An automatic cleaning robot for residual grain in a bin

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of warehouse bottom surplus grain automatic cleaning robot, belong to motorized sweeping machine field.The warehouse bottom surplus grain automatic cleaning robot, including walking component, the negative pressure suction mouth and cleaning mechanism of setting in walking component front end, cleaning mechanism includes the mechanism bottom plate of installing on walking component, swing arm and the rotary brush of setting on swing arm that are horizontally rotated installation on mechanism bottom plate, mechanism bottom plate is fixed with telescopic device, the telescopic rod of telescopic device is forward and is connected with the link that can be moved back and forth under the drive of telescopic device, swing arm is provided with sliding long hole, two sliding long holes are respectively arranged on the link and can be along corresponding sliding long hole sliding slide axle that swing arm is provided with two sliding long holes.The utility model can adjust the interval of two rotary brushes, so as to ensure higher work efficiency and better passability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of motorized sweeping machinery, and in particular relates to an automatic cleaning robot for leftover grain at the bottom of a warehouse. Background Technology

[0002] Grain in silos is mainly transported out by screw conveyors, but some grain remains at the bottom that cannot be transported out by the screw conveyor. The remaining grain at the bottom of the silo usually needs to be cleaned manually, but manual cleaning is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the dust in the silo also has a certain impact on the health of the cleaning personnel.

[0003] Chinese invention patent application CN116982881A discloses a warehouse bottom cleaning robot. The robot includes an execution unit and a control unit. The execution unit comprises a walking assembly, a cleaning brush assembly, a negative pressure discharge system, and a transmission assembly. The control unit is independent of the execution unit and includes a power system and a negative pressure system. The power system provides air supply and control for the transmission assembly. The negative pressure system is connected to the negative pressure discharge system and is used to create negative pressure at the suction port and draw material from the execution unit to a predetermined location. The cleaning brush assembly is located on both sides of the suction port and can sweep and concentrate material at the suction port or along its walking path through rotation.

[0004] However, the positions of the two cleaning brush groups are fixed, and the distance between them cannot be adjusted as needed during use. If the distance between the two cleaning brush groups is set too small, the cleaning range during robot movement will be limited, resulting in low cleaning efficiency. If the distance between the two cleaning brush groups is set too large, the robot's movement flexibility will be poor, and the cleaning brush groups are prone to collisions with surrounding objects when the robot needs to pass through narrow spaces or when it approaches obstacles such as warehouse walls or internal facilities. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic cleaning robot for leftover grain at the bottom of the warehouse, so as to solve the technical problem that existing robots are unable to adjust the spacing of the cleaning brushes according to the environment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the automatic grain storage robot provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] An automatic cleaning robot for leftover grain at the bottom of a warehouse includes a walking component, a negative pressure suction port located at the front end of the walking component, and a cleaning mechanism. The cleaning mechanism includes a base plate mounted on the walking component, a swing arm horizontally rotatably mounted on the base plate, and a rotating brush mounted on the swing arm. A telescopic device is fixed on the base plate. The telescopic rod of the telescopic device faces forward and is connected to a connecting rod that can move back and forth under the drive of the telescopic device. The swing arm is provided with a sliding elongated hole. The connecting rod is provided with two sliding shafts that pass through the sliding elongated holes on the two swing arms respectively and can slide along the corresponding sliding elongated holes. The distance between the two sliding shafts is greater than the distance between the swing center axes of the two swing arms so that the connecting rod can drive the two swing arms to swing to the open and closed positions during the back and forth movement.

[0008] As a further improvement, the rotating brush is located at the end of the swing arm away from the base plate of the mechanism, and the sliding elongated hole is located between the swing center axis of the swing arm and the position where the rotating brush is set on the swing arm.

[0009] As a further improvement, the distance between the two sliding shafts is less than or equal to the diameter of the cleaning range of the rotating brush.

[0010] As a further improvement, when the two swing arms are in the closed position, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes is less than or equal to the left and right width of the walking component, and when the two swing arms are in the open position, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes is greater than the left and right width of the walking component.

[0011] As a further improvement, the lower end of the rotating shaft of the rotary brush is tilted backward so that when the rotary brush cleans the remaining grain at the bottom of the bin, the front half can contact the ground while the rear half can leave the ground.

[0012] As a further improvement, the swing arm is provided with a mounting part, the front end of which is inclined downward, and a rotating brush is set at the mounting part with the rotation axis of the rotating brush perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part.

