Docking platform and transport robot

Abstract

A docking platform and a transport robot, the docking platform comprising a floating plate (1) and a substrate (2), the floating plate (1) being arranged on the substrate (2). The floating plate (1) can be docked with a material at a second position, and the floating plate (1) can be kept at a first position when not being docked with any material, the second position deviating from the first position. A limiting device capable of limiting the amount of deviation between the second position and the first position of the floating plate (1) is provided between the floating plate (1) and the substrate (2). Further disclosed is a transport robot comprising the described docking platform. The docking platform and the transport robot achieve flexible docking with materials, thus reducing impact damages among parts caused by docking deviations during docking processes, and improving the transport efficiency.

Description

Docking platform and carrying robot

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202421138875.3 filed on May 23, 2024, and entitled "A docking platform and carrying robot", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of carrying equipment, in particular to a docking platform and carrying robot. BACKGROUND

[0003] The existing carrying robot is generally composed of a movable chassis and a lifting mechanism; when high-precision docking needs to be achieved, a pin or a pin hole is often added to the table surface of the carrying robot; correspondingly, there is a corresponding pin hole or pin on the material to be carried; generally, there is a certain gap between the pin hole and the pin; therefore, there will be a certain deviation between the material after carrying and the table surface of the carrying robot.

[0004] In order to reduce the deviation, it is necessary to compress the fitting gap of the pin hole and the pin, for example, to 1mm or 0.5mm or less; but after compressing the gap of the pin hole and the pin, in the actual docking process, due to the walking deviation of the carrying robot, the pin hole and the pin will collide and enter each time; this process not only adversely affects the service life of the pin hole and the pin, but also the force from the upper layer is transmitted to the movable chassis of the carrying robot, which adversely affects the rudder wheel and the like. In addition, the successful docking of the carrying robot and the material requires that the two satisfy the positioning relationship with each other, and in some application scenarios, the material itself and the external tooling also have a positioning relationship; therefore, in the process of docking the carrying robot and the material, the existing positioning relationship between the material itself and the external tooling will cause the material to fail to satisfy the positioning relationship with the carrying robot, so that the carrying robot and the material cannot be docked. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art to some extent. To this end, the present application provides a docking platform and carrying robot.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solution: a docking platform for a carrying robot, comprising a floating plate and a base plate, the floating plate being arranged on the base plate, the floating plate being capable of being kept at a first position when not being docked with a material, the floating plate being capable of floating to a second position deviating from the first position, the floating plate being capable of being docked with the material at the first position or the second position, and a limiting device being arranged between the floating plate and the base plate and capable of limiting the offset amount between the second position of the floating plate and the first position.

[0007] In the technical solution, the floating plate has a first position and a second position. When the floating plate is connected with the material, the floating plate can be offset to the second position according to the actual situation, and the flexible connection with the material is realized. The docking platform provided in the application increases the degree of freedom of the floating plate in the horizontal direction, so that the floating plate can be offset according to the actual position of the material, and high-precision docking between the floating plate and the material is realized, and the impact damage between components caused by docking deviation during docking is reduced. In addition, for the scene where the material and the external tooling have a positioning relationship, since the floating plate can be offset in the horizontal direction to adapt to the positioning relationship between the material and the external tooling, the docking with the material is realized at the offset position, so that the problem that the handling robot cannot be docked with the material is avoided, and the handling efficiency is improved.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the docking platform further comprises a positioning mechanism, which can fix the floating plate in the first position. In this way, the floating plate is convenient for docking with the material in the second position, and the handling efficiency is improved. In addition, the position of the floating plate is fixed in the first position, and the stability of the material during transportation is improved.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the number of positioning mechanisms is two, each positioning mechanism comprises a first positioning member arranged on the floating plate and a second positioning member arranged on the base plate, the second positioning member is movably connected to the base plate and has a locked position and an unlocked position, when the second positioning member is in the locked position, the floating plate is fixed in the first position by cooperation of the first positioning member and the second positioning member, and when the second positioning member is in the unlocked position, the floating plate can freely move in the plane where the bearing surface is located.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the positioning mechanism comprises a driving component fixed to the base plate, the first positioning member comprises a positioning hole arranged on the floating plate, and the second positioning member comprises a positioning column arranged on the base plate, the positioning column is slidably connected between the base plate, the positioning column corresponds to the positioning hole of the floating plate in the first position, and the driving component can drive the positioning column to extend and insert into the positioning hole or retract and separate from the positioning hole.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the driving component comprises a motor reducer and a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly comprises meshing gears and a rack, the rack is arranged on the second positioning member, and the output end of the motor reducer is connected with the gear and rack transmission assembly to drive the second positioning member to move reciprocatingly and linearly.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the driving component comprises an electric push rod, and the output end of the electric push rod is connected with the second positioning member to drive the second positioning member to move reciprocatingly and linearly.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the mounting frame is fixed on the substrate, the driving component is fixed on the mounting frame, the mounting frame and the substrate are provided with guide holes for mounting the positioning column, the copper sleeve is mounted in the guide hole on the mounting frame and / or the substrate, and the positioning column is slidingly connected in the copper sleeve. The stability of the movement of the positioning column is improved.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the limiting device comprises a first limiting structure capable of being elastically deformed and returning the floating plate from the second position to the first position under the action of the elastic deformation. The automatic return of the floating plate is realized.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the floating plate is provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed baffle plates on the end face facing the substrate, the first limiting structure comprises a first limiting unit corresponding to the baffle plate, each first limiting unit comprises a mounting seat, a guide rod, a limiting spring, a sliding block and a roller, the mounting seat is arranged on the substrate, the guide rod is arranged on the mounting seat, the sliding block is slidingly connected to the guide rod, the limiting spring is sleeved on the guide rod and one end of the limiting spring is fixed on the mounting seat, the other end of the limiting spring is connected to one end of the sliding block, the other end of the sliding block is provided with the roller, and the roller is in rolling contact with the baffle plate. The plurality of first limiting units elastically support the floating plate from the circumferential direction of the floating plate, which not only improves the stability of the installation of the floating plate, but also improves the driving force of the floating plate during the return.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the limiting device comprises a second limiting structure, the second limiting structure comprises a limiting hole and a limiting column inserted in the limiting hole, the diameter of the limiting hole is greater than the outer diameter of the limiting column, and one of the limiting column and the limiting hole is arranged on the floating plate and the other is arranged on the substrate.

