Patent Application
20190329826
This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application No. 201711328398.1 filed on Dec. 13, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to the field of goods sorting, for example, to a flexible base and a self-driven robot.
Conventionally, the entry and delivery of goods in a warehouse are usually carried out by warehouse employees who place goods on the corresponding shelves and corresponding positions in turn with forklifts or carts. This process is time-consuming and costly in labor, and when the goods in the warehouse are of various types, the operation process is complicated and error-prone.
At present, with the attempt of warehouse automation, the warehouse self-driven robot is used to carry the goods during the entry and delivery. The robot enters the storage area, finds the target shelf and sends the goods to the workstation to achieve the delivery and entry of the goods.
For the warehouse self-driven robot, a self-driven robot with more than 3 wheels will be over-defined. If the ground is uneven or the wheels are not mounted at an exact same height, some of the wheels may loss contact with the ground and lose the traction. If the wheel which loses the traction is a driving wheel of the self-driven robot, the self-driven robot would be out of control.
In view of this, the present application provides a flexible base and a self-driven robot that enable wheels to be in better contact with the ground through an adjusting mechanism disposed between the chassis and the carrying plate.
The present application provides a flexible base, which is applied to a self-driven robot. The flexible base includes: a chassis, a carrying plate and an adjusting mechanism. The bottom of the chassis is provided with at least one second driven wheel and at least two driving wheels, and a disposing position of the second driven wheel does not coincide with disposing positions of the driving wheels. The bottom of the carrying plate is provided with at least a first driven wheel, and a disposing position of the first driven wheel does not coincide with disposing positions of the second driven and the driving wheels. The adjusting mechanism is configured to be connected to the carrying plate and the chassis or configured to be connected to the carrying plate and the second driven wheel. When the ground is uneven, the adjusting mechanism is configured to dynamically adjust the second driven wheel in such a manner that the first driven wheel, the second driven wheel and the driving wheels are in contact with the ground.
In one embodiment, a first end of the adjusting mechanism is hinged to the chassis or the second driven wheel, and a second end of the adjusting mechanism is connected to the carrying plate.
In one embodiment, the second end of the adjusting mechanism is fixedly connected or hinged to the carrying plate.
In one embodiment, a first end of the adjusting mechanism is fixedly connected to the chassis or the second driven wheel, and a second end of the adjusting mechanism is hinged to the carrying plate.
In one embodiment, the first end of the adjusting mechanism is provided with a rotating ball head, and the adjusting mechanism is hinged to the chassis or the second driven wheel through the rotating ball head.
In one embodiment, the second end of the adjusting mechanism is provided with a rotating ball head, and the adjusting mechanism is hinged to the carrying plate through the rotating ball head.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism comprises at least one telescopic member, the telescopic member comprises a shaft barrel and a rotating shaft disposed in the shaft barrel and the rotating shaft is telescopically disposed in the shaft barrel; or the adjusting mechanism comprises at least one linkage mechanism.
In one embodiment, the shaft barrel is hinged to the chassis or the second driven wheel, and the rotating shaft is connected to the carrying plate.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism comprises a plurality of telescopic members, and the plurality of telescopic members are evenly disposed between the carrying plate and the chassis or between the carrying plate and the second driven wheel.
In one embodiment, ends, closer to the chassis or the second driven wheel, of the plurality of telescopic members are fixed to each other, and other ends of the plurality of telescopic members extend in directions in a manner that the other ends of the plurality of telescopic members are spaced apart from each other, and the other ends of the plurality of telescopic members are connected to the carrying plate.
In one embodiment, an included angle between the telescopic member and the carrying plate is in a range of 15°-45°.
In one embodiment, the number of the telescopic members is 3-8.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism includes a linkage mechanism.
In one embodiment, the second driven wheel is connected to the carrying plate through the telescopic member or the linkage mechanism; or the chassis is connected to the carrying plate through the telescopic member or the linkage mechanism.
In one embodiment, the at least two driving wheels are disposed at a left and a right portion of the chassis and are symmetrical relative to a first centerline, and the first centerline is perpendicular to a front-and-rear direction of the chassis and equally divides the chassis into a front portion and a rear portion.
In one embodiment, the at least two driving wheels are disposed at a left and a right portion of the chassis and are symmetrical relative to a second centerline, and the second centerline is parallel to a front-and-rear direction of the chassis and equally divides the chassis into the left and the right portion.
In one embodiment, the at least two driven wheels are symmetrically disposed relative to the second centerline.
In one embodiment, the at least two driven wheels are symmetrically disposed relative to the first centerline.
The present application provides a self-driven robot including the above-mentioned flexible base.
The flexible base and the self-driven robot of the present application may ensure that the wheels are in contact with the ground and improve the walking stability of the self-driven robot.
Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have a general meaning understood by those with general skills in the field to which the present application belongs. The term “first”, “second” and the like in the present application are used to distinguish different components but not used to describe any order, quantity or significance. Similarly, the term “one”, “a/an”, “the” or the like does not mean a quantitative limit, but indicates at least one. The term “including”, “comprising” or the like means that the elements or objects in front of the term cover elements or objects and their equivalents listed in after the term, but does not exclude other elements or objects. The term “couple”, “connect” or the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether it is direct or indirect. “On”, “below”, “left”, “right” and the like are merely utilized to indicate the relative positional relationship, and when the absolute position of the described object is changed, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.
One aspect of the present application provides a flexible base. With reference to
In one embodiment, for example, the second driven wheel 4-2 and the two driving wheels 3-1 and 3-2 on the chassis 1 are always in contact with the ground, i.e., the three wheels form a plane. Meanwhile, if the chassis 1 has four wheels (for example, two driven wheels and two driving wheels) and the ground on which the self-driven robot is traveling is uneven, it is likely that one of the wheels loses contact with the ground, which greatly affects the moving stability of the self-driven robot. In view of this, in the present application, a driven wheel is connected to the chassis 1 through the carrying plate 2, so that, for example, when the second driven wheel 4-2 is subjected to a force, the carrying plate 2 can dynamically adjust a distance between the second driven wheel 4-2 and the chassis 1, thereby ensuring that the four wheels are in contact with the ground.
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
In one embodiment, the first end of the adjusting mechanism 5 is provided with a rotating ball head, and the adjusting mechanism 5 is hinged to the chassis 1 through the rotating ball head. For example, the rotating ball head may include a housing for fixing to the chassis 1, and a rotatable ball head disposed in the housing, and one end of the ball head is connected to the carrying plate 2, for example, through a sleeve shaft. This end of the ball head may be fixedly connected to one end of the sleeve shaft and the other end of the sleeve shaft is fixedly connected to the carrying plate 2. Since the ball head can freely rotate 360 degrees in the housing, the carrying plate 2 can freely rotate relative to the chassis 1 through the sleeve shaft connected to the ball head, thereby achieving the dynamic adjustment of the second driven wheel 4-2.
Of course, the adjusting mechanism 5 can further be connected to the carrying plate 2 through the rotating ball head, where the housing of the rotating ball head is fixed on the carrying plate 2, one end of the ball head in the housing is fixedly connected to one end of the sleeve shaft, and the other end of the sleeve shaft is fixedly connected to the chassis 1.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism 5 includes at least one telescopic member, and the telescopic member includes a shaft barrel and a rotating shaft disposed in the shaft barrel. The rotating shaft is telescopically disposed in the shaft barrel. The function of the telescopic member is to adjust the distance between the second driven wheel 4-2 and the chassis 1 by the extension and retraction of its length in accordance with the force applied to the second driven wheel 4-2. For example, one end of the shaft barrel is hinged to the chassis 1, and the rotating shaft disposed in the shaft barrel is connected to the carrying plate 2. For example, the rotating shaft has a preset telescopic length in the shaft barrel. That is, when the ground is flat, forces applied to the four wheels are in a certain range. At this point, the extended or retracted length of the rotating shaft in the shaft barrel is also in a certain range, thereby ensuring that the four wheels are always in contact with the ground. When the four wheels are on an uneven ground, forces applied to the four wheels change, and the length of the rotating shaft changes when the rotating shaft senses the changes of the forces through the carrying plate 2. For example, when the force applied to the second driven wheel 4-2 is increased, the extended length of the rotating shaft is naturally reduced, so that the force applied to the wheels is naturally reduced, thereby offsetting the negative influence of the unevenness of the ground. Similarly, when the force applied to the second driven wheel 4-2 is reduced, that is, when the second driven wheel 4-2 has a trend to loss contact with the ground, the rotating shaft naturally extends, thereby causing the driven wheel to be in contact with the ground.
In the present embodiment, for example, a preset position and changes in telescopic length of the rotating shaft can be implemented through a built-in spring.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism 5 includes multiple telescopic members, and the multiple telescopic members are evenly disposed between the carrying plate 2 and the chassis 1. For example, each telescopic member may be implemented in the above structure including the shaft barrel and the rotating shaft. Ends of these shaft barrels are connected to the chassis 1, for example, in a hinge manner, and the rotating shafts are fixedly connected or hinged to the carrying plate 2. For example, the multiple telescopic members are configured in annular arrangements respectively on the plane where the chassis 1 is located and the plane where the carrying plate 2 is located, where the two planes are opposite to each other. For example, these telescopic members each include a first type connection end connected to the carrying plate 2, and these telescopic members each include a second type connection end connected to the chassis 1. A circular structure, a quadrangle, an octagon or other symmetrical geometric patterns may be obtained by connecting the first type connection points. Similarly, a circular structure, a quadrangle, an octagon or other symmetrical geometric patterns may be obtained by connecting the second type connection points. For example, the geometric pattern may be multiple rings, multiple quadrilaterals, multiple octagons, and the like. By configuring the connection manner of the telescopic members on the carrying plate 2 and the chassis 1, the adjustment stability of the adjusting mechanism 5 can be improved, and the adjustment effect on driven wheels can be improved.
