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EP-4737382-A2 - CARRYING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CARRYING AN OBJECT

EP4737382A2EP 4737382 A2EP4737382 A2EP 4737382A2EP-4737382-A2

Abstract

A carrying device and a method for carrying an object are provided. The carrying device includes a vehicular body (20) and a carrying arm (30) disposed in the vehicular body (20). The carrying arm (30) includes an arm body (301) on which a lift mechanism (303) is disposed. The carrying arm (30) can horizontally protrude from the vehicular body (20) to lift object through the lift mechanism (303) and retract into the vehicular body (20). When the lift mechanism (303) lifts from a low level to a high level, the top part of the lift mechanism (303) horizontally moves along a direction in which the carrying arm (30) retracts into the vehicular body (20).

Inventors

  • BAI, HAN

Assignees

  • Hangzhou Hikrobot Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211029

Claims (14)

  1. A carrying device, comprising a vehicular body (20) and a carrying arm (30) provided in the vehicular body (20), wherein the carrying arm (30) comprises an arm body (301) on which a support wheel and a lift mechanism (303) are disposed, and the carrying arm (30) is allowed to horizontally protrude from the vehicular body (20) to lift an object through the lift mechanism (303), and is allowed to retract into the vehicular body (20); wherein the vehicular body (20) is provided with a suspension auxiliary mechanism for assisting the carrying arm (30) in suspension from a ground; wherein the suspension auxiliary mechanism comprises a support portion disposed on the vehicular body (20); the lift mechanism comprises a lift drive mechanism and a lift actuation mechanism, and the lift actuation mechanism is coupled to the lift drive mechanism; and the lift actuation mechanism is supported on the support portion on the vehicular body (20), and the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to continue performing a retracting operation, such that the support wheel is lifted away from the ground.
  2. The carrying device of claim 1, wherein when the lift mechanism (303) lifts from a low level to a high level, a top part of the lift mechanism (303) moves horizontally along a direction in which the carrying arm (30) retracts into the vehicular body (20); wherein the lift mechanism (303) comprises a lift drive mechanism and a foldable lift actuation mechanism, and the lift actuation mechanism is coupled with the lift drive mechanism; wherein when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to perform a retracting operation, the lift actuation mechanism folds and retracts along a direction in which the carrying arm (30) protrudes horizontally from the vehicular body (20); when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to perform a stretching and lifting operation, a top part of the lift actuation mechanism moves horizontally along a direction in which the carrying arm (30) retracts into the vehicular body (20).
  3. The carrying device of claim 2, wherein the lift actuation mechanism comprises a connecting rod mechanism and a pull rod, wherein a bottom end of the connecting rod mechanism is hinged to the arm body (301); wherein a first end of the pull rod is hinged to the lift drive mechanism, and a second end of the pull rod is hinged to the connecting rod mechanism, wherein the lift drive mechanism is configured to pull the pull rod, such that the pull rod pulls the connecting rod mechanism to perform the retracting operation; the lift drive mechanism is configured to push the pull rod, such that the pull rod pushes the connecting rod mechanism to perform the stretching and lifting operation.
  4. The carrying device of claim 3, wherein the pull rod comprises a first pull rod (3034) and a second pull rod (3035), a first end of the first pull rod (3034) is hinged to the lift drive mechanism, a second end of the first pull rod (3034) is hinged to a first end of the second pull rod (3035), and a second end of the second pull rod (3035) is hinged to the connecting rod mechanism; wherein a first limiting block is disposed at the second end of the first pull rod (3034), and a second limiting block is disposed at the first end of the second pull rod (3035); after the first pull rod (3034) and the second pull rod (3035) push the connecting rod mechanism from a maximum retracted state to a predetermined height, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are abutted against each other; wherein the lift drive mechanism comprises a lift drive motor (304), a power transmission mechanism (305) coupled to the lift drive motor (304) and a slide block (360) coupled to the power transmission mechanism (305); wherein the slide block (360) is disposed on the arm body (301) and hinged to the first end of the pull rod; and the lift drive motor (304) is configured to drive the slide block (360) to move back and forth on the arm body (301) along a length direction of the arm body (301) through the power transmission mechanism (305); and/or wherein the power transmission mechanism (305) comprises a screw rod, the slide block (360) comprises a nut, and the nut is threaded onto the screw rod to form a screw rod-nut pair.
  5. The carrying device of claim 1, wherein the suspension auxiliary mechanism comprises a climb guide component disposed on the vehicular body (20); wherein the carrying arm (30) has a climb component configured to climb along the climb guide component; wherein the carrying arm (30) and/or the vehicular body (20) comprises a power device for providing a climb power for the climb component.
