Traction jig

Abstract

To provide a traction jig that can transport a carriage stably.SOLUTION: A traction jig 1 includes a connection tool 11 connected to a transportation vehicle 100 and including a holding tool 23 that holds forward and right and left of a carriage 200 to be towed in a travel direction of the carriage 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a towing jig for towing a carriage. [Background technology]

[0002] A dolly is known as a device for loading and moving cargo in a production line of a factory or the like. The dolly is, for example, connected to or placed on a transport vehicle and transported together with the loaded cargo. As a transport vehicle, for example, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) that runs unmanned and is guided by magnetism emitted by a magnetic tape or a magnetic bar laid on the floor surface is known. In addition, as a towing tool for simultaneously towing a plurality of dollies or pallets, a towing tool that can transport a plurality of dollies by being towed by an AGV is also known (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6464304 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a towing jig capable of transporting multiple carts, a gap may occur between the carts and the towing jig, making it impossible to transport the carts stably. Also, when transporting a single cart, the towing jig is large, so there may be limitations on the transport route that can be used.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a towing tool that can transport a cart stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the towing jig includes a connector that is connected to a transport vehicle and has holders that hold the front, left and right sides of the dolly to be towed in the direction of travel of the dolly. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a towing jig capable of transporting a carriage stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a hook of the towing jig. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16]FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a towing jig according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of a connector of the towing jig. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a hook of the towing jig. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of another hook of the towing jig. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of another hook of the towing jig. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a towing jig 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention when towing a dolly 200, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the towing jig 1 in a state where the dolly 200 is held. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the towing jig 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the frame 22a of the coupling tool 11 and the control tool 12 of the towing jig 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the hook 34 of the towing jig 1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the connection between the coupling tool 11 and the control tool 12 of the towing jig 1, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method of holding the dolly 200 by the holding tool 23 of the coupling tool 11.

[0010] The towing jig 1 is fixed to the transport vehicle 100, holds the dolly 200 to be towed, and can regulate the moving direction. The towing jig 1 is formed so as to be towed by the transport vehicle 100 to tow the dolly 200, and can control the towing direction of the dolly 200 in accordance with the moving direction of the transport vehicle 100.

[0011] First, a transport vehicle 100 that transports the towing jig 1 and a carriage 200 that is transported by the towing jig 1 will be described.

[0012] 1, the transport vehicle 100 is an unmanned transport vehicle such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) or a manned transport vehicle such as a turret truck. The transport vehicle 100 is, for example, an AGV, and in the present embodiment, the transport vehicle 100 will be described below as an AGV 100. The AGV 100 travels unmanned, guided by guide members such as magnetic fields emitted by magnetic tapes or magnetic bars laid on the floor surface along the transport route or marks on the floor surface, in order to transport luggage within a factory premises, for example.

[0013] 1, the cart 200 is, for example, a shelf cart. The cart 200 includes, for example, a plurality of loading platforms 211, four frames 212 extending vertically (in the direction of gravity) across the plurality of loading platforms 211, plate-shaped held portions 213 provided at the four corners of the lowest loading platform 211, and four casters 214 provided on the held portions 213.

[0014] The loading platform 211 is formed, for example, in a rectangular flat plate shape so that cargo can be placed thereon. The shelf cart 201 has a plurality of loading platforms 211 connected at the four corners by four frames 212. Note that the loading platform 211 may be a single platform instead of a plurality of platforms.

[0015] The four frames 212 are fixed to the multiple loading platforms 211. The frames 212 are formed, for example, in a plate-like or column-like shape. The multiple loading platforms 211 are fixed to the four frames 212. Note that the four frames 212 may be connected by multiple horizontal frames extending in the front-rear direction and / or the left-right direction, and one or multiple loading platforms 211 may be fixed to the four frames 212 and the horizontal frames.

[0016] The held portion 213 is formed, for example, in a plate shape extending at least along the traveling direction of the cart 200. As a specific example, the held portion 213 is formed in a plate shape extending in two perpendicular directions, which are the traveling direction and width direction of the cart 200. The held portion 213 has a caster 214 fixed to its lower end.

[0017] The casters 214 are provided movably on the floor surface, for example, at the four corners of the lowest loading platform 211, or at the lower ends of the four frames 212, or one each at the held portions 213 provided at the lower ends of the frames 212. The four casters 214 are, for example, swivel wheels.

[0018] Next, the towing jig 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the towing jig 1 includes a coupling device 11 that couples the AGV 100 and the cart 200, and a control device 12 that is provided on the coupling device 11 and controls the traveling of the cart 200.

[0019] The connector 11 connects the AGV 100 and the cart 200. The connector 11 includes a fixed member 21 fixed to the AGV 100, a connecting member 22 held movably within a predetermined range relative to the fixed member 21, and a holder 23 provided on the connecting member 22 and holding the cart 200.

[0020] The fixed member 21 comprises a base 21a fixed to the AGV 100, a rail 21b connected to the connecting member 22 and guiding the movement of the connecting member 22 between a vertical position and a horizontal position, and a holding member 21c that holds the connecting member 22.

[0021] The base 21a is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape, and is fixed to the AGV 100 by fastening members such as bolts, welding, or the like.

[0022] Rail 21b, for example, guides movement of connecting member 22 between vertical and horizontal positions, and rotation of connecting member 22 in the left-right direction with the rear as a reference within a predetermined angle range around an axis in the direction of gravity. Rail 21b is, for example, formed in an arc shape, for example, a quarter-circular arc column shape, and extends in the left-right direction with the center of curvature perpendicular to both the traveling direction and the direction of gravity. Rail 21b has an upper end fixed to base 21a and a lower end fixed to plate-shaped connecting plate 21d fixed to base 21a and extending in the front-rear direction.

[0023] The holding member 21c holds, for example, the connecting member 22 in a vertical position. For example, the holding member 21c is a magnet, and attracts the connecting member 22 in the vertical position.

[0024] The connecting member 22 includes a frame 22a, an annular guide 22b provided at one end of the frame 22a and into which the rail 21b is inserted, and a fixing portion 22c for detachably fixing the control tool 12 to the frame 22a. The frame 22a is formed, for example, from a rectangular tube made of a magnetic metal. As a result, when the frame 22a comes into contact with the holding member 21c, it is attracted to and held by the holding member 21c.

[0025] The guide 22b is formed, for example, in a ring shape and fixed to an end of the frame 22a. For example, the guide 22b is an eye bolt and attached to an end of the frame 22a. The guide 22b is disposed on the rail 21b and configured to be movable along the rail 21b. As the guide 22b moves from the lower end to the upper end of the quarter-circular column-shaped rail 21b, the frame 22a to which the guide 22b is fixed moves from a horizontal or substantially horizontal lateral position to a vertical or substantially vertical longitudinal position. In other words, the guide 22b is a guide member that moves the frame 22a along the rail 21b.

[0026] The fixing portion 22c is provided on the frame 22a and is formed so that the control tool 12 can be attached and detached. For example, the fixing portion 22c is configured with an opening 22d through which a pin 45 (described later) provided on the control tool 12 can be inserted into the frame 22a. As a specific example, the fixing portion 22c is configured with two pairs of openings 22d formed on a side surface of the frame 22a closer to the center than the end where the holder 23 is provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of openings 22d facing each other in the short direction of the frame 22a is formed at two positions in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a, which is a rectangular tube. Then, the pin 45 of the control tool 12 is inserted into each of the pair of openings 22d formed at two positions in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a, whereby the control tool 12 is fixed to the frame 22a. Since it is sufficient that the pin 45 is inserted into the opening 22d at, for example, two locations in the longitudinal direction, for each pair of openings 22d, for example, the pin 45 is inserted into one of the openings 22d. For example, the pair of openings 22d is provided at positions facing each other in the width direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a on both side surfaces of the frame 22a, and the pair of openings 22d is provided at two locations in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a.

