A wheel assembly and an automatic following shopping cart

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of wheel assembly and automatic following shopping cart, the wheel assembly includes two telescopic support beams along length direction, the opposite end of two The support beam is provided with the mounting seat for supporting shopping cart, the mounting seat has the connecting hole of through arrangement;The bottom of two The support beam is provided with a wheel, and the driving motor is connected on the wheel;Two The wheel is coaxially arranged along the length direction of The support beam, and respectively located corresponding The support beam is close to the position of The mounting seat.The utility model has the advantages of reasonable structure design, can be suitable for the modification of multiple shopping carts, and the modification cost is smaller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automatic following technology, and in particular to a wheel assembly and an automatic following shopping cart. Background Technology

[0002] Shopping, as an essential part of people's daily lives, occupies an important place. With the continuous development of technology, people have placed higher demands on the speed and convenience of shopping, leading to the emergence of automated following shopping carts. Currently, automated following technology mainly includes wireless positioning technology and camera-based target recognition and tracking technology. Wireless positioning technology mainly uses UWB technology, which has the characteristics of high precision and strong anti-interference ability, and is widely used in indoor positioning applications, enabling real-time accurate positioning of target objects. Camera visual recognition can achieve following and path planning of a specified user based on image data. Both technologies are maturely applied in navigation and tracking systems of automated guidance equipment, smart suitcases, and industrial mobile robots. Most existing automated shopping carts are designed and manufactured as a whole, requiring complete replacement, which is costly. Therefore, the applicant considers modifying existing shopping carts. Compared with ordinary shopping carts, automated following shopping carts need to add an automated following module and electric wheel assembly. The automated following module is mainly an electronic control component, which can adopt a modular integrated structure, requiring minimal modification to the shopping cart. Electric vehicle wheel assemblies require structural modifications to the front or rear wheels of shopping carts. Since existing supermarket shopping carts do not have standardized specifications and sizes, and hub-type wheels are wider than the original wheels, directly replacing the original wheels with hub-type wheels would not only be incompatible with the existing connection holes, but would also increase the width of the wheels, potentially affecting the original stacking and storage functions of the shopping cart. Therefore, designing a wheel assembly that can be used in various shopping carts has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is: how to provide a wheel assembly and an automatic following shopping cart with a reasonable structural design that can be applied to the modification of various shopping carts and has a low modification cost.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A wheel assembly, characterized in that it includes two support beams that are telescopically sleeved along the length direction, and one end of the two support beams opposite to each other is provided with a mounting seat for supporting a shopping cart, the mounting seat having a through connection hole; each of the two support beams has a wheel at its bottom, and a drive motor is connected to the wheel; the two wheels are coaxially arranged along the length direction of the support beams and are respectively located on the corresponding support beams near the mounting seats.

[0006] In the above structure, the two support beams are telescopically fitted, allowing the spacing between the mounting seats at both ends of the beams to be adjusted according to the shopping cart being modified. When modifying the shopping cart, the two front wheels or two rear wheels of the original cart are removed, leaving the other two casters. The support beams are then pulled out, positioning the two mounting seats at the original wheel locations. The mounting seats are then bolted to the original wheel positions to support the shopping cart. Since each wheel is connected to a drive motor, controlling the relative speed of the two wheels allows the shopping cart to move straight and turn. Furthermore, because the wheels are located on the support beams near the mounting seats, further inward than the original wheels, the width of the original cart body is not affected, allowing the shopping cart to retain its stacking and parking functionality after modification. Modifying existing shopping carts using the above wheel assembly is simple and cost-effective.

[0007] Furthermore, the drive motor is a hub motor and is integrated into the wheel.

[0008] Furthermore, the mounting base is provided with an adapter plate, and the connecting hole is provided on the adapter plate and matches the mounting hole of the original vehicle wheel; the mounting base and the adapter plate have corresponding bolt fixing holes and are detachably connected by bolts.

[0009] Since the adapter plate and mounting base are detachably connected by bolts, for different shopping cart models, only the adapter plate needs to be replaced, ensuring that the adapter plate's connection holes match the original cart's wheel mounting holes. Because the original cart's wheel mounting holes can be installed on the original shopping cart, the adapter plate's connection holes can also be installed on the original shopping cart. In this way, the adapter plate reduces the adaptation cost for different shopping cart models.

[0010] Furthermore, the support beam includes a support plate located at the bottom, the support plate having upwardly bent side plates on both sides, and a limiting strip bent towards the center at the top of the side plates; the outer contour dimensions of the inner support beam match the inner contour dimensions of the outer support beam, and each of the support plates has a through-hole locking threaded hole and a locking bolt is installed thereon, the locking bolt abutting against the other support plate.

