Leveling mechanism for aerial work platform, and aerial work platform

Abstract

A leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform comprises a leveling mounting base (1), a leveling driving assembly and a leveling gear (3), wherein the leveling mounting base (1) is used for connection to a boom of an aerial work platform; the leveling gear (3) is used for connection to a work bucket of the aerial work platform; and the leveling driving assembly comprises a driving electric motor (21), a rotating lead screw (221), a moving rack unit (23) and a moving support (24), the rotating lead screw (221) being rotatably arranged through the leveling mounting base (1) and being in driving connection with the driving electric motor (21), the moving rack unit (23) being connected to the rotating lead screw (221) and being movable under the drive of the rotating lead screw (221), the direction of extension of the moving rack unit (23) being parallel to the direction of length of the rotating lead screw (221), and the moving support (24) being arranged on the moving rack unit (23) and being fitted to the leveling mounting base (1). The leveling mechanism levels the work bucket by means of electric driving, the response speed is high, and the safety is high.

Description

Leveling mechanism for aerial work platform and aerial work platform

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 6, 2023, with application number 202323323067.2 and utility model name “Leveling mechanism for aerial work platform and aerial work platform”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into the application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application belongs to the technical field of aerial work equipment, and in particular relates to a leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform and an aerial work platform. Background Art

[0003] For aerial work platforms that use a boom luffing mechanism, the end of the boom structure is connected to a work bucket for operators to work. To ensure the safety of people or loads in the work bucket, it is necessary to ensure that the bottom surface of the work bucket is maintained in a horizontal state as much as possible. The process of adjusting the work bucket from an inclined state to a horizontal state is called work bucket leveling, and the mechanism that realizes this process is a leveling mechanism.

[0004] Existing leveling mechanisms generally use hydraulic control, which drives the hydraulic cylinder to adjust the position of the working bucket to keep the working bucket level. However, it takes a long time from the hydraulic system to build up pressure and the hydraulic system to output stable flow, which makes the hydraulic system respond slowly and unable to drive the working bucket to level in time, affecting the safety of people on the working bucket. Technical Solutions

[0005] In response to the above-mentioned defects or shortcomings, the present application provides a leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform and an aerial work platform, aiming to solve the technical problem that the existing leveling mechanism adopts hydraulic control, the hydraulic system has a slow response speed, and thus affects the safety of personnel on the work bucket.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a leveling mechanism is provided for an aerial work platform, wherein the leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform includes a leveling mounting seat, a leveling drive assembly and a leveling gear; the leveling mounting seat is used to connect the arm of the aerial work platform; the leveling drive assembly includes a driving motor, a rotating screw, a moving rack assembly and a moving support member, the rotating screw is rotatably arranged on the leveling mounting seat and is connected to the driving connection of the driving motor, the moving rack assembly is connected to the rotating screw and can be moved under the drive of the rotating screw, and the extension direction of the moving rack assembly is parallel to the length direction of the rotating screw, the moving support member is arranged on the moving rack assembly and is in contact with the leveling mounting seat; the leveling gear is meshed with the moving rack assembly and is used to connect the working bucket of the aerial work platform.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, the movable rack assembly includes a nut member and a rack body. The nut member is sleeved on the rotating screw, and the rack body and the movable support member are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the nut member.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present application, a sliding groove is formed on the side of the nut member facing away from the rack body, and the movable support member is configured as a nylon slider connected to the nut member, and the nylon slider is arranged in the sliding groove and is fitted with the groove wall of the sliding groove.

