TRANSPORT VEHICLE

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The invention relates to a transport module for transporting an object, in particular in a production line of a technical plant. State of the art

[0002] Transport systems are known from the prior art that move objects within a technical system.

[0003] If a transport system is rail-bound, it can be built low because the diameter of the load-bearing wheels is small, and it has a high payload capacity of up to 100 tons. However, the transport system is necessarily bound to the track by the rails, and changing the transport route after the tracks have been laid is impossible.

[0004] A non-track-bound transport system is flexible in the horizontal direction of movement of the object. Such a system requires drive wheels with a soft tread to ensure sufficient traction on the surface and prevent wheel spin. The tread's load-bearing capacity is limited, resulting in a low payload for the system. Furthermore, the wheels must have a diameter appropriate to the payload, which increases disproportionately with the load. Consequently, such a transport system is tall, making work on or access to the object during transport difficult or impossible.

[0005] Known alternatives, which are based on the air cushion effect, for example, require a very level surface, have high energy consumption and are therefore unsuitable for regular use, e.g. in production technology.

[0006] Such a transport system with transport modules according to the preamble of claim 1 is known, for example, from US 11 130 519 B1. Object of the invention

[0007] The disadvantages of the described state of the art result in the task of creating a transport system that combines the advantages of a rail-bound transport system with those of a non-track-bound transport system. Description

[0008] The problem is solved in a transport module for transporting an object, particularly in a production line of a technical plant, by the features listed in the characterizing section of claim 1. Further developments and / or advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] The invention is preferably characterized in that the transport module can be connected to the object to be transported via a support element in such a way that it is rotatable about a second vertical axis of rotation, and that the at least one drive wheel is attached to the support via a wheel suspension, whereby the load can be distributed between the swivel casters and the at least one drive wheel by means of the wheel suspension and can be transferred up to 100% to the swivel casters. In the present invention, the core functions of load picking up, load carrying, and load moving are separated into independent components. The load carrying function is fulfilled by the swivel caster component, the load moving function by the drive wheel component, and the load picking function by the support element component. All components are integrated into the transport module via the support.This transfer of functions to individual components results in a significantly lower profile for the transport module compared to state-of-the-art systems, while maintaining the same payload. It also allows work such as final assembly or commissioning to be carried out on the transported items while they are on the transport system. A further advantage is the minimal impact of malfunctions, as each transport module can be moved individually, or the entire transport system, including the item being transported, can be moved manually if the system malfunctions.

[0010] The transport module is therefore an equivalent replacement or alternative to track-bound solutions, for example in the final assembly and commissioning of heavy machine tools, and meets far greater requirements for flexibility and adaptability.

[0011] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the transport module is designed to form a transport system with at least one other transport module or a load module without a drive, and to transport the object together with the other transport or load module. This allows a statically determinate transport system to be set up quickly without the modules needing to be mechanically connected to each other. In the simplest embodiment, one module is positioned under a base (machine foot) of the object, and the object is placed on the module. Depending on the requirements, one to four transport modules can be integrated into the transport system. For very long objects, the use of more than four transport modules, for example, six transport modules, is conceivable.

[0012] Preferably, the transport module has three swivel casters. This makes the transport module statically determinate. If several wheels are to be integrated into a single swivel caster, the wheel axle (first axis of rotation) must be designed so that the load is distributed as evenly as possible across all wheels of the swivel caster. This can be achieved, for example, by means of an axle that pivots in the center. Commercially available products with high load capacities and small diameters, such as ball-bearing heavy-duty cast polyamide wheels, can be used as wheels for such swivel casters.

[0013] It has proven advantageous if the first axes of rotation are evenly distributed along the first circular path of the second axis of rotation. This ensures that the load is distributed evenly across the three swivel casters.

[0014] Advantageously, the first vertical axis of rotation of a swivel caster is spaced apart from a first horizontal axis of rotation of the swivel caster, thus defining a caster angle. The caster angle facilitates the rotation of the swivel caster around the first axis of rotation and accordingly improves the maneuverability of the transport module.

[0015] The invention is also preferably characterized by the provision of two drive wheels which lie on a second common horizontal axis of rotation and on a second circular axis of the second axis of rotation. It is also preferred if the second axis of rotation intersects the second axis of rotation. These features make it possible to minimize the resistance to displacement and rotation about the second axis of rotation. The two drive wheels are preferably driven independently of each other.

