A cleaning device for optical sensors in condensation environments using unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses

Abstract

This utility model relates to an optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions. It includes a housing, an optical sensor body, a glass plate, a cleaning mechanism, and a drying component. The optical sensor body is housed within the housing, and a glass plate is embedded in the top of the housing. In the cold chain warehouse, when the AI ​​unmanned forklift is in operation, multiple housings are mounted on its surface, each housing an optical sensor. When water droplets form on the outer surface of the glass plate, a centrifugal fan is activated to draw outside air through a filter and an intake pipe, into the exhaust pipe, and then into the air duct. The filtered air enters the main pipe and then into multiple branch pipes, which are inclined and smaller than the main pipe, allowing for high-speed airflow to blow away the water droplets on the outer surface of the glass plate. The filter needs to be replaced periodically. Because the mounting pipe is threaded and a desiccant is placed inside the housing, the housing remains dry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical sensor cleaning equipment technology, specifically to an optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts used in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions. Background Technology

[0002] AI-powered unmanned forklifts are deployed in cold chain warehouses. These forklifts are equipped with optical sensors that work in conjunction with the forklifts. Optical sensors are a type of sensor that measures based on optical principles. They have many advantages, such as non-contact and non-destructive measurement, minimal interference, high-speed transmission, and remote measurement and control. However, since the optical sensors are located in the cold chain warehouse, they are in a condensation environment. When the sensors move from the ambient temperature zone to the low temperature zone, condensation easily forms on the lens surface, creating a water film that causes blurred images.

[0003] For example, the authorized patent document with application number CN202121223174.6 discloses a dustproof self-cleaning device for optical sensors. A glass enclosure and a flexible cleaning body are provided at one end of the sealed housing. The flexible cleaning body is located below the glass enclosure, and the upper wall of the flexible cleaning body is attached to the glass enclosure. In the above structure, in a condensation environment, the flexible cleaning body easily absorbs water droplets, resulting in poor subsequent cleaning effect. Condensation easily forms on the lens surface, and the device lacks the function of removing liquid water. That is, the problem of easy condensation on the lens surface when the sensor moves from the room temperature zone to the low temperature zone exists. Therefore, we need to provide an optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cleaning device for optical sensors in condensation environments of unmanned forklifts used in cold chain warehouses. A cleaning mechanism is installed on the surface of the housing to clean the glass plate of the detection area of ​​the optical sensor. In condensation-prone environments, it blows off water droplets on the surface of the glass plate, thereby ensuring that the optical sensor continues to output accurate detection data in condensation environments, ensuring the stable operation of the unmanned forklift's positioning, navigation and other functions, effectively reducing operational failures caused by sensor misjudgments, and solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a cleaning device for optical sensors in a cold chain warehouse unmanned forklift under condensation conditions, comprising:

[0006] The box contains an optical sensor body, a glass plate, a cleaning mechanism, and a drying component. The optical sensor body is housed inside the box, and a glass plate is embedded in the top of the box. The glass plate is located at the detection end of the optical sensor body. The surface of the box is provided with a cleaning mechanism to remove water droplets from the top of the glass plate, and a drying component is provided inside the box.

[0007] The cleaning mechanism includes a centrifugal fan, an exhaust pipe, an air inlet pipe, and an air duct. A centrifugal fan is provided on one side of the box. The air inlet end of the centrifugal fan is connected to an air inlet pipe, and the air outlet end is connected to an exhaust pipe. One end of the exhaust pipe is connected to an air duct for blowing air onto the top of the glass plate.

[0008] Preferably, the air duct section includes a connecting plate, a main pipe, and branch pipes. The connecting plate has a main pipe inside, and a plurality of branch pipes are connected to one side of the main pipe. The exhaust end of the branch pipes penetrates the surface of the connecting plate and is connected to the main pipe. All the branch pipes are inclined.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes a filter element located at the air intake end of the air intake pipe for intercepting dust in the air. The filter element includes an installation tube and a filter layer. The surface of the installation tube is threaded onto the internal part of the air intake pipe, and the filter layer is installed inside the installation tube.

[0010] Preferably, the drying component includes a shelf, a baffle, and a sealing ring. The shelf is slidably mounted on the surface of the box for placing the desiccant. A baffle is fixedly mounted on one side of the shelf, and a sealing ring is fixedly mounted on the side of the baffle closest to the box.

