Running body

Abstract

To provide a travelling body configured so that moisture is suppressed from adhering to an obstacle detector during travelling.SOLUTION: A travelling body comprises a vehicle body and an obstacle detector that is mounted on the front of the vehicle body and detects an obstacle in front of the vehicle body, and further comprises: an air blower 34 that blows air toward the obstacle detector; an air introduction port 94 provided on the front of the vehicle body and introducing air; an air supply passage formed between the air introduction port 94 and the air blower 34; an air exhaust passage formed between the obstacle detector and the air blower 34; and a device plate 97 provided on the air supply passage, and to which moisture included in air introduced through the air introduction port 94 is made to adhere.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traveling body. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional technique related to a traveling object, for example, a vehicle distance warning device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the vehicle distance warning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, an air duct having an air inlet opening to the front of the vehicle and an air outlet opening to the front outer periphery of the radar unit is provided in the front of the vehicle. In addition, a fan is provided in the air duct to eject air sucked from the air inlet through the air outlet.

[0003] According to the vehicle distance warning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the fan is driven while the vehicle is in operation, air is sucked in through an air inlet opening in front of the vehicle and is ejected from an air outlet opening on the outer periphery of the front surface of the radar unit. As a result, an air curtain is formed in front of the radar unit, and muddy water and the like will not adhere to the front surface of the radar unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-87580 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the inter-vehicle distance warning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the air sucked in from the air inlet contains rainwater, moisture also remains in the air ejected from the air outlet, resulting in the problem of moisture adhering to the front surface of the radar unit. Meanwhile, an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomously traveling may be equipped with an obstacle detector that detects obstacles in front of the vehicle body. In this type of autonomous vehicle, if moisture adheres to the obstacle detector equipped in the front of the vehicle body, the vehicle will be unable to estimate its own position, so it is desirable to suppress adhesion of moisture to the obstacle detector as much as possible.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a traveling vehicle that can suppress adhesion of moisture to an obstacle detector while traveling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a traveling vehicle including a vehicle body and an obstacle detector mounted on a front portion of the vehicle body and detecting an obstacle in front of the vehicle body, the traveling vehicle including: a blower that blows air toward the obstacle detector; an air inlet provided on the front portion of the vehicle body and introducing air; an air supply passage formed between the air inlet and the blower; an exhaust passage formed between the obstacle detector and the blower; and a mechanism provided in the air supply passage that adheres moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet. A moisture absorbing member for absorbing moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet is provided in the air supply passage. It is characterized by:

[0008] In the present invention, when the traveling body travels, air is introduced from the air inlet, and the introduced air passes through the air supply passage and is supplied to the blower. The blower blows the supplied air to the obstacle detector. Since a trap member is provided in the air supply passage, for example, moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet during rainy weather adheres to the trap member. Therefore, the moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet is reduced, and it is possible to suppress adhesion of moisture to the obstacle detector due to the air blown out from the blower.

[0009] Also, The moisture absorbing member absorbs moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet. Therefore, the moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet is reduced by the moisture absorbing member in addition to the reduction in moisture by the in-progress member, and adhesion of moisture to the obstacle detector due to the air blown out from the blower can be further suppressed.

[0010] Also, The present invention relates to a vehicle comprising a vehicle body and an obstacle detector mounted on a front part of the vehicle body for detecting an obstacle in front of the vehicle body, the vehicle body comprising: a blower which blows air toward the obstacle detector; an air inlet provided on the front part of the vehicle body for introducing air; an air supply passage formed between the air inlet and the blower; an exhaust passage formed between the obstacle detector and the blower; and a mechanism provided in the air supply passage for adhering moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet, the air supply passage having a descending passage portion through which the air introduced from the air inlet flows downward by the mechanism. In the present invention, in the downward passage portion of the air supply passage, the air introduced from the air inlet flows downward along the workpiece, so moisture is more likely to adhere to the workpiece than in a case where the air does not flow downward along the workpiece. As a result, adhesion of moisture to the obstacle detector by the air blown out from the blower can be further suppressed.

[0011] In addition, in the above-mentioned running body, The in-progress member is provided behind the air inlet. This may also be configured. in this case, Since the air introduced from the air inlet immediately hits the work-in-progress, moisture quickly adheres to the work-in-progress. As a result, moisture has difficulty reaching the blower, which is located away from the work-in-progress.