[0009] In the embodiment of the present application, the sliding groove is arranged to expand gradually from the bottom of the groove outward, and the nylon slider forms inclined sliding surfaces on both side walls of the sliding groove corresponding to the sliding groove.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, both ends of the rotating screw are suspended to form a first driving end and a second driving end. The first driving end is connected to the driving motor, and the second driving end is used as an auxiliary emergency drive.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, the leveling mounting seat includes a mounting shell for connecting to the arm and a bearing seat arranged in the mounting shell. The rotating screw, the movable rack assembly and the leveling gear are all arranged in the mounting shell. The rotating screw is passed through the bearing seat. Power input ports are formed at both ends of the mounting shell corresponding to the first drive end and the second drive end of the rotating screw. The drive motor is arranged on the outside of the mounting shell, and the output shaft of the drive motor extends into the mounting shell through the power input port and is drive-connected to the first drive end.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, the mounting housing includes a rod cavity portion and a gear cavity portion. The rod cavity portion forms a first mounting space for accommodating a rotating screw and opens a power input port. The gear cavity portion bulges outward from one side of the rod cavity portion to form a second mounting space for accommodating a leveling gear.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present application, two bearing parts are provided on the inner wall of the first installation space, and the two bearing parts are provided on both sides of the gear cavity. There are two bearing seats, and both bearing seats are used for the screw to pass through, and are respectively provided on the two bearing parts in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the leveling gear includes a wheel body for connecting to the working bucket of the aerial work platform and a plurality of gear teeth arranged in sequence on one side of the wheel body, and the plurality of gear teeth are used to engage with the movable rack coupling.

[0015] In the embodiment of the present application, the leveling drive assembly further includes an elastic coupling, which is provided at the first driving end of the rotating screw to connect the rotating screw and the drive motor.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application also provides an aerial work platform, wherein the aerial work platform includes the above-mentioned leveling mechanism for the aerial work platform. Beneficial effects

[0017] When using the aforementioned leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform, it includes a leveling mount, a leveling drive assembly, and a leveling gear. The leveling mount and the leveling gear are respectively connected to the boom and work bucket of the aerial work platform. In the leveling drive assembly, a rotating screw is rotatably mounted on the leveling mount and is connected to a drive motor. During operation, the drive motor rotates the rotating screw, which in turn moves the moving rack assembly along the length of the rotating screw, thereby rotating the leveling gear and achieving the purpose of leveling the work bucket. Compared to traditional hydraulic control, the drive motor can achieve a fast response, allowing the moving rack assembly to quickly level the work bucket, ensuring the safety of those in the work bucket. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following detailed description, they are used to explain the present application but do not constitute a limitation of the present application. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a leveling mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a leveling mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a mounting housing according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG4 is a partial schematic diagram of a gear cavity according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a leveling mechanism according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a leveling mechanism according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Explanation of the reference numerals 1. Leveling mounting seat; 11. Sliding groove; 12. Mounting housing; 121. Rod cavity; 122. Gear cavity; 122a. Inclined section; 122b. Transition section; 122c. Arc section; 123. First mounting space; 124. Second mounting space; 13. Bearing seat; 14. Bearing part; 21. Driving motor; 221. Rotating screw; 221a. First driving end; 221b. Second driving end; 222. Nut member; 23. Moving rack assembly; 230. Rack body; 24. Moving support member; 241. Sliding surface; 25. Elastic coupling; 26. Reducer; 3. Leveling gear; 31. Wheel body; 32. Gear tooth body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0027] The following describes the leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform and the aerial work platform according to the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Leveling mounting base 1, used to connect the boom of the aerial work platform;

[0029] The leveling drive assembly includes a drive motor 21, a rotating screw 221, a movable rack assembly 23, and a movable support member 24. The rotating screw 221 is rotatably provided on the leveling mounting base 1 and is connected to the driving motor 21. The movable rack assembly 23 is connected to the rotating screw 221 and can move under the drive of the rotating screw 221. The extension direction of the movable rack assembly 23 is parallel to the length direction of the rotating screw 221. The movable support member 24 is provided on the movable rack assembly 23 and is in close contact with the leveling mounting base 1.

[0030] The leveling gear 3 is meshed with the moving rack member 23 and is used to connect to the working bucket of the aerial work platform.