[0027] The holder 23 holds the dolly 200 on the left and right sides of the front of the dolly 200. For example, the holder 23 holds a part of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the front of the dolly 200. As a specific example, the holder 23 holds and fixes a pair of held parts 213 provided at two locations, left and right, on the front of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction, and holds the pair of held parts 213 in the left-right direction or abuts against the pair of held parts 213 in the left-right direction.

[0028] An example of the holder 23 will be specifically described. The holder 23 includes a pair of first arms 31 fixed to the ends of the frame 22a and extending in the left-right direction from the ends of the frame 22a, a pair of second arms 32 rotatable about an axis along the direction of gravity relative to the first arms 31, a pair of abutment plates 33 provided at the ends of the second arms 32 and abutting against the dolly 200 in the left-right direction of the dolly 200, and a pair of hooks 34 provided on the abutment plates 33. The holder 23 includes, for example, a pressing plate 36 in which the first arms 31 abut against the front side surface of the loading platform 211 of the dolly 200 or the pressing plate 36 abuts against the front side surface of the loading platform 211. In this embodiment, an example in which the holder 23 includes the pressing plate 36 will be described.

[0029] The first arm 31 is provided at its outer end in the left-right direction with a rotating shaft 31a, a restricting portion 31b that restricts the rotation range of the second arm 32, and a holding portion 31c that fixes the second arm 32.

[0030] The rotation shaft 31a is aligned along the direction of gravity when the frame 22a is in a lateral position and aligned along the horizontal direction. The rotation shaft 31a supports the second arm 32 rotatably.

[0031] The restricting portion 31b defines a range within which the second arm 32 can rotate around the rotation axis 31a. The restricting portion 31b restricts the movement of the second arm 32 so that the second arm 32 can rotate within an angular range of 90°, for example. As a specific example, the restricting portion 31b is formed so that the second arm 32 can move between two positions, an open position in which the second arm 32 is aligned along the extension direction of the first arm 31, and a closed position in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a so that the second arm 32 faces the frame 22a and extends from the rotation axis 31a toward the end side where the fixed portion 22c of the frame 22a is provided, and is capable of restricting movement beyond the open position and the closed position.

[0032] Specifically, the open position is a position where the pair of second arms 32 are aligned along the width direction of the cart 200, i.e., along the left-right direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. Also, specifically, the closed position is a position where the pair of second arms 32 are aligned along the traveling direction (front-rear direction) so as to extend from the rotation shaft 31a toward the AGV 100 side (forward) when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position.

[0033] For example, the restricting portion 31b has a first restricting plate 31b1 along the first arm 31 and a second restricting plate 31b2 extending to the frame 22a side (AGV 100 side) of the first arm 31 and along the frame 22a.

[0034] The holding portion 31c fixes the second arm 32 in the open position and the closed position. For example, the holding portion 31c is provided on the surfaces of the first and second restricting plates 31b1 and 31b2 facing the second arm 32, and fixes the second arm 32 in the open position and the closed position restricted by the first and second restricting plates 31b1 and 31b2. For example, the holding portion 31c is formed of a magnet, and attracts and fixes the second arm 32.

[0035] The second arm 32 is, for example, a rectangular tube made of a magnetic metal material. The second arm 32 has an opening at one end into which the rotating shaft 31a can be inserted, and a contact plate 33 is fixed to the other end.

[0036] The abutment plate 33 is provided on the second arm 32 so that a main surface thereof is along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second arm 32. When the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in an open position, the abutment plate 33 extends on the opposite side to the frame 22a, i.e., toward the dolly 200. The abutment plate 33 is configured to be able to abut against, for example, a part of the dolly 200 in the left-right direction, specifically, against the held portion 213 of the dolly 200 in the left-right direction of the dolly 200. More specifically, the abutment plate 33 abuts against an outer surface of the held portion 213 of the dolly 200 in the left-right direction. In addition, a cushioning material such as a rubber plate may be provided on the surface of the abutment plate 33 that abuts against a part of the dolly 200. In addition, when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in the open position, the length of the abutment plate 33 from the rear side surface of the second arm 32 that abuts against the trolley 200 to the rear end of the abutment plate 33 is shorter than the length from the front edge to the rear edge of the held portion 213 in the fore-and-aft direction of the trolley 200.

[0037] The hook 34 is provided on the abutment plate 33. As shown in Fig. 5, the hook 34 includes, for example, a base 34a fixed to the abutment plate 33, a handle 34b rotatably provided on the base 34a, a holder 34c rotatably provided on the handle, a movable body 34d movably provided on the holder 34c in one direction, a claw portion 34e fixed to the movable body 34d, and a biasing member 34f that biases the claw portion 34e.

[0038] The base 34a includes, for example, a pair of support plates 34a1 and a shaft 34a2 provided on the support plates 34a1. The base 34a rotatably supports the handle 34b by the shaft 34a2 fixed to the pair of support plates 34a1. The pair of support plates 34a1 are fixed to the abutment plate 33.

[0039] The handle 34b is configured to be long in one direction, and one end is pivotally supported by the shaft 34a2 of the base 34a. The handle 34b is provided on one end side pivotally supported by the base 34a, and the other end side is formed in a plate shape long in one direction to be gripped by an operator. The handle 34b has a pivotally supported part 34b1 that is shifted from the pivotally supported one end in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle 34b. The pivotally supported part 34b1 is pivotally supported by the holder 34c so as to be rotatable relative to the holder 34c.

[0040] That is, the handle 34b is pivotally supported by the base 34a and the holder 34c so as to be rotatable relative to the base 34a and the holder 34c. One of the two rotation shafts of the handle 34b is at one end of the handle 34b, and the other is, for example, on the side of one end of the handle 34b and is disposed offset from the one rotation shaft in the longitudinal direction of the handle 34b and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle 34b.

[0041] The holder 34c is rotatably provided on a pivotally supported portion 34b1 of the handle 34b. The holder 34c holds the moving body 34d so as to be movable in one direction, and is formed so that the biasing member 34f can be disposed thereon.

[0042] As a specific example, the holder 34c includes a bottom plate 34c1, a pair of side plates 34c2 integrally provided with the bottom plate 34c1, and a pair of holding plates 34c3 provided at the ends of the pair of side plates 34c2 opposite to the bottom plate 34c1. The bottom plate 34c1 has an opening 34c4 into which a part of the movable body 34d can be inserted. The bottom plate 34c1 constitutes a seat plate that holds one end of the biasing member 34f.

[0043] The pair of side plates 34c2 are provided on the bottom plate 34c1 at a distance from each other. The pair of side plates 34c2 are formed with a width that allows the moving body 34d and the biasing member 34f to be arranged therebetween. Each side plate 34c2 has, for example, a rail that guides the movement of the moving body 34d along one direction. The rail is, for example, a long hole 34c5 that is long in one direction and formed in each side plate 34c2. The pair of long holes 34c5 formed in the pair of side plates 34c2 are arranged opposite each other, and a part of the moving body 34d is arranged in the long hole 34c5 to guide the movement of the moving body 34d. Here, the movement direction of the moving body 34d guided by the rail of the pair of side plates 34c2 is the movement in the front-rear direction of the dolly 200 when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in an open position.

