Autonomous travel-type transporting robot and load transporting system

Abstract

To provide an autonomous travel-type transporting robot capable of automatically performing loading an unloading.SOLUTION: A cargo handling device 2 mounted on a robot body 1 includes: transport conveyor parts 5 and 6 that can transport a load N between inside of a load chamber 1S and a destination; a lift 4 that liftably moves the transport conveyor part 6 in a space outside the load chamber; and a transport conveyor angle adjustment unit (door opening / closing unit) 3 that can adjust the transport conveyor parts 5 and 6 to optional tilting angles. A robot is configured to be able to execute unloading processing including processing for adjusting a height position of the transport conveyor part 6 in accordance with a height position of the destination and sending out a load on the conveyor to the destination in a state where the load N in the load chamber 1S is transported by the transport conveyor parts 5 and 6 to the space outside the load chamber 1S and loading processing including processing for adjusting the height position of the transport conveyor part 6 in the space outside the load chamber 1S in accordance with the height position of the destination and receiving the load N transported from the destination on the transport conveyor part 6 to transport it into the load chamber 1S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), and more particularly to an autonomous mobile transport robot and a transport system that can automatically load and unload luggage at a destination. [Background technology]

[0002] The number of parcels has increased sharply in recent years due to the spread and expansion of electronic commerce (EC) and the special demand for EC caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the parcel delivery market is booming. However, the increase in parcels has increased the burden on parcel delivery drivers, and labor shortages have become a problem in the logistics industry.

[0003] As one response to the increase in parcels delivered, the growing burden on delivery drivers, and labor shortages, domestic trials are underway to reduce the workload of delivery drivers by entrusting part of the work to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for automatic delivery, and practical application overseas is progressing (see non-patent document 1 below).

[0004] Furthermore, as a response to the increasing workload of delivery drivers, labor shortages, and the demand for non-contact delivery, a demonstration experiment is underway in which the task of leaving parcels at a designated location (a delivery method in which the delivery person does not hand the parcel directly to the recipient but leaves it at the designated location) of delivery drivers is entrusted to an autonomous robot, which automatically leaves the parcel at the destination (see Non-Patent Document 2 below). As the delivery person does not hand the parcel over, but leaves it at a designated location whether the recipient is at home or not, this also contributes greatly to improving work efficiency (delivery efficiency) by effectively eliminating the effort and time required for redelivery.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the applicant has devised an autonomous delivery robot capable of performing drop-off and delivery processing, and has already filed a patent application (Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-000779 A [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] “Delivery robot DeliRo”, [online], [searched June 15, 2023], Internet,<URL:https: / / www.zmp.co.jp / products / lrb / deliro> [Non-Patent Document 2] “Amoeba Energy, Japan Post / Succeeds in Continuous Delivery Using Robots”, [online], [Retrieved June 15, 2023], Internet,<URL:https: / / www.lnews.jp / 2020 / 01 / m0130401.html> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When using the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 1, the recipient of the package can collect it by removing it from the box of the transport robot. However, if the recipient is not at the delivery address, the robot must either wait at the delivery address for a certain period of time or return to the base and then redelive the package.

[0009] Furthermore, the delivery robot described in Non-Patent Document 2 and the autonomous delivery robot described in Patent Document 1 can automatically leave and deliver the parcel by themselves, so even if the recipient is absent, it is possible to avoid situations where the robot continues to wait at the delivery destination for a certain period of time or has to return to the base and then redeliver the parcel. However, even with these delivery robots, manual labor is required when loading the parcel onto the robot, and if the sender is busy and unable to respond, the operational efficiency of the robot decreases.

[0010] The present invention has been made with an eye on such problems, and its main objective is to provide an autonomous transport robot and luggage transport system that can automatically unload and load luggage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] That is, the autonomous transport robot according to the present invention comprises a travel means capable of autonomous travel, a robot body having a part of its internal space set as a luggage compartment, a loading device mounted on the robot body, and a control unit for executing loading and unloading processing. The loading and unloading processing unit is equipped with a transport conveyor unit capable of transporting luggage between the luggage compartment and a destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination, a lifting unit for raising and lowering the transport conveyor unit, and a transport conveyor angle adjustment unit for adjusting the transport conveyor unit to an arbitrary inclination angle. The unloading processing, which is one of the loading and unloading processing performed by the control unit, is performed by operating at least one of the door opening / closing unit or the lifting unit to adjust the height position of the transport conveyor unit. It includes a conveyor height adjustment process that adjusts the height according to the height position of the destination such as the delivery destination or collection destination, and a luggage push-out process that operates the delivery conveyor unit to send the luggage on the delivery conveyor unit to the destination such as the delivery destination or collection destination, and is characterized in that the loading process, which is one of the loading processes performed by the control unit, includes a conveyor height adjustment process that operates at least one of the door opening / closing unit or the lifting unit to adjust the height position of the delivery conveyor unit in the space outside the cargo compartment according to the height position of the destination such as the collection destination, and a luggage receiving process that operates the delivery conveyor unit to receive luggage from the destination such as the collection destination onto the delivery conveyor unit.

[0012] Such an autonomous transport robot according to the present invention can perform not only unloading but also loading by performing a conveyor transport function of transporting luggage between the luggage compartment and a destination such as a destination or collection destination by a transport conveyor unit, a height adjustment function of adjusting the height position of the tip of the transport conveyor unit by adjusting the inclination angle of the transport conveyor unit by operating the transport conveyor angle adjustment unit, or a height adjustment function of adjusting the height position of the transport conveyor unit by moving the transport conveyor unit up and down by operating the lift unit. In other words, by adjusting the height position of the transport conveyor unit according to the height position of the destination such as a destination or collection destination, it is possible to accommodate luggage platforms of various heights, and by transporting luggage using the transport conveyor unit with the adjusted height position, the luggage can be sent to the destination such as a destination or collection destination, and the luggage (luggage to be transported) stored in the luggage compartment can be moved to the destination such as a destination or collection destination. The "transport conveyor unit" in the present invention can be configured using a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor. In addition, by operating at least one of the conveyor angle adjustment unit or the lifting unit, the height position of the conveyor unit in the space outside the luggage compartment can be adjusted according to the height position of the destination such as the collection destination, and luggage can be received from the destination such as the collection destination on the conveyor unit, and the received luggage can be transported into the luggage compartment by the conveyor unit, so that the luggage to be collected can be moved into the luggage compartment. In addition, the autonomous transport robot according to the present invention can handle luggage of a size that can be stored in the luggage compartment and transported by the conveyor unit, and can transport luggage of various sizes. It is assumed that the delivery of luggage from the destination such as the delivery destination or the collection destination to the conveyor unit is performed by an appropriate loading and unloading device (transport device) provided at the destination such as the delivery destination or the collection destination, or by a human being who handles the luggage at the destination such as the delivery destination or the collection destination.

