Direct drive traffic cone base and robot

Abstract

The application provides a direct drive traffic cone base and a robot, and belongs to the technical field of intelligent traffic control equipment. The scheme comprises a base, a shell, a bottom plate, an upper shell, a box body, a walking mechanism and a driving mechanism. The walking mechanism comprises a driving shaft with two fixed driving wheels and at least one driven wheel. The driving mechanism comprises a motor and a transmission assembly connected with the driving shaft, which is used for synchronously transmitting the motor power to the two driving wheels. The robot has a base, a cone barrel and a built-in control system. The structure of single motor synchronous driving double driving wheels fundamentally avoids the speed difference and walking "run-off" problem caused by double motor driving, ensures the stability and accuracy of straight walking, significantly simplifies the control logic and structure, and reduces the cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent traffic control equipment technology, and in particular to a direct-drive traffic cone base and robot. Background Technology

[0002] Traffic cones, as a temporary traffic control tool, are widely used in scenarios such as highway construction, accident handling, and road maintenance. Traditional placement and retrieval of traffic cones requires manual labor, which is not only inefficient but also poses a serious threat to the personal safety of workers when operating on dangerous road sections such as highways.

[0003] To improve efficiency and safety, some mobile traffic cones or robotic devices have emerged in the prior art. For example, some solutions achieve remote-controlled movement of traffic cones by integrating drive wheels and a control system. In developing this invention, the inventors discovered at least the following problems in the prior art: Many existing mobile traffic cone chassis have complex structures, often using dual motors to drive two drive wheels for steering. This not only increases cost and control complexity but may also cause deviations in the two wheels due to slight speed differences (i.e., "deviation"), affecting the stability and accuracy of straight-line movement. Furthermore, the drive mechanism layout of such devices is not compact enough, and the overall reliability and portability of the structure need improvement.

[0004] The embodiments in this application are improvements made to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a compact, simple-to-control, and stable direct-drive traffic cone base and robot. By implementing this application, and employing a unique transmission structure that synchronously drives dual drive wheels with a single motor, the walking deviation caused by dual-motor drive can be eliminated, the control system can be simplified, and the overall motion stability and reliability can be improved.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objective, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a direct-drive traffic cone base, the technical solution of which is: The base includes an upper shell, an outer shell, and a base plate. The base plate is assembled at the bottom end of the outer shell, and the upper shell is assembled at the top end of the outer shell. The base also includes a walking mechanism and a drive mechanism.

[0007] The aforementioned walking mechanism includes a horizontally positioned drive shaft, two drive wheels fixed to both ends of the drive shaft, and at least one driven wheel mounted on the aforementioned base plate.

[0008] The aforementioned drive mechanism includes a fixedly mounted motor and a transmission assembly connected between the output shaft of the motor and the aforementioned drive shaft; the transmission assembly is used to transmit the rotational motion of the motor to the aforementioned drive shaft to synchronously drive the two aforementioned drive wheels to rotate.

[0009] Optionally, the transmission assembly includes a driving transmission member disposed on the output shaft of the motor, a driven transmission member disposed on the drive shaft, and a transmission belt or transmission chain connecting the driving transmission member and the driven transmission member. Furthermore, the driving transmission member and the driven transmission member can be synchronous pulleys, and the transmission belt can be a synchronous belt.

[0010] Optionally, the transmission assembly is a pair of meshing gears, with one gear mounted on the motor output shaft and the other gear mounted on the drive shaft.

[0011] Optionally, a handle is provided on the side of the aforementioned outer casing. A cone clamping plate for fixing the cone can be provided on the aforementioned upper casing. A solar panel mounting base can also be provided on the side of the aforementioned cone clamping plate or the upper casing.

[0012] Optionally, a housing seat is provided inside the housing, and the housing seat encloses the drive mechanism and electronic control components in the cavity formed with the base plate.

[0013] In another aspect, the present invention provides a robot comprising a direct-drive traffic cone base as described in any of the foregoing technical solutions, a cone mounted on the upper shell, and a control system disposed within the inner cavity of the outer shell. The control system includes a battery, a control module, a communication module, and a stepper driver. The battery powers the entire system, and the control module receives remote commands through the communication module and controls the stepper driver to drive the motor.

[0014] Optionally, the robot also includes a solar panel mounted on the aforementioned solar mounting base, the solar panel being connected to the aforementioned battery via a charging circuit.

[0015] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: Simplified Structure and Optimized Control: By using a single motor in conjunction with a transmission assembly to synchronously drive two drive wheels at both ends of a drive shaft, the potential speed difference problem associated with dual-motor drives is fundamentally eliminated, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the robot's linear movement. Simultaneously, the single-motor solution significantly simplifies the circuitry and control logic, reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance complexity.

