A bin handling robot and a gripping mechanism therefor

Abstract

This invention relates to a bin-handling robot and a gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism includes at least a pair of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms, each with a hook at its front end. The hook is driven by a third drive mechanism and is equipped with a first positioning sensor and a second positioning sensor. The bin-handling robot includes the aforementioned gripping mechanism. This solution has the advantage of high load-bearing capacity in its gripping mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of engine bin handling technology, and in particular to a bin handling robot and its gripping mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of industrial automation, bin handling robots are crucial equipment for achieving intelligent warehousing and logistics. Currently, conventional bin handling robots on the market primarily complete their handling tasks by using a robotic arm to pick up or grip the sides of the bin. This design relies on a single actuator of the robotic arm and has the following shortcomings:

[0003] (1) The joint structure and drive system of the robotic arm limit the load capacity. It can usually only handle a single or small-weight bin, which is difficult to meet the needs of high-density and large-volume material transfer.

[0004] (2) Only one material box can be handled at a time, resulting in low overall transportation efficiency;

[0005] (3) Strict requirements are placed on the stacking state of the bins. It is impossible to effectively handle bins that are randomly stacked or have irregular postures. Manual intervention is required for pre-sorting, which increases the complexity of the operation. In actual application scenarios, the production materials are often randomly placed on the racks, which cannot meet the actual needs. (4) In the field of smart warehousing, the warehouse road surface is uneven. For application scenarios where multiple bins with open tops are moved at one time, the stability of the transport vehicle needs to be considered. In addition, even if the existing transport robots can move multiple bins at one time, they can only move the same type of material. They cannot move multiple different materials at one time and transfer or store them separately. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a bin handling robot and a gripping mechanism.

[0007] A gripping mechanism for a bin handling robot includes,

[0008] At least one pair of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms are provided. The arm mechanisms are driven to extend and retract forward and backward by a second drive mechanism. The front end of the arm mechanism is provided with a hook, which is driven by a third drive mechanism. The arm mechanism is provided with a first positioning sensor and a second positioning sensor. The sensing end of the first positioning sensor is set towards the material box and is used to detect whether the hook has moved to a first position. The sensing end of the second positioning sensor is set towards the direction away from the material box and is used to detect whether the hook has moved to a second position. In the first position, the gripper rotates to one side to establish a connection with the material box. In the second position, the gripper rotates to the other side to completely disengage from the material box.

[0009] The gripping mechanism uses a set of symmetrically arranged arms and hooks at their front ends to grip the material box from both sides. The gripping action involves forward and backward translation and up and down lifting, moving the material box along these paths. The gripping mechanism has a high load-bearing capacity. A first positioning sensor detects the distance between the hooks and the material box to determine if a connection has been established. A second positioning sensor determines the distance the hooks rotate in the opposite direction to ensure complete disengagement from the hooks. Using two different sensors allows it to adapt to material boxes of different sizes.

[0010] Preferably, the second drive mechanism drives synchronous extension and retraction in all arms of a pair of arm mechanisms.

[0011] Preferably, the second drive mechanism includes a second drive motor, a synchronous belt, and a lead screw mechanism. The lead screw mechanism corresponds one-to-one with the arm mechanism, and the output end of the second drive motor is transmitted to multiple lead screw mechanisms via the synchronous belt.

[0012] Preferably, the arm mechanism includes:

[0013] The first segment is fixed in position in the front-back direction. The cross-section of the first segment is I-shaped, and guide grooves are formed on both sides.

[0014] The second segment extends and retracts relative to the first segment, driven by a second drive mechanism.

[0015] A pair of guide connecting plates are fixed to the first section. One guide connecting plate is connected to at least two guide wheels arranged in the front-rear direction. The guide wheels of the pair of guide connecting plates are respectively located in the guide grooves on both sides of the first section.

[0016] Preferably, the guide wheel is disposed in the guide groove, and the guide connecting plate is provided with a wheel axle, which is inserted and engaged with the guide wheel; the wheel axle can adjust the gap between the guide wheel and the bottom of the guide groove from the inside and outside.

