Clamping device and transport vehicle

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the technical field of tooling fixtures, and discloses a clamping device and a transport vehicle. The clamping device includes two clamping units arranged in a mirror-symmetrical configuration. Each clamping unit includes: a base with an arc-shaped sidewall; an arc-shaped slide rod slidably disposed in the base near the arc-shaped sidewall, the sliding direction being along its own arc-shaped extension direction, the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped slide rod and the arc-shaped sidewall coinciding; a drive assembly disposed on the base and drivenly connected to the arc-shaped slide rod, used to drive the arc-shaped slide rod to slide relative to the base; the arc-shaped sidewalls of the two clamping units each have one end close to each other, the two ends being located on opposite sides of the symmetrical mirror surface of the two clamping units; the arc-shaped slide rods of the two clamping units each have their own curvature center axis parallel to the symmetrical mirror surface, the two curvature center axes being located on opposite sides of the symmetrical mirror surface. The clamping device can form a ring structure to achieve stable clamping of cylindrical items to be transported.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of tooling fixtures, such as clamping devices and transport vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industrial production and logistics transportation, clamping devices, as key material handling auxiliary equipment, are widely used in the grabbing, clamping and loading / unloading of various items, effectively improving the automation level and operational efficiency of material transfer.

[0003] Most clamping devices in related technologies adopt a flat clamping structure, which clamps and releases objects by driving two oppositely arranged clamping plates to move towards or away from each other. However, this type of structure has obvious limitations when dealing with cylindrical workpieces: the contact area between the flat clamping plates and the cylindrical surface is small, the clamping stability is poor, and slippage or overturning is prone to occur, making it difficult to achieve reliable gripping.

[0004] Taking intelligent cotton textile production as an example, cotton sliver cans are usually cylindrical in shape, and their handling process requires high stability and safety in clamping. However, traditional flat clamping devices cannot effectively fit the curved shape of the cotton sliver can, resulting in insecure clamping and inaccurate positioning. It is evident that there is still a lack of clamping devices in related technologies that can stably and reliably clamp cylindrical items. Utility Model Content

[0005] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0006] This disclosure provides a clamping device and a transport vehicle. The clamping device can form a ring structure, which can fit tightly against the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical object to achieve stable and reliable clamping.

[0007] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an embodiment of this disclosure provides a clamping device 100, including two clamping units 1 arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner, each clamping unit 1 including: The base 11 has an arc-shaped sidewall 110; The arc-shaped slide bar 12 is slidably disposed in the base 11 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, the sliding direction is along its own arc-shaped extension direction, and the arc-shaped slide bar 12 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 coincide in curvature center axis. The drive assembly 13 is disposed on the base 11 and is connected to the arc-shaped slide bar 12 for driving the arc-shaped slide bar 12 to slide relative to the base 11. The two clamping units 1 have arc-shaped sidewalls 110, each with one end close to the other, and the two ends are located on both sides of the symmetrical mirror surface of the two clamping units 1; the two clamping units 1 have arc-shaped sliding rods 12, each with its own curvature center axis parallel to the symmetrical mirror surface, and the two curvature center axes are located on both sides of the symmetrical mirror surface.

[0008] In some embodiments, the base 11 is provided with an arc-shaped groove 111, which is located in the region of the base 11 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, and the arc-shaped groove 111 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 coincide in the center axis of curvature. The arc-shaped slide bar 12 is embedded in the arc-shaped slide groove 111 and interacts with the arc-shaped slide groove 111 so that the sliding direction of the arc-shaped slide bar 12 is along its own arc-shaped extension direction.

[0009] In some embodiments, the base 11 includes: The substrate 112 has an arc-shaped sidewall 110; The arc-shaped guide rail 113 is located in the region of the substrate 112 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, and the arc-shaped groove 111 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 coincide in curvature center axis. The arc-shaped guide rail 113 has an arc-shaped groove 111 along its own arc-shaped extension direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the driving component 13 includes: Motor 131; The pulley assembly 132 is connected to the motor 131 via a transmission connection. The belt 133 is wrapped around each pulley 1321 in the pulley assembly 132, and its two ends are respectively connected to the two ends of the arc-shaped slide bar 12.

