Lifting device and bin handling robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses a lifting device and material box carrying robot, wherein, lifting device includes lifting mechanism and guide mechanism, and guide mechanism includes stand, and the stand is provided with guide rail along height direction, and lifting mechanism moves along guide rail lifting, and lifting mechanism includes mounting panel, guide wheel subassembly and drive assembly, and drive assembly is used for exerting force to lifting mechanism to make lifting mechanism move along guide rail lifting, at least two groups of guide wheel subassembly that mounting panel is provided with along the distribution of stand height direction, and guide wheel subassembly rotatoryly connects mounting panel, and guide wheel subassembly includes first rotation axis, guide wheel seat and main guide wheel, and first rotation axis fixedly connected guide wheel seat, and main guide wheel is at least equipped with two and is distributed in the two sides of first rotation axis along the guide direction of guide rail, and the rotating direction of main guide wheel is same with the rotating direction of first rotation axis. Application can make each main guide wheel of guide wheel subassembly even stress, and improve the bearing capacity and service life of guide wheel subassembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of warehouse robot technology, and in particular to a lifting device and a bin handling robot. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, bin handling robots use a lifting device to drive the actuator to move up and down in the vertical direction. The lifting device reduces the friction between the lifting part and the guide rail by having guide roller assemblies roll within the guide rails of the gantry. However, in existing technologies, the positions of the guide rollers in the guide roller assemblies are mostly completely fixed, while the guide rails of the gantry have a certain degree of torsion and assembly error. This results in uneven force on the guide rollers within the guide rails, meaning that one or more guide rollers in the guide roller assembly experience greater force, while others experience less force. On the one hand, long-term uneven force on the guide rollers within the guide roller assembly can lead to damage to the guide roller assembly and shorten its service life. On the other hand, the lifting device has low load-bearing capacity and poor adaptability, requiring the use of different sized lifting devices and guide rollers when lifting bins and goods of different weights. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application aims to address one of the technical problems in related technologies to a certain extent. To this end, this application provides a lifting device and a bin-handling robot that exhibit uniform force distribution and high load-bearing capacity.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: a lifting device, including a lifting mechanism and a guiding mechanism, the guiding mechanism including a column, the column being provided with a guide rail along the height direction, the lifting mechanism moving up and down along the guide rail, the lifting mechanism including a mounting plate, a guide wheel assembly and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being used to apply a force to the lifting mechanism so that the lifting mechanism moves up and down along the guide rail; The mounting plate is provided with at least two sets of guide wheel assemblies distributed along the height direction of the column, and the guide wheel assemblies are rotatably connected to the mounting plate; The guide wheel assembly includes a first rotating shaft, a guide wheel seat, and a main guide wheel. The first rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the guide wheel seat. At least two main guide wheels are provided and distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft along the guiding direction of the guide rail. The rotation direction of the main guide wheels is the same as the rotation direction of the first rotating shaft.

[0005] In this technical solution, the interaction force between at least two sets of guide wheel assemblies arranged along the height direction and the guide rail makes the mounting plate bear the force in balance. Through the rotational connection between the guide wheel seat and the mounting plate, each of the main guide wheels distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft in the guide wheel assembly can be in contact with the guide rail and bear the force evenly, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the guide wheel assembly, preventing deformation and damage caused by uneven force on each guide wheel in the guide wheel assembly over a long period of time, and improving the service life of the lifting device.

[0006] Preferably, the guide rail has a first guide surface and a second guide surface that are disposed opposite to each other, and a third guide surface that connects the first guide surface and the second guide surface. The main guide wheel rolls along the first guide surface or the second guide surface of the guide rail. The guide wheel assembly also includes a side guide wheel, which is rotatably connected to the guide wheel seat and can roll along the third guide surface of the guide rail.

[0007] Preferably, the guide wheel assembly includes two main guide wheels distributed along the guiding direction of the guide rail, and two side guide wheels located between the two main guide wheels, wherein the two side guide wheels are coaxial and symmetrically arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0008] Preferably, the guide wheel seat has two first mounting holes symmetrically arranged along the height direction, and a first screw is fixedly connected in the first mounting hole. The main guide wheel is rotatably sleeved and connected to the first screw.

[0009] Preferably, the guide wheel seat is provided with a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and a side guide wheel mounting position is formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion. A side guide wheel bracket is provided on the side guide wheel mounting position. The side guide wheel bracket is provided with a shaft hole in the vertical direction. A second rotating shaft is provided in the shaft hole. The second rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the first protrusion and the second protrusion. The side guide wheel bracket is rotatably connected to the second rotating shaft.

