Transport device and baggage transport method

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a transport device and a method for transporting luggage, the transport device including a vehicle body and a transport arm provided in the vehicle body, the transport arm including an arm body having a lifting mechanism, the transport arm extending horizontally from the vehicle body, the lifting mechanism capable of lifting luggage and returning the luggage to the vehicle body, and an upper portion of the lifting mechanism moving horizontally in a direction in which the transport arm returns to the vehicle body when the lifting mechanism moves from a low position to a high position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic transport, and in particular to a transport device and a method for transporting luggage. [Background technology]

[0002] The conveying device usually includes a vehicle body and a conveying arm provided on the vehicle body, the conveying arm including an arm body, and a lifting mechanism and a support wheel provided on the arm body. The conveying arm can extend from the vehicle body to lift a load by the lifting mechanism and place the lifted load on the vehicle body, and the load is conveyed to a destination by the vehicle body.

[0003] In such a conveying device, the process of conveying an object by a conveying arm extending from a vehicle body usually involves lifting the object to a predetermined height, moving the vehicle body forward to a position below the object lifted by a lifting mechanism, and placing the lifted object on the vehicle body by the lifting mechanism. The process of conveying an object from outside the vehicle body onto the vehicle body by a conveying arm requires a step of lifting the object vertically upward and a step of moving the vehicle body forward, and therefore does not have high conveying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a transport apparatus and a method for transporting luggage.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a transport device including a vehicle body and a transport arm provided within the vehicle body, the transport arm includes an arm body, the arm body being provided with a lifting mechanism; A transport device is provided in which the transport arm extends horizontally from the vehicle body, and the transport arm can lift a load by the lifting mechanism and return to the vehicle body.

[0006] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, when the lifting mechanism moves from the low position to the high position, the upper part of the lifting mechanism moves horizontally in the direction in which the transport arm returns into the vehicle body.

[0007] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting drive mechanism and a foldable lifting implementation mechanism, and the lifting implementation mechanism is connected to the lifting drive mechanism; When the lift drive mechanism drives the contracting operation of the lift mechanism, the lift mechanism is folded and contracted in a direction in which the transport arm extends horizontally from the vehicle body, When the lift drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lift mechanism, the upper part of the lift mechanism moves in the horizontal direction in the return direction of the transport arm into the vehicle body.

[0008] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes a link mechanism and a lever; The lower end of the link mechanism is hinged to the arm body, a first end of the lever is hingedly connected to the lift drive mechanism and a second end of the lever is hingedly connected to the link mechanism; When the lift drive mechanism pulls the lever, the lever pulls the link mechanism so as to contract, and when the lift drive mechanism pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism so as to extend.

[0009] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lever includes a first lever and a second lever, a first end of the first lever is hingedly connected to the lifting drive mechanism, a second end of the first lever is hingedly connected to the first end of the second lever, and a second end of the second lever is hingedly connected to the link mechanism; A first stop block is provided at the second end of the first lever, and a second stop block is provided at the first end of the second lever, and after the first lever and the second lever push up the link mechanism from the maximum contracted state to a predetermined height, the first stop block and the second stop block abut against each other.

[0010] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lift drive mechanism includes a lift drive motor, a power transmission mechanism connected to the lift drive motor, and a slider connected to the power transmission mechanism; The slider is provided on the arm body and hingedly connected to a first end of the lever, and the lifting drive motor can drive the slider back and forth on the arm body along the length of the arm body via the power transmission mechanism.

[0011] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the power transmission mechanism includes a screw, and the slider includes a nut, which is screwed with the screw to form a screw-nut pair.

[0012] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle body is provided with a lifting assistance mechanism for assisting in lifting the transport arm from the ground, and the arm body is provided with a support wheel.

[0013] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting auxiliary mechanism includes an ascending guide member provided on the car body; the transport arm has a climbing member that can climb along the climbing guide member, The transport arm and / or the vehicle body has a power unit that supplies climbing power to the climbing member.

[0014] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the climbing guide member includes a guide plate provided at the bottom of the vehicle body and having a predetermined gradient with respect to the ground; The climbing member on the transport arm is the support wheel.

[0015] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the climbing guide member includes a first climbing guide member provided at a first end of the vehicle body, and a second climbing guide member provided at a second end of the vehicle body; The climbing member on the transport arm includes a first climbing member capable of climbing along the first climbing guide member, and a second climbing member capable of climbing along the second climbing guide member.

[0016] The power device is used to provide climbing power to the first climbing member and / or the second climbing member.

[0017] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the first climbing guide member includes a guide plate provided at the bottom of the vehicle body and having a predetermined gradient with respect to the ground; the support wheels include a first support wheel and a second support wheel spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of the arm body, the power unit is provided on the transport arm and connected to the first support wheel, The first climbing member is the first support wheel.

[0018] When the first support wheel climbs along the first climbing guide member and the second climbing member climbs along the second climbing guide member, the first support wheel and the second support wheel leave the ground.

[0019] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the second climbing guide member includes a rolling body that can roll along the longitudinal direction of the arm body; The second climbing member is a support block provided on the outside of the arm body, and the bottom of the support block has a slope that supports the second climbing guide member.

[0020] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting assist mechanism includes a support provided on the vehicle body, The lifting mechanism includes a lifting drive mechanism and a lifting execution mechanism, the lifting execution mechanism is connected to the lifting drive mechanism, The lifting / lowering mechanism is supported by the support portion on the vehicle body, and when the lifting / lowering drive mechanism drives the lifting / lowering mechanism to continue the contracting operation, the support wheels are lifted off the ground.

[0021] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes a telescopic lifting mechanism and a lifting top plate provided on the upper part of the telescopic lifting mechanism; When the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to contract it to a predetermined position, the lifting top plate is supported by the support part on the vehicle body, and when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheels are lifted off the ground.

[0022] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the support portion includes a first support portion provided on a first side of the vehicle body and a second support portion provided on a second side of the vehicle body; Both sides of the lift-up top plate have a first raised portion that supports the first support portion and a second raised portion that supports the second support portion, When the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting implementation mechanism to contract it to a predetermined position, the first raised portion is supported by the first support portion and the second raised portion is supported by the second support portion, and when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheel is lifted off the ground.

[0023] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle body has a transport arm accommodating groove extending in a horizontal direction, and the transport arm is disposed in the transport arm accommodating groove; a slide rail is provided between the transport arm accommodating groove and the transport arm; A slide guide and support structure is provided on the side of the transport arm accommodating groove, which fits with the slide rail to provide lateral guidance and vertical support for the slide rail, and the slide guide and support structure can support the upward and downward movement of the slide rail.

