WO2024225492A1 - Transport robot - Google Patents

Abstract

This transport robot comprises: a body including a loading space, the loading space having an open upper side and rear side; a travel part which is positioned at the lower portion of the body, and which provides a traveling function; a sliding door for covering at least one portion of the upper side and rear side; and a door driving part for driving the sliding door, and enables the opening direction of the door to be freely changed such that the opening/closing area thereof and the direction thereof can be conveniently adjusted according to an unloading method.

Description

Transport robot

The present invention relates to a robot for transporting one or more items to a destination and a method of operating the same.

To take part in factory automation, robots have been developed for industrial use. Recently, the application fields of robots have expanded, and in addition to medical robots and aerospace robots, robots that can be used in daily life are also being developed.

Among industrial robots, robots that perform precise assembly work have been used for automation because they perform the same movements repeatedly and repeat the same movements in a set location without any unexpected situations.

However, the transportation area including driving, which is an area where judgment of an emergency situation can be made, has not yet been actively commercialized with robots. However, recently, as the performance of sensors that recognize the surroundings has improved and the computer power that can quickly process and respond to recognized information has improved, the number of driving robots is increasing.

Industrially, robots that are responsible for transportation functions are attracting attention, and competition is intensifying day by day. In addition to robots that transport large or bulk items, there is a need for robots that can perform services to transport small items to their destinations.

However, the door that opens the loading space of a conventional transport robot is limited to the upper or rear, which may cause inconvenience depending on the type and weight of the goods or the unloading method.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a transport robot capable of varying the opening area of a door for unloading loaded goods.

In addition, the present invention enables the door to be opened in a limited space by opening and closing the door in a slide type.

A transport robot is provided, comprising: a body including a loading space and an open upper surface and a rear surface of the loading space; a driving unit located at a lower portion of the body and providing a driving function; a sliding door covering at least a portion of the upper surface and the rear surface; and a door driving unit driving the sliding door.

The sliding door comprises a pair of guide rails formed along the left and right side perimeters of the loading space, and a plurality of door bars having both ends inserted into the pair of guide rails and arranged side by side along a first direction in which the guide rails extend, wherein the angle of the door bar can change in the direction in which the guide rails extend.

The above pair of guide rails comprises: an upper rail positioned on the upper surface side of the body; a rear rail positioned on the back surface side of the body; a lower rail positioned on the lower surface side of the body; a front rail positioned on the front surface side of the body; and

It may include four curved rails that form a curve connecting the upper rail and the rear rail, the rear rail and the lower rail, the lower rail and the front rail, and the front rail and the upper rail.

The above plurality of door bars include a connecting hook that protrudes in the first direction and has an arc shape; and a hook groove that is retracted to form an arc shape so that a connecting hook of a door bar positioned in a second direction (D2) opposite to the first direction is inserted, and the connecting hook can move along the shape of the hook groove and change the angle between the door bars.

The plurality of connecting hooks may be bent inwardly, and the plurality of door bars may include a first inclined surface formed at an inward edge in the first direction.

The above plurality of door bars may include a second inclined surface formed on an inner edge in the second direction.

The door driving unit includes a motor that provides rotational power; a driving pulley that receives the power of the motor and rotates; a timing belt that is wound around the driving pulley and rotates cyclically when the driving pulley rotates; and a driving plate connected to at least one of the plurality of door bars and the timing belt, and when the motor is driven, the driving plate moves along with the movement of the timing belt and can change the position of the sliding door.

The timing belt may be arranged to form a square along the side perimeter of the loading space, the driving pulley may be positioned at one edge of the timing belt forming the square, and may include three dummy pulleys positioned at the remaining edges of the timing belt.

The timing belt and the drive pulley may be positioned as a pair on the left and right sides of the loading space, and may include a shaft extending from the motor and connected to the pair of drive pulleys so that the pair of drive pulleys are driven simultaneously.

The timing belt and the drive pulley may further include a guide roller positioned on one side of the left-right direction of the loading space and coupled to the other side of the left-right direction of the drive plate; and an auxiliary rail positioned parallel to the guide rail on the other side of the left-right direction and along which the guide roller moves.

The above driving plate includes a plurality of driving plates, and includes a belt fixing block that is fixed to the timing belt and to which the plurality of driving plates are fastened, and the belt fixing block may include a groove formed between the plurality of driving plates and a fastening portion.

The transport robot of the present invention can freely change the direction in which the door is opened, so that the opening/closing area and direction can be conveniently adjusted according to the unloading method.