[0017] In a possible implementation, one end of the limiting column is provided with a limiting plate for limiting the positions of the substrate and the floating plate in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which the bearing surface is located. The limiting plate can improve the stability of the installation of the floating plate and prevent the floating plate from being separated from the substrate during the movement.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the floating plate is movably arranged on the substrate through the universal ball assembly, the floating plate is in rolling contact with the universal ball assembly, and the universal ball assembly is provided with a plurality of groups to stably support the floating plate. The rolling contact reduces the frictional force of the floating plate during the movement and improves the sensitivity of the floating plate.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the floating plate forms a bearing part for placing the material away from the surface of the substrate, the docking platform comprises a positioning camera, two positioning pins and two proximity sensors arranged around the positioning camera, the two positioning pins and the two proximity sensors are staggered, the line connecting the two positioning pins intersects the line connecting the two proximity sensors, and the positioning camera is located at the intersection of the two lines. The positioning camera is used to identify the relative position deviation between the carrying robot and the material to be carried, so as to adjust the position of the carrying robot. The positioning camera is located at the center position and can accurately dock with the material. The positioning pins of the platform are matched with the pin holes of the material to be carried, and the proximity sensors are used to detect whether the docking is successful.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the bearing part comprises a buffer pad for bearing the material. The impact force when the platform of the floating plate contacts the material is reduced.

[0021] The application further discloses a carrying robot, comprising a movable chassis, and further comprising the docking platform of the first aspect of the application, wherein the docking platform is arranged on the movable chassis.

[0022] The application further discloses a carrying robot, comprising a movable chassis and a lifting mechanism, and further comprising the docking platform of the first aspect of the application, wherein the lifting mechanism is arranged on the movable chassis, and the docking platform is arranged on the movable chassis or the lifting mechanism.

[0023] The carrying robot provided by the application has similar beneficial effects to the docking platform described above, and thus will not be described here.

[0024] The features and advantages of the application will be described in detail in the following specific embodiments and drawings. The best mode or means of the application will be fully described with reference to the drawings, but the application is not limited thereto. In addition, the features, elements and components appearing in each of the following text and drawings are multiple, and different symbols or numbers are marked for convenience of representation, but all represent the same or similar structures or functions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the application, and form a part of the application. The schematic embodiments of the application and their descriptions are used to explain the application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the application.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a whole appearance diagram of a carrying robot according to an embodiment of the application;

[0027] Fig. 2 is a structure diagram of a carrying robot according to an embodiment of the application without a shell;

[0028] Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of the docking platform of one embodiment of the present application in one perspective view;

[0029] Fig. 4 is a structural diagram of the docking platform of one embodiment of the present application in another perspective view;

[0030] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the docking platform of one embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 6 is a diagram of the distribution of components on the base plate of one embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig. 7 is a diagram of the positioning mechanism of one embodiment of the present application.

[0033] In the diagram, 1, floating plate; 11, positioning camera; 12, positioning pin; 13, proximity sensor; 14, buffer pad; 15, positioning hole; 16, baffle; 2, base plate; 31, first limiting unit; 311, mounting seat; 312, guide rod; 313, limiting spring; 314, sliding block; 315, roller; 32, second limiting structure; 321, limiting column; 322, limiting hole; 323, limiting plate; 324, limiting sleeve; 4, positioning mechanism; 41, positioning column; 42, driving component; 43, rack; 44, copper sleeve; 45, mounting frame; 46, gear; 51, support seat; 52, universal ball; 6, movable chassis; 7, lifting mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, further detailed descriptions will be given below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0035] Referring to Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, one embodiment of the present application discloses a docking platform for the docking operation of a carrying robot and a carrying robot required cargo material, the docking platform comprising a floating plate 1 and a base plate 2, the base plate 2 being arranged on the carrying robot, the floating plate 1 being arranged on the base plate 2 and having a first position and a second position deviating from the first position relative to the base plate 2, the floating plate 1 being capable of docking with the material in the first position or the second position, the floating plate 1 being capable of being kept in the first position when not docking with the material, and a limiting device being arranged between the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 and capable of limiting the deviation amount of the floating plate 1 from the first position to the second position. In actual use, the surface of the floating plate 1 deviating from the base plate 2 forms a bearing part for placing the material, and the bearing surface of the bearing part is formed by the surface of the floating plate 1 deviating from the base plate 2.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present application, the material carried by the carrying robot can be understood as the production-related material to be carried, and the whole formed by the storage device such as the box or the tray containing the production-related material.

