Automatic transport device and automatic transport method using automatic transport device

Abstract

To enable each automatic carrier to move on a line in a curve section even when a plurality of automatic carriers are connected and carried.SOLUTION: This automatic conveying device 10 is provided with a plurality of automatic conveying vehicles 11 and 12 capable of traveling autonomously on a predetermined line L, a connecting body 13 for mutually connecting the plurality of automatic conveying vehicles 11 and 12, and control parts 15a and 15b capable of controlling the traveling of each automatic conveying vehicle 11 and 12. The respective automatic conveying vehicles 11 and 12 are connected to the connecting body 13 so as to be turnable around a prescribed vertical axis, and the control parts 15a and 15b are constituted so as to control the speeds Vf and Vr of the respective automatic conveying vehicles 11 and 12 based on the angles θ f and θ r in the turning direction of the plurality of automatic conveying vehicles 11 and 12 with respect to the connecting body 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic transfer device and an automatic transfer method using the automatic transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In production sites such as factories, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs, also called unmanned guided vehicles) are used to transport parts, intermediate products, or finished products in order to improve productivity by saving labor.

[0003] In addition, when performing the above-mentioned automatic transport, a method is known in which a cart loaded with parts is towed by one automatic transport vehicle (see Patent Document 1), and a method is known in which the object to be transported is transported by two automatic transport vehicles (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4877520 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6151159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When considering transporting a specified object using two automated guided vehicles working together, it is conceivable to couple the automated guided vehicles to a carriage unit, such as a pallet, on which the object can be mounted, at the front and rear of the carriage unit, and control both automated guided vehicles to move at the same speed on a common line while detecting the common line. When controlling two automated guided vehicles in this way, control becomes an issue when moving around curved sections of the line.

[0006] FIG. 7 shows a movement mode in a case where two automated guided vehicles 111, 112 are connected by a connecting body 113 made of a rigid body such as a pallet. In this case, in order for the two automated guided vehicles 111, 112 to move at the same speed on the curved section Lc of the line L, for example, the front automated guided vehicle 111 and the connecting body 113 may be connected so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and the posture of the rear automated guided vehicle 112 relative to the connecting body 113 (posture in a plan view) may be fixed in a certain state. In this case, the two automated guided vehicles 111, 112 behave like front-wheel drive vehicles, so that the rear automated guided vehicle 112 moves inside the line L of the actual curved section Lc due to the difference in inner wheel rotation. This requires additional space for automated guided vehicles on the inside, which may reduce the flexibility of facility layout.

[0007] For example, if not only the front automated guided vehicle 111 and the connecting body 113 but also the rear automated guided vehicle 112 and the connecting body 113 are connected so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, it would seem that the front and rear automated guided vehicles 111, 112 would be able to move on a common line L even in the curved section Lc. However, in order to move the front and rear automated guided vehicles 111, 112 at the same speed in this way, it is necessary to appropriately change the distance between the front and rear automated guided vehicles 111, 112. For this reason, this movement mode cannot be adopted when the front and rear automated guided vehicles 111, 112 are connected by the connecting body 113 made of a rigid body such as a pallet.

[0008] The above-mentioned problem is not limited to a transport system in which two automated guided vehicles are linked together, but can also occur in a transport system in which, for example, three or more automated guided vehicles are linked together.

[0009] In light of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to enable each automated guided vehicle to move along a line in curved sections, even when transportation is carried out in a form in which multiple automated guided vehicles are connected together. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The above-mentioned problems are solved by an automated guided vehicle according to the present invention. Specifically, this automated guided vehicle comprises a plurality of automated guided vehicles, each capable of autonomously traveling on a predetermined line, a connecting body connecting the plurality of automated guided vehicles to each other, and a control unit capable of controlling the traveling of each automated guided vehicle, and is capable of transporting an object through cooperation of the plurality of automated guided vehicles, wherein each automated guided vehicle is connected to the connecting body so as to be able to turn about a predetermined vertical axis, and the control unit is configured to be able to control the speed of each automated guided vehicle based on the angle of the turning direction of the plurality of automated guided vehicles relative to the connecting body.

[0011] As described above, when multiple automated guided vehicles are interconnected by a connector, and each automated guided vehicle is connected to the connector so as to be able to rotate around a predetermined vertical axis, when one of the automated guided vehicles is traveling along a curved section of a line that serves as a transport route, not only the automated guided vehicle traveling along the curved section but also other automated guided vehicles connected to the automated guided vehicle may be rotated at a predetermined angle relative to the connector. Furthermore, these rotation angles reflect the relative positions of the automated guided vehicles. Therefore, by controlling the speed of each automated guided vehicle using information about the rotation angles of the multiple interconnected automated guided vehicles, each automated guided vehicle can travel along a common line while maintaining a constant distance between the preceding and following automated guided vehicles, or can move as close to the line as possible.