[0013] As a further improvement, the rotary brush includes a tapered brush body located below the swing arm and a brush motor located above the swing arm. The output shaft of the brush motor faces downward and passes through the swing arm before connecting to the brush body. The brush motor is a pneumatic motor.

[0014] As a further improvement, the base plate of the mechanism is rotatably mounted at the front end of the walking assembly, and the rotation axis of the base plate is horizontal. A swing drive device for controlling the up-and-down swing of the front end of the base plate is connected between the base plate and the walking assembly.

[0015] As a further improvement, the base plate of the mechanism is connected to the traveling components via hinges.

[0016] As a further improvement, a lifting structure is provided between the base plate of the mechanism and the traveling component. The lifting structure includes a lifting slide rail provided on the traveling component and a lifting slider provided on the base plate of the mechanism and slidingly cooperating with the lifting slide rail. A lifting drive device for controlling the lifting of the base plate of the mechanism is provided between the traveling component and the base plate of the mechanism.

[0017] The beneficial effects are as follows: The automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse provided by this utility model is an improvement on the existing technology. This automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse can adjust the distance between the rotating brushes on the two swing arms by swinging the two swing arms. During normal operation, the two swing arms are in the open position and the distance between the two rotating brushes is larger. When encountering obstacles on the side or after the work is completed, the two swing arms are in the closed position and the distance between the two rotating brushes is smaller, which improves the passability and avoids the rotating brushes from colliding with surrounding objects. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Embodiment 1 of the automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning mechanism in Embodiment 1 of the automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control system in Implementation 1 of the Automatic Grain Cleaning Robot at the Bottom of the Warehouse of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the speed control method of Embodiment 1 of the automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse in this utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the control system in Implementation 1 of the automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the cleaning process of Implementation 1 of the Automatic Grain Cleaning Robot at the Bottom of the Warehouse in this utility model.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] 1. Walking assembly; 11. Walking frame; 12. Walking wheels; 2. Vacuum grain suction equipment; 3. Air compressor; 4. Negative pressure suction port; 5. Sweeping mechanism; 51. Mechanism base plate; 52. Swing arm; 53. Rotary brush; 531. Brush body; 532. Brush motor; 54. Hinge; 55. Swing drive device; 551. Mounting part; 56. Sliding elongated hole; 57. Connecting rod; 58. Telescopic device. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0027] Specific Embodiment 1 of the Automatic Grain Cleaning Robot for the Bottom of the Warehouse Provided by This Utility Model:

[0028] See appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The automatic grain storage robot includes a walking component 1, a negative pressure suction port 4 located at the front end of the walking component 1, and a cleaning mechanism 5. It also includes a vacuum grain suction device 2 and an air compressor 3. The walking component 1 can move along the bottom of the grain storage silo. During its movement, the vacuum grain suction device 2, connected to the negative pressure suction port 4, sucks away the remaining grain along the walking component 1's path and then transports it outside the silo. The air compressor 3 generates compressed air to drive the pneumatic devices on various equipment. Using pneumatic devices to control these devices prevents sparks or heat from causing a dust explosion inside the silo.

[0029] The walking assembly 1 includes a walking frame 11 and four walking wheels 12. The walking wheels 12 are pneumatically driven. The cleaning mechanism 5 and the negative pressure suction port 4 are located at the front end of the walking frame 11.

[0030] The cleaning mechanism 5 includes a base plate 51, a swing arm 52, and a rotating brush 53. The base plate 51 is mounted on the traveling frame 11 via hinges 54, allowing the front end of the base plate 51 to swing up and down. The axis of rotation of the base plate 51 extends in the left-right direction. The swinging of the base plate 51 is driven by a swing drive device 55, which is specifically a cylinder. The two ends of the cylinder are hinged to the upper surface of the base plate 51 and the front end face of the traveling frame 11, respectively.

[0031] The swing drive device 55 controls the up-and-down swing of the base plate 51. During normal operation, the base plate 51 is horizontal. After operation, the front end of the base plate 51 swings upward to lift the rotating brush 53, preventing it from continuing to contact the ground and causing wear. In other embodiments, the base plate 51 can also be directly and horizontally mounted on the walking frame 11. After operation, the equipment can be promptly retrieved by the operator to prevent brush wear.