[0044] The movable body 34d is configured to be movably inserted into the opening 34c4 of the bottom plate 34c1, and a part of the movable body 34d is disposed in a pair of elongated holes 34c5 formed in a pair of side plates 34c2, so that the movable body 34d is movable in one direction along the elongated holes 34c5. For example, the movable body 34d has a cylindrical shaft body 34d1 that is movably inserted into the opening 34c4 of the bottom plate 34c1 of the holder 34c and has one end to which the claw portion 34e is fixed, a seat plate that is provided at the other end of the shaft body and holds the other end of the biasing member 34f, a base material 34d2 that is integrally formed with an end of the shaft body 34d1 that is disposed outside the holder 34c and that fixes the claw portion 34e, and a guided portion 34d3 that is provided on the seat plate, is disposed in the pair of elongated holes 34c5 of the pair of side plates 34c2, and is guided in movement by the elongated holes 34c5. The movable body 34d has one end of the shaft 34d1 arranged outside the holder 34c, the claw portion 34e is held by a base material 34d2 arranged outside the holder 34c, and a part of the shaft 34d1 and the seat plate move in one direction within the holder 34c. Also, the movable body 34d has a guided portion 34d3 arranged in a long hole 34c5, which is a rail along one direction and is formed in a pair of side plates 34c2 of the holder 34c, and the guided portion 34d3 moves along the long hole 34c5, whereby the moving direction is guided.

[0045] The claw portion 34e is formed in a shape that allows it to be hooked onto the held portion 213. The claw portion 34e is formed, for example, in a U-shape with a folded tip. A plurality of claw portions 34e, for example two claw portions, are provided so as to be able to stably hold the held portion 213.

[0046] The biasing member 34f biases the movable body 34d, thereby biasing the claw portion 34e fixed to the movable body 34d toward the holder 34c. The biasing member 34f is, for example, a compression coil spring provided between the bottom plate 34c1 of the holder 34c and, for example, the seat plate of the movable body 34d.

[0047] The hook 34 thus configured, with the claw portion 34e hooked on the held portion 213, is rotated to move the holder 34c in a direction away from the dolly 200, and the claw portion 34e pulls the held portion 213 forward of the dolly 200. At this time, since the moving body 34d to which the claw portion 34e is fixed is biased by the biasing member 34f, the claw portion 34e presses the held portion 213 forward of the dolly 200, i.e., toward the second arm 32, with a predetermined force against the biasing member 34f. In addition, the dolly 200 abuts against the rear side surface of the second arm 32 when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in an open position. As a result, the pair of hooks 34, together with the pair of second arms 32, hold the pair of held portions 213 provided on the left and right sides of the front of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction of the dolly 200.

[0048] The pressure plate 36 is provided, for example, at the center in the left-right direction of the first arm 31. The pressure plate 36 is fixed to the first arm 31 and is, for example, a flat plate extending in one of the vertical directions from the first arm 31 in the height direction, that is, upward in this embodiment. The pressure plate 36 is formed so as to be able to abut against at least a part of the dolly 200 to be towed, that is, the front side surface of the loading platform 211 in this embodiment.

[0049] The pressure plate 36 presses down the front surface of the cart 200 by abutting against the center side of the cart 200 in the width direction. When the pressure plate 36 abuts against the cart 200, the holder 23 abuts against the cart 200 at least at three or more points in the left-right direction. Furthermore, when the pressure plate 36 abuts against the cart 200 at the center side of the cart 200, a force is applied to the second arm 32 with the pressure plate 36 as a base point when the cart 200 moves along a curved conveying path, so the force applied to the second arm 32 is reduced in comparison with the case where the pair of second arms 32 abut against the front portion of the cart 200 without the pressure plate 36 being provided. That is, the pressing plate 36 reduces the force applied to the second arm 32, thereby allowing the holder 23 to stably hold the cart 200, and prevents the second arm 32 from moving from the open position to the closed position due to the force applied to the second arm 32 releasing the holding of the second arm 32 by the holding part 31c. Note that the holding part 31c may be configured to mechanically fix the second arm 32 by a pin or the like in addition to holding the second arm 32 by the attractive force of a magnet, or instead of the attractive force of a magnet, and in this case, since the holding force of the second arm 32 is high and the holding is not released, a configuration without the pressing plate 36 may be used.

[0050] The control tool 12 controls the running (movement) of the cart 200, which has only casters 214, which are free-wheeling wheels, fixed to the connector 11. The control tool 12 is, for example, fixed to the connector 11 or fixed to the cart 200. In this embodiment, an example in which the control tool 12 is fixed to the connector 11 will be described.

[0051] As a specific example, the control tool 12 includes a frame 41, a swivel wheel 42 provided on the lower surface at the front of the frame 41, a fixed wheel 43 provided on the lower surface at the rear of the frame 41, a fixed part 44 provided on the upper surface at the front of the frame 41, and a pin 45 which is a fixing member for fixing the fixed part 44 to the fixed part 22c. The control tool 12 may also have a weight 46 fixed to the upper surface of the frame 41.

[0052] For example, the frame 41 is formed long in one direction. For example, one or more swivel wheels 42, one in this embodiment, are provided on the lower surface of the front end of the frame 41. For example, one or more fixed wheels 43, two in this embodiment, are provided on the lower surface of the rear end of the frame 41. It should be noted that a total of three or more swivel wheels 42 and fixed wheels 43 are provided.

[0053] The frame 41, the swivel wheel 42, and the two fixed wheels 43 are formed, for example, in a shape such that the upper surface of the frame 41 is lower than the frame 22a in the horizontal position. Also, the frame 41, the swivel wheel 42, and the two fixed wheels 43 are formed, for example, in a shape such that the upper surface of the frame 41 is lower than the lower surface of the lowest loading platform 211 of the dolly 200, so that a part of the frame 41 can be disposed below the dolly 200. Also, at least the rear of the frame 41 is disposed below the dolly 200 when attached to the frame 22a, and the fixed wheels 43 are disposed below the dolly 200.

[0054] In addition, the fixed wheel 43 of the control device 12 is positioned rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the trolley 200 from the position where the trolley 200 is held by the holder 23 of the connecting device 11 when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in the open position (i.e., the position of the pair of abutment plates 33 and the hook 34).

[0055] The fixed part 44 is formed, for example, in a plate shape and has a plurality of fixing plates 44a extending upward from the upper surface of the frame 41. The plurality of fixing plates 44a are arranged on the frame 41 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the frame 41 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a and the main surface faces the left and right side surfaces of the frame 22a. The plurality of fixing plates 44a of the fixed part 44 face the side surfaces of the frame 22a of the coupler 11, thereby preventing the frame 22a of the coupler 11 and the frame 41 of the control device 12 from moving relatively in the left-right direction on a conveying route such as a curve when the dolly 200 is towed. Note that the relative movement of the frames 22a and 41 in the left-right direction is not limited to linear movement, so the plurality of fixing plates 44a are provided at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the frame 41, or have a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the frame 41.

