Transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide an unmanned carrier capable of properly carrying a truck.SOLUTION: The automatic guided vehicle 1 includes the surrounding body that is constituted by the plurality of parts 10a and 10b connected by the movable members 11 and surrounds the cage cart, the driving wheels 14 provided on the parts 10a and 10b of the surrounding body, and the control unit that controls the steering and driving of the driving wheels 14 so as to switch between the closed state in which the surrounding body surrounds the cage cart and the open state in which the object to be conveyed is released by changing the relative positions of the parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that automatically transport workpieces such as carts have been used in warehouses and other logistics sites. There are two types of AGVs: one that lifts and transports workpieces, and one that tows and transports them.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an automated guided vehicle that tows a bogie. The towing device described in this patent document proposes a highly versatile towing vehicle that does not require the bogie and towing vehicle to be coupled together. Specifically, the towing vehicle described in Prior Document 1 includes a towing device disposed at the rear of the towing vehicle. The towing device has a bogie enclosure bar extending rearward from its rear. The bogie is restrained by the towing vehicle by enclosing it with the bogie enclosure bar, and the bogie is towed by the towing vehicle while maintaining the enclosed state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7251004 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The towing vehicle described in the above-mentioned prior art document 1 is configured to have a towing device at the rear of the towing vehicle instead of a clamp. Specifically, the towing device has a rotatable guide rod with a lead screw and a nut threaded around the screw, and the rotation of the guide rod moves the side bars closer and farther apart.

[0006] The towing vehicle of Prior Art Document 1 may have difficulty transporting the cart stably depending on the conditions. For example, it is difficult to tow the cart appropriately under conditions such as when the load on the cart is heavy or when the floor surface is not sufficiently smooth.

[0007] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle that can properly transport a cart. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The transport vehicle of the present invention is composed of a plurality of parts connected by movable members and includes an enclosure that surrounds the transported object, drive wheels provided on each part of the enclosure, and a control unit that controls the steering and driving of the drive wheels so that the enclosure can switch between a closed state in which it surrounds the transported object and an open state in which it releases the transported object by changing the relative positions of each of the parts.

[0009] In the transport vehicle of the present invention, when the transport vehicle transports the transported object, the control unit may drive the drive wheels in a direction to transport the transported object, and also apply a drive force in a direction to close the enclosure.

[0010] In the transport vehicle of the present invention, the movable member may be a linear element, a rotary element, or both a linear element and a rotary element.

[0011] In the transport vehicle of the present invention, each of the parts may be provided with a lift mechanism for lifting the transported object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the drive wheels are positioned so as to surround the transported object, thereby ensuring that the transported object is surrounded and can be transported appropriately even when the transported object is heavy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in a closed state. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an automatic guided vehicle according to a first embodiment in an open state. [Figure 3] (a) A top view of the automated guided vehicle in the closed state, (b) A side view of the automated guided vehicle in the closed state. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle with an enclosure open, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle with an enclosure closed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a movable member. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a drive wheel. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an automated guided vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle in a state where it is transporting a basket cart. [Figure 9] 10A is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle in a state where a basket cart is surrounded. [Figure 10] 10A is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle in a state where a basket cart is surrounded. [Figure 11] 10A is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle in a state where a basket cart is surrounded. [Figure 12] 10(a) is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle according to a fifth embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle according to a modified example of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] 10(a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the automatic guided vehicle of the first embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the enclosure is closed. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle in a state where it is transporting a basket cart. [Figure 15] 10(a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the automatic guided vehicle of the third embodiment, and FIG. 10(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the enclosure is closed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The transport vehicle of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description merely shows one example of a preferred embodiment, and is not intended to limit the invention described in the claims. In this embodiment, an automated transport vehicle that transports a basket cart W as a workpiece will be described as an example. Although this embodiment will be described using an automated transport vehicle as an example, the present invention is not limited to automated transport vehicles, and may also be a manned transport vehicle operated by a person.

[0015] (First embodiment) 1 and 2 are perspective views of an automated guided vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a closed state in which a transported object is enclosed, and Fig. 2 shows an open state. Fig. 3(a) is a top view of the automated guided vehicle 1 in the closed state, and Fig. 3(b) is a side view of the automated guided vehicle 1 in the closed state. For ease of explanation, the direction from the movable member 11 toward the opening 13 is defined as the x-direction, the direction perpendicular to the x-direction as the y-direction, and the height direction as the z-direction.