[0032] Two swing arms 52 are provided, both of which are hinged to the left and right sides of the front end of the mechanism base plate 51, and both swing arms 52 can swing horizontally. Two rotating brushes 53 are also provided, and the two rotating brushes 53 are respectively installed at the front end of the two swing arms 52. The brush includes a conical brush body 531 located below the swing arm 52 and a brush motor 532 located above the swing arm 52. The output shaft of the brush motor 532 faces downward and passes through the swing arm 52 and is connected to the brush body 531. The brush motor 532 is a pneumatic motor.

[0033] The two rotating brushes 53 rotate in opposite directions. The front sides of both rotating brushes 53 can sweep from the outside to the inside, thereby gathering the remaining grain at the bottom of the bin towards the center of the walking path of the walking component 1, making it easier for the negative pressure suction port 4 to pick up the remaining grain. The front end of the swing arm 52 is used to mount the rotating brushes 53 as the mounting part. The front end of the mounting part is inclined downwards, and the rotation axis of the rotating brushes 53 is perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part. This allows the lower end of the rotation axis of the rotating brushes 53 to be tilted backwards, so that when the rotating brushes 53 clean the remaining grain at the bottom of the bin, the front half can contact the bottom surface and the rear half can leave the bottom plate. This setting ensures that the remaining grain can be swept and gathered to the center of the walking path of the walking component 1, and will not be swept outwards from the rear side of the brush.

[0034] In other embodiments, the mounting part may not be tilted, but the rotation shaft of the rotating brush 53 may be tilted. To achieve this, a mounting base for mounting the rotating brush 53 needs to be tilted and fixed on the swing arm 52.

[0035] During operation, a certain distance needs to be maintained between the two rotating brushes 53 to ensure a large brushing range and improve the efficiency of cleaning up residual food. Under normal operation, the left and right width of the two rotating brushes 53 is greater than the left and right width of the walking component 1. However, when encountering obstacles on the side or after the work is completed, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes 53 is less than or equal to the left and right width of the walking component 1.

[0036] The distance between the two rotating brushes 53 is achieved by the swinging of the swing arms 52. Each swing arm 52 has a sliding elongated hole extending along its length, located between the swing center axis of the swing arm 52 and the position where the rotating brushes 53 are located. A connecting rod 57 is provided between the two swing arms 52, with its length parallel to the left-right direction. Sliding shafts are provided at both ends of the connecting rod 57, and these shafts are respectively positioned within the sliding elongated holes on the two swing arms 52, allowing them to slide along the corresponding holes.

[0037] A telescopic device 58, specifically a cylinder, is installed on the base plate 51 of the mechanism. The cylinder body is fixed to the upper surface of the base plate 51, and the piston rod of the cylinder extends forward and is fixedly connected to the middle of the connecting rod 57. The connecting rod 57 can move back and forth under the drive of the telescopic device 58. The distance between the two sliding shafts on the connecting rod 57 is greater than the distance between the swing center axes of the two swing arms 52, and the line connecting the two sliding shafts on the connecting rod 57 is perpendicular to the line connecting the swing center axes of the two swing arms 52. Thus, during the back and forth movement of the connecting rod 57, it will drive the two swing arms 52 to swing inward or outward simultaneously. The two swing arms 52 can reach the closed position when swinging inward simultaneously, and can reach the open position when swinging outward simultaneously. During normal operation, the swing arms 52 of the automatic grain cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse are in the open position, and the swing arms 52 are in the closed position when avoiding obstacles or after the work is completed.

[0038] To ensure that the distance between the two rotating brushes 53 is small when the swing arm 52 is in the closed position, the distance between the two sliding shafts can be equal to the diameter of the cleaning range of the rotating brushes 53. In this way, when the swing arm 52 is in the closed position, the two rotating brushes 53 can be basically in contact, which can also make the left and right width of the walking assembly 1 smaller and improve the passability of the walking assembly 1.

[0039] In other embodiments, the distance between the two sliding shafts can also be smaller than the diameter of the cleaning range of the rotating brush. In this way, when the swing arm is in the closed position, the lower ends of the two rotating brushes can press against each other, further reducing the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes.

[0040] In other embodiments, the sliding elongated hole can also be located in front of the rotating brush, which requires a longer telescopic device and its telescopic rod. In this embodiment, the mounting part is located in the middle of the swing arm, and the front and rear ends of the mounting part are bent to make the mounting part tilted, while the rest of the part is horizontal.