In one embodiment, ends, closer to the chassis 1, of the multiple telescopic members are fixed to each other, and the other ends of the multiple telescopic members extend away from each other and are connected to the carrying plate 2. For example, ends of the multiple telescopic members can be fixed through an annular hoop member, and the annular hoop member is hinged to the chassis 1 or connected to the chassis 1 through the above-mentioned rotating ball head. The other ends of the multiple telescopic members extends outwardly and divergently, and are connected to a surface, closer to the chassis, of the carrying plate 2 with a certain angle. For example, in order to make the structure composed of the adjusting mechanism 5, the chassis 1 and the carrying plate 2 more stable, the angle can be in a range of 15°-45°. The attitude of the driven wheels can be better adjusted by configuring the connection method and angle of the multiple telescopic members.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, for example, the number of the multiple telescopic members is 3-8. As described above, the attitude adjustment of the driven wheels is implemented by evenly arranging the multiple telescopic members between the carrying plate 2 and the chassis 1 or through a method that ends of the multiple telescopic members are brought together and the other ends of the multiple telescopic members are dispersed.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism 5 includes a linkage mechanism. When the road is uneven, forces applied to the driven wheels and the driving wheels change, so that the linkage mechanism conducts adaptive adjustment combined with, for example, the hinge manner, to adapt to the forces applied to the wheels, such that the wheels are ensured to be in contact with the ground.
In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism is disposed between the carrying plate 2 and the second driven wheel 4-2. For example, the adjusting mechanism is a telescopic member or a linkage mechanism. For example, as described above, one end or two ends of the adjusting mechanism may be movably connected to the carrying plate 2 or the second driven wheel 4-2, for example, be hinged or connected through the rotating ball head to the carrying plate 2 or the second driven wheel 4-2 as described above. The flexibility of the second driven wheel 4-2 can be further adjusted with a telescopic member or a linkage mechanism between the second driven wheel 4-2 and the carrying plate 2, so that when the ground is uneven, changes in forces applied to the driven wheels can be sensed and adjusted more quickly, thereby enable the driving wheels and the driven wheels be in better contact with the ground.
As can be seen from the above exemplary configurations of the flexible base, when the ground is uneven, the flexible base can be adaptively adjusted through the adjusting mechanism which can move relative to the chassis, the driven wheels and the bearing wheels. In one embodiment, the adjusting mechanism may further include other components that can further move relative to the relative movement of the adjusting mechanism, thereby providing the flexible base with better flexibility, so that all wheels can be adaptively adjusted to better adapt to the ground.
It should be noted that merely several exemplary structures of the flexible base capable of adaptively adjustment are shown above. The simple variants of the above exemplary structures conceived by those skilled in the art can also achieve the above effects, and the corresponding technical solutions are also within the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, no further detailed description will be made herein.
Exemplarily, the flexible base according to embodiments of the present application may include at least two driving wheels and at least two driven wheels. For ease of description, the flexible base having two driving wheels and two driven wheels is described below as an example.
In one embodiment, for example, a first centerline is perpendicular to a front-and-rear direction of the chassis and divides equally the chassis into two parts: a front and a rear portion, and the two driving wheels are disposed at a left portion and a right portion of the chassis and are symmetrical about the first centerline. The moving stability can be improved by symmetrically disposing the two driving wheels.
In addition, a second centerline is parallel to the front-and-rear direction of the chassis and divides equally the chassis into the left portion and the right portion, and the two driven wheels are disposed at the left portion and the right portion of the chassis and are symmetrical about the second centerline. The chassis can be prevented from rolling over due to the uneven forces when turning with the above configuration in which the two driving wheels are symmetrically disposed about the centerline. For example, the at least two driven wheels may be symmetrically disposed relative to the second centerline, so that the two driving wheels and the two driven wheels are symmetrically disposed relative to the second centerline, and the wheel raising problem caused by the uneven ground can be better alleviated in cooperation with the adjusting mechanism of the present application.
Optionally, the at least two driving wheels 3 may be asymmetrically disposed on the left portion and the right portion of the chassis relative to the second centerline AA′. For example, one driving wheel 3-1 is closer to the second centerline AA′, and the other driving wheel 3-2 is relatively farther from the second centerline AA′. Or, one driving wheel 3-1 is relatively closer to the front portion of the flexible base, and the other driving wheel 3-2 is relatively closer to the rear portion of the flexible base. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this, as long as the device or apparatus including the flexible base can implement a predetermined function, for example, the self-driven robot including the flexible base can walk and carry goods normally.