[0016] It is preferred that the first circular path has a radius smaller than the radius of the second circular path. Accordingly, the drive wheels are positioned as far out on the support as possible, or the track width is increased. This increases the available torque around the second axis of rotation. This is particularly important when the vehicle is stationary and rotating around the second axis without moving.

[0017] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the transport module has at least one height-adjustable brake shoe that can be pressed against the surface. This reliably prevents unintentional displacement. Furthermore, the transport module is not solely reliant on the motor braking effect. This is important, for example, when work is being carried out on the object while it is on the transport system and the object must not move under any circumstances. Applications requiring reliable fixation of the object include assembly during transport and initial testing or commissioning. The brake shoe can be implemented according to the principle of an inclined plane using commercially available products such as double wedge leveling elements.Alternatively, a spring-loaded piston integrated into the swivel caster and positioned near the first axis of rotation can serve as the brake shoe. The piston's height can be adjusted via a threaded spindle or adjusting screw. Preferably, however, it is remotely actuated electromechanically.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the support element has a spherical bearing. This allows, on the one hand, individual rotation about the second axis of rotation of the transport module and, on the other hand, individual adaptation of the transport module to unevenness of the surface. Simultaneously, with a spherical bearing, forces acting on the support element from all directions can be transmitted to the support. Commercially available products such as axial spherical roller bearings can be used for a low-friction spherical bearing of the support element. If the support element is spherically mounted, it should preferably be designed to be as small as possible, but in any case large enough so that the object to be transported, for example, by means of a machine foot in the case of a heavy machine tool, can be securely placed on it. Typically, the support element is...the payload capacity is not significantly larger than the outer contour of the spherical bearing, for example a aforementioned axial spherical roller bearing.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a connecting element is positioned on the upper side of the support element. This reliably prevents the object being transported from shifting on the transport module.

[0020] Preferably, the connecting element is a bolt with a non-rotationally symmetrical cross-section. Such a bolt can create a rotationally fixed positive connection between the support element and the object to be transported, for example, on a machine base. Furthermore, a positive connection between the object to be transported and the transport modules is also necessary if, due to a highly uneven load distribution across all transport modules combined in such a transport system, or due to static indeterminacy, as can occur, for example, in a transport system consisting of more than three transport modules, it cannot be guaranteed that the force component acting vertically on each of these transport modules is sufficient for a force-fit connection between the object to be transported and the transport modules.In extreme cases, vertical separation could even occur between the object being transported and one of the transport modules. Furthermore, the orientation of the object being transported can be transmitted to the transport module via the rotationally fixed bolt. This orientation can then be evaluated using an angular position sensor on the transport module. Changes in the angle of inclination between the object being transported and the transport module must be taken into account in the connection of the angular position sensor, for example, by means of spherical bearings.

[0021] It is advantageous if the caster angle is shorter than the distance between the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation. This prevents the transport module from tipping around the second axis of rotation of the drive wheels if the swivel casters assume an unfavorable position. A short caster angle also ensures even load distribution.

[0022] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the wheel suspension is realized by a swing arm with a pivot joint and a spring that engages the support and the swing arm. This ensures that at least one drive wheel always has sufficient contact with the ground and that adequate traction is guaranteed. The swing arm allows for a low-profile design of the transport module.

[0023] Furthermore, it is preferable if the wheel suspension has height adjustment for at least one drive wheel. This height adjustment allows the load to be distributed between the swivel casters and the drive wheels as needed. This also allows the traction of the drive wheels to be increased or decreased. In addition, the drive wheels can be completely lifted off the ground, allowing the object to be moved manually. Lifting the drive wheels also relieves tension on the object.

[0024] If the contact between the drive wheels and the ground is interrupted, this allows for the manual repositioning of both an individual transport module (without a load) and the object being transported, even if the object is on a transport system comprised of several such individual transport modules. This can be particularly useful when manual repositioning appears more efficient than motorized repositioning, or when a malfunction prevents motorized repositioning. Furthermore, the interchangeability of an individual transport module is guaranteed at any time. For example, the height of a machine foot resting on a transport module can be reduced, thus relieving the load on the module being replaced. The transport module can then be pulled out from beneath the object for replacement.

[0025] Advantageously, at least one drive controller and at least one energy storage device are arranged on the support. Both the energy storage device and the drive controller can be integrated individually into the transport modules for each transport module, or they can be carried centrally as separate units for all transport modules in a transport system comprised of several such transport modules. Preferably, these energy storage devices and drive controllers are integrated into the transport module, which increases the complexity but simplifies its use.