[0024] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a vertical guide structure is provided on the side of the transport arm accommodating groove, The sliding guide and support structure includes a base and a guide and support connected to the base, and is slidable up and down or rollable up and down between the base and the vertical guide structure, and the guide and support fits with the sliding rail to provide lateral guidance and vertical support for the sliding rail.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle body is moved to a predetermined position adjacent to a load, and a transport arm is extended from the vehicle body to a bottom of the load; the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs an upward movement to lift the load and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body; and The lifting mechanism performs a contracting operation, and the lifted luggage is placed on the vehicle body.

[0026] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, in the process in which the lifting mechanism lifts the load from a low position to a high position, the load moves horizontally in the direction in which the transport arm returns to the inside of the vehicle body.

[0027] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, in the process of the lifting mechanism lifting the luggage from a low position to a high position, the luggage moves in a horizontal direction in a return direction of the transport arm into the vehicle body, When the lift drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lift execution mechanism, the load on the upper part of the lift execution mechanism is lifted and moved horizontally in the direction of returning the transport arm into the vehicle body.

[0028] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes a link mechanism and a lever; The lift drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lift implementation mechanism, When the lift drive mechanism pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend.

[0029] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, when the lifting drive mechanism pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend the link mechanism. The lift drive motor drives the movement of the slider via the power transmission mechanism, and when the slider pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend it.

[0030] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs an upward movement to lift the load and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body, The transport arm moves into the vehicle body during the process in which the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs a lifting operation to lift the load.

[0031] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle body is moved to a predetermined position adjacent to the load, and the transport arm is extended from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load, The method includes moving the vehicle body to a predetermined position adjacent to the load, and the support wheel of the transport arm dropping from a lifted state to a state in contact with the ground, and then the transport arm extending from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load.

[0032] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the support wheel of the transport arm falls from a lifted state to a ground contact state, the transport arm movement drive mechanism operates to drop the support wheels of the transport arm to contact the ground after the vehicle body has moved a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction; or When the lifting mechanism is in a contracted state and supported by the vehicle body, the support wheel of the transport arm is in a lifted state, and when the lifting mechanism performs an ascending operation, the support wheel of the transport arm falls until it contacts the ground.

[0033] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, after the lifting mechanism performs a contracting operation and places the lifted luggage on the vehicle body, Lifting the support wheel of the transport arm from the ground; Moving the vehicle body and transporting the luggage to a destination; Includes.

[0034] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the step of lifting the support wheel of the transport arm from the ground includes: hoisting support wheels of the transport arm off the ground when the transport arm continues to move within the vehicle body and climbs the vehicle body; or When the contracting operation is continued until the lifting / lowering mechanism is supported by the vehicle body, the lifting / lowering mechanism further performs a contracting operation to lift the support wheel off the ground.

[0035] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the transport arm continues to move within the vehicle body and climbs the vehicle body, The transport arm continues to move within the vehicle body, with a support wheel at a first end of the transport arm climbing along a first climbing guide member at the first end of the vehicle body and a climbing member on a side of a second end of the transport arm climbing along a second climbing guide member on a side of a second end of the vehicle body.

[0036] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the support wheel at the first end of the transport arm climbs along the first climbing guide member at the first end of the vehicle body, The support wheel at the first end of the transport arm climbs along a guide plate at the bottom of the first end of the vehicle body, the guide plate having a predetermined gradient with respect to the ground; The climbing member on the side of the second end of the transport arm climbing along the second climbing guide member on the side of the second end of the car body includes the climbing guide surface on the bottom of the support block on the side of the second end of the transport arm climbing along the rolling body on the side of the second end of the car body.

[0037] In an embodiment of the transport device and the baggage transport method of the present invention, a transport arm extends horizontally from a vehicle body, and after lifting a baggage by a lifting mechanism, during the process of the lifting mechanism lifting the baggage from a low position to a high position, an upper part of the lifting mechanism (i.e., the lifted baggage) moves horizontally in the direction of the return of the transport arm to the vehicle body. That is, when the lifting mechanism performs an upward movement, the upper part of the lifting mechanism moves along a curved trajectory having two displacement components, vertical and horizontal, and the vertical displacement component is the upward movement from a low position to a high position, and the horizontal displacement component is the movement of the transport arm in the horizontal direction in the direction of the return of the transport arm to the vehicle body. Therefore, during the upward and downward movement of the lifting mechanism, lifting of the baggage and transport of the baggage in the direction of the vehicle body can be performed simultaneously, and the efficiency of transporting the baggage by the transport arm can be improved. After the transport arm returns inside the vehicle body, the transport arm can be lifted off the ground by the vehicle body's lifting auxiliary mechanism, and the support wheel of the transport arm can be raised off the ground so that it does not come into contact with the ground. Therefore, during the driving process, only the vehicle body comes into contact with the ground, and the transport arm is in a lifted state away from the ground, reducing friction with the ground, reducing the running resistance of the transport device, and allowing it to run faster.

[0038] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the invention, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other accompanying drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the transfer arm in FIG. 1 (with the lifting mechanism in a contracted state). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the transfer arm in FIG. 1 (with the lifting mechanism in an extended state). [Figure 4]1 is a schematic diagram of a transport arm of one embodiment of the present invention extending from a vehicle body to lift a load. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a transport arm inside a vehicle body of a transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention (before the transport arm starts climbing). FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram showing another state before the transport arm in the vehicle body of the transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention climbs. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a lifted state of the transport arm after climbing inside the vehicle body in the transport device of one embodiment of the present invention and off the ground. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a transport device according to another embodiment of the present invention (wherein the transport arm is inside the vehicle body). [Figure 9] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which a transport arm in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 extends from a vehicle body via a slide rail. [Figure 10] 9 is a schematic diagram showing the lifting mechanism of the transport arm in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 in an extended state. [Figure 11] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which the transport arm in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is returned into the vehicle body. [Figure 12] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which a top plate of the lifting mechanism in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is supported by a support part on the vehicle body. [Figure 13] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of a structure in which a top plate of a lifting mechanism in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is supported by a support part on a vehicle body. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the transport arm in FIG. 13 hoisted above the ground. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a flow of a luggage transport method according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 16] 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the vehicle body moves to a predetermined position adjacent to the luggage and the transport arm extends from the vehicle body to the bottom of the luggage. [Figure 17] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a lifting mechanism lifts a pallet from a low position to a high position. FIG. [Figure 18]1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a transport arm transports luggage to directly above a vehicle body. FIG. [Figure 19] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the lifting mechanism contracting to place the lifted pallet on the vehicle body. FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a structure in which the lifting mechanism places the lifted pallet on the vehicle body, and then the transport arm leaves the ground after climbing up. [Figure 21] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a flow of a baggage transport method according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with the accompanying drawings. It is clear that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not all of them. All other embodiments that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without requiring creative efforts all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, a conveying device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vehicle body 20 and a conveying arm 30 provided within the vehicle body 20, the conveying arm 30 including an arm main body 301 having a lifting mechanism 303 provided thereon, the conveying arm 30 extending horizontally from the vehicle body 20, and capable of lifting a load using the lifting mechanism 303 and returning the load to within the vehicle body 20.