[0037] The first position of the floating plate 1 in the present application is set as the central position relative to the base plate 2. In the embodiments of the present application, the floating plate 1 is generally kept in the first position except when it is needed to dock with the material, and the floating plate 1 can be used to carry the material or run empty at the first position. When it is needed to dock with the material, since the material and the carrying robot cannot be completely aligned, there is a certain error between the position of the docking platform and the material, at this time, the floating plate 1 will be offset to the second position to achieve smooth docking with the material.

[0038] In the present application, the floating plate 1 is arranged on the base plate 2 and is arranged to be omnidirectional relative to the base plate 2 in the plane where the bearing surface is located, that is, the second position can be omnidirectional relative to the first position in the plane where the bearing surface is located. In actual use, since the direction of the deviation between the material and the floating plate 1 is uncertain, the floating plate 1 which can be omnidirectional can adapt to the deviation between the material and the floating plate 1 in different directions, and has better adaptability. In addition, the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 are provided with a limiting device which can limit the deviation of the floating plate 1 relative to the base plate 2 in the plane where the bearing surface is located. It should be noted that in actual use, the deviation between the material and the floating plate 1 is generally caused by assembly error and walking error of the carrying robot, and the limiting device limiting the deviation of the floating plate 1 relative to the base plate 2 in the plane where the bearing surface is located should be greater than the sum of the assembly error and the walking error in design, so as to achieve better docking effect and avoid the problem of unable to dock caused by too large error (the sum of the assembly error and the walking error is greater than the deviation of the second position relative to the first position). After the docking is completed, the material is placed on the bearing part of the floating plate 1.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present application, the bearing part of the floating plate 1 is provided with a positioning pin 12, which can be used to insert into the pin hole on the material to achieve docking with the material.

[0040] Since the material and the machine table for storing the material are fixed by the positioning device and cannot be moved, and the movement of the carrying robot will have a certain deviation, if the parts on the carrying robot are also fixed, the carrying robot cannot be connected with the material, and collision will occur. In the embodiment, the floating plate 1 capable of omnidirectional movement in the plane where the bearing surface is located is designed, and when the floating plate 1 in the application is connected with the material, the floating plate 1 can move omnidirectionally, and the taper surface of the positioning pin 12 is connected. Specifically, during the lifting of the carrying robot, the floating plate 1 is lifted, the taper surface of the positioning pin 12 on the floating plate 1 contacts the pin hole on the material, and then the pin hole forces the taper surface of the positioning pin 12 to move along the side wall of the pin hole, so that the floating plate 1 moves relative to the base plate 2 in the plane where the bearing surface is located. The floating plate 1 reaches the second position and makes the positioning pin 12 and the pin hole on the material align, and the carrying robot continues to lift, so that the positioning pin 12 can be smoothly inserted into the pin hole, and the stable connection between the docking platform and the material is realized.

[0041] As can be seen, the floating plate 1 in the application can produce a corresponding offset amount in the corresponding direction according to the actual deviation, realize flexible docking with the material, avoid the problem that the docking process has a deviation or cannot be docked with the material due to assembly error or walking deviation of the carrying robot, reduce the impact damage between components caused by docking deviation during the docking process, compared with the existing rigid docking platform, reduce the time needed to adjust the position of the carrying robot, and improve the carrying efficiency.

[0042] In one embodiment of the application, the docking platform further comprises a positioning mechanism 4 capable of fixing the floating plate 1 in the first position. Except when the material needs to be docked, the floating plate 1 is normally in the first position, and the first position in the embodiment is set as the center position of the floating plate 1 on the base plate 2. In the first position, the floating plate 1 has better stability, and the positioning mechanism 4 can fix the floating plate 1 in the first position. The meaning of fixation here is that the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 are fixed, that is, the floating plate 1 cannot move relative to the base plate 2, so that the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 can move together for transportation, improving the stability of the material during transportation.