[0031] When using the above-mentioned leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform, it includes a leveling mount 1, a leveling drive assembly, and a leveling gear 3. The leveling mount 1 and the leveling gear 3 are respectively connected to the boom and the work bucket of the aerial work platform. In the leveling drive assembly, a rotating screw 221 is rotatably mounted on the leveling mount 1 and is connected to the drive motor 21. In the working state, the drive motor 21 drives the rotating screw 221 to rotate, and the moving rack assembly 23 moves along the length of the rotating screw 221, thereby rotating the leveling gear 3 to achieve the purpose of leveling the work bucket. Compared with traditional hydraulic control, the drive motor 21 can achieve a fast response, thereby quickly achieving leveling of the work bucket by moving the rack assembly 23, ensuring the safety of people in the work bucket.

[0032] In addition, since the leveling mechanism of the present application adopts the drive motor 21 as the power source, compared with the hydraulic drive method, the drive motor 21 has a fast response and convenient speed regulation, which effectively improves the efficiency of leveling the working bucket, and since no hydraulic oil is required, the leveling effect is not affected by dust and temperature; the drive motor 21 is a servo motor, and the servo motor can easily detect the rotation position and speed without the aid of external sensors, and can easily realize the detection of the speed and flip angle position.

[0033] Specifically, the leveling drive assembly further includes a reducer 26 , which is disposed between the drive motor 21 and the rotating lead screw 221 and is used to amplify the output torque of the drive motor 21 .

[0034] In the embodiment of the present application, the movable rack assembly 23 includes a nut member 222 and a rack body 230. The nut member 222 is sleeved onto the rotating screw 221, and the rack body 230 and the movable support member 24 are disposed on opposite sides of the nut member 222. Specifically, referring to FIG1 , there are two nut members 222, each connected to one end of the movable rack assembly 23. This arrangement helps balance the forces acting on the nut members 222 and increases the stability of the screw transmission. Referring to FIG5 , the nut member 222 can also be extended, i.e., a single nut member 222 simultaneously connects both ends of the movable rack assembly 23.

[0035] Of course, the present application is not limited to this. As shown in FIG6 , in an embodiment of the present application, the movable rack assembly 23 and the nut assembly 222 can also be integrally formed for ease of assembly. Specifically, the inner cavity of the integrally formed movable rack assembly 23 and the nut assembly 222 is processed into a lead screw inner thread and a ball or roller is placed therein to provide a more balanced overall force.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the embodiment of the present application, the leveling mount 1 is formed with a sliding groove 11 on the side of the nut member 222 facing away from the rack body 230. The movable support member is configured as a nylon slider connected to the nut member 222, and the nylon slider is disposed within the sliding groove 11 and is disposed in contact with the groove wall of the sliding groove 11. The main function of the sliding groove 11 and the nylon slider is to orient the movement of the nut member 222, ensuring that the nut member 222 moves along the length of the rotating screw 221 under the drive of the rotating screw 221 without rotating with the rotating screw 221. In addition, due to the use of a threaded transmission method, the rotating screw 221 will bear a lateral force component in addition to the axial force component. The lateral force component can be transmitted to the leveling mount 1 through the nylon slider, thereby increasing the maximum torque that can be input.

[0037] Because the nylon slider has self-lubricating properties and good wear resistance, it can increase the service life of the leveling mechanism and reduce maintenance costs. It should be noted that in order to orient the movement of the nut member 222, a guide rail slider can also be used. However, compared to a guide rail, the sliding groove 11 is directly formed on the leveling mounting base 1, which is simpler in structure and can more directly transmit the lateral component of the force exerted on the rotating screw 221 to the leveling mounting base 1.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present application, the sliding groove 11 is gradually expanded from the bottom of the groove outward, and the nylon slider forms inclined sliding surfaces 241 on both side walls of the sliding groove 11. The above arrangement is conducive to the fit between the nylon slider and the sliding groove 11, and improves the stability of the nylon slider during movement.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present application, the two ends of the rotating screw 221 are suspended to form a first drive end 221a and a second drive end 221b. The first drive end 221a is connected to the drive motor 21, and the second drive end 221b is used for auxiliary emergency drive. Under normal operating conditions, the driving motor 21 drives the rotating screw 221 to rotate, and the movable rack assembly 23 moves along the length of the rotating screw 221, thereby rotating the leveling gear 3 to achieve the purpose of leveling the working bucket. In the event of failure of the drive motor 21, the operator can use the second drive end 221b of the rotating screw 221 to perform auxiliary emergency drive, thereby ensuring the reliability of the leveling mechanism.