[0012] In addition, in the automatic conveying device of the present invention, the control unit may be configured to be able to control the speed by applying different angle equations in a first running state in which one automatic conveying vehicle connected to each other by a connecting member runs on a curved section of the line and the other automatic conveying vehicle runs on a first straight section connected to the entrance of the curved section, a second running state in which both automatic conveying vehicles run on the curved section, and a third running state in which one automatic conveying vehicle runs on a second straight section connected to the exit of the curved section and the other automatic conveying vehicle runs on the curved section.

[0013] By applying different angle formulas depending on the combination of sections on which the two automated guided vehicles located before and after the connected body are traveling, it is possible to accurately calculate the speed of each automated guided vehicle, particularly the speed suitable for traveling on a line in a curved section. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to move the automated guided vehicles on a common line more accurately.

[0014] The above-mentioned problems are also solved by an automatic transport method using an automatic transport system according to the present invention. That is, this automatic transport method is a method for automatically transporting an object using an automatic transport system that includes a plurality of automatic transport vehicles, each of which can travel autonomously on a predetermined line, a connecting body that connects the plurality of automatic transport vehicles to each other, and a control unit that can control the travel of each automatic transport vehicle, and is capable of transporting an object through cooperation of the plurality of automatic transport vehicles, wherein each automatic transport vehicle is connected to the connecting body so as to be able to turn about a predetermined vertical axis, and the control unit is configured to be able to control the speed of each automatic transport vehicle based on the angle of the turning direction of the plurality of automatic transport vehicles with respect to the connecting body.

[0015] In this way, with the automatic transport method of the present invention, by controlling the speed of each automatic transport vehicle using the turning angle information of multiple automatic transport vehicles connected to each other, it is possible for each automatic transport vehicle to move on a common line while maintaining a constant distance between the front and rear automatic transport vehicles, or to move as close as possible to that line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the automatic transport device and automatic transport method of the present invention enable each automatic transport vehicle to move along a line in curved sections, even when transport is performed in a form in which multiple automatic transport vehicles are connected together. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an automatic conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the control mode when the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1 travels along a curved section of a predetermined line, showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle on the front side travels along a curved section and the automatic guided vehicle on the rear side travels along a straight section. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the control mode when the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1 travels along a curved section of a predetermined line, and shows a state in which both the front automatic guided vehicle and the rear automatic guided vehicle are traveling along the curved section. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the control mode when the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1 travels along a curved section of a predetermined line, showing a state in which the automatic guided vehicle on the front side travels along a straight section and the automatic guided vehicle on the rear side travels along a curved section. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing an example of speed history of the front and rear automated guided vehicles according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing an example of the angle history of the front and rear automated guided vehicles according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a control mode when an automatic transport device according to a comparison example to the present invention travels along a curved section of a predetermined line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An automatic conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an automatic conveying method using this conveying device will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] 1 shows a plan view of an automatic guided vehicle 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This automatic guided vehicle 10 mainly includes two automatic guided vehicles 11 and 12, a connecting member 13 that connects the two automatic guided vehicles 11 and 12 to each other, angle detection units 14a and 14b that can detect the angles of the rotation directions of each automatic guided vehicle 11 and 12 relative to the connecting member 13 (hereinafter referred to as rotation angles θf and θr), and control units 15a and 15b.

[0020] In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 10 further includes speed detection units 16a and 16b, and communication units 17a and 17b, which are capable of detecting the speeds Vf and Vr of the automated guided vehicles 11 and 12. Each element will be described in detail below.

[0021] Both automated guided vehicles 11 and 12 have a structure that allows them to travel autonomously on a predetermined line L, and include, for example, a pair of wheels 18a and 18b and a pair of drive sources 19a and 19b that apply rotational drive force to each of wheels 18a and 18b. In this case, by making the rotation speeds of each wheel 18a and 18b equal, automated guided vehicles 11 and 12 travel straight, and by making the rotation speeds of each wheel 18a and 18b different, automated guided vehicles 11 and 12 can turn toward the wheel with the lower rotation speed of the pair of wheels 18a and 18b.