[0010] Preferably, the side guide wheel bracket has two side guide wheel mounting shafts arranged symmetrically and coaxially with respect to the shaft hole. The side guide wheel is sleeved on the side guide wheel mounting shaft, and the end of the side guide wheel mounting shaft is provided with a first limiting snap ring to prevent the side guide wheel from dislodging from the side guide wheel mounting shaft.

[0011] Preferably, a bushing is provided between the second rotating shaft and the shaft hole, and a second limiting snap ring is provided on the second rotating shaft to restrict the side guide wheel bracket from moving along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft.

[0012] Preferably, the drive assembly includes a lug assembly, which is fixedly connected to the mounting plate.

[0013] Preferably, the column includes a first column and a second column, both of which are provided with guide rails, and the lifting mechanism is correspondingly provided in the guide rails.

[0014] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a bin-handling robot, including a mobile chassis, a lifting device, and an actuator. The lifting device is fixedly connected to the mobile chassis and is configured as described in any of the above technical solutions. The actuator is used to pick up and place bins and is fixedly connected to the mounting plate. The reasoning process for the beneficial effects of the bin-handling robot and the lifting device provided in this application is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0015] Preferably, the guiding mechanism is a gantry, and the gantry is provided with a number of storage positions for storing material boxes along the height direction.

[0016] These features and advantages of this application will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. The best embodiments or means of this application will be shown in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but are not intended to limit the technical solutions of this application. In addition, each of these features, elements and components appearing in the following text and drawings is multiple and is labeled with different symbols or numbers for convenience, but all represent parts with the same or similar structure or function. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further illustrates this application: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the guide wheel assembly according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a force analysis diagram of the lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a horizontal sectional view (at the small guide wheel) of the lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bin handling robot according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Among them, 100 is the gantry; 110 is the column; 120 is the guide rail; 121 is the first guide surface; 122 is the second guide surface; 123 is the third guide surface; 200 is the lifting mechanism; 210 is the mounting plate; 220 is the guide wheel assembly; 221 is the first rotating shaft; 222 is the guide wheel seat; 2221 is the first mounting hole; 2222 is the first screw; 2223 is the first protrusion; 2224 is the second protrusion; 2225 is the side guide wheel bracket; 22251 is the shaft hole; 22252 is the side guide wheel mounting shaft; 2226 is the second rotating shaft; 2227 is the first limit circlip; 2228 is the bushing; 2229 is the second limit circlip; 223 is the main guide wheel; 224 is the side guide wheel; 230 is the lifting lug assembly; 300 is the mobile chassis; 400 is the actuator; 500 is the material bin; and 600 is the storage position. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described are intended to explain this application and should not be construed as limiting it.

[0020] The terms "an embodiment," "example," or "example" used in this specification refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment itself that may be included in at least one embodiment disclosed in this application. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0021] In related technologies, lifting devices used in warehousing systems typically only have two guide wheels, one above the other, and the two guide wheels rotate around a fixed axis. This means that the guide wheels and the mounting plate cannot move relative to each other. As a result, during the lifting process, the two guide wheels cannot always be in contact with the guide rail, leading to uneven force distribution. This makes the lifting mechanism prone to damage when only one side of the guide wheel is under stress. At the same time, this also results in the lifting mechanism of this solution having low load-bearing capacity.

[0022] like Figure 1-2As shown, this embodiment provides a lifting device, including a lifting mechanism 200 and a guide mechanism. The guide mechanism includes a column 110, and a guide rail 120 is provided on the column 110 along the height direction. The lifting mechanism 200 moves up and down along the guide rail 120. The lifting mechanism 200 includes a mounting plate 210, a guide wheel assembly 220, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly is used to apply a force to the lifting mechanism 200 to make the lifting mechanism 200 move up and down along the guide rail 120. The mounting plate 210 has at least Two sets of guide wheel assemblies 220 are provided, distributed along the height direction of the column 110. The guide wheel assembly 220 is rotatably connected to the mounting plate 210. The guide wheel assembly 220 includes a first rotating shaft 221, a guide wheel seat 222, and a main guide wheel 223. The first rotating shaft 221 is fixedly connected to the guide wheel seat 222. At least two main guide wheels 223 are provided and distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft 221 along the guiding direction of the guide rail 120. The rotation direction of the main guide wheels 223 is the same as the rotation direction of the first rotating shaft 221.

