Autonomous vehicle

Abstract

To provide an automated vehicle that has sufficient waterproofing against washing water. [Solution] The automatic driving machine comprises a base, wheels mounted on the base, a drive source for driving the wheels, a control device for controlling the drive source and making the base move automatically, a power supply for supplying power to the drive source, and a waterproof structure that is arranged on the base so that it can be washed together with washing water, with the control device and power supply located inside to waterproof the inside.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic traveling vehicle. [[Background Art]]

[0002] As an apparatus for automating equipment in facilities such as factories, for example, automatic traveling vehicles are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [[Prior Art Literature]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent No. 7607439 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] The automatic traveling vehicle as described above may not have waterproof performance in some cases. For example, in food factories, it is necessary to clean equipment in the factory with washing water. Further, for an automatic traveling vehicle used in a food factory, it is necessary to clean the inside of the automatic traveling vehicle with washing water. An automatic traveling vehicle without waterproof performance is difficult to use in such food factories.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic traveling vehicle having sufficient waterproofness against washing water. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] The automatic traveling vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a base; wheels mounted to the base; a drive source that drives the wheels; a control device that controls the drive source to cause the base to travel automatically; a power supply that supplies electric power to the drive source; and a waterproof structure that is disposed on the base so as to be washable integrally with the base by washing water, in which the control device and the power supply are disposed inside the waterproof structure, and which waterproofs the interior thereof. [[Effect of the Invention]]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automated vehicle that has sufficient waterproofing against washing water. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram (viewed from the left) showing an automated driving machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram (viewed from the right) showing an automated driving machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram (viewed from the front) showing an automated driving machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram (viewed from above) showing an automated driving machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of supplying charging power to a charging device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the autonomous driving machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0010] In the following description, the forward / backward, up / down, and left / right directions refer to the directions when viewed from the automatic vehicle 100 in the direction of travel. In this embodiment, the up / down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the forward / backward and left / right directions are parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0011] Figures 1 to 4 schematically show the automated driving machine 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 is a view of the automated driving machine 100 from the left, Figure 2 is a view of the automated driving machine 100 from the right, Figure 3 is a view of the automated driving machine 100 from the front, and Figure 4 is a view of the automated driving machine 100 from above.

[0012] The automated vehicle 100 according to this embodiment, shown in Figures 1 to 3, transports food in, for example, a food manufacturing plant. The automated vehicle 100 transports food by towing a food transport vehicle (not shown), such as a trolley. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automated vehicle 100 comprises a base 10, wheels 12, a drive source 20, a control device 30, a power supply 40, a waterproof structure 50, a waterproof electric motor 60, an exterior panel 70, a camera 80, a speaker 85, and a wireless charging antenna 90.

[0013] The base 10 is, for example, plate-shaped. However, the base 10 may also have other shapes such as frame-shaped or box-shaped. The base 10 is rectangular in plan view. The base 10 may have four chamfered corners. Four wheels 12 are arranged on the bottom surface 10a of the base 10. The wheels 12 have two front wheels 12a and two rear wheels 12b. The base 10 may also be provided with an opening (not shown) for draining water such as washing water from the top surface 10b to the ground. A towing mechanism 14 for towing a food transport vehicle (not shown), such as a trolley, is provided at the rear end 10c of the base 10.

[0014] The drive source 20 drives the wheels 12. In this embodiment, the drive source 20 is exemplified by, for example, a motor device. The drive source 20 is provided, for example, for the two rear wheels 12 out of the four wheels 12.

[0015] The control device 30 controls the drive source 20 to make the base 10 move automatically. The control device 30 includes a circuit board on which electronic circuits are formed. The control device 30 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 30 includes storage such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0016] The power supply 40 supplies electric power to each component such as the drive source 20 and the control device 30. For example, a rechargeable battery is used as the power supply 40. The power supply 40 is charged by electric power supplied from a charging device 61.