[0042] In the process of the lifting mechanism 303 lifting the load from a low position to a high position, the upper part of the lifting mechanism 303 moves horizontally in the direction in which the transport arm 30 returns to the vehicle body 20 .

[0043] In this embodiment, the transport device may be called an automatic transport device, a transport robot, a transport AGV, or an automated guided vehicle (AGV). An AGV refers to a transport vehicle equipped with an electromagnetic or optical automatic guidance device, capable of traveling along a predetermined guide path, and equipped with safety protection and various transport functions. The AGV can transport pallets as well as various types of luggage, shelves, and cargo, as long as there is space below for the transport arm 30 to enter.

[0044] The vehicle body 20 may be provided with an omnidirectional traveling unit, a perception unit, a battery, a charging unit, a control unit, a collision avoidance unit, a code reading unit, a communication unit, etc. Here, the perception unit may employ sensors such as a laser sensor, a visual sensor, an infrared sensor, a photoelectric sensor, etc. The omnidirectional traveling unit can realize various traveling modes such as straight line traveling, diagonal traveling, and arc traveling, and may be changed to another traveling unit to realize different traveling modes.

[0045] The vehicle body 20 may be provided with a guide structure such as a guide groove or a guide rail for the entrance and exit of the transport arm 30. Referring to FIG. 1, in one example, the vehicle body 20 may be provided with a transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the transport arm 30 may be provided in the transport arm accommodating groove 201.

[0046] Two transport arm accommodating grooves 201 may be provided in parallel in the vehicle body 20, one transport arm 30 may be provided in each transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the two transport arms 30 may work together.

[0047] In some embodiments, the arm body 301 is provided with a support wheel, which may be provided at the bottom of the arm body 301 to support the transport arm 30. The support wheel may be a drive wheel having a driving force, or a caster having no driving force. The support wheel may be provided at one end of the arm body 301, and the other end of the arm body 301 may be supported by the vehicle body 20. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the arm body 301 may be provided with support wheels 302a and 302b at both ends thereof, and when transporting luggage, both ends of the arm body 301 may be supported on the ground by the support wheels, and the support wheel 302a may be a drive wheel, and the support wheel 302b may be a caster.

[0048] The lifting mechanism 303 is used to lift a load or a pallet on which a load is placed. Referring to Fig. 4, in one example, in the process of the lifting mechanism 303 lifting the pallet 100 from a low position to a high position, the upper part of the lifting mechanism 303 moves in the horizontal direction in the return direction of the transport arm 30 to the vehicle body 20, and the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 4 is the direction in which the lifting mechanism 303 lifts the pallet 100 from the low position to the high position, and the direction indicated by the horizontal arrow is the return direction of the transport arm 30 to the vehicle body 20.

[0049] In this embodiment, the transport arm 30 extends horizontally from the vehicle body 20, and after the lifting mechanism 303 lifts the load, the upper part of the lifting mechanism 303 (i.e., the lifted load) moves horizontally in the return direction of the transport arm 30 to the vehicle body 20 during the process of the lifting mechanism 303 lifting the load from a low position to a high position. That is, when the lifting mechanism 303 performs an upward movement, the upper part of the lifting mechanism 303 moves along a curved trajectory having two displacement components, vertical and horizontal, and the vertical displacement component is the upward movement from a low position to a high position, and the horizontal displacement component is the horizontal movement of the transport arm 30 in the return direction to the vehicle body 20. Therefore, during the upward and downward movement of the lifting mechanism 303, the lifting of the load and the transport of the load toward the vehicle body 20 can be simultaneously performed, and the efficiency of transporting the load by the transport arm 30 can be improved.

[0050] The lifting mechanism 303 may be one that moves up and down along a predetermined curved trajectory, or may be a lifting mechanism having both a vertical driving force and a horizontal driving force, and when the lifting mechanism 303 moves up vertically, a horizontal driving force is applied to push and move the lifting mechanism 303 in the horizontal direction. Examples of the lifting mechanism 303 include a screw-type nut lifting mechanism, a multi-link lifting mechanism, and a scissor-type lifting mechanism.

[0051] In order to make the lifting mechanism 303 more compact in the unextended state and to facilitate storage in the vehicle body 20, the lifting mechanism 303 may be a foldable lifting mechanism, specifically, in some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 303 includes a lifting drive mechanism and a foldable lifting implementation mechanism, and the lifting implementation mechanism is connected to the lifting drive mechanism.

[0052] When the lifting drive mechanism drives the contraction operation of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism is folded and contracted into the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30 in the direction in which the transport arm 30 extends horizontally from the vehicle body 20, and thereby, when the lifting drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lifting mechanism, the upper part of the lifting mechanism can move horizontally in the direction in which the transport arm 30 returns to the vehicle body 20.

[0053] In some embodiments, the lifting / lowering mechanism may include a link mechanism and a lever, a lower end of the link mechanism being hingedly connected to the arm body 301, a first end of the lever being hingedly connected to the lifting / lowering drive mechanism, and a second end being hingedly connected to the link mechanism, such that when the lifting / lowering drive mechanism pulls the lever, the lever pulls the link mechanism to contract, and when the lifting / lowering drive mechanism pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend.

[0054] 3, in one example, the link mechanism includes a lifting top plate 3031, a first link 3032 and a second link 3033, the lower end of the first link 3032 is hinged to the arm body 301, the upper end is hinged to the lifting top plate 3031, the lower end of the second link 3033 is hinged to the arm body 301 and the upper end is hinged to the lifting top plate 3031, and a parallel four link mechanism is formed between the lifting top plate 3031, the first link 3032, the second link 3033 and the arm body 301. The lifting top plate 3031 is used to lift luggage.