[0017] Preferably, the arm mechanism has a first mounting base at its front end, and the hook and third drive mechanism are mounted on the first mounting base; the first positioning sensor and the second positioning sensor are mounted on the hook; the upper end of the hook is connected to the first mounting base via a rotating shaft, and the lower end of the hook is configured as a hook connection part; the first positioning sensor is located near the lower end of the hook and is used to detect the distance between the hook and the material box; the second positioning sensor is located near the upper end of the hook, and the second positioning sensor determines whether to rotate to the second position by detecting the position of the positioning edge on the first mounting base.

[0018] A bin handling robot includes a gripping mechanism as described in any of the preceding claims; and further includes,

[0019] The chassis has wheel assemblies at its bottom;

[0020] A gantry is mounted on a chassis, and the gripping structure is slidably mounted on the gantry and driven to move up and down along the gantry by a first drive mechanism;

[0021] The transfer rack is mounted on a chassis and located on one side of the gantry. The chassis has multiple storage positions located on the moving path of the gripping mechanism.

[0022] Preferably, the wheel assembly includes a set of drive wheels disposed in the middle of the chassis and two sets of swivel wheels disposed on the front and rear sides of the chassis, wherein the drive wheels are floatingly mounted on the chassis.

[0023] Preferably, at least one set of casters is installed on both sides of the cable tray, which is arranged along the width of the chassis and is hinged to the chassis at the middle.

[0024] Preferably, the drive wheel is mounted on a floating mounting plate, and the floating mounting plate is connected to the chassis via a hinge shaft. The floating mounting plate can rotate around the hinge shaft and float up and down relative to the chassis. A first compression spring is provided between the floating mounting plate and the chassis. The up and down movement of the floating mounting plate causes the first compression spring to extend and retract synchronously.

[0025] Because of the above-mentioned solution, the gripping mechanism of this application has a strong load-bearing capacity and can handle multiple boxes at once, and is not limited to the same type of material, which can improve the material handling efficiency. In addition, it can grasp and handle disorderly stacked boxes, reducing the need for manual intervention. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a bin handling robot;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A structural diagram from another angle;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the third drive mechanism;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a guide connecting plate on one side;

[0030] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the guide connecting plate installation structure;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hook-and-claw installation structure;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the wheel assembly installation structure.

[0033] Figure label:

[0034] Chassis 1, drive wheel 11, floating mounting plate 112, first compression spring 113, caster wheel 12, cable tray 13;

[0035] Gantry 2, First drive mechanism 21

[0036] The components include: gripping mechanism 3, arm mechanism 31, first section 311, second section 312, guide connecting plate 313, guide wheel 314, hook 32, first positioning sensor 321, second positioning sensor 322, third drive mechanism 323, first mounting base 324, and positioning edge 3241.

[0037] 4 transit racks, 41 storage spaces

[0038] 3D laser sensor 5,

[0039] Material identification device 6. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below.

[0041] This embodiment discloses a bin handling robot and its gripping mechanism, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the system includes a chassis 1 with wheel assemblies at its bottom for driving the robot's movement; a gantry 2 mounted on the chassis 1, on which a gripping mechanism 3 is slidably connected, the gripping mechanism 3 being driven by a first drive mechanism 21 to move up and down along the gantry 2; the gripping mechanism 3 includes at least one pair of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms 31, the arm mechanisms 31 being driven by a second drive mechanism to extend and retract forward and backward, and the front end of the arm mechanism 31 having a hook 32, the hook 32 being driven by a third drive mechanism 323 to switch between a first position and a second position, in the first position, the material box between the hook 32 and the two arm mechanisms 31... A connection is established on both sides. In the second position, the hook 32 disengages from the material box between the two arm mechanisms 31. The transfer rack 4 is set on the chassis 1 and located on one side of the gantry 2. The chassis 1 has multiple storage positions 41, which are located on the moving path of the gripping mechanism 3. The 3D laser sensor 5 is used to identify the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of the material box. The controller adjusts the posture of the material box handling robot based on the information fed back by the sensor system, and grabs the corresponding material box and stores it in the storage position 41. The material identification device 6 is used to identify and record the material box information or the material information in the material box.