[0011] In this way, a limiting space is formed between the limiting strips on the two side plates and the support plate. When the locking bolts are tightened inward to push the support plate, the inner support beam will push upward to push the limiting strip, thereby making the two support beams form a fixed connection.

[0012] Furthermore, the adapter plate has a first connecting plate extending toward the middle of the support beam. The width of the first connecting plate is smaller than the distance between the two side plates on the corresponding support beam. The bolt fixing hole includes a first bolt hole that penetrates the first connecting plate and a first threaded hole that penetrates the support plate. The first connecting plate and the support plate are fixedly connected to the first threaded hole by bolts passing through the first bolt hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the adapter plate has a second connecting plate bent upward on the side away from the support beam, and the mounting base has an upward-bent side baffle on the side away from the support beam. The second connecting plate has a through-hole, and the side baffle has a second bolt hole corresponding to the second threaded hole. The second connecting plate and the side baffle are fixedly connected to the second threaded hole by bolts passing through the second bolt hole.

[0014] This connection between the adapter plate and the support beam on both sides enhances the reliability of the connection.

[0015] Furthermore, a protective cover is fastened to the outer side of the side baffle, and the protective cover is made of elastic rubber.

[0016] In this way, the side panels can be covered with protective covers, thereby reducing the risk of injury from collisions and improving safety.

[0017] An automatic following shopping cart includes shopping carts that can be stacked and stored together, characterized in that the two front wheels or the two rear wheels of the shopping cart are configured as wheel assemblies as described above.

[0018] Furthermore, the shopping cart is equipped with a following system, which includes a flat rectangular housing. The width of the housing is smaller than the width of the front side of the shopping cart's interior, and the length is smaller than the height of the front side of the shopping cart's interior. The housing has a lifting mechanism arranged along its length in the middle, and a camera module is mounted on the top of the lifting mechanism. A battery module and a controller unit are disposed inside the housing, and the lifting mechanism, camera module, and battery module are all electrically connected to the controller unit. The housing is vertically attached to the front side of the shopping cart's interior, so that the lifting mechanism is vertically upward. The drive motor of the wheel is connected to the controller unit via wires.

[0019] In this way, the housing is flat and rectangular, with its length and width smaller than the height and width of the front side of the shopping cart's interior cavity, respectively. In use, the housing can be attached to the inside or outside of the front side of the shopping cart, with the lifting mechanism facing upwards. Since there is usually a gap between the front sides of two stacked shopping carts, attaching the housing to the front side minimizes the impact of the housing installation on the stacking function, achieving a non-destructive modification to existing shopping carts. Furthermore, by installing a camera module on top of the lifting mechanism, the camera module can be kept below the height of the front side of the shopping cart when the lifting mechanism is lowered, preventing the camera module from protruding and affecting the stacking function. When in operation, the lifting mechanism can be raised to provide the camera with a higher field of view, thus offering better tracking capabilities.

[0020] Furthermore, a rotatable and tiltable gimbal mechanism is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism, and the gimbal mechanism is electrically connected to the controller unit; at least three distributed UWB positioning modules are electrically connected to the controller unit.

[0021] In summary, this utility model has the advantages of reasonable structural design, applicability to the modification of various shopping carts, and low modification cost. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the shopping cart in this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the camera module in its raised state.

[0024] Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the stacked shopping cart configuration.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the wheel assembly.

[0026] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the wheel assembly.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal layout of the casing of the following system. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0029] In practical implementation: such as Figures 1 to 8As shown, an automatic following shopping cart includes a shopping cart that can be stacked and stored together. The two front wheels of the shopping cart are configured as wheel assemblies. The wheel assembly includes two support beams 1 that are telescopically sleeved along the length direction. One end of the two support beams 1 facing away from each other is provided with a mounting seat 11 for supporting the shopping cart. The mounting seat 11 has a through-hole. Each of the two support beams 1 has a wheel 2 at its bottom, and a drive motor is connected to the wheel 2. The two wheels 2 are coaxially arranged along the length direction of the support beams 1 and are respectively located on the corresponding support beams 1 near the mounting seat 11.