[0055] In order to raise and lower the lift-up top plate 3031 more smoothly and to support it more firmly, referring to FIG. 3, two first links 3032 may be provided in parallel and two second links 3033 may be provided in parallel, so that the lift-up top plate 3031 is supported by four links.

[0056] One end of the lever is hingedly connected to the lift drive mechanism, and the other end is hingedly connected to the first link 3032.

[0057] 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the number of levers is two, including a first lever 3034 and a second lever 3035, where a first end of the first lever 3034 is hinged to the lift drive mechanism, a second end of the first lever 3034 is hinged to a first end of the second lever 3035, and a second end of the second lever 3035 is hinged to a first link 3032. When the number of first links 3032 is two, each first link 3032 corresponds to two levers.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 5, when the link mechanism is in the maximum contracted state, the first lever 3034 is supported horizontally on the arm body 301, and there is a predetermined angle between the second lever 3035 and the first lever 3034, which may be in the range of 150 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less, which makes it convenient for the lifting drive mechanism to apply a lifting drive force to the link mechanism, and makes it possible to push the link mechanism from the contracted state to the extended state with a relatively small drive force.

[0059] A first stop block (not shown) may be provided at the second end of the first lever 3034, and a second stop block (not shown) may be provided at the first end of the second lever 3035. After the first lever 3034 and the second lever 3035 push up the link mechanism from the maximum contraction state to a predetermined height, the first stop block and the second stop block come into contact with each other, and the angle between the first lever 3034 and the second lever 3035 is kept constant, driving the link mechanism along a curved trajectory and performing stable lifting.

[0060] 3, in some embodiments, the lift drive mechanism includes a lift drive motor 304, a power transmission mechanism 305 connected to the lift drive motor 304, and a slider 360 connected to the power transmission mechanism 305, the slider 360 is provided on the arm body 301 and hingedly connected to a first end of a first lever 3034, and the lift drive motor 304 can drive the slider 360 back and forth on the arm body 301 along the length direction of the arm body 301 via the power transmission mechanism 305. Thereby, the first lever 3034 is driven to move, the second lever 3035 is driven to move by the movement of the first lever 3034, and the first link 3032 rotates around the hinge connection point with the arm body 301 by the movement of the second lever 3035.

[0061] 3 includes a screw, and the slider 360 includes a nut, which is screwed with the screw to form a screw-nut pair. In other embodiments, the power transmission mechanism 305 may be a chain transmission mechanism or a rack-and-pinion transmission mechanism.

[0062] The hinge connection point between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034 can always move in the horizontal direction during the process in which the slider 360 pushes the first lever 3034. Referring to Fig. 3, a long slide groove 370 extending in the horizontal direction may be provided on the side of the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30, and one end of the hinge connection shaft 308 between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034 may be provided in the slide groove 370, and the hinge connection point between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034 may be restricted via the slide groove 370 so as to always be able to move in the horizontal direction.

[0063] When the hinge connection point between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034 moves horizontally, the hinge connection point between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034 may be supported on the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30 so as to provide stable support for the lifting mechanism 303.

[0064] In order to facilitate the hinge connection between the slider 360 and the first lever 3034, a support block 309 may be provided on a side surface of the slider 360, and a first end of the first lever 3034 may be hingedly connected to the support block 309. When two first levers 3034 are provided on both sides of the arm body 301, the support blocks 309 may be provided on both sides of the slider 360, respectively.

[0065] In some embodiments, the vehicle body is provided with a lifting assistance mechanism to assist in lifting the transport arm off the ground.

[0066] When transporting a load, the transport arm 30 extends horizontally from the vehicle body 20 to below the load, lifts the load by the lifting mechanism 303, returns to the vehicle body 20, and after the lifting mechanism 303 places the lifted load on the vehicle body 20, the lifting auxiliary mechanism on the vehicle body 20 lifts the transport arm 30 from the ground. In some other embodiments, after the transport arm 30 returns to the vehicle body 20, the transport arm 30 may be lifted from the ground by the lifting auxiliary mechanism while the lifting mechanism 303 holds the item.

[0067] After the transport arm 30 returns into the car body 20, the transport arm 30 can be lifted off the ground by the lifting auxiliary mechanism of the car body 20, so that the support wheels 302a and 302b of the transport arm 30 are lifted off the ground and do not come into contact with the ground. Therefore, during the operation of the transport device 10, only the car body 20 comes into contact with the ground, and the transport arm 30 is in a lifted state away from the ground, reducing friction with the ground, reducing the running resistance of the transport device 10, and allowing it to run faster.

[0068] In some embodiments, the lifting assist mechanism may be a transport arm climbing assist mechanism. Specifically, the lifting assist mechanism includes a climbing guide member provided on the car body 20, and the transport arm 30 accordingly has a climbing member that can climb along the climbing guide member.

[0069] The climbing guide member may be a guide plate, a guide block, a guide rail, a guide wheel, a guide rope, etc. The climbing member may be a rolling body that can roll, or may be a block or plate that cannot roll and can slide along the climbing guide member.

[0070] In order to push or pull the transport arm 30 along the climbing guide member, the transport device 10 further includes a power device that supplies climbing power to the climbing member. The power device may include a drive motor, a reduction mechanism connected to the drive motor, and a power transmission mechanism connected to the reduction mechanism, and the power transmission mechanism is connected to the transport arm 30. The power transmission mechanism may be a towing rope, a conveyor belt, a chain, a gear, and / or a rack and pinion.

[0071] The power unit may be provided on the transport arm 30, on the car body 20, or on both the transport arm 30 and the car body 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, the climbing guide member includes a guide plate provided at the bottom of the vehicle body 20 and having a predetermined slope with respect to the ground, and the support wheel of the transport arm 30, in addition to being the running member and support member of the transport arm 30, can also be used as the climbing member.

[0073] When the support wheel is in contact with the guide plate, the power unit supplies climbing power (e.g., by pushing or pulling the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30 forward), so that the support wheel climbs along the guide plate onto the vehicle body 20, thereby lifting the support wheel off the ground.

[0074] 5 to 7, in order to improve the climbing efficiency of the transport arm 30, in some embodiments, the climbing guide member includes a first climbing guide member 401a provided at a first end of the vehicle body 20 and a second climbing guide member 401b provided at a second end of the vehicle body 20, and accordingly, the climbing members on the transport arm include a first climbing guide member 304a that can climb along the first climbing guide member 401a and a second climbing member 304b that can climb along the second climbing guide member 401b.