[0016] The automated guided vehicle 1 has an enclosure 12 therein that surrounds the basket cart W, which is the load to be transported. The enclosure 12 has parts 10a and 10b (collectively referred to as "parts 10") and a movable member 11 that connects these two parts 10a and 10b. Parts 10a and 10b are connected via the movable member 11, and as shown in FIG. 2, the movable member 11 can increase the distance between parts 10a and 10b. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, by narrowing the distance between parts 10a and 10b, parts 10a and 10b and movable member 11 form a substantially rectangular area that surrounds the basket cart W. Parts 10a and 10b have a height sufficient to surround and transport the basket cart W; for example, the height from the ground to the top surfaces of parts 10a and 10b is approximately 15 cm.

[0017] Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing the state before the automated guided vehicle 1 holds the cart W, and Fig. 4(b) is a diagram showing the state when the automated guided vehicle 1 surrounds and holds the cart W. In this state, the distance in the y direction between parts 10a and 10b is determined by the cart W. Fig. 3(a) shows the state when the distance between parts 10a and 10b is at its smallest, but as can be seen by comparing with Fig. 3(a), in the state when the cart W is surrounded, parts 10a and 10b are spaced apart enough to sandwich the cart W.

[0018] In the automated guided vehicle 1 of the embodiment, the enclosure 12 does not completely surround the cart W, but has an opening 13 in a portion thereof. However, the opening 13 is smaller than the cart W, and in the state shown in Fig. 4(b), the cart W cannot go outside the enclosure 12. The state in which the cart 12 (carried object) is surrounded means the state in which the cart 12 cannot go outside the enclosure.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the movable member 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable member 11 of this embodiment is a slide rail, and includes an outer rail 21 and an inner rail 22. A mechanism such as a bearing allows the inner rail 22 to slide smoothly on the outer rail 21. By attaching the outer rail 21 and the inner rail 22 to the parts 10a and 10b, the parts 10a and 10b are slidably connected. Although a slide rail is used as an example here, the movable member 11 is not limited to a slide rail, and other configurations can also be adopted.

[0020] The automated guided vehicle 1 also has drive wheels 14 attached to the underside of the enclosure 12. Part 10a and part 10b each have two drive wheels 14. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which there are four drive wheels 14, but the number of drive wheels is not limited to four, and may of course be three or five or more.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the drive wheel 14. The drive wheel 14 includes a wheel 31 integrated with a drive motor, a pivot 33 for the wheel 31, a steering motor 36 that rotates the pivot 33, and a slip ring 34 that transmits power and electrical signals to the drive motor for the wheel 31. The wheel 31 is connected to the pivot 33 via a mounting member 32. The slip ring 34 is attached to a top plate 37 with a slip ring stopper 35. The top plate 37 is fixed to the underside of the part 10, thereby attaching the drive wheel 14 to the enclosure 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive wheel 14 includes a steering motor 36, allowing infinite rotation, and the wheel 31 can be oriented in any direction.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the automated guided vehicle 1. The automated guided vehicle 1 includes a control unit 40, a camera 41 that captures images of the periphery of the automated guided vehicle 1, the control unit 40 that controls the automated guided vehicle 1 based on the image captured by the camera 41, and drive wheels 14. The control unit 40 recognizes the basket cart W based on the image captured by the camera 41 and controls the drive wheels 14 to surround the basket cart W. The control unit 40 also controls the drive wheels 14 to move the basket cart W. Note that while an example in which the camera 41 is used as a means for acquiring the surrounding situation has been given here, other sensors such as LiDAR may also be used as a means for acquiring the surrounding situation. The automated guided vehicle 1 may also include a communication unit for communicating with other devices, an input unit for inputting instructions, etc.

[0023] As shown by the arrows in Figure 4(a), the control unit 40 drives the drive wheels 14 to move in the x direction, causing the automated guided vehicle 1 to head toward the cart W. Also, as shown by the arrows in Figure 4(b), the control unit 40 causes the automated guided vehicle 1 to place the cart W between parts 10a and 10b, and then shortens the distance in the y direction between parts 10a and 10b, thereby placing the cart W inside the enclosure 12. At this time, the control unit 40 drives the drive wheels 14a to move in the -y direction and the drive wheels 14b to move in the +y direction.