[0011] In some embodiments, the pulley assembly 132 includes a plurality of pulleys 1321 rotatably disposed on the base 11, and the motor 131 is drivenly connected to one of the pulleys 1321; Each pulley 1321 is located on the side of the arc-shaped guide rail 113 away from the arc-shaped sidewall 110, and multiple pulleys 1321 are distributed along the arc-shaped extension direction of the arc-shaped sidewall 110.

[0012] In some embodiments, the clamping unit 1 further includes a slide bar detection component 14, which is used to detect the position of the arc-shaped slide bar 12.

[0013] In some embodiments, the slider detection assembly 14 includes: The sensing element is fixed to the arc-shaped slide bar 12; Two detectors are fixed to the base 11 and distributed along the arcuate extension direction of the arcuate sidewall 110.

[0014] In some embodiments, the clamping device 100 includes an item detector 2, which is disposed between the bases 11 of the two clamping units 1 for detecting the position of the item to be transported.

[0015] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, embodiments of this disclosure provide a transport vehicle, comprising: Mobile vehicle body 200; The first aspect of this disclosure provides a clamping device 100, wherein the base 11 of each clamping unit 1 of the clamping device 100 is fixed to the mobile vehicle body 200.

[0016] In some embodiments, the transport vehicle further includes an item recognition radar 300, which is disposed on the transport vehicle body 200.

[0017] The clamping device and transport vehicle provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects: When a cylindrical object needs to be clamped, the drive assembly 13 of each clamping unit 1 is activated, driving its corresponding arc-shaped slide bar 12 to slide relative to the base 11 along an arc-shaped trajectory, so that the arc-shaped slide bar 12 extends at least partially outside the base 11. As the two mirror-symmetrical clamping units 1 move synchronously, their arc-shaped slide bars 12 move towards each other and perform a hugging action, ultimately forming an approximately closed annular structure with the arc-shaped sidewalls 110 of the base 11 of the two clamping units 1 and the arc-shaped slide bars. This annular structure can fit tightly against the outer circumference of the cylindrical object, achieving stable and reliable clamping. When it is necessary to release the object, the drive assembly 13 moves in the opposite direction, driving the arc-shaped slide bar 12 back to its initial position along the original trajectory, restoring the clamping unit 1 to its initial state, thereby releasing the clamp on the object and completing the unloading action.

[0018] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the two clamps and the symmetrical mirror surface of a clamping device 100 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clamping device 100 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of a drive assembly 13 and an arc-shaped slide bar 12 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base 11 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transport vehicle provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from one view. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a transport vehicle provided in an embodiment of this disclosure from another perspective.

[0020] The explanations of the symbols in the attached figures are as follows: 100 clamping device; 1 clamping unit; 11 base, 110 arc-shaped sidewalls; 111 Arc-shaped groove, 112 Base plate, 113 Arc-shaped guide rail; 12 arc-shaped sliding rods; 13. Driver components; 131 motor, 132 pulley assembly, 1321 pulley, 133 belt; 14 Sliding bar detection assembly, 141 Sensing element, 142 Detector; 15. Belt fastener; 16. Belt clamp; 2. Item detector; 200 mobile vehicle bodies, 300 object recognition radars; 400 First obstacle avoidance radar, 500 Second obstacle avoidance radar. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0022] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar articles and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0023] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0024] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the items before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0025] The term "and / or" describes an association between items, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0026] The term "correspondence" can refer to an association or binding relationship. The correspondence between A and B means that there is an association or binding relationship between A and B.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this embodiment of the disclosure provides a clamping device 100, which includes two clamping units 1 arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner. Plane A is a mirror surface of the two clamping units 1, and the two clamping units 1 are located on opposite sides of the mirror surface. Each clamping unit 1 includes a base 11, an arc-shaped slide rod 12, and a drive assembly 13. The base 11 has [missing information]. The arc-shaped slide rod 12 is slidably disposed in the base 11 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, with the sliding direction along its own arc-shaped extension direction, and the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 coincides with that of the arc-shaped sidewall 110. Figure 1 As shown, L1 represents the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 of one clamping unit 1, and L2 represents the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 of the other clamping unit 1. The driving assembly 13 is disposed on the base 11 and is connected to the arc-shaped slide rod 12 for driving the arc-shaped slide rod 12 to slide relative to the base 11. The arc-shaped sidewalls 110 of the two clamping units 1 each have one end close to each other, and the two ends are located on opposite sides of the symmetrical mirror surface of the two clamping units 1. The curvature center axes of the arc-shaped slide rods 12 of the two clamping units 1 are parallel to the symmetrical mirror surface, and the two curvature center axes are located on opposite sides of the symmetrical mirror surface.

