servo motor, with a driven pulley on one side of the driving pulley. The conveyor belt is arranged parallel to the mounting plate and is fitted onto the driving and driven pulleys. The cassette is mounted on the upper end of the conveyor belt. Thus, the conveyor belt is parallel to the mounting plate, so that when the servo motor drives it to rotate in both directions, it drives the driving pulley to rotate in both directions, further driving the conveyor belt to move in different directions, achieving left and right movement. When the servo motor is turned off, the conveyor belt remains in its current position, achieving positioning.
[0009] Furthermore, the card holder is fixed to the conveyor belt by adhesive bonding, or a card slot integrally formed therewith is provided on the conveyor belt for locking and fixing the card holder. In this way, after the card holder is adhesively bonded or locked, it will not interfere with the connection between the conveyor belt and the driving or driven pulley.
[0010] Furthermore, a vertical plate is fixedly installed on the side opposite the fixed plate and the movable rotating plate. A displacement sensor is installed on the side of the vertical plate near the fixed plate and on the side of the movable rotating plate away from the vertical plate. A controller connected to the two displacement sensors is also installed on the vertical plate. The controller can receive real-time detection data from the displacement sensors and control the operation of the drive motor or servo motor. This vertical plate facilitates the support and fixation of the mounting plate. With the controller and displacement sensors, the drive motor can be started and stopped by the controller after the card box moves to a certain position. After positioning at the appropriate location, it is convenient for the staff and driver of the guard booth to retrieve or place cards. This setup enables automated control of the belt conveyor mechanism, eliminating the need for manual operation and providing great convenience.
[0011] Furthermore, the telescopic mechanism is a telescopic cylinder, which is fixedly mounted on the upright plate via a support base; the cylinder rod of the telescopic cylinder is angled, and its end is connected to the lower end face of the movable rotating plate. In this way, the telescopic cylinder, mounted on the upright plate and angled, can both support the movable rotating plate and pull the movable rotating plate to rotate it when its cylinder rod extends or retracts. Attached Figure Description
[0012] Figure 1 This is a top view of the installation structure of the long-distance card retrieval mechanism in Example 1;
[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the elevation structure of the long-distance card retrieval mechanism in the card box delivery state in Example 1;
[0014] Figure 3 This is a side view of the movable rotating plate in the folded state of the long-distance card retrieval mechanism in Example 1;
[0015] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the long-distance card retrieval mechanism in Example 2;
[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the elevation structure of the long-distance card retrieval mechanism in the state of transmitting the card box in Example 2. Detailed Implementation
[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this utility model provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed utility model, but merely represents selected embodiments of the utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.
[0018] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the figures, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, the terms "horizontal," "vertical," etc., do not indicate that the component is required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted. In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.
[0019] Example 1
[0020] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths. Installed on one side of the toll booth, it includes a vertical plate 1 and a horizontally mounted mounting plate 2 fixedly mounted on the vertical plate 1. The mounting plate 2 consists of a fixed plate 21 and a movable rotating plate 22. The inner end of the movable rotating plate 22 is rotatably connected to the fixed plate 21 and can rotate and be positioned around one side of the fixed plate 21 under the drive of a telescopic mechanism 8. A belt conveyor mechanism is installed on the movable rotating plate, including a conveyor belt 6 and a transmission mechanism that drives and positions the conveyor belt 6. At least one card box 7 with an opening at the top is fixedly mounted on the conveyor belt 6. A flexible protective strip is provided at the front end of the movable rotating plate 22, which wraps around the end of the movable rotating plate 22 closest to the vehicle, preventing the movable rotating plate 22 from rotating and scraping against the vehicle when it approaches. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the vehicle is parked near the highway toll booth, the movable rotating plate 22 remains in its initial state, with the front end of the movable rotating plate 22 tilted downwards at a small angle to the vertical plate 1. When the vehicle is parked far from the highway toll booth, the telescopic mechanism is activated to lift the movable rotating plate 22, causing it to rotate upwards. The rotation stops when the plate approaches the side of the vehicle (this control process can be controlled by the toll booth staff via a control switch, or an automatic control system can be installed). At this point, the movable rotating plate 22 is fixed in its current position, and the staff can place the card in the card holder 7. The card holder 7 is then conveyed to one end of the vehicle via a belt conveyor, and the conveyor stops, allowing the driver to retrieve the card. Conversely, if the driver exits the highway, the driver places the card in the card holder 7, and the belt conveyor transports the card holder and card to the staff's side. The card holder has an open top; placing and retrieving cards is done by reaching into the holder through this opening, making card placement and retrieval more convenient than existing slot-type methods. The solution in this embodiment is faster than the time required for the driver to get out of the car to retrieve the card or for the sensor to stick out of the car window to retrieve or place the card. It is also comparable to the time required for the existing manual card transfer. Compared to the existing automatic card retrieval device, it is cheaper and easier to modify.