[0022] The connecting body 13 integrally includes a loading section 20, which is, for example, pallet-shaped and capable of loading an object to be transported (not shown), a first connecting section 21 located in front of the loading section 20 for connecting to one of the automated guided vehicles 11, and a second connecting section 22 located in the rear of the loading section 20 for connecting to the other automated guided vehicle 12. In this embodiment, the first connecting section 21 protrudes forward from the loading section 20, and a connecting shaft 23 provided on one of the automated guided vehicles 11 and extending vertically upward is fitted into a connecting hole 21a provided in the first connecting section 21. As a result, the one automated guided vehicle 11 is connected to the connecting body 13 and is capable of rotating relative to the connecting body 13 around (the central axis of) the connecting shaft 23. The second connecting portion 22 projects rearward from the mounting portion 20, and a connecting shaft 24 provided on the other automated guided vehicle 12 and extending vertically upward is fitted into a connecting hole 22a provided in the second connecting portion 22. This allows the other automated guided vehicle 12 to be connected to the connecting body 13 and to rotate around (the central axis of) the connecting shaft 24 relative to the connecting body 13.

[0023] Although not shown, the mounting unit 20 is provided with a plurality of wheels, which allow the connecting body 13 to follow the movement of the automatic guided vehicles 11 and 12. In this case, each wheel is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0024] Angle detection units 14a, 14b are configured with, for example, known angle sensors, and are disposed at or near the connection portion between each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 and connected body 13. This makes it possible to detect the turning angles θf, θr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 relative to connected body 13. In the following description, for convenience, one automated guided vehicle 11 will be referred to as the front automated guided vehicle 11, and the other automated guided vehicle 12 will be referred to as the rear automated guided vehicle 12.

[0025] The speed detection units 16a, 16b are capable of detecting the speeds Vf, Vr of the respective automated guided vehicles 11, 12, and are configured, for example, with known speed sensors. In this embodiment, a first speed detection unit 16a is provided on the front automated guided vehicle 11, and a second speed detection unit 16b is provided on the rear automated guided vehicle 12. This makes it possible to detect the speed Vf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 and the speed Vr of the rear automated guided vehicle 12.

[0026] The communication units 17a and 17b are configured to be able to transmit predetermined information acquired by each of the automated guided vehicles 11 and 12 to the corresponding control units 15a and 15b. In this embodiment, the front automated guided vehicle 11 is provided with a first angle detection unit 14a, a first speed detection unit 16a, a first communication unit 17a, and a first control unit 15a, and is configured to be able to transmit the turning angle θf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 detected by the first angle detection unit 14a and the speed Vf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 detected by the first speed detection unit 16a to the first control unit 15a via the first communication unit 17a. In addition, the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 is provided with a second angle detection unit 14b, a second speed detection unit 16b, a second communication unit 17b, and a second control unit 15b, and is configured so that the rotation angle θr of the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 detected by the second angle detection unit 14b and the speed Vr of the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 detected by the second speed detection unit 16b can be transmitted to the second control unit 15b via the second communication unit 17b.

[0027] Furthermore, the first communication unit 17a and the second communication unit 17b are capable of bidirectional communication, and the rotation angle θf detected by the first angle detection unit 14a can be transmitted to the second control unit 15b via the first communication unit 17a and the second communication unit 17b, and the rotation angle θr detected by the second angle detection unit 14b can be transmitted to the first control unit 15a via the second communication unit 17b and the first communication unit 17a.

[0028] Each control unit 15a, 15b is capable of controlling the travel of the corresponding automated guided vehicles 11, 12. Specifically, each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 is provided with a line detection unit (not shown) capable of detecting line L, and is configured to be able to control the movement of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 so that each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 is positioned on line L (without deviating from line L) based on position information related to line L detected by this line detection unit. Specifically, each control unit 15a, 15b is configured to be able to control the rotation speed (more precisely, the difference in rotation speed) of a pair of wheels 18a, 18b so as to satisfy the above-mentioned conditions.

[0029] In addition, each control unit 15a, 15b is configured to be able to control the speeds Vf, Vr of the corresponding automatic guided vehicles 11, 12, taking into consideration not only the turning angles θf, θr of the automatic guided vehicles 11, 12 that are the control target, but also the turning angles of other automatic guided vehicles that are not the control target (for example, the turning angle θr of the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 in the case of the first control unit 15a, and the turning angle θf of the front automatic guided vehicle 11 in the case of the second control unit 15b).