In addition, the transport robot of the present invention has a door that opens and closes in a slide type, so that it does not require space for opening and closing the door, and thus can open the door even in a narrow space. The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a cloud system based on a 5G network according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a transport robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a transport robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a method for opening a door of a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a state in which the cover of a transport robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is removed.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a B-B cross-sectional view of Figure 7.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are enlarged views showing the main configuration of a driving unit of a transport robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 11 and 12 are enlarged views of portion C of Figure 8.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are enlarged views showing the main configuration of a driving unit of a transport robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a drawing illustrating a guide rail and guide roller of a transport robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing symbols, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. In addition, when describing embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

When it is said that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is said that a component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this application, it should be understood that terms such as “comprises” or “has” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

A robot is a mechanical device that can automatically perform certain tasks or operations. The robot may be controlled by an external control device or may have a built-in control device. It can perform tasks that are difficult for humans to perform, such as repeating preset movements, lifting heavy objects, performing precision work, and working in extreme environments.

A driving unit including an actuator or motor can be provided to perform various physical actions, such as moving the robot joints, to perform tasks.

Robots are developed first as industrial robots and medical robots with specialized appearances for specific tasks due to high manufacturing costs and issues such as specialized operation. Industrial and medical robots perform the same movements repeatedly in a designated location, but

Recently, mobile robots have been introduced. In particular, they can perform exploration work on distant planets where humans cannot go directly, such as in the aerospace industry, and these robots have additional driving functions.

In order to perform the driving function, a driving unit is required and may include wheels, brakes, casters, motors, etc., and robots equipped with artificial intelligence are appearing to identify obstacles in the surroundings and drive to avoid them.

Artificial intelligence refers to a field that studies artificial intelligence or the methodologies for creating it, and machine learning refers to a field that defines various problems in the field of artificial intelligence and studies the methodologies for solving them. Machine learning is also defined as an algorithm that improves the performance of a task through constant experience with that task.

An artificial neural network (ANN) is a model used in machine learning, and can refer to a model with problem-solving capabilities that consists of artificial neurons (nodes) that form a network by combining synapses. An artificial neural network can be defined by the connection pattern between neurons in different layers, the learning process that updates model parameters, and the activation function that generates output values.

An artificial neural network may include an input layer, an output layer, and optionally one or more hidden layers. Each layer may include one or more neurons, and the artificial neural network may include synapses connecting neurons.

In an artificial neural network, each neuron can output a function value of an activation function for input signals, weights, and biases received through synapses.

Model parameters refer to parameters that are determined through learning, including the weights of synaptic connections and the biases of neurons. Hyperparameters refer to parameters that must be set before learning in machine learning algorithms, including learning rate, number of iterations, mini-batch size, and initialization functions.

The purpose of learning an artificial neural network can be seen as determining model parameters that minimize the loss function according to the purpose or field of use of the robot. The loss function can be used as an indicator to determine the optimal model parameters during the learning process of an artificial neural network.

Machine learning can be classified into supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning depending on the learning method.

Supervised learning refers to a method of training an artificial neural network when labels for training data are given. The labels can refer to the correct answer (or result value) that the artificial neural network should infer when training data is input to the artificial neural network. Unsupervised learning can refer to a method of training an artificial neural network when labels for training data are not given. Reinforcement learning can refer to a learning method that trains an agent defined in a certain environment to select actions or action sequences that maximize cumulative rewards in each state.

Among artificial neural networks, machine learning implemented with a deep neural network (DNN: Deep Neural Network) that includes multiple hidden layers is also called deep learning, and deep learning is a part of machine learning. Hereinafter, machine learning is used to mean including deep learning.

Robots can be implemented as guide robots, transport robots, cleaning robots, wearable robots, entertainment robots, pet robots, and unmanned flying robots by applying AI technology.

The robot may include a robot control module for controlling movements, and the robot control module may mean a software module or a chip implementing the same as hardware.

Robots can use sensor information acquired from various types of sensors to acquire robot status information, detect (recognize) the surrounding environment and objects, generate map data, determine movement paths and driving plans, determine responses to user interactions, or determine actions.

The robot can perform the above-described actions using a learning model composed of at least one artificial neural network. For example, the robot can recognize the surrounding environment and objects using the learning model, and determine actions using the recognized surrounding environment information or object information. Here, the learning model can be learned directly by the robot or learned from an external device such as an AI server.

At this time, the robot can perform actions by generating results using a direct learning model, but it can also transmit sensor information to an external device such as an AI server and perform actions by receiving the results generated accordingly.

Through artificial intelligence, robots can perform autonomous driving. This refers to technology that can determine the optimal path on its own and move while avoiding obstacles. Currently applied autonomous driving technology can include technology that maintains the driving lane, technology that automatically adjusts speed such as adaptive cruise control, technology that automatically drives along a set path, and driving technology that automatically sets a path when a destination is set.