[0012] The above-mentioned vehicle also includes a front cover body provided in front of the obstacle detector and having an opening, and a blocking member provided behind the obstacle detector and blocking the rear of the obstacle detector. In this case, the air introduced from the opening during travel is prevented from flowing rearward of the vehicle body by the blocking member behind the obstacle detector, so that the flow of air blown by the blower against the obstacle detector is less likely to be blocked by the air introduced from the opening. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a traveling object can be provided that can suppress adhesion of moisture to an obstacle detector while traveling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a small towing vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the front part of the small towing vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded front view of a portion of the front of the small towing vehicle. [Diagram 5] 5 is a view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded side view showing a portion of the front part of the small towing vehicle. [Figure 7] 5 is a view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the front of a small tractor illustrating the introduction of air during driving. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a front view of the front of a small towing vehicle illustrating the introduction of air during driving. [Figure 10] 9 is a view taken along the line CC in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] (First embodiment) A small towing vehicle as a traveling body according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The small towing vehicle of this embodiment is an unmanned small towing vehicle capable of autonomous driving. However, the small towing vehicle of this embodiment is an unmanned small towing vehicle equipped with a driver's seat so that it can also be driven by a person. Note that the directions specified as "front and back," "left and right," and "up and down" are based on the driver's seat of the small towing vehicle.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, steering wheels 12 as front wheels are provided at the front of a body 11 of a small towing vehicle 10 serving as a traveling vehicle, and driving wheels 13 as rear wheels are provided at the rear of the body 11. A driver's seat 14 is provided near the center of the body 11.

[0017] The driver's seat 14 is equipped with a standing driver's seat 20 and a steering lever 21 to enable manned driving. In normal unmanned autonomous driving, an operator does not board the small towing vehicle 10, but it is expected that the small towing vehicle 10 will drive autonomously even if an operator boards the vehicle.

[0018] A battery room (not shown) that houses a battery 23 is located behind the driver's seat 14 in the vehicle body 11. The upper part of the battery room is covered by an openable and closable cover 25 that is provided on the vehicle body 11. The drive wheels 13 are driven by an electric motor (not shown) that receives power from the battery 23, but the electric motor may be replaced by an engine and the drive wheels 13 may be driven by the engine. Also, the battery 23 may be replaced by a power generation device using a fuel cell.

[0019] A drawbar device 26 for coupling a towed vehicle (not shown) such as a bogie is provided at the rear of the car body 11. A drawbar operating lever 27 for operating the drawbar device 26 is provided near the drawbar device 26 at the rear of the car body 11. By operating the drawbar operating lever 27, the towed vehicle is coupled to or uncoupled from the drawbar device 26.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the front part of the vehicle body 11 includes a front frame body 31, a front cover body 32, a laser sensor 33, and a blower 34. The front frame body 31 constitutes the front part of the vehicle body 11. As shown in Fig. 3, the front cover body 32 is attached to the front frame body 31. R The laser sensor 33 is accommodated in the space formed by the front frame body 31 and the front cover body 32, and corresponds to an obstacle detector that detects obstacles ahead while traveling. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the blower 34 is a blower for preventing moisture from adhering to the laser sensor 33, and is provided above the laser sensor 33.