[0017] The waterproof structure 50 is disposed on the upper surface 10b of the base 10. The waterproof structure 50 is, for example, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped box. Note that the waterproof structure 50 may be a box of another three-dimensional shape. The waterproof structure 50 is disposed on the upper surface 10b of the base 10 at the central portion in each of the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. In a state where the waterproof structure 50 is disposed, the base portion 10 protrudes from the waterproof structure 50 in each of the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. For example, a waterproof electric device 60, a camera 80, a wireless charging antenna 90, which will be described later, and the like are disposed in the protruding portions.

[0018] The waterproof structure 50 accommodates the control device 30 and the power supply 40 in an interior 50K thereof. Note that the waterproof structure 50 may also accommodate other electrical components different from the control device 30 and the power supply 40 in the interior 50K. The waterproof structure 50 has waterproof properties that satisfy the protection class IPX5 specified in JIS C 0920. That is, the waterproof structure 50 has such waterproof properties that the control device 30 and the power supply 40 can operate even when water of 12.5 liters or more per minute is injected for 3 minutes or more from a nozzle with an inner diameter of 6.3 mm at a distance of about 3 m. Note that the wiring 55 and the connector 51c of the drive source 20 described above also have waterproof properties that satisfy, for example, the protection class IPX5, similarly.

[0019] The waterproof structure 50 includes a bottom portion 51, a wall portion 52, and a ceiling portion 53. The bottom portion 51, the wall portion 52, and the ceiling portion 53 are formed using a corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel, for example. The bottom portion 51 is, for example, in the shape of a rectangular plate, and is fixed to the base 10 by a fixing member (not illustrated) such as a bolt. The control device 30 and the power supply 40 are placed on the bottom portion 51. The bottom portion 51 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may have another shape such as a circular shape. As described above, the waterproof structure 50 satisfies the protection class IPX5, and the bottom portion 51 is fixed to the base 10, so that the base 10 can be cleaned integrally with the waterproof structure 50 by, for example, cleaning water.

[0020] A connector 51c is provided on the bottom portion 51. The connector 51c is a portion that allows the wiring 55 to pass through inside and outside the waterproof structure 50. The wiring 55 connects the control device 30 and the power source 40 to the drive source 20. A plurality of wirings 55 are provided. The plurality of wirings 55 are fixed to the base 10, the waterproof structure 50 and the like in a bundled state, for example, by a binding band, a spiral protective tube or the like.

[0021] The wall portion 52 is disposed so as to surround the control device 30 and the power source 40. Note that the waterproof structure 50 may have a configuration in which the bottom portion 51 is not provided and the wall portion 52 is fixed to the base 10. In this case, the control device 30 and the power source 40 are configured to be directly arranged on the base 10. A connector 52c is provided on the wall portion 52. The connector 52c is a portion that allows the wiring 56 to pass through inside and outside the waterproof structure 50. The wiring 56 connects the control device 30 and the power source 40 to a speaker 85, which will be described later. The wiring 56 has a waterproof function, and is fixed to the base 10, the waterproof structure 50 and the like in a bundled state, for example, by a binding band, a spiral protective tube or the like. The ceiling portion 53 is disposed on the upper portion of the wall portion 52 so as to close the space surrounded by the bottom portion 51 and the wall portion 52. The ceiling portion 53 may be detachable from the wall portion 52. The ceiling portion 53 may be disposed so as to protrude outside the region surrounded by the wall portion 52. In order to facilitate cleaning of the waterproof structure 50, for example, outer surfaces of the wall portion 52 and the ceiling portion 53 may be configured to be flat.

[0022] The bottom portion 51, the wall portion 52, and the ceiling portion 53 may be joined, for example, by welding. Furthermore, a seal member (not shown) may be disposed between the bottom portion 51 and the wall portion 52, and between the wall portion 52 and the ceiling portion 53.