In order to perform autonomous driving, numerous sensors may be included to recognize data from the surroundings. Sensors include proximity sensors, light sensors, acceleration sensors, magnetic sensors, gyro sensors, inertial sensors, RGB sensors, IR sensors, fingerprint recognition sensors, ultrasonic sensors, light sensors, microphones, lidar, radar, etc.

In addition to the information collected from the sensor, autonomous driving can be performed using image information collected through RGBC cameras, infrared cameras, etc., and audio information collected through microphones. In addition, driving can be performed based on information entered through the user input section. Map data, location information, and information on the surrounding situation collected through the wireless communication section are also necessary information for autonomous driving.

Map data may include object identification information for various objects placed in the space where the robot moves. For example, map data may include object identification information for fixed objects such as walls and doors, and movable objects such as flower pots and desks. In addition, object identification information may include name, type, distance, location, etc.

Therefore, the robot is equipped with sensors, various input units, and wireless communication units to collect data that AI can learn from, and can perform optimal operations by synthesizing various information. The learning processor that performs AI can be installed in the control unit within the robot to perform learning, or the collected information can be transmitted to the servo, learned through the server, and the learning results can be sent back to the robot to perform autonomous driving based on this.

Robots equipped with artificial intelligence can collect information about their surroundings even in new locations and create a full map, and can perform more accurate autonomous driving in places with a large accumulated amount of information in the main activity radius.

A touch screen or buttons may be provided to receive user input, and commands may be received by recognizing the user's voice. The processor may use at least one of an STT (Speech To Text) engine to convert voice input into a string, or a natural language processing (NLP) engine to obtain intention information of natural language, to obtain intention information corresponding to the user input.

At this time, at least one of the STT engine or the NLP engine may be configured with an artificial neural network at least partially learned according to a machine learning algorithm. And, at least one of the STT engine or the NLP engine may be learned by a learning processor, by a learning processor of an AI server, or by distributed processing thereof.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cloud system (1000) based on a 5G network according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a cloud system (1000) may include a transport robot (100), a mobile terminal (300), a robot control system (200), various devices (400), and a 5G network (500).

A transport robot (100) is a robot that transports goods from a starting point to a destination. The transport robot (100) can move directly from a logistics center to a destination, or it can load goods onto a vehicle and move around the destination from a logistics center, then unload around the destination and move to the destination.

In addition, the transport robot (100) can move items to a destination not only outdoors but also indoors. The transport robot (100) can be implemented as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), and the AGV can be a transport device that moves by sensors, magnetic fields, vision devices, etc. on the floor.

The transport robot (100) may include a storage area for storing items, and the storage area may be divided to load various items, and various types of items may be placed in the divided partial storage areas. Accordingly, mixing of items may be prevented.

The mobile terminal (300) can communicate with the transport robot (100) via the 5G network (500). The mobile terminal (300) can be a device carried by a user who installs a partition in a storage area to load goods, or a device carried by a recipient of the loaded goods. The mobile terminal (300) can provide information based on images, and the mobile terminal (300) can include mobile devices such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch, a smart glass, a head mounted display (HMD)).

The robot control system (200) can remotely control the transport robot (100) and respond to various requests of the transport robot (100). For example, the robot control system (200) can perform calculations using artificial intelligence based on requests of the transport robot (100).

In addition, the robot control system (200) can set the movement path of the transport robot (100), and the robot control system (200) can set the movement order of the destinations when there are multiple destinations.

The various devices (400) may include a personal computer (PC, 400a), an autonomous vehicle (400b), a home robot (400c), etc. When the transport robot (100) arrives at the transport destination of the goods, it can directly deliver the goods to the home robot (400c) through communication with the home robot (400c).

Various devices (400) can be connected wirelessly or wiredly to a transport robot (100), a mobile terminal (300), a robot control system (200), etc. through a 5G network (500).

The above transport robot (100), mobile terminal (300), robot control system (200), and various devices (400) are all equipped with 5G modules to transmit and receive data at a speed of 100 Mbps to 20 Gbps (or higher), so that large-capacity video files can be transmitted to various devices, and power consumption can be minimized by operating at low power. However, the transmission speed may be implemented differently depending on the embodiment.

The 5G network (500) may include a 5G mobile communication network, a short-range network, the Internet, etc., and may provide a communication environment for devices with or without wires.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a transport robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The description will be made with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, which illustrate a transport robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the transport robot (100) may include a body including a loading space (135), and the components described below may be included in the body. The transport robot (100) may include a communication unit (110), an input unit (120), a sensor unit (140), an output unit (150), a memory (185), a wheel drive unit (170), a control unit (180), and a power supply unit (190).

The components illustrated in FIG. 2 are not essential for implementing the transport robot (100), and thus the transport robot (100) described in this specification may have more or fewer components than the components listed above.

The communication unit (110, Transceiver) may include a wired or wireless communication module capable of communicating with the robot control system (200).