[0026] It is preferred that the transport module can be controlled together with at least one other transport module as a single transport unit, or that it can be controlled independently of at least one other transport module. This allows multiple transport modules to be synchronized within a transport system.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention relates to a transport system for transporting an object, particularly in a production line of a technical plant. The invention is characterized in that the transport system comprises at least one further transport module or at least one unpowered load module, wherein each transport and load module can be directly connected to the object and the modules are free of any mechanical connection to one another. The transport system is extremely flexible and very easy to steer. To reduce costs while maintaining the same mobility but reducing the demands on the dynamic performance of such transport systems, at least two transport modules can be combined with at least one commercially available, non-motorized transport chassis, for example, a rotary chassis, to form a transport system.To further reduce costs, albeit at the expense of limited mobility, a transport module can be combined with two tank rollers functioning as load modules. Transport systems according to this invention enable the efficient implementation of product logistics for various manufacturing processes, such as cell production, job shop production, flow production, or modular production. The items to be transported can be moved individually or, as is common in flow production, synchronously as a group. It is irrelevant whether this movement is interrupted or continues while work is being carried out on the item being transported. The exceptions are the aforementioned situations, which require a fixed contact between the transport module and the surface to prevent unintentional displacement.

[0028] The individual support elements of all transport modules and load modules combined to form a transport system according to this invention constitute the primary and preferably only physical contacts with the object to be transported. An imaginary plane across all support elements of the transport modules combined in such a transport system thus substitutes the surface. It follows that, in principle, any object that can be placed stably on a solid surface can also be transported by a transport system according to this invention.

[0029] It is preferred that the transport modules of a transport system can be controlled as a single unit. At least one transport module can be connected to a higher-level control system via a communication unit integrated into the transport module, preferably wirelessly. This higher-level control system can be integrated decentrally into at least one of the transport modules combined in a transport system and operated, for example, via a remote control, or it can be operated centrally, for example, as a process control system. Preferably, however, this higher-level control system is integrated into a portable electronic device with a human-machine interface to enable manual radio remote control by a user.

[0030] When several of these transport modules are combined to form a transport system, the transport modules participating in such a system must be initialized by a higher-level controller. In addition to status information, the primary requirement for this is information on the position and orientation of all participating transport modules. Both the position and the orientation can be determined relative to the environment or relative to the object being transported, or both simultaneously. While this information on position and orientation relative to the environment is variable and must be continuously updated for the aforementioned central controller, in a simpler application, such as when using a manual radio remote control, it suffices to determine this information on the position and orientation of the participating transport modules relative to the object being transported.While in this simpler use case this information about the position thus remains constant over the duration of the application, this information about the orientation of each of these transport modules involved is nevertheless variable and must be continuously updated in every use case.

[0031] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the schematic diagrams. These are shown in a representation not to scale: Figure 1: an axonometric view of a transport module; Figure 2: a bottom view of the transport module made of Figure 1Figure 3: a side view of the transport module with a front half-section; Figure 4: a sectional view through a steering wheel; Figure 5a: a sectional view of a wheel suspension of a drive wheel in a first embodiment; Figure 5b: a sectional view of a wheel suspension of a drive wheel in a second embodiment; Figure 6: a sectional view of the transport module in the area of ​​a fastening element; Figure 7: embodiments of a transport system in bottom views; and Figures 8a to 8c: embodiments of production systems with several transport systems in use.

[0032] In the Figures 1 to 3A transport module is shown, which is collectively designated by reference numeral 11. The transport module 11 serves to transport an object 12. The object can be a product that is moved on a planar transport system 13 in a production line of a technical plant. The object 12, which can be, for example, a machine tool, can be moved on the transport system 13, which is located in the Figure 7 and 8 As shown, objects can not only be moved, but also assembled or produced, and work can be carried out on the object while it is on the transport system. The transport system 13 comprises at least one transport module 11.

[0033] The transport module 11 has a support 15, which can also be described as a support structure. Three swivel casters 17 are attached to the support. Each swivel caster 17 is rotatably mounted on the support about a first vertical axis of rotation 19 and is spaced from this axis of rotation 19 by two retaining arms 21. The distance between the first horizontal axis of rotation 23 of the swivel caster 17 and the first axis of rotation 19 defines a caster 25.

[0034] A drive unit 27 is further attached to the support 15, the drive unit having two drive wheels 29. Each drive wheel is preferably driven by a separate motor 31.