[0021] Specifically, the aforementioned belt drive mechanism includes a drive motor and a drive pulley 4 connected to the drive motor. A driven pulley 5 is provided on one side of the drive pulley 4. The conveyor belt 6 is located above the mounting plate 2 and is perpendicular to the mounting plate 2. The conveyor belt 6 is sleeved on the drive pulley 4 and the driven pulley 5, and can rotate and be positioned under the drive of the drive pulley 4. The cassette 7 is installed on the outside of the conveyor belt 6. In this way, the conveyor belt 6 in the conveying mechanism is set perpendicular to the mounting plate 2. So after the drive motor starts, after the drive pulley 4 rotates, it will drive the connected conveyor belt 6 to rotate. That is, the cassette 7 moves in a straight line in the middle section of the mounting plate 2 and in a semi-circular trajectory at both ends. This allows the cassette 7 to move from one end of the mounting plate 2 to the other end, and it can adjust the distance in the width direction when moving at the ends, which can better adapt to the vehicle position.
[0022] In practice, the card holder 7 is fixed to the conveyor belt 6 by adhesive bonding, or a card slot integrally formed therewith is provided on the conveyor belt 6, the card slot being used to secure the card holder 7. Specifically, the card slot can be formed by a U-shaped piece, or two spaced-apart protrusions can be directly formed on the belt to create the card slot. In this way, after the card holder 7 is bonded or secured, it will not interfere with the connection between the conveyor belt 6 and the driving pulley 4 or the driven pulley 5.
[0023] Furthermore, a vertical plate 1 is fixedly installed on the side opposite the fixed plate and the movable rotating plate. A displacement sensor is installed on the side of the vertical plate 1 closest to the fixed plate and on the side of the movable rotating plate furthest from the vertical plate 1. A controller connected to the two displacement sensors is also installed on the vertical plate 1. The controller can receive real-time detection data from the two displacement sensors and control the operation of the drive motor. Thus, with the controller and displacement sensors installed, after the card box 7 moves close to the vertical plate, the controller stops the drive motor, allowing the booth staff to place a card into the card box or remove a returned card. After the card box stops for a certain period, the controller restarts the drive motor to transport the card box again. Simultaneously, after the card box 7 is transported to the end closest to the driver, the drive motor is turned off, stopping the transport of the card box 7. The driver can then remove a card from the card box. After the driver removes the card, the controller restarts the drive motor, activating the belt conveyor mechanism, and the card box is transported back to the booth side. This setup enables automated control of the belt conveyor mechanism, requiring no manual operation and is very convenient.
[0024] Of course, in practice, a control switch electrically connected to the drive motor can be installed inside the guard booth or on the upright plate 1, so that the guard booth staff can control the start and stop of the drive motor through the control switch.