As an optional embodiment, the communication unit (110) may be equipped with modules related to GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), CDMA (Code Division Multi Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Bluetooth (Bluetooth), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), ZigBee, and NFC (Near Field Communication) communications. The input unit (120) may include a user input unit (122) for receiving information from a user. As an optional embodiment, the input unit (120) may include a camera (121) for inputting a video signal, and a microphone (123, "hereinafter, referred to as a microphone") for receiving an audio signal. Here, the camera (121) or the microphone (123) may be treated as a sensor, and a signal acquired from the camera (121) or the microphone (123) may be referred to as sensing data or sensor information.

The input unit (120) can obtain input data to be used when obtaining output using learning data and a learning model for model learning. The input unit (120) can also obtain unprocessed input data, and in this case, the control unit (180) can extract input features as preprocessing for the input data.

The camera (121) is positioned in front to detect obstacles in front, and may be positioned at different angles as shown in Fig. 3. A plurality of cameras (121) with different shooting directions, such as a camera that recognizes the front widely and a camera that photographs the floor, may be provided.

Or, it may be equipped with a camera having different functions. For example, it may be equipped with a wide-angle camera, an infrared camera, etc. The camera may serve as a sensor unit (140) to detect surrounding objects.

The user input unit (122) may be equipped with a button or a touch panel overlapping the display (151). Alternatively, a user command may be input remotely through the communication unit (110), in which case the user input unit (122) may include a personal computer (400) or remote control device separately equipped from the transport robot (100).

The user input unit (122) includes all methods for receiving user commands, so that user commands can be recognized through voice recognition. In other words, a voice recognition device that analyzes voice collected from a microphone (123) and extracts user commands can also function as the user input unit (122).

The input unit (120) may include a product information input unit, and the product information input unit may receive size information of the product, weight information, destination information, information about the transport requester, etc. In this case, the product information input unit may include a code reader.

The sensor unit (140) can obtain at least one of internal information of the transport robot (100), information on the surrounding environment of the transport robot (100), and user information using various sensors.

At this time, the sensor unit (140) may include various types of sensors for recognizing the surroundings for autonomous driving. Representative examples include a distance detection sensor or proximity sensor (141) and a lidar (142).

The proximity sensor (141) may include an ultrasonic sensor that recognizes nearby objects and determines the distance to the objects based on the time it takes for the emitted ultrasonic waves to return. A plurality of proximity sensors may be provided along the perimeter, and one may also be provided on the upper side to detect obstacles on the upper side.

Lidar (142) is a device that precisely draws the surroundings by firing laser pulses and receiving the light that is reflected from surrounding objects. Its principle is similar to radar, but the electromagnetic waves used are different, so the technology and scope of use are different.

Lasers can damage human eyesight because they use light with a wavelength of 600 to 1000 nm. Lidar (342) uses a longer wavelength and is used to measure not only the distance to a target object, but also the speed and direction of its movement, temperature, and analysis and concentration of surrounding atmospheric substances.

In addition, the sensor unit (140) may include a light sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gyro sensor, an inertial sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a light sensor, a Hall sensor, etc.

The output unit (150) can generate output related to vision, hearing, or tactile sensations, and the output unit (150) can include an optical output unit that outputs visual information, a display (151), etc., a speaker (152) that outputs auditory information, an ultrasonic output unit that outputs ultrasonic signals belonging to an inaudible frequency, etc., and can include a haptic module that outputs tactile information.

The memory (185) stores data that supports various functions of the transport robot (100). The memory (185) can store a number of application programs (or applications) driven by the transport robot (100), data for the operation of the transport robot (100), and commands.

In addition, the memory (185) can store information necessary for performing operations using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and artificial neural networks. The memory (185) can store a deep neural network model. The deep neural network model can be used to infer a result value for new input data other than learning data, and the inferred value can be used as a basis for judgment for performing a certain operation.

The power supply unit (190) receives external power and internal power under the control of the processor (190) and supplies power to each component of the transport robot (100). The power supply unit (190) includes a battery (191), and the battery (191) may be a built-in battery or a replaceable battery. The battery may be charged by a wired or wireless charging method, and the wireless charging method may include a magnetic induction method or a magnetic resonance method.

The driving unit (170) is a means for moving the transport robot (100), and may include wheels or legs, and may include a wheel driving unit and a leg driving unit for controlling them. A plurality of wheels provided on the bottom surface of the wheel driving unit can be controlled to move the transport robot (100) including the body (130). The wheels may include a main wheel (171) for fast driving, a caster (173) for changing direction, and an auxiliary caster for stable driving so that the loaded goods (L) do not fall during driving.

