Automated guided vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides an automated guided vehicle that reduces tilting of goods during transport, as well as vibrations transmitted to the goods and vibrations (impacts) caused by the goods bouncing on the loading platform. [Solution] The automated guided vehicle 1 comprises a traveling carriage 10, a first member 51 that connects the traveling carriage 10 and the peripheral edge of the loading platform 44 in the vertical direction, a concave second member 53 fixed to the central part of the loading platform 44 and one of the traveling carriage 10 and having an inner circumferential surface 53a, and a convex third member 52 fixed to the central part of the loading platform 44 and the other of the traveling carriage 10 and having an outer circumferential surface 52Ba. The inner circumferential surface 53a of the second member 53 and the outer circumferential surface 52Ba of the third member 52 are arranged to be in constant contact, or to be in contact with each other when the loading platform 44 and the traveling carriage 10 move relative to each other in the horizontal direction. The first member 51 is made of an elastic material, and at least one of the second member 53 and the third member 52 is made of an elastic material.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In a clean room for manufacturing semiconductors, an automated guided vehicle that transports containers such as FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated guided vehicle configured with a loading platform for workpieces and a transfer robot on a traveling carriage. According to the automated guided vehicle described in Patent Document 1, workpieces can be transferred between each manufacturing apparatus and the loading platform by the transfer robot.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such an automated guided vehicle, there is a desire to reduce the tilting of articles such as containers during transportation. At the same time, in such an automated guided vehicle, there is a desire to reduce the vibration transmitted to the articles during transportation.

[0005] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide an automated guided vehicle that can reduce the tilting of articles during transportation, and can also reduce the vibration transmitted to the articles and the vibration (impact) when the articles bounce on the loading platform.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) An automated guided vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is an automated guided vehicle for transporting articles, comprising: a traveling carriage; a loading platform on which articles are placed; a first member connecting the traveling carriage and the peripheral edge of the loading platform positioned above the traveling carriage in the vertical direction; a concave second member fixed to the central part of the loading platform and one of the traveling carriages in a plan view, and having an annular inner surface perpendicular to the horizontal direction; and a convex third member fixed to the central part of the loading platform and the other of the traveling carriages in a plan view, and having an outer surface that can be positioned to face the annular inner surface in the horizontal direction, wherein the second member and the third member are arranged to be relatively movable in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the inner surface of the second member and the outer surface of the third member are arranged to be in constant contact, or to be in contact with each other when the loading platform and the traveling carriage move relative to each other in the horizontal direction, wherein the first member is made of an elastic material, and at least one of the second member and the third member is made of an elastic material.

[0007] In this configuration of an automated guided vehicle (AGV), the periphery of the loading platform is connected to the trolley by the first member, thereby suppressing tilting when an item is placed on the loading surface of the loading platform. Furthermore, since the first member is made of an elastic material, vertical vibrations transmitted from the trolley to the loading platform can be reduced. In addition, since at least one of the second and third members is made of an elastic material, horizontal vibrations when the trolley moves can be reduced. Moreover, even if the degree of vertical vibration and horizontal vibration differ, the second and third members are relatively movable in the vertical direction, so they do not hinder the vertical vibration damping by the first member. As a result, the objective is to provide an AGV that reduces tilting of items during transport and reduces vertical and horizontal vibrations transmitted to the items, as well as vibrations (impacts) when items bounce on the loading platform.

[0008] (2) In the automated guided vehicle described in (1) above, one of the second and third members may be made of an elastic member, and the other of the second and third members may be made of a rigid member. In this configuration, a vibration absorption effect can be obtained by the elastic member.

[0009] (3) In the automated guided vehicle described in (1) or (2) above, the second member may be fixed to the center of the loading platform and formed of a rigid member, and the third member may be fixed to the traveling carriage and formed of an elastic member. In this configuration, the vibration absorption effect of the elastic member can be effectively obtained.

[0010] (4) In any one of the automated guided vehicles described in (1) to (3) above, the second member may be formed in a cylindrical shape. This configuration allows for a simple structure.