[0040] It should be noted that the auxiliary emergency drive method can be: the operator uses a connecting rod to engage with the second drive end 221b of the rotating screw 221, and drives the rotating screw 221 to rotate by manual rotation, thereby achieving leveling of the working bucket; or it can be: a backup motor is set at the second drive end 221b, and when the drive motor 21 fails, the rotating screw 221 is driven to rotate by the backup motor.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present application, the leveling mounting base 1 includes a mounting housing 12 for connecting to the arm and a bearing seat 13 disposed within the mounting housing 12. The rotating screw 221, the movable rack assembly 23, and the leveling gear 3 are all disposed within the mounting housing 12. The rotating screw 221 is inserted through the bearing seat 13. Power input ports are formed at both ends of the mounting housing 12, corresponding to the first drive end 221a and the second drive end 221b of the rotating screw 221. The drive motor 21 is disposed outside the mounting housing 12. The output shaft of the drive motor 21 extends into the mounting housing 12 through the power input port and is drive-connected to the first drive end 221a. The mounting housing 12 encloses the rotating screw 221, the movable rack assembly 23, and the leveling gear 3 in a closed environment, preventing any intrusion of debris and preventing the leveling process from being disturbed by the outside world.

[0042] Specifically, a sealing cover can be provided at the power input port corresponding to the second driving end 221b. When the leveling mechanism is working normally, the sealing cover is in a closed state. When auxiliary emergency driving is required, the sealing cover is opened by the operator.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present application, the mounting housing 12 includes a rod cavity 121 and a gear cavity 122. The rod cavity 121 defines a first mounting space 123 for accommodating the rotating screw 221 and a power input port. The gear cavity 122 protrudes outward from one side of the rod cavity 121 to form a second mounting space 124 for accommodating the leveling gear 3. This configuration is intended to reduce the volume of the mounting housing 12 and make the overall structure of the leveling mechanism more compact.

[0044] Specifically, a connecting plate for connecting to the arm extends from the side of the rod cavity 121 facing away from the gear cavity 122. Furthermore, referring to Figure 4 , the gear cavity 122 is a vertically symmetrical structure. Its lower half, from bottom to top, comprises an inclined section 122a extending upward from the rod cavity 121, a transition section 122b extending vertically upward from the end of the inclined section 122a, and an arc section 122c extending in a curved manner from the end of the transition section 122b.

[0045] In this embodiment of the present application, two bearing portions 14 are provided on the inner wall of the first mounting space 123, one on each side of the gear cavity 122. Two bearing seats 13 are provided, each for the rotational screw 221 to pass through, and are disposed one-to-one on the two bearing portions 14. Because the bearing seats 13 are located at the primary stress point, the bearing portions 14 are provided to enhance the structural strength of the mounting housing 12 at the location of the bearing seats 13. The two bearing portions are symmetrically arranged to ensure balanced force on both ends of the leveling mechanism.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present application, the leveling gear 3 includes a wheel body 31 for connecting to the work bucket of the aerial work platform, and a plurality of gear teeth 32 sequentially spaced apart on one side of the wheel body 31. The plurality of gear teeth 32 are configured to mesh with the movable rack member 23. This reduces the number of gears while still meeting meshing requirements, thereby lowering the processing cost of the leveling gear 3.

[0047] In this embodiment of the present application, the leveling drive assembly also includes an elastic coupling 25, which is disposed at the first drive end 221a of the rotating screw 221 to connect the rotating screw 221 and the drive motor 21. In addition to transmitting rotational speed and torque, the elastic coupling 25 also offsets certain assembly errors and impacts, thereby improving the reliability of the leveling mechanism. Specifically, an elastic coupling 25 is also disposed at the second drive end 221b.