[0043] In order to realize the fixing of the position of the floating plate 1 at the first position, the positioning mechanism 4 of the present application comprises a first positioning member arranged on the floating plate 1 and a second positioning member arranged on the base plate 2, the second positioning member is movably connected to the base plate 2 and has a locking position and an unlocking position, the second positioning member cooperates with the first positioning member to fix the floating plate 1 at the first position when the second positioning member is at the locking position, and the floating plate 1 can freely move in the plane where the bearing surface is located when the second positioning member is at the unlocking position. In this way, when the handling robot moves to the back cargo position and needs to dock the material, the second positioning member moves to the unlocking position, that is, the fixing of the floating plate 1 is released, and at this time the floating plate realizes flexible docking of the material through the omnidirectional movable structure; when the material is placed on the bearing part of the floating plate 1 in the case of flexible docking, the docking of the material is completed, at this time the floating plate 1 moves to the first position for handling and conveying, and the second positioning member is at the locking position during the handling and conveying process, that is, the floating plate 1 is fixed at the first position. Since the movement of the handling robot inevitably produces vibration during transportation, if the floating plate 1 is not fixed, it will shake during transportation, which will cause the risk of material falling and will limit the movement speed of the handling robot, therefore, the fixing of the floating plate 1 by the positioning mechanism 4 can improve the handling efficiency and the stability during transportation.

[0044] In order to realize the switching of the first positioning member between the locking position and the unlocking position and ensure the fixing effect of the floating plate 1, referring to FIG. 7, the positioning mechanism 4 of one of the embodiments of the present application comprises a driving part 42 fixed on the base plate 2, the first positioning member comprises a positioning hole 15 arranged on the floating plate 1, and the second positioning member comprises a positioning column 41 arranged on the base plate 2, the positioning column 41 is slidably connected between the base plate 2, the positioning column 41 corresponds to the positioning hole 15 of the floating plate 1 at the first position, and the driving part 42 can drive the positioning column 41 to extend and insert into the positioning hole 15 or retract and disengage from the positioning hole 15. The positioning column 41 is at the locking position when it is inserted into the positioning hole 15, and the positioning column 41 is at the unlocking position when it disengages from the positioning hole 15.

[0045] The second positioning member in the embodiment is arranged in a sliding connection, of course, in actual arrangement, the second positioning member can also be arranged in a rotating connection to switch between the locking position and the unlocking position. In actual arrangement, the second positioning member can also be arranged in a positioning sleeve structure, and the first positioning member is arranged in a positioning column structure matched with the positioning sleeve, and the fixing of the floating plate 1 is realized by sliding the positioning sleeve to be sleeved on the positioning column 41. As can be seen, in actual arrangement, the specific structure of the first positioning member and the second positioning member has various implementation manners, as long as it can lock the position of the floating plate 1 and facilitate switching between the locking and unlocking states.

[0046] It should be noted that, since the positioning column 41 is inserted into the positioning hole 15, the floating plate 1 can still rotate relative to the base plate 2 around the positioning column 41, and the effect of completely fixing the floating plate 1 cannot be achieved (the two can relatively rotate), so the positioning mechanism 4 in the application is provided with two, and the complete fixing of the position of the floating plate 1 can be achieved through the mutual cooperation of the two positioning mechanisms 4.

[0047] Of course, it is easy to think that in order to realize the movement of the second positioning member, a driving component 42 also needs to be provided, and the driving component 42 of one of the embodiments of the application includes a motor reducer and a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly includes a gear 46 and a rack 43 that are engaged with each other, the rack 43 is provided on the second positioning member, so that the rack 43 and the second positioning member form an integral structure, and the second positioning member can move following the movement of the rack 43. The output end of the motor reducer is connected with the transmission assembly including the gear 46 and the rack 43 to drive the second positioning member to move linearly. The embodiment converts the rotary motion of the driving component 42 into the linear motion of the second positioning member, so that the second positioning member switches between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0048] In addition, another embodiment can also set the driving component 42 as an electric push rod, and the output end of the electric push rod is connected with the second positioning member to drive the second positioning member to move linearly. The embodiment utilizes the linear motion of the driving component 42 to drive the linear motion of the second positioning member.

[0049] Of course, in actual setting, other driving components such as hydraulic cylinders and air cylinders can also be used, and of course, the driving mode can also be that the linear motion of the driving component 42 drives the rotation of the second positioning member, or the rotation of the driving component 42 drives the rotation of the second positioning member.

[0050] In actual assembly, the positioning mechanism 4 can be directly installed on the base plate 2, and of course, in order to facilitate installation, a mounting bracket 45 can also be provided, and the driving component 42 and the mounting bracket 45 are assembled, and then the driving component 42 is fixed on the base plate 2 through the mounting bracket 45, and in order to ensure the stability of the movement of the positioning column 41, a guide hole for installing the positioning column 41 can also be formed on the mounting bracket 45 and the base plate 2, and a copper sleeve 44 is installed in the guide hole on the mounting bracket 45 and / or the base plate 2, and the positioning column 41 is slidably connected in the copper sleeve 44. The setting of the copper sleeve 44 not only can improve the stability of the movement of the positioning column 41, but also can reduce the wear in the case of frequent movement of the positioning column 41, so that the stability can be maintained for a long time.

[0051] The limiting device of the application includes a first limiting structure, which can be elastically deformed and can reset the floating plate 1 from the second position to the first position under the action of elastic deformation.