[0028] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device 100 in its initial state. When a cylindrical item to be transported needs to be clamped, the drive assembly 13 of each clamping unit 1 is activated, driving its corresponding arc-shaped slide bar 12 to slide relative to the base 11 along an arc-shaped trajectory, so that the arc-shaped slide bar 12 extends at least partially outside the base 11. As the two mirror-symmetrical clamping units 1 move synchronously, their arc-shaped slide bars 12 move towards each other and perform a hugging action, ultimately causing the arc-shaped sidewalls 110 of the base 11 of the two clamping units 1 and the arc-shaped slide bars to form an approximately closed annular structure. This annular structure can fit tightly against the outer circumference of the cylindrical item, achieving stable and reliable clamping. When it is necessary to release the item, the drive assembly 13 moves in the opposite direction, driving the arc-shaped slide bar 12 back to its initial position along the original trajectory, restoring the clamping unit 1 to its initial state, thereby releasing the clamp on the item and completing the unloading action.

[0029] In some embodiments, the base 11 is provided with an arc-shaped groove 111, which is located in the region of the base 11 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, and the center axis of curvature of the arc-shaped groove 111 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 coincide. An arc-shaped slide rod 12 is embedded in the arc-shaped groove 111 and interacts with it so that the sliding direction of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 is along its own arc-shaped extension direction. The embedding and interaction of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 in the arc-shaped groove 111 ensures the smoothness of the arc-shaped slide rod 12 during sliding. This reduces friction and unnecessary vibration, helps extend the service life of the clamping device 100, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0030] In some embodiments, the base 11 includes a substrate 112 and an arc-shaped guide rail 113. The substrate 112 has an arc-shaped sidewall 110. The arc-shaped guide rail 113 is located in the region of the substrate 112 near the arc-shaped sidewall 110, and the arc-shaped groove 111 and the arc-shaped sidewall 110 coincide in curvature center axis. The arc-shaped guide rail 113 has an arc-shaped groove 111 formed along its own arc-shaped extension direction.

[0031] The base plate 112 primarily serves as a structural support, while the arc-shaped guide rail 113 can be made of high-hardness, wear-resistant materials and precision-machined to ensure the surface finish and dimensional accuracy of the slide groove. This modular design reduces the difficulty of directly machining the high-precision arc-shaped slide groove 111 onto the integral base 11, thus lowering the overall manufacturing cost. As a wear-prone component, the arc-shaped guide rail 113 can be independently disassembled and installed. When the slide groove wears down due to long-term use, it is not necessary to replace the entire base 11; only the guide rail needs to be replaced to restore performance, reducing maintenance costs and downtime.

[0032] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 13 includes a motor 131, a pulley assembly 132, and a belt 133. The motor 131 is connected to the pulley assembly 132 for transmission. The belt 133 wraps around each pulley 1321 in the pulley assembly 132, and both ends of the belt 133 are connected to the two ends of the arc-shaped slide bar 12. The two ends of the belt 133 are connected to the two ends of the arc-shaped slide bar 12, forming a closed-loop traction structure. The motor 131 drives the pulley assembly 132 to rotate, thereby driving the belt 133 to move, and finally the belt 133 drives the arc-shaped slide bar 12 to slide. The belt 133 transmission is a flexible transmission with good vibration reduction and buffering performance, which can effectively absorb the impact during the start-up, stop, or speed change of the motor 131 and reduce stress damage to the mechanical structure.