[0023] The exterior panel 70 is detachably attached to the base 10. Figures 1 to 3 show the cross-sectional configuration of the exterior panel 70, while Figure 4 shows its outline with a dashed line. The exterior panel 70 is box-shaped with an open bottom. It has a ceiling section 71 and wall sections 72. The ceiling section 71 is rectangular in shape, corresponding to the base 10 in plan view. When the exterior panel 70 is attached to the base 10, the ceiling section 71 is positioned to cover the upper surface 53a of the ceiling section 53 of the waterproof structure 50. In this case, the inner surface 71a of the ceiling section 71 is in contact with the upper surface 53a of the ceiling section 53 of the waterproof structure 50.

[0024] When the exterior panel 70 is mounted on the base 10, the ceiling portion 71 and the ceiling portion 53 of the waterproof structure 50 can be connected by bolts (fastening mechanism) 77. The bolts 77 are connected to the exterior panel 70 by connecting members (anti-detachment structure) 78. The connecting members 78 connect the bolts 77 and the exterior panel 70 so that the exterior panel 70 does not detach from the exterior panel 70 when the exterior panel 70 is removed from the base 10 (detached). The connecting members 78 may also be configured to connect the bolts 77 and the base 10. In this case, the connecting members 78 connect the bolts 77 and the base 10 so that the exterior panel 70 does not detach from the base 10 when the exterior panel 70 is removed from the base 10 (detached). Although the connecting members 78 have been used as an example to describe the anti-detachment structure, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, instead of a connecting member 78, the fall prevention structure may be designed so that the bolt 77 does not come out of the ceiling portion 71 (bolt hole) by making the diameter of the tip of the bolt 77 larger than the diameter of the bolt hole in the ceiling portion 71.

[0025] The waterproof structure 50 is fixed to the base 10, and the ceiling portion 71 of the exterior panel 70 and the ceiling portion 53 of the waterproof structure 50 are fixed together with bolts 77, thereby mounting the exterior panel 70 to the base 10. The exterior panel 70 can be supplied with cleaning water to its interior 70K while mounted on the base 10. In this embodiment, the exterior panel 70 is mounted on the base 10 with a gap D between it and the base 10. The gap D is provided around the lower end of the exterior panel 70 when mounted. Cleaning water can be supplied to the interior 70K of the exterior panel 70 through this gap D. The exterior panel 70 may also be provided with an openable and closable door on at least one of the ceiling portion 71 and the wall portion 72. In this configuration, cleaning water can be supplied to the interior 70K by opening the door.

[0026] Furthermore, by removing the bolts 77 that secure the exterior panel 70 to the base 10, the exterior panel 70 can be removed from the base 10. When the exterior panel 70 is removed from the base 10, the waterproof structure 50 is exposed.

[0027] The camera 80 is positioned on the base 10 at a location separate from the waterproof structure 50. Specifically, the camera 80 is positioned one on each side in the left-right direction at the front end 10d of the upper surface 10b of the base 10. The camera 80 photographs the area in front of the autonomous vehicle 100. The camera 80 is supported on the base 10 via a camera support 81. The camera 80 is waterproofed by a camera waterproof structure 82.

[0028] The camera waterproof structure 82 is box-shaped and houses the camera 80. With the camera 80 housed in the camera waterproof structure 82, a light-transmitting member that transmits photographic light is provided in front of the camera's photographic lens. This configuration allows the camera 80 to photograph the area in front of the base 10 while housed in the camera waterproof structure 82.

[0029] The exterior panel 70 described above is provided with a camera opening 75 at a position corresponding to the camera 80 when the exterior panel 70 is mounted on the base 10. The camera 80 photographs the area in front of the autonomous vehicle 100 through the light-transmitting member and the camera opening 75. The camera opening 75 may be closed by a light-transmitting member that transmits the photographic light.