[0021] The front frame body 31 has a frame member 35 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body 11. Both ends of the frame member 35 are connected to a pair of left and right side members (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 11. A partition member 36 extending upward is provided at the upper part of the frame member 35. The partition member 36 is a plate member that separates the battery room from the space in front of the partition member 36. The partition member 36 has a rectangular main body plate portion 37 extending in the width direction of the frame member 35, and a standing plate portion 38 extending upward from the center of the main body plate portion 37 in the width direction.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the lower end of the frame member 35 is provided with a lower plate body 40 that protrudes forward. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower plate body 40 is a plate member that is trapezoidal in plan view. The lower plate body 40 faces the lower surface of the laser sensor 33. The lower plate body 40 has a front edge portion 41, a rear edge portion 42, and a pair of oblique edge portions 43 that are edges of the front edge portion 41 and the rear edge portion 42. The front edge portion 41 corresponds to the upper base of the trapezoid, and the rear edge portion 42 corresponds to the lower base of the trapezoid. The front edge portion 41 and the oblique edge portion 43 are provided with a standing wall portion 44 that extends upward. The standing wall portion 44 in the front edge portion 41 is provided with a lower protruding plate 45 that protrudes forward from the upper end of the standing wall portion 44. The lower protruding plate 45 is provided to prevent rainwater splashing up from the road surface from adhering to the laser sensor 33.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the frame member 35 is provided at its middle with an upper plate body 46 that protrudes forward. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper plate body 46 is a plate member that is trapezoidal in plan view. The upper plate body 46 has a front edge portion 47, a rear edge portion 48, and a pair of oblique edge portions 49 that are edges between the front edge portion 47 and the rear edge portion 48. The front edge portion 47 corresponds to the upper base of the trapezoid, and the rear edge portion 48 corresponds to the lower base of the trapezoid. The front edge portion 47 of the upper plate body 46 is located forward of the front edge portion 41 of the lower plate body 40 in the front-rear direction, and is at approximately the same position as the front end of the lower protruding plate 45. The front edge portion 47 and the oblique edge portion 49 are provided with an upper protruding plate 51 that protrudes forward. The front end of the upper protruding plate 51 is provided with a standing wall portion 52 that extends upward.

[0024] 7, the upper plate body 46 has a laser sensor insertion hole 53 through which the laser sensor 33 is inserted. Between the laser sensor 33 and the upper plate body 46 at the laser sensor insertion hole 53, a gap is formed through which air sent from the blower 34 can pass.

[0025] Meanwhile, a front top plate 55 is attached to the upper end of the partition member 36 (see Figs. 2, 4, and 6). The front top plate 55 has an oblique edge portion 56 that abuts against the front cover body 32, and a rear edge portion (not shown) that is attached to the upper end of the main plate portion 37 of the partition member 36. The oblique edge portion 56 overlaps with the oblique edge portion 43 of the lower flat plate body 40 and the oblique edge portion 49 of the upper flat plate body 46 in a plan view. A substantially rectangular cutout (not shown) cut from the front to the rear is formed in the center of the width of the front top plate 55. The front top plate 55 has a pair of left and right side edge portions 61 and a rear edge portion (not shown) that form the cutout. The left and right length of the rear edge portion is slightly greater than the left and right length of the standing plate portion 38 of the partition member 36. The plate surface of the standing plate portion 38 is aligned with the rear edge portion.

[0026] A pair of left and right partition plates 63 are provided along the pair of left and right side edges 61 (see Figures 3 and 4). The partition plates 63 are fixed to the bulkhead member 36. The length of the partition plate 63 in the front-to-rear direction is approximately the same as that of the side edges 61. An upper end 64 of the partition plate 63 is at the same height as the upper end of the standing plate portion 38, and a lower end 65 of the partition plate 63 is spaced apart from the upper flat plate body 46. A front end 66 of the partition plate 63 abuts against the front cover body 32. The laser sensor 33 and the blower 34 are arranged between the partition plates 63. The front cover body 32, the standing plate portion 38 of the front top plate 55, and the upper part of the partition plate 63 are covered by a lid member 67 (see Figure 2).

[0027] The laser sensor 33 in this embodiment is a laser range finder (LRF). A laser range finder is a distance meter that measures distance by irradiating a laser to the surroundings and receiving light reflected from the area where the laser hits. In this embodiment, a two-dimensional laser range finder that irradiates a laser while changing the irradiation angle in the horizontal direction is used. The search area for the laser sensor 33 to search for obstacles is a range of 180° (90° left and right) of a circle centered on the laser sensor 33. By setting the search area to a range of 180°, it is possible to search for obstacles in front of the small towing vehicle 10 and on the left and right sides.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the laser sensor 33 includes a cylindrical laser body 70 and a laser transmitter / receiver 71 provided below the laser body 70. The laser body 70 is attached to the partition member 36. As shown in FIG. 6, the laser transmitter / receiver 71 not only irradiates a laser beam but also receives the reflected laser beam reflected by an obstacle. Most of the laser body 70 is located above the upper plate body 46, and the laser transmitter / receiver 71 is located between the lower plate body 40 and the upper plate body 46. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of partition plates 72 are provided at a distance from the laser transmitter / receiver 71 in the left-right direction. The partition plates 72 are fixed to the lower plate body 40 and the frame member 35 so that the plate surface is perpendicular to the plate surface of the lower plate body 40. The distance between the partition plates 72 is greater than the laser sensor insertion hole 53.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, an enclosing plate 73 surrounding the outer periphery of the laser main body 70 is fixed to the upper flat plate 46. A cylindrical member 74 is provided on the enclosing plate 73 and the upper portion of the laser main body 70, and a blower 34 is provided on the upper portion of the cylindrical member 74. The blower 34 has a rotatable impeller (not shown). The blower 34 is controlled so as to be driven when the small towing vehicle 10 is traveling. In the blower 34, air is taken in from above the blower 34 by the rotation of the impeller, and the air is sent downward. The cylindrical member 74 passes the air sent from the blower 34 downward.