[0052] In the process of the floating plate 1 reaching the second position, the first limiting structure is compressed; after the material is separated from the machine table along with the carrying robot, the floating plate 1 is automatically reset to the first position under the elastic deformation of the first limiting structure, and then the positioning mechanism 4 locks the floating plate 1, and the carrying robot transports.

[0053] It can be seen that the first limiting structure not only limits the offset of the floating plate, but also automatically resets the floating plate after the offset, and is more convenient to use.

[0054] One of the embodiments of the first limiting structure is shown in FIG. 6, wherein a plurality of circumferentially distributed baffles 16 are arranged on the end face of the floating plate 1 facing the base plate 2, the baffles 16 are fixed on the bottom of the floating plate 1 by screws or welding, the first limiting structure includes a first limiting unit 31 corresponding to the baffle 16; each first limiting unit 31 includes a mounting seat 311, a guide rod 312, a limiting spring 313, a sliding block 314 and a roller 315, the mounting seat 311 is arranged on the base plate 2, the guide rod 312 is arranged on the mounting seat 311, the sliding block 314 is slidably connected to the guide rod 312, the limiting spring 313 is sleeved on the guide rod 312, one end of the limiting spring 313 is fixed on the mounting seat 311, the other end of the limiting spring 313 is connected to one end of the sliding block 314, the other end of the sliding block 314 is provided with the roller 315, and the roller 315 is in rolling contact with the baffle 16. It can be seen that the first limiting unit 31 in the present application only contacts with the baffle 16 (i.e. only contacts with the floating plate 1), is not connected to the floating plate 1, and the contact between the first limiting unit 31 and the floating plate 1 is rolling contact, which can reduce the friction of the floating plate during movement, make the movement more flexible, and facilitate the floating plate to realize floating in various directions, rotation and other actions.

[0055] For the convenience of describing the effect of the first limiting unit 31 structure, the following is an example of setting the above-mentioned baffle 16 and the first limiting unit 31 in four directions respectively. When setting the first limiting unit 31, the positions of the first limiting unit 31 in opposite directions are correspondingly arranged, which can ensure that the stress of the floating plate is relatively stable. In the first position, the floating plate 1 will not be affected by the torsional force, thereby improving the stability of the floating plate 1 in the first position. When docking, when the material and the position of the load-bearing part of the floating plate 1 deviate from each other, the floating plate 1 will deviate in a certain direction under the action of the material (the material is on another component), and will deviate to the position where the docking part (the positioning pin 12) of the load-bearing part and the docking part (the pin hole) of the material correspond, so that the material can be smoothly placed on the load-bearing part. At the same time, the baffle 16 on the floating plate 1 that deviates will compress the limiting spring 313 arranged in that direction, and at the same time will make the limiting spring 313 arranged in the opposite direction rebound (the limiting spring is generally provided with a certain pre-compression amount during installation), and through the mutual cooperation of the limiting springs 313 in four directions, the omnidirectional movement of the floating plate 1 can be realized. When the material is docked with the floating plate 1 through the deviation of the floating plate 1, the material is placed on the floating plate 1, at this time the material and the floating plate 1 form an integrated structure, at this time the limiting spring 313 that is compressed and stretched due to deviation will reset under the elastic action of itself, so as to reset the floating plate 1 to the first position, and the floating plate 1 that is reset to the first position is fixed by the positioning mechanism 4 mentioned above, and then the material can be stably carried by the carrying robot.

[0056] In actual setting, in order to ensure better stability, a plurality of first limiting units 31 can also be arranged at positions corresponding to each baffle 16. In this embodiment, one setting form is that there are 8 groups of first limiting units 31 in total, 2 groups in each direction, and the first limiting units 31 are correspondingly arranged in opposite directions. In this way, when the floating plate 1 is in the first position, the forces exerted on the floating plate 1 by the two correspondingly arranged first limiting units 31 are on a straight line, and the forces of the two can cancel each other out, so that the floating plate 1 can stably maintain the first position.

[0057] Of course, in actual setting, in addition to the above-mentioned arrangement, a cylinder can also be arranged on the floating plate 1, and a plurality of limiting springs 313 evenly distributed around the cylinder can be arranged on the base plate 2. One end of the limiting spring 313 is connected to the base plate 2, and the other end is connected to the cylinder. At this time, the same effect as mentioned above can also be achieved, that is, the floating plate 1 can move omnidirectionally in the plane where the bearing surface is located, and can automatically reset under the action of the first limiting structure.

[0058] It can be seen that the limitation of the above-mentioned first limiting structure on the deviation amount of the floating plate 1 depends on the compression amount of the limiting spring 313.