[0025] As shown in the figure, the telescopic mechanism 8 in this embodiment is a telescopic cylinder (specifically a multi-stage telescopic cylinder), which is fixedly mounted on the upright plate via a support base. The cylinder rod of the telescopic cylinder is angled, and its end is rotatably connected to the lower end face of the movable rotating plate. In specific implementations, a rack and pinion lifting mechanism or a screw lifting mechanism can also be installed on the side of the upright plate near the highway guard booth to control the lifting of the upright plate, thereby adjusting the height of the entire device to meet the needs of different vehicle types. Of course, in practical applications, cars and trucks can be planned to travel in different lanes. Specifically, the telescopic mechanism 8 also includes components such as an air pump and a control valve, which can be installed on the upright plate or inside the guard booth. The telescopic mechanism is existing technology, and the connection structure of the telescopic cylinder and air pump will not be described in detail here.
[0026] Example 2
[0027] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 only in the installation structure of the belt conveyor mechanism. Specifically, the transmission mechanism in this embodiment includes a servo motor and a drive pulley 4 connected to the servo motor. The drive pulley can rotate in both directions under the drive of the servo motor. A driven pulley 5 is provided on one side of the drive pulley 4. The conveyor belt 6 is arranged parallel to the mounting plate 2 and is fitted onto the drive pulley 4 and the driven pulley 5. The card box 7 is installed on the upper end of the conveyor belt 6. In this way, the conveyor belt 6 is parallel to the mounting plate 2, so that after the servo motor rotates in both directions, it drives the drive pulley 4 to rotate in both directions, further driving the conveyor belt 6 to convey the card box 7 from one side of the guard booth to the driver's side or from the driver's side to the guard booth, realizing the left and right movement of the card box (i.e., movement along the length of the conveyor belt). When the servo motor is turned off, the conveyor belt 6 remains in its current position, achieving positioning. Figure 5 As shown, both the driving pulley and the driven pulley are mounted on the upper part of the movable rotating plate via a mounting bracket fixed to the movable rotating plate. The mounting bracket includes a vertical rod and a rotating shaft mounted on the upper end of the vertical rod. The driving pulley and the driven pulley are sleeved on the corresponding rotating shaft.
[0028] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and not to limit the technical solutions. Those skilled in the art should understand that any modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this utility model that do not depart from the spirit and scope of this technical solution should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.
Claims
1. A long-range card retrieval mechanism for a highway toll booth, installed on one side of the toll booth, comprising a horizontally arranged mounting plate, characterized in that, The mounting plate consists of a fixed plate and a movable rotating plate. The inner end of the movable rotating plate is rotatably connected to the fixed plate and can rotate and be positioned around one side of the fixed plate under the drive of a telescopic mechanism. A belt conveyor mechanism is installed on the movable rotating plate. The belt conveyor mechanism includes a conveyor belt and a transmission mechanism that drives the conveyor belt to move and be positioned. At least one card box with an opening at the top is fixedly installed on the conveyor belt.
2. The long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a drive motor and a drive pulley connected to the drive motor. A driven pulley is provided on one side of the drive pulley. The conveyor belt is located above the mounting plate and is perpendicular to the mounting plate. The conveyor belt is sleeved on the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and can rotate and be positioned under the drive of the drive pulley.
3. The long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a servo motor and a drive pulley connected to the servo motor. A driven pulley is provided on one side of the drive pulley. The conveyor belt is arranged parallel to the mounting plate and is sleeved on the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The card box is installed at the upper end of the conveyor belt.
4. The long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The card box is fixed to the conveyor belt by adhesive bonding, or the conveyor belt has a card slot integrally formed therewith, the card slot being used to clamp and fix the card box.
5. The long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths according to claim 4, characterized in that, A vertical plate is fixedly installed on the side opposite to the fixed plate and the movable rotating plate. A displacement sensor is provided on the side of the vertical plate close to the fixed plate and on the side of the movable rotating plate away from the vertical plate. A controller connected to the two displacement sensors is also provided on the vertical plate. The controller can receive the real-time detection data of the displacement sensors and control the operation of the drive motor or servo motor.
6. The long-distance card retrieval mechanism for highway toll booths according to claim 5, characterized in that, The telescopic mechanism is a telescopic cylinder, which is mounted on the upright plate via a support base. The cylinder rod of the telescopic cylinder is set at an angle, and its end is connected to the lower end face of the movable rotating plate.