Conveyor for moving four-wheeled vehicles

Abstract

A conveyor for moving four-wheeled vehicles comprises a telescopic frame provided with tire-chock arms movable between a retracted position and a position in which they engage with the treads of the wheels. The conveyor comprises a propulsion unit made up of a front frame to which two lateral subunits are secured, each comprising a motorized and directional wheel, which can be oriented independently of one another and a means for coupling the telescopic frame with the front frame.

Claims

1. A conveyor for moving four-wheeled vehicles, the conveyor comprising: a conveyor platform provided with tire-chock arms movable between a retracted position and a position in which the tire-chock arms engage with treads of tires of a four-wheeled vehicle; and a propulsion unit including a frame to which two lateral subunits are secured, each of the two lateral subunits comprising a motorized and directional wheel configured to be oriented independently of one another and a height adjustment system that connects the conveyor platform to the frame of the propulsion unit, wherein the conveyor platform includes a first hollow proximal box, a second distal box that slides within the first hollow proximal box, a longitudinal slide connecting the first hollow proximal box and the second distal box, and a pneumatic or electric cylinder configured to adjust a position of the second distal box relative to the first hollow proximal box, the second distal box comprising a caster connected to the second distal box by a lift pad.

2. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the first hollow proximal box is formed by a rigid framework closed at its upper face by removable plates.

3. The conveyor of claim 2, wherein the first hollow proximal box is closed in a sealed manner.

4. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the propulsion unit comprises a LIDAR sensor having a vertical aperture of between 30? and 60? and a 360? scan at a front of the propulsion unit.

5. The conveyor of claim 1, wherein the height adjustment system connecting the frame of the propulsion unit and the conveyor platform comprises a pneumatic or electric cylinder controlling a height of the conveyor platform relative to the propulsion unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present disclosure will be better understood on reading the following description, relative to a non-limiting embodiment illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-quarter rear top view of a conveyor according to the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a variant embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) Description of the General Architecture

(5) The conveyor includes a propulsion unit (100) and a conveyor platform (200). The propulsion unit (100) includes a rigid frame (130) produced by assembling metal beams.

(6) The conveyor platform (200) is connected to the propulsion unit (100) by means of a height adjustment system (132) actuated by electric or pneumatic cylinders (140, 141).

(7) The propulsion unit (100) is equipped with two motorized wheels (111, 121). The conveyor platform (200) is equipped with bearing rollers (211, 212) (e.g. casters) supported by a height adjustment system (264).

(8) Description of the Propulsion Unit

(9) The propulsion unit (100) includes a modular assembly that is easily removable to simplify maintenance. The assembly can be removed and replaced by disconnecting an electrical connector and unscrewing the bolts connecting the plate to the frame (130).

(10) The tubular frame (130) serves as an assembly support for the various modular elements, which are mounted by screwing so as to be able to replace functional units very quickly and with simple operations.

(11) Each motorized wheel (111, 121) is mounted on a functional steering unit (110, 120) (i.e. a lateral subunit) formed by a metal plate (113, 123), which is screwed to the side of the frame (130) and which comprises a motor or an actuator (112, 122) controlling the orientation of the motorized wheel (111, 121), respectively, via a vertical axle on which the stator of the motorized wheel (111, 121) is fixed, respectively. The motorized wheel (111, 121) is advantageously constituted by a rim forming the rotor of an electric machine, the stator of which is fixed on the directional axle driven by the motor or an actuator (112, 122).

(12) Each of the functional steering units (110, 120) is independent. The angular orientation of the left motorized wheel (111) is controlled independently of the angular orientation of the right motorized wheel (112). Likewise, the speed and the direction of rotation of the left motorized wheel (111) are controlled independently of the speed and the direction of rotation of the right motorized wheel (112).

(13) The frame (130) also defines a space for housing the electric batteries, which are mounted on an extractable drawer to facilitate replacement, as well as the pneumatic, electrical and electronic equipment also mounted on an extractable drawer to facilitate their replacement in case of failure. The extractable drawers have one or more connectors on their rear face ensuring the automatic connection and disconnection of the batteries and/or electrical and electronic circuits depending on the insertion or removal of the drawer.

(14) The frame (130) also supports a pneumatic module ensuring the operation of the pneumatic elements of the platform (200).

(15) The frame (130) also supports, at its lower part, an electric coil for recharging the batteries by induction, from a recharging station whose floor is equipped with an additional electric coil.

(16) Alternatively, the propulsion unit (100) comprises a hydrogen fuel cell.

(17) The frame also comprises a height adjustment system (132) for lifting the proximal platform (250) comprising electric cylinders (140, 141) controlling the height positioning of the attachment of the platform (250) to the propulsion unit (100).

(18) The propulsion unit (100) optionally comprises a geolocation means, for example, a GPS module or a radiofrequency triangulation module, as well as a LIDAR (160) positioned at the top of a mast (162) for acquiring information on the environment of the conveyor.