[0023] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the mounting plate 210 is provided with two sets of guide wheel assemblies 220 distributed along the direction of the column 110. The guide wheel assembly 220 includes two main guide wheels 223 rotatably connected to the guide wheel seat 222. The guide wheel assembly 220 and the mounting plate 210 are rotatably connected by a rotating shaft. The two main guide wheels 223 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft 221. When the mounting plate 210 is connected to the actuator 400 and performs lifting and lowering movements, the mounting plate 210 will tilt to a certain extent. Since the guide wheel assembly 220 and the mounting plate 210 are rotatably connected by the first rotating shaft 221, the first rotating shaft 221 rotates relative to the mounting plate 210, so that the two main guide wheels 223 in the guide wheel assembly 220 can roll along the guide surface of the guide rail 120, and the two main guide wheels 223 are evenly stressed. This avoids the uneven stress caused by the fixed connection between the main guide wheels 223 and the mounting plate 210 in the prior art, which causes some main guide wheels 223 to tilt.

[0024] In the above embodiments, the interaction force between at least two sets of guide wheel assemblies 220 arranged along the height direction and the guide rail 120 balances the force on the mounting plate 210. The rotational connection between the guide wheel seat 222 and the mounting plate 210 allows each of the main guide wheels 223 distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft 221 in the guide wheel assembly 220 to be in contact with the guide rail 120 and to be evenly stressed, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the guide wheel assembly 220, preventing deformation and damage caused by uneven stress on the guide wheels in the guide wheel assembly 220 over a long period of time, and improving the service life of the lifting device.

[0025] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 , 6As shown, the guide rail 120 has a first guide surface 121 and a second guide surface 122 disposed opposite to each other, and a third guide surface 123 connecting the first guide surface 121 and the second guide surface 122. The main guide wheel 223 rolls along the first guide surface 121 or the second guide surface 122 of the guide rail 120. The guide wheel assembly 220 also includes a side guide wheel 224, which is rotatably connected to the guide wheel seat 222 and can roll along the third guide surface 123 of the guide rail 120. Figure 5 As shown, when the actuator 400 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 210 and the material box 500 is carried by the actuator 400, due to gravity, the guide wheel assembly 220 rotatably connected to the top of the mounting plate 210 rolls along the second guide surface 122 on the right side of the guide rail 120. Conversely, the guide wheel assembly 220 located below the mounting surface rolls along the second guide surface 122 on the left side of the guide rail 120, and the side guide wheel 224 in the guide wheel assembly 220 rolls along the third guide surface 123. Specifically, when the mounting plate 210 is fixedly connected to the actuator 400 and the actuator 400 carries the material box 500, due to gravity, the pressure on the rotating shaft in the upper guide wheel assembly 220 is F1, and the normal force on the main guide wheel 223 is F2. The normal force refers to the pressure whose line of action is perpendicular to the action surface, that is, the pressure perpendicular to the second guide surface 122. The weight of the load (material box 500 and the device itself) is G, the distance between the upper and lower guide wheel assemblies 220 is L1, and the distance from the center of the load to the center of the mounting plate 210 is L2. Since in this embodiment, the main guide wheel 223 in the guide wheel assembly 220 is symmetrically arranged with the first rotating shaft 221 as the center, and the guide wheel seat 222 can rotate around the first rotating shaft 221, the normal force on the two main guide wheels 223 is equal, that is, F1=2*F2. The same applies to the lower guide wheel assembly 220. It can be seen that the main guide wheels 223 in this embodiment are subjected to uniform force.

[0026] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , 3 As shown, the guide wheel assembly 220 includes two main guide wheels 223 distributed along the guiding direction of the guide rail 120, and two side guide wheels 224 located between the two main guide wheels 223. The two side guide wheels 224 are coaxial and symmetrically arranged in the horizontal direction. By providing side guide wheels 224 that roll along the third guide surface 123, the movement of the guide wheel assembly 220 within the guide rail 120 is made more stable, preventing the guide wheel assembly 220 from wobbling in the horizontal direction within the guide rail 120.

[0027] Specifically, such as Figure 4As shown, the guide wheel seat 222 has two first mounting holes 2221 symmetrically arranged along the height direction. A first screw 2222 is fixedly connected in the first mounting hole 2221, and the main guide wheel 223 is rotatably sleeved and connected to the first screw 2222. That is, the main guide wheel 223 is fixedly connected to the mounting seat by the first screw 2222 and the first mounting hole 2221.