[0013] In particular, if the autonomous transport robot according to the present invention is equipped with a door capable of opening and closing an opening that opens the cargo compartment in the direction of loading and unloading luggage, and a door opening / closing unit that can switch between a closed state in which the door is in an upright position and an open state in which the door is in an inclined position at any opening angle by rotating around a fulcrum near the lower end of the door, and an external transport conveyor unit capable of transporting luggage in the space outside the cargo compartment is provided inside the door, and luggage can be handed over between the internal transport conveyor unit and the external transport conveyor unit provided in the cargo compartment, the door opening / closing unit can be operated to adjust the opening angle (inclination angle) of the door to exhibit a height adjustment function that adjusts the height position of the tip end of the external transport conveyor unit (the end away from the fulcrum when rotating), and when the door is in an open state, By transferring the luggage between the external conveyor unit provided inside and the internal conveyor unit provided inside the luggage compartment, luggage in the luggage compartment can be transported to the space outside the luggage compartment, and luggage can be transported from the space outside the luggage compartment to the luggage compartment, and the luggage transport distance by the external conveyor unit in the space outside the luggage compartment can be secured at most according to the height dimension of the door, and by switching the door from the open state to the closed state, the external conveyor unit can be stored inside the robot body, and there is no need to secure a dedicated storage space for the external conveyor unit in the limited space inside the robot body, and it is possible to effectively use the space while simplifying the structure, simplifying the processing procedure, and speeding up the processing. By adopting such a configuration, the door opening / closing unit functions as the conveyor angle adjustment unit, and there is no need to provide a conveyor angle adjustment unit separately from the door opening / closing unit, and by providing the door, it is possible to switch between restricting and allowing access to the luggage compartment, and to simplify the structure.

[0014] When adopting a configuration in which the external transport conveyor is provided inside the door, the lifting unit may be any unit that performs the function of lifting and lowering the external transport conveyor in the space outside the luggage compartment by lifting and lowering the door. Note that the autonomous mobile transport robot of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the external transport conveyor is provided inside the door (the surface facing the luggage compartment in the closed state), but also includes a configuration in which the external transport conveyor is provided not inside the door but at an appropriate location other than the door.

[0015] The luggage transport system according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an autonomous transport robot having the above-mentioned configuration, and a luggage platform having a luggage platform transport conveyor unit that is installed at a destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination and is capable of transporting luggage by a conveyor or roller conveyor, and is configured to be capable of performing an unloading process of transporting luggage on the transport conveyor unit of the autonomous transport robot from the luggage compartment of the autonomous transport robot to the luggage platform at the destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination, and a loading process of storing luggage that has been transported from the luggage platform conveyor at the destination such as a collection destination and transferred onto the transport conveyor unit of the autonomous transport robot in the luggage compartment. The "luggage platform" in the present invention may be anything that has a luggage platform conveyor, and specific examples include a platform or a shelf.

[0016] Such a luggage transport system according to the present invention can achieve the same effects as those achieved by the above-mentioned autonomous transport robot, and can perform a process of unloading luggage transported by the transport conveyor at a destination such as a transport destination or collection destination, and a process of moving luggage from the luggage platform at a destination such as a collection destination to the transport conveyor and loading it by appropriately operating the luggage platform transport conveyor at the same time as operating the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot.

[0017] The luggage transport system according to the present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with an autonomous transport robot having the above-mentioned configuration and a luggage platform installed at a destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination, and is configured to be capable of performing an unloading process of transporting luggage on the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot from the luggage compartment of the autonomous transport robot to the luggage platform at the destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination, and a loading process of storing luggage moved from the luggage platform onto the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot in the luggage compartment. The "luggage platform" in the present invention may not be equipped with a luggage platform conveyor, and specific examples include a platform or a shelf.

[0018] Such a luggage transport system according to the present invention can achieve the same effects as those achieved by the above-mentioned autonomous transport robot, and can perform a process of unloading luggage transported by the transport conveyor at a destination such as a delivery destination or collection destination, and a loading process of storing luggage in a luggage compartment by moving the luggage from the luggage platform to the transport conveyor by appropriate means (including manual movement) before operating the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, based on the novel technical idea of ​​mounting a loading device configured using a transport conveyor section and a lifting section on the robot body, it is possible to provide an autonomous transport robot and a luggage transport system that can deliver (transport) luggage (baggage to be transported) to a destination and eliminate the need for redelivery due to the absence of the recipient, and can also receive luggage (baggage to be transported) from the luggage platform to the transport conveyor section and store the luggage in the luggage compartment of the robot body, thereby realizing automation of unloading and loading processes. Note that the autonomous transport robot according to the present invention is not limited to the home delivery field, but can also be used in fields such as factories, warehouses, logistics centers, retail (stores), hospitals, and hotels. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an autonomous transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating the autonomous transport robot with the door in an open state in the embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1, showing the autonomous transport robot in the embodiment with the door in an open state at an opening angle different from that in FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 1, showing the autonomous transport robot in the embodiment with the door in an open state at an opening angle different from that in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram illustrating the autonomous transport robot at the time of completing a conveyor height adjustment process in the embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram illustrating the autonomous transport robot at the time of completing a conveyor height adjustment process in the embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing an unloading process in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a side view of the autonomous transport robot shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a side view of the autonomous transport robot shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a side view of the autonomous transport robot shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 6 is a side view of the autonomous transport robot shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 12] FIG. 7 is a side view of the autonomous transport robot shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing a loading process in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] 1 and 2, the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment includes a traveling means T capable of autonomous travel, a robot body 1 with a part of its internal space set as a cargo compartment 1S, a cargo handling device 2 mounted on the robot body 1, and a control unit C that controls the operation of the autonomous transport robot R. Note that Fig. 1 shows an overall external view of the autonomous transport robot R in a state in which no cargo handling process is being performed (normal state) when the robot arrives at a destination such as a transport destination (delivery destination, delivery destination, collection destination, removal destination, drop-off destination, etc.) or a collection destination or collection / delivery destination, and Fig. 2 shows an overall external view of the autonomous transport robot R with a door D in an open state (DB).

[0023] In this embodiment, the running means T is provided with drive wheels T1 and auxiliary wheels (casters, etc., not shown), and the running direction is determined by the rotation direction of the drive wheels T1, and the auxiliary wheels roll in response to the rotation. In the autonomous transport robot R, the part on which such running means T is provided and which supports the robot body 1 can be regarded as the dolly B. The dolly B in this embodiment is set to a size approximately the same as the planar size of the robot body 1, and two drive wheels T1 are arranged at a predetermined pitch apart in the width direction d2 of the robot body 1 at the center in the front-rear direction d1, and auxiliary wheels that can freely rotate around a vertical axis are arranged near each of the four corners of the dolly B. Note that it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the planar size of the dolly B and the robot body 1 are not the same or approximately the same, or a configuration in which the positions and numbers of the drive wheels T1 and the auxiliary wheels are appropriately changed. The running means T, which has drive wheels T1 and auxiliary wheels, can move forward and backward in the front-to-back direction d1 of the robot body 1, and can also turn left and right and move forward and backward in the width direction d2 by changing the direction, rotation speed, and turning angle of the drive wheels T1 (swivel).