  6. The carrying device of claim 5, wherein the climb guide component comprises a guide plate (402) disposed at a bottom of the vehicular body (20) and having a predetermined slope relative to the ground; wherein the climb component on the carrying arm (30) is the support wheel.
  7. The carrying device of claim 5, wherein the climb guide component comprises a first climb guide component (401a) disposed at a first end of the vehicular body (20) and a second climb guide component (401b) disposed at a second end of the vehicular body (20); wherein the climb component on the carrying arm (30) comprises a first climb component (304a) configured to climb along the first climb guide component (401a) and a second climb component (304b) configured to climb along the second climb guide component (401b); wherein the power device is configured to provide a climb power for the first climb component (304a) and/or the second climb component (304b).
  8. The carrying device of claim 7, wherein the first climb guide component (401a) comprises a guide plate (402) disposed at a bottom of the vehicular body (20) and having a predetermined slope relative to the ground; wherein the support wheel comprises a first support wheel (302a) and a second support wheel (302b) spaced apart along a length direction of the arm body (301), and the power device is disposed on the carrying arm (30) and coupled to the first support wheel (302a); wherein the first climb component (304a) is the first support wheel (302a); wherein the first support wheel (302a) climbs along the first climb guide component (401a) while the second climb component (304b) climbs along the second climb guide component (401b), such that the first support wheel (302a) and the second support wheel (302b) are lifted away from the ground.
  9. The carrying device of claim 7, wherein the second climb guide component (401b) comprises a rolling body rollable along the length direction of the arm body (301); wherein the second climb component (304b) is a support block (350) disposed at an outer side of the arm body (301), and a bottom of the support block (350) has an inclined surface in supporting cooperation with the second climb guide component (401b).
  10. The carrying device of claim 1, wherein the lift actuation mechanism comprises a retractable lift mechanism and a lift top plate disposed on the top part of the retractable lift mechanism; wherein when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to retract to a predetermined position, the lift top plate is supported on the support portion on the vehicular body (20), and the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to continue performing the retracting operation, such that the support wheel is lifted away from the ground.
  11. The carrying device of claim 10, wherein the support portion comprises a first support portion (206) disposed at a first side of the vehicular body (20) and a second support portion (207) disposed at a second side of the vehicular body; wherein a first protrusion block (306) in supporting cooperation with the first support portion (206) and a second protrusion block (307) in supporting cooperation with the second support portion (207) are disposed on both sides of the lift top plate respectively; wherein when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to retract to a predetermined position, the first protrusion block (306) is supported on the first support portion (206) and the second protrusion block (307) is supported on the second support portion (207), and the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to continue performing the retracting operation, such that the support wheel is lifted away from the ground.
  12. The carrying device of claim 1, wherein the vehicular body (20) has a carrying arm accommodation groove (201) extending horizontally, and the carrying arm (30) is disposed in the carrying arm accommodation groove (201); wherein a slide rail (50) is disposed between the carrying arm accommodation groove (201) and the carrying arm (30); wherein a slide rail guide and support structure (203) is disposed at a side portion of the carrying arm accommodation groove (201), and the slide rail guide and support structure (203) matches the slide rail (50) to provide transverse guide and vertical supporting for the slide rail (50); the slide rail guide and support structure (203) is configured to support an up and down movement of the slide rail (50).
  13. The carrying device of claim 12, wherein a vertical guide structure (204) is disposed at the side portion of the carrying arm accommodation groove (201); wherein the slide rail guide and support structure (203) comprises a base portion and a guide and support portion coupled with the base portion, and the base portion is in up and down slide cooperation or up and down rolling cooperation with the vertical guide structure (204), and the guide and support portion cooperates with the slide rail (50) to provide transverse guide and vertical supporting for the slide rail (50).