[0011] Preferably, the sealing ring has a rectangular groove on its surface, and a support frame for supporting the display rack is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the box.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a reinforcement component that tightly fits the baffle into the box body. The reinforcement component includes a fixing seat, an adjusting rod, and an abutment block. The fixing seat is fixed to the top of the box body, and the adjusting rod is threaded onto its surface. The abutment block is rotatably mounted on the surface of the adjusting rod, and one side of the abutment block is in contact with the surface of the baffle.

[0013] Preferably, a protective frame is fixedly installed inside the box, the optical sensor body is installed inside the protective frame, and the surface cable of the optical sensor passes through the surface of the box and extends therethrough.

[0014] Preferably, a sealing ring is provided at the connection between the surface cable of the optical sensor and the housing.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] This invention features a cleaning mechanism installed on the surface of the housing, which can clean the glass plate of the optical sensor's detection area. In environments prone to condensation, it can quickly blow away water droplets from the glass plate surface, preventing water droplets from interfering with the refraction and scattering of light detected by the optical sensor. This ensures that the optical sensor continues to output accurate detection data even in condensation environments, guaranteeing the stable operation of the unmanned forklift's positioning, navigation, and other functions, and effectively reducing operational failures caused by sensor misjudgments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the air duct section of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the box body of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the drying component of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the box body of this utility model installed on an unmanned forklift.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Box body; 2. Optical sensor body; 3. Glass plate; 4. Cleaning mechanism; 41. Centrifugal fan; 42. Exhaust pipe; 43. Inlet pipe; 44. Air duct section; 441. Connecting plate; 442. Main pipe; 443. Diverter pipe; 5. Drying component; 51. Placement rack; 52. Baffle; 53. Sealing ring; 6. Filter element; 61. Mounting pipe; 62. Filter layer; 7. Rectangular groove; 8. Support frame; 9. Reinforcing component; 91. Fixing base; 92. Adjusting rod; 93. Contact block; 10. Protective frame. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-5 This utility model provides a technical solution: a cleaning device for optical sensors in a cold chain warehouse unmanned forklift under condensation conditions, comprising:

[0025] The box body 1, optical sensor body 2, glass plate 3, cleaning mechanism 4 and drying component 5 are provided. The optical sensor body 2 is located inside the box body 1. The glass plate 3 is embedded in the top of the box body 1. The glass plate 3 is located at the detection end of the optical sensor body 2. The surface of the box body 1 is provided with a cleaning mechanism 4 to remove water droplets from the top of the glass plate 3, and the drying component 5 is provided inside.

[0026] The cleaning mechanism 4 includes a centrifugal fan 41, an exhaust pipe 42, an air inlet pipe 43, and an air duct 44. The centrifugal fan 41 is provided on one side of the box body 1. The air inlet end of the centrifugal fan 41 is connected to the air inlet pipe 43, and the air outlet end is connected to the exhaust pipe 42. One end of the exhaust pipe 42 is connected to the air duct 44 for blowing air onto the top of the glass plate 3.

[0027] Specifically, a cleaning mechanism 4 is installed on the surface of the housing 1, which can clean the glass plate 3 of the detection area of ​​the optical sensor body 2. In environments prone to condensation, it can blow away water droplets on the surface of the glass plate 3, which can quickly remove water droplets and avoid interference from the refraction and scattering of light detected by the optical sensor. This ensures that the optical sensor can continuously output accurate detection data in condensation environments, guaranteeing the stable operation of the unmanned forklift's positioning, navigation and other functions, and effectively reducing operational failures caused by sensor misjudgments. The housing 1 is fixed around the surface of the forklift by a mounting plate.

[0028] The air duct section 44 includes a connecting plate 441, a main pipe 442, and a branch pipe 443. The main pipe 442 is provided in the connecting plate 441. Several branch pipes 443 are connected to one side of the main pipe 442. The exhaust end of the branch pipe 443 penetrates the surface of the connecting plate 441, and the exhaust pipe 42 is connected to the main pipe 442. Several branch pipes 443 are inclined.

[0029] Furthermore, the exhaust end of the diverter pipe 443 penetrates the surface of the connecting plate 441, and the exhaust pipe 42 is connected to the main pipe 442. The centrifugal fan 41 compresses air into the exhaust pipe 42, and after entering the main pipe 442, it is discharged through the diverter pipe 443. Since the diameter of the diverter pipe 443 is smaller than that of the main pipe 442 and it is designed with an inclination, the airflow is accelerated in the diverter pipe 443 and blown towards the surface of the glass plate 3 at a specific angle. The inclination of the diverter pipe 443 allows the airflow to cover a larger area of ​​the glass plate 3, accelerating the shedding of water droplets. By adjusting the inclination angle of the diverter pipe 443, the airflow direction can be precisely controlled.