[0075] The power device is used to provide climbing power to the first climbing member 304a and / or the second climbing member 304b.

[0076] The first climbing guide member 401a and the second climbing guide member 401b may be a guide plate, a guide block, a guide rail, a guide wheel, a guide rope, etc. The first climbing member and the second climbing member may be a rolling body that can roll, or may be a block or a plate that cannot roll and can slide along the first climbing guide member 401a and the second climbing guide member 401b.

[0077] In this embodiment, the first climbing member 304a and the second climbing member 304b provided on the transport arm 30 cooperate with the first climbing guide member 401a and the second climbing guide member 401b provided on the vehicle body 20, respectively, to lift the transport arm 30 upward at two different positions of the transport arm 30 simultaneously, which helps to improve the climbing efficiency of the transport arm 30 and enables the transport arm 30 to be lifted from the ground in a shorter time.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the first ascending guide member 401a may include a guide plate 402 provided at the bottom of the first end of the vehicle body 20 and having a predetermined slope with respect to the ground.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 6, a first support wheel 302a can climb along the guide plate 402 as a first climbing member 304a.

[0080] The power unit is provided on the transport arm 30 and connected to the first support wheel 302a. In this embodiment, the power unit is connected to the first support wheel 302a to supply climbing power to the first support wheel 302a. In addition to supplying climbing power to the first support wheel 302a, the power unit can also supply driving force for the first support wheel 302a to run on the ground, and therefore the power unit can also function as a power drive unit for the first support wheel 302a, that is, the power unit can supply both the climbing power of the first support wheel 302a and the driving force for the first support wheel 302a to run on the ground. Of course, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and the power unit for supplying climbing power to the first support wheel 302a and the power unit for supplying driving force for the first support wheel 302a to run on the ground may be two independent power units.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 5, when the support wheel 302a is not climbing, the bottom of the guide plate 402 may be maintained at a certain height from the ground so as not to interfere with the normal running of the vehicle body 20. The vehicle body 20 may be provided with a rotating shaft 202 to which the guide plate 402 is connected and to which a torsion spring is provided. When the support wheel 302a is not climbing, the guide plate 402 is inclined downward and has a certain height from the ground. When the support wheel 302a contacts the guide plate 402 and continues to run, the support wheel 302a pushes the guide plate 402 to rotate, and the lower end of the guide plate 402 contacts the ground, which can strongly support the climbing of the support wheel 302a. After the support wheel 302a climbs up to the vehicle body, the guide plate 402 returns to its initial position due to the action of the restoring force of the torsion spring, and the lower end of the guide plate 402 maintains a certain height from the ground.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 7, after the support wheel 302a climbs onto the vehicle body 20, the rotating shaft 202 is positioned behind the support wheel 302a, preventing the support wheel 302a from retreating to some extent. This makes it possible to prevent the support wheel 302a of the transport arm 30 from slipping off the vehicle body 20 and landing again due to unevenness in the road surface or acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle body 20 while the vehicle body 20 is traveling.

[0083] The second ascending guide member 401b may include a rolling element capable of rolling along the longitudinal direction of the arm body 301, and may be, for example, a roller, a ball, a drum, or the like.

[0084] 6, the second ascending member 304b is a support block 350 provided on the outside of the arm body 301, and the bottom of the support block 350 has a slope that supports the second ascending guide member 401b.

[0085] In some other embodiments, the second climbing member 304b may be a rolling element such as a roller, a ball, or a drum provided on the outside of the arm body 301.

[0086] In some other embodiments, the first ascending guide member 401a may include a first set of guide plates provided on both sides of the first end of the transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the second ascending guide member 401b may include a second set of guide plates provided on both sides of the second end of the transport arm accommodating groove 201, the first set of guide plates and the second set of guide plates having guide slopes, the first ascending member 304a on the transport arm 30 is a first set of support blocks provided on both sides of the first end of the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30, and the second ascending member 304b on the transport arm 30 is a second set of support blocks provided on both sides of the second end of the arm body 301 of the transport arm 30, and the bottoms of the first set of support blocks and the second set of support blocks have slopes that fit the guide slopes of the first set of guide plates and the second set of guide plates.

[0087] When the first set of support blocks is close to the first set of guide plates and the second set of support blocks is close to the second set of guide plates, the power unit supplies climbing power to the transport arm 30, causing the first set of support blocks to climb along the first set of guide plates and the second set of support blocks to climb along the second set of guide plates, thereby lifting the support wheels 302a and 302b of the transport arm 30 off the ground.

[0088] 4 and 6, in some embodiments, a slide rail 50 is provided between the transport arm accommodating groove 201 and the transport arm 30 in order to increase the extension distance of the transport arm 30.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 6, a slide guide and support structure 203 is provided on the side of the transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the slide guide and support structure 203 fits with the slide rail 50 to provide lateral guidance and vertical support for the slide rail 50, and the slide guide and support structure 203 can support the up and down movement of the slide rail 50.

[0090] The slide rail 50 is extendable and retractable in the lateral direction (horizontal direction) relative to the transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the transport arm 30 is movable in the horizontal direction along the slide rail 50. The slide rail 50 may also be called a secondary guide rail for the transport arm 30.

[0091] When the transport arm 30 is lifted up from the ground in a climbing manner, the transport arm 30 moves upward as a whole. In one embodiment, the vertical position of the slide 50 is fixed relative to the vehicle body 20, and the transport arm 30 can move up and down relative to the slide 50. In another example, the vertical position of the slide 50 is movable relative to the vehicle body 20, and the vertical position of the transport arm 30 is fixed relative to the slide 50, and the transport arm 30 can move up and down together with the slide 50 relative to the vehicle body 20.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, in some embodiments, a vertical guide structure 204 is provided on the side of the transport arm accommodating groove 201, and the slide guide and support structure 203 includes a base and a guide and support connected to the base, and is slidable up and down or rollable up and down between the base and the vertical guide structure 204, and the guide and support fits with the slide rail 50 to provide a lateral guide and vertical support for the slide rail 50.

[0093] In one example, the longitudinal guide structure 204 is a longitudinal guide groove, and the base can move up and down in the longitudinal guide groove, while in another example, the longitudinal guide structure is a longitudinal guide rail, and the base is provided with a slide groove, and the base slides on the longitudinal guide rail through the slide groove.