[0042] In the above scheme, the gripping mechanism 3 uses a set of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms 31 and its front-end hooks 32 to grip the material box from both sides. The gripping mechanism moves the material box by forward and backward translation and up and down lifting. The gripping mechanism 3 has a strong load-bearing capacity. A transfer rack 4 is set up to hold multiple material boxes. The material identification device 6 identifies and records the material information and its storage position 41 on the transfer rack 4, so that multiple material boxes can be transported at one time, and it is not limited to the same type of material, which can improve the material handling efficiency. The 3D laser sensor 5 identifies the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of the material box, which can realize the gripping and transportation of disorderly stacked material boxes, reducing the need for manual intervention.

[0043] Combination Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the wheel assembly includes a set of drive wheels 11 disposed in the middle of the chassis 1 and two sets of omnidirectional wheels 12 disposed on the front and rear sides of the chassis 1. The drive wheels 11 are floatingly mounted on the chassis 1. In this embodiment, the drive wheels 11 are mounted on a floating mounting plate 112, which is connected to the chassis 1 via a hinge shaft. The floating mounting plate 112 can rotate around the hinge shaft and float up and down relative to the chassis 1. A first compression spring 113 is provided between the floating mounting plate 112 and the chassis 1. The up and down movement of the floating mounting plate 112 causes the first compression spring 113 to extend and retract synchronously. The floating mounting plate 112 is disposed on both sides of the chassis 1, resulting in a compact structure. With the first compression spring 113 configured as described above, when the drive wheel 11 moves upward, the floating mounting plate 112 compresses the first compression spring 13 upward; when the drive wheel 11 moves downward, the reaction force of the first compression spring 113 presses down on the floating mounting plate 112, thereby enabling the first compression spring 113 to effectively absorb ground impacts.

[0044] Furthermore, at least one set of casters 12 is installed on both sides of the cable tray 13, which is arranged along the width direction of the chassis 1, and the middle of the cable tray 13 is hinged to the chassis 1. Thus, this set of casters 12 can move up and down along the chassis 1 with the cable tray 13, ensuring that at least one set of casters 12 and one set of drive wheels 11 are in contact with the ground during the movement of the chassis 1, thus ensuring the stability of movement.

[0045] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the gantry 2 is mounted on the chassis 1, and the gripping mechanism 3 is mounted on the gantry 2 to achieve lifting and lowering. In this embodiment, sliding grooves are provided along both sides of the gantry 2, and the gantry moves along these grooves. The gantry 2 mechanism can adopt a single-layer gantry 2 or a multi-layer gantry 2 similar to those in existing transport vehicles to achieve the required lifting height. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the first driving mechanism 21 is an electric cylinder, which drives the gripping mechanism 3 to move along the gantry 2.

[0046] Combination Figure 3-5As shown, the gripping mechanism 3 in this embodiment includes a pair of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms 31. The arm mechanism 31 has a two-segment structure. In other embodiments, depending on the required telescopic length, a multi-segment telescopic structure with more than two segments can be used. In this embodiment, the arm mechanism 31 includes: a first segment 311, fixed in the front-back direction, with an I-shaped cross-section and guide grooves on both sides; a second segment 312, driven by a second drive mechanism to telescopically extend and retract relative to the first segment 311; and a pair of guide connecting plates 313, fixed to the first segment 311. One guide connecting plate 313 is connected to at least two guide wheels 314 arranged in the front-back direction, and the guide wheels 314 of the pair of guide connecting plates 313 are respectively located in the guide grooves on both sides of the first segment 311. In this embodiment, the first segment 311 is relatively long, which, together with the at least four guide wheels 314 in the guide grooves, ensures the movement stability of the second segment 312 and enhances the overall strength of the arm mechanism 31. Thus, the gripping mechanism 3 can carry the material box and move it relative to the gantry 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0047] In this embodiment, the guide wheel 314 is disposed within the guide groove, and the guide connecting plate 313 is provided with an axle, which is inserted into and engaged with the guide wheel 314. The axle can adjust the gap between the guide wheel 314 and the bottom of the guide groove from both inside and outside. With this configuration, during installation, the guide connecting plate 313 can be fastened to the guide wheel 314 from both sides, and the guide wheel 314 provides an external limiting effect. The axle and the guide connecting plate 313 can be connected by threads, thereby adjusting the gap of the guide wheel 314 by adjusting the threads, ensuring that the guide wheel 314 can guide smoothly.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the pair of arm mechanisms 31 are synchronously extended and retracted by the same second drive motor. Specifically, the second drive mechanism includes a second drive motor and a synchronous belt. The output of the second drive motor is transmitted to all the arm mechanisms 31 in the pair via the synchronous belt. In this embodiment, the second segment 312 of one arm mechanism 31 is driven by a ball screw mechanism in conjunction with the second drive motor. One end of the ball screw is connected to the second segment 312, and both sides of the ball screw are connected to the output of the same second drive motor via the synchronous belt, so that they can be driven by the same second drive motor.