[0011] (5) In any one of the automated guided vehicles described in (1) to (4) above, the loading platform may be formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and the first member may be connected to support the four corners of the rectangular loading platform from below. In this configuration, the four corners of the rectangular loading platform are supported, making the loading surface even more stable.

[0012] (6) In any one of the automated guided vehicles described in (1) to (5) above, the first member, the second member, and the third member may be arranged so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction. This configuration allows for space saving in the height direction.

[0013] (7) In any one of the automated guided vehicles described in (1) to (6) above, the first member and one of the elastic second and third members may be supported by the traveling carriage via a support member fixed to the traveling carriage. In this configuration, the support member that supports the first member and the second or third member is used for both, so a simple configuration can be achieved.

[0014] (8) In any one of the above (1) to (7) automated guided vehicles, the loading platform may be provided with a protrusion that fits into a positioning recess provided on the bottom of a container for storing goods. In this configuration, the container can be placed stably.

[0015] (9) In any one of the above (1) to (8) automated guided vehicles, the convex portion may be fixed to the loading platform via an elastic member. With this configuration, the vibration generated when placing the container on the loading platform can be reduced.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the inclination of the article being transported, and it is also possible to reduce the vibration transmitted to the article and the vibration (impact) when the article bounces on the loading platform.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment as seen from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the automated guided vehicle of FIG. 1 as seen from line II-II. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an article placement part arranged on the automated guided vehicle of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the article placement part arranged on the automated guided vehicle of FIG. 1 with the second placement part removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view of the article placement part arranged on the automated guided vehicle of FIG. 1 with the second placement part removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the attachment state of a first buffer part included in the article placement part of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(A) is an exploded perspective view of a positioning part included in the article placement part of FIG. 3. FIG. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view of the positioning part included in the article placement part of FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(A) is a view showing the state of the article placement part during normal operation. FIG. 8(B) is a view showing the state of the article placement part when the loading platform and the traveling carriage move relative to each other in the horizontal direction.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinbelow, the automated guided vehicle 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In FIGS. 1 to 5, for convenience of explanation, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis orthogonal to each other are shown.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automated guided vehicle 1 transports, for example, a container (article) F such as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or a reticle pod in which stored objects such as semiconductor wafers or glass substrates are stored, within a clean room of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The automated guided vehicle 1 includes a traveling carriage 10, a transfer robot 20, and two article placement parts 40, 40.

[0020] The traveling carriage 10 has a traveling main body part 11, traveling wheels 12, a drive part 13, front and rear covers 15, 15, and an upper cover 16. The traveling main body part 11 has the traveling wheels 12, the drive part 13, the transfer robot 20, and the article placement part 40 fixed thereto. The traveling main body part 11 is formed in a rectangular shape having one direction (X direction) as the longitudinal direction in plan view. The traveling wheels 12 are attached to the lower surface of the traveling main body part 11. The traveling wheels 12 include drive wheels and driven wheels driven by the drive part 13. The drive part 13 is disposed inside the traveling main body part 11.

[0021] The transfer robot 20 and the two article placement parts 40, 40 are disposed on the upper surface 11B of the traveling main body part 11. The transfer robot 20 is disposed at the central part in the X direction on the upper surface 11B of the traveling main body part 11. The two article placement parts 40, 40 are disposed so as to sandwich the transfer robot 20 in the X direction. The front and rear covers 15, 15 are disposed at both ends in the X direction. Each of the front and rear covers 15, 15 covers a part of the two article placement parts 40, 40, respectively. The upper cover 16 is disposed so as to straddle the front and rear covers 15. The upper cover 16 covers the transfer robot 20 from above.

[0022] The transfer robot 20 has an arm mechanism 21, a lifting mechanism 23, and a claw portion 25. The arm mechanism 21 and the lifting mechanism 23 are mechanisms for moving the claw portion 25.