[0030] In this embodiment, each of the control units 15a and 15b is configured to control the velocities Vf and Vr by switching the control mode of the velocities Vf and Vr according to the traveling state of each of the automated guided vehicles 11 and 12. Specifically, each of the control units 15a and 15b is configured to control (set) the velocities Vf and Vr by applying different equations for the turning angles θf and θr in a first traveling state (see FIG. 2) in which the front automated guided vehicle 11 travels in the curve section Lc of the line L and the rear automated guided vehicle 12 travels in the first straight section Ls1 connected to the entrance of the curve section Lc, a second traveling state (see FIG. 3) in which both automated guided vehicles 11 and 12 travel in the curve section Lc, and a third traveling state (see FIG. 4) in which the front automated guided vehicle 11 travels in the second straight section Ls2 connected to the exit of the curve section Lc and the rear automated guided vehicle 12 travels in the curve section Lc.

[0031] An example of the control flow will be described in detail below. First, the turning angles θf, θr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 while traveling are detected, and when the detected turning angles θf, θr are substituted, if the conditional expression expressed by the following formula 1 is satisfied, each control unit 15a, 15b selects the control mode expressed by formulas 2 and 3 (first control mode) and sets the values ​​of the velocities Vf, Vr. Note that in formulas 1 to 9 shown below, the values ​​of each turning angle θf, θr are both set to 90 degrees (π / 2 rad) when traveling in a straight line, and the positive and negative directions of each turning angle θf, θr are determined so that the phase advances counterclockwise as in the illustrated example (see FIG. 2, etc.).

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[0032] Alternatively, if the conditional expression expressed by the following formula 4 is satisfied when the values ​​of the detected turning angles θf and θr are substituted, each of the control units 15a and 15b selects the control mode (second control mode) expressed by the formulas 5 and 6, and sets the values ​​of the speeds Vf and Vr.

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[0033] Alternatively, if the conditional expression expressed by the following formula 7 is satisfied when the values ​​of the detected turning angles θf and θr are substituted, each of the control units 15a and 15b selects the control mode expressed by the formulas 8 and 9 (third control mode) and sets the values ​​of the speeds Vf and Vr.

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[0034] Here, V0 is the speed of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 in the straight sections Ls1, Ls2, and α is a coefficient set based on the distance D between the connecting points P1, P2 of the connecting body 13 and each automated guided vehicle 11, 12, and the distance d between a pair of wheels 18a, 18b (see FIG. 1). For example, if the distance D is determined within a range that allows an object of a size such as an automobile body to be carried, then the coefficient is set to an appropriate value within the range of 0.05≦α≦0.15 according to the value of the distance D. However, the distance D is set such that R>D / 2 where R is the radius of curvature (turning radius) of the curved section Lc. 1 / 2 must be met.

[0035] Furthermore, when speed detection units 16a, 16b are provided on each automatic guided vehicle 11, 12 as in this embodiment, if the speeds Vf, Vr of each automatic guided vehicle 11, 12 detected by each speed detection unit 16a, 16b differ from the values ​​of Vf, Vr set based on the above-mentioned formulas 1 to 3, formulas 4 to 6, or formulas 7 to 9 (if the speed difference is a certain number or more), each control unit 15a, 15b may correct (feedback control) the speeds Vf, Vr of each automatic guided vehicle 11, 12 so that the speed difference approaches zero.

[0036] Next, one mode of speed control when the automatic conveying device 10 having the above configuration passes through the curve section Lc will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. In Figures 2 to 4, the shape of the connecting body 13 is simplified to a rod-like body in order to make it clear that the connecting body 13 is a rigid body and to facilitate understanding of the turning angles θf and θr.

[0037] First, as shown in FIG. 2, when the automated guided vehicle 10 has passed through a straight section (first straight section Ls1) and has begun to enter the curved section Lc, i.e., when the front automated guided vehicle 11 is traveling through the curved section Lc and the rear automated guided vehicle 12 is traveling through the first straight section Ls1 that connects at the entrance of the curved section Lc (first traveling state), each control unit 15a, 15b selects the first control mode and controls the velocities Vf, Vr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 based on Equations 2 and 3. More precisely, the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 18a, 18b of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 are controlled so that the velocities Vf, Vr are achieved. In the first traveling state, since the front automated guided vehicle 11 travels through the curved section Lc first, sin θf / sin θr is always smaller than 1. In other words, Equation 1 is always satisfied. Therefore, the target velocities Vf, Vr are set based on Equations 2 and 3.