[0059] In order to further improve the stability of the docking platform, the limiting device of the application comprises a second limiting structure 32, as shown in FIG. 5, which comprises a limiting hole 322 and a limiting column 321 inserted in the limiting hole 322. The diameter of the limiting hole 322 is larger than the outer diameter of the limiting column 321. One of the limiting column 321 and the limiting hole 322 is arranged on the floating plate 1, and the other is arranged on the base plate 2. The limitation of the offset amount of the floating plate 1 by the second limiting structure 32 in the embodiment depends on the difference between the diameter of the limiting hole 322 and the outer diameter of the limiting column 321. The larger the difference, the larger the offset amount allowed for the floating plate 1. In actual installation, the maximum offset amount can be controlled by designing the difference between the diameter of the limiting hole 322 and the outer diameter of the limiting column 321. It is only necessary to ensure that the difference is greater than the sum of the assembly error and the walking error of the handling robot. Compared with limiting the offset amount of the floating plate 1 relative to the base plate 2 by the compression amount of the spring in the first limiting structure, it is easier to set the maximum offset amount of the floating plate 1 in the embodiment.

[0060] It should be noted that, on the basis of the above-mentioned second limiting structure 32, a limiting plate 323 can be provided at one end of the limiting column 321 for limiting the position of the base plate 2 and the floating plate 1 in the direction perpendicular to the plane in which the bearing surface is located. Specifically, when the first end of the limiting column 321 is arranged on one of the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2, and the limiting hole 322 is arranged on the other, the second end of the limiting column 321 will protrude from the side of the other away from the one, and the limiting plate 323 is arranged at the second end of the limiting column 321 to prevent the floating plate 1 from separating from the base plate 2.

[0061] Taking the case where the first end of the limiting column 321 is arranged on the base plate 2, the limiting hole 322 is arranged on the floating plate 1, and the second end of the limiting column 321 protrudes from the side of the floating plate 1 away from the base plate 2, and the limiting plate 323 is arranged at the second end of the limiting column 321, during installation, one end of the limiting plate 323 is slidably attached to the end face of the floating plate 1 away from the base plate 2 under the action of the pulling force of the limiting column 321. Of course, it is easy to think that the area of the limiting plate 323 is set to be greater than the area of the opening end of the limiting hole 322, so as to realize the connection of the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2, improve the stability of the installation of the floating plate 1, and avoid the separation of the floating plate 1 from the base plate 2 during movement.

[0062] Of course, it is easy to think that the limiting hole 322 in the embodiment can be directly provided on the floating plate 1, and a limiting sleeve 324 can also be provided, which is embedded on the floating plate 1, and the limiting hole 322 is provided on the limiting sleeve 324. The limiting sleeve 324 can be made of copper or other impact-resistant materials to reduce the impact damage of the limiting column and the limiting sleeve during the movement of the floating plate 1.

[0063] In order to make the movement of the floating plate 1 more stable and have sufficient bearing capacity, the floating plate 1 of one of the embodiments of the application is movably arranged on the base plate 2 through a universal ball assembly, the floating plate 1 and the universal ball assembly are in rolling contact, and the universal ball assembly is provided with a plurality of universal ball assemblies for stably supporting the floating plate 1. The rolling contact can reduce the friction of the floating plate 1 during movement and improve the sensitivity of the floating plate 1. In actual arrangement, the universal ball assembly includes a support seat 51 and a universal ball 52, the universal ball 52 is rollingly installed on the support seat 51, and during assembly, the support seat 51 is fixed on one of the base plate 2 / floating plate 1, and the universal ball 52 is in rolling contact with the other. In addition, in actual arrangement, a plurality of groups of universal ball assemblies can be arranged in a circumferential arrangement on the end surface of the floating plate 1, and a plurality of support points are provided for the floating plate 1, which can further improve the stability and bearing capacity of the floating plate 1.

[0064] The arrangement of the universal ball assembly mentioned above makes the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 in rolling contact, and the rolling friction between the movement of the floating plate 1 and the universal ball assembly can improve the flexibility of the movement of the floating plate 1. Of course, in actual arrangement, in some cases, the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 can also be arranged in surface contact, which can also provide good support for the floating plate 1 and enable the floating plate 1 to move omnidirectionally in the plane where the bearing surface is located. At this time, the difference from the universal ball assembly is that the floating plate 1 and the base plate 2 are in sliding friction.

[0065] In order to better dock the docking platform with the material, the docking platform of the application further comprises a positioning camera 11, two positioning pins 12 and two proximity sensors 13 arranged on the bearing part, the two positioning pins 12 and the two proximity sensors 13 are distributed around the positioning camera 11 and the positioning pins 12 and the proximity sensors 13 are staggered, the connecting lines of the two positioning pins 12 and the connecting lines of the two proximity sensors 13 intersect, and the positioning camera 11 is located at the intersection of the connecting lines. The positioning camera 11 is used to identify the relative positional deviation between the carrying robot and the material to be carried, so as to adjust the position of the carrying robot, wherein the positioning camera is arranged at the center position and can accurately dock with the material; the positioning pins 12 of the platform correspond to the pin holes of the carried material, and the proximity sensors 13 are used to detect whether the docking is successful.

[0066] For example, a two-dimensional code can be pasted on the bottom of the material, so that the positioning camera 11 can determine the relative positional deviation between the docking platform and the material by identifying the positional information of the two-dimensional code. The relative positional deviation can include distance deviation and angle deviation in each of the front, back, left and right directions.