[0023] The arm mechanism 21 includes a main shaft 21A, a lower arm 21B, an upper arm 21C, a connecting part 21D, and a drive unit (not shown). The main shaft 21A is provided on the upper surface 11B of the travel body 11 and extends upward from the upper surface 11B. The lower arm 21B and the upper arm 21C are configured to be rotatable relative to each other via the connecting part 21D. One end of the lower arm 21B is attached to the upper end of the main shaft 21A, and the other end of the lower arm 21B is attached to the connecting part 21D. One end of the upper arm 21C is attached to the connecting part 21D, and a lifting mechanism 23 is attached to the other end of the upper arm 21C. The arm mechanism 21 can move the lifting mechanism 23 attached to the other end of the upper arm 21C freely in a horizontal plane by being driven by the drive unit.

[0024] The lifting mechanism 23 includes a support section 23A, a pair of parallel links 23B, 23B, a connecting member 23C, and a drive unit 23D. The support section 23A is attached to the other end of the upper arm 21C. One end of each of the pair of parallel links 23B, 23B is rotatably connected to the support section 23A in a vertical plane. The other end of each of the pair of parallel links 23B, 23B is rotatably connected to the connecting member 23C in a vertical plane. The drive unit 23D rotates the pair of parallel links 23B, 23B relative to the drive unit 17. The connecting member 23C is connected to the other ends of each of the pair of parallel links 23B, 23B. The connecting member 23C moves vertically as the pair of parallel links 23B, 23B rotate.

[0025] The claw portion 25 holds the container F. More specifically, it holds the flange Fa of the container F. The claw portion 25 is formed in a U-shape in plan view. The claw portion 25 supports the flange Fa from below and lifts the container F. The transfer robot 20 lifts the container F by inserting the claw portion 25 into the underside of the flange Fa and raising the claw portion 25. Then, with the container F lifted, the transfer robot 20 can move the container F horizontally by driving the arm mechanism 21.

[0026] The article placement sections 40, 40 shown in Figures 3 to 5 are the parts on the automated guided vehicle 1 on which the container F is placed. As described above, there are two article placement sections 40, 40. Since the two article placement sections 40, 40 are identical in terms of their functional configuration, here we will describe the article placement section 40 on the right when viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 1. The article placement section 40 comprises a support section 41, a placement section 43, a first buffer section (first member) 51, a fitting section (third member) 52, a second buffer section (second member) 53, a third buffer section 55, a fourth buffer section 57, and a positioning section (protrusion) 60.

[0027] The support section 41 is the part that attaches the first buffer section 51 and the second buffer section 53 to the trolley 10. In other words, the first buffer section 51 and the second buffer section 53 are attached to the trolley 10 via the support section 41. The support section 41 has a mounting section 41A, four support columns 41B, a connecting section 41C, a central section 41D, and a holder 41E.

[0028] The mounting section 41A is a rectangular frame-shaped plate. The four corners of the mounting section 41A are fixed to the trolley 10 by bolts or the like. The support column section 41B is a columnar member that rises from the mounting section 41A. The connecting section 41C is attached to the ends of the four support column sections 41B. The connecting section 41C is formed in an X shape to connect the four support column sections 41B located diagonally from the four support column sections 41B provided at the four corners. A first buffer section 51 is connected to the end of each of the X-shaped connecting sections 41C. The height of the support column section 41B is set so that the flange Fa of the container F fits within the height range that the transfer robot 20 can transfer.

[0029] The central portion 41D is the part to which the holder 41E, which secures the second buffer portion 53, is fixed. The holder 41E is a cylindrical member into which the cylindrical (annular) second buffer portion 53 is inserted. The holder 41E holds the second buffer portion 53 such that its outer surface 53b contacts its inner surface 41Ea. The holder 41E is fixed to the central portion 41D by bolts or adhesive.

[0030] The mounting section 43 is the part on which the container F is placed. The mounting section 43 comprises a first mounting section (cargo bed) 43A, a second mounting section (cargo bed) 43B, a first cover 43C, and second covers 43D, 43D.