[0094] In some embodiments, a lifting-type lifting auxiliary mechanism may be adopted as the lifting auxiliary device, specifically, the lifting auxiliary device includes a support part provided on the car body 20, and the lifting mechanism 303 includes a lifting drive mechanism and a lifting implementation mechanism, the lifting implementation mechanism is connected to the lifting drive mechanism, the lifting implementation mechanism is supported by the support part on the car body 20, and after the lifting implementation mechanism is supported by the support part on the car body 20, the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, and the support wheel is lifted off the ground.

[0095] In this embodiment, when the transport arm 30 is inside the vehicle body 20, the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to perform a contracting operation, whereby the lifting mechanism is supported by a support on the vehicle body 20, and when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to continue the contracting operation, the support wheels leave the ground. In this embodiment, the transport arm 30 can be lifted on the spot, and the vehicle body 20 can be made more compact.

[0096] The support portion on the vehicle body 20 may be a support groove provided on the vehicle body 20, which in addition to supporting the lifting mechanism can restrict the lifting mechanism 303 (transport arm 30) to prevent the transport arm 30 from swinging back and forth on the vehicle body 20 due to unevenness in the road surface or acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle body 20.

[0097] The lifting mechanism includes an extendable lifting mechanism and a lifting top plate provided on the top of the extendable lifting mechanism, and when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to contract it to a predetermined position, the lifting top plate is supported by a support portion on the car body 20, and when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheels 302a and 302b are lifted off the ground.

[0098] When the lifting top plate is supported on the support part on the car body 20 and the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheels leave the ground, which causes the lifting actuator to be contracted to the maximum extent possible, resulting in a relatively small height and size of the entire lifting mechanism 303, a relatively low height of the car body 20, a lower center of gravity, and smoother operation.

[0099] In this embodiment, when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to contract to a predetermined position, the lifting top plate is supported by a support portion on the vehicle body 20. In some other embodiments, when the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to contract to a predetermined position, the lifting mechanism may be supported by a support portion on the vehicle body 20, for example, by a structure such as a protrusion provided on the side of the lifting mechanism.

[0100] 8 to 11, in some embodiments, the support on the vehicle body 20 includes a first support 206 provided on a first side of the vehicle body 20 and a second support 207 provided on a second side of the vehicle body 20, and both sides of the lift-up top plate 308 have a first raised portion 306 that supports the first support 206 and a second raised portion 307 that supports the second support 207, and with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, when the lift-up drive mechanism drives the lift-up implementation mechanism to contract to a predetermined position, the first raised portion 306 is supported by the first support portion 206, and the second raised portion 307 is supported by the second support portion 207, and when the lift-up drive mechanism drives the lift-up implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheels 302a and 302b are lifted off the ground.

[0101] In order to more smoothly support the transport arm 30, the number of first support portions 206 and second support portions 207 provided on the vehicle body 20 may each be two or more, and accordingly, the number of first raised portions 306 and second raised portions 307 may each be two or more.

[0102] The first support portion 206 and the second support portion 207 may each be a support block or a support groove. In addition to supporting the lifting mechanism 303, the support groove can restrict the lifting mechanism 303 (transport arm 30) to prevent the transport arm 30 from swinging back and forth on the vehicle body 20 due to unevenness of the road surface, acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle body 20, and the like.

[0103] In some embodiments, a magnetically attractive member (e.g., a magnet) may be provided on the first support 206 and / or the second support 207, and a corresponding magnetically attractive member may be provided on the first ridge 306 and / or the second ridge 307 (e.g., at the bottom of the first ridge 306 and the second ridge 307). The magnetically attractive member provided on the first support 206 and / or the second support 207 may be magnetically attracted to the magnetically attractive member provided on the first ridge 306 and / or the second ridge 307, so that when the first ridge 306 and the second ridge 307 should be supported by the first support 206 and the second support 207, automatic alignment between the ridges and the supports may be realized by the magnetically attractive member. Furthermore, when the protruding portion and the support portion are magnetically attracted to each other by the magnetic attraction member, the protruding portion (i.e., the transport arm 30) can be further restricted.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 15, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a luggage transport method, including the following steps.

[0105] S100, the vehicle body moves to a predetermined position adjacent to the load, and the transport arm extends from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 16, the vehicle body 20 is moved to a predetermined position adjacent to the pallet 100 and the transfer arm 30 is extended from the vehicle body 20 to the bottom of the pallet 100 .

[0107] S102: The lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs an upward movement to lift the load, and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body.

[0108] In some embodiments, in step S102, in the process in which the lifting mechanism lifts the load from a low position to a high position, the load moves horizontally in a direction in which the transport arm returns to the inside of the vehicle body.

[0109] In Fig. 17, the lifting mechanism lifts the pallet from a low position to a high position. In Fig. 18, the transfer arm transfers the load to directly above the vehicle body.

[0110] S104: The lifting mechanism contracts, and the lifted baggage is placed on the vehicle body.

[0111] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the lifting mechanism contracting and placing the lifted pallet on the vehicle body.

[0112] In this embodiment, after the transport arm extends from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load, and the lifting mechanism lifts the load, the upper part of the lifting mechanism (i.e., the lifted load) moves in the horizontal direction in the return direction of the transport arm into the vehicle body during the process of the lifting mechanism lifting the load from a low position to a high position. That is, when the lifting mechanism performs the lifting operation, the upper part of the lifting mechanism (e.g., the top plate) moves along a curved trajectory having two displacement components, vertical and horizontal, and the vertical displacement component is the lifting process from a low position to a high position, and the horizontal displacement component is the movement of the transport arm in the horizontal direction in the return direction into the vehicle body. Therefore, during the lifting mechanism's lifting process, the lifting of the load and the transport of the load toward the vehicle body can be performed simultaneously, and the efficiency of transporting the load onto the vehicle body by the transport arm can be improved.

[0113] Referring to Figures 4 and 17, during the process of the lifting mechanism lifting the cargo from a low position to a high position, the cargo moving horizontally in the direction of the transport arm returning to the vehicle body may include, when the lifting drive mechanism drives the extension motion of the lifting mechanism, the cargo on the upper part of the lifting mechanism is lifted and moved horizontally in the direction of the transport arm returning to the vehicle body.

[0114] In some embodiments, the lifting / lowering mechanism includes a link mechanism and a lever, a lower end of the link mechanism is hingedly connected to the arm body, a first end of the lever is hingedly connected to the lifting / lowering drive mechanism, and a second end of the lever is hingedly connected to the link mechanism. Driving the extension operation of the lifting / lowering drive mechanism includes, when the lifting / lowering drive mechanism presses the lever, the lever presses the link mechanism to extend it.