[0033] In some embodiments, the pulley assembly 132 includes a plurality of pulleys 1321 rotatably disposed on the base 11, and the motor 131 is drivenly connected to one of the pulleys 1321. Each pulley 1321 is located on the side of the arcuate guide rail 113 away from the arcuate sidewall 110, and the plurality of pulleys 1321 are distributed along the arcuate extension direction of the arcuate sidewall 110.

[0034] Multiple pulleys 1321 are distributed along the extension direction of the arc-shaped guide rail 113, providing multi-point support and guidance for the belt 133. This effectively prevents the belt 133 from sagging, vibrating, or deviating during long arc-shaped movements, ensuring smooth and reliable transmission. It is particularly suitable for clamping actions with large curvature radii or long strokes. In addition, the multiple pulleys 1321 share the tension and running load of the belt 133, reducing local stress concentration, reducing belt 133 wear, extending the service life of the belt 133 and pulleys 1321, and improving system durability.

[0035] In some embodiments, the belt 133 is a toothed belt, and the pulley 1321 is a toothed pulley. The toothed belt and the toothed pulley transmit power through the meshing of teeth and grooves, avoiding slippage that exists in the belt 133 drive.

[0036] In some embodiments, the clamping device 100 further includes a slide bar detection component 14, which is used to detect the position of the arc-shaped slide bar 12. By acquiring the position information of the arc-shaped slide bar 12 in real time, the opening and closing state of the clamping unit 1 can be accurately determined, thereby achieving high-precision closed-loop control of the clamping action. This helps to accurately control the clamping force and clamping stroke, avoiding deformation or damage to the item (such as a tampon tube) due to over-clamping, or slippage of the item due to insufficient clamping. In some embodiments, the slide bar detection assembly 14 includes a sensing plate 141 and two detectors 142. The sensing plate 141 is fixed to the arc-shaped slide bar 12, and the two detectors 142 are fixed to the base 11. The two detectors 142 are distributed along the arc-shaped extension direction of the arc-shaped sidewall 110. The two detectors 142 correspond to the initial position and the target clamping position of the clamping device 100, respectively. By triggering the detectors 142 as the sensing plate 141 moves with the slide bar, it is possible to accurately determine whether the clamping unit 1 is in position. One detector 142 is used to confirm that the slide bar has returned to the initial position, ensuring that the transport vehicle can safely approach the item; the other detector 142 is used to confirm that the slide bar has fully extended and completed clamping, ensuring that the item is reliably gripped.

[0037] In some embodiments, the clamping device 100 includes an item detector 2, which is disposed between the bases 11 of the two clamping units 1 and is used to detect the position of the clamped item. The item detector 2 may be a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an inductive proximity switch, or a capacitive proximity switch, etc.

[0038] The item detector 2 is located between the two clamping units 1, directly facing the clamping area. It can detect in real time whether the item to be clamped has been accurately positioned before the clamping action is initiated. This can avoid clamping failure, misalignment, or collision caused by the item being clamped shifting, tilting, or not being placed in place, ensuring the safety and success rate of the clamping action.

[0039] In some embodiments, the clamping unit 1 further includes a belt fixing member 15 and a belt clamping member 16 connected to each other. The belt fixing member 15 is fixedly connected to the arc-shaped slide bar 12, and the belt clamping member 16 clamps the end of the belt 133 and is fixedly connected to the belt 133.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a transport vehicle, which includes a mobile vehicle body 200 and a clamping device 100. The base 11 of each clamping unit 1 of the clamping device 100 is fixed to the mobile vehicle body 200. The mobile vehicle body 200 may be an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

[0041] In some embodiments, the transport vehicle further includes an object recognition radar 300, which is disposed on the transport vehicle body 200. The object recognition radar 300 scans the surrounding environment in real time, constructs a local map, and can identify static and dynamic obstacles, enabling autonomous obstacle avoidance and safe driving. When approaching the item to be transported, the object recognition radar 300 provides high-precision spatial coordinate information, guiding the transport vehicle to accurately stop at the clamping position, ensuring that the clamping device 100 is aligned with the item to be transported, and avoiding clamping failure due to positioning deviation.