[0016] Highly efficient and compact transmission: The transmission components (such as synchronous belt drive or gear drive) efficiently and smoothly transmit the power of the motor to the drive shaft. The compact layout makes effective use of the internal space of the base, making the overall structure more stable.

[0017] Strong functional integration and expandability: The base structure not only integrates the core drive and walking functions, but also reserves interfaces for cone installation, solar panel installation, handle setting, etc., which can be flexibly configured according to actual application scenarios to meet diverse needs such as remote control, autonomous charging, and convenient transportation.

[0018] High reliability: The structural design of the drive shaft, bearing, and housing ensures the stable installation and effective protection of the internal core components, improving the robot's working reliability in complex road environments.

[0019] Furthermore, the summary of the utility model does not list all the features required for the embodiments of this application, and other combinations of these feature groups can also constitute embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a direct-drive traffic cone base in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a direct-drive traffic cone base in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of the structure of section A in the middle.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a direct-drive traffic cone robot in one embodiment of this utility model.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Upper shell; 2. Outer shell; 3. Base plate; 4. Drive shaft; 5. Drive wheel; 6. Driven wheel; 7. Driven transmission component; 8. Driven transmission component; 9. Shaft seat; 10. Motor; 21. Handle; 22. Conical barrel pressure plate; 23. Solar panel mounting base; 30. Conical barrel; 40. Battery; 70. Stepper driver; 80. Solar panel Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of the embodiments of this application easier to understand, the embodiments of this application are further described below in conjunction with the figures and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0028] In one feasible implementation, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown in this embodiment, a direct-drive traffic cone base is provided. The base mainly comprises a housing 2, an upper housing 1, and a base plate 3, forming a closed or semi-closed box structure. The base plate 3 is mounted on the bottom of the housing 2, and the upper housing 1 is mounted on the top of the housing 2. The walking mechanism includes a horizontally positioned drive shaft 4, two drive wheels 5, and two driven wheels 6. The drive shaft 4 is mounted parallel to the base plate 3 via two bearing seats 9, and the two drive wheels 5 are respectively fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 4. The two driven wheels 6 (in other embodiments, the number of driven wheels can be one or more) are rotatably mounted on the base plate 3 via wheel frames. Preferably, they are located at the rear or front of the base, forming a stable support together with the two drive wheels 5.

[0029] The drive mechanism includes a motor 10 and a transmission assembly. The motor 10 is fixed to the base plate 3 by a mounting bracket, and its output shaft is arranged parallel to the drive shaft 4. The output shaft of the motor 10 and the drive shaft 4 are connected by a transmission assembly. This transmission assembly transmits the rotational output of the motor 10 to the drive shaft 4 at a constant speed without differential, thereby driving the two left and right drive wheels 5 to rotate completely synchronously. The drive transmission component 7 and the driven transmission component 8 can directly mesh, or they can be connected by intermediate flexible elements such as chains or belts (e.g., synchronous belts), combined with a motor and / or a stepper driver to form a reduction mechanism, wherein the motor 10 can be configured as a stepper motor.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transmission component is preferably a flexible transmission element with a synchronous belt drive structure, specifically including: a driving transmission element 7 (such as a synchronous pulley) fixed on the output shaft of the motor 10, a driven transmission element 8 (such as a synchronous pulley) fixed on the drive shaft 4, and a transmission belt (such as a synchronous belt) sleeved between the two. The two synchronous pulleys do not need to be installed close together; they can be arranged on two shafts that are far apart, transmitting power through a chain or belt. This greatly increases the flexibility of the mechanical layout, and the flexible transmission element can absorb some of the impact and vibration during motor start-up, stopping, or sudden load changes, protecting both the motor and the load. When the motor 10 starts, its rotational motion is precisely transmitted to the drive shaft 4 through the synchronous belt drive, thereby synchronously driving the two driving pulleys 5 to rotate at the same speed and direction.

[0031] In this embodiment, a single motor drives a single shaft with two wheels via a synchronous belt, effectively solving the "deviation" problem that may occur with dual-motor drives, allowing the base to move stably along a straight line. The control logic is simple; forward, backward, and speed adjustment can be achieved by controlling the forward and reverse rotation and speed of only one motor.

[0032] In another feasible implementation, this embodiment describes another implementation of the transmission component based on the above embodiments, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The aforementioned transmission component can also be a gear pair. Specifically, one gear can be directly mounted on the output shaft of the motor 10 as the driving gear, and the other gear can be mounted on the drive shaft 4 as the driven gear, with the two gears meshing directly. Alternatively, an intermediate gear can be added for transmission. Gear transmission has the advantages of precise transmission ratio, compact structure, and high load-bearing capacity.