[0056] 2 and 3, the fixed portion 44 includes two pairs of fixing plates 44a that can face two pairs of openings 22d formed in the frame 22a as the fixing portion 22c in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a. That is, the pair of fixing plates 44a is provided at two locations on the frame 41 with a predetermined distance therebetween in the longitudinal direction of the frame 41. In addition, a pin 45 is fixed to one of the pair of fixing plates 44a, and an opening is formed into which a pin body 45b of the pin 45, which will be described later, can be inserted. That is, the fixed portion 44 is formed so as to face the opening 22d of the fixing portion 22c, and so as to be able to insert the pin body 45b into the opening 22d by inserting the pin body 45b and arranging the pin body 45b between the pair of fixing plates 44a.

[0057] In this way, the pin body 45b of the fixed part 44 is inserted into the opening 22d, thereby restricting the relative movement of the frames 22a, 41 in the longitudinal direction. The fixed part 44 is fixed to the fixing part 22c, and the multiple fixing plates 44a restrict the movement of the frames 22a, 41 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). That is, the fixing part 22c, the fixed part 44, and the pin 45 fix the frames 22a, 41 to each other in the travel direction and the left-right direction.

[0058] Next, a specific example of the pin 45 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the pin 45 includes, for example, a cylindrical body 45a, a pin body 45b provided so as to be able to appear and disappear from the body 45a, an operating body 45c connected to the pin body 45b and operated to move the pin body 45b, and a biasing member 45d that biases the pin body 45b in a direction to protrude from the body 45a.

[0059] The body 45a is formed in a cylindrical shape, and one end is fixed to the fixed plate 44a at a position where the opening of the end faces the opening formed in the fixed plate 44a. The body 45a has a notch 45a1 in which the operating body 45c can be placed, for example, at the end opposite the fixed plate 44a. The notch 45a1 is formed, for example, at the end of the body 45a, and in a pair at symmetrical positions around the axis of the body 45a. The notch 45a1 is formed, for example, in a slit shape extending linearly along the axial direction of the body 45a.

[0060] The pin body 45b is formed so that a part of it can protrude from the open end of the body part 45a and the opening of the fixing plate 44a. The pin body 45b is formed so that it can protrude from the opening of the fixing plate 44a and can be inserted into the opening 22d constituting the fixing part 22c formed in the frame 22a. That is, the pin body 45b is formed so that it can abut against the frame 22a in the radial direction of the pin body 45b, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the frame 22a, by being inserted into the opening 22d.

[0061] The operating body 45c is formed, for example, in a ring shape. The diameter of the operating body 45c is formed, for example, such that a finger can be inserted and the operating body 45c is disposed outward from the end of the body 45a when disposed in the notch 45a1, that is, a diameter larger than the depth of the notch 45a1 in the axial direction of the body 45a. The thickness of the operating body 45c is smaller than the width of the notch 45a1 so that a part of the operating body 45c can be disposed in the notch 45a1 formed in the body 45a. The operating body 45c is directly or indirectly connected to the end of the pin body 45b disposed in the body 45a, and is configured to be able to move the connected pin body 45b by operating it in the axial direction of the body 45a. Also, for example, the operating body 45c is connected to the pin body 45b so as to be rotatable around the axis of the body 45a.

[0062] When the pin 45 is in a position where the operating body 45c abuts against the end face of the body 45a and is held at the end of the body 45a, the pin body 45b is accommodated in the body 45a, and when the operating body 45c is disposed in the notch 45a1, the pin body 45b protrudes from the body 45a and the fixed plate 44a. When the operating body 45c is disposed in the notch 45a1, the rotation of the operating body 45c is restricted, and when the operating body 45c is moved along the notch 45a1, the operating body 45c is rotatable when it is removed from the notch 45a1. Therefore, when the operating body 45c is rotated to a position shifted from the notch 45a1 in the rotation direction of the operating body 45c (circumferential direction of the body 45a) when it is removed from the notch 45a1, the operating body 45c is biased by the biasing member 45d and abuts against the end of the body 45a while being pressed against it, so that the position is fixed. In addition, when the operating body 45c rotates from a position shifted from the notch 45a1 in the rotation direction to a position facing the notch 45a1, it becomes movable into the notch 45a1, and moves into the notch 45a1 by the operation of the operator or the biasing force of the biasing member 45d. In addition, when the pin body 45b protrudes from the fixed plate 44a and is inserted into the opening 22d of the frame 22a, a part of the operating body 45c is disposed in the notch 45a1 and cannot rotate, and the pin body 45b is biased by the biasing member 45d in the direction protruding from the fixed plate 44a. Therefore, the movement of the pin body 45b in the direction retracting from the opening 22d can be prevented except by the operation of the operating body 45c, so that the fixing of the frames 22a and 41 is not released when the dolly 200 is towed.

[0063] Whether or not the weight 46 is provided depends on the shape, size, and weight of the dolly 200 and / or the shape, size, and weight of the load placed on the dolly 200, and if provided, the weight, balance, and the like are appropriately set. For example, the weight 46 is formed in a rectangular flat plate, and a suitable weight is set by providing one or more weights 46. In this embodiment, a plurality of weights 46 are provided.

[0064] Next, an example of the use of the towing jig 1 configured in this manner will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. For example, as shown in step ST11 in Figure 6, when the towing jig 1 is not towing the cart 200, the frame 22a is in a vertical position and is held in the vertical position by the holding member 21c. At this time, the second arm 32 is in a closed position, and the second arm 32 is held by the holding portion 31c provided on the second regulating plate 31b2 of the regulating portion 31b.

[0065] When towing the dolly 200, for example, as shown in step ST12 of FIG. 6, the second arm 32 is placed in the open position and the second arm 32 is held by the holding portion 31c provided on the first regulating plate 31b1 of the regulating portion 31b.

[0066] 6, the frame 22a is released from the holding member 21c and is turned from the vertical position to the horizontal position, while the fixing portion 22c of the connecting member 22 and the fixed portion 44 of the frame 41 of the control tool 12 are aligned, and the fixed portion 44 is fixed to the frame 22a by the pin 45. This makes it possible for the towing jig 1 to hold the cart 200.

[0067] Next, in order to hold the dolly 200 by the holder 23, first, as shown in step ST21 in FIG. 7, the pair of abutment plates 33 are abutted against the outer surface in the left-right direction of the held portion 213 of the dolly 200. At this time, since the length from the rear side surface of the second arm 32 abutting against the dolly 200 to the rear end of the abutment plate 33 is shorter than the length from the front end edge to the rear end edge of the held portion 213 in the front-rear direction of the dolly 200, the rear end edge of the held portion 213 is disposed rearward of the rear end edge of the abutment plate 33, and the rear end edge of the held portion 213 is exposed to the outside. At this time, the handle 34b and / or the holder 34c are rotated to separate the claw portion 34e of the hook 34 from the held portion 213.

[0068] Next, as shown in step ST22 of Fig. 7, the handle 34b and / or the holder 34c are rotated to position the claw portion 34e in the direction of the held portion 213. Next, as shown in step ST23 of Fig. 7, the handle 34b is rotated to bring the claw portion 34e into contact with the held portion 213. As a result, the held portion 213 is held by the second arm 32 and the claw portion 34e in the front-rear direction of the dolly 200, and in the left-right direction of the dolly 200, the held portion 213 is held by the abutment plate 33 in the left-right direction of the dolly 200 or the held portion 213 is able to abut.