The leg drive unit (not shown) can control a plurality of legs according to the control of the control unit (180) to move the body (130). The plurality of legs may correspond to a configuration formed so that the transport robot (100) can walk or run. The plurality of legs may be implemented as four, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The plurality of legs may be formed as an integral body by being connected to the body (130), and may be implemented in a form that is attachable to and detachable from the body.

A transport robot (100) can move its body through a driving unit (170) having at least one of a wheel driving unit and/or a leg driving unit. However, in this specification, an example in which a wheel driving unit is mounted on a mobile robot (100) is mainly described.

The control unit (180) is a module that controls the configurations of the transport robot (100). The control unit (180) may mean a data processing device embedded in hardware that has a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed by a code or command included in a program. As an example of a data processing device embedded in hardware, a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like may be included, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

The transport robot (100) includes a loading space (135) in the main body, and the loading space (135) may include a side wall or cover (131) to protect it from falling. Referring to FIG. 3, it is illustrated as having a cover (131), but a form in which only a side wall is provided while omitting the upper surface is also possible.

The loading space (135) does not have a separate floor division in the drawing, but is composed of multiple floors and can load multiple items by dividing them into each floor. After unloading the lower item (L), the upper item can be moved to the lower floor to unload additional items.

The control unit (180) can collect at least one of the number of items (L) to be placed in the loading space (135), weight information, size information, delivery order information, and security level information. For example, the control unit (180) can collect the above information through the input unit (120). The input of the input unit (120) can also include a touch input on the display.

Based on the collected information, the control unit (180) can transmit information on goods (L) loaded in the loading space (135) to the mobile terminal (200 in FIG. 1) through the communication unit (110).

It may include an unloading module (160) for unloading goods (L) loaded in the loading space (135). The unloading module (160) may include a conveyor (161) constituting the lower part of the loading space (135). The conveyor (161) may include a conveyor belt (1611) moving in a first direction where the unloading port is located, a roller (1612) driving the conveyor belt, and a motor (not shown).

In the present invention, the conveyor (161) is configured to cover the entire floor surface of the loading space (135), but if the size of the transport robot (100) is large, the conveyor (161) may be formed in a part of the loading space (135). In this case, a plurality of items (L) can be loaded, and a pusher (not shown) that pushes items (L) loaded in an area other than the conveyor (161) to the conveyor (161) may be further included.

The conveyor (161) may further include a slope module (165) that is spaced apart from the floor surface so that the article (L) can be stably moved from the conveyor (161) to the floor surface. The slope module (165) may form a slope extending from the conveyor (161) to the floor surface while being introduced and withdrawn from the body.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a transport robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a transport robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A transport robot (100) includes a body (130) including a loading space (135) inside and a driving part (170) located at the bottom of the body (130). The body (130) includes a base (133, see FIG. 6) forming the floor of the loading space (135) and a cover (131) covering the front and left and right sides of the loading space (135). The upper and rear surfaces of the body (130) are open and can be selectively opened through a door (210).

As shown in Fig. 3, a display unit (151), a first camera (121a), a speaker (152), a rider (142), and a first proximity sensor (141a) located at the front are shown. A second camera (121b) and a second proximity sensor (141b) may be further included to detect obstacles at the side. As shown in Fig. 4, a third camera (121c) and a third proximity sensor (141c) may be further included to detect obstacles at the rear.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a method for opening a door (210) of a transport robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The body (130) of the transport robot (100) of the present invention has an open top and back, and the door (210) can be selectively opened as needed using a slidable door (210).

As shown in (a) of Fig. 5, only the back surface of the main body (130) can be opened, as shown in (b) of Fig. 5, only the top surface of the main body (130) can be opened, and as shown in (c) of Fig. 5, the top and back surfaces of the main body (130) can be opened simultaneously.

When unloading items from the loading space (135) through the conveyor module (161) inside, it is sufficient if only the back is opened as in (a) of Fig. 5. When unloading items from the loading space (135) by lifting them from the top, the top should be opened as in (b) of Fig. 5 for convenient work.

As shown in (c) of Fig. 5, when both the top and bottom are open, the opening for unloading items is wide, which has the advantage of making work convenient regardless of the work direction.

Below, as shown in Fig. 5, a sliding door (210) that can selectively open the upper or rear surface of the body (130), a door driving unit (230) that enables the sliding door (210) to move, and a guide structure (220) will be specifically examined.

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a state in which the cover (131) and the display (151), speaker (152), camera (121a), etc. exposed to the outside of a transport robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention are removed.

A loading space (135) for loading items is located on the upper side of a horizontally arranged base (133), and a driving unit (170) and a heavy battery (190) and a control unit (180) can be located on the lower side to position the center of gravity at the bottom.

The driving unit (170) may include a plurality of wheels (171) and a driving motor (not shown) that provides rotational force to the wheels (171). A battery (190) and a control unit (180), etc. may be placed on the lower frame (134) between the wheels (171) of the driving unit (170).