[0031] The first mounting section 43A, together with the first mounting section 43A, forms a loading platform 44 on which the container F is placed. The first mounting section 43A is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The first mounting section 43A supports the second mounting section 43B, the third buffer section 55, the fourth buffer section 57, and the positioning section 60 from below. Four first buffer sections 51 are connected to the lower surface of the first mounting section 43A. The first mounting section 43A has a hole 43Aa through which the insertion section 52 is inserted.

[0032] The second mounting portion 43B is a plate-shaped member that forms a mounting surface on which the container F is placed. The second mounting portion 43B is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The second mounting portion 43B is attached to the first mounting portion 43A so as to overlap it. The second mounting portion 43B has a plurality of holes through which the third buffer portion 55, the fourth buffer portion 57, and the positioning portion 60 attached to the first mounting portion 43A are inserted. That is, the third buffer portion 55, the fourth buffer portion 57, and the positioning portion 60 protrude upward from the second mounting portion 43B through the holes.

[0033] The first cover 43C is positioned at one end of the loading platform 44 in the X direction. The first cover 43C is fixed in place of the second cover 43D. The second cover 43D is fixed to the first mounting section 43A so as to hang down from the mounting section 43.

[0034] The first buffer section 51 connects the traveling trolley 10 and the peripheral edge (the area between the peripheral edge and a predetermined distance inward from the peripheral edge) of the loading platform 44 positioned above the traveling trolley 10 in the vertical direction. Four first buffer sections 51 are provided, connecting the four corners of the rectangular first mounting section 43A from below. In this embodiment, the first buffer sections 51 are provided via support sections 41 fixed to the traveling trolley 10. The first buffer sections 51 are positioned at the ends of each X-shaped connecting section 41C. The first buffer sections 51 are positioned directly above the support column 41B.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the first buffer portion 51 has threaded portions 51Aa and 51Ab, a buffer portion 51B, a washer 51D, and a nut 51E. The threaded portion 51Aa is bonded to one end (lower side) of the buffer portion 51B. The threaded portion 51Aa bonded to the buffer portion 51B is screwed into the support portion 41B with the connecting portion 41C inserted through it. The threaded portion 51Ab is bonded to the other end (upper side) of the buffer portion 51B. The first mounting portion 43A and the washer 51D are inserted through the threaded portion 51Ab. The nut 51E is screwed onto the threaded portion 51Ab, thereby integrally fixing the buffer portion 51B and the washer 51D with the threaded portions 51Aa and 51Ab inserted through them. The buffer portion 51B is, for example, a buffer made of an elastic material. Examples of elastic members include silicone gel and urethane gel. The elastic member forming the buffer portion 51B may be silicone rubber or urethane rubber.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the insertion portion 52 is fixed to the center of the loading platform 44 in a plan view. The insertion portion 52 is a convex member having an outer peripheral surface 52Ba that can be positioned to face the annular inner peripheral surface 53a of the second buffer portion 53 in the horizontal direction. The insertion portion 52 has a flange portion 52A and a cylindrical or cylindrical body portion 52B. The insertion portion 52 is formed from a member made of stainless steel. At least the body portion 52B is formed from a rigid member. When the body portion 52B of the insertion portion 52 is inserted through the hole 43Aa of the first mounting portion 43A, the flange portion 52A is in contact with the upper surface of the first mounting portion 43A. In this embodiment, under normal conditions (when the first mounting portion 43A is in a fixed position relative to the trolley 10), the outer circumferential surface 52Ba of the main body portion 52B and the inner circumferential surface 53a of the second buffer portion 53 do not come into contact, and a small gap is formed (see Figure 8(A)).

[0037] The second buffer portion 53 is fixed to the trolley 10. In this embodiment, the second buffer portion 53 is provided via a support portion 41 fixed to the trolley 10. The second buffer portion 53 is positioned on the central portion 41D of the X-shaped connecting portion 41C. The second buffer portion 53 has an inner circumferential surface 53a and an outer circumferential surface 53b. The second buffer portion 53 is, for example, a buffer member made of an elastic material. Examples of elastic materials include silicone gel, urethane gel, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber.