[0035] The support 15 has a fastening element in the form of a bolt 33, through which a second vertical axis of rotation 35 runs. The bolt rises from a disc-shaped support element 34, which in turn is attached to the support 15. The transport module 11 can be directly connected to the object by means of the bolt 33 and can be rotated relative to the object about the second axis of rotation 35. Together with the swivel casters 17, the transport module has high maneuverability and a minimal turning radius.

[0036] The first three axes of rotation 19 lie on a first circle 37, at the center 39 of which the second axis of rotation 35 is perpendicular. Preferably, the adjacent connecting lines 41 of the first pivot points, which are the points of intersection of the first axes of rotation with the support plane, form an opening angle 43 of 120° with the center 39.

[0037] The centers of the two drive wheels 29 lie on a second circular line 45 with center 39. These centers also lie on a second common axis of rotation 47 of the drive wheels.

[0038] The drive wheels 29 are each connected to the support 15 by a wheel suspension 49 in a first embodiment, which is described in detail in Figure 5aAs shown, an L-shaped support 51 is rigidly connected to the underside of the support. A rocker arm 53 is articulated to the support 51 by a joint 55. The rocker arm is preferably designed in two parts. The joint is located in the middle of the rocker arm 53. The drive wheel 29 is rotatably mounted at the first end of the rocker arm 53, and a crossbar 57 projects from the second end. The crossbar 57 is clamped between a spring element 59, which is supported at the open end of the support 51, and a first adjusting screw 61. The spring element 59 can be an elastomer that is compressed when the rocker arm 53 moves and decompresses after the load is removed.

[0039] In the Figure 5bA second embodiment of the wheel suspension 49 is shown. In this embodiment, the spring element does not rest on the support 51 as in the first embodiment. The screw shaft 61a of the adjusting screw 61 penetrates a retaining ring 58, a first spring element 59a, and a second spring element 59b. In the second embodiment, the crossbar 57 is made in two parts and is attached to the retaining ring 58 at two opposite points. The first spring element 59a is arranged between the retaining ring 58 and a screw plate 61b. This design of the wheel suspension 49 allows the spring elements 59a and 59b to be compressed when the drive wheel is lifted by unscrewing the adjusting screw 61. The height of the drive wheel 29 can be adjusted by adjusting the first adjusting screw 61.This allows the contact pressure 62 of the drive wheel 29 on the surface 64 to be finely adjusted, and the wheel 29 provides sufficient traction for reliable drive of the transport module 11. The retaining ring 58 moves between the spring elements 59a, 59b, compressing and decompressing them. This spring action ensures that the wheel 29 maintains contact with the surface, even on uneven terrain, resulting in uninterrupted and smooth drive. At the same time, the contact pressure is not so high as to overload the soft, traction-enhancing tread 60. The drive wheel 29 can also be completely lifted from the surface, allowing 100% of the load to be transferred to the swivel casters. This is particularly advantageous when the transport module 11 needs to be moved manually or when the object needs to be returned to a stress-free state.

[0040] For motorized displacement, each drive wheel 29 must be able to be driven individually in both directions of rotation. Each motor 31 drives a drive wheel 29 directly or indirectly. However, for reasons of space, an indirect drive of the drive wheels 29 is preferable. Preferably, with an indirect drive, such a drive unit is integrated on the rocker arm 53, and the drive force is transmitted to the respective drive wheel 29 by means of a gear transmission 32. Alternatively, the motors 31 can also be integrated on a stationary part of the wheel suspension, for example, the support 51, or on the support 15, and the drive force can be transmitted to the drive wheels 29, for example, by means of a cardan-jointed drive shaft.As motors 31, commercially available products with high power density and preferably integrated service brakes can be used, such as electric motors specifically designed for use in driverless transport vehicles.

[0041] Transport module 11 has at least one brake shoe. In the Figures 3 and 4 A first brake shoe 63a is shown, which has a height-adjustable piston 65 and a second vertically adjustable adjusting screw 67. The brake shoe 63a is integrated into the first pivot axis 19.

[0042] Below the support element 34, a second brake shoe 63b is arranged on the support 15. This consists of a wedge 69 which can be pressed between an upper and lower counterpart 71a, 71b. This presses the lower counterpart 71b onto the base 64 and thus brakes the transport module 11.

[0043] The brake shoe 63a or 63b serves in particular to horizontally secure the transport system 13. In addition, the transport module 11 and the object 12 can be braked and even lifted or jacked up using the brake shoes 63a, 63b.