[0024] FIG. 8 shows the automated guided vehicle 1 transporting the cart W. The control unit 40 applies power D1 to the drive wheels 14, driving them in the x-direction, which is the transport direction. At the same time, to close the enclosure 12, the control unit 40 applies powers D2a and D2b to the drive wheels 14a and 14b, driving them in the ±y-directions. That is, the control unit 40 applies power D3, which is a combination of powers D1 and D2. This moves the parts 10a and 10b closer to each other, narrowing the opening of the enclosure and preventing the cart W from exiting the enclosure. Alternatively, the power D2 of the drive wheels 14 may be increased so that the parts 10a and 10b grip the cart W. Alternatively, a means may be provided for measuring the distance between the parts 10a and 10b using a sensor or the like and calculating appropriate powers D2a and D2b based on the measured distance. This prevents the cart W from rattling within the enclosure. When the cart W is transported in the transport direction, the cart W is completely surrounded by the unmanned transport vehicle 1, and therefore, together with the unmanned transport vehicle 1, it is transported by freely moving in a translational or rotational motion in the direction of the combined force generated by each drive wheel.

[0025] The automated guided vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with drive wheels 14 that can rotate infinitely, so that by driving the drive wheels 14 in the desired direction, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the enclosure 12 can be opened and closed and the automated guided vehicle 1 can travel. Because the opening and closing operation of the enclosure 12 is performed by the drive wheels 14, no opening and closing actuator such as a feed mechanism is required.

[0026] Furthermore, since the unmanned guided vehicle 1 itself is a complete single structure, it can be easily realized using wired means such as for power interchange and communication for control, compared to when an unmanned guided vehicle is configured as multiple structures.

[0027] As described above, the enclosure 12 can be kept closed by driving the drive wheels 14 even when the automatic guided vehicle 1 is traveling, but a lock may also be provided to ensure that the cart W is enclosed.

[0028] (Second embodiment) 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 2 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9(a) shows the state before the automated guided vehicle 2 surrounds the cart W, and FIG. 9(b) shows the state after the cart W has been surrounded. The automated guided vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment differs in that the movable member 11 is a hinge rather than a slide. Note that the movable member 11 is not limited to a hinge, and any rotating element can be used. The surrounding body 12 of the automated guided vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment is made up of two parts 10a and 10b connected by the hinge 11.

[0029] (Third embodiment) Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 3 according to a third embodiment. Figure 10(a) shows the state before the automated guided vehicle 3 surrounds the cart W, and Figure 10(b) shows the state after the cart W has been surrounded. The automated guided vehicle 3 according to the third embodiment is similar to the automated guided vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment in that it uses a hinge as the movable member 11, but differs in the shape of the parts 10 that make up the surrounding body 12. The surrounding body 12 of the automated guided vehicle 3 according to the third embodiment is made up of two parts 10a and 10b formed by dividing a rectangle.

[0030] (Fourth embodiment) 11(a) and 11(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 4 according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 11(a) shows the automated guided vehicle 4 in a state before it surrounds the cart W, and FIG. 11(b) shows the state after it surrounds the cart W. In the automated guided vehicle 4 according to the fourth embodiment, an enclosure 12 is made up of three parts 10a to 10c. That is, parts 10a and 10b are connected to a U-shaped part 10c via sliding movable members 11a and 11b. As parts 10a and 10b move toward or away from each other in the y direction, an opening 13 of the enclosure 12 is narrowed, and the cart W is held inside the enclosure 12.

[0031] (Fifth embodiment) 12(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 5 according to a fifth embodiment. In the automated guided vehicle according to the fifth embodiment, an enclosure 12 is composed of three parts 10a to 10c. That is, parts 10a and 10b are connected to a U-shaped part 10c via rotatable movable members 11a and 11b. By rotating parts 10a and 10b so that they face in the y direction, an opening 13 of the enclosure 12 is narrowed, and a cart W is held inside the enclosure 12.