[0033] In a specific implementation, such as in the reduction mechanism, a driving transmission component 7 (15 teeth) and a driven transmission component 8 (30 teeth) can be set to form a 2:1 reduction ratio. Although the motor has a large torque at low speeds, it may still be insufficient to directly drive the load. Through this 2:1 reduction, the motor only needs to provide half of the torque required to drive the load, making it easier to operate and avoiding the "loss of synchronization" phenomenon that may be caused by excessive load. This allows the motor to operate at a medium speed where its performance is better and its operation is smoother, and then obtain the lower speed required by the load through the reduction mechanism.

[0034] In this embodiment, whether it is a synchronous belt drive or a gear drive, its core function is to act as a "transmission component" to synchronously transmit the power of a single motor to the two drive pulleys 5. Those skilled in the art can choose according to different requirements for transmission efficiency, noise, cost, and installation space.

[0035] In one feasible implementation, this embodiment further describes the additional functional structure of the base based on any of the above embodiments; see [link to previous embodiment]. Figure 1 The outer casing 2 is fixedly equipped with a handle 21 on its side, making it easy for workers to move the entire base or robot. A cone clamping plate 22 can be installed on the upper casing 1 by bolts or clips to press and fix the bottom edge of the standard traffic cone placed on the base, preventing it from tipping over.

[0036] In addition, a solar panel mounting base 23 can be provided on the side of the upper shell 1 or the cone-shaped pressure plate 22. This mounting base can be a bracket with a slot or mounting hole for subsequent installation of solar panels.

[0037] See Figure 2 Inside the outer casing 2, an outer casing seat can be installed. This outer casing seat can be connected to the base plate 3 to form an independent sub-cavity. This sub-cavity is used to centrally install and protect electrical control components such as the motor 10, battery 40, stepper driver 70, control module, and communication module, so that they are relatively isolated from the walking mechanism, thereby improving safety and reliability.

[0038] In one feasible implementation, this application provides a direct-drive traffic cone robot, which includes a direct-drive traffic cone base as described in any of the above embodiments. A standard traffic cone 30 is securely mounted on the upper shell 1 via a cone clamping plate 22, forming the main body of the robot.

[0039] An integrated control system is housed within the base's internal cavity (e.g., within the space formed by the outer casing). This control system primarily comprises a battery 40 (e.g., a lithium battery pack), a control module (e.g., a microcontroller or microprocessor), a communication module (e.g., a 4G / 5G module, a Wi-Fi module, or an RF receiver module), and a stepper driver 70. The battery 40 supplies power to all electrical components in the system. The control module receives instructions from a remote controller (e.g., a remote control or a smartphone app) via the communication module, parses these instructions, generates control signals, and sends them to the stepper driver 70. The stepper driver 70 drives the motor 10 precisely according to the control signals, thereby enabling the robot to move forward, backward, and stop.

[0040] In this embodiment, the robot integrates a single-motor synchronous drive chassis and a remote control system to achieve unmanned and remote deployment and retrieval of traffic cones, greatly improving operational safety and efficiency.

[0041] In one feasible implementation, this embodiment adds an autonomous charging function to the robot described above. The upper end of the outer casing 2 is provided with a wiring hole for connecting the solar panel's wires to the battery inside the outer casing 2. See also... Figure 1 and Figure 4With a solar panel mounting base 23 already in place, one or more solar panels 80 can be installed on the base 23. The solar panels 80 are connected to a charging circuit (such as an MPPT solar charge controller) via wires, and the output of this charging circuit is connected to the battery 40. Under daylight conditions, the solar panels 80 convert solar energy into electrical energy and replenish the battery 40 through the charging circuit, thereby significantly extending the robot's continuous outdoor working time and achieving a certain degree of energy self-sufficiency.

[0042] In this embodiment, the introduction of a solar power supply scheme makes the robot particularly suitable for long-term deployment scenarios such as highways and field construction where there is a lack of fixed power sources, thereby improving the practicality and environmental adaptability of the equipment.

[0043] To more intuitively demonstrate the superiority of the core solution of this application (single-motor synchronous drive) over the traditional solution (dual-motor separate drive), this embodiment provides a comparative explanation.

[0044] Comparative Solution (Traditional Solution): A traffic cone robot chassis of the same size uses two identical DC geared motors to drive the left and right drive wheels respectively. Each motor is driven by an independent H-bridge circuit, controlled by two PWM signals from the same microcontroller to achieve synchronization.

[0045] This application (this embodiment) uses a single motor 10 to drive two drive wheels 5 on the same drive shaft 4 via a synchronous belt drive mechanism (reduction ratio 2:1). A stepper driver 70 receives a pulse / direction signal for control.