[0030] The speaker 85 outputs audio information. The speaker 85 is located on the base 10 at a different location from the waterproof structure 50. Specifically, the speaker 85 is located on the rear edge of the lower surface 10a of the base 10. The speaker 85 is waterproofed by the speaker waterproof structure 86. The speaker waterproof structure 86 is provided, for example, to cover the part of the speaker 85 other than the vibrating part. The speaker 85 is connected to the inside 50K of the waterproof structure 50 by the wiring 56 described above. The base 10 is provided with a connector 15c. The connector 15c is the part through which the wiring 56 passes in the vertical direction of the base 10.

[0031] The camera waterproof structure 82 and speaker waterproof structure 86 described above have waterproofness that meets protection class IPX5, similar to the waterproof structure 50 described above. Therefore, the camera 80 and speaker 85 can be cleaned together with the base 10 and waterproof structure 50, for example, by washing water.

[0032] The exterior panel 70 described above is provided with an opening 76 for a wireless charging antenna at a position corresponding to the wireless charging antenna 90 when the exterior panel 70 is mounted on the base 10. The wireless charging antenna 90 is installed in a state where it is fitted into the opening 76 for the wireless charging antenna when the exterior panel 70 is mounted.

[0033] The waterproof motor 60 is positioned on the base 10 at a location separate from the waterproof structure 50. For example, the waterproof motor 60 is positioned on the left edge 10f of the upper surface 10b of the base 10. In this embodiment, the waterproof motor 60 is positioned, for example, symmetrically with respect to the speaker 85 in the left-right direction with respect to the waterproof structure 50. However, the position of the waterproof motor 60 is not limited to the above position.

[0034] The waterproof electric motor 60 includes, for example, a charging device 61. The charging device 61 supplies the charged power to the power supply 40. The charging device 61 is connected to the power supply 40 inside the waterproof mechanism 50 at 50K by wiring 57. The charging device 61 supplies charging power to the power supply 40 via wiring 57. The wiring 57 has a waterproof function and is fixed to the base 10, waterproof structure 50, etc., bundled together with, for example, cable ties, spiral protective tubes, etc.

[0035] Figure 5 shows an example of supplying charging power to the charging device 61. As shown in Figure 5, the autonomous vehicle 100 may be supplied with charging power using a wireless charging antenna 90, or the charging device 61 may be charged via a wired connection. When using the wireless charging antenna 90, the charging device 61 is connected to the wireless charging antenna 90 by wiring 58. The wireless charging antenna 90 is supported on the base 10 via a wireless charging antenna support 91. The wireless charging antenna 90 is waterproofed by a wireless charging antenna waterproof structure 92. The charging device 61 receives charging power via wiring 58 by supplying electromagnetic waves to the wireless charging antenna 90 from an external power transmission antenna. When charging the charging device 61 via a wired connection, the charging device 61 is connected to a charging connector 59c by wiring 59. The charging device 61 is connected to an external power source (not shown) via wiring 59 and the charging connector 59c, and charging power is supplied from the external power source. In addition to the charging device 61, the waterproof electric motor 60 may also include detection devices such as various sensors for detecting various states of the automatic driving machine 100.

[0036] The charging device 61 has waterproofing that meets protection class IPX5, similar to the waterproof structure 50 described above. Therefore, the charging device 61 can be cleaned together with the base 10, waterproof structure 50, camera waterproof structure 82, and speaker waterproof structure 92, for example, with cleaning water.

[0037] The above-described automated vehicle 100 transports food, for example, in a food manufacturing plant, by traveling with a traction mechanism 14 at the rear end 10c of the base 10 connected to a traction mechanism (not shown) loaded with food.

[0038] During maintenance of the automated guided vehicle 100, the automated guided vehicle 100 can be cleaned by supplying cleaning water to it from a nozzle or the like. When cleaning the automated guided vehicle 100, the interior 70K of the exterior panel 70 can be cleaned without removing the exterior panel 70 by supplying cleaning water to the interior 70K of the exterior panel 70 through the gap D between the exterior panel 70 and the base 10.

