Mobility and apparatus for loading and unloading cargo

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269696-B2
Application number	US-202217838510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2022
Priority date	Jan 17, 2022
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a mobility capable of automating loading and unloading of a cargo without the aid of manpower and an apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo. The mobility includes a cargo hold that accommodates a cargo; and a loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of the cargo hold and installed so as to be able to tilt toward any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobility, comprising:
a cargo hold that accommodates a cargo;
a loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of the cargo hold and installed so as to be configured to tilt toward any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold;
a plurality of guides formed on an upper surface of the loading plate and configured to:
support a package unit on which the cargo is placed; and
guide the package unit to move in a width direction of the loading plate;

an inclined surface provided on at least one side surface of each guide of the plurality of guides and inclined with respect to width direction of the loading plate; and
a groove portion widened toward a door of the cargo hold and gradually narrowed on an opposite side, wherein the groove portion is formed between the plurality of guides, adjacent to each other by the inclined surface.

2. The mobility of claim 1 , further comprising at least one tilting driver configured to tilt the loading plate,
wherein the at least one tilting driver is installed between the loading plate and the bottom of the cargo hold.

3. The mobility of claim 2 , further comprising:
a pivoting member, configured to extend in a height direction of the cargo hold, installed below a center of the loading plate in a width direction, wherein the loading plate is tilted about the pivoting member; or a rotation shaft extending in a longitudinal direction of the cargo hold, installed below the center of the loading plate in the width direction, wherein the loading plate is tilted about the rotation shaft.

4. The mobility of claim 1 , wherein the package unit comprises:
a container accommodating the cargo; or
a tray on which the cargo is fixedly placed,
wherein the package unit is standardized.

5. The mobility of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of guide grooves, formed on a bottom surface of the package unit, configured to:
accommodate a guide of the loading plate, of the plurality of guides; and
guide the package unit to linearly move along the guide on the loading plate.

6. The mobility of claim 5 , wherein the bottom surface of the package unit comprises at least one protrusion formed and configured to be insertable between a pair of adjacent guides,
wherein:
the protrusion, or an extension extending from the protrusion, is provided with a fastening hole, and
the fastening hole is fastened with an operation rod of a fastener installed on at least one of the pair of guides of the plurality of guides.

7. The mobility of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ball transfers at least partially mounted on a bottom surface of the package unit.

8. The mobility of claim 1 , wherein the loading plate comprises a plurality of loading plates in the cargo hold,
wherein:
the plurality of loading plates are arranged in two rows in the cargo hold, and
the cargo hold is approached from both sides of the mobility in a width direction.

9. An apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo, comprising:
a loading plate of a mobility, the loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of a cargo hold of the mobility that accommodates a cargo and installed so as to be configured to tilt towards any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold,
a transport robot, configured to be travelable, comprising a pusher configured to push the cargo, positioned on a top plate of the transport robot, to the loading plate;
a plurality of guide rails, formed on the top plate of the transport robot and configured to:
support a package unit on which the cargo is placed; and
guide the package unit to move in a longitudinal direction of the transport robot;
wherein, at one end portion of each guide rail of the plurality of guide rails, an inclined surface is formed on at least one side surface of the guide rail, and a region between the inclined surfaces is formed to be widened toward the cargo hold and gradually narrowed on an opposite side.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of guide grooves formed on a bottom surface of the package unit, configured to guide the package unit to linearly move on the loading plate and the top plate of the transport robot.

11. An apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo, comprising:
a loading plate of a mobility, the loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of a cargo hold of the mobility that accommodates a cargo and installed so as to be configured to tilt towards any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold;
a transport robot, configured to be travelable, comprising:
a pusher configured to push the cargo, positioned on a top plate of the transport robot, to the loading plate; and
a distance alignment unit configured to sense a distance between the transport robot and the mobility to reduce a distance from the cargo hold to a minimum distance;

wherein the transport robot is configured to move in a width direction of the mobility until a proximity sensor of the distance alignment unit detects the mobility.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the transport robot further comprises a positioning unit configured to align a position of the transport robot with respect to the cargo hold so that the top plate of the transport robot and the cargo hold are aligned,
a side surface of the mobility comprises a reaction member for position detection, and
the transport robot is configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the mobility until a position sensor of the positioning unit detects the reaction member.

13. An apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo, comprising:
a loading plate of a mobility, the loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of a cargo hold of the mobility that accommodates a cargo and installed so as to be configured to tilt towards any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold;
a transport robot, configured to be travelable, comprising:
a pusher configured to push the cargo, positioned on a top plate of the transport robot, to the loading plate; and
a plurality of elevators configured to raise and lower the transport robot for height alignment with one end of the loading plate, wherein each elevator comprises an expandable operation rod,

a sensor unit is installed at an edge of the top plate; and
a reaction member mounted at one end of the loading plate;
wherein, when the transport robot is raised and lowered by an operation of the elevator, if the sensor unit detects the reaction member, the elevator is configured to stop the operation of the elevator.

14. An apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo, comprising:
a loading plate of a mobility, the loading plate positioned to be spaced apart from a bottom of a cargo hold of the mobility that accommodates a cargo and installed so as to be configured to tilt towards any one side of the mobility in the cargo hold, and
a transport robot, configured to be travelable, comprising a pusher configured to push the cargo, positioned on a top plate of the transport robot, to the loading plate;
wherein the pusher comprises:
a pusher head, wherein one side of the pusher head is in direct contact with a package unit on which the cargo is placed; and
a pusher driver, connected to another side of the pusher head, configured to provide a driving force;
wherein the one side of the pusher head is provided with a cushioning material formed of an elastic material.

15. An apparatus for loading and unloading a cargo, comprising:
a loading plate of a mobility, the loading plate position to be spaced apart from a bottom of a cargo hold of the mobility that accommodates

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Kye Yoon
• Lee Ji A
• Han Ji Min
• Sung Ki Seok
• Choi Jong Kyu
• Byun Young Jun
• Oh Jong Min
• Chung Jae Hoon

Classifications

• B65G67/04

  Loading land vehicles {(loading or unloading boats to or from land vehicles B60P3/10)} · CPC title

• B65G67/26

  using rakes or scrapers · CPC title

• B65G2814/0301

  General arrangements · CPC title

• B25J9/0084

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• B25J9/0093

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title