[0042] In some embodiments, the transport vehicle further includes a first obstacle avoidance radar 400 and a second obstacle avoidance radar 500, which are disposed at different heights on the transport vehicle, wherein the first obstacle avoidance radar 400 is positioned higher than the second obstacle avoidance radar 500. The first obstacle avoidance radar 400 is used to identify obstacles at higher locations on the work site, and the second obstacle avoidance radar 500 is used to identify obstacles at lower locations on the work site.

[0043] In some embodiments, the mobile vehicle body 200 includes a power compartment, a battery storage compartment, and a support frame arranged sequentially from bottom to top. A first obstacle avoidance radar 400 is disposed on the support frame, and a second obstacle avoidance radar 500 is disposed between the power compartment and the battery storage compartment.

[0044] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely principles of this invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A clamping device (100), characterized in that, It includes two clamping units (1) arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner, each clamping unit (1) including: The base (11) has an arc-shaped sidewall (110); An arc-shaped slide bar (12) is slidably disposed in the base (11) near the arc-shaped sidewall (110), with the sliding direction along its own arc-shaped extension direction, and the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped slide bar (12) and the arc-shaped sidewall (110) coincide. A drive assembly (13) is disposed on the base (11) and is connected to the arc-shaped slide bar (12) for driving the arc-shaped slide bar (12) to slide relative to the base (11); The arc-shaped sidewalls (110) of the two clamping units (1) each have one end close to each other, and the two ends are located on both sides of the symmetrical mirror surface of the two clamping units (1); the arc-shaped sliding rods (12) of the two clamping units (1) each have their own curvature center axis parallel to the symmetrical mirror surface, and the two curvature center axes are located on both sides of the symmetrical mirror surface.

2. The hugging device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The base (11) is provided with an arc-shaped groove (111), which is located in the area of ​​the base (11) near the arc-shaped sidewall (110), and the curvature center axis of the arc-shaped groove (111) and the arc-shaped sidewall (110) coincide. The arc-shaped slide bar (12) is embedded in the arc-shaped slide groove (111) and interacts with the arc-shaped slide groove (111) so that the sliding direction of the arc-shaped slide bar (12) is along its own arc-shaped extension direction.

3. The hugging device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that The base (11) includes: The substrate (112) has an arc-shaped sidewall (110); The arc-shaped guide rail (113) is located in the region of the substrate (112) near the arc-shaped sidewall (110), and the arc-shaped groove (111) and the arc-shaped sidewall (110) coincide in curvature center axis. The arc-shaped guide rail (113) has an arc-shaped groove (111) along its own arc-shaped extension direction.

4. The hugging device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that The driver component (13) includes: Motor (131); The pulley assembly (132) is connected to the motor (131) via a transmission. A belt (133) surrounds each pulley (1321) in the pulley assembly (132), and its two ends are respectively connected to the two ends of the arc-shaped slide bar (12).

5. The hugging device (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that The pulley assembly (132) includes a plurality of pulleys (1321) rotatably mounted on the base (11), and the motor (131) is drivenly connected to one of the pulleys (1321); Each pulley (1321) is located on the side of the arc-shaped guide rail (113) away from the arc-shaped sidewall (110), and multiple pulleys (1321) are distributed along the arc-shaped extension direction of the arc-shaped sidewall (110).

6. The clamping device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit (1) also includes a slide bar detection component (14), which is used to detect the position of the arc-shaped slide bar (12).

7. The hugging device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that The slider detection assembly (14) includes: The sensing element is fixed to the arc-shaped slide bar (12); Two detectors are fixed to the base (11) and distributed along the arcuate extension direction of the arcuate sidewall (110).

8. The hugging device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The clamping device (100) includes an item detector (2), which is disposed between the bases (11) of the two clamping units (1) for detecting the position of the item to be transported.

9. A carrier vehicle characterized in that include: Mobile vehicle body (200); The clamping device (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 has a base (11) of each clamping unit (1) of the clamping device (100) fixed to the mobile vehicle body (200).

10. The truck of claim 9, wherein, The transport vehicle also includes an item recognition radar (300), which is installed on the transport vehicle body (200).

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