[0067] The proximity sensor is generally used to monitor the presence of metal nearby. In one example, a metal part can be arranged at the bottom of the material. When the docking platform successfully docks with the material, the metal part at the bottom of the material is close to the proximity sensor (a certain safety distance, for example, 2 to 5 mm, is left between the proximity sensor and the metal part), and the proximity sensor can detect the metal part, so that the detection result indicates that the docking is successful. When the docking platform fails to dock with the material, for example, the pin hole on one side of the material does not slide into the positioning pin arranged on the docking platform, the distance between the metal part at the bottom of the material and the proximity sensor will exceed the detection range of the proximity sensor, and the proximity sensor cannot detect the metal part.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present application, the bearing part comprises a buffer pad 14 for bearing the material.

[0069] Since the material leaving the original storage position will inevitably impact the floating plate 1 at the moment of being placed on the floating plate 1, by arranging the buffer pad 14 on the bearing part, the impact force when the material contacts the table top of the floating plate 1 can be reduced, and the impact damage between components can be reduced. The buffer pad 14 in the present application can be made of nylon and polyurethane blocks. In actual arrangement, the buffer pad 14 can be arranged around the positioning pin 12 and the proximity sensor 13 on the floating plate 1. The proximity sensor 13 is recessed in the buffer pad 14 to avoid damage to the proximity sensor 13 by the material. The positioning pin 12 protrudes from the buffer pad 14 to facilitate docking with the positioning pin hole on the material.

[0070] The present application also discloses a carrying robot, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprising a movable chassis 6 and a lifting mechanism 7 arranged on the movable chassis 6, and the docking platform of any one of the above. The docking platform can be directly arranged on the movable chassis 6 or directly arranged on the lifting mechanism 7 through the base plate 2, as long as the docking platform can be raised or lowered under the drive of the lifting mechanism 7.

[0071] As can be seen, the carrying robot in the present application is a high-precision flexible docking robot, which comprises a movable chassis 6 capable of realizing horizontal motion control, a lifting mechanism 7 capable of realizing up-down motion control, and the flexible docking platform mentioned above (i.e. the docking platform provided in any one of the preceding embodiments of the present application). In actual arrangement, the movable chassis 6 can be a differential movable chassis 6 or an omnidirectional movable chassis 6, and the lifting mechanism 7 can be a hydraulic lifting mechanism, an electric screw rod lifter lifting mechanism, an electric scissor fork lifting mechanism, an electric connecting rod lifting mechanism, etc.

[0072] When the handling robot needs to be docked with the material, first, the fixing of the positioning mechanism 4 to the floating plate 1 is loosened, so that the floating plate 1 of the flexible docking platform can freely move in the front, back, left, right and angular directions relative to the base plate 2, which can ensure that the positioning pin 12 of the bearing part of the floating plate 1 can smoothly cooperate with the pin hole of the material, and there is basically no adverse external force in the cooperation process; after the docking is completed, the second positioning member of the positioning mechanism 4 of the flexible docking platform will be extended and locked with the first positioning member on the floating plate 1, so that the floating plate 1 of the docking platform and the base plate 2 are fixed with each other, so that the tabletop is stable during the operation of the handling robot in the front, back, left, right or rotation, and there is no shaking.

[0073] In actual use, for ordinary material docking, the flexible docking platform in the present application can be unnecessary; but in high-precision material docking, the material itself not only needs to be fixed with high precision with the handling robot, but also needs to be limited with high precision by the external tooling; at this time, the docking platform in the present application must be used to achieve good docking effect.

[0074] In high-precision material handling, for example, the material itself is limited in position in the front, back, left and right by external tooling or structure, at this time the material can only be lifted or lowered; the movement precision of the handling robot also has a certain upper limit, and only relying on the movement precision of the handling robot cannot meet the very high positioning precision, at this time the flexible docking platform in the present application can help the positioning pin 12 on the floating plate 1 to cooperate with the pin hole of the material, and after the lifting mechanism 7 lifts or lowers the material, the material is separated from the original tooling and structure limitation, and then the position of the floating plate 1 is locked by the positioning mechanism 4 of the docking platform to realize the complete docking process. It can be seen that the flexible docking platform in the present application avoids the over-positioning problem caused by the cooperation of the material with the tooling and the handling robot during docking, increases the degree of freedom of the floating plate 1 in the horizontal plane, and realizes flexible docking.

[0075] Of course, in actual use, the handling robot in the present application can not be provided with the lifting mechanism 7, and the handling robot only includes the movable chassis 6 and the flexible docking platform; in use, the lifting mechanism can be provided on the external tooling, and the material is lifted or lowered by the external tooling and placed on the docking platform, at this time the docking platform can also adapt to the docking error with the material during the placement of the material on the docking platform, to achieve smooth docking effect, and after the material is placed on the docking platform, the positioning mechanism 4 can also fix the floating plate 1 and transport stably.

[0076] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and is not intended to limit the present application, and any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A docking platform for a handling robot to dock a load, characterized in that, The floating plate (1) and the base plate (2) are arranged on the movable chassis of the handling robot, the floating plate (1) is arranged on the base plate (2), the floating plate (1) can be kept in the first position when not docking the material, the floating plate can be floated to the second position deviated from the first position, the floating plate (1) can dock with the material in the first position or the second position, the floating plate (1) and the base plate (2) are provided with a limiting device capable of limiting the offset between the second position of the floating plate (1) and the first position.