[0069] According to the towing jig 1 configured in this manner, when the AGV 100 travels with the dolly 200 held by the towing jig 1, the dolly 200 is transported via the towing jig 1. In addition, the dolly 200 holds the held parts 213 provided on the left and right sides in front of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction by the holder 23, and holds the held parts 213 in the left-right direction or makes them abuttable, thereby restricting the relative movement between the dolly 200 and the holder 23 in the front-rear direction and restricting the relative movement between the dolly 200 and the holder 23 in front of the dolly 200 in the left-right direction.

[0070] In addition, since the fixed wheel 43 of the control device 12 provided at the rear of the frame 41 is positioned below the trolley 200, and the connecting device 11 to which the control device 12 is connected holds the trolley 200 by the holding device 23, the fixed wheel 43 functions as the fixed wheel 43 of the trolley 200.

[0071] Therefore, when the conveying path of the AGV 100 curves, such as on a curve, the control device 12 prevents the cart 200 from swaying left and right due to centrifugal force as it moves around the curve, which would cause it to deviate from the conveying path and follow a trajectory that bulges outward, and controls the movement of the cart 200.

[0072] As described above, the towing jig 1 can hold the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction at two points in the left-right direction in front of the dolly 200, and can hold or abut in the left-right direction, and can prevent the dolly 200 from swinging left and right with the control device 12, so that the dolly 200 can be stably towed. In addition, the position where the dolly 200 is held by the holding device 23 of the towing jig 1 is the held part 213 arranged on the outside in the width direction (left-right direction) of the front of the dolly 200, and since it is separated in the width direction (left-right direction) of the dolly 200, the dolly 200 that tends to swing left and right during traveling can be suitably held. In addition, when the dolly 200 transitions from a traveling state to a stopped state, the dolly 200 is stopped together with the towing jig 1, because the holding device 23 holds the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction, the dolly 200 can be stopped stably. Therefore, the towing jig 1 can prevent the load on the loading platform 211 of the dolly 200 from shifting when traveling and when stopped, and can prevent the load from falling.

[0073] Furthermore, the fixed wheel 43 is disposed rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the dolly 200, i.e., toward the center of the dolly 200, from the position where the dolly 200 is held by the holder 23 of the coupler 11 when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position and the second arm 32 is in the open position. Therefore, the position where the dolly 200 is held and the position where the dolly 200 is restricted from swinging left and right are shifted in the fore-and-aft and left and right directions of the dolly 200, and the force applied to the dolly 200 can be received at different positions, so that the dolly 200 can be pulled stably.

[0074] In addition, the fixed wheel 43 is located behind the holder 23, and the holder 23 holds the dolly in front of the dolly 200, and the fixed wheel 43 is arranged below the dolly 200, so that a part of the frame 41 of the control tool 12 and the fixed wheel 43 only need to be inserted below the dolly 200, and the arrangement work of the dolly 200 and the towing jig 1 is easy. In addition, since the fixed wheel 43 is arranged below the dolly 200, the fixed wheel 43 does not need to be arranged outside the dolly 200, so the towing jig 1 only needs to arrange the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 in the width direction of the dolly 200, and the number of components arranged outside the dolly 200 is small, and the space required outside the dolly 200 during towing can be reduced. Therefore, the towing jig 1 can transport the dolly 200 even on a narrow transport path.

[0075] In addition, the vertical and horizontal positions of the frame 22a can be changed by the arc-shaped rail 21b and the annular guide 22b, so the fixing member 21 and the connecting member 22 have a simple configuration and the position can be easily changed. In addition, since the position of the connecting member 22 (frame 22a) can be easily changed, the connecting tool 11 and the control tool 12 can be easily connected. In addition, the second arm 32 is opened and closed by rotating around one axis, and the position is restricted to the open position and the closed position by the restricting part 31b, and the restricting part 31b can restrict the position of the second arm 32 by the plate-shaped first restricting plate 31b1 and second restricting plate 31b2, so that the second arm 32 can be opened and closed with a simple configuration.

[0076] Furthermore, by using magnets, the frame 22a can easily maintain its posture (position) in the vertical position and the second arm 32 can easily maintain its posture (position) in the open and closed positions with a simple configuration.

[0077] Furthermore, since the towing jig 1 can connect the connector 11 and the control tool 12 to the fixing part 22c and the fixed part 44 with the pin 45, the connector 11 and the control tool 12 can be easily attached and detached. Therefore, the towing jig 1 can easily prepare for towing in a short time. Furthermore, the holding tool 23 can hold the cart 200 simply by operating the handle 34b of the hook 34, and the cart 200 can be easily held in a short time. In this way, the towing jig 1 has high usability.

[0078] In addition, since the towing jig 1 is configured so that the pressure plate 36 abuts the center of the front side of the trolley 200, it is possible to stably hold the trolley 200 and prevent the second arm 32 from moving from the open position to the closed position when the trolley 200 is towed.

[0079] As described above, according to the towing jig 1 of the embodiment, the abutment plates 33 and hooks 34 of the holder 23 hold the cart 200 in the front-to-rear direction on the left and right sides of the front of the cart 200, and can be held or abutted in the left-right direction, thereby enabling the cart 200 to be transported stably.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the towing jig 1 according to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described example, the towing jig 1 is configured to connect the connecting tool 11 and the control tool 12 to the fixing part 22c and the fixed part 44 by the pin 45, but is not limited thereto.

[0081] For example, like the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the towing jig 1 may be configured to include a coupling tool 11 and a control tool 12A that is provided on the dolly 200 separately from the coupling tool 11. Hereinafter, the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the control tool 12A, and therefore detailed description will be omitted except for the configuration of the control tool 12A.

[0082] The towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment includes a connector 11 and a control tool 12A. For example, the connector 11 has the same configuration as the connector 11 of the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment described above. The towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment may be configured not to have the fixing part 22c, or may have the fixing part 22c and selectively use the control tool 12 of the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment described above and the control tool 12A of the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0083] The control tool 12A includes, for example, a frame 41A, one or more fixed wheels 43, and a fixing member 47 capable of fixing the frame 41A to the rear of the cart 200. The frame 41A is formed, for example, in a rectangular frame shape by vertical and horizontal frames. The frame 41A further has reinforcing frames in the gravity direction and / or horizontal direction for reinforcement. For example, the frame 41A is formed to have the same width as a pair of frames 212 arranged on the left and right sides of the rear of the cart 200.

[0084] For example, two fixed wheels 43 are provided and fixed below the frame 41A at a predetermined distance apart in the width direction (left-right direction). For example, the two fixed wheels 43 are fixed to the frame 41A with a width narrower than the width of the two casters 214 provided at the rear of the dolly 200.

[0085] The fixing member 47 detachably fixes the frame 41A to, for example, a pair of frames 212 of the dolly 200. For example, the fixing member 47 is a band having fixing means such as a hook-and-loop fastener or a fastening metal fitting. The fixing member 47 fixes the frame 41A to, for example, a pair of frames 212 of the dolly 200 at, for example, two or more locations in the height direction and two or more locations in the left-right direction.

[0086] The control tool 12A thus configured is detachably attached to the cart 200 by a fixing member 47. By being fixed to the rear of the cart 200, the control tool 12A functions as a fixed wheel of the cart 200, controls the travel of the cart 200, and can suppress lateral swing of the cart 200.

[0087] Therefore, the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment has the same effects as the towing jig 1 according to the above-mentioned first embodiment.