[0041] In other embodiments, when the two swing arms are in the closed and open positions, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes can be set as needed.

[0042] In other embodiments, the brush body of the rotating brush can be cylindrical, or it can be straight or cross-shaped.

[0043] In other implementations, the brush motor can be an electric motor.

[0044] In other embodiments, the base plate of the mechanism can be hinged to the traveling assembly via a rotating pin.

[0045] See appendix Figure 3The automatic grain storage robot in this embodiment also includes a pneumatic circuit and a control circuit. The pneumatic circuit controls the operation of each pneumatic device. In addition to the individual pneumatic devices, the pneumatic circuit includes 7 pilot-operated solenoid directional valves, 4 oil mist lubricators, 4 electro-proportional valves, 4 filters, 4 oil separators, and several PU material air hoses. The control circuit includes one upper-level controller (NVIDIA JETSON NANO), one lower-level controller (STM32F103), one LiDAR, one depth camera, 7 electromagnetic relay modules, one DAC module outputting analog voltage, one power supply, and several wires.

[0046] The host computer controller constructs a global map of the silo based on point cloud and image information collected by LiDAR and depth camera, determines the relative position of any remaining grain, and plans the shortest, collision-free path by combining the target position and map information. Simultaneously, it generates information such as linear velocity, angular velocity, and the status of the cleaning mechanism, which is transmitted to the slave computer controller. The slave computer controller parses the received data, calculates the speed and direction of the pneumatic motor and the status of the cylinder, and adjusts the electromagnetic reversing valve through the control relay module to change the direction of movement of the pneumatic motor or cylinder.

[0047] See appendix Figure 4 The closed-loop control system monitors the speed of the food cleaning robot in real time by installing posture sensors and lidar speed measurement algorithms. Based on the difference between the real-time speed and the set speed, it calculates the ideal air inlet pressure through the air pressure-speed control model and adjusts the output of the pressure regulating valve to achieve precise control of the pneumatic motor speed, thereby improving the cleaning coverage and cleaning effect.

[0048] See appendix Figure 5 The robot uses LiDAR to scan the bottom of the compartment and create a global map, then performs cleaning according to a global traversal cleaning mode. The robot plans a movement path covering the entire bottom of the compartment based on the cleaning width. During cleaning, the robot monitors the distance to obstacles such as the compartment walls in real time. If the distance is less than the initial cleaning width, the robot controls the cleaning mechanism to expand to avoid collisions. After completing the global traversal cleaning, the robot automatically switches to a visual search cleaning mode to ensure all remaining food is thoroughly removed.

[0049] When the robot uses the vision-based search and cleaning mode, it first determines whether there is any remaining food in its field of vision. If so, it plans a path and cleans it; otherwise, it performs a rapid global traversal search within the compartment. During the cleaning process, the robot determines whether to activate the cleaning mechanism based on the straight-line distance to the remaining food. If the distance is less than the length of the robot body, it activates the cleaning mechanism and controls the vacuum suction device to operate; if the distance is not less than the length of the robot body, it quickly moves to the location of the remaining food and cleans it.

[0050] The working process of the automatic grain-cleaning robot at the bottom of the warehouse is shown in the attached document. Figure 6 After the robot enters the warehouse, it starts up. First, the robot uses LiDAR to scan the environment at the bottom of the warehouse and create a global map. Then, it selects to use either the global traversal cleaning mode or the visual search cleaning mode.

[0051] When using the visual search cleaning mode, the robot first determines whether there is any leftover food in its field of vision. If so, it plans a path to reach the leftover food and cleans it. If not, it performs a rapid global traversal search within the compartment. When cleaning up leftover food, the robot first determines whether the straight-line distance between the leftover food and itself is less than the length of the robot body. If it is less, it controls the cleaning mechanism to start and descend, and controls the vacuum suction equipment to operate; if it is not less, it quickly moves to the vicinity of the leftover food.

[0052] When using the global traversal cleaning mode, the robot plans a movement path covering the entire bottom of the bin based on its own cleaning width, and controls the robot to move along this path. Before moving, the robot controls the cleaning mechanism to start and descend, and controls the vacuum grain suction equipment to operate. After the robot completes the global traversal cleaning, the automatic machine enters the visual search cleaning mode to determine that the remaining grain at the bottom of the bin has been cleaned.