[0115] In one example, the link mechanism includes a lift-up top plate, a first link and a second link, the lower end of the first link is hingedly connected to the arm body and the upper end is hingedly connected to the lift-up top plate, the lower end of the second link 3033 is hingedly connected to the arm body and the upper end is hingedly connected to the lift-up top plate, and a parallelepiped link mechanism is formed between the lift-up top plate, the first link, the second link and the arm body.

[0116] In some embodiments, the lift drive mechanism may include a lift drive motor, a power transmission mechanism connected to the lift drive motor, and a slider connected to the power transmission mechanism. The lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs an upward movement to lift the cargo and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body, the lifting drive motor driving the movement of a slider via the power transmission mechanism, and when the slider presses the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend it.

[0117] Here, the lift drive motor drives the movement of the slider through the power transmission mechanism, which means that the lift drive motor rotates the screw, which moves the slider (nut) on the screw through the screw-nut pair, which pushes the lever, and the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend.

[0118] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs a lifting operation to lift the cargo and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body includes the transport arm moving within the vehicle body during the process in which the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs a lifting operation to lift the cargo.

[0119] In this embodiment, during the process in which the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs the lifting operation to lift the cargo, the upper part of the lifting mechanism (i.e., the lifted cargo) moves horizontally in the direction in which the transport arm returns to the vehicle body, and the transport arm also moves inside the vehicle body, thereby further improving the efficiency with which the transport arm transports the cargo onto the vehicle body.

[0120] Referring to FIG. 21, in some embodiments, the method may further include step S106 of lifting the support wheels of the transport arm off the ground after the transport arm returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body, the lifting mechanism performs a contracting operation, and the lifted load is placed on the vehicle body.

[0121] In this embodiment, after the transport arm returns to its designated position within the vehicle body, the lifted cargo is placed onto the vehicle body, and the support wheels of the transport arm are raised off the ground so as not to come into contact with the ground. As a result, during the operation of the transport device, only the vehicle body comes into contact with the ground, and the transport arm is in a lifted state away from the ground, reducing friction with the ground, reducing the running resistance of the transport device, and allowing it to run faster.

[0122] In some embodiments, the step (S100) of moving the vehicle body to a predetermined position adjacent to the load and extending the transport arm from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load includes the vehicle body moving to a predetermined position adjacent to the load and the support wheel of the transport arm dropping from a lifted state to a state in contact with the ground, and then the transport arm extending from the vehicle body to the bottom of the load.

[0123] In this embodiment, during the process of the vehicle body transporting the luggage, the support wheel of the transport arm is in a lifted state, the vehicle body moves to a predetermined position close to the luggage, and after the support wheel of the transport arm drops from the lifted state to a state in contact with the ground, the transport arm extends from the vehicle body to the bottom of the luggage.

[0124] In some embodiments, dropping the support wheel of the transport arm from a lifted state to a state in contact with the ground includes the transport arm's movement drive mechanism operating to drop the support wheel of the transport arm to contact the ground after the vehicle body has moved a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction.

[0125] In this embodiment, after the vehicle body moves a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction, the support wheels of the transport arm drop until they contact the ground, which is the opposite of the support wheels of the transport arm climbing onto the vehicle body in the previously described embodiment of the transport device.

[0126] In some embodiments, the dropping of the support wheel of the transport arm from a lifted state to a state in contact with the ground includes, when the lifting mechanism is in a retracted state and supported by the vehicle body, the support wheel of the transport arm is in a lifted state, the lifting mechanism performs an upward movement, and the support wheel of the transport arm drops until it contacts the ground.

[0127] In some embodiments, hoisting the support wheels of the transport arm off the ground includes hoisting the support wheels of the transport arm off the ground as the transport arm continues to move within the vehicle body and climbs the vehicle body.

[0128] In some other embodiments, lifting the support wheel of the transport arm off the ground includes lifting the support wheel off the ground as the lifting mechanism further retracts, when the lifting mechanism continues to retract until supported by the vehicle body.

[0129] In some embodiments, the transport arm continuing to move within the vehicle body to climb the vehicle body includes the transport arm continuing to move within the vehicle body with a support wheel on a first end of the transport arm climbing along a first climbing guide member on the first end of the vehicle body and a climbing member on a side of a second end of the transport arm climbing along a second climbing guide member on a side of a second end of the vehicle body.

[0130] In some embodiments, climbing the support wheel at the first end of the transport arm along the first climbing guide member at the first end of the car body includes the support wheel at the first end of the transport arm climbing along a guide plate at the bottom of the first end of the car body having a predetermined slope with respect to the ground, and climbing the climbing member at the side of the second end of the transport arm along the second climbing guide member at the side of the second end of the car body includes a climbing guide surface at the bottom of a support block at the side of the second end of the transport arm climbing along a rolling body at the side of the second end of the car body.

[0131] In this embodiment, the process of dropping the support wheel of the transport arm until it touches the ground and then lifting the support wheel off the ground is reversed.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 21, after the support wheels of the transport arm are lifted from the ground, the transport method further includes step S108 of moving the vehicle body and transporting the luggage to a destination.

[0133] The luggage transport method of this embodiment can be applied to the embodiments of the luggage transport device described above, but since the implementation method and beneficial effects that can be achieved are essentially the same, they will not be repeated here.

[0134] It should be noted that, in the present invention, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between those entities or operations. Also, the terms "comprise", "contain" or any other variations thereof are intended to include a non-exclusive inclusion, whereby a process, method, article or device that includes a set of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or includes the inherent elements of such process, method, article or device. Unless more restrictive, an element qualified by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of further identical elements in the process, method, article or device that includes said element.

[0135] The embodiments of the present invention are described in a related manner, with reference to each other regarding similarities and commonalities between the embodiments, and each embodiment will be described focusing on its differences from other embodiments.

[0136] In particular, since the device embodiments are substantially similar to the method embodiments, the description thereof is relatively simple, and reference may be made to the partial description of the method embodiments for relevant parts.