[0024] The robot body 1 is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that can autonomously move to a destination by means of a travelling means T and has a function of recognizing the surrounding situation. The robot body 1 of this embodiment is box-shaped and has a door D that can open and close the internal space. A part of the internal space of the robot body 1 is set as a luggage compartment 1S, and the luggage compartment 1S is configured to be able to store luggage N (see FIG. 8 for an example of luggage N). In this embodiment, a robot body 1 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a predetermined height dimension is used, and an opening K formed on the front (front face) of the robot body 1 is configured to be able to be opened and closed by the door D.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the door D in the closed state (DA) can be switched to the open state (DB) by rotating the robot body 1 forward around a horizontal axis with the vicinity of the lower end of the door D as a fulcrum by the door opening / closing unit 3, and can be stopped at any opening angle. Here, Fig. 2 shows the open state (DB) in which the door D is rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed state (DA) to assume an inclined posture inclined downward toward the front, Fig. 3 shows the open state (DB) in which the door D is rotated about 90 degrees from the upright closed state (DA) to assume an approximately horizontal inclined posture, and Fig. 4 shows the open state (DB) in which the door D is rotated by an angle smaller than 90 degrees from the closed state (DA) to assume an inclined posture inclined upward toward the front. As shown in these figures, by changing the forward rotation angle of the door D by the door opening / closing unit 3, any opening angle can be selected and the opening angle can be maintained. The door opening / closing unit 3 of this embodiment includes a guide hole 31 formed on the inner surface of the robot body 1 and extending substantially horizontally along the front-rear direction d1 of the robot body 1, and a door holding mechanism 33 including a guided stay 32 whose tip is rotatably attached to a predetermined height position of the door D and whose base end is set to be movable along the guide hole 31. When the guided stay 32 moves along the guide hole 31 based on the driving force of a motor (not shown), the opening angle of the door D is set to be changeable according to the moving distance. The door D is configured to be smoothly and appropriately switched between a closed state (DA) and an open state (DB) with an arbitrary opening angle posture by the door holding mechanism 33. In addition, in this embodiment, the entire door holding mechanism 33 is configured to be moved up and down by a lifting motor and a lifting ball screw (not shown).

[0026] Moreover, the door D of this embodiment is set to be movable up and down in the height direction d3 by the lifting unit 4. The lifting unit 4 can simultaneously move the door D and the entire door opening / closing unit 3 up and down in the height direction d3 while maintaining the opening angle of the door D. The lifting unit 4 is configured using linear guide mechanisms 41 (see FIG. 2) provided between the robot body 1 and the door opening / closing unit 3 on the left and right inner surfaces of the robot body 1, and has a configuration in which the height dimension of the entire linear guide mechanisms 41 changes (expands and contracts) based on the driving force of a motor, and moves the door opening / closing unit 3 and the door D up and down simultaneously in the height direction d3 according to the change in the height dimension of the entire linear guide mechanisms 41.

[0027] A sensor S1 capable of detecting, for example, images, colors, distances, etc. can be provided on the front (front face) of the upper end of the robot body 1, and the robot can be configured to determine the cargo to be loaded and the location for unloading based on the detection information of the sensor S1.

[0028] In this embodiment, a touch panel W is provided at an appropriate position on the upper end of the robot body 1, and an operator can give, for example, delivery instructions to the robot R based on operations performed on the touch panel W.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a free space FS that is continuously open to the front and both sides is formed between the robot main body 1 and the cart B, and a sensor capable of detecting the distance, position, shape, etc. to an object (for example, an obstacle on the travel route or a wall of the road) (as a specific example, LiDAR; Light Detection and Ranging, not shown, which is capable of detecting and measuring distance using light) is arranged in the free space FS.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the cargo handling device 2 mounted on the robot body 1 includes an internal transport conveyor section 5 capable of transporting luggage N in the forward and backward directions d1 in the luggage compartment 1S, and an external transport conveyor section 6 capable of transferring luggage N between the internal transport conveyor section 5 and the internal transport conveyor section 5 and capable of transporting luggage N transported from the internal transport conveyor section 5 to the outside of the luggage compartment 1S. In this embodiment, the internal transport conveyor section 5 and the external transport conveyor section 6 form a transport conveyor section capable of transporting luggage N in the luggage compartment 1S to a delivery destination outside the luggage compartment 1S. In this embodiment, the transport conveyor section (internal transport conveyor section 5, external transport conveyor section 6) is configured to be able to transport luggage N at the collection destination into the luggage compartment 1S.

[0031] The internal conveying conveyor section 5 is, for example, a belt conveyor arranged to form an approximately horizontal internal conveying surface 5F in the cargo room 1S, and is configured to be able to switch the rotation direction of the conveying rollers between forward and reverse based on the driving force of a motor not shown, thereby switching the conveying direction of the luggage N on the internal conveying surface 5F between an internal conveying conveyor discharge direction (luggage discharge direction) in which the luggage N on the internal conveying surface 5F can be conveyed toward the outside of the cargo room 1S, and an internal conveying conveyor in-direction (luggage in-direction) in which the luggage N on the internal conveying surface 5F can be conveyed toward the rear of the cargo room 1S.

[0032] The external conveyor unit 6 is a belt conveyor provided inside the door D and configured to form an external conveying surface 6F capable of conveying luggage N along the longitudinal direction of the door D in the open state (DB), and is configured to be able to switch the conveying direction of luggage N on the external conveying surface 6F by switching the rotation direction of the conveying roller to the forward or reverse direction based on the driving force of a motor (not shown). When the door D in the closed state (DA) rotates forward around the rotation axis to the open state (DB), the external conveyor unit 6 forms an external conveying surface 6F at an angle corresponding to the opening angle, and is configured to be able to switch the conveying direction between an external conveyor discharge direction (luggage discharge direction) capable of conveying luggage N from a base end 61, which is the end closer to the internal conveyor unit 5, to a tip end 62, which is the end farther from the internal conveyor unit 5, and an external conveyor carry-in direction (luggage carry-in direction) capable of conveying luggage N from the tip end 62 to the base end 61. When the door D in the upright position (door D in the closed state (DA)) is opened at an arbitrary opening angle to the open state (DB), the internal conveying surface 5F of the internal conveyor unit 5 and the external conveying surface 6F of the external conveyor unit 6 are continuous with each other, and by rotating the internal conveyor unit 5 and the external conveyor unit 6 in the internal conveyor discharge direction and the external conveyor discharge direction, the luggage N can be transferred from the internal conveying surface 5F of the internal conveyor unit 5 to the external conveying surface 6F of the external conveyor unit 6, and further transported to the tip 62 of the external conveyor unit 6. Also, when the internal conveyor unit 5 and the external conveyor unit 6 are rotated in the internal conveyor inward direction and the external conveyor inward direction, the luggage N can be transferred from the external conveying surface 6F of the external conveyor unit 6 to the internal conveying surface 5F of the internal conveyor unit 5, and further transported toward the back of the internal conveyor unit 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, the control unit C is configured to be able to control the travel of the cart B (operation of the travel means T) and the operation of each unit (door opening / closing unit 3, lifting unit 4, internal transport conveyor unit 5, external transport conveyor unit 6). The control unit C is mounted at an appropriate position in the autonomous transport robot R, and is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 etc.