[0039] Furthermore, when cleaning the automated driving machine 100, the exterior panel 70 may be removed before supplying cleaning water. In this case, the bolts 77 attached to the ceiling portion 71 of the exterior panel 70 are removed to release the fastening between the exterior panel 70 and the waterproof structure 50, and the exterior panel 70 is removed from the base 10. After that, cleaning water is supplied to the exposed waterproof structure 50, waterproof motor device 60, camera waterproof structure 82, and speaker waterproof structure 92 from a nozzle or the like, allowing each part to be cleaned together with the base 10.

[0040] As described above, the automatic driving machine 100 according to this embodiment includes a base 10, wheels 12 mounted on the base 10, a drive source 20 that drives the wheels 12, a control device 30 that controls the drive source 20 and makes the base 10 move automatically, a power supply 40 that supplies power to the drive source 20, and a waterproof structure 50 that is arranged on the base 10 so that it can be washed together with the base 10 using washing water, with the control device 30 and power supply 40 located inside 50K, and waterproofing the inside 50K.

[0041] With this configuration, the control device 30 that controls the drive source 20 and the power supply 40 that supplies power to the drive source 20 are located inside the waterproof structure 50K, so that the control device 30 and the power supply 40 can be sufficiently waterproof against cleaning water. Furthermore, since the waterproof structure 50 is positioned on the base 10 so that it can be washed together with the base 10, it becomes possible to wash the base 10 and the waterproof structure 50 together with cleaning water, a so-called "whole wash." This improves cleaning efficiency.

[0042] The automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment further includes an exterior panel 70 that is detachably attached to the base 10 and covers the upper surface of the waterproof structure 50.

[0043] With this configuration, the exterior panel 70 can protect the top surface of the waterproof structure 50. In addition, since the exterior panel 70 is detachably attached to the base 10, it is possible to remove the exterior panel 70 and clean the interior 70K.

[0044] In the automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment, the exterior panel 70 can supply cleaning water to the interior 70K while mounted on the base 10.

[0045] With this configuration, by supplying cleaning water to the interior 70K while the exterior panel 70 is attached to the base 10, the base 10 and waterproof structure 50 of the interior 70K can be cleaned without removing the exterior panel 70.

[0046] In the automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment, the waterproof structure 50 has waterproofness that satisfies protection class IPX5.

[0047] With this configuration, the waterproof structure 50 has waterproofness that meets protection class IPX5, so the base 10 and the waterproof structure 50 can be cleaned together by supplying cleaning water sprayed from the nozzle.

[0048] The automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment has a camera 80 positioned on the base 10 at a location separate from the waterproof structure 50, and a camera waterproof structure 82 that waterproofs the camera 80.

[0049] With this configuration, the base 10, waterproof structure 50, and camera 80 can be cleaned together using cleaning water.

[0050] The automatic driving machine 100 according to this embodiment has a speaker 90 positioned on the base 10 at a location separate from the waterproof structure 50, and a speaker waterproof structure 92 that waterproofs the speaker 90.

[0051] With this configuration, the base 10, waterproof structure 50, and speaker 90 can be cleaned together using cleaning water.

[0052] In the automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment, the waterproof structure 50 has wiring 55, 56, and 57 that connects the inside 50K of the waterproof structure 50 to other electric components (drive source 20, charging device 61, etc.), and the wiring 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59 has a waterproof function and can be washed around.

[0053] With this configuration, the base and the waterproof structure 50 can be cleaned together with cleaning water while the inside 50K of the waterproof structure 50 and other electric components are connected by wiring 55, 56, and 57. Since there is no need to remove the wiring 55, 56, and 57, the cleaning work can be performed efficiently. In addition, the wiring 55, 56, and 57, which have waterproof functions, are readily available parts. Therefore, waterproof functionality can be ensured even if the wiring 55, 56, and 57 are not placed inside the waterproof structure 50.