[0030] It also includes a filter element 6, which is located at the air intake end of the air intake pipe 43 and is used to intercept dust in the air. The filter element 6 includes an installation pipe 61 and a filter layer 62. The surface of the installation pipe 61 is threaded to the internal thread of the air intake pipe 43, and the filter layer 62 is installed inside the installation pipe 61.

[0031] It is worth noting that before the outside air enters the intake pipe 43, it first passes through the filter layer 62 to intercept dust particles. The filtered clean air enters the centrifugal fan 41 to prevent dust from entering the air duct 44 and the inside of the housing 1, thus avoiding dust accumulation on the sensor surface from affecting the detection accuracy and reducing fan wear. The filter layer 62 is a multi-stage filter, with the initial stage being coarse filtration and the subsequent stage being fine filtration. The threaded connection design allows the filter element 6 to be quickly disassembled and replaced, reducing maintenance costs.

[0032] The drying component 5 includes a rack 51, a baffle 52 and a sealing ring 53. The rack 51 is slidably mounted on the surface of the box body 1 for placing desiccant. A baffle 52 is fixedly mounted on one side of the rack 51, and a sealing ring 53 is fixedly mounted on the side of the baffle 52 near the box body 1.

[0033] It should be noted that the desiccant comes into contact with the air inside the box 1 through the hollow structure at the bottom of the placement rack 51, absorbing moisture. The baffle 52 and the sealing ring 53 work together to form a sealed environment to prevent external moisture from entering. The desiccant continuously absorbs moisture inside the box 1 to maintain a dry internal environment and prevent the sensor from condensing or being damaged by moisture. The sealing ring 53 fills the gap between the baffle 52 and the box 1 to improve the moisture-proof effect.

[0034] A rectangular groove 7 is provided on the surface of the sealing ring 53, and a support frame 8 for supporting the display rack 51 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the box body 1.

[0035] Specifically, the support frame 8 provides stable support for the display rack 51, the rectangular groove 7 deforms when the baffle 52 is pressed, enhancing the fit with the box body 1, the rectangular groove 7 causes the sealing ring 53 to expand outwards under pressure, filling tiny gaps and improving dustproof and waterproof performance, and the support frame 8 prevents the display rack 51 from sagging or shaking due to gravity, ensuring that the desiccant is evenly exposed to the air.

[0036] It also includes a reinforcement 9 that tightly fits the baffle 52 into the box body 1. The reinforcement 9 includes a fixed seat 91, an adjusting rod 92 and a contact block 93. The fixed seat 91 is fixed to the top of the box body 1. The adjusting rod 92 is threaded on its surface. The contact block 93 is rotatably installed on the surface of the adjusting rod 92. One side of the contact block 93 is in contact with the surface of the baffle 52.

[0037] Furthermore, rotating the adjusting rod 92 causes it to advance along the thread, pushing the abutment block 93 to press the baffle 52, and fixing the baffle 52 to the surface of the box 1 by friction; rotating the adjusting rod 92 in the opposite direction can release the baffle 52, and the mechanical pressing force ensures that the baffle 52 is tightly attached to the box 1 to prevent the desiccant from failing or external moisture from entering.

[0038] A protective frame 10 is fixedly installed inside the housing 1. The optical sensor body 2 is installed inside the protective frame 10, and the optical sensor surface cable passes through the surface of the housing 1 and extends there.

[0039] The protective frame 10 provides mechanical protection for the sensor. The cable passes through the sealed hole and exits the housing 1 to prevent the sensor from shifting or being damaged due to vibration or collision. The protective frame 10 buffers external impact forces to prevent the sensor from being damaged by the bumps during forklift operation.

[0040] A sealing ring 53 is provided at the connection point between the surface cable of the optical sensor and the housing 1;

[0041] Specifically, the sealing ring 53 fills the gap between the cable and the hole in the box 1 to prevent external moisture from seeping into the box 1 along the cable.

[0042] The optical sensor body 2 and the centrifugal fan 41 involved in this application are both implemented using existing mature technologies. Connecting to an external PLC controller and power supply is a conventional technique in this field, therefore, the specific circuit connections, control logic, and workflow will not be described in detail.