[0030] Because the two support beams are telescopically fitted, the distance between the mounting seats at both ends of the support beams can be adjusted according to the needs of the modified shopping cart. When modifying the shopping cart, remove the two front wheels or two rear wheels of the original shopping cart, keeping the other two swivel casters. Pull out the support beams so that the two mounting seats are located where the original wheels were. Secure the mounting seats to the original wheel positions with bolts to support the shopping cart. Since each wheel is connected to a drive motor, controlling the relative speed of the two wheels allows the shopping cart to move straight and turn. Furthermore, because the wheels are located on the support beams near the mounting seats, relatively inward compared to the original wheels, it does not affect the width of the original cart body, allowing the shopping cart to still have stacking and parking capabilities after modification. Modifying an existing shopping cart using the above wheel assembly is simple and cost-effective.

[0031] The shopping cart is equipped with a following system, which includes a shell 21 that is generally flat and rectangular. The width of the shell 21 is smaller than the width of the front side of the shopping cart's interior, and the length is smaller than the height of the front side of the shopping cart's interior. Figure 8 As shown, the housing 21 has a lifting mechanism 22 arranged along its length in the middle, and a camera module 23 is mounted on the top of the lifting mechanism 22; a battery module 24 and a controller unit 25 are arranged inside the housing 21, and the lifting mechanism 22, the camera module 23 and the battery module 24 are all electrically connected to the controller unit 25; specifically, a rotatable and tiltable gimbal mechanism 26 is mounted on the top of the lifting mechanism 22, the gimbal mechanism 26 is electrically connected to the controller unit 25, and the camera module 23 is mounted on the gimbal mechanism 26.

[0032] The housing 21 is vertically attached to the front side of the inner cavity of the shopping cart, so that the lifting mechanism 22 is vertically upward. In this embodiment, the drive motor is a hub motor integrated in the wheel 2 and connected to the controller unit 25 through a wire. The lifting mechanism 22 is an electric push rod installed in the housing 21.

[0033] Because the shell is generally flat and rectangular, and its length and width are smaller than the height and width of the front side of the shopping cart's interior, the shell is vertically attached to the front side of the shopping cart's interior. Figure 1 As shown, this minimizes the space occupied by the casing without requiring significant modifications to the existing shopping cart structure. This allows for non-destructive or minimal-destructive modification, facilitating restoration. Furthermore, the casing can be placed within the gap between two stacked carts, without affecting the cart's stacking function. Additionally, by mounting a camera module on the gimbal mechanism at the top of the lifting mechanism, the camera module can be raised, lowered, rotated vertically, and rotated horizontally. During use, the lifting module raises the camera module from inside the shopping cart, and the vertical and horizontal rotation of the gimbal mechanism allows the camera module to obtain a better field of view. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown; when stacking and organizing, the gimbal mechanism is reset, and the camera module is lowered into the shopping cart via the lifting module, as shown. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, this method protects the camera module without affecting the stacking of shopping carts.

[0034] In this embodiment, considering both positioning accuracy and integration, the controller unit 25 is electrically connected to three distributed UWB positioning modules 27. Two of the UWB positioning modules 27 are distributed within the housing 21, located at both ends of the bottom of the housing 21, while the third UWB positioning module 27 is located at the top of the lifting mechanism 22. The lifting mechanism increases the distance between one UWB positioning module and the others, thereby improving positioning accuracy. In practical implementation, the three UWB positioning modules 27 can also be arranged in a triangular pattern within the housing 21; or they can be connected by wires for easy placement at different locations on the shopping cart as needed.

[0035] The original wheel mounting hole arrangements differ for different shopping cart models. To reduce modification costs, an adapter plate 12 is provided on the mounting base 11. The connecting holes are located on the adapter plate 12 and match the original wheel mounting holes. Both the mounting base 11 and the adapter plate 12 have corresponding bolt holes and are detachably connected by bolts. For different shopping cart models, only the adapter plate needs to be replaced so that its connecting holes match the original wheel mounting holes. Since the original wheel mounting holes can be installed on the original shopping cart, the adapter plate's connecting holes can also be installed on the original shopping cart. In this way, the adaptation cost for different shopping cart models can be reduced using the adapter plate.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the support beam 1 includes a support plate 13 at the bottom, with upwardly bent side plates 14 on both sides of the support plate 13, and a limiting strip 15 bent towards the center at the top of the side plates 14; the outer contour dimensions of the inner support beam 1 match the inner contour dimensions of the outer support beam 1, and each support plate 13 has a through-hole locking threaded hole and a locking bolt is installed thereon, the locking bolt abutting against the other support plate 13. The adapter plate 12 has a first connecting plate extending toward the center of the support beam 1, the width of the first connecting plate being smaller than the distance between the two side plates 14 on the corresponding support beam 1, and the bolt fixing hole including a first bolt hole through the first connecting plate and a first threaded hole through the support plate 13; the first connecting plate and the support plate 13 are fixedly connected to the first threaded hole by bolts passing through the first bolt hole. The adapter plate 12 has a second connecting plate bent upwards on the side away from the support beam 1, and the mounting base 11 has a side baffle bent upwards on the side away from the support beam 1. The second connecting plate has a through-hole, and the side baffle has a second bolt hole corresponding to the second threaded hole. The second connecting plate and the side baffle are fixedly connected to the second threaded hole by bolts passing through the second bolt hole. This connection, with both sides of the adapter plate connected to the support beam, enhances the reliability of the connection.