[0044] The transport module is equipped with a spherical or ball bearing 73, which is in Figure 6 This is shown as an example and can be implemented as an axial spherical roller bearing. The bearing 73 is integrated into the support element 34. A pendulum element 75, from which the bolt 33 projects, is mounted on a support element 77 in a pendulum-like manner. The pendulum element 75 is rigidly connected to an angular position sensor 79, which can transmit the orientation of the transport module relative to the object to the control system. The angular position sensor 79 is mounted on the support in such a way that it can follow the pivoting movement of the spherically mounted support element 34, but no rotation is transmitted to it.

[0045] Preferably, the diameter of the second circular axis 45 is as large as possible and is therefore positioned at the edge of the support 15. This gives the two drive wheels the largest possible track width, resulting in a higher torque for the transport module 11 around the second axis of rotation 35. Advantageously, the diameter of the second circular axis is smaller than the diameter 81 of the support 15 to protect the drive wheels 29.

[0046] The bolt 33 has a non-rotationally symmetrical cross-section, which can, for example, be teardrop-shaped. This fixes the position of the transport module 11 relative to the object being transported, as the bolt 33 is always fixed against rotation. The orientation of the object 12 being transported is thus transmitted to the transport module 11 via the bolt 33. The overrun 25 is shorter than the horizontal distance 83 between the first axis of rotation 19 and the second axis of rotation 47. This ensures that the transport module cannot tilt about the second axis of rotation 47.

[0047] The transport module 11 is equipped with at least one drive controller 85 and at least one energy storage device 87, which are located in the Figure 1 and 2 as indicated. A rechargeable battery is a practical choice for energy storage.

[0048] The described features of the transport module 11 allow the core functions of load picking up, load carrying, and load moving to be separated into independent components. The load carrying function is fulfilled by the steering casters 17. The load moving function is fulfilled by the drive wheels 29. The load picking function is fulfilled by the support element 77. As a result, the transport module 11 has a low overall height 89. The overall height inevitably increases with the required payload. For example, with a payload of 8 t, the transport module 11 has an overall height of only approximately 200 mm and a diameter 81 of 1000 mm. The transport module 11 according to the invention is therefore significantly more compact than comparable transport vehicles with a similar range of functions according to the prior art. The transport module 11 can be designed to have a payload of up to 25 t.

[0049] In the Figure 7 and 8Transport systems 13 are sketched, each comprising a transport module 11. The transport system 13 has at least one further transport module 11 or at least one unpowered load module 91, wherein each transport and load module can be directly connected to the object 12. The object 12 can simply rest on the support element 34 or be positively connected to the object via the bolt 33. This type of connection can also be used for the load module 91. The spatial arrangement of the individual transport and load modules 11, 91 of such a transport system 13 is determined by the shape and mass of the object 12 to be transported.If at least one transport module 11 is combined with at least one non-motorized transport module 91, known, for example, as tank rollers 91a or gyroscopic chassis 91b, to form a transport system 13, this is more cost-effective, but the mobility of the resulting transport system is limited. The modules 11, 91 are preferably free of any mechanical connection to one another. The transport system 13 therefore preferably does not have a frame to which the transport and load modules are attached. This allows the modules 11, 91 to be quickly connected to objects 12 with a wide variety of floor plans or base designs. If the objects all have the same floor plan, providing a frame can be advantageous.

[0050] Transport systems 13 according to this invention can be used to optimize product logistics for different types of manufacturing processes, such as island production, job shop production, and flow production ( Fig. 8a, Fig. 8b ) or modular production ( Fig. 8c ) equally efficiently. In Figure 8a It has been shown that the same object is positioned on each transport system 13. Figure 8b This shows that different items can also be manufactured on the transport system 13 in the same production line (mixed-model line). The items 12 to be transported can be moved individually or, as is common in flow production, as a group of items to be transported synchronously. It is irrelevant whether this movement is interrupted or continues while work is being carried out on the item 12 to be transported.

[0051] Via a communication unit 93 integrated into the transport module 11 ( Fig. 1 and 2 At least one transport module 11 can be connected to a higher-level control system, preferably via a wireless radio connection. This higher-level control system can be integrated decentrally into at least one of the transport modules 11 combined in a transport system 13 and operated, for example, via a remote control, or it can be operated centrally, for example, as a process control system. Preferably, however, this higher-level control system is integrated into a portable electronic device with a human-machine interface to enable manual radio remote control by a user.