[0046] Controlled test and results: Straight-line walking accuracy test: On a 50-meter-long flat road, the robots of both schemes were guided to walk in a straight line from the starting point to the finish line. High-precision differential GPS was used to record the trajectories. Results: The average lateral deviation of the traditional scheme was ±15 cm, with a maximum deviation of 30 cm; the average lateral deviation of the proposed scheme was only ±3 cm, with a maximum deviation not exceeding 5 cm. The proposed scheme is significantly effective in eliminating "deviation".

[0047] Control complexity and cost: Traditional solutions require two sets of motor drive circuits and more complex synchronization control algorithms (software or hardware) to prevent problems caused by slight differences between the two PWM signals. The solution proposed in this application only requires one stepper driver and a simple single control signal, significantly reducing hardware cost and software complexity.

[0048] Reliability: In traditional solutions, a failure of any motor or drive circuit will cause the robot to be unable to move straight or to turn in place. The single power source and mechanical synchronization structure of this application fundamentally avoid such walking abnormalities caused by the failure of a single electronic control unit, resulting in higher system reliability.

[0049] Specific comparative tests and parameter comparisons reveal that the unique power chain of "single motor → transmission assembly → single shaft → dual wheels" fundamentally ensures absolute consistency in the speed and direction of the two drive wheels. This results in unexpected technical improvements over traditional dual-motor solutions in terms of walking accuracy, control simplification, and system reliability. This is not a simple component replacement, but rather a significant improvement in overall performance. It completely eliminates the risk of "deviation" caused by minor performance differences between the two motors or slight delays in control signals, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the equipment's straight-line movement. Simultaneously, the single-motor solution significantly simplifies the control system and circuitry, reducing costs.

[0050] It should be understood that the terms "an embodiment," "a possible implementation," or "some implementations" used throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, "an embodiment," "a possible implementation," or "some implementations" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are all optional embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to the embodiments of the present application.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the "control module," "communication module," etc., mentioned in the above embodiments, their functional implementation (such as signal processing and wireless communication) belongs to mature existing technologies in this field. The innovation of this invention lies in the organic combination of these existing technology modules with a unique "single-motor synchronous dual-wheel drive" mechanical structure, forming a complete technical solution to solve a specific technical problem (stable linear travel, simplified control). Those skilled in the art, based on the description of this invention, can undoubtedly select and use suitable existing modules to implement the corresponding functions.

[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A direct-drive traffic cone base, comprising an upper shell (1), an outer shell (2), and a base plate (3), wherein the base plate (3) is mounted on the bottom end of the outer shell (2), and the upper shell (1) is mounted on the upper end of the outer shell (2), characterized in that: The walking mechanism includes a horizontally placed drive shaft (4), drive wheels (5) fixed at both ends of the drive shaft (4), and at least one driven wheel (6) mounted on the base plate (3). The drive mechanism includes a fixedly mounted motor (10) and a transmission assembly connected between the output shaft of the motor (10) and the drive shaft (4); the transmission assembly is used to transmit the rotational motion of the motor (10) to the drive shaft (4) to synchronously drive the two drive wheels (5) to rotate.

2. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing (2) is provided with a handle (21) on its side.

3. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 2, characterized in that, A cone-shaped pressure plate (22) is provided at the upper end of the outer shell (2).

4. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 3, characterized in that, A solar panel mounting base (23) is provided on the side of the cone-shaped pressure plate (22) or the upper shell (1).

5. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaft (4) is mounted on the base plate (3) via a shaft seat (9).

6. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes an active transmission component (7) disposed on the output shaft of the motor (10), a driven transmission component (8) disposed on the drive shaft (4), and a transmission belt or transmission chain connecting the active transmission component (7) and the driven transmission component (8).

7. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly is a pair of meshing gears, one of which is mounted on the output shaft of the motor (10) and the other is mounted on the drive shaft (4).

8. The direct-drive traffic cone base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer shell (2) is also provided with an outer shell seat, which encloses the drive mechanism and electronic control components in the cavity formed with the base plate (3).

9. A robot, characterized in that, It includes a direct-drive traffic cone base as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, a cone (30) mounted on the upper shell (1), and a control system disposed in the inner cavity of the outer shell (2); The control system includes a battery (40), a control module, a communication module and a stepper driver (70). The battery (40) supplies power to the entire system. The control module receives remote commands through the communication module and controls the stepper driver (70) to drive the motor (10) to work.

10. The robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a solar panel (80) mounted on the solar mounting base (23), the solar panel (80) being connected to the battery (40) via a charging circuit.

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