[0088] In addition, the above-mentioned holder 23 of the coupler 11 has been described as holding or abutting the front left-right direction of the dolly 200 with the abutment plate 33 provided on the second arm 32. However, since the above-mentioned holder 23 of the coupler 11 is configured to be able to rotate the second arm 32 to the first arm 31 between the open position and the closed position, the distance between the pair of abutment plates 33 of the pair of second arms 32 in the open position is constant. Therefore, the dolly 200 that can be held by the towing jig 1 has the same width in the left-right direction as the distance between the pair of abutment plates 33. However, the towing jig 1 is not limited to this, and may be configured to be able to hold a plurality of types of dollies 200 with different widths. In addition, the holder 23 has been described as being configured to hold the held portion 213 of the dolly 200, but is not limited to this, and may be able to hold the frame of the dolly 200, and the shape of the frame may be various shapes. For example, the cart 200 may have a cylindrical frame 212A, and the holder 23 may be configured to hold the cylindrical frame 212A.

[0089] Next, an example of a towing jig 1 according to a third embodiment, which has a frame 212A and can hold a plurality of types of carriages 200 having different widths in the left-right direction of the frame 212A, will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12. Among the configurations of the towing jig 1 according to the third embodiment, the same configurations as those of the towing jig 1 of the first embodiment and the towing jig 1 of the second embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, the towing jig 1 of the third embodiment shows an example of a cylindrical frame 212A, but the shape of the frame 212A may not be cylindrical, but may be columnar or plate-like.

[0090] 9 and 10, the towing jig 1 includes a connector 11A and a control tool 12. The towing jig 1 may include a connector 11A and a control tool 12A.

[0091] The connector 11A connects the AGV 100 and the cart 200. The connector 11A includes a fixing member 21, a connecting member 22, and a holder 23A that is provided on the connecting member 22 and holds the cart 200.

[0092] The holder 23A holds a part of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction on the left and right of the front of the dolly 200. As a specific example, the holder 23 holds and fixes a pair of cylindrical frames 212A provided at two locations, left and right, on the front of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction, and holds the pair of frames 212A in the left-right direction or abuts against the pair of frames 212A in the left-right direction.

[0093] As a specific example, the holder 23A includes a pair of first arms 31A fixed to the ends of the frame 22a of the connecting member 22 and extending in the left-right direction from the ends of the frame 22a, a pair of second arms 32A movable relative to the first arms 31A along the longitudinal direction of the first arms 31A and rotatable about one axis along the direction of gravity, a pair of abutment plates 33 provided at the ends of the second arms 32A and capable of abutting against the dolly 200 in the left-right direction of the dolly 200, a pair of hooks 34, and a pair of spacers 35 that hold the hooks 34 at positions shifted in the direction of gravity relative to the abutment plates 33. That is, the holder 23A is different from the holder 23 described above in the configuration in which the second arms 32A are linearly and rotatably movable relative to the first arms 31A. The holder 23A is also different from the holder 23 described above in the configuration in which the abutment plates 33 and the hooks 34 are disposed at different positions in the direction of gravity.

[0094] The first arm 31A is provided, at its outer end in the left-right direction, with a restricting portion 31b that restricts the rotation range of the second arm 32A, a holding portion 31c that fixes the second arm 32, and a rail 31d that guides the movement of the second arm 32A. For example, the first arm 31A does not have a rotating shaft 31a.

[0095] The rail 31d is formed to allow linear movement of the second arm 32A along the longitudinal direction of the first arm 31A and rotational movement around a rotation axis along the direction of gravity when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position. The rail 31d is, for example, a long hole that is long in one direction and formed in the first arm 31A. For example, the rail 31d is formed by a pair of long holes provided at opposing positions in walls located above and below the first arm 31A when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position.

[0096] The second arm 32A is, for example, a rectangular tube made of a magnetic metal material. The second arm 32 has a rotating shaft 32a at one end and a contact plate 33 fixed to the other end.

[0097] The rotating shaft 32a is disposed in rails 31d, which are a pair of long holes formed in the first arm 31A. The rotating shaft 32a is formed so as to be linearly movable along the rails 31d and rotatable within the rails 31d. That is, the rotating shaft 32a constitutes a movable body that is linearly movable along the rails 31d and rotatable, and the second arm 32A is formed so as to be linearly movable and rotatable relative to the first arm 31A by the movement of the rotating shaft 32a. The second arm 32A is formed so as to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position by the restricting portion 31b of the first arm 31A.

[0098] The spacer 35 is provided on the outer surface of the abutment plate 33 or on the outer surface of the end side of the second arm 32A where the abutment plate 33 is provided. When the frame 22a is in a horizontal position, the spacer 35 is formed in a plate shape whose tip extends upward or downward from the abutment plate 33. For example, the spacer 35 is formed in a plate shape whose tip extends upward from the abutment plate 33 and whose surface direction is the same as that of the abutment plate 33. When the frame 22a is in a horizontal position, the spacer 35 fixes the pair of support plates 34a1 of the base 34a of the hook 34 at a position different from that of the abutment plate 33 in the height direction. That is, the spacer 35 places the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 at different positions in the extension direction of the spacer 35, and thus, when the frame 22a is in a horizontal position, the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 can abut against the frame 212A of the dolly 200 at different height positions.

[0099] According to the connector 11A configured in this manner, as shown in Fig. 10, the second arm 32A can move in the longitudinal direction of the first arm 31A between the maximum and minimum widths of the pair of abutment plates 33. As a result, as shown in Fig. 11, the abutment plates 33 can abut against a plurality of types of carriages 200 having different widths, in which the width of the frame 212A is set between the maximum width W1 and the minimum width W2, and the hooks 34 can be held in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the towing jig 1 according to the third embodiment has the same effects as the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment and the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment described above, and can tow carriages 200 having different widths.

[0100] In addition, as shown in steps ST21 to ST23 in Figure 12, the holder 23A can hold the frame 212A of the cart 200 in the front-to-rear direction in a process similar to steps ST21 to ST23 of the holder 23, with the abutment plate 33 and hooks 34 at different height positions.

[0101] That is, in an example in which the holder 23 holds the dolly 200 at the held portion 213, the dolly 200 has a predetermined width in the front-rear direction, so the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 hold the held portion 213 in the front-rear direction at the same height position, and can hold or abut in the left-right direction. However, in an example in which the holder 23A holds the dolly 200 at the frame 212A, the width of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction is small, so the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 cannot abut against the frame 212A at the same height position. However, the holder 23A can abut against the frame 212A by making the height positions of the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 different positions by the spacer 35. Therefore, the towing jig 1 according to the third embodiment has the same effect as the towing jig 1 according to the first embodiment and the towing jig 1 according to the second embodiment described above, and can hold even the frame 212A in the front-rear direction and hold or abut in the left-right direction.

[0102] The method of holding the frame 212A with the holder 23A is not limited to a method of placing the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 at different positions in the height direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the abutment plate 33 and the hook 34 may be arranged in a positional relationship sandwiching the frame 212A, specifically, the abutment plate 33 may be arranged inside the frame 212A and the hook 34 may be arranged outside the frame 212A. As another example, as shown in FIG. 14, the length of the abutment plate 33 may be shortened and the abutment plate 33 may be arranged to abut against a part of the frame 212A in the front-rear direction of the dolly 200, that is, the abutment plate 33 may be formed to a length that does not interfere with the hook 34 when the rear side of the frame 212A is supported by the hook 34 in the front-rear direction. As another example, as shown in FIG. 15, only the claw portion 34e of the hook 34 may be arranged at a different position from the abutment plate 33 in the up-down direction. In the example of FIG. 15, by disposing the abutment plate 33 between the pair of claw portions 34e with a gap between them in the up-down direction, it is possible to prevent interference between the abutment plate 33 and the hooks 34.