[0028] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the guide wheel seat 222 is provided with a first protrusion 2223 and a second protrusion 2224. A side guide wheel 224 mounting position is formed between the first protrusion 2223 and the second protrusion 2224. A side guide wheel bracket 2225 is provided on the side guide wheel 224 mounting position. The side guide wheel bracket 2225 is provided with a shaft hole 22251 in the vertical direction. A second rotating shaft 2226 is provided in the shaft hole 22251. The second rotating shaft 2226 is fixedly connected to the first protrusion 2223 and the second protrusion 2224. The side guide wheel bracket 2225 is rotatably connected to the second rotating shaft 2226. In this embodiment, the guide wheel seat 222 is symmetrically provided with main guide wheel 223 mounting positions on its upper and lower sides, and a side guide wheel 224 mounting position is provided between the two main guide wheel 223 mounting positions. The guide wheel seat 222 is provided with a first protrusion 2223 and a second protrusion 2224. A second rotating shaft 2226 is connected between the first protrusion 2223 and the second protrusion 2224. The two side guide wheels 224 are symmetrically arranged on the side guide wheel bracket 2225. The side guide wheel bracket 2225 and the second rotating shaft 2226 are rotatably connected. That is, the two side guide wheels 224 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second rotating shaft 2226 and can rotate around the second rotating shaft 2226. Even if there are assembly errors in the guide rail 120 and the guide wheel assembly 220 and the guide rail 120 has torsion, the two side guide wheels 224 can always fit against the third guide surface 123 when rolling up and down, and the two side guide wheels 224 can be evenly stressed. In this application, the torsion refers to the degree of distortion of a profile when it rotates around its longitudinal axis within a certain length due to geometric shape and thermal stress.

[0029] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, the side guide wheel bracket 2225 has two side guide wheel brackets 22252 arranged symmetrically and coaxially with respect to the shaft hole 22251. The side guide wheel 224 is sleeved on the side guide wheel bracket 22252. The end of the side guide wheel bracket 22252 is provided with a first limiting snap ring 2227 to prevent the side guide wheel 224 from dislodging from the side guide wheel bracket 22252.

[0030] Specifically, such as Figure 4As shown, a bushing 2228 is provided between the second rotating shaft 2226 and the shaft hole 22251, and a second limiting snap ring 2229 is provided on the second rotating shaft 2226 to restrict the side guide wheel bracket 2225 from moving along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 2226. By providing a bushing 2228 between the second rotating shaft 2226 and the shaft hole 22251, the friction force between the second rotating shaft 2226 and the shaft hole 22251 is reduced, making the side guide wheel bracket 2225 rotate more smoothly relative to the second rotating shaft 2226. In this embodiment, the bushing 2228 is an oil-free bushing.

[0031] As one implementation method, such as Figure 2 As shown, the drive assembly includes a lifting lug assembly 230, which is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 210. The lifting and lowering control of the mounting plate 210 is achieved through the cooperation of the motor, ropes, and the lifting lug assembly 230.

[0032] In some embodiments, the column 110 includes a first column and a second column, both of which are provided with guide rails 120, and the lifting mechanism 200 is correspondingly provided in the guide rails 120. The first column and the second column are symmetrically arranged, and the lifting mechanisms 200 in the guide rails 120 are also symmetrically arranged accordingly. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the column 110 may also be a single column 110 structure with only one column.

[0033] In one implementation, in an embodiment of this application, both the main guide wheel 223 and the side guide wheel 224 include bearings.

[0034] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment also provides a material bin 500 handling robot, including a mobile chassis 300, a lifting device, and an actuator 400. The lifting device is fixedly connected to the mobile chassis 300, and the lifting device is configured as described in any of the above embodiments. The actuator 400 is used to pick up and place the material bin 500, and the actuator 400 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 210. The mobile chassis 300 is used to drive the material bin 500 handling robot to move, and the lifting device is fixedly connected to the actuator 400 and drives the actuator 400 to move up and down.

[0035] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the guiding mechanism is a gantry 100, which has several storage positions 600 for storing material bins 500 along its height. The gantry 100 includes a first column and a second column, and a connecting beam is provided between the first column and the second column.