Items can be loaded directly onto the upper surface of the base (133), but this embodiment is equipped with a conveyor module (161) to move items to the inside of the loading space (135) after loading them, or to move items inside the loading space (135) to the rear to facilitate loading and unloading of items.

Even if the user does not manually unload the item, the item can be automatically dropped from the loading space (135) when it reaches the rear end of the conveyor module (161). Although not shown in the drawing, a slope provided on the rear of the body (130) can be used to assist the item in the loading space (135) to move along the slope to the floor.

The door (210) of the present invention can be located on the upper and lower surfaces of the body (130) as shown in FIG. 6 when it is closed as shown in FIG. 4. When only the rear surface is opened as shown in (a) of FIG. 5, the door (210) is located on the upper and front surfaces of the body (130), and when only the upper surface is opened as shown in (b) of FIG. 5, the door (210) is located on the rear and lower surfaces of the body (130). When both the upper and lower surfaces are opened as shown in (c) of FIG. 5, the door (210) can be located on the front and lower surfaces of the body (130).

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 6, in which a door (210) is composed of a plurality of door bars (211) extending in the left-right direction, and the plurality of door bars (211) are arranged side by side in a first direction (D1). The plurality of door bars (211) are arranged side by side in the first direction (D1), and the angle between each door bar (211) can be changed, so that the sliding door (210) can move in the first direction (D1) and be bent and deformed in the first direction (D1).

Accordingly, although D1 is depicted as the front in the drawing, it can be downward when the sliding door (210) is located at the front, backward when located at the bottom, and upward when located at the back. With respect to the direction of movement of the sliding door (210), one direction is referred to as the first direction (D1) and the opposite direction is referred to as the second direction (D2).

The sliding door (210) can be selectively positioned on the upper surface, the back surface, the lower surface, and the front surface of the body (130). Since the sliding door (210) has a length in the direction of movement that covers the back surface and the upper surface when closed, the sliding door (210) can be positioned across at least two surfaces among the upper surface, the back surface, the lower surface, and the front surface.

Referring to Fig. 7, the door bar (211) may have an empty space formed inside to make it lightweight, and may include a connecting hook (212) and a hook home (213) for connection with a neighboring door bar (211).

The connecting hook (212) protrudes from the door bar (211) in a first direction (D1), and the hook groove (213) is inserted in a second direction (D2) opposite to the first direction (D1). The hook groove (213) has a shape corresponding to the connecting hook (212), and the connecting hook (212) and the hook groove (213) can be configured in an arc shape having concentric circles so that the connecting hook (212) can rotate within the hook groove (213).

The angle between the door bars (211) may vary depending on the depth at which the connecting hook (212) is inserted into the hook groove (213). As shown in the left part (F) of the drawing, the connecting hook (212) of the door bar (211) that is arranged at 180° to form a plane with respect to the neighboring door (210) is completely inserted into the hook groove (213) of the neighboring door bar (211) in the first direction (D1).

When the sliding door (210) moves to another side, it moves while forming a curved surface like the right side (B) of Fig. 8. As the angle between the neighboring door bars (211) becomes smaller inward than 180°, it forms a convex curved surface that protrudes toward the outside of the loading space (135).

In order to prevent the inner angle between the door bars (211) from exceeding 180°, the outer edges (215a, 215b) of the door bars (211) are in contact with each other when the door bars (211) form an angle of 180°, and the inner edges (214a, 214b) of the door bars (211) are spaced apart. An inclined surface (214a, 214b) may be formed so that the inner edges of the door bars (211) do not touch each other.

The first inclined surface (214a) of the inner edge in the first direction (D1) where the connecting hook (212) is formed and the second inclined surface (214b) of the inner edge in the second direction (D2) where the hook groove (213) is formed come into contact when the sliding door (210) is bent to form a curved surface. Conversely, the outer edges (215a, 215b) of the door bar (211) are spaced apart.

When the sliding door (210) is transformed into a curved surface, the angle change between the door bars (211) corresponds to the angle formed by the first inclined surface (214a) and the second inclined surface (214b) when the sliding door (210) is in a flat state.

The sliding door (210) can be slidably moved to be positioned on the upper surface, the back surface, the lower surface, and the front surface, excluding the left and right sides of the loading space (135), and may include a guide rail (220) into which an end of a door bar (211) is inserted so that the sliding door (210) moves along a set path.

The guide rail (220) includes continuous rails configured in a square shape on the left and right sides as illustrated in FIG. 6. The guide rail (220) includes an upper rail (221) positioned on the upper surface side of the body, a rear rail (222) positioned on the back surface side of the body, a lower rail (223) positioned on the lower surface side of the body, and a front rail (224) positioned on the front surface side of the body, and each corner may include a curved surface so that the sliding door (210) can move to an adjacent surface.