[0043] All threaded connections in this application are self-locking threaded connections, and their surfaces are coated with an anti-rust coating. They can still be used even when a small amount of dust is attached, making them suitable for humid environments.

[0044] In a cold chain warehouse, when an AI-powered unmanned forklift is in operation, multiple boxes 1 are installed on the surface of the forklift. Each box 1 contains an optical sensor. When water droplets form on the outer surface of the glass plate 3, a centrifugal fan 41 is activated, drawing outside air through a filter 6 and an intake pipe 43, into an exhaust pipe 42, and then into an air duct 44. The filtered air enters the main pipe 442 and then multiple branch pipes 443. These branch pipes 443 are inclined and smaller than the main pipe 442, allowing for high-speed airflow that blows away the water droplets on the outer surface of the glass plate 3. The filter 6 needs to be replaced periodically. The mounting tube 61 is threaded in and contains a desiccant inside the box 1 to ensure that the box 1 remains dry. A sealing ring 53 is provided on one side of the baffle 52, and a sealed environment is formed inside the box 1 under the action of the reinforcement 9. When the desiccant needs to be replaced, the adjusting rod 92 is rotated so that the end of the adjusting rod 92 does not press against the contact block 93, and the contact block 93 does not press against the baffle 52. The contact block 93 can be rotated so that it does not block the baffle 52, and the baffle 52 can be pulled out, which makes it convenient to replace the desiccant in the display rack 51. The bottom of the display rack 51 is hollow and the surface is provided with protrusions to limit the position of the desiccant.

[0045] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in a cold-chain warehouse under condensation environment, characterized in that, include: The box (1), optical sensor body (2), glass plate (3), cleaning mechanism (4) and drying component (5) are provided. The box (1) is equipped with optical sensor body (2), and the top of the box (1) is embedded with glass plate (3). The glass plate (3) is located at the detection end of optical sensor body (2). The surface of the box (1) is equipped with cleaning mechanism (4) to remove water droplets from the top of glass plate (3), and the inside is equipped with drying component (5). The cleaning mechanism (4) includes a centrifugal fan (41), an exhaust pipe (42), an air inlet pipe (43), and an air duct (44). The centrifugal fan (41) is provided on one side of the box body (1). The air inlet end of the centrifugal fan (41) is connected to the air inlet pipe (43), and the air outlet end is connected to the exhaust pipe (42). One end of the exhaust pipe (42) is connected to the air duct (44) for blowing air onto the top of the glass plate (3).

2. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air duct section (44) includes a connecting plate (441), a main pipe (442), and a branch pipe (443). The main pipe (442) is provided in the connecting plate (441). A number of branch pipes (443) are connected to one side of the main pipe (442). The exhaust end of the branch pipe (443) penetrates the surface of the connecting plate (441), and the exhaust pipe (42) is connected to the main pipe (442). All the branch pipes (443) are inclined.

3. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that: It also includes a filter element (6), which is located at the air intake end of the air intake pipe (43) and is used to intercept dust in the air. The filter element (6) includes an installation pipe (61) and a filter layer (62). The surface of the installation pipe (61) is threaded to the air intake pipe (43), and the filter layer (62) is installed inside the installation pipe (61).

4. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drying component (5) includes a rack (51), a baffle (52) and a sealing ring (53). The rack (51) is slidably mounted on the surface of the box body (1) for placing desiccant. A baffle (52) is fixedly mounted on one side of the rack (51), and a sealing ring (53) is fixedly mounted on the side of the baffle (52) near the box body (1).

5. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sealing ring (53) has a rectangular groove (7) on its surface, and a support frame (8) for supporting the display rack (51) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the box (1).

6. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a reinforcement component (9) that tightly fits the baffle (52) into the box body (1). The reinforcement component (9) includes a fixing seat (91), an adjusting rod (92), and an abutment block (93). The fixing seat (91) is fixed to the top of the box body (1), and the adjusting rod (92) is threaded on its surface. The abutment block (93) is rotatably mounted on the surface of the adjusting rod (92), and one side of the abutment block (93) is in contact with the surface of the baffle (52).

7. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that: A protective frame (10) is fixedly installed inside the box (1), and the optical sensor body (2) is installed inside the protective frame (10), and the optical sensor surface cable passes through the surface of the box (1) and extends.

8. The optical sensor cleaning device for unmanned forklifts in cold chain warehouses under condensation conditions according to claim 7, characterized in that: A sealing ring (53) is provided at the connection between the surface cable of the optical sensor and the housing (1).

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