[0137] The above is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any modifications or replacements that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be governed by the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A transport device including a vehicle body and a transport arm provided within the vehicle body, the transport arm includes an arm body, the arm body being provided with a lifting mechanism; the transport arm extends horizontally from the vehicle body, lifts a load by the lifting mechanism, and returns to the vehicle body; The lifting mechanism includes a lifting drive mechanism and a foldable lifting implementation mechanism, the lifting implementation mechanism is connected to the lifting drive mechanism, When the lift drive mechanism drives the contracting operation of the lift mechanism, the lift mechanism is folded and contracted in a direction in which the transport arm extends horizontally from the vehicle body, When the lift drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lift mechanism, an upper portion of the lift mechanism moves in a horizontal direction in a return direction of the transport arm into the vehicle body, The lifting mechanism includes a link mechanism and a lever, The lower end of the link mechanism is hinged to the arm body, a first end of the lever is hingedly connected to the lift drive mechanism and a second end of the lever is hingedly connected to the link mechanism; When the lift drive mechanism pulls the lever, the lever pulls the link mechanism so as to contract, and when the lift drive mechanism pushes the lever, the lever pushes the link mechanism so as to extend. A conveying device characterized by the above.

2. The lever includes a first lever and a second lever, a first end of the first lever being hingedly connected to the lift drive mechanism, a second end of the first lever being hingedly connected to the first end of the second lever, and a second end of the second lever being hingedly connected to the link mechanism; a first stop block is provided at a second end of the first lever, a second stop block is provided at a first end of the second lever, and after the first lever and the second lever push up the link mechanism from a maximum contracted state to a predetermined height, the first stop block and the second stop block come into contact with each other; the lift drive mechanism includes a lift drive motor, a power transmission mechanism connected to the lift drive motor, and a slider connected to the power transmission mechanism; the slider is provided on the arm body and hingedly connected to a first end of the lever, and the lifting drive motor is capable of driving the slider on the arm body back and forth along a length direction of the arm body via the power transmission mechanism, the power transmission mechanism includes a screw, the slider includes a nut, the nut being threaded with the screw to form a screw-nut pair; 2. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. The vehicle body is provided with a lifting assistance mechanism for assisting in lifting the transport arm from the ground, and the arm body is provided with a support wheel.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1.

4. The lifting assist mechanism includes an ascending guide member provided on the vehicle body, the transport arm has a climbing member that can climb along the climbing guide member, The transport arm and / or the vehicle body has a power unit that supplies climbing power to the climbing member.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

5. The climbing guide member includes a guide plate provided on a bottom of the vehicle body and having a predetermined gradient with respect to the ground, The climbing member on the transport arm is the support wheel.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4.

6. The climbing guide member includes a first climbing guide member provided at a first end of the vehicle body; a second climbing guide member provided at a second end of the vehicle body; the climbing member on the transport arm includes a first climbing member capable of climbing along the first climbing guide member and a second climbing member capable of climbing along the second climbing guide member; The power unit is used to supply climbing power to the first climbing member and / or the second climbing member.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4.

7. The first climbing guide member includes a guide plate provided on a bottom portion of the vehicle body and having a predetermined gradient with respect to the ground, the support wheels include a first support wheel and a second support wheel spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of the arm body, the power unit is provided on the transport arm and connected to the first support wheel, the first climbing member is the first support wheel; When the first support wheel climbs along the first climbing guide member and the second climbing member climbs along the second climbing guide member, the first support wheel and the second support wheel are lifted off the ground.

7. The transport device according to claim 6.

8. The second climbing guide member includes a rolling body that can roll along a longitudinal direction of the arm body, The second climbing member is a support block provided on the outside of the arm body, and the bottom of the support block has a slope that supports the second climbing guide member.

7. The transport device according to claim 6.

9. The lifting assist mechanism includes a support portion provided on the vehicle body, When the lifting mechanism is supported by the support portion on the vehicle body and the lifting drive mechanism drives the lifting mechanism to continue the contracting operation, the support wheels are lifted off the ground, The lifting / lowering mechanism includes an extendable lifting mechanism and a lifting top plate provided on an upper portion of the extendable lifting mechanism, When the lift drive mechanism drives the lift implementation mechanism to contract it to a predetermined position, the lift top plate is supported by the support part on the vehicle body, and when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheel is lifted off the ground.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

10. The support portion includes a first support portion provided on a first side of the vehicle body and a second support portion provided on a second side of the vehicle body, Both sides of the lift-up top plate have a first raised portion that supports the first support portion and a second raised portion that supports the second support portion, When the lift drive mechanism drives the lift implementation mechanism to contract it to a predetermined position, the first protrusion is supported by the first support portion, and the second protrusion is supported by the second support portion. When the lift drive mechanism drives the lift implementation mechanism to continue the contraction operation, the support wheel is lifted off the ground.

10. The transport device according to claim 9.

11. The vehicle body has a transport arm accommodating groove extending in a horizontal direction, the transport arm is provided in the transport arm accommodating groove, a slide rail is provided between the transport arm accommodating groove and the transport arm; A slide guide and support structure is provided on the side of the transport arm accommodating groove, the slide guide and support structure is adapted to the slide rail, and provides a lateral guide and a vertical support for the slide rail, and the slide guide and support structure can support the up and down movement of the slide rail; 4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

12. A vertical guide structure is provided on a side of the transport arm accommodating groove, The sliding guide and support structure includes a base and a guide and support connected to the base, the base and the longitudinal guide structure can slide up and down or roll up and down between the base and the longitudinal guide structure, and the guide and support are fitted to the sliding rail to provide a lateral guide and a longitudinal support for the sliding rail.

12. The transport device according to claim 11.

13. a vehicle body is moved to a predetermined position adjacent to a load, and a transport arm is extended from the vehicle body to a bottom of the load; the lifting mechanism of the transport arm performs an upward movement to lift the load and returns to a predetermined position within the vehicle body; and The lifting mechanism performs a contracting operation to place the lifted luggage on the vehicle body, When the lifting drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism drives the extension operation of the lifting mechanism, the load on the upper part of the lifting mechanism is lifted and moved horizontally in the return direction of the transport arm into the vehicle body, When the lift drive mechanism drives the contraction operation of the lift mechanism, the lift mechanism that lifts the load is folded and contracted in a direction in which the transport arm extends horizontally from the vehicle body, The lifting mechanism includes a link mechanism and a lever, The lift drive mechanism drives the extension operation of the lift implementation mechanism, the lift drive mechanism pushes the lever, and the lever pushes the link mechanism to extend; The lift drive mechanism drives the contraction operation of the lift implementation mechanism, The lift drive mechanism pulls the lever, and the lever pulls the link mechanism to contract. A luggage transport method comprising:

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