In one embodiment, the at least two driving wheels 3 may be symmetrically disposed on the left portion and the right portion of the chassis 1 and on the first centerline BB′.
It should be noted that words “wheels on the first centerline BB′” described above refers to that wheel axels are on the first centerline, and the symmetric or asymmetric arrangement also refers to that the wheel axels are symmetrically or asymmetrically disposed.
Exemplarily, for the flexible base according to the embodiments of the present application, the two driven wheels 4-1 and 4-2 may be symmetrically disposed on the left portion and the right portion of the chassis 1 relative to the second centerline AA′. Optionally, at least, the two driving wheels are asymmetrically disposed on the left portion and the right portion of the chassis relative to the second centerline AA′. For example, one driven wheel 4-1 is closer to the second centerline, while the other driven wheel 4-2 is farther from the second centerline. Or, one driven wheel 4-1 is relatively closer to the front portion of the flexible base, and the other driven wheel 4-2 is relatively closer to the rear portion of the flexible base, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application.
In addition, for the positional relationship between the driving wheels and the driven wheels, as long as the configuration of the driving wheels and the driven wheels enables the flexible base to work normally, the embodiments of the present application does not limit the positional relationship. For example, as shown in
Exemplarily, the two driven wheels 4-1 and 4-2 are symmetrically disposed on the front portion and the rear portion of the chassis 1 relative to the first centerline BB′.
Exemplarily, as shown in
The above is a description of the specific arrangement of the wheels by taking two driving wheels and two driven wheels as an example, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to two driving wheels and two driven wheels. For example, the flexible base may include five, six or even more wheels. For example, for a five-wheel solution, the five wheels may include two driving wheels and three driven wheels or three driving wheels and two driven wheels; and for a six-wheel solution, the six wheels may include two driving wheels and four driven wheels or four driving wheels and two driven wheels, etc., which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. For various arrangement of wheels, reference may be made to the above exemplary structures, as long as the purpose of the present application can be achieved.
In one embodiment, for the flexible base according to the embodiments of the present application, one of the two driven wheels may include two first secondary driven wheels. The two first secondary driven wheels are respectively disposed on two ends of a first shaft and the midpoint of the first shaft may be on the second centerline AA′. For example, the first shaft may also be hinged to the chassis or the adjusting mechanism.
Exemplarily, each of the two driven wheels includes two secondary driven wheels. For example, one of the two driven wheels includes two first secondary driven wheels, and the other one of the two driven wheels includes two second secondary driven wheels. The two first secondary driven wheels are respectively disposed on two ends of the first shaft, and the two second secondary driven wheels are respectively disposed on two ends of a second shaft. The midpoint of the first shaft and the midpoint of the second shaft are both on the second centerline AA′. For example, the first shaft is hinged to the chassis or the adjusting mechanism, and correspondingly, the second shaft is hinged to the adjusting mechanism or the chassis.
Exemplarily, for a case where the flexible base includes two or more driven wheels, at least one of the at least two driven wheels may include two secondary driven wheels, which may be disposed on one shaft. The shaft may be hinged to the chassis or the adjusting mechanism.
For the flexible base according to the embodiments of the present application, the adjusting mechanism of the flexible base is hinged to the carrying plate and the chassis. When the ground surface is uneven, the carrying plate, the driven wheels and the chassis move relative to the adjusting mechanism and are dynamically adjusted by the adjusting mechanism, so that the flexible base can be automatically adapted to the ground and the at least two driven wheels and the at least two driving wheels are always in contact with the ground.
Another aspect of the present application provides a self-driven robot including the above-mentioned flexible base.
With reference to
Exemplarily, for a transport robot according to the embodiment of the present application, the lifting mechanism is provided with an opening at its central portion. The opening is provided with a camera capable of shooting upwardly and downwardly for scanning the two-dimensional code of the goods and the two-dimensional code of the ground.
The self-driven robot according to the embodiment of the present application includes the flexible base. If the ground surface is uneven or the wheels are not mounted at a exactly same height, the adjusting mechanism provided between the carrying plate and the chassis can move relative to the carrying plate and the chassis, so that the heights of the wheels mounted on the base can be automatically adapted to the ground and all wheels can be in contact with the ground, thereby avoiding the risk that the goods fall over because the wheels lose contact with the ground, avoiding the problem that the robot is out of control because the driving wheels lose contact with the ground and achieving the even distribution of the goods.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201711328398.1 | Dec 2017 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2018/095447 | 7/12/2018 | WO | 00 |