[0038] In this case, in the first traveling state, the turning angle θf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 changes before the turning angle θr of the rear automated guided vehicle 12 (the changing direction is opposite), and then the difference (absolute value) between the turning angle θr and the front automated guided vehicle 11 gradually decreases, and when both reach the curve section Lc, the difference (absolute value) between the turning angle θr and the front automated guided vehicle 11 becomes zero (see FIG. 5). Also, while the speed Vf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 is constant at speed V0, the speed Vr of the rear automated guided vehicle 12 gradually decreases and then starts to increase, and when both reach the curve section Lc, they become equal (see FIG. 6).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, when the front and rear automated guided vehicles 11, 12 are both traveling through the curve section Lc (second traveling state), the control units 15a, 15b select the second control mode and control the velocities Vf, Vr of the respective automated guided vehicles 11, 12. In the second traveling state, since the front and rear automated guided vehicles 11, 12 are both traveling through the curve section Lc, if the radius of curvature R of the curve section Lc is constant as in this embodiment, sin θf / sin θr is always 1, and Equation 4 is always satisfied. Therefore, based on Equations 5 and 6, the target velocities Vf, Vr are set to constant velocities (velocity V0 when traveling through a straight section) (see FIG. 6). In this case, the turning angles θf, θr of the front and rear automated guided vehicles 11, 12 are both maintained at constant values ​​(see FIG. 5).

[0040] 4, in a state (third running state) in which the front automated guided vehicle 11 is traveling on the second straight section Ls2 that connects the curve section Lc with the exit (front end) of the curve section Lc, and the rear automated guided vehicle 12 is still traveling on the curve section Lc, each control unit 15a, 15b selects the third control mode to control the velocities Vf, Vr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12. In the third running state, because the front automated guided vehicle 11 travels first on the second straight section Ls2, sin θf / sin θr always has a value greater than 1, that is, formula 7 is always satisfied, and therefore target velocities Vf, Vr are set based on formulas 8 and 9.

[0041] In this case, in the third traveling state, the turning angle θf of the front automated guided vehicle 11 fluctuates significantly prior to the turning angle θr of the rear automated guided vehicle 12 (the direction of the change is opposite), and then the difference (absolute value) between the turning angle θf and the turning angle θr gradually decreases, and when both of them reach the second straight section Ls2, the difference (absolute value) becomes zero (see FIG. 5). Also, with regard to speed, while the rear automated guided vehicle 12 is constant at speed V0, speed Vf suddenly decreases and then begins to increase gradually, and when both of them reach the second straight section Ls2, they become equal (see FIG. 6). In this way, the speeds Vf and Vr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 when passing through the curve section Lc are controlled.

[0042] As described above, in the automatic conveying device 10 of this embodiment, two automatic conveying vehicles 11, 12 are connected to each other by a connecting body 13, and when each automatic conveying vehicle 11, 12 is connected to the connecting body 13 so that it can rotate around a predetermined vertical axis, the speeds Vf, Vr of each automatic conveying vehicle 11, 12 are controlled using information regarding the rotation angles θf, θr of both automatic conveying vehicles 11, 12.For the reasons described above, each automatic conveying vehicle 11, 12 can move on a common line L (especially the curve section Lc) while keeping the distance between the front and rear automatic conveying vehicles 11, 12 (distance D between connection points P1, P2) constant, or can move as close as possible to the line L.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, each control unit 15a, 15b is able to control the speeds Vf, Vr by applying different angle equations (Equations 1 to 3, Equations 4 to 6, and Equations 7 to 9) in a first running state in which the front automatic guided vehicle 11 is running on the curve section Lc of the line L and the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 is running on the first straight section Ls1 connected to the entrance of the curve section Lc, a second running state in which both automatic guided vehicles 11, 12 are running on the curve section Lc, and a third running state in which the front automatic guided vehicle 11 is running on the second straight section Ls2 connected to the exit of the curve section Lc and the rear automatic guided vehicle 12 is running on the curve section Lc. In this manner, in this embodiment, by applying different angle formulas depending on the combination of sections on which the front and rear automated guided vehicles 11, 12 are traveling, it is possible to accurately calculate the speeds Vf, Vr of each automated guided vehicle 11, 12, particularly the speeds Vf, Vr suitable for traveling on the line L in the curve section Lc. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible for each automated guided vehicle 11, 12 to move on the common line L more accurately.

[0044] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Equations 1 to 9, the conditional equations used in each control mode and the equations for setting the speeds Vf and Vr (Equations 1 to 9) are all defined as equations with only the turning angles θf and θr as variables, so it is possible to make each automatic guided vehicle 11, 12 travel accurately on the line L in the curve section Lc regardless of the size of the turning radius (curvature radius R) of the curve section Lc.