[0054] In the autonomous driving machine 100 according to this embodiment, there is a charging device 61 that is powered by an external power source that supplies charging power to the power supply 40 and has waterproof performance.

[0055] With this configuration, the charging device 61, the base 10, and the waterproof structure 50 can be cleaned together with cleaning water. Furthermore, the charging device 61, which has a waterproof function, is an easily available component. Therefore, waterproofing can be ensured even without placing the charging device 61 inside the waterproof structure 50.

[0056] In the automated driving machine 100 according to this embodiment, the bolts 77 that detachably connect the exterior panel 70 to the base 10 are connected by connecting members 78 that do not fall off the exterior panel 70 or the base 10 when the exterior panel 70 is detached from the base 10.

[0057] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the bolts 77 from falling off the exterior panel 70 or the base 10 when the exterior panel 70 is detached from the base 10.

[0058] The automated vehicle 100 according to this embodiment transports food products in a food manufacturing plant.

[0059] This configuration allows food to be transported within the food manufacturing plant, thus enabling more efficient food production.

[0060] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0061] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This disclosure also includes matters that contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 8 "Decent Work and Economic Growth," Goal 9 "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure," and Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] D...Gap, 10...Base, 10a...Bottom, 10b, 53a...Top, 10c...Rear end, 10d...Front end, 10e, 10f...Edge, 12...Wheel, 12a...Front wheel, 12b...Rear wheel, 14...Towing mechanism, 15c, 51c, 52c...Connector, 20...Drive source, 30...Control device, 40...Power supply, 50...Waterproof structure, 50K, 70K...Interior, 51...Bottom, 52, 72...Wall, 53, 71...Ceiling, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59...Wiring 59c...Wiring connector, 60...Waterproof motor, 61...Charging device, 70...Exterior panel, 71a...Interior, 75...Camera opening, 76...Wireless charging antenna opening, 77...Bolt, 78...Connecting member, 80...Camera, 81...Camera support, 82...Camera waterproof structure, 85...Speaker, 86...Speaker waterproof structure, 90...Wireless charging antenna, 91...Wireless charging antenna support, 92...Wireless charging antenna waterproof structure, 100...Autonomous vehicle

Claims

1. Bass and, Wheels mounted on the aforementioned base, A drive source for driving the aforementioned wheels, A control device that controls the drive source and causes the base to move automatically, A power supply that provides power to the aforementioned drive source, The control device and power supply are arranged inside the base so that they can be washed together with the base using cleaning water, and the waterproof structure is provided to waterproof the inside. An autonomous vehicle having

2. The exterior panel is detachably attached to the base and covers the upper surface of the waterproof structure. The automatic driving machine according to claim 1.

3. The exterior panel can be supplied with cleaning water while mounted on the base. The automatic driving machine according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned waterproof structure has waterproof properties that meet the protection class IPX5. The automatic driving machine according to claim 1.

5. A camera positioned on the base at a location separate from the aforementioned waterproof structure, A camera waterproof structure for waterproofing the aforementioned camera and An automatic driving machine according to claim 1, having the following features.

6. A speaker is positioned on the base at a location separate from the aforementioned waterproof structure, A speaker waterproof structure for waterproofing the aforementioned speaker and An automatic driving machine according to claim 1, having the following features.

7. The waterproof structure has wiring that connects the inside of the waterproof structure to other electric components. The aforementioned wiring is waterproof and can be cleaned. The automatic driving machine according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned power supply is powered by an external power source that supplies charging power to the power supply, and has a waterproof charging device. The automatic driving machine according to claim 1.

9. The fastening mechanism that detachably connects the exterior panel to the base is connected with a fall prevention structure that prevents the exterior panel or the base from falling off when the exterior panel is detached from the base. The automatic driving machine according to claim 2.

10. In a food manufacturing plant, transporting food The automatic driving machine according to claim 1.

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