[0038] The insertion portion 52, fixed to the first mounting portion 43A that forms the loading platform 44, and the second buffer portion 53, attached to the trolley 10 via the support portion 41, are arranged to be relatively movable in the horizontal and vertical directions. In this embodiment, when the loading platform 44 and the trolley 10 move relative to each other in the horizontal direction, the inner circumferential surface 53a of the second buffer portion 53 and the outer circumferential surface 52Ba of the insertion portion 52 are arranged to be in contact with each other (see Figure 8(B)). In addition, in this embodiment, the first buffer portion 51, the insertion portion 52, and the second buffer portion 53 are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction (Z direction) (see Figures 8(A) and (B)).

[0039] The third buffer portion 55 is positioned on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 43A. More specifically, the third buffer portion 55 is positioned on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 43A and protrudes from the hole of the second mounting portion 43B. Multiple third buffer portions 55 are provided along the outer edge of the first mounting portion 43A (for example, six). The third buffer portion 55 is formed in a frustoconical shape. The third buffer portion 55 is a member on which the bottom surface of the container F is mounted. The third buffer portion 55 is a buffer member made of, for example, an elastic material. Examples of elastic materials include silicone gel, urethane gel, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber.

[0040] The fourth buffer portion 57 is positioned on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 43A. More specifically, the fourth buffer portion 57 is positioned on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 43A and protrudes from the hole of the second mounting portion 43B. Multiple (e.g., two) fourth buffer portions 57 are provided along the outer edge of the first mounting portion 43A. The fourth buffer portion 57 is formed in a rectangular prism shape. The fourth buffer portion 57 is a member on which the bottom surface of the container F is mounted. The fourth buffer portion 57 is a buffer member made of, for example, an elastic material. Examples of elastic materials include silicone gel, urethane gel, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber. The fourth buffer portion 57 may have a lower contact surface with the container F than the third buffer portion 55 and may be made of an elastic material that is harder than the third buffer portion 55. In this case, the fourth buffer portion 57 can support the bottom surface of the container F when the weight of the container F is relatively heavy.

[0041] The positioning portion 60 is a member for positioning the container F placed on the loading platform 44. More specifically, the positioning portion 60 is located on the first loading portion 43A and protrudes from the hole in the second loading portion 43B. The positioning portion 60 is a member for fitting into a recess formed in the bottom of the container F placed on the loading platform 44. Multiple positioning portions 60 are provided (for example, three) corresponding to the recess formed in the bottom of the container F. As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), the positioning portion 60 has a shaft portion 61A, a first washer 61B, a second washer 61C, a first elastic portion 61D, a first collar member 61E, a second collar member 61F, a second elastic portion 61G, a third washer 61H, and a nut 61J.

[0042] In the positioning section 60, the first washer 61B, the second washer 61C, the first elastic section 61D, the first mounting section 43A, the first collar member 61E, the second collar member 61F, the second elastic section 61G, and the third washer 61H are inserted onto the shaft section 61A in this order. The first collar member 61E has a flange section 61Ea and two protrusions 61Eb, 61Eb that project from the flange section 61Ea in both axial directions of the shaft section 61A. The second elastic section 61G is externally fitted to one of the pair of protrusions 61Eb, 61Eb, and the first elastic section 61D and the first mounting section 43A are externally fitted to the other of the pair of protrusions 61Eb, 61Eb. The second collar member 61F is internally fitted to the first collar member 61E.