[0034] The autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment is equipped with a loading device 2 equipped with assemblies having the above-mentioned functions (door opening / closing section 3, lifting section 4, internal transport conveyor section 5, external transport conveyor section 6) and its control section C on a robot body 1 arranged in an area above the dolly B. Such loading device 2 exerts a function as a transfer device that delivers and transports baggage N between the luggage compartment 1S and a destination such as a transport destination or collection destination.

[0035] A luggage transport system X that transports luggage N can be operated using such an autonomous transport robot R. Note that "luggage transport" in the present invention (this embodiment) is a concept that includes "transporting, collection and delivery, transporting, and collecting luggage." Therefore, the luggage transport system X according to this embodiment can be said to be a system that automatically transports, automatically collects and delivers, automatically transports, and automatically collects luggage N using the autonomous transport robot R having the above-mentioned configuration. Below, the luggage carrying-in and carrying-out process (unloading process, loading process) performed by the autonomous transport robot R in the luggage transport system X will be described. First, the unloading process for transporting luggage N to a destination, which is the destination, will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 7.

[0036] In order to carry out the transport process of the luggage N by the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, it is desirable to provide a conveyor (luggage platform transport conveyor section Y1) on the luggage platform Y installed at the destination such as the transport destination or the collection destination, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. In particular, in the luggage transport system X of this embodiment, which performs the loading process fully automatically, the transport conveyor section Y (luggage platform transport conveyor section Y1) is provided on the luggage platform Y at the destination such as the transport destination or the collection destination. The luggage platform transport conveyor section Y1 is, for example, a belt conveyor arranged to form a horizontal transport surface, and is configured to be able to switch the transport direction between the luggage platform conveyor carry-out direction, which is the same direction as the internal transport conveyor carry-out direction and the external transport conveyor carry-out direction, and the luggage platform conveyor carry-in direction, which is the same direction as the internal transport conveyor carry-in direction and the external transport conveyor carry-in direction. The luggage N shown in FIG. 8 etc. is an example of luggage that can be handled (collected and delivered) by the autonomous transport robot R and luggage platform Y according to this embodiment.

[0037] When performing unloading processing by operating the luggage transport system X using the autonomous traveling transport robot R according to this embodiment, it is necessary that the luggage N to be transported is loaded on the internal transport conveyor unit 5 in the luggage compartment 1S. In the following, it is assumed that the luggage N is a delivery item, and the luggage N to be transported is referred to as the luggage N to be left and delivered.

[0038] After the baggage N is accommodated (loaded) in the luggage compartment 1S and arrives at the destination, the autonomous transport robot R in the normal state shown in FIG. 1 executes a process (door opening process S1) in which the control unit C operates the door opening / closing unit 3 to switch the door D from the closed state (DA) to the open state (DB) based on a signal (including information specifying the baggage N to be left and delivered) that activates the loading device 2. The position adjustment of the autonomous transport robot R in the front, rear, left and right directions with respect to the baggage platform Y is achieved by detecting the distance to the baggage platform Y with an appropriate sensor unit mounted on the autonomous transport robot R and moving to a predetermined position by the traveling means T. In the door opening process S1, it is preferable to rotate the door D to an opening angle shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, for example, so that the next process, the baggage transfer process S2 between the conveyors, can be performed smoothly. A sensor that detects the opening angle of the door D can also be provided at an appropriate location.

[0039] Following the door opening process S1, in the autonomous traveling transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C drives the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 to execute a process of transferring the luggage N from the internal transport conveyor unit 5 to the external transport conveyor unit 6 (inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S2). The inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S2 is a process of transferring the luggage N on the internal transport surface 5F of the internal transport conveyor unit 5 onto the external transport surface 6F of the external transport conveyor unit 6 by driving the drive motors (not shown) of the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 to rotate the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 in the internal transport conveyor outgoing direction and the external transport conveyor outgoing direction, which are the luggage outgoing directions, respectively. Depending on the weight and size of the luggage, the inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S2 can be executed in a state where the external transport surface 6F of the external transport conveyor unit 6 is substantially horizontal (the state shown in FIG. 3) or in a state where the external transport surface 6F is slightly upwardly inclined. Also, it may be configured such that an appropriate detection sensor (not shown) detects that the entire luggage N on the internal transport conveyor section 5 has moved onto the external transport conveyor section 6. By executing the inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S2, the luggage N stored in the luggage compartment 1S can be taken out to a space in front of the luggage compartment 1S (a space outside the luggage compartment 1S). Therefore, the inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S2 can also be called a luggage take-out process.

[0040] Following the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S2, in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C operates at least one or both of the lifting unit 4 and the door opening / closing unit 3 to execute a process (external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3) of adjusting the height position of the tip 62 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 to match the height of the baggage platform Y at the delivery destination. This external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3 corresponds to the "conveyor height adjustment process" in the present invention. In addition, the door opening / closing unit 3 functions as the "conveyor angle adjustment unit capable of adjusting the transport conveyor unit to an arbitrary inclination angle" in the present invention. It is preferable to execute the conveyor height adjustment process (external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3) by first operating the door opening / closing unit 3 and then operating the lifting unit 4 as necessary. Note that, by stopping the driving of the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 after the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S2 is completed, the baggage N is placed on the external transport conveyor unit 6. By connecting an electromagnetic brake or the like to the external transport conveyor unit 6, it is possible to prevent or suppress a situation in which the luggage N moves unexpectedly on the external transport surface 6F due to an inclination of the external transport conveyor unit 6, etc.

[0041] The external conveyor height adjustment process S3 is a process for adjusting the height position of the tip 62 of the external conveyor section 6 by changing the opening angle of the door D by driving the drive motor (not shown) of the door opening / closing section 3, or for adjusting the height position of the external conveyor section 6 by moving the door D and the door opening / closing section 3 up and down by driving the drive motor (not shown) of the lifting section 4. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the door opening / closing section 3 is operated so that the external conveyor section 6 has an opening angle with an upward gradient toward the baggage discharge direction (the front of the robot body 1) from the state shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the door D and the door opening / closing section 3 are raised by operating only the lifting section 4 without changing the opening angle of the door D from the state shown in FIG. 3. Also, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the door D and the door opening / closing section 3 are raised by operating the lifting section 4 without changing the opening angle of the door D from the state shown in FIG. 4. If the height position of the tip 62 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 at the time of completion of the inter-conveyer baggage transfer process S2 is the same or approximately the same as the height of the luggage platform Y, the external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3 is completed without operating the lifting / lowering unit 4 or the door opening / closing unit 3 (see Figs. 8 and 9). A sensor for detecting the height position of the luggage platform Y and a sensor for detecting the height position of the tip 62 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 can be provided as appropriate, and based on the detection values ​​of these sensors, the control unit C determines and executes the specific contents of the external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3 so as to achieve the states shown in Figs. 8 to 12, for example. Here, Figs. 8 to 12 are side views of the transport robot R shown in Figs. 2 to 6, respectively, and are diagrams that typically show the relative positional relationship with the luggage platform Y.