[0030] Next, the front cover body 32 will be described. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front cover body 32 has a central plate portion 81 and side plate portions 82 extending diagonally rearward on the left and right sides of the central plate portion 81. The central plate portion 81 is rectangular, and when the front cover body 32 is attached, an upper end 83 of the central plate portion 81 is at the same height as an upper end of the standing plate portion 38 and an upper end 64 of the partition plate 63. A lower end 84 of the central plate portion 81 abuts against a front edge portion 47 of the upper flat plate body 46 and an oblique edge portion 49 of the upper flat plate body 46.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the side plate portion 82 has a first upper end 85 that abuts against the oblique edge portion 56 of the front top plate 55. The side plate portion 82 has a second upper end 86 formed continuously from the upper end 83 of the central plate portion 81, and a connecting end 87 that connects the first upper end 85 and the second upper end 86. Furthermore, the side plate portion 82 has a first lower end 88 that abuts against a part of the oblique edge portion 49 of the lower flat plate body 40, a second lower end 89 that abuts against the lower end 84 of the central plate portion 81, a first connecting end 90 that connects the first lower end 88 and the second lower end 89, a second connecting end 91, and a third connecting end 92. The side plate portion 82 has a rear end 93, and the rear end 93 is connected to the vehicle body 11. The side plate portion 82 has a rectangular air inlet 94. The air inlet 94 is an opening for taking in air during driving.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, when the front cover body 32 is attached to the front frame body 31, a laser sensor opening 95 as an opening is formed between the lower plate body 40 and the upper plate body 46. The laser sensor opening 95 is formed according to the search range of the laser sensor 33. The laser light from the laser transmitter / receiver 71 of the laser sensor 33 passes through the laser sensor opening 95, and the reflected light reflected by an obstacle passes through the laser sensor opening 95 and is received by the laser transmitter / receiver 71. An open chamber R, which is a space in which the laser transmitter / receiver 71 is housed, is partitioned by the front cover body 32, the frame member 35, the lower plate body 40, the standing wall portion 44, and the upper plate body 46. The frame member 35 behind the laser transmitter / receiver 71 in the open chamber R corresponds to a blocking member.

[0033] The space partitioned by the front frame body 31, the front cover body 32, the upper flat plate body 46, the partition plate 63, and the cover member 67 is the air collection chamber S. The air collection chamber S is a room that collects the air introduced from the air inlet 94 before it is sent out by the blower 34. The air collection chamber S is sealed except for communicating with the air inlet 94. In this embodiment, a moisture absorbing member 96 that absorbs moisture contained in the air is provided in the air collection chamber S. The moisture absorbing member 96 has a mesh structure so that air can easily pass through. The material of the moisture absorbing member 96 is a water-absorbent polymer, silica gel, etc., and is not particularly limited as long as it is a hygroscopic material that easily absorbs moisture.

[0034] In this embodiment, a rectangular work plate 97 as a work member is attached to the front top plate 55 and the front frame body 31 so as to be behind the air inlet 94 (see Figs. 2 and 7). As shown in Fig. 6, an upper end 98 of the work plate 97 is fixed to the front top plate 55, and a rear end 99 of the work plate 97 abuts against the partition member 36. A lower end 100 of the work plate 97 is spaced apart from the upper flat plate body 46. A front end 101 of the work plate 97 abuts against the side plate portion 82 of the front cover body 32. As shown in Fig. 7, the plate surface of the work plate 97 is substantially parallel to the plate surface of the side plate portion 82 of the front cover body 32, but a fold 102 is formed near the front end 101 of the work plate 97, and the tip of the work plate 97 faces the side plate portion 82 and abuts against the side plate portion 82.