Fig. 8 is a B-B cross-sectional view of Fig. 7. The sliding door (210) is positioned on the rear side of the front frame so as not to interfere with the front frame or conveyor module (161) to which the display (151), speaker (152), camera (121a), etc. are fixed, and can pass through the lower surface of the conveyor module (161).

The guide rail (220) may be arranged in a square shape along the movement path of the sliding door (210), and may include a door (210) driving unit for driving the sliding door (210). The door driving unit (230) may include a motor (231) that provides rotational power, a driving pulley (233) that rotates by receiving power from the motor (231), and a timing belt (235) that is wound around the driving pulley (233) and performs circular motion when the driving pulley (233) rotates.

The motor (231) is located on one side of the main body and is connected to the drive pulley (233) through the shaft (232) to rotate the drive pulley (233). Although the only pulley directly connected to the motor (231) is the drive pulley (233), three dummy pulleys (234) may be additionally included so that the sliding door (210) can move along a rectangular path as shown in FIG. 8.

The dummy pulley (234) is not directly connected to the motor (231) but is rotatably connected to the body (130). When the timing belt (235) is wound and the driving pulley (233) rotates, the dummy pulley (234) receives rotational power through the timing belt (235) and rotates when the timing belt (235) moves.

The dummy pulley (234) determines the circulating movement path of the timing belt (235) and can be located at the corner of the square path. The dummy pulley (234) can have the same diameter as the driving pulley (233). If the diameters of the dummy pulley (234) and the driving pulley (233) are large, the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the sliding door (210) increases, so the sizes of the pulleys (233, 234) can be determined by taking this into consideration.

The driving pulley (233) and the dummy pulley (234) can be fixed to the body (130) so as to be rotatable around an axis protruding from the side cover of the body (130), and the driving pulley (233), the dummy pulley (234), and the timing belt (235) are positioned on the inside of the guide rail (220) so as not to overlap with the path of the sliding door (210).

In order to protect the timing belt (235) and the plurality of pulleys (233, 234), a drive unit cover (237) covering the left and right sides of the timing belt (235) and the pulleys (233, 234) may be further included.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are enlarged views showing the main configuration of a door driving unit (230) of a transport robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the inner side of one end of a sliding door (210), showing a timing belt (235), a dummy pulley (234), and a belt fixing block (236) of a door driving unit (230), and showing a driving plate (217) that is connected to the door driving unit (230) and transmits driving force to the sliding door (210).

The driving plate (217) connects the timing belt (235) and the sliding door (210). The driving plate (217) is coupled to the inner surface of the door bar (211) and has one end fixed to the timing belt (235) so as to move together with the circulating movement of the timing belt (235). The timing belt (235) can change the position of the driving plate (217) and control the open/close state of the sliding door (210).

This embodiment includes a pair of timing belts (235) and a drive pulley (233) located on the left and right sides of the sliding door (210), so that power is provided to move the drive plate (217) of the door (210) from both left and right sides, thereby enabling stable movement.

Two motors (231) may be used to drive the drive pulleys (233) on both sides, but a single motor (231) may drive a pair of drive pulleys (233) simultaneously.

Fig. 10 illustrates a motor (231) and a driving pulley (233) of a driving unit, and may include a pair of shafts (232) extending in the left and right directions to simultaneously transmit the power of the motor (231) to a pair of driving pulleys (233) located on both the left and right sides. A pair of driving pulleys (233) may be driven simultaneously using a single long shaft (232) and a gear.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of part C of Fig. 8, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of part 11 of Fig. 8. It may include a belt fixing block (236) positioned between the driving plate (217) and the timing belt (235).

The belt fixing block (236) is designed to have a thin portion in one direction (downward direction in the drawing) that comes into contact with the pulley (233, 234) of the timing belt (235) so that it can rotate stably in the curved section passing through the pulley (233, 234), and a portion in the other direction (upward direction in the drawing) of the timing belt (235) so as to have a predetermined thickness so that it can be connected to the drive plate (217) through a fastening member.

The belt fixing block (236) has a slit (236a) formed in the direction of the sliding door, so that the gap between the slits (236a) widens and allows the sliding door (210) to pass through the pulleys (233, 234) of the curved movement section. When a plurality of driving plates (217) are connected to the belt fixing block (236), the connection portions of each driving plate (217) are separated by slits (236a), so that movement in the curved section is possible.

When a plurality of driving plates (217) are combined with a belt fixing block (236), there is a difference in the curvature of the curved section of the timing belt (235) and the radius of curvature of the curved section of the guide rail (220). To compensate for this, the driving plates (217) can be combined with the door bar (211) so as to be able to slide in the first direction (D1).