[0042] Following the external conveyor height adjustment process S3, in the autonomous traveling conveyor robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C drives the external conveyor unit 6 to execute a process (luggage sending process S4) of sending the luggage N from the external conveyor unit 6 to the luggage platform Y. The luggage sending process S4 is a process of sending the luggage N on the external conveyor unit 6 onto the luggage platform Y by driving a drive motor (not shown) of the external conveyor unit 6 to rotate the external conveyor unit 6 in the luggage carrying-out direction (external conveyor carrying-out direction). When executing the luggage sending process S4, the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 of the luggage platform Y is driven based on an appropriate signal from the control unit C to rotate in the same direction as the external conveyor carrying-out direction (luggage platform conveyor carrying-out direction), thereby enabling the process of sending the luggage N on the external conveyor unit 6 onto the luggage platform conveyor Y to be performed smoothly and appropriately. The driving of the external conveyor unit 6 and the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 is stopped when an appropriate sensor detects that the entire luggage N has passed through the external conveyor unit 6, or when a certain period of time has elapsed since the external conveyor unit 6 was rotated using a timer function or the like. Even when the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 of the luggage platform Y is not driven, it is possible to drive the external conveyor unit 6 and execute a process of sending the luggage N on the external conveyor unit 6 onto the luggage platform Y.

[0043] Following the baggage sending process S4, in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C at least operates the door opening / closing unit 3 to execute a process (door closing process S5) to switch the door D to the closed state (DA) shown in FIG. 1. If the door D interferes with the robot body 1 and cannot be switched to the closed state (DA) when the door closing process S5 is performed at the height position of the door D at the time of completing the baggage sending process S4 (for example, when it is in the state shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6), the control unit C must operate the lifting unit 4 to perform a process to lift and move the door D and the door opening / closing unit 3, specifically, to lift and move the door D and the door opening / closing unit 3 so that the height position of the base end portion 61 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 is approximately the same as the height position of the internal transport conveyor unit 5 (to the state shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, FIG. 8 to FIG. 10), and then operate the door opening / closing unit 3 to switch the door D to the closed state (DA). Also, a door closing state detection sensor (not shown) may be configured to detect that the door D is in the closed state (DA). When the door closing process S5 is completed, the internal transfer conveyor unit 5, the external transfer conveyor unit 6, the door opening / closing unit 3 and the lifting unit 4 are housed in the internal space of the robot body 1 (the luggage compartment 1S).

[0044] After the above process, the control unit C outputs a signal indicating that the unloading process is completed (a drop-off and delivery completion signal), and the unloading process is completed. The autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment starts autonomous driving toward a return point such as a base based on the drop-off and delivery completion signal.

[0045] In this way, according to the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the door D is opened by the door opening / closing unit 3, the transport surfaces 5F, 6F of the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 are adjusted by the lifting unit 4 so as to form mutually continuous transport surfaces, and the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6 are rotated in the baggage discharge direction (internal transport conveyor discharge direction, external transport conveyor discharge direction), respectively, so that the baggage N is handed over from the internal transport conveyor unit 5 to the external transport conveyor unit 6, and the baggage N transported to the tip 62 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 can be transferred to the baggage platform Y of the delivery destination, and the baggage N can be fully automated to place and distribute it at the baggage storage area (baggage platform Y) of the destination. Such a baggage unloading process can be regarded as a baggage discharge process because it is a process of carrying out the baggage N stored in the baggage room 1S of the robot body 1 from the baggage room 1S to a predetermined destination. In this embodiment, as described above, the position of the baggage storage area (baggage platform Y) and the distance to the baggage storage area (baggage platform Y) can be detected by suitable sensors provided at suitable locations on the loading device 2. When unloading the baggage, if there is no impediment to the transport of the baggage N, the external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3 can be performed prior to the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S2, and the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S2 and the baggage sending out process S4 can be performed following the external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3.

[0046] Furthermore, the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment can fully automatically execute a baggage carrying-in process (loading process) in which the baggage N is automatically loaded (placed) in the luggage compartment 1S at the collection location in cooperation with the luggage platform Y. The baggage carrying-in process (loading process) performed by the autonomous transport robot R in the baggage transport system X will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 13. The baggage carrying-in process (loading process) is an example of a loading process.

[0047] When performing the automatic loading process by the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the luggage N to be collected must be placed on the luggage platform Y at the collection destination. Hereinafter, the luggage N to be collected is referred to as the luggage N to be collected.

[0048] Then, after the luggage N is placed on the luggage platform Y at the collection destination, the control unit C drives the travel means T (drive wheels T1) of the cart B to arrive at the collection destination (destination) where the luggage N is placed, and in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C operates the door opening / closing unit 3 to execute the door opening process S11, similar to the unloading process, based on a signal (including designation information of the luggage N to be collected) that starts the loading device 2. Note that, at the start of the luggage carrying-in process, the luggage N is not loaded on the internal transport conveyor unit 5 in the luggage compartment 1S.

[0049] Then, following the door-opening process S11, in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C operates at least one or both of the lifting unit 4 and the door opening / closing unit 3 to execute a process (external transport conveyor height adjustment process S12) of adjusting the height position of the tip 62 of the external transport conveyor unit 6 to match the height of the luggage platform Y at the luggage collection destination. The external transport conveyor height adjustment process S12 in the luggage carrying-in process is the same process as the external transport conveyor height adjustment process S3 in the luggage carrying-out process, and corresponds to the "conveyor height adjustment process" in this invention.

[0050] Following the external conveyor height adjustment process S12, in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C drives the external conveyor unit 6 to transfer and mount the luggage N from the luggage platform Y onto the external conveyor unit 6 (luggage receiving process S13). The luggage receiving process S13 is a process in which a drive motor (not shown) of the external conveyor unit 6 is driven to rotate the external conveyor unit 6 in the luggage carry-in direction (external conveyor carry-in direction), and the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 of the luggage platform Y is driven based on an appropriate signal from the control unit C to rotate in the same direction as the external conveyor carry-in direction (luggage platform conveyor carry-in direction), thereby receiving the luggage N transported from the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 onto the external conveyor unit 6. When an appropriate sensor detects that the entire luggage N has moved onto the external conveyor unit 6, the driving of the external conveyor unit 6 and the luggage platform conveyor unit Y1 is stopped. The state of the autonomous transport robot R at the time of completion of the baggage receiving process S13 is, for example, one of the states shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 12 depending on the height position of the baggage platform transport conveyor section Y1.