[0037] To improve the safety of the modified parts, a protective cover made of elastic rubber is fitted onto the outer side of the side panel. By covering the side panel with the protective cover, the risk of injury from collisions is reduced, thus improving safety during use.

[0038] This embodiment only designs improvements to the structure and layout of the wheel assembly and the following system, and does not involve improvements to the following algorithm or following program control. The visual following or UWB following positioning used in actual following are both existing mature technologies.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A wheel assembly, characterized in that, It includes two support beams (1) that can be telescopically sleeved along the length direction. The two support beams (1) are provided with mounting seats (11) for supporting shopping carts at opposite ends. The mounting seats (11) have through connecting holes. Each of the two support beams (1) is provided with a wheel (2) at the bottom. The wheel (2) is connected to a drive motor. The two wheels (2) are coaxially arranged along the length direction of the support beams (1) and are respectively located on the corresponding support beams (1) near the mounting seats (11).

2. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive motor is a hub motor and is integrated into the wheel (2).

3. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base (11) is provided with an adapter plate (12), and the connecting hole is provided on the adapter plate (12) and matches the mounting hole of the original vehicle wheel; the mounting base (11) and the adapter plate (12) have corresponding bolt fixing holes and are detachably connected by bolts.

4. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The support beam (1) includes a support plate (13) at the bottom, and the support plate (13) has side plates (14) that bend upward on both sides. The top of the side plate (14) has a limiting strip (15) that bends towards the center. The outer contour dimensions of the inner support beam (1) match the inner contour dimensions of the outer support beam (1). Each support plate (13) has a through-hole locking threaded hole and a locking bolt is installed thereon. The locking bolt abuts against the other support plate (13).

5. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, The adapter plate (12) has a first connecting plate extending toward the middle of the support beam (1). The width of the first connecting plate is smaller than the distance between the two side plates (14) on the corresponding support beam (1). The bolt fixing hole includes a first bolt hole through the first connecting plate and a first threaded hole through the support plate (13). The first connecting plate and the support plate (13) are fixedly connected to the first threaded hole by bolts passing through the first bolt hole.

6. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The adapter plate (12) has a second connecting plate bent upward on the side away from the support beam (1), and the mounting base (11) has a side baffle bent upward on the side away from the support beam (1). The second connecting plate has a through second threaded hole, and the side baffle has a second bolt hole corresponding to the second threaded hole. The second connecting plate and the side baffle are fixedly connected to the second threaded hole by bolts passing through the second bolt hole.

7. The wheel assembly as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, A protective cover is fastened to the outer side of the side panel, and the protective cover is made of elastic rubber.

8. An automatic following shopping cart, comprising shopping carts that can be stacked and stored together, characterized in that, The two front wheels or two rear wheels of the shopping cart are configured as the wheel assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The automatic following shopping cart as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The shopping cart is equipped with a following system, which includes a flat rectangular housing (21). The width of the housing (21) is smaller than the width of the front side of the shopping cart cavity, and the length is smaller than the height of the front side of the shopping cart cavity. The middle of the housing (21) has a lifting mechanism (22) arranged along the length direction. A camera module (23) is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism (22). A battery module (24) and a controller unit (25) are arranged inside the housing (21). The lifting mechanism (22), the camera module (23) and the battery module (24) are all electrically connected to the controller unit (25). The housing (21) is vertically attached to the front side of the shopping cart cavity, so that the lifting mechanism (22) is vertically upward. The drive motor of the wheel (2) is connected to the controller unit (25) through a wire.

10. The automatic following shopping cart as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The top of the lifting mechanism (22) is equipped with a rotatable and tiltable gimbal mechanism (26), which is electrically connected to the controller unit (25); the controller unit (25) is electrically connected to at least three distributed UWB positioning modules (27).

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