[0103] In the above example, the towing jig 1 is configured to have the control devices 12 and 12A so as to be able to tow the cart 200 having a plurality of casters 214, which are free-wheeling wheels. However, the towing jig 1 is not limited to this. For example, the cart 200 may have, for example, a plurality of free-wheeling wheels and a plurality of fixed wheels as the casters 214, and the towing jig 1 may be configured to be able to tow the cart 200 having fixed wheels in some parts. Such a towing jig 1 may be configured, for example, to have only the coupling devices 11 and 11A without having the control devices 12 and 12A. In other words, since the fixed wheels of the cart 200 perform the functions of the control devices 12 and 12A, the towing jig 1 may be configured to have no control devices 12 and 12A. In addition, the towing jig 1 may be distributed in a configuration that does not originally have the control devices 12, 12A, and since the control devices 12, 12A can be attached and detached to the connecting devices 11, 11A, it is also possible to selectively use the control devices 12, 12A depending on whether or not the towing cart 200 has fixed wheels.

[0104] In the above example, the control tool 12 is connected to the connecting member 22 of the connecting tool 11, but this is not limited thereto, and the control tool 12 may be configured to be fixed to the holder 23, for example.

[0105] In the above example, the towing jig 1 is configured to fix the fixing member 21 of the connector 11, 11A to the AGV 100, but is not limited thereto. In the above example, the towing jig 1 is configured to fix the hook 34 to the contact plate 33 or the spacer 35, but is not limited thereto.

[0106] Next, an example of a towing jig 1 having a removable fixing member 21B and a hook 34B according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 16 to 21. In the towing jig 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the connector 11B has a different configuration from the connectors 11 and 11A of the above-mentioned embodiments, but the control devices 12 and 12A can be applied to the examples of the above-mentioned embodiments, so detailed descriptions of the control devices 12 and 12A will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the configuration of the connector 11B as those of the above-mentioned embodiments, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0107] The towing jig 1 includes a coupling tool 11B and control tools 12 and 12A. The coupling tool 11B couples the AGV 100 and the cart 200. The coupling tool 11B includes a fixed member 21B that is detachably fixed to the AGV 100, a connecting member 22 that is movably held relative to the fixed member 21B, and a holder 23B that is provided on the connecting member 22 and holds the cart 200. That is, the coupling tool 11B has a different configuration from the above-mentioned coupling tools 11 and 11A in that the fixed member 21B and the holder 23B are different in configuration from the above-mentioned coupling tools 11 and 11A, and therefore a description of the coupling member 22 will be omitted.

[0108] 16 to 18, the fixing member 21B includes a plate-shaped base 21a, a rail 21b that guides the movement of the connecting member 22 between the vertical position and the horizontal position, a holding member 21c that holds the connecting member 22, and a connecting plate 21d that is fixed to the base 21a and to which the lower end of the rail 21b is fixed. The fixing member 21B also includes a base holder 21e that detachably holds the base 21a fixed to the AGV 100, an engaging member 21f that can fix the base 21a held by the base holder 21e or a component fixed to the base 21a, and an engaged member 21g that is provided on the base 21a or a component fixed to the base 21a and engages with the engaging member 21f. The fixing member 21B fixes the base 21a held by the base holder 21e fixed to the AGV 100 by engaging the engaging member 21f and the engaged member 21g with each other in a state in which the base 21a is held by the base holder 21e fixed to the AGV 100.

[0109] The base 21a is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular plate. The rail 21b and the connecting plate 21d are fixed to the base 21a.

[0110] The rail 21b guides the movement of the connecting member 22 between, for example, a vertical position and a horizontal position. The rail 21b is formed, for example, in an arc shape, for example, in a quarter-circular arc column shape, and extends in the left-right direction with the center of curvature perpendicular to both the traveling direction and the direction of gravity. The upper end of the rail 21b is fixed to the base 21a, and the lower end is fixed to a plate-shaped connecting plate 21d that is fixed to the base 21a and extends in the front-rear direction.

[0111] The base holder 21e is formed so that the base 21a can be inserted from above with its main surface aligned along the left-right and up-down directions of the AGV 100, and so that the lower, left-right, front-back and front-rear directions of the inserted base 21a can be held. In addition, the base holder 21e exposes the rear center side of the base 21a so that the rail 21b and the connecting plate 21d fixed to the base 21a can be arranged outside.

[0112] The engaging member 21f is fixed to, for example, the base holder 21e. The engaging member 21f includes, for example, a spacer 61 and a pin 62 provided on the spacer 61. With the base 21a held by the base holder 21e, the spacer 61 places the pin 62 at an engaging position of the engaged member 21g. Note that the pin 62 provided on the engaging member 21f has the same configuration as the pin 45 provided on, for example, the control tool 12 and fixed to the fixing plate 44a of the fixed portion 44. Therefore, the components of the pin 62 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the pin 45, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0113] The engaged member 21g is provided on the base 21a or a component fixed to the base 21a, and has an opening 21g1 into which the pin body 45b protruding from the body 45a of the pin 62 is inserted. The engaged member 21g is fixed to the connecting plate 21d, for example, and formed in a plate shape extending downward from the connecting plate 21d. When the pin body 45b is inserted into the opening 21g1, the engaged member 21g and the pin body 45b engage with each other, thereby restricting the movement of the base 21a relative to the base holder 21e and fixing the base 21a to the base holder 21e.

[0114] The holder 23B holds a part of the dolly 200 in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the front of the dolly 200. As a specific example, the holder 23B includes a pair of first arms 31A, a pair of second arms 32A, a pair of abutment plates 33, a pair of hooks 34B, a pair of hook holders 37 that detachably hold the hooks 34B, and a fastening member 38. That is, the holder 23B is different from the holder 23A described above in that the hooks 34B are detachably held by the hook holders 37. In addition, the holder 23B may have a first arm 31 and a second arm 32 that are relatively rotatable, rather than a first arm 31A and a second arm 32A that are relatively rectilinearly and rotatably movable.

[0115] The hook 34B is detachably provided on the hook holder 37. As shown in Fig. 19, the hook 34B includes a base 34a, a handle 34b, a holder 34c, a movable body 34d, a claw portion 34e, a biasing member 34f, and a base 34g to which the base 34a is fixed. That is, the hook 34B differs from the above-mentioned hook 34 in that a pair of support plates 34a1 of the base 34a is fixed to the base 34g, rather than to the abutment plate 33 or the spacer 35.

[0116] The base 34g is formed in a rectangular plate shape. A pair of support plates 34a1 are fixed to one main surface of the base 34g. Holes into which the fastening members 38 are inserted are formed in the base 34g. For example, the height position of the claw portion 34e according to the shape of the frame of the target dolly 200 is set depending on the mounting positions of the pair of support plates 34a1 to the base 34g in the height direction.