[0049] In this embodiment, the hook 32 is located at the front end of the second section 312 of the arm mechanism 31, combined with Figure 6As shown, the arm mechanism 31 has a first mounting base 324 at its front end, and the hook 32 and the third drive mechanism 323 are mounted on the first mounting base 324. The first positioning sensor 321 and the second positioning sensor 322 are mounted on the hook 32. The upper end of the hook 32 is connected to the first mounting base 324 via a rotating shaft, and the lower end of the hook 32 is configured as a hook connection part. The first positioning sensor 321 is located near the lower end of the hook 32 and is used to detect the distance between the hook 32 and the material box. The second positioning sensor 322 is located near the upper end of the hook 32. The second positioning sensor 322 determines whether to rotate to the second position by detecting the position of the positioning edge 3241 on the first mounting base 324. In this embodiment, after the hook 32 rotates a certain angle near the material box, the second positioning sensor 322 can sense the positioning edge 3241. After the hook 32 rotates a certain angle in the opposite direction to the material box, the second positioning sensor 322 cannot detect the positioning edge 3241. Therefore, by setting the positioning edge 3241 and cooperating with the second positioning sensor 322, the retraction position of the hook 32 can be controlled. The position of the claw 32 is located in two directions by two independent sensors, the first positioning sensor 321 and the second positioning sensor 322. Therefore, the position of the first position and / or the second position is not fixed for different sized bins, and can adapt to bins of different sizes.

[0050] The transfer rack 4 has a multi-layer structure, with multiple storage positions 41 stacked in the height direction. The height interval between adjacent storage positions 41 is greater than the height of the material bins. Each storage position 41 of the transfer rack 4 is located on the moving path of the gripping structure, so that the material bins picked up by the gripping mechanism 3 can be placed on the storage position 41. Figure 1 The transfer rack 4 is located on the front side of the gantry 2, and the storage positions 41 open to the front. It is understood that each storage position 41 is equipped with a positioning device, or in other embodiments, the positioning of the material box placement or retrieval position on each storage position 41 can be realized by the extension and retraction position of the arm mechanism 31 and the size setting of the gantry 2.

[0051] This embodiment of the bin-handling robot includes a 3D laser sensor 5, a material identification device 6, and a controller. The 3D laser sensor 5 is used to identify the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of the bins; the controller, based on information fed back from the sensor system, adjusts the posture of the bin-handling robot, grasps the corresponding bin, and stores it in storage location 41; the material identification device 6 is used to identify and record bin information or material information within the bin. Through the above coordination, the robot can identify and handle disorderly arranged bins, extract them, and place them on the transfer rack 4. Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the upper end of the gantry 2 is provided with a support extending forward. A 3D laser sensor 5 and a material identification device 6 for positioning and identifying the material bins are mounted on this support, providing a better field of view and enabling accurate identification of the positions of invalidally discharged material bins at the front, thus assisting the robot in accurate positioning. The specific implementation of the 3D laser sensor 5 in identifying the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of an object is a conventional technique in this field. The basic process involves laser scanning to generate point cloud data, processing and extracting features, and then using coordinate transformation to realize the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of the object to be identified. To improve recognition accuracy, in a preferred embodiment, a depth camera is also provided to cooperate with the 3D laser sensor 5 in identifying the three-dimensional spatial position and posture of the material bins.