  14. A method for carrying an object, comprising: driving (S100) a vehicular body (20) to travel to a predetermined position close to the object, and driving a carrying arm (30) to protrude from the vehicular body (20) to be under the object; performing (S102), by a lift mechanism (303) of the carrying arm (30), a lift operation to lift the object and driving the carrying arm (30) to retract to a predetermined position in the vehicular body (20); performing (S104), by the lift mechanism (303), a retracting operation to place the lifted object on the vehicular body (20); and suspending, by a suspension auxiliary mechanism, the carrying arm (30) from a ground after the lift mechanism (303) places the lifted object on the vehicular body (20); wherein the vehicular body (20) is provided with a suspension auxiliary mechanism for assisting the carrying arm (30) in suspension from a ground; and the carrying arm (30) comprises an arm body (301) on which a support wheel and a lift mechanism (303) are disposed; wherein the suspension auxiliary mechanism comprises a support portion disposed on the vehicular body (20); the lift mechanism comprises a lift drive mechanism and a lift actuation mechanism, and the lift actuation mechanism is coupled to the lift drive mechanism; and the lift actuation mechanism is supported on the support portion on the vehicular body (20), and the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to continue performing a retracting operation, such that the support wheel is lifted away from the ground.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of automated guided transport technologies and in particular to a carrying device and a method for carrying an object. BACKGROUND A carrying device usually includes a vehicular body and a carrying arm disposed on the vehicular body. The carrying arm includes an arm body, a lift mechanism and a support wheel, where the lift mechanism and the support wheel are disposed on the arm body. The carrying arm can protrude from the vehicular body to lift object by way of the lift mechanism, and place the lifted object on the vehicular body which transports the object to a destination. In such a carrying device, the carrying arm usually first protrude from the vehicular body to lift object vertically upward to a predetermined height, and then the vehicular body travels forward to be under the object lifted by the lift mechanism, and then the lift mechanism places the lifted object on the vehicular body. Therefore, it can be seen that the process of the carrying arm carrying object from outside the vehicular body onto the vehicular body involves the process of the lift mechanism lifting vertically upward and the process of the vehicular body moving forward, resulting in a low carrying efficiency. SUMMARY In view of the above, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a carrying device and a method for carrying an object. According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a carrying device, which includes a vehicular body and a carrying arm provided in the vehicular body, where the carrying arm includes an arm body on which a lift mechanism is disposed, and the carrying arm is allowed to horizontally protrude from the vehicular body to lift an object through the lift mechanism, and is allowed to retract into the vehicular body. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, when the lift mechanism lifts from a low level to a high level, a top part of the lift mechanism moves horizontally along a direction in which the carrying arm retracts into the vehicular body. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, the lift mechanism includes a lift drive mechanism and a foldable lift actuation mechanism, and the lift actuation mechanism is coupled with the lift drive mechanism; where when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to perform a retracting operation, the lift actuation mechanism folds and retracts along a direction in which the carrying arm protrudes horizontally from the vehicular body; when the lift drive mechanism drives the lift actuation mechanism to perform a stretching and lifting operation, a top part of the lift actuation mechanism moves horizontally along a direction in which the carrying arm retracts into the vehicular body. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, the lift actuation mechanism includes a connecting rod mechanism and a pull rod, where a bottom end of the connecting rod mechanism is hinged to the arm body; where a first end of the pull rod is hinged to the lift drive mechanism, and a second end of the pull rod is hinged to the connecting rod mechanism, where the lift drive mechanism is configured to pull the pull rod, such that the pull rod pulls the connecting rod mechanism to perform the retracting operation; the lift drive mechanism is configured to push the pull rod, such that the pull rod pushes the connecting rod mechanism to perform a stretching and lifting operation. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, the pull rod includes a first pull rod and a second pull rod, a first end of the first pull rod is hinged to the lift drive mechanism, a second end of the first pull rod is hinged to a first end of the second pull rod, and a second end of the second pull rod is hinged to the connecting rod mechanism; where a first limiting block is disposed at the second end of the first pull rod, and a second limiting block is disposed at the first end of the second pull rod; after the first pull rod and the second pull rod push the connecting rod mechanism from a maximum retracted state to a predetermined height, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are abutted against each other. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, the lift drive mechanism includes a lift drive motor, a power transmission mechanism coupled to the lift drive motor and a slide block coupled to the power transmission mechanism; where the slide block is disposed on the arm body and hinged to the first end of the pull rod; the lift drive motor drives the slide block to move back and forth on the arm body along a length direction of the arm body through the power transmission mechanism. According to a specific implementation of embodiments of the present disclosure, the power transmission mechanism