[0051] Following the luggage receiving process S13, in the autonomous traveling transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C drives the external transport conveyor unit 6 and the internal transport conveyor unit 5 to execute a process (inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S14) of transferring the luggage from the external transport conveyor unit 6 to the internal transport conveyor unit 5. The inter-conveyor luggage transfer process S14 is a process of transferring the luggage N on the external transport conveyor unit 6 to the internal transport conveyor unit 5 by driving the drive motors (not shown) of the external transport conveyor unit 6 and the internal transport conveyor unit 5 to rotate the external transport conveyor unit 6 and the internal transport conveyor unit 5 in the luggage carry-in direction (external transport conveyor carry-in direction, internal transport conveyor carry-in direction), respectively. When the height position of the base end 61 of the external conveyor section 6 does not match the height position of the internal conveyor section 5 at the time of completion of the baggage receiving process S13, the control section C operates the lifting section 4 to raise and lower the door D and the door opening and closing mechanism 3 so that the height position of the base end 61 of the external conveyor section 6 is approximately the same as the height position of the internal conveyor section 5. In order to smoothly transfer the baggage N from the external conveyor section 6 to the internal conveyor section 5 in the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S14, it is desirable to perform the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S14 in a state in which the external conveying surface 6F of the external conveyor section 6 is approximately horizontal (the state shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 9). In addition, it is also possible to configure so that an appropriate detection sensor (not shown) detects that the entire baggage N on the external conveyor section 6 has moved onto the internal conveyor section 5. By executing the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S14, the baggage N can be stored in the luggage compartment 1S. Therefore, the inter-conveyor baggage transfer process S14 can also be called a baggage storage process.

[0052] Following the inter-conveyor baggage delivery process S14, in the autonomous transport robot R according to this embodiment, the control unit C executes a process (door closing process S15) in which the door opening / closing unit 3 is operated to switch the door D to the closed state (DA) shown in Fig. 1. The door closing process S15 in the baggage carrying-in process is the same process as the door closing process S5 in the baggage carrying-out process. When the door closing process S15 is completed, the internal transport conveyor unit 5, the external transport conveyor unit 6, the door opening / closing unit 3, and the lifting unit 4 are accommodated in the internal space (luggage compartment 1S) of the robot body 1, and the baggage N to be collected is also accommodated in the luggage compartment 1S.

[0053] After the above processing, the control unit C outputs a signal (collection completion signal) indicating that the baggage carrying-in processing (loading processing) has been completed, and the baggage carrying-in processing (loading processing) is completed.

[0054] In this way, the luggage transport system X using the autonomous transport robot R and luggage platform Y according to this embodiment can realize full automation of luggage carrying-in processing (loading processing). If the luggage platform Y does not have a transport unit such as a conveyor, the luggage N can be transferred from the luggage platform Y to the external transport conveyor unit 6 by appropriate means (which may be manual work by an operator), and the loading processing can be completed by having the autonomous transport robot R alone execute the above-mentioned inter-conveyer luggage delivery processing S14 and door closing processing S15 for the luggage N.

[0055] Then, the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment starts autonomous driving toward the luggage storage area of ​​the luggage removal destination (unloading destination) based on the collection completion signal, and can transport (place) the luggage N stored in the luggage compartment 1S to the luggage platform Y at the destination by the above-mentioned luggage removal process (unloading process).

[0056] According to the autonomous transport robot R and the luggage transport system X of this embodiment described above in detail, unloading and loading can be performed automatically. In particular, according to the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment, by performing a luggage transport function of transporting luggage N between the luggage compartment 1S and the luggage platform Y by the internal transport conveyor unit 5 and the external transport conveyor unit 6, and an external transport conveyor height adjustment function of adjusting the height position of the external transport conveyor unit 6 by the door opening / closing unit 3 (transport conveyor angle adjustment unit) and the lifting unit 4, not only the unloading process but also the loading process can be performed. In other words, by rotating the internal conveying conveyor unit 5 and the external conveying conveyor unit 6 in a conveying direction toward the front of the robot body 1 (the internal conveying conveyor outgoing direction and the external conveying conveyor outgoing direction), the luggage N on the internal conveying conveyor unit 5 can be transferred to the external conveying conveyor unit 6 and taken out of the luggage compartment 1S. In this state, the height position of the external conveying conveyor unit 6 can be adjusted according to the height position of the luggage platform Y at the destination such as the destination or collection destination, so that luggage platforms Y of various heights can be accommodated. By transferring the luggage N from the external conveying conveyor unit 6 to the luggage platform Y by the external conveying conveyor unit 6 rotating in the external conveying conveyor outgoing direction, the luggage N stored in the luggage compartment 1S can be moved to the destination. In addition, the height position of the external conveyor 6 can be adjusted according to the height position of the luggage platform Y at the collection destination, and the luggage N on the luggage platform conveyor Y1 of the luggage platform Y can be received by the external conveyor 6, and further, the external conveyor 6 and the internal conveyor 5 can be rotated in the conveying direction toward the rear of the robot body 1 (the external conveyor carry-in direction and the internal conveyor carry-in direction), so that the luggage N on the external conveyor 6 can be transferred to the internal conveyor 5 and stored in the luggage compartment 1S. By using the autonomous transport robot R that can realize the automation of loading processing in addition to the automation of unloading processing, the loading processing can be performed even when the worker is unable to perform the loading processing, and thus the operational efficiency of the autonomous transport robot R itself and the luggage transport efficiency by the autonomous transport robot R are dramatically improved compared to a mode in which the loading processing is dependent on the worker.

[0057] In addition, the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment can handle any luggage N that can be transported by the internal transport conveyor unit 5, the external transport conveyor unit 6, and the luggage platform transport conveyor unit Y1, and is capable of collecting and delivering (transporting) luggage of various sizes.

[0058] The autonomous transport robot R in this embodiment is configured to include a door D that can open and close an opening K that opens the cargo room 1S in the direction of loading and unloading luggage N, and a door opening / closing unit 3 that can switch the door D between a closed state (DA) in an upright position and an open state (DB) in which the door D rotates around a horizontal axis with the vicinity of the lower end of the door D as a fulcrum to be in an inclined position at any opening angle. An external transport conveyor unit 6 that can transport luggage N in the space outside the cargo room 1S is provided inside the door D, and luggage N can be handed over between an internal transport conveyor unit 5 provided in the cargo room 1S and the external transport conveyor unit 6. According to the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment having such a configuration, with the door D in an open state (DB), luggage can be handed over between the external transport conveyor section 6 provided inside the door D and the internal transport conveyor section 5 provided in the luggage compartment 1S, thereby transporting luggage N in the luggage compartment 1S to the space outside the luggage compartment 1S, or transporting luggage N from the space outside the luggage compartment 1S into the luggage compartment 1S. It is possible to ensure that the luggage transport distance by the external transport conveyor section 6 in the space outside the luggage compartment 1S is at most a distance corresponding to the height dimension of the door D, and by switching the door D from the open state (DB) to the closed state (DA), the external transport conveyor section 6 can be stored within the robot main body 1. This eliminates the need to secure a dedicated storage space for the external transport conveyor section in the limited space within the robot main body 1, and allows the external transport conveyor section 6 to be stored in a state suitable for a limited, narrow space, thereby simplifying the structure.

[0059] In particular, the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment has a configuration in which the external transport conveyor unit 6 is provided inside the door D, so that the lifting unit 4 raises and lowers the door D, thereby allowing the external transport conveyor unit 6 to be raised and lowered in the space outside the cargo compartment 1S.Compared to a configuration in which, for example, only the external transport conveyor unit is raised and lowered separately from the door D, it is expected that the external transport conveyor height position adjustment process can be performed quickly and smoothly.