[0052] If several transport modules 11 are combined to form a transport system 13, as described above, the transport modules participating in such a transport system 13 must be initialized by a higher-level controller. In addition to status information, the information on the position and orientation of all participating transport modules 11 is primarily relevant for this purpose. Both the position and the orientation can be determined relative to the environment or relative to the object 12 to be transported, or both simultaneously. Legend:

[0053] 11 Transport module 12 Object 13 Transport system 15 Support 17 Swivel casters 19 First axis of rotation 21 Support arms 23 First axis of rotation 25 Caster 27 Drive unit 29 Drive wheels 31 Motor 32 Gearbox 33 Connecting element, bolt 34 Support element 35 Second axis of rotation 37 First circle 39 Center of first and second circle 41 Connecting lines 43 Opening angle 45 Second circle 47 Second axis of rotation 49 Wheel suspension 51 Beam 53 Swing arm 55 Joint 57 Crossbar 58 Retaining ring 59, 59a, 59b Spring element, first and second spring element 60 Running surface 61 First adjusting screw 61a Screw shaft 61b Screw plate 62 Contact pressure 63a, 63b First and second brake shoe 64 Substrate 65 Piston 67 Second adjusting screw 69 Wedge 71a, 71b Lower and upper counterpart 73 Spherical bearing, pendulum bearing 75 Pendulum element 77 Support element 79 Angle position sensor 81 Diameter of the support 83 Spacing 85 Drive controller 87 Energy storage 89 Overall height 91, 91a, 91b Load module, tank rollers, gyroscopic chassis 93 Communication unit

Claims

1. A transport module (11) for transporting an object (12), in particular in a production line of a technical facility, having - a support (15), - a plurality of swivel castors (17), which are each fastened to a support (15) so that they can rotate around a first vertical turning axis (19), and - a drive unit (27) with at least one motor-driven drive wheel (29), which is fastened to the support (15), characterized in that - the transport module (11) with a supporting element (34) can be connected with the object (12) to be transported in such a way that it can be rotated around a second vertical turning axis (35), and that - the at least one drive wheel (29) is fastened to the support (15) with a wheel suspension (49), wherein the wheel suspension (49) makes it possible to distribute the load between the swivel castors (17) and the at least one drive wheel (29) and transfer up to 100% of it to the swivel castors (17).

2. The transport module according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport module (11) is provided to form a transport system (13) with at least one additional transport or a non-powered load module (11, 91), and to be able to transport the object (12) together with the additional transport or load module.

3. The transport module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transport module (11) has three swivel castors (17).

4. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first axes of rotation (19) lie on a first circle line (37) of the second turning axis (35).

5. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first vertical turning axis (19) of one swivel castor is spaced apart from a first horizontal turning axis (23) of the swivel castor, which defines a castor angle (25).

6. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two drive wheels (29) are provided, which lie on a second single horizontal turning axis (47) and a second circle line (45) of the second turning axis (35).

7. The transport module according to claim 6, characterized in that the second rotation axis (47) intersects the second turning axis (35).

8. The transport module according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the first circle line (37) has a radius that is smaller than the second radius of the second circle line (45).

9. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport module (11) has at least one height-adjustable brake shoe (63), which can be pressed onto the substrate (64).

10. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supporting element (34) has a spherical bearing (73).

11. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a connecting element (33) is positioned on the upper side of the supporting element (34).

12. The transport module according to claim 11, characterized in that the connecting element is a bolt (33) that has a non-rotationally symmetrical cross section.

13. The transport module according to one of claims 5 to 12, characterized in that the castor angle (25) is shorter than the distance (83) between the first turning axis (19) and the second rotation axis (47).

14. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wheel suspension (49) is realized by swing arm (53) with a swivel joint (55) and a suspension (59), which acts on the support (15) and the swing arm (53).

15. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wheel suspension (49) has a height adjustment for the at least one drive wheel (29).

16. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one drive controller (85) and at least one energy storage device (87) are arranged on the support (15).

17. The transport module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport module (11) together with at least one additional transport module (11) can be controlled as a transport unit or can be controlled independently of at least one additional transport module (11).

18. A transport system (13) for transporting an object (12), in particular in a production line of a technical facility, comprising a transport module (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport system (13) has at least one additional transport module (11) or at least one non-powered load module (91), wherein each transport and load module (11, 91) can be directly connected with the object (12) and the modules have no mechanical connection between them.

19. The transport system according to claim 18, characterized in that the transport modules (11) of a transport system (13) can be controlled as a single unit.