[0035] On both sides of the air collection chamber S, an air introduction chamber T is formed, which is a space partitioned by the front cover body 32, the upper flat plate body 46, the front top plate 55, and the partition plate 63. The air introduction chamber T is a chamber through which air taken in from the air introduction port 94 passes toward the air collection chamber S. The air taken in from the air introduction port 94 is directed downward by the work plate 97 in the air introduction chamber T, passes under the work plate 97 and the partition plate 63, and is introduced into the air collection chamber S. Therefore, the air introduction chamber T and the air collection chamber S correspond to an air supply passage formed between the air introduction port 94 and the blower 34. The lower side of the air introduction port 94 in the air introduction chamber T corresponds to a downward passage formed between the work plate 97 and the side plate portion 82, and through which the air taken in from the air introduction port 94 flows downward along the work plate 97.

[0036] In this embodiment, the in-process plate 97 provided in the air introduction chamber T has a function of removing moisture contained in the air taken in through the air introduction port 94. The air taken in through the air introduction port 94 hits the in-process plate 97 during travel, and the moisture contained in the air adheres to the in-process plate 97, thereby reducing the moisture contained in the air. In addition, the in-process plate 97 guides the air taken in through the air introduction port 94 downward, making it easier for the moisture contained in the air to adhere to the in-process plate 97.

[0037] The air introduction chamber T and the air collection chamber S correspond to the air supply passage, while the space inside the cylindrical member 74 provided below the blower 34, the space surrounded by the surrounding plate 73, and the gap in the laser sensor insertion hole 53 formed in the upper plate body 46 correspond to the exhaust passage formed between the laser transmitting / receiving unit 71 and the blower 34.

[0038] Next, the operation of the small towing vehicle 10 of this embodiment will be described. The small towing vehicle 10 travels autonomously without a driver while scanning with laser light from the laser sensor 33. As shown in FIG. 8, when the small towing vehicle 10 travels forward, air is taken into the air introduction chamber T from a pair of left and right air introduction ports 94. The pressure of the air in the air introduction chamber T is higher than the outside air pressure because it is air taken in while traveling. As shown in FIG. 9, when air is taken into the air introduction chamber T, the air hits the in-feed plate 97, is guided downward by the in-feed plate 97, passes under the in-feed plate 97 and the partition plate 63, and is guided to the air collection chamber S.

[0039] When the small towing vehicle 10 is traveling, the blower 34 is driven, so that the air guided to the air collection chamber S flows upward and passes through the moisture absorbing member 96. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the blower 34 sucks in the air in the air collection chamber S from above and sends it out downward. The pressure of the air sent out from the blower 34 is further increased in the space within the cylindrical member 74 and the surrounding plate 73. The air sent out from the blower 34 passes through the cylindrical member 74 and is blown out from the space within the surrounding plate 73 through the gap 54 into the open chamber R. The air blown out into the open chamber R flows around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71. In Figs. 8 to 10, the air taken in to the air introduction chamber T is indicated by a hollow arrow, and in Fig. 10, the outside air taken in from the laser sensor opening 95 is indicated by a dotted arrow.

[0040] When the small towing vehicle 10 is traveling, air enters through the laser sensor opening 95. However, since the air flowing around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71 has a higher air pressure than the outside air pressure and the pressure is further increased by the blower 34, the air taken in through the laser sensor opening 95 is blocked by the air blown from the blower 34 and cannot flow around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71. Furthermore, since the partition plate 72 is provided, the pressure of the air blown from the blower 34 is less likely to decrease around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71.

[0041] The small towing vehicle 10 often travels outdoors at airports. Therefore, in rainy weather, the air introduced from the pair of left and right air inlets 94 contains rainwater. When the air is taken into the air introduction chamber T, the air first hits the in-process plate 97, and the rainwater contained in the air adheres to the in-process plate 97. The rainwater adheres to the in-process plate 97, thereby reducing the amount of rainwater contained in the air. In addition, the air is guided downward along the in-process plate 97, so that the rainwater is more likely to adhere to the in-process plate 97. The rainwater contained in the air can also adhere to the front cover body 32, the partition member 36, the upper flat plate body 46, the front top plate 55, and the partition plate 63 that divide the air introduction chamber T.