[0060] In addition, the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment is equipped with a door D that can open and close the opening K of the cargo room 1S, so that the cargo room 1S can be made inaccessible from the outside by closing the opening K with the door D in a closed state (DA), and the opening K can be opened with the door D in an open state (DB) to allow the loading and unloading of luggage N into the cargo room 1S.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the autonomous transport robot R of this embodiment, the door opening / closing units 3 are provided in a left-right pair between the door D and the inner surface of the robot body 1, thereby realizing stable opening / closing and lifting of the door D while narrowing the space occupied by the door opening / closing units 3 in the internal space of the robot body 1. Also, in this embodiment, the door D is lifted and lowered at the same time by lifting and lowering the entire door opening / closing unit 3 with the lifting unit 4, so that the door D in the open state (DB) set to an arbitrary opening angle by the door opening / closing unit 3 can be lifted and lowered while maintaining that opening angle, and the external transport conveyor height adjustment process can be performed smoothly and quickly.

[0062] According to the autonomously traveling transport robot R of this embodiment, the loading device 2 is implemented along with sensors and traveling means T mounted on the cart B and the robot body 1, so that it is possible to reduce the number of parts and save space at low cost compared to a configuration in which the loading device 2 alone performs similar functions (sensing function, autonomous traveling function).

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, when the transport conveyor section is configured using a belt conveyor, the belt is not limited to a flat belt, but may be a round belt, a V-belt, or a toothed belt. The present invention also includes an embodiment in which the transport conveyor section is configured using a roller conveyor. The same applies to the luggage platform transport conveyor of the luggage platform. The luggage platform is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 8, etc., but may be a shelf, a desk, a cabinet, etc.

[0064] The transport conveyor may have a configuration in which a plurality of rows of transport surfaces are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the width direction perpendicular to the luggage transport direction. The luggage transport area by the internal transport conveyor (internal luggage transport area) and the luggage transport area by the external transport conveyor (external luggage transport area) illustrated in the above embodiment may be further divided into a plurality of luggage transport areas, and a separate transport conveyor may be arranged in each luggage transport area. In other words, the present invention also includes a configuration in which three or more transport conveyor units are arranged in the luggage transport direction. In addition, when the transport conveyor has a foldable, collapsible, or expandable conveyor transport surface, it may be configured so that luggage can be transported between the interior of the luggage compartment and the luggage delivery destination or collection destination with only a single transport conveyor unit.

[0065] The lifting unit in the present invention may be any unit that lifts and lowers the transport conveyor, and may be a unit that is configured to be switchable between a state in which it is housed in the robot body and a state in which it is disposed in the space outside the luggage compartment by a separate dedicated mechanism without providing an external transport conveyor inside the door. In this case, the transport conveyor that is disposed in the space outside the luggage compartment may be configured to be lifted and lowered by the lifting unit.

[0066] The present invention also includes an autonomous transport robot that does not have a door. In this case, the external transport conveyor unit alone, which has a configuration similar to that of the above-mentioned external transport conveyor unit and does not necessarily have to be provided on a door, is connected to the robot body by parts such as stays and configured to be adjustable to any inclination angle, thereby resulting in an autonomous transport robot equipped with a transport conveyor angle adjustment unit that can adjust the transport conveyor unit to any inclination angle. Then, by operating at least one of the transport conveyor angle adjustment unit and the lifting unit or both, the height position of the transport conveyor unit in the space outside the luggage compartment can be adjusted according to the height position of the destination such as the collection destination, and unloading and loading processes can be performed. In this case, the transport conveyor unit that can be adjusted to any inclination angle can be configured to have a conveyor holding mechanism that can switch between a stopper position (upright or approximately upright position) that can prevent luggage in the luggage compartment from flying out of the luggage compartment and a stopper release position (any open angle position) that allows access to the luggage compartment, thereby making it possible to make the external transport conveyor itself function as a door.

[0067] The "conveyor height adjustment process for adjusting the height position of the conveyor section in accordance with the height position of the package delivery or collection destination" in this invention can be realized by a process for changing the inclination angle of the conveyor using a conveyor angle adjustment section (a process for changing the door opening angle using a door opening / closing section), or a process for adjusting the height position of the conveyor section in the space outside the luggage compartment by raising and lowering the conveyor section using a lifting section.

[0068] In the present invention, the lifting section may be driven by a ball screw system, a linear motor, a link mechanism, or a linear motion system such as air pressure or hydraulic pressure. In addition, when the lifting section is equipped with a slide movement mechanism that moves either or both of the transport conveyor section and the door in the open state in the height direction, a linear motion mechanism such as a linear guide, a slide rail, a linear bush, or an oil-free bush may be used as the slide movement mechanism.

[0069] The size of the interior space of the robot body and the cargo compartment in the present invention can be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications, etc. Also, the size of the opening of the cargo compartment that opens in the direction of carrying in and out the luggage can also be changed as appropriate. In particular, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an opening that fully opens the front of the robot body is set, and the opening is opened and closed by a door, but an opening may be set on each side of the robot body depending on the size of the interior space of the robot body and the cargo compartment, and each opening may be opened and closed by a door or a transport conveyor unit (external transport conveyor unit). In this case, if the robot body is configured to be able to carry in and out luggage through each opening, the options for the direction of carrying in and out the luggage are increased, which is expected to contribute to the efficiency of unloading and loading operations. In other words, the direction of carrying in and out the luggage is not limited to the front-rear direction of the robot body, but may be the left-right width direction or the rear direction. Also, an opening may be set on the rear side of the robot body, and the opening may be opened and closed by a door or a transport conveyor unit (external transport conveyor unit).

[0070] In addition, the autonomous transport robot according to this embodiment can be configured so that a pair of left and right doors can be opened and closed in a double door manner, and the doors can be locked and unlocked, for example, using a solenoid. The doors can be configured so that when the internal transport conveyor section moves from the interior of the cargo room to the space in front of the cargo room (when moving forward), the doors open in a pushed-out manner, and when the internal transport conveyor section moves from the space in front of the cargo room to the interior of the cargo room (when moving backward), the doors close by the restoring force of a spring (not shown).

[0071] In addition, the opening of the cargo compartment may be a door that can be opened and closed, such as a foldable door, or a door that can be switched to an open state by rotating the door when it is closed around an actuation rotation shaft that is horizontally disposed at the top end of the door (upper-type door).Furthermore, the robot body may not be box-shaped, but may have pillars at the four corners and the space surrounded by these pillars (the internal space of the robot body) open to the outside, or the robot body may be box-shaped and have an internal space of the robot body that is open only in the front-rear direction.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the robot body 1 is equipped with the control unit C, the sensor S1, the touch panel W, etc., but a configuration in which all or part of these are mounted on the cart B may also be adopted.

[0073] A camera may be mounted on the robot body or the loading device, and a configuration may be made in which a photograph is taken as evidence that the unloading or loading process has been completed. If the photograph is configured to be delivered to the parcel recipient or the requester for collection, the parcel recipient or the requester for collection can also understand the state of completion of the delivery (unloading) or the collection (loading), and can use the parcel transport system using the autonomous transport robot according to the present invention with peace of mind. Furthermore, by setting an identification number code at the destination such as the delivery destination or collection destination, and reading the code with a camera or the like, unloading or loading can be performed with high positioning accuracy.