[0048] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present application also provides an aerial work platform, wherein the aerial work platform includes all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned leveling mechanism for the aerial work platform, and therefore also has all the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0049] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0050] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0051] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0052] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform, wherein: The leveling mechanism for the aerial work platform comprises: A leveling mounting base (1) for connecting to the boom of the aerial work platform; A leveling drive assembly comprises a driving motor (21), a rotating lead screw (221), a movable rack assembly (23) and a movable support member (24); the rotating lead screw (221) is rotatably inserted into the leveling mounting seat (1) and is drivingly connected to the driving motor (21); the movable rack assembly (23) is connected to the rotating lead screw (221) and can move under the drive of the rotating lead screw (221); the extension direction of the movable rack assembly (23) and the length direction of the rotating lead screw (221) are arranged parallel to each other; the movable support member (24) is arranged on the movable rack assembly (23) and is arranged in close contact with the leveling mounting seat (1); The leveling gear (3) is meshedly connected with the movable rack engaging member (23) and is used to connect the working bucket of the aerial work platform.

2. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 1, wherein: The movable rack assembly (23) comprises a nut member (222) and a rack body (230); the nut member (222) is sleeved on the rotating screw (221); the rack body (230) and the movable support member (24) are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the nut member (222).

3. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 2, wherein: The leveling mounting seat (1) is formed with a sliding groove (11) on a side of the nut member (222) facing away from the rack body (230); the movable support member is configured as a nylon slider connected to the nut member (222); and the nylon slider is disposed in the sliding groove (11) and is arranged in close contact with the groove wall of the sliding groove (11).

4. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 3, wherein: The sliding groove (11) is arranged to expand gradually from the groove bottom outwards, and the nylon sliding block forms inclined sliding surfaces (241) on both side walls corresponding to the sliding groove (11).

5. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 1, wherein: The two ends of the rotating screw (221) are suspended to form a first driving end (221a) and a second driving end (221b); the first driving end (221a) is drivingly connected to the driving motor (21); and the second driving end (221b) is used as an auxiliary emergency drive.

6. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 5, wherein: The leveling mounting seat (1) comprises a mounting shell (12) for connecting with the arm and a bearing seat (13) arranged in the mounting shell (12); the rotating screw (221), the movable rack assembly (23) and the leveling gear (3) are all arranged in the mounting shell (12); the rotating screw (221) is passed through the bearing seat (13); power input ports are formed at both ends of the mounting shell (12) corresponding to the first driving end (221a) and the second driving end (221b) of the rotating screw (221); the driving motor (21) is arranged on the outside of the mounting shell (12); the output shaft of the driving motor (21) extends into the mounting shell (12) through the power input port and is drivingly connected to the first driving end (221a).

7. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 6, wherein: The mounting housing (12) comprises a rod cavity portion (121) and a gear cavity portion (122); the rod cavity portion (121) is formed with a first mounting space (123) for accommodating the rotating screw (221) and is provided with the power input port; the gear cavity portion (122) bulges outward from one side of the rod cavity portion (121) to form a second mounting space (124) for accommodating the leveling gear (3).

8. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to claim 7, wherein: Two bearing parts (14) are provided on the inner wall of the first installation space (123), and the two bearing parts (14) are respectively arranged on both sides of the gear cavity (122). The number of the bearing seats (13) is two, and the two bearing seats (13) are used for the rotating screw (221) to pass through, and are respectively arranged on the two bearing parts (14) in a one-to-one correspondence.

9. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The leveling gear (3) comprises a wheel body (31) for connecting to the working bucket of the aerial work platform and a plurality of gear teeth (32) arranged in sequence and spaced apart on one side of the wheel body (31); the plurality of gear teeth (32) are used for meshing connection with the movable rack coupling (23).

10. The leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The leveling drive assembly further comprises an elastic coupling (25), wherein the elastic coupling (25) is arranged at a first driving end (221a) of the rotating lead screw (221) to connect the rotating lead screw (221) and the drive motor (21).

11. An aerial work platform, wherein: The aerial work platform comprises a leveling mechanism for an aerial work platform according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images