[0042] Furthermore, when air passes through the air collection chamber S, the moisture absorbing member 96 absorbs moisture from the passing air. It can also adhere to the front cover body 32, the partition member 36, the upper plate body 46, the partition plate 63, and the lid member 67 that partition the air collection chamber S. Therefore, the air blown out by the blower 34 contains reduced rainwater, so that rainwater is less likely to adhere to the air even if it flows around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71. The moisture adhering to the in-process plate 97 drips from the in-process plate 97 onto the upper plate body 46 and is discharged through a drainage channel not shown.

[0043] In addition, since the upper protruding plate 51 and the vertical wall portion 52 are provided in front of the upper portion of the laser sensor opening 95, rainwater is unlikely to enter the laser sensor opening 95 from above (see FIG. 10). In other words, the upper protruding plate 51 provided with the vertical wall portion 52 functions as a rain shelter that prevents rainwater from entering the laser sensor opening 95. Furthermore, the lower protruding plate 45 that protrudes forward from the lower flat plate body 40 prevents rainwater from splashing off the road surface and entering the laser sensor opening 95. When the small towing vehicle 10 is temporarily stopped, the blower 34 continues to operate.

[0044] The small towing vehicle 10 of this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) When the small towing vehicle 10 travels, air is introduced from the air inlet 94, and the introduced air passes through the air introduction chamber T and air collection chamber S, which are air supply passages, and is supplied to the blower 34. The blower 34 blows the supplied air onto the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71 of the laser sensor 33. Since the air introduction chamber T is provided with a trap plate 97, for example, moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet 94 during rainy weather adheres to the trap plate 97. For this reason, the moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet 94 is reduced, and adhesion of moisture to the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71 due to the air blown out from the blower 34 can be suppressed.

[0045] (2) The in-process plate 97 is provided behind the air inlet 94. The air introduced from the air inlet 94 immediately hits the in-process plate 97, so moisture immediately adheres to the in-process plate 97. For this reason, moisture is less likely to reach the blower 34, which is located away from the in-process plate 97.

[0046] (3) The moisture absorbing member 96 that absorbs moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet 94 is provided in the air collection chamber S, which is an air supply passage, so that the moisture absorbing member 96 absorbs moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet 94 in the air collection chamber S. Therefore, the moisture contained in the air introduced from the air inlet 94 is reduced by the moisture absorbing member 96 in addition to the reduction in moisture by the in-process board 97, and adhesion of moisture to the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71 by the air blown out from the blower 34 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, the moisture absorbing member 96 easily reduces the moisture in the air even if the amount of moisture contained in the air taken in is very small, such as drizzle.

[0047] (4) Since the air introduction chamber T has a downward passage portion, the air introduced from the air introduction port 94 flows downward along the work plate 97, so that moisture is more likely to adhere to the work plate 97 than when the air does not flow downward along the work plate 97. As a result, adhesion of moisture to the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71 due to the air blown out from the blower 34 can be further suppressed.

[0048] (5) A front cover body 32 is provided in front of the laser transmitter / receiver unit 71 and has a laser sensor opening 95, and a frame member 35 is provided behind the laser transmitter / receiver unit 71 and closes the rear of the laser transmitter / receiver unit 71. Therefore, air introduced from the laser sensor opening 95 during traveling cannot flow to the rear of the vehicle body 11 due to the frame member 35 behind the laser transmitter / receiver unit 71. Therefore, the flow of air blown by the blower 34 to the laser transmitter / receiver unit 71 is less likely to be blocked by the air introduced from the laser sensor opening 95.

[0049] (6) Since air is introduced from the air inlet 94 during driving, the pressure of the air in the air introduction chamber T can be made higher than the outside air pressure. Then, the air in the air introduction chamber T is blown out from the blower 34 through the air collection chamber S, so that the pressure is further increased in the space within the cylindrical member 74 and the surrounding plate 73. The air sent out from the blower 34 flows around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71, and the air taken in from the laser sensor opening 95 does not flow around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71. Furthermore, since the partition plate 72 is provided, the pressure of the air blown from the blower 34 is less likely to decrease around the laser transmitting and receiving unit 71.

[0050] (7) Since air is introduced from the air inlet 94 while the vehicle is traveling and the air pressure in the air introduction chamber T can be made higher than the outside air pressure, the blower 34 can be made smaller than when air is not taken in from the front while the vehicle is traveling and air is blown out using a blower. The smaller size of the blower 34 is expected to reduce the weight of the miniature towing vehicle 10 and improve the design freedom.