[0053] During the cleaning process, the robot monitors its relative position to obstacles such as the warehouse walls in real time. When the distance between the robot and the obstacle is less than the initial cleaning width, the cleaning mechanism is controlled to expand to prevent the robot from colliding with the facilities inside the warehouse.

[0054] The cleaning results were tested and are as follows:

[0055] Number of experiments Weight before the experiment (kg) Weight after the experiment (kg) Cleaning rate % Time taken s 1 30.03 29.07 96.80 172 2 30.01 29.16 97.17 185 3 30.10 29.06 96.54 176 4 30.05 29.34 97.64 181 5 29.96 28.86 96.33 173

[0056] This automated grain storage robot utilizes pneumatic drive instead of electric drive, effectively avoiding the risk of dust explosions caused by sparks or heat from electrical equipment. Through the coordinated operation of multiple pneumatic mechanisms and a grain storage cleaning control system that adjusts the cleaning strategy based on the distribution characteristics of the remaining grain and the surrounding environment, it minimizes safety hazards and ensures a safe working environment. Furthermore, through precise pneumatic control and dynamic speed adjustment, the grain storage cleaning efficiency reaches 96.9%, improving the coverage and thoroughness of grain storage cleaning, reducing manual intervention, protecting the health of operators, and optimizing the management and operational efficiency of the grain storage facility.

[0057] Specific Embodiment 2 of the Automatic Grain Cleaning Robot for the Bottom of the Warehouse Provided by This Utility Model:

[0058] In this embodiment, a lifting mechanism is provided between the base plate and the traveling assembly, allowing the base plate to move up and down under the control of the lifting mechanism. During normal operation, the base plate is in a lower position, while after operation, the base plate rises to prevent the rotating brush from contacting the ground and causing wear.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit this utility model. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without creative effort, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning robot for leftover grain at the bottom of a warehouse, comprising a walking component, a negative pressure suction port disposed at the front end of the walking component, and a cleaning mechanism, characterized in that, The cleaning mechanism includes a base plate mounted on the walking assembly, a swing arm horizontally rotatably mounted on the base plate, and a rotating brush mounted on the swing arm. A telescopic device is fixed on the base plate. The telescopic rod of the telescopic device faces forward and is connected to a connecting rod that can move back and forth under the drive of the telescopic device. The swing arm is provided with a sliding elongated hole. The connecting rod is provided with two sliding shafts that pass through the sliding elongated holes on the two swing arms respectively and can slide along the corresponding sliding elongated holes. The distance between the two sliding shafts is greater than the distance between the swing center axes of the two swing arms so that the connecting rod can drive the two swing arms to swing to the open and closed positions during the back and forth movement.

2. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating brush is located at the end of the swing arm away from the base plate of the mechanism, and the sliding elongated hole is located between the swing center axis of the swing arm and the position where the rotating brush is set on the swing arm.

3. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The distance between the two sliding shafts is less than or equal to the diameter of the cleaning range of the rotating brush.

4. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the two swing arms are in the closed position, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes is less than or equal to the left and right width of the walking component. When the two swing arms are in the open position, the overall left and right width of the two rotating brushes is greater than the left and right width of the walking component.

5. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The lower end of the rotating shaft of the rotary brush is tilted backward so that when the rotary brush cleans the remaining grain at the bottom of the bin, the front half can contact the ground and the rear half can leave the ground.

6. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The swing arm is equipped with a mounting part, the front end of which is inclined downwards. A rotating brush is set at the mounting part, and the rotation axis of the rotating brush is perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting part.

7. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rotary brush includes a conical brush body located below the swing arm and a brush motor located above the swing arm. The output shaft of the brush motor faces downward and passes through the swing arm to connect with the brush body. The brush motor is a pneumatic motor.

8. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The base plate of the mechanism is rotatably mounted at the front end of the walking assembly, and the rotation axis of the base plate is horizontal. A swing drive device for controlling the up-and-down swing of the front end of the base plate is connected between the base plate and the walking assembly.

9. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The base plate of the mechanism is connected to the traveling components via hinges.

10. The automatic grain storage robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A lifting structure is provided between the base plate of the mechanism and the traveling component. The lifting structure includes a lifting slide rail provided on the traveling component and a lifting slider provided on the base plate of the mechanism and slidingly cooperating with the lifting slide rail. A lifting drive device for controlling the lifting of the base plate of the mechanism is provided between the traveling component and the base plate of the mechanism.

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