[0117] The hook holder 37 is fixed directly to the second arm 32A or the abutment plate 33, for example, or indirectly to the second arm 32A or the abutment plate 33 via a spacer 35 or the like. That is, the hook holder 37 is provided on the second arm 32A, the abutment plate 33, and the spacer 35 so that the hook 34B can be held in the same position as the hooks 34 and 34A of the first to third embodiments described above when the base 34g is held. When the frame 22a is in a horizontal position, the hook holder 37 holds the lower side, front and rear, and left and right sides of the base 34g. In addition, the hook holder 37 is formed with a hole 37a into which the fastening member 38 is inserted at a position opposite to the hole formed in the held base 34g. The hook holder 37 is formed so that the base 34g can be inserted from above, and can hold the lower side of the inserted base 34g and two directions perpendicular to the gravity direction, for example, the left and right sides and the front and rear sides when the second arm 32A is in the open position. Further, the hook holder 37 exposes the outer central side of the base 34g in the left-right direction when the second arm 32A is in the open position so that the pair of support plates 34a1 fixed to the base 34g can be positioned outside.

[0118] The fastening member 38 includes, for example, a wing bolt 38a and a nut 38b. The wing bolt 38a is formed so as to be insertable into a hole in the hook holder 37 and a hole in the base 34g held by the hook holder 37, and so as to be fastened to the nut 38b. The wing bolt 38a and the nut 38b fix the hook holder 37 and the base 34g held by the hook holder 37.

[0119] The fixing member 21B of the connecting device 11B configured in this manner fixes the base 21a to the base holder 21e by inserting the base 21a into the base holder 21e, and while the base 21a is held downward, front-to-back and left-to-right by the base holder 21e, engaging the engaging member 21f and the engaged member 21g, thereby restricting the base 21a from moving in the front-to-back and up-down directions relative to the base holder 21e.

[0120] Therefore, the connector 11B can fix the base 21a to the base holder 21e. The connector 11B, which can fix the base 21a to the base holder 21e by the pin 62, can easily fix the base 21a to the base holder 21e and then remove it. Therefore, when the towing jig 1 is not used, the components of the towing jig 1 other than the holding member 21c and the base holder 21e can be removed from the AGV 100. In addition, when multiple connectors 11B with different dimensions or shapes are used to correspond to multiple carts 200, for example, by making the bases 21a of the connector 11B have the same shape, the bases 21a of different connectors 11B can be attached to and detached from the same base holder 21e, and a high degree of freedom can be obtained. In addition, in the connector 11B, the base holder 21e holds the base 21a in the front-rear and left-right directions when the traveling direction of the AGV 100, i.e., the towing direction of the cart 200, is used as a reference, and the base holder 21e, the engaged member 21g, and the pin 62 hold the base 21a in the up-down direction. Therefore, even if the base 21a is detachable from the base holder 21e, the base 21a can be stably held by the base holder 21e, and therefore the cart 200 can be stably towed.

[0121] In addition, retainer 23B of connector 11B fixes base 34g to hook holder 37 by inserting base 34g into hook holder 37 and fixing hook holder 37 and base 34g with fastening member 38 while base 34g is held downward, front-to-back and left-to-right by hook holder 37, thereby restricting movement of base 34g in the front-to-back, left-to-right and up-down directions relative to hook holder 37.

[0122] Therefore, the connector 11B can fix the base 34g to the hook holder 37. Moreover, the connector 11B, which can fix the base 34g to the hook holder 37 by the fastening member 38, can easily fix and remove the base 34g to the hook holder 37. For example, when hooks 34B of different dimensions or shapes need to be used to correspond to a plurality of dollies 200, the connector 11B has the same shape of the base 34g, so that the hooks 34B corresponding to the different dollies 200 can be attached and detached to the same hook holder 37, and the corresponding dolly 200 can be towed by replacing the hook 34B according to the corresponding dolly 200.

[0123] For example, in the example of FIG. 19, the dolly 200 has a cylindrical frame 212A, and the holder 23B holds the cylindrical frame 212A. Also, for example, in the example of FIG. 20, the dolly 200 has a frame 212B with an L-shaped cross section, and the holder 23B holds the L-shaped frame 212B. Also, in the example of FIG. 21, the dolly 200 has a frame 212B with an L-shaped cross section and a larger width than the example of FIG. 20, and the holder 23B holds the L-shaped frame 212B. As described above, the coupler 11B can hold the opposing dolly 200 by replacing the hook 34B. Note that the dolly 200 to be towed is not limited to these examples, and the hook 34B may be the held portion 213 provided on the dolly 200, rather than the frames 212, 212A, and 212B of the dolly 200.

[0124] The connector 11B allows different hooks 34B to be attached to and detached from the same hook holder 37, providing a high degree of freedom. When the travel direction of the AGV 100, i.e., the towing direction of the cart 200, is taken as a reference, the front, rear, left and right sides of the base 34g are held by the hook holder 37, and the top and bottom of the base 34g are held by the hook holder 37 and the fastening member 38. Therefore, even if the base 34g is detachable from the hook holder 37, the base 34g can be stably held by the hook holder 37, so that the cart 200 can be stably towed. Note that the towing jig 1 may be configured such that one of the fixing member 21B and the hook 34B is detachable and the other is not detachable.

[0125] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. The embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiment includes various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from the multiple components disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the effect can be obtained even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, the configuration from which the components are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1... towing jig, 11, 11A, 11B... connecting tool, 12, 12A... control tool, 21... fixing member, 21a... base, 21b... rail, 21c... holding member, 21d... connecting plate, 21e... base holder, 21f... engaging member, 21g... engaged member, 21g1... opening, 22... connecting member, 22a... frame, 22b... guide, 22c... fixing part, 22d... opening, 23, 23A... holding tool, 31, 31A...first arm, 31a...rotating shaft, 31b...regulating portion, 31b1...first regulating plate, 31b2...second regulating plate, 31c...holding portion, 31d...rail, 32, 32A...second arm, 32a...rotating shaft, 33...contact plate, 34, 34B...hook, 34a...base, 34a1...support plate, 34a2...shaft, 34b...handle, 34b1...supported portion, 34c...holder, 34c1 ...bottom plate, 34c2...side plate, 34c3...holding plate, 34c4...opening, 34c5...long hole, 34d...moving body, 34d1...shaft body, 34d2...base material, 34d3...guided portion, 34e...claw portion, 34f...urging member, 34g...base, 35...spacer, 36...pressure plate, 37...hook holder, 37a...hole, 38...fastening member, 38a...wing bolt, 38b...nut, 41, 41A...frame arm, 42...swivel wheel, 43...fixed wheel, 44...fixed part, 44a...fixed plate, 45...pin, 45a...body, 45a1...notch, 45b...pin body, 45c...operating body, 45d...urging member, 46...weight, 47...fixed member, 100...transport vehicle, 200...cart, 201...shelf cart, 211...loading platform, 212, 212A...frame, 213...held part, 214...caster (swivel wheel).

Claims

1. A towing jig is provided which is connected to a transport vehicle and has a connector having holders which hold the front and left and right sides of the towing cart in the direction of travel of the cart.

2. The towing jig according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device holds the carriage in the traveling direction and abuts against the carriage at one of the left and right sides.

3. The towing tool of claim 1 further comprising a controller for controlling travel of the carriage.

4. The towing jig according to claim 3 , wherein the control tool has a fixed wheel and is disposed rearward of the holding tool in the traveling direction of the carriage.

5. The towing jig described in claim 4, wherein the control device is formed so as to be detachable from the coupling device, and when connected to the coupling device, is positioned rearward and centrally behind the holding device in the direction of travel of the trolley, and the upper end is lower than the underside of the loading platform of the trolley.

6. The connector includes: A fixing member fixed to the transport vehicle; A connecting member provided on the holder and connected to the fixing member so as to be movable between a vertical position and a horizontal position; The towing tool of claim 1 .

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