2. The docking platform of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising a positioning mechanism (4) capable of fixing the floating plate (1) in the first position.

3. The docking platform of claim 2, wherein, The number of the positioning mechanism (4) is two, each of the positioning mechanism (4) comprises a first positioning member arranged on the floating plate (1) and a second positioning member arranged on the base plate (2), the second positioning member is movably connected on the base plate (2) and has a locking position and an unlocking position, the second positioning member cooperates with the first positioning member to fix the floating plate (1) in the first position when the second positioning member is in the locking position, the floating plate (1) can freely move in the plane where the bearing surface is located when the second positioning member is in the unlocking position.

4. The docking platform of claim 3, wherein, The positioning mechanism (4) comprises a driving component (42) fixed on the base plate (2), the first positioning member comprises a positioning hole (15) arranged on the floating plate (1), the second positioning member comprises a positioning column (41) arranged on the base plate (2), the positioning column (41) is slidably connected between the base plate (2), the positioning column (41) corresponds to the positioning hole (15) of the floating plate (1) in the first position, the driving component (42) can drive the positioning column (41) to extend into the positioning hole (15) or retract out of the positioning hole (15).

5. The docking platform of claim 4, wherein, The driving component (42) comprises a motor reducer and a transmission assembly, the transmission assembly comprises a gear (46) and a rack (43) meshing with each other, the rack (43) is arranged on the second positioning member, the output end of the motor reducer is connected with the gear (46) to drive the second positioning member to reciprocate linearly.

6. The docking platform of claim 4, wherein, The driving component (42) comprises an electric push rod, the output end of the electric push rod is connected with the second positioning member to drive the second positioning member to reciprocate linearly.

7. The docking platform of claim 4, wherein, The base plate (2) is fixed with a mounting bracket (45), the driving component (42) is fixed on the mounting bracket (45), the mounting bracket (45) and the base plate (2) are provided with guide holes for mounting the positioning column (41), a copper sleeve (44) is mounted in the guide hole on the mounting bracket (45) and / or the base plate (2), the positioning column (41) is slidably connected in the copper sleeve (44).

8. The docking platform of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The limiting device comprises a first limiting structure capable of elastically deforming and capable of resetting the floating plate from the second position to the first position under the action of elastic deformation.

9. The docking platform of claim 8, wherein, The end face of the floating plate (1) facing the base plate (2) is provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed baffles (16), the first limiting structure comprises a first limiting unit (31) corresponding to the baffle (16); each first limiting unit (31) comprises a mounting seat (311), a guide rod (312), a limiting spring (313), a sliding block (314) and a roller (315), the mounting seat (311) is arranged on the base plate (2), the guide rod (312) is arranged on the mounting seat (311), the sliding block (314) is slidably connected to the guide rod (312), the limiting spring (313) is sleeved on the guide rod (312), one end of the limiting spring (313) is fixed on the mounting seat (311), the other end of the limiting spring (313) is connected with one end of the sliding block (314), the other end of the sliding block (314) is provided with the roller (315), and the roller (315) is in rolling contact with the baffle (16).

10. The docking platform of claim 8, wherein, The limiting device comprises a second limiting structure (32), the second limiting structure (32) comprises a limiting hole (322) and a limiting column (321) inserted in the limiting hole (322), the hole diameter of the limiting hole (322) is greater than the outer diameter of the limiting column (321), and one of the limiting column (321) and the limiting hole (322) is arranged on the floating plate (1), and the other is arranged on the base plate (2).

11. The docking platform of claim 10, wherein, The top end of the limiting column (321) is provided with a limiting plate (323) for limiting the floating plate (1) from being separated from the base plate (2).

12. The docking platform of claim 1, wherein, The floating plate (1) is movably arranged on the base plate (2) through a universal ball assembly, the floating plate (1) is in rolling contact with the universal ball assembly, and a plurality of groups of the universal ball assembly are arranged to stably support the floating plate (1).

13. The docking platform of claim 1, wherein, The surface of the floating plate (1) away from the base plate (2) forms a carrying part for placing materials, the docking platform comprises a positioning camera (11), two positioning pins (12) and two proximity sensors (13) arranged on the carrying part of the floating plate (1), the two positioning pins (12) and the two proximity sensors (13) are distributed around the positioning camera (11) and are staggered, the connecting lines of the two positioning pins (12) and the connecting lines of the two proximity sensors (13) intersect, and the positioning camera (11) is located at the intersection of the connecting lines.

14. The docking platform of claim 13, wherein, The carrying part comprises a buffer pad (14) for carrying materials.

15. A transport robot comprising a movable chassis (6), characterized in that The docking platform of any one of claims 1-14 is arranged on the movable chassis (6).

16. A transport robot characterized by The movable chassis (6), the lifting mechanism (7), and the docking platform of any one of claims 1-14 are arranged on the movable chassis (6) or the lifting mechanism (7).

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