[0043] The nut 61J is screwed into the thread groove formed at the tip of the shaft portion 61A, thereby integrally fixing the first washer 61B, second washer 61C, first elastic portion 61D, first mounting portion 43A, first collar member 61E, second collar member 61F, second elastic portion 61G, and third washer 61H, which are inserted through the shaft portion 61A. In the positioning portion 60, the first collar member 61E is inserted through the holes in the loading platform 44 (first mounting portion 43A and second mounting portion 43B), the first elastic portion 61D is in contact with the lower surface of the loading platform 44 (first mounting portion 43A), and the second elastic portion 61G is in contact with the upper surface of the loading platform 44 (first mounting portion 43A). In other words, the positioning portion 60 is fixed to the loading platform 44 (first mounting portion 43A) via the first elastic portion 61D and the second elastic portion 61G. The first elastic portion 61D and the second elastic portion 61G are, for example, cushioning members made of elastic material. Examples of elastic material include silicone gel, urethane gel, silicone rubber, and urethane rubber.

[0044] The effects and advantages of the automated guided vehicle 1 of the above embodiment will now be explained. In the automated guided vehicle 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(A), the peripheral edge of the loading platform 44 is connected to the trolley 10 by the first buffer portion 51, so that the tilt when the container F is placed on the loading surface of the loading platform 44 is suppressed. Furthermore, since the first buffer portion 51 is made of an elastic material, vertical vibrations transmitted from the trolley 10 to the loading platform 44 can be reduced. Also, as shown in Figure 8(B), since the second buffer portion 53 is made of an elastic material, the impact when the fitting portion 52 comes into contact with the second buffer portion 53 can be absorbed. As a result, horizontal vibrations can be reduced when the trolley 10 moves. Even if the first loading portion 43A and the connecting portion 41C move relative to each other in the horizontal direction, the first buffer portion 51 connecting the first loading portion 43A and the connecting portion 41C follows such relative movement. As a result, the tilting of container F during transport can be reduced, and vibrations transmitted to container F can also be reduced.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the second buffer portion 53 of the automated guided vehicle 1 is formed of an elastic member, and the insertion portion 52 is formed of a rigid member. This allows for vibration absorption by the elastic member.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the insertion portion 52 of the automated guided vehicle 1 is fixed to the center of the loading platform 44 and is formed of a rigid member, while the second buffer portion 53 is fixed to the trolley 10 and is formed of an elastic member. As a result, the trolley 10 can also serve as a weight adjustment weight applied to the second buffer portion 53, thereby effectively obtaining the vibration absorption effect of the second buffer portion 53. Furthermore, this configuration offers excellent ease of assembly.

[0047] The second buffer portion 53 of the automated guided vehicle 1 in the above embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape. This allows for a simple configuration.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the loading platform 44 of the automated guided vehicle 1 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and the first buffer portion 51 is connected to support the four corners of the rectangular loading platform from below. As a result, the four corners of the rectangular loading platform 44 are supported, making the surface on which the container F is placed even more stable.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the first buffer portion 51, the insertion portion 52, and the second buffer portion 53 of the automated guided vehicle 1 are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction. This allows for space saving in the height direction.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the first buffer portion 51 and the second buffer portion 53, which is an elastic member, of the automated guided vehicle 1 are supported by the traveling carriage 10 via a support portion 41 having a columnar support portion 41B fixed to the traveling carriage 10. As a result, the support member that supports the first buffer portion 51 and the second buffer portion 53 is also used by the support portion 41, allowing for a simple configuration.

[0051] The cargo bed 44 of the automated guided vehicle 1 in the above embodiment is provided with a positioning part 60 that fits into a positioning recess provided at the bottom of a container F for storing articles. This allows the container F to be placed stably.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the positioning unit 60 of the automated guided vehicle 1 is fixed to the loading platform 44 via an elastic member. This reduces vibrations that occur when the container F is placed on the loading platform 44.

[0053] Although one embodiment has been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0054] In the above embodiment of the automated guided vehicle 1, an example was described in which an annular (cylindrical) second buffer portion (second member) 53 having an inner circumferential surface 53a is arranged on the traveling carriage 10 side, and a fitting portion (third member) 52 having an outer circumferential surface 52Ba facing the inner circumferential surface 53a is arranged on the loading platform 44 side. However, the second buffer portion 53 may be arranged on the loading platform 44 side, and the fitting portion 52 may be arranged on the traveling carriage 10 side.