[0052] In one specific embodiment, the material bin contains a QR code with material information, and the material identification device 6 is a code reader, thereby enabling rapid identification of the material information. In other embodiments, the material identification device 6 can also directly identify the material information in the material bin through image recognition.

[0053] It should be noted that the bin-carrying robot in this embodiment has an automatic navigation system, which can automatically adjust its posture and move automatically, transferring the bins it carries between various processes. This automatic navigation system can refer to the autonomous driving system of robots or vehicles such as AGVs, and will not be described in detail here.

[0054] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand 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 claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A gripping mechanism of a bin handling robot, characterized in that, include, At least one pair of symmetrically arranged arm mechanisms are provided. The arm mechanisms are driven to extend and retract forward and backward by a second drive mechanism. The front end of the arm mechanism is provided with a hook, which is driven by a third drive mechanism. The arm mechanism is provided with a first positioning sensor and a second positioning sensor. The sensing end of the first positioning sensor is set towards the material box and is used to detect whether the hook has moved to a first position. The sensing end of the second positioning sensor is set towards the direction away from the material box and is used to detect whether the hook has moved to a second position. In the first position, the gripper rotates to one side to establish a connection with the material box. In the second position, the gripper rotates to the other side to completely disengage from the material box.

2. The grab mechanism of the bin handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, In a pair of arm mechanisms, the second drive mechanism drives synchronous extension and retraction of all arm mechanisms.

3. The grab mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The second drive mechanism includes a second drive motor, a synchronous belt, and a lead screw mechanism. The lead screw mechanism corresponds one-to-one with the arm mechanism, and the output of the second drive motor is transmitted to multiple lead screw mechanisms via the synchronous belt.

4. The bin handling robot of claim 1, wherein, The arm mechanism includes: The first segment is fixed in position in the front-back direction. The cross-section of the first segment is I-shaped, and guide grooves are formed on both sides. The second segment extends and retracts relative to the first segment, driven by a second drive mechanism. A pair of guide connecting plates are fixed to the first section. One guide connecting plate is connected to at least two guide wheels arranged in the front-rear direction. The guide wheels of the pair of guide connecting plates are respectively located in the guide grooves on both sides of the first section.

5. The grab mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The guide wheel is set in the guide groove, and the guide connecting plate is provided with a wheel axle, which is inserted and matched with the guide wheel; the wheel axle can adjust the gap between the guide wheel and the bottom of the guide groove from the inside and outside.

6. The grab mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The arm mechanism has a first mounting base at its front end, on which the hook and third drive mechanism are mounted. The first positioning sensor and the second positioning sensor are mounted on the hook. The upper end of the hook is connected to the first mounting base via a rotating shaft, and the lower end of the hook is configured as a hook connection part. The first positioning sensor is located near the lower end of the hook and is used to detect the distance between the hook and the material box. The second positioning sensor is located near the upper end of the hook and determines whether to rotate to the second position by detecting the position of the positioning edge on the first mounting base.

7. A magazine handling robot characterized by, Includes the gripping mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-6; further includes a chassis with a wheel assembly at its bottom; A gantry is mounted on a chassis, and the gripping structure is slidably mounted on the gantry and driven to move up and down along the gantry by a first drive mechanism; The transfer rack is mounted on a chassis and located on one side of the gantry. The chassis has multiple storage positions located on the moving path of the gripping mechanism.

8. A magazine handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that The wheel assembly includes a set of drive wheels located in the middle of the chassis and two sets of swivel wheels located on the front and rear sides of the chassis. The drive wheels are floatingly mounted on the chassis.

9. A magazine handling robot according to claim 8, characterized in that At least one set of casters is installed on both sides of the cable tray, which is arranged along the width of the chassis and is hinged to the chassis at the middle.

10. The bin handling robot of claim 8, wherein, The drive wheel is mounted on the floating mounting plate, which is connected to the chassis via a hinge shaft. The floating mounting plate can rotate around the hinge shaft and float up and down relative to the chassis. A first compression spring is provided between the floating mounting plate and the chassis. The floating mounting plate's up and down movement causes the first compression spring to extend and retract synchronously.

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