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are enlarged views showing the main configuration of a driving unit of a transport robot (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a guide rail (220) and a guide roller (218) of a transport robot (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment has a similar configuration to the above-described embodiment, but has a timing belt (235) and pulleys (233, 234) located only on one side and omitted on the other side. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14, only one shaft (232) extending from the motor (231) in one direction is provided. Only one drive pulley (233) rotates. Since the timing belt (235) is located only in one direction, the sliding door (210) receives force only from one side in the left-right direction.

Since the left and right ends are inserted into the guide rail (220) and move along the guide rail, it can be driven with only one timing belt (235), but in order to prevent the door bar (211) from tilting and moving asymmetrically, the other end that is not connected to the timing belt (235) may further include a guide roller (218) and an auxiliary rail (225).

The auxiliary rail (225) can be arranged parallel to the inner side of the guide rail (220), and the guide rail (220) can have both ends of the door bar (211) inserted, and the auxiliary rail (225) can have a guide roller (218) coupled to the other side of the driving plate (217) inserted. The guide roller (218) can move smoothly along the auxiliary rail (225) to prevent the door bar (211) from moving asymmetrically.

As shown in Fig. 15, a separation prevention projection (226) may be formed on the auxiliary rail (225) so that the guide roller (218) can move without being separated from the auxiliary rail (225). As described above, the transport robot (100) of the present invention can freely change the direction in which the door (210) is opened, so that the opening/closing area and direction can be conveniently adjusted according to the unloading method.

In addition, the transport robot (100) of the present invention has a door (210) that opens and closes in a slide type, so that it does not require space for opening and closing the door (210), and thus the door (210) can be opened even in a narrow space.

The above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects but should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes coming within the equivalent scope of the invention are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

A body including a loading space and an open upper and rear portions of the loading space; A driving unit located at the lower part of the above body and providing a driving function; A sliding door covering at least a portion of the upper surface and the rear surface; and A transport robot including a door driving unit for driving the sliding door. In the first paragraph, Includes a pair of guide rails formed along the left and right sides of the loading space, The above sliding door A door bar having both ends inserted into the above pair of guide rails and a plurality of door bars arranged in parallel along the first direction in which the guide rails are extended, A transport robot, characterized in that the door bar has a variable angle in the extension direction of the guide rail. In the second paragraph, The above pair of guide rails, An upper rail positioned on the upper surface side of the above body; A rear rail positioned on the rear side of the above body; A lower rail positioned laterally on the lower surface of the above body; A front rail located on the front side of the above body; and A transport robot characterized by including four curved rails that form a curve and connect between an upper rail and a rear rail, a rear rail and a lower rail, a lower rail and a front rail, and a front rail and an upper rail. In the second paragraph, The above multiple door bars A connecting hook protruding from the first direction and having an arc shape; and It includes a hook home that is inserted in an arc shape so that a door bar connecting hook located in a second direction (D2) opposite to the first direction is inserted, A transport robot characterized in that the above connecting hook moves along the shape of the hook home and changes the angle between the door bars. In paragraph 4, The above multiple connecting hooks are bent inwardly, A transport robot, characterized in that the plurality of door bars include a first inclined surface formed on an inner edge in the first direction. In paragraph 5, A transport robot, characterized in that the plurality of door bars include a second inclined surface formed on an inner edge in the second direction. In the second paragraph, The above door driving unit, A motor that provides rotational power; A drive pulley that rotates by receiving power from the above motor; A timing belt that is wound around the above-mentioned drive pulley and performs circular motion when the above-mentioned drive pulley rotates; Including at least one of the plurality of door bars and a driving plate connected to the timing belt, A transport robot characterized in that when the motor is driven, the driving plate moves along with the movement of the timing belt and changes the position of the sliding door. In Article 7, The above timing belt is arranged in a square shape along the side perimeter of the loading space, The above drive pulley is located at one corner of the timing belt forming the above square, A transport robot characterized by comprising three dummy pulleys positioned at the remaining edges of the timing belt. In Article 7, The above timing belt and the above drive pulley are located in pairs on the left and right sides of the loading space, A transport robot characterized by including a shaft extending from the motor and connected to the pair of driving pulleys so that the pair of driving pulleys are driven simultaneously. In Article 7, The above timing belt and the above drive pulley are located on one side of the left and right direction of the loading space, A guide roller coupled to the left and right sides of the above driving plate; and A transport robot characterized in that it further includes an auxiliary rail arranged parallel to the guide rail on the other side in the left and right directions and along which the guide roller moves. In Article 7, The above driving plate comprises a plurality of: It includes a belt fixing block that is fixed to the above timing belt and to which the plurality of driving plates are connected, A transport robot, characterized in that the belt fixing block includes a groove formed between the plurality of driving plates and the fastening portion.

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