[0055] In the above embodiment and the above modified example of the automated guided vehicle 1, an example was given in which the insertion portion (third member) 52 is formed of a rigid member and the second buffer portion (second member) 53 is formed of an elastic member. However, the insertion portion 52 may be formed of an elastic member and the second buffer portion 53 may be formed of a rigid member.

[0056] The above embodiments and modified examples of the automated guided vehicle 1 have described an example in which the insertion portion (third member) 52 has an inner circumferential surface that penetrates in the vertical direction, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the insertion portion 52 may be formed in a concave shape that does not penetrate in the vertical direction and has an inner circumferential surface that is perpendicular to the horizontal direction. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which a second buffer portion (second member) 53 having an outer circumferential surface that faces the inner circumferential surface of such an insertion portion 52 is arranged.

[0057] In the above embodiment and the above modified example, the first buffer portion 51 and the second buffer portion 53 of the automated guided vehicle 1 were described as being fixed to the traveling carriage 10 via the support portion 41, but they may also be directly fixed to the traveling carriage 10.

[0058] In the above embodiment and the above modified example of the automated guided vehicle 1, an example in which two article placement sections 40, 40 are arranged was described, but it is also possible to have only one article placement section 40.

[0059] In the above embodiment and the above modified example of the automated guided vehicle 1, an example was given in which, under normal conditions (the fixed position of the first mounting portion 43A on the traveling carriage 10), the outer peripheral surface 52Ba of the main body portion 52B and the inner peripheral surface 53a of the second buffer portion 53 do not come into contact, and a small gap is formed. However, the fitting portion 52 and the second buffer portion 53 may be arranged to be in constant contact. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Automated guided vehicle, 10...Traveling platform, 20...Transfer robot, 40...Item placement section, 41...Support section, 43...Placement section, 43A...First placement section (loading platform), 43B...Second placement section (loading platform), 44...Loading platform (first placement section 43A, second placement section 43B), 51...First buffer section (first member), 52...Insertion section (third member), 53...Second buffer section (second member), 55...Third buffer section, 57...Fourth buffer section, 60...Positioning section (protrusion), F...Container (item), Fa...Flange.

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle for transporting goods, The traction vehicle and A loading platform on which the aforementioned articles are placed, A first member connects the aforementioned trolley and the peripheral edge of the loading platform positioned above the trolley in the vertical direction, A concave second member is fixed in a plan view to the central part of the cargo bed and to one of the traveling carriages, and has an annular inner surface perpendicular to the horizontal direction, The system comprises a convex third member having an outer surface that is fixed to the central part of the loading platform and the other side of the traveling carriage in a plan view, and which can be positioned to face the annular inner surface in the horizontal direction, The second member and the third member are arranged to be movable relative to each other in the horizontal and vertical directions. The inner surface of the second member and the outer surface of the third member are arranged to be in constant contact, or to be in contact with each other when the loading platform and the traveling trolley move relative to each other in the horizontal direction. The first member is formed of an elastic member, An automated guided vehicle in which at least one of the second member and the third member is formed of an elastic member.

2. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one of the second member and the third member is formed of an elastic member, and the other of the second member and the third member is formed of a rigid member.

3. The unmanned transport vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second member is fixed to the center of the loading platform and is made of an elastic member, and the third member is fixed to the traveling carriage and is made of a rigid member.

4. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second member is formed in a cylindrical shape.

5. The aforementioned cargo bed is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member is connected to support the four corners of the rectangular loading platform from below.

6. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member, the second member, and the third member are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction.

7. The unmanned transport vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first member and one of the second and third members, which are elastic members, are supported by the traveling trolley via a support member fixed to the traveling trolley.

8. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the loading platform is provided with a protrusion that fits into a positioning recess provided at the bottom of a container for storing the article.

9. The aforementioned protrusion is fixed to the loading platform via an elastic member, as described in claim 8.

Images