(19) The propulsion unit (100) comprises a camber, for example, made from molded plastic material fixed to the frame (130), having access flaps to the drawers. It also has signaling means in the form of displays or traffic lights, or even means for projecting light at the front of the propulsion unit (100), projecting graphic information onto the ground representative of the sense and the direction of the current or future movement, or even displayed on a screen arranged on the body of the front unit.

(20) Conveyor Platform (200)

(21) The conveyor platform (200) includes a proximal platform (250) and a distal platform (260).

(22) The proximal platform (250) is formed by a proximal hollow box (254) produced by an assembly of beams closed by metal plates (251 to 253), the plates (252, 253) concealing inspection hatches.

(23) This proximal platform (250) has a first pair of fixed tire chock arms (255 and 257) and a first pair of retractable tire chock arms (256 and 258), which are actuated electrically or pneumatically, which can be folded against the lateral sides (259) of the proximal hollow box (254), or extend perpendicularly to the lateral sides (259) to come into contact with the treads of the wheels of the vehicle to be moved.

(24) The conveyor platform (200) further comprises a distal platform (260) comprising a distal box (261) connected to the proximal platform (250) by a longitudinal slide (281) and a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder (280) for adjusting the longitudinal extension and adapting it to the size of the vehicle.

(25) This distal platform (260) also has a first pair of retractable tire chock arms (265, 267) and a second pair of retractable tire chock arms (266, 268), which are actuated electrically or pneumatically, which can be folded against the lateral sides (263) of the distal box (261), or extend perpendicularly to the lateral sides (263) to come into contact with the treads of the wheels of the vehicle to be moved.

(26) The distal platform (260) has non-motorized rollers (211, 212) (e.g. casters) supported by a means for adjusting the height relative to the frame (262) of the distal platform (260), for example, by a pneumatic pad (270).

(27) The rollers (211, 212) are arranged on either side of the median axis of the distal platform (260). Each roller (211, 212) is connected to the frame by the pneumatic pad (270).

(28) The pneumatic pad (270) may comprise a right pneumatic pad and a left pneumatic pad, where the right pneumatic pad communicates by an air duct with the left pneumatic pad, which ensures self-balancing of the right and left rollers (211, 212).

(29) Kinematics

(30) The use of the conveyor is as follows:

(31) First, the conveyor moves in reverse toward the vehicle. The two non-retractable arms (255, 257) closest to the propulsion unit (100) are extended transversely, the other retractable arms (256, 258, 265, 266, 267, and 268) being folded against the sides (259, 263) of the platforms (250, 260).

(32) When the non-retractable arms (255, 257) come into contact with the tire treads of the vehicle, a sensor controls the stopping of the movement of the propulsion unit (100).

(33) The other two retractable arms (256, 258) of the proximal platform (250) are then moved to lock the tires.

(34) The retractable arms (265, 267) of the distal platform (260) closest to the proximal platform (250) are then deployed, and the movement of the distal platform (260) is controlled until these retractable arms (265, 267) come into contact with the tires of the other two wheels of the vehicle.

(35) The movement of the distal platform (260) is then stopped and the longitudinal slide (281) is locked, and the tilting in the transverse position of the two other retractable arms (266, 268) of the distal platform (260) to lock the tires is controlled.

(36) The vehicle is thus immobilized on the platform (200). The distal platform (260) is then lifted relative to the rollers (211, 212) and the proximal platform (250) is lifted relative to the propulsion unit (100), with a movement amplitude of about 150 millimeters, typically between 80 and 200 millimeters.

Variant Embodiments

(37) According to a variant embodiment, the conveyor platform (300) consists of two side members (370, 380) spaced apart laterally by a width corresponding to the distance between the outer sidewalls of the tires of the car.

(38) This distance may be adjustable by a mechanism (390) for adjusting the distance between the two side members (370, 380) by cylinders or electromechanical means.

(39) The two side members (370, 380) are telescopic in the described example, and for this purpose have cylinders (392, 394) or electromagnetic means for modifying the longitudinal distance between two wheel holding zones (395, 396; 397, 398).

(40) Each side members (370, 380) has two pairs of tire chock arms (355, 356; 365, 366; 357, 358; 367, 368) each forming a clamp to hold the lower part of the tread of a tire. The pairs of arms (355, 356; 365, 366; 357, 358; 367, 368) are oriented in the active position toward the center of the platform (200).

(41) The two arms (355, 357) closest to the propulsion unit (100) are fixed. The other arms (356, 365, 366, 358, 367, 368) are foldable between a retracted position in which they are folded inside the structure of the side members (370, 380) and an active position where they are deployed inside the space delimited by the two side members (370, 380), to ensure the maintenance of the wheels of a vehicle to be moved.

(42) The side members (370, 380) have accommodations (371, 381) to receive a wheel associated with a cylinder or a pneumatic pad making it possible to adjust the height of the side member (370, 380) relative to the ground, and loosen the tread surface of the tire relative to the ground.