[0051] (8) Since the moisture contained in the air taken in by the blower 34 is reduced by the in-process plate 97 and the moisture absorbing member 96, the blower 34 is less susceptible to adverse effects of moisture contained in the air, and the durability of the blower 34 can be improved.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0053] In the above embodiment, a work plate is disposed behind the air inlet as a work member, but this is not limited to the above. The work member does not necessarily have to be disposed behind the air inlet, and may be disposed, for example, to the side of the air inlet in the air inlet chamber. The work member does not have to be a plate, and the size and shape of the work member are free. Furthermore, the work member may be freely disposed in the air inlet chamber as long as the pressure of the air introduced from the air inlet is not significantly reduced. In the above embodiment, the moisture absorbing member is provided in the air supply passage, but this is not limited to this. The moisture absorbing member is not an essential requirement, and the traveling body may not include a moisture absorbing member. Even if a moisture absorbing member is provided, the moisture absorbing member may be provided at any position as long as it is in the air supply passage. In the above embodiment, the moisture absorbing member is provided across the cross section of the air supply passage, but this is not limited to this. The moisture absorbing member may be provided simply so as to be in contact with the air in the air supply passage, without being provided across the cross section of the air supply passage. In the above embodiment, the blower is provided above the obstacle detector, but this is not limiting. The position of the blower is free, and it may be provided behind or to the side of the obstacle detector. In this case, the exhaust passage between the obstacle detector and the blower may be formed by bending. In the above embodiment, a laser sensor is used as an example of the obstacle detector, but the present invention is not limited to this. The obstacle detector may be, for example, a camera. In this case, the adhesion of moisture to the lens of the camera can be suppressed in the same manner as the laser sensor. In the above embodiment, the air supply passage has a downward passage portion through which the air introduced from the air inlet flows downward by the in-progress member, but this is not limited to this. The downward passage portion is not an essential requirement, and the air supply passage does not have to have, for example, a downward passage portion. In the above embodiment, an example of an unmanned small towing vehicle is described as a traveling body, but the traveling body is not limited to an unmanned small towing vehicle. The traveling body may be any traveling body equipped with an obstacle detector. In addition, if the traveling body is an autonomous traveling body, it may be an unmanned guided vehicle, an unmanned forklift, or an unmanned towing tractor, and may be any traveling body that can travel autonomously without being manned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Small towing vehicle 11 Body 31 Front frame body 32 Front cover body 33 Laser sensor (obstacle detector) 34 Blower 35 Frame components (blocking components) 36 Partition member 40 Lower plate body 46 Upper plate body 53 Laser sensor insertion hole (opening) 55 Front top plate 60 Notch 63 Partition plate 70 Laser main body 71 Laser transmitter / receiver 72 Divider 73 Enclosure 74 Cylindrical member 94 Air Inlet 95 Laser sensor aperture 96 Moisture absorbing material 97 Work in progress board (work in progress part) R Opening chamber S Air collection room T Air Induction Chamber

Claims

1. The car body and an obstacle detector mounted on a front portion of the vehicle body and configured to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle body, a blower that blows air toward the obstacle detector; an air inlet provided at a front portion of the vehicle body for introducing air; an air supply passage formed between the air inlet and the blower; an exhaust passage formed between the obstacle detector and the blower; a working member provided in the air supply passage and adapted to adsorb moisture contained in the air introduced through the air inlet, A traveling body, comprising: a moisture absorbing member provided in the air supply passage for absorbing moisture contained in the air introduced through the air inlet.

2. A vehicle body, an obstacle detector mounted on a front portion of the vehicle body and configured to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle body, a blower that blows air toward the obstacle detector; an air inlet provided at a front portion of the vehicle body for introducing air; an air supply passage formed between the air inlet and the blower; an exhaust passage formed between the obstacle detector and the blower; a working member that is provided in the air supply passage and that adheres moisture contained in the air introduced through the air inlet, The traveling body, wherein the air supply passage has a downward passage portion through which the air introduced from the air inlet flows downward by the work member.

3. A running body as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the work member is provided rearward of the air inlet.

4. A front cover body provided in front of the obstacle detector and having an opening; 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a blocking member provided behind the obstacle detector for blocking the rear of the obstacle detector.

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