[0074] By mounting a camera on the robot body or on the loading device and configuring it to take pictures and record images of the cargo compartment and its surrounding areas while the robot is traveling autonomously, transporting luggage, and loading luggage, it will be possible for the delivery company to remotely monitor the condition of luggage and watch for theft.

[0075] Furthermore, the specific specifications (configurations) and locations of the various sensors in the above embodiments can be appropriately selected and changed, and some of the sensors can be omitted.

[0076] The autonomous transport robot according to the present invention includes a configuration in which a robot body is equipped with a plurality of loading devices, and a configuration in which a loading device is equipped on each of a plurality of robot bodies. With such a configuration, it is possible to deal with an increase in the number of transport destinations and collection destinations (an increase in packages to be delivered and collected) by increasing the number of loading devices. In addition, the destination (unloading destination) when performing unloading processing in the present invention may be the transport destination, the collection destination, or the collection and delivery destination. In addition, the point where loading of packages begins when performing loading processing in the present invention may be the collection destination, or a point other than the collection destination.

[0077] The luggage transport system according to the present invention may be configured to include a luggage platform not equipped with a luggage platform conveyor and an autonomous transport robot having the above-mentioned configuration, and to perform an unloading process of transporting luggage on the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot from the luggage compartment of the autonomous transport robot to a luggage platform at a destination such as a transport destination or collection destination, and a loading process of storing luggage moved from the luggage platform onto the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot in the luggage compartment. Such a luggage transport system has the same effect as that of the autonomous transport robot described above, and can transport luggage transported by the transport conveyor to a destination, or can perform a loading process of storing luggage in the luggage compartment by moving the luggage from the luggage platform onto the transport conveyor by an appropriate means (including manual movement) before operating the transport conveyor of the autonomous transport robot.

[0078] In addition, the "conveyor unit" in the present invention may be any unit capable of transporting luggage between the interior of the luggage compartment and the destination by a belt conveyor or roller conveyor, and is not limited to the unit configured using the internal conveyor unit and the external conveyor unit described in the above embodiment. As an example, a configuration can be given in which the conveyor unit forming the internal transport surface in the luggage compartment is configured to be movable forward and backward between a storage position in the luggage compartment and a take-out position disposed in a space outside the luggage compartment, and is set to be movable up and down in the height direction when positioned at the take-out position. With such a configuration including the conveyor unit, luggage on the conveyor unit can be taken out to the space outside the luggage compartment by moving it from the storage position to the take-out position, and further, the height position of the conveyor unit can be adjusted to the same height position as the luggage platform by moving the conveyor unit up and down by the lift unit, and the conveyor unit can be rotated in the luggage carrying-out direction to send the luggage to the luggage platform at the destination, such as the destination. In addition, when the loading process is performed, the transport conveyor unit that has been moved from the storage position to the take-out position is raised and lowered by the lift unit to match the height of the luggage platform at the destination such as the collection destination, and in this state, the transport conveyor unit is rotated in the luggage carrying-in direction, so that the luggage transported from the luggage platform at the destination such as the collection destination can be received on the transport conveyor unit, and the luggage can be stored in the luggage compartment by moving it from the take-out position to the storage position. In addition, when the loading process is performed automatically, it is preferable to provide a luggage platform transport conveyor unit on the luggage platform, and to configure the transport conveyor unit that is transported from the luggage platform transport conveyor unit to receive the luggage. When such a configuration is adopted, unlike the above-mentioned embodiment, there is no need to provide an external transport conveyor unit on the inside of the door, and the door can be, for example, a double-door type or a shutter type.

[0079] The "luggage platform" in the present invention also includes a luggage platform on which a dedicated conveyor (luggage platform transport conveyor section) is installed on a rack, shelf, desk, etc. that does not originally have a conveyor. Furthermore, a stand or frame on which a conveyor is already installed, such as a ready-made conveyor found in a factory, can also be used as the luggage platform in the present invention.

[0080] Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Robot body 1S…Luggage compartment 2. Cargo handling equipment 3...Door opening / closing section (conveyor angle adjustment section) 4…Lifting section 5…Internal conveyor section 6…External transport conveyor section D…Door R…Autonomous transport robot T…Travel means X: Baggage transport system Y: Luggage rack Y1: Luggage platform conveyor section

Claims

1. An autonomous transport robot including: a traveling means capable of autonomous traveling; a robot body having an internal space partially set as a cargo compartment; a cargo handling device mounted on the robot body; and a control unit that executes a cargo unloading process and a cargo loading process, The loading device includes: A transport conveyor unit capable of transporting luggage between the luggage compartment and a destination such as a destination or a collection destination; A lifting unit that moves the transport conveyor unit up and down; a conveyor angle adjustment unit capable of adjusting the conveyor to an arbitrary inclination angle, The loading and unloading process by the control unit is an unloading process including a conveyor height adjustment process for adjusting the height position of the conveyor section in accordance with the height position of the destination by operating at least one of the conveyor angle adjustment section or the lifting section, and a baggage push-out process for operating the conveyor section to send the baggage on the conveyor section to the destination; An autonomous transport robot characterized in that its loading process includes a conveyor height adjustment process in which at least one of a transport conveyor angle adjustment unit or the lifting unit is operated to adjust the height position of the transport conveyor unit in the space outside the luggage compartment in accordance with the height position of the destination, and a luggage receiving process in which the transport conveyor unit is operated to receive the luggage from the destination onto the transport conveyor unit.

2. A door capable of opening and closing an opening that opens the luggage compartment in a luggage loading / unloading direction; a door opening / closing unit that can switch between a closed state in which the door is in an upright position and an open state in which the door is in an inclined position at an arbitrary opening angle with a portion near the lower end of the door as a fulcrum; 2. The autonomous transport robot according to claim 1, wherein an external transport conveyor section capable of transporting luggage in a space outside the luggage compartment is provided inside the door, and luggage can be handed over between an internal transport conveyor section provided in the luggage compartment and the external transport conveyor section.

3. The autonomous transport robot according to claim 2 , wherein the lifting section lifts and lowers the door in the open state.

4. 4. An autonomous transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous transport robot is provided with a luggage platform that is installed at a destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination and has a luggage platform transport conveyor unit capable of transporting luggage, A luggage transport system characterized in that the control unit of the autonomously traveling transport robot is configured to perform an unloading process in which luggage on the transport conveyor unit of the autonomously traveling transport robot is transported from the luggage compartment of the autonomously traveling transport robot to the luggage platform at the destination, and a loading process in which luggage transported from the luggage platform transport conveyor unit at the destination and transferred onto the transport conveyor unit of the autonomously traveling transport robot is stored in the luggage compartment.

5. A system comprising: the autonomous transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and a luggage platform installed at a destination such as a transport destination or a collection destination; A luggage transport system characterized in that the control unit of the autonomously traveling transport robot is configured to perform an unloading process in which luggage on the transport conveyor of the autonomously traveling transport robot is transported from the luggage compartment of the autonomously traveling transport robot to the luggage platform at the destination, and a loading process in which luggage moved from the luggage platform at the destination to the transport conveyor of the autonomously traveling transport robot is stored in the luggage compartment.

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