[0036] In summary, this embodiment achieves force balance on the mounting plate 210 through the interaction between at least two sets of guide wheel assemblies 220 arranged along the height direction and the guide rail 120. The rotational connection between the guide wheel seat 222 and the mounting plate 210 ensures that each of the main guide wheels 223 distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft 221 in the guide wheel assembly 220 can fit against the guide rail 120 and be evenly stressed, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the guide wheel assembly 220, preventing deformation and damage caused by uneven stress on the guide wheels in the guide wheel assembly 220 over a long period of time, and improving the service life of the lifting device.

[0037] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of this application will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A lifting device, comprising a lifting mechanism (200) and a guiding mechanism, the guiding mechanism comprising a column (110), the column (110) being provided with a guide rail (120) along the height direction, the lifting mechanism (200) moving vertically along the guide rail (120), characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (200) includes a mounting plate (210), a guide wheel assembly (220), and a drive assembly. The drive assembly is used to apply a force to the lifting mechanism (200) so that the lifting mechanism (200) moves up and down along the guide rail (120). At least two sets of guide wheel assemblies (220) are provided on the mounting plate (210) along the height direction of the column (110), and the guide wheel assemblies (220) are rotatably connected to the mounting plate (210); The guide wheel assembly (220) includes a first rotating shaft (221), a guide wheel seat (222), and a main guide wheel (223). The first rotating shaft (221) is fixedly connected to the guide wheel seat (222). There are at least two main guide wheels (223) distributed on both sides of the first rotating shaft (221) along the guiding direction of the guide rail (120). The rotation direction of the main guide wheels (223) is the same as the rotation direction of the first rotating shaft (221).

2. The lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide rail (120) has a first guide surface (121) and a second guide surface (122) arranged opposite to each other, and a third guide surface (123) connecting the first guide surface (121) and the second guide surface (122). The main guide wheel (223) rolls along the first guide surface (121) or the second guide surface (122) of the guide rail (120). The guide wheel assembly (220) also includes a side guide wheel (224). The side guide wheel (224) is rotatably connected to the guide wheel seat (222) and can roll along the third guide surface (123) of the guide rail (120).

3. The lifting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide wheel assembly (220) includes two main guide wheels (223) distributed along the guiding direction of the guide rail (120), and two side guide wheels (224) located between the two main guide wheels (223). The two side guide wheels (224) are coaxial and symmetrically arranged in the horizontal direction.

4. The lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide wheel seat (222) is symmetrically provided with two first mounting holes (2221) along the height direction. A first screw (2222) is fixedly connected in the first mounting hole (2221). The main guide wheel (223) is rotatably sleeved and connected to the first screw (2222).

5. The lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide wheel seat (222) is provided with a first protrusion (2223) and a second protrusion (2224). A side guide wheel (224) mounting position is formed between the first protrusion (2223) and the second protrusion (2224). A side guide wheel bracket (2225) is provided on the side guide wheel (224) mounting position. The side guide wheel bracket (2225) is provided with a shaft hole (22251) in the vertical direction. A second rotating shaft (2226) is provided in the shaft hole (22251). The second rotating shaft (2226) is fixedly connected to the first protrusion (2223) and the second protrusion (2224). The side guide wheel bracket (2225) is rotatably connected to the second rotating shaft (2226).

6. The lifting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side guide wheel bracket (2225) has two side guide wheel mounting shafts (22252) arranged symmetrically and coaxially with respect to the shaft hole (22251). The side guide wheel (224) is sleeved on the side guide wheel mounting shaft (22252). The end of the side guide wheel mounting shaft (22252) is provided with a first limiting snap ring (2227) to prevent the side guide wheel (224) from dislodging from the side guide wheel mounting shaft (22252).

7. The lifting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A bushing (2228) is provided between the second rotating shaft (2226) and the shaft hole (22251), and a second limiting snap ring (2229) is provided on the second rotating shaft (2226) to restrict the side guide wheel bracket (2225) from moving along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft (2226).

8. The lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a lug assembly (230), which is fixedly connected to the mounting plate (210).

9. The lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The column (110) includes a first column and a second column, and both the first column and the second column are provided with guide rails (120), which are slidably connected to the lifting mechanism (200).

10. A bin handling robot, comprising a mobile chassis (300), a lifting device, and an actuator (400), characterized in that, The lifting device is fixedly connected to the mobile chassis (300), the lifting device is the lifting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the actuator (400) is used to pick up and put down the material box (500), and the actuator (400) is fixedly connected to the mounting plate (210).

11. The bin handling robot according to claim 10, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism is configured as a gantry (100), and the gantry (100) is provided with a plurality of storage positions (600) for storing material bins (500) along the height direction.

Images