[0045] The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the automatic conveying device according to the present invention and the automatic conveying method using this conveying device can also have configurations other than those described above, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0046] For example, in the above embodiment, the velocities Vf, Vr of the automated guided vehicles 11, 12 are controlled by switching the control mode based on Formulas 1 to 9 depending on the traveling state of the automated guided vehicles 11, 12, but Formulas 1 to 9 are merely suitable examples. For example, the velocities Vf, Vr may be controlled based on an appropriate angle formula, taking into consideration conditions other than those exemplified.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the case where communication units 17a, 17b are provided in each of automated guided vehicles 11, 12 and first communication unit 17a and second communication unit 17b are capable of bidirectional communication has been exemplified, but of course other configurations are also possible. For example, although not shown, a central control unit may be provided at a location separate from each of automated guided vehicles 11, 12, and bidirectional communication may be performed between this central control unit and communication units 17a, 17b of each of automated guided vehicles 11, 12, so that the turning angle θf detected by first angle detection unit 14a can be transmitted via the central control unit to the control unit (second control unit 15b) of the automated guided vehicle 12 located behind, and the turning angle θr detected by second angle detection unit 14b can be transmitted via the central control unit to the control unit (first control unit 15a) of the automated guided vehicle 11 located ahead.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above explanation, an example has been given in which the connecting body 13 is integrally provided with the loading section 20 capable of loading an object (not shown), the first connecting section 21 located on the front side of the loading section 20 for connecting to one automated guided vehicle 11, and the second connecting section 22 located on the rear side of the loading section 20 for connecting to the other automated guided vehicle 12, but of course the connecting body 13 can have other configurations as well. For example, although not shown, when the object to be transported is a huge, heavy object such as an automobile body, the present invention can be applied even in a case in which the connecting body is configured so that the object to be transported straddles the front and rear connecting body elements, in other words, so that the object to be transported forms part of the connecting body.

[0049] In the above explanation, the present invention is applied to an automatic guided vehicle 10 in which two automatic guided vehicles 11 and 12 are connected to each other via a connector 13, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, although not shown in the drawings, the present invention can also be applied to an automatic guided vehicle in which three or more automatic guided vehicles are connected to each other via a connector that is a rigid body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Automatic transport device 11,12 Automated guided vehicles 13 Concatenation 14a, 14b Angle detection unit 15a, 15b Control section 16a, 16b Speed ​​detection section 17a,17b Communication Department 18a,18b wheels 19a, 19b Drive source 20 Mounting section 21,22 Connecting part 21a,22a connection hole 23,24 Connecting shaft 111,112 Automated guided vehicles 113 Concatenation L Line Lc curve section Ls1, Ls2 straight section P1,P2 connection point R radius of curvature V0,Vf,Vr Speed θf,θr turning angle

Claims

1. A plurality of automated guided vehicles that can travel autonomously on a predetermined line, a connecting member that connects the plurality of automated guided vehicles to each other; a control unit capable of controlling the traveling of each of the automatic guided vehicles, and an automatic guided vehicle capable of transporting an object by cooperation of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles, Each of the automated guided vehicles is connected to the connecting body so as to be rotatable about a predetermined vertical axis, and The control unit is configured to be able to control the speed of each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles based on the angle of the turning direction of the automated guided vehicles relative to the connected body.

2. the control unit controls the automatic guided vehicle to have a first traveling state in which one of the automatic guided vehicles connected to each other by the connecting body travels in a curved section of the line, and the other automatic guided vehicle travels in a first straight section connected to an entrance of the curved section; a second traveling state in which both of the automated guided vehicles are traveling in the curved section; 2. The automatic guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the speed can be controlled by applying different equations for the angle in a third running state in which the one automatic guided vehicle is running in a second straight section connected to the exit of the curved section, and the other automatic guided vehicle is running in the curved section.

3. A plurality of automated guided vehicles that can travel autonomously on a predetermined line, a connecting member that connects the plurality of automated guided vehicles to each other; a control unit capable of controlling the travel of each of the automated guided vehicles, and an automated guided vehicle capable of transporting an object by cooperation of the automated guided vehicles, Each of the automated guided vehicles is connected to the connecting body so as to be rotatable about a predetermined vertical axis, and The automatic transport method using an automatic transport device, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to control the speed of each of the automatic transport vehicles based on the angle of the turning direction of the plurality of automatic transport vehicles relative to the connected body.

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