[0032] 12(b) is a diagram showing the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 5a according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. The automated guided vehicle 6 according to the modification has a rotation axis facing in a different direction from that of the automated guided vehicle 5 according to the fifth embodiment. That is, the rotation axis of the automated guided vehicle 6 according to the modification extends in the x direction. The parts 10a and 10b rotate about the rotation axis, and when the enclosure 12 is open, the parts 10a and 10b stand upright.

[0033] Although the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention has been described in detail above by way of an embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0034] Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams showing modified examples of the automated guided vehicle 1 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1. Figure 13(a) is a diagram showing the automated guided vehicle 1a with the enclosure 12 open, and Figure 13(b) is a diagram showing the automated guided vehicle 1a with the enclosure 12 closed. The enclosure 12 of the automated guided vehicle 1a has a shape similar to that of the enclosure 12 of the automated guided vehicle 1 of the first embodiment, but four parts 10a to 10d are connected via movable members 11a to 11c. This configuration allows the automated guided vehicle 1a to appropriately hold basket carts W of various sizes.

[0035] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an automated guided vehicle transporting a cart W. Similar to the example shown in FIG. 8, the drive wheels 14 of the parts 10a and 10b are applied with a driving force D3, which is a combination of the power D1 in the x direction (the transport direction) and the power D2 in the ±y direction. The drive wheels 14 of the parts 10c and 10d are applied with a driving force D3, which is a combination of the power D1 in the x direction (the transport direction) and the power D2 in the direction opposite to the transport direction. That is, the driving force in the transport direction of the parts 10c and 10d is smaller than the driving force of the parts 10a and 10b. When the parts 10c and 10d are ahead in the direction of travel, the driving force in the transport direction is weakened compared to the parts 10a and 10b behind them in the direction of travel, so that the enclosure closes. Conversely, when the transport direction is reversed, the driving force of the parts 10c and 10d is increased.

[0036] 15(a) and 15(b) are diagrams showing a modified example of the automated guided vehicle 3 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 15(a) is a diagram showing the automated guided vehicle 3a with the enclosure 12 open, and FIG. 15(b) is a diagram showing the automated guided vehicle 3a with the enclosure 12 closed. The automated guided vehicle 3a has a configuration in which the part 10a of the automated guided vehicle 3 of the third embodiment is divided into two parts, 10a and 10c, which are connected by a sliding movable member 11a, and the part 10b of the automated guided vehicle 3 is divided into two parts, 10b and 10d, which are connected by a sliding movable member 11b. When closing the enclosure 12 of the automated guided vehicle 3, the part 10a and the part 10b are rotated so that the angle between them is approximately 90°, and the part 10c and the part 10d are slid to close the enclosure 12. This configuration allows the space required by the automatic guided vehicle 3a when holding the basket cart W to be reduced.

[0037] In the above embodiment, an example in which the cart W is surrounded and transported has been described, but the automated guided vehicle of the present invention may also be equipped with a lift mechanism to lift and transport part or all of the workpiece. For example, a rack and pinion or a linear cylinder can be used as the lift mechanism. By lifting and transporting the workpiece, it is possible to transport workpieces that do not have wheels. In addition, the load on the drive wheels can be increased, reducing slippage between the drive wheels and the ground. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1~5 Automated guided vehicle 10 parts 11 Movable parts 12 Enclosure 13 Aperture 14 drive wheels 21 outer rail 22 Interrail 31 wheels 32 Mounting material 33 Swivel axis 34 slip ring 35 Slip ring stopper 36 Steering motor 37 Top plate 40 Control Unit 41 Camera W-basket cart

Claims

1. an enclosure that is configured by a plurality of parts connected by movable members and that surrounds the transported object; drive wheels provided on each part of the enclosure; a control unit that controls the steering and driving of the drive wheels so that the enclosure switches between a closed state in which the enclosure encloses the transported object and an open state in which the enclosure opens the transported object by changing the relative positions of the parts; A transport vehicle equipped with the above.

2. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, when the transport vehicle transports the transported object, drives the drive wheels in a direction to transport the transported object and also applies a driving force in a direction to close the enclosure.

3. 3. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a linear motion element.

4. 3. The transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is a rotating element.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable member includes both a linear element and a rotary element.

6. The transport vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the parts is provided